ISRAEL IN THE HANDS OF PROVIDENCE

Israel in the Hands of Providence

Hal Lindsey

If ever Israel needed an ace-in-the-hole, it needs it now. With the Obama Administration's new Muslim favoring policy and the continued hostile attitude of the European Union toward the State of Israel, Israel has been left hanging in perilous winds without a friend.

Just the perception of the U.S. pulling back from supporting Israel has already begun to cause increased signs of attack by Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria and Iran.Both Hezbollah and Hamas have recently received missiles that can hit Israel's major population centers.

As of today, the whole world is at best negative toward Israel, and at worst outright hostile toward its continued existence as a state. The odds of Israel continuing as a state for more than ten more years are next to zero.

Well, so much for the human viewpoint. Now let's look at what God has to say about Israel's future. Every aspect of what is happening in regard to the reborn State of Israel has been forecast by Bible prophecy more than two thousand years ago. When it comes to Israel and God's promises to her, there are no odds.

The LORD of Israel predicted the unfaithfulness that would cause their national destruction and exile throughout the entire world. When the LORD predicted their return from this exile to become a nation again in the last days, He acknowledged that they would still be unworthy, "When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name-when they said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, and yet they have gone out of His land.' But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went. "Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: "I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD," says the Lord GOD, "when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land." (Ezekiel 36:20-24 NKJ)

God keeps His Word to Israel because the honor of His name is at stake. When God makes an unconditional covenant, it is absolutely binding and unbreakable. God chose Abraham and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob to create a nation through whom He could reveal Himself and provide salvation to the world that was bent upon removing His name from its memory. If the Israelites appear to be unworthy, remember this, all other nations and people are even more unworthy. Israel was not chosen and created because it was somehow more worthy. It was created by God's sovereign purpose and love to provide salvation for the whole rebellious world.

So how is God going to rescue and secure the Nation of Israel that at present seems to be headed for certain destruction? Once again, Bible prophecy gives us a hint, "... You will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates, to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.' Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?""(Ezekiel 38:11-13 NKJ)

The attack that starts Armageddon is here predicted. Ezekiel refers to ancient tribes of his day that can be traced today to Russia, Iran and the various Muslim nations that surround Israel. What is very important to see is that the major motivation for this attack is envy over the enormous wealth that Israel has accumulated that has placed her at "the center of the world" in influence and economics.

I believe this article from the U.S. Geological Survey regarding the enormous potential for Israel striking it rich with over 122 trillion cubic feet of gas and 1.7 billion barrels of oil confirms where this enormous wealth will come from.

For years I have believed that Israel would have a major discovery of gas and oil. This is the one thing I could see that would give Israel the kind of leverage to force a hostile world to acknowledge it. Noble Oil and Gas has already struck a huge gas find off the coast of Haifa.

The Zion Oil and Gas Company sits in the midst of the same Levant Sub-Salt Reservoirs in which Noble Oil and Gas' discoveries were made. I have been a friend with Zion Oil and Gas' founder and driving force, John Brown, for many years. Against impossible odds he has believed that he would help Israel discover oil and gas. He absolutely believes on the basis of a supernatural calling from God and specific confirming Scriptures that he will discover a large reservoir of oil and gas. Zion now has exploration leases on 327 thousand total acres, all of which are geologically well placed within the Levant Reservoir.

I personally made a small investment in Zion Oil and Gas because I wanted to be a part of helping Israel receive this strategic commodity. I believe, based on my knowledge of prophecy, that Israel is going to hit it big soon. When Israel does, the EU and other nations will come with hat in hand to secure from her the desperately needed gas supply.

I believe this will change the entire political balance of power in the Middle East. As far as I can see, this is the one thing that could immediately change Israel's current vulnerable position.

The EU is now at the mercy of Russia for its supply of gas. Russia has been able to force its will on some of the EU's critical decisions by threatening to cut off their indispensable gas supply. Having Israel as a supplier would be far better for Europe.

And this would explain why the coming Antichrist from Rome will make a covenant guaranteeing Israel's security, as predicted by Daniel 9:27.

Buckle your seat belts all you who believe in Jesus the Messiah. We are in for an exciting ride soon.

Obama: Mid East conflict costs US "blood and treasure"
DEBKAfile Special Report April 15, 2010, 9:53 AM (GMT+02:00)

Tags:  Middle East peace   Obama 

Stands by new Mid East direction

The radical shift in US Middle East policies, marked by tough demands of Israel, was confirmed and highlighted by President Obama Barak Tuesday, April 14, in his comment that conflicts like the one in the Middle East ended up "costing significantly in terms of both blood and treasure." Reporting this, the New York Times noted that he echoed the recent suggestion by Gen. David Petraeus, OC Central Command, that American lives in Iraq and Afghanistan were imperiled by lack of progress in the Middle East implying Israel's policies on the Palestinians were responsible. (Petraeus later phoned Israel's chief of staff to say his remarks were misunderstood and taken out of context.)
DEBKAfile's US sources see in the US president's remark his rejoinder to the alarmed accusations coming from prominent American-Jewish leaders that the US president has turned his back on Israel's security, although he has repeatedly claimed it was the bedrock of his Middle East policy. Furthermore, AIPAC, the pro-Israeli lobbying group publicized a letter to US secretary of State Hillary Clinton signed by 76 senators and 33 House members urging the administration to defuse tensions with Israel and voicing support for its security.

The World Jewish Congress president Ronald Lauder was to publish an open letter to President Obama in the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal which asks: “Why does the thrust of this administration’s Middle East rhetoric seem to blame Israel for the lack of movement on peace talks when it is the Palestinians who refuse to negotiate?”
Former New York Mayor Ed Koch said he suspects the plan is "to so weaken the resolve of the of the Jewish state and its leaders so that it will be much easier to impose on Israel an American plan to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict, leaving Israel's needs for security and defensible borders in the lurch."

For a report on their comments, click here.