John R. Houk
© December 28, 2010
There is evidence Europe is rapidly descending into the same kind of Anti-Semitism that existed prior to 1945. I have been alerted by the Jerusalem Prayer Team under the writing auspices of Mike Evans that the European Union (EU) is preparing legislation at the behest of the Arab League that would label any Jew as a war criminal for building in East Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria making Jewish offenders subject to adjudication by the “International Court”.
I wonder if the EU would consider prosecuting any Arab that wishes to be known as Palestinian for building a home in Israel’s capital city Jerusalem. I know the retort to this is that the Eastern part of Jerusalem (aka Old Jerusalem) was Palestinian prior to 1967. But would the retort be accurate? NO!
For one thing the Jewish Quarter of Old City Jerusalem has existed for 3,000 years. This means even during Diasporas and foreign occupations, there has been a Jewish Quarter or presence for 3,000 years. In the last hundred years the Jews have had the worst time of their existence between 1948 and 1967 when Jordanian forces occupied Judea and Samaria portions of the old British Mandate of Palestine. Jordan changed the name to the West Bank and allowed Muslims to desecrate Jewish Synagogues and Holy Places of Jewish heritage. Transjordan (Jordan today) would unilaterally annex Samaria, Judea and the Eastern half of Jerusalem but prior to this an ethnic cleansing of all things Jewish continued right through official annexation in 1949.
Was Israel the occupier or the liberator of Old City Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria? Israel was the absolute liberator of Jewish land. Indeed, after 1967 Israel chose to protect the two Muslim Mosques built on the Jewish Temple Mount by invading Muslims. Muslim conquest took place in 638 AD. The Dome of the Rock was built between 688 – 91 AD. The al Aqsa Mosque was built 715 AD. The Umayyad Caliphs are thought to have had a focus on Jerusalem because of political competition from the Arabian Peninsula where Mecca was located. Then an Umayyad Caliph utilized the Temple Mount to solidify their rule theologically by connecting Mohammed’s Night Vision for the first time to Jerusalem by building al Aqsa Mosque.
So the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recaptured sovereignty over the Temple Mount and the other Jewish Holy Sites in 1967. You would think that Jews would proceed with a little tit-for-tat and repay Muslims for the 1948 desecration with 1967 desecration. It never happened! Israel allowed the Temple Mount to be under the administration of the Muslim Waqf which was still connected to Jordan.
Muslim control of the Temple Mount has existed then for a mere 1329 years. Frankly as long as the Muslim Waqf controls the part of the Temple Mount holds the Dome of the Rock and al Aqsa Mosque, Temple Mount control continues today. An active Jewish Temple was on the Temple Mount for about 970 years. This leaves the Muslims with a 359 year advantage in active religious practice on the Temple Mount.
Historically this gives those who practice the Muslim faith a lot of clout in their demands for controlling the Temple Mount. In America there is an old adage: Possession is 9/10 of the law. Judaism had first dibs, but Islam possesses. Orthodox Judaism and Islam are both not exactly the most tolerant of religions. The difference in the two religion’s intolerance is that Judaism looks inward as in containment and protecting all things Jewish and Islam looks outward expanding even to the point of annihilating all things non-Muslim. We have an uncompromising position if both religions remain true to their faith. It is like the unmovable force meets the unstoppable force. Who wins? In this politically correct Western dominating world, neither religion wins. There will always be intolerance from both religions, each claiming the authority of G-d or Mohammed/Allah.
In a well armed 19th century Jewish/Muslim collision there might be a winner. The rules of war – particularly in the Middle East – were quite different from today’s Western thankful imposition of human rights. In the old days there would be a fight with winner taking all. The Jews would have eradicated the Muslim existence in the Land of Israel. Muslims would have eradicated Jewish power with a great slaughter with any remaining Jews placed into a humiliating subhuman status of dhimmitude ala the direction of Mohammed’s example.
As far as weaponry is concerned in the 19th century historically there would have been no battle. The Ottoman Turks stilled ruled the Jewish-Christian-Muslim Holy Land under the administration of the district of Syria. No Palestine existed as a political entity during Ottoman rule. And the Ottomans were a ruthless bunch even in their deteriorating state in the 19th century. There was no Jewish army. Jews existed as outcastes in various nations in Europe, the Ottoman Empire and the Americas. In the land that the Romans gave the name of Philistia, in an effort to eradicate the memory of a Jewish land, began to be called Palestine by Westerners. Even during this Diaspora, this dispersion of Jews away from their homeland roots, there was a Jewish presence in Palestine.
So the question that needs to be asked: Who has deeper roots in the Land of Israel, the Jews or the Muslims?
Both Jews and Muslims theologically trace their heritage from the Patriarch Abraham.
For the Jews, Abraham is the father of the Hebrew people of whom the Promise of God was given for the Land known as Israel. Abraham was the Father of Isaac (Child of Promise from Sarah) who was the Father of Jacob who was renamed Israel by God Almighty. Israel is the Father of twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel.
For the Muslims, Abraham is the Father of Ishmael from Sarah’s slave attendant Hagar (the Quranic spellings are slightly different, I am sticking with the anglicized Biblical version). Ishmael is Quranically connected to Abraham rather than Isaac as a demonstration of Abraham’s faith on Mount Moriah. Abraham was commanded by God (in Islam – Allah) to sacrifice the life of Ishmael. This is a replacement of the older Biblical Scripture in which Abraham’s faith is proven with the Child of Promise Isaac. In both Judaic and Islamic traditions Abraham is prevented from killing Isaac/Ishmael by God/Allah as Abraham proves his obedient faith to God/Allah.
Even though Jews would trace their immediate tie to the Land of Israel from Abraham, let’s use the date that Joshua begins his conquest of Canaan Land. As a brief side bar to critics of the Jewish brutality toward Canaanites, the Biblical reason give by God is to eradicate the people who had arrived to a moment of fullness of sin. It was a Noah’s Ark moment for the dwellers of Canaan Land. The Hebrew-Israel-Jewish command to possess the sinful land of Canaan was not perpetual global conquest until all non-Jews became Jewish. It was only for the Promised Land. Then the command for Jews was to show the obedience of Abraham to honor and obey God while be separate from mingling with other nations. Joshua’s conquest was around the year 1250 BC (BCE for you Secularists and non-Christians). If there has been a continuous Jewish presence in the Land since 1250 BC to the present, the Jewish time frame of heritage is roughly 3,260 years. How long is the Muslim heritage in their conquered land?
Muslims conquered the Holy Land in 638 AD (again for Secularists – CE). If one measures the span of time from the present back to Muslim conquest, that time frame is 1,372. This means a Jewish heritage of the land is 1,888 years longer than a Muslim heritage. That is nearly 2,000 more years than any Muslim claim.
Now here is a Muslim disclaimer:
1. Muslims do Quranically trace a heritage back through Ishmael and further to Abraham.
2. According to the Quran, all the Biblical Saints and Patriarchs were Muslim prophets even back to Adam. The Quran calls the Bible tainted and that the true word of Allah restores truth for humankind.
Even though the Jews do have a concrete verifiable extra-Biblical archeological and historical connection to the Land, the Muslims believe the Quran is the inerrant divine word of Allah delivered by their Prophet Mohammed. In the view of Muslims, inerrancy trumps physical evidence. The thing is Orthodox Jews and Biblical Christians believe the Bible (for Jews this really applies to the Pentateuch) is the inerrant Inspired Word of God Almighty.
Now I realize I am speaking from a Biblical Christian perspective and perhaps from a Christian Zionist perspective. For me Inspired Word of God and physical evidence combined trumps Quranic claims.
Jerusalem is the City of David, the eternal capital city of Jews and a place held in awe by Christians. Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria are part of the Promise made to Abraham and handed down to Isaac, Jacob/Israel and their descendants. Any other possession of that Land by non-Jews is usurpation. Even if the usurpers are Christians.
If you are a Biblical Christian you believe the Jews on their own accord will one day embrace Jesus as the Messiah in the same way as believing Christians have done so. To the Orthodox Jew this sometimes is frowned upon. Christian proselytizing is officially illegal in the Jewish State of Israel; however there is a small yet growing amount of Jews who have retained their Jewish heritage and embraced Christianity simultaneously. Jewish Christians today are often referred to as Messianic Jews. Messianic Jews are controversial to both Orthodox Jews and many Christians. I see it as another sign of the soon returning King of the Jews and the Son of God – Jesus the Messiah and the deliverer of all nations from darkness to the Light of God.
JRH 12/28/10
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Jews to Be Arrested as War Criminals for Building Homes
By Mike Evans
Sent: December 27, 2010 6:12:07 PM
Jerusalem Prayer Team
The Arab League is working diligently to get legislation passed by the European Union that would classify any Jew who builds a home in Judea or Samaria as a war criminal--subject to punishment by the International Court. It's almost impossible to believe, but it's true...and this frightful future with its direct attack on prophetic Scripture could become a reality very soon.
While I was in Israel, I received numerous briefings and intelligence updates. Israeli leaders foresee a massive economic attack against Israel. Terrorists can no longer move freely inside Israel to launch suicide attacks because of the security wall Israel has built. If the Palestinians can persuade world leaders to punish Israel with tariff and trade penalties so that they cannot compete in the world markets, they hope to bring Israel to its knees and break its will.
President Obama has refused to speak out against this plan in support of Israel. He and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are working to undermine and break apart the coalition government headed by my friend Prime Minister Netanyahu. They hope to replace him with a liberal Israeli leader who will accept a Palestinian state with 1967 borders. President Obama is using the threat of an atomic Iran against Israel--because the US controls the skies in the Middle East and supplies Israel with vital weapons and replacement parts--he is refusing to approve an attack to stop Iran's nuclear program unless Israel agrees to give the Palestinians Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem.
An evil worldwide plot against Israel is unfolding before our eyes. This plotting is foretold in the words of Scripture. "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." (Psalm 2:2&3)
But we can stand for Israel no matter what world leaders do. Will you please show your support for Israel today by sending a Year End Bless Israel gift right now? President Obama and many other world leaders are cursing Israel by trying to force them to give up the land that God has promised to them forever. "I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee." (Genesis 12:3) Will you replace that curse with a blessing today?
CLICK HERE TO SEND YOUR SPECIAL YEAR-END "BLESS ISRAEL" OFFERING: https://www.donation-net.net/CTBF/donate.cfm?dn=1032&commID=175051136&ID=456632
You have been asked by Nir Barkat, the mayor of Jerusalem, if you would renovate the largest bomb shelter in Jerusalem for use by Holocaust survivors. I have stepped out by faith and said YES. A generous friend has stepped forward and said he will match whatever you give so your Year End Bless Israel gift will be doubled. This is my last appeal to you for this vital project. Please, please vote to bless Israel today with your gift.
I want to put heat and air conditioning in the bomb shelter and also a kitchen, bathrooms, and so much more. This will be a community center and place of love and fellowship until the day when it is needed to save lives. When the attack on Israel comes, you will know that your special year end gift to bless Israel has saved the lives of the elderly Holocaust victims who use it...but you will also be saving these forgotten people from loneliness and isolation every day.
This is the last email on this project. If everyone will just send one more gift today, we will have a miracle. I am going to put the name of every person who gives on a plaque in the bomb shelter in Jerusalem. If you would like, you can give your gift in behalf of a departed loved one...or a mom or dad or grandfather or grandmother or child or grandchild today. Your gift of love will never be forgotten by those who use this shelter, and God will remember it as well. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee." (Psalm 122:6)
CLICK HERE TO SEND YOUR YEAR-END GIFT TO BLESS ISRAEL AND THE HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS: https://www.donation-net.net/CTBF/donate.cfm?dn=1032&commID=175051136&ID=456632
CLICK HERE TO WATCH MY INTERVIEW ON ISRAELI NATIONAL TV: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/news.aspx/141176
Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, she'asah li kol tzorki. Blessed art thou, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who provides for me all our needs.
Your support of the Jerusalem Prayer Team makes it possible for us continue to mobilize believers around the world to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the protection of Israel and meet vital humanitarian needs among the Chosen People. Thank you for being part of the team.
Your ambassador to Jerusalem,
Dr. Michael Evans
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Jewish Heritage Belongs to the Land of Israel
John R. Houk
© December 28, 2010
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Jews to Be Arrested as War Criminals for Building Homes
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