Hello! A Happy New Year to you. And if we are trusting in Jesus we do indeed look forward to a Happy New Year, and it looks like a very interesting one. As we know assuredly that the whole world is indeed in His hands. Many in this day and age are fearful of what is to come as the world seems to be heading for some ultimate crisis, which the man in the street knows nothing about and the worldwide Church, seems in general, a bit slow in saying anything about it. But it’s all in God’s Word the Bible, for all to see if we will, but we must seek it out.
As earthquakes increase in number and intensity, and the wild weather continues to be blamed on global warming and mankind struggles to find a way to stop the increase in temperature.[Luke 21:25] Man goes on fighting each other because those involved cannot find a way of peace. Governments of the world are at a loss, with perplexity as they search for answers. The arrival of Mr. Trump on the scene of American politics has opened a whole new scenario on the future of the U.S.A and indeed the world as a newcomer enters into power in one of the most influential countries in the world.
A group of leading Israeli rabbis see in the new President Donald Trump, and possibly Russian President Vladimir Putin, a reminder of King Cyrus of Persia who assisted the Jewish people in rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple around 2500 years ago. Rabbi Hillel Weiss, a spokesman for the newly formed Israeli Sanhedrin, a modern effort to revive the ancient Jewish religious court, noted in remarks reported by the National News that the two most important national leaders in the world support the Jewish right to Jerusalem as their spiritual inheritance is historically unprecedented. The Sanhedrin wrote to both leaders urging them to support Jewish claims to Jerusalem. This coincides with the decision of UNESCO to deny any Jewish connection to the Temple Mount. The Israeli Prime Minister Mr. Netanyahu, said that it was a ridiculous decision denying the connection between the Jewish people and the Western Wall. It’s like saying the Chinese have no connection with the Great Wall of China or the Egyptians have no connection with the Pyramids. The other event has been the appointment of a high priest in Israel. Amongst those who voted on the decision about the Temple Mount; among other nations, both China and Russia voted for the resolution while the USA and 5 European countries opposed it, among them Britain. It will be an interesting year. I wonder if this is the year, the Lord will come for us.
One interesting aspect this coming year is that it ends in seven. To the Jews 7 has always been a significant number. In 70 AD Jerusalem was sacked by the Romans. The Temple destroyed and the Jews dispersed. In more recent years Allenby and the British Army relieved Jerusalem from Moslem domination in 1917, exactly 100 years ago. It is this year the Jewish year 5777. The Balfour declaration was penned in 5677, or 1917, for the provision of a homeland for the Jewish people. On the 29th November 1947 saw the adoption of a United Nations plan for Palestine and the decision to declare in 1948 the formation of the nation of Israel. Then in 1967 there was the 6 day war where miraculously, against the might of several Arab armies, Israel prevailed and won back Jerusalem and the West Bank. !973 saw the Yom Kippur war when Israel was caught off-guard by the Arab armies during a Jewish religious festival. And in which Israel prevailed, due to the workings of God amongst them. So we come to 2017 or Jewish year 5777. I wonder if this will mark anything momentous in the history of Israel or perhaps in the whole world. It seems that the world and the Middle East are moving relentlessly towards the end times. Also the characters and nations are taking their positions ready for the time of the Tribulation, and the Battle of Armageddon. Russia [Magog] seems to be taking a strong position in Syria [Assyria] and no doubt would support Syria if it decides to attack Israel and “push it into the sea” as the Muslim militants would wish. Meanwhile nearly all the other countries in the Middle East feel insecure. The Iraqi Army seems to, with outside help, be defeating ISIS and Syria with Russian help seems to be quelling the rebels, however all, including Jordon and Saudi Arabia are fearful of Iran’s nuclear capability.
Former CIA chief and Undersecretary of the Navy, James Woolsey, decried the Obama’s administration’s Nuclear agreement with Iran. He has now become Donald Trump’s senior national security adviser. He said “the incoming Trump Administration was likely to alter or reject the Iran nuclear deal, which although signed by Obama’s organisation, never was ratified by the US Senate. It’s a terrible agreement” Trumps adviser stated, “I think that anybody who brought that agreement back as something that was effective and verifiable would be laughed out of Washington. And the people who brought it back should have been.”
President Elect of the USA Donald Trump said that he would “love” to make peace between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs, and that his son in law Jared Kushner could be involved in the process. Jared Kushner is an orthodox Jew and supports the Jewish right to Israel. Jason Greenblatt, Trump’s adviser on Israel says he will not support a two state solution and seeks to make peace between Israel and the Palestinians without doing so. The Bible in Daniel 9:27 speaks of a false peace imposed upon Israel by the coming world leader. Yes I am indeed certain we will have a very interesting year in 2017.
Brian D. Papworth
Representative for P.W.M.I. in the South Pacific