Signs Of The Times (Part 194 of 0)

Signs of the Times – Part unknown

Civil War in Lebanon

The situation in Lebanon is likened to a tinder box, waiting to be ignited into a conflagration which could engulf the whole Middle East and set the stage for World War III The complicated political structure in Lebanon is susceptible to unrest Being a compact nation with 17 diverse Christian and Moslem sects, agreement had been reached that the President would always be a Maronite Christian (the Maronite’s before independence were the largest sect in Lebanon) , the Premier was a Sunni Moslem, the speaker of the Parliament a Shia Moslem The trouble with this arrangement lay in its inability to be changed without bitter quarrels resulting between the parties

The Christians refused to accept reforms in the system brought about be­cause of the misrule of Lebanon s President Early in April a ten-day cease fire was accepted by both sides In spite of the agreement, however, in the first 24 hours of the freeze, police reported 92 people killed and 85 wounded in sniping incidents Conflicts between tank units in the mountain area was also reported This latest cease fire agreement was the 24th in five months, ending temporarily one of the bloodiest passages in the country s civil war Even as negotiations were going on, fierce fighting between right-wing Christians and the combined forces of Moslems, leftists and fedayeen continued It was estimated that some 1500 were killed in the week before the cease fire, raising the death toll, since last April, to nearly 13,000

Israel’s Red Line

The larger nations of the world as well as the Middle East countries are deeply interested and concerned with developments in Lebanon They realize just how easily the civil war could provoke a cataclysmic Middle Eastern conflict

Syria, in the first of April, put increased military and political pressure on Lebanon by sending some 3,000 troops into the country, along with 7,000 fighters of the fedayeen movement in Damascus Syria’s President, Hafez Assad, in explaining the moves said that the Syrian troops had taken “a firm stand to oppose any party that insists on continuing the war.”

In the United States, Secretary of State Kissinger told Congress that “we have been walking through a mine field here . . . the Syrian military efforts are getting very close to the borderline of Israeli tolerance”. Kissinger further warned that Israel had marked out a “red line” beyond which Syrian forces could not move. A Western diplomat in Beirut agreed, “If they get close to the Israeli border, the Israelis will likely do something about it.”

What is so potentially dangerous about this internal conflict is its likelihood of spreading to its neighboring states. Israel’s fear for survival may cause her to bolt if pushed too far.

Israel’s Doomsday Weapons

For many years rumors had been circulating that Israel had succeeded in developing a nuclear capability. These speculations have now been confirmed. An official of the Central Intelligence Agency recently told a group of American space experts in Washington that the C.I.A. estimates that Israel had between 10 and 20 nuclear weapons “available for use”. Time Magazine, in its April 12th edition, reported that they had learned, “Israel possesses a nuclear arsenal of 13 atomic bombs, assembled, stored and ready to be dropped on enemy forces from specially equipped Kfir and Phantom fighters on Jericho missions.”

In the 78 hour period at the start of the 1973 October war, 13 atomic bombs were hastily assembled. At that time, the tide of conflict was turning against Israel. The Egyptians had succeeded in repulsing Israel’s first counter-attacks along the Suez Canal, inflicting heavy casualties. At the same time the Israeli forces found it necessary to retreat from the Golan Heights in the face of a massive Syrian tank assault. Time Magazine reported, “At 10 p.m. on Oct. 8, the Israeli Commander on the northern front, Major General Yitzhak Hoffi, told his superior: “I am not sure that we can hold out much longer.’ After midnight, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan solemnly warned Premier Golda Meir: ‘This is the end of the third temple.’ Mrs. Meir thereupon gave Dayan permission to activate Israel’s Doomsday weapons. As each bomb was assembled, it was rushed off to waiting air force units. Before any triggers were set, however, the battle on both fronts turned in Israel’s favor. The 13 bombs were sent to desert arsenals, where they remain today, still ready for use.”

How did Israel come into possession of a nuclear capability? In the 1950’s, Israel developed a method of putting heavy water through production of low grade uranium from phosphate in the Negev. Through a mutual agreement with France (Israel agreed to share these processes with the French government) she was allowed to study France’s nuclear program, including first hand observation of atomic tests in the Sahara. A few years later, Israel’s first nuclear reactor was supplied them by France. France also helped in the design of an Atomic Research Community in the Negev. Though a great deal of debate followed within Israel concerning the possibility of Israel’s building of a separation plant to produce fissionable material necessary for an atomic bomb, the plan went into effect secretly. After the Six-Day-War in 1967, Moshe Dayan had ordered construction on a separation plant, without the knowledge of some of key personnel in government. When Premier Levi Esh­kol discovered the secret project, he had no alternative than to rubber-stamp the plant already begun.

It was Dayan’s opinion that a nuclear capability was essential to Israel’s survival. Commenting on this decision, the former Defense Minister stated, “Israel has no choice. With our manpower we cannot physically, financially or economically go on acquiring more and more tanks, and more and more planes. Before long you will have all of us maintaining and oiling the tanks.”

With this latest upgrade of Israel’s arsenal, the reality of Zechariah’s description of modern warfare becomes even more ominous. The LORD through the prophet foretells the awful fate of the latter day enemies of His people who choose to invade the land: “And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongues shall consume away in their mouths.” The prophet further relates Judah’s part in repulsing the enemy (V14), as the LORD’s “battle axe and weapons of war” by which He will “break in pieces the nations” (Jer. 51:20)

Whether Zechariah’s prophecy is descriptive of the ravages of nuclear conflict or not, the terrible punishments meted out to the enemies of Israel by the hand of the Lord are awesome in their prospect, and assume a literality to us, which they of former generations could never envision.

“And God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth” Genesis 6 12

We ponder this statement found in the Bible regarding the early history of mankind as we enter the new year In retrospect we must acknowledge that 1975 was not a good year in any of the areas of human activity The international political scene was tense and potentially explosive as a worried world endeavored to extricate itself from a disastrous economic depression The most distressing observation of all, as we look back, is the continuing and accelerated decline in the moral and spiritual values in human society The strength of a nation and its people is determined by these values which are demonstrated and become operative only when they reflect a high standard of what is ethical and virtuous

It is quite possible as we search for the signs of our times, to concentrate, to a considerable degree, on current events concerning Israel and the power struggles between the great nations which are taking place throughout the earth We must remember, however, that the overwhelming majority of the world s problems spring from a basic source—man s wickedness Now, in these last days, the pat tern of history repeats itself and the words of Genesis 6 5 become relevant and applicable And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually ‘ We have come to that period of time and condition which was likened by Jesus to ‘as it was in the days of Noah ‘ Luke 17:26 and the earth was filled with violence Genesis 6:11

There can be no contradiction to the assertion that once again the whole earth is filled with violence It has become a political weapon on an international scale and a popular news magazine has an article Clearer than Ever No Sure Way to Handle Global Terrorists Violent crime at this level has been dramatically successful for when killers and kidnappers are seen as patriots it is easy for them to find asylum.

There is no easy way of predicting the targets that terrorists will select. The Turkish Ambassadors to Austria and France were both murdered in a single week in October. Richard S. Welch, a U.S. envoy in Greece was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen outside his home in Athens in December. Pro-Palestinian terrorists seized and held hostage ten high level officials from the major oil producing nations who were attending an OPEC meeting in Austria. One of the terrorists told a victim that the operation was “part of a new action program to affirm the existence of a Palestinian state”. In Holland a trainload of hostages were held captive for 16 days. Three of the hostages were murdered during this period. The rest were eventually released. This group of guerrillas stated they were politically motivated and that their objective was to attract attention to their demand for the independence of the South Moluccan Islands, once ruled by the Dutch.

In London, four terrorists of the Provisional Irish Republican Army finally surrendered to the police, ending a six day siege of the extremists and two hostages. These members of the IRA had long been sought as the perpetrators of many bombings and killings in Britain.

It is generally conceded that there is no sure method of dealing with extremists holding hostages when they show signs that they are willing to kill if they decide it is necessary. The governments of the world have no common policy for dealing with terrorist actions. The British government refuses to accept demands by hijackers and kidnappers and the Dutch have adopted the same attitude. In Austria, however, the government made no attempt to hold out against the revolutionaries that shot their way into the OPEC headquarters. Their Chancellor, Bruno Kreisky provided them with a plane and safe passage to Algeria. There is a general feeling among governmental security agencies that the year-end rash of kidnappings and murders directed against statesmen and diplomats, but also involving ordinary people, may escalate in 1976.

The United States which maintains an uncompromising, hard line stance toward terrorists and demands for ransom has been comparatively free from international terrorism. It is however, far from free from organized crime and the violence connected with it. Major crime (murder, rape, arson, etc.) rose an unprecedented 11% in 1975. There is no
part of this great nation, urban or rural, that has not felt the effect of this increase in lawlessness, even if it is only through higher taxes for law enforcement.

An extreme example of how far crime can progress under favorable conditions is demonstrated in an article in the Sunday Feature Section of the St. Petersburg Times. It is headed “Land of Crime” and the statistics, though true and verified, are almost beyond belief. We quote “Once the sportsman’s paradise, Alaska, since the building of the Alaska Pipeline, has become a land of runaway crime and union violence. Peopled by Mafia figures and their associates, Alaska’s largest cities have developed into the criminal centers of the Far North.

In Fairbanks, for example, prostitution is up 5000%, assaults on police up 500%, robberies up 160%, drug offences up 171% and drunkenness up 4,216%. Fairbanks police say that they just don’t have sufficient manpower to control gambling, prostitution, and drunkenness. The Teamsters’ Union, according to veteran Alaskan journalists, is now controlling the state. In Anchorage, the states largest city, the police are members of the Teamsters’ Union.

It sounds incredible, but employers in Alaska will soon be paying an estimated $500,000 a day into the Teamsters’ trust funds, or the equal of $3.00 an hour for every Teamster working in Alaska. How these funds are invested in Las Vegas and other resorts is well known to crime investigators. According to the head of the Alaskan Teamsters, however, the pension fund is invested only in Alaska and administered by respectable Alaskan banks. Since the Alaskan Teamsters will shortly have almost $100 million in pension funds, it is obvious that the Teamsters will exert great influence over Alaska’s banks and, no doubt, politics.

The most disturbing piece of news that has recently been brought to public attention is the press reports concerning the activities of the F.B.I. This arm of the Government has been accused of fomenting political disruption in foreign countries, financing revolutions, conspiring to murder ideological adversaries and transgressing on the rights and privacy of its own citizens. These shocking accusations have had a profound and traumatic effect on the average American who has always felt that his country’s role among the nations was that of a noble example of integrity and progress.

It is possible that though we deplore the violence and crime rampant in the world today, we may feel we are not really spiritually affected by them. In fact we are in a sense insulated against them by the Truth. The writer wonders if we have ever given serious thought to a very real danger that exists among us. Of course, as you may have guessed, I am speaking of our television sets.

There may be a lesson by analogy in the Homeric story of the conquest of the ancient city of Troy by the Greeks. Troy was famous for its fine woolen cloth, its beautiful silver and particularly for the famed Trojan horses “born of the north wind.” The Greeks, unable to breach the walls in the long siege of the city resorted to subterfuge. They constructed a huge wooden horse built after the flattering pattern of the proud stallions of Troy. Upon its completion it was filled with soldiers by night and then pulled into an area just outside of the city wall. The Greeks then withdrew their army and the jubilant Trojans opened the wall to what they considered a tribute by the enemy to their heroic defense, not however, before a more discerning priest among them had thrown a spear into the side of the great horse with the warning “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts”. That night the wooden deceiver disgorged its cargo of Greek warriors in sleeping Troy and the city was put to the sword.

The watchman on the wall of God’s Ecclesia rejoices as he observes the dawn that heralds the rising sun and the birth of a new day. Though the sky brightens, the land lies dark around him and he anxiously peers through the heavy mist to see if danger threatens the sleeping city. He detects no immediate peril from without, but as he turns to shout the reassuring watchman’s cry “All is well” he sees with dismay that the city has already been invaded. The modern equivalent to a Trojan horse is pouring its devastating horde into the homes of the beloved city. Unless resistance could be quickly organized and its spiritual resources rallied, many of its people would be lost. We can carry the allegory no farther—time alone can finish the story.

We realize we have to be practical. Television is here to stay and it is unrealistic to think it can be completely eliminated from our present day scheme of things. We should be willing to concede, however, that it does bring a hazardous diversion into our homes. Through it we are exposed to the subtle (and not so subtle) influences of the world. Television is a source of tremendous advertising revenue and its programs are produced to attract the largest possible audiences. The type and quality of its productions are based on viewer response which on a moral and cultural level has proved to be of very low caliber.

Violence is a prime time commodity. Programs that feature crime in its many aspects practically monopolize the evening selections. Bloodshed and murder are so commonplace that they have little or no impact on the beholder. A recent survey turned up the startling fact that there are 26% more children’s programs featuring violence than those produced for adults. Another area of grave concern to the spiritually minded are those productions which brazenly display the philosophy of today’s permissive society. The world’s obsession for things immoral is enticingly presented to young and old under the innocuous title—entertainment.

On the other hand television has a powerful potential in the field of information and education. Unfortunately the monetary return to the industry is not in this type of production. If, then, we are going to bring this marvelous product of electronic technology into our living rooms let us recognize it for what it is—a powerful competitor to the Truth. We should carefully consider the demands it will make on our time and the influence it will have on our spirituality. Our children’s exposure to the violent and corrupting effects of the numerous programs especially designed for them should be of particular concern to us. If we must have television let us discipline ourselves to be conscientiously selective in our choice of what we will accept as programs fit for a Christian home.

In summation it is obvious that we live in one of the most dangerous periods in the history of the world. The only times that can be compared with it are the “days of Noah” and “the days of Lot”. The conditions in those days were marked by unbridled vice and violence. This time just before the coming of Christ, is a critical test period for his people for “The Lord trieth the righteous, but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth” Psalm 11:5.

Paul gives us comforting assurance and good counsel for the days which lie ahead. He writes “Here is a last piece of advice. If you believe in goodness and if you value the approval of God, fix your mind on the things which are holy and right and pure and beautiful and good. Model your conduct on what you have learned from me, on what I have told you and shown you, and you will find that the God of Peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8,9. E. B. Phillips Translation.

Sinai

The Sinai Peninsula is an area that has been much in the news recently. During the two wars (1967 and 1973) between Israel and Egypt, the Sinai was the main battle ground. This little known land is mainly desert and rocky mountain crags. In Deuteronomy 32:10 it is spoken of as a waste howling wilderness. For centuries it has been the habitation of nomadic Bedouin tribes. When the Children of Israel were delivered from Egyptian bondage about 3500 years ago, they crossed the Red Sea and came into this barren land. The Lord led them through the wilderness by the hand of Moses. They came to Mount Sinai, where the Lord gave the people His law and the ten commandments. Here they saw manifested the glory of God and they covenanted to obey. But the people were rebellious and disobedient and were forced to spend 40 years in the wilderness. Here they were disciplined, until all of that faithless generation that came out of Egypt perished. Only two of the original group, Caleb and Joshua were permitted to enter the land of promise.

In our lifetimes, we have seen the beginning of the return of Israel to their own land. But a much greater operation is soon to take place. The first great work will be the resurrection of the dead that are responsible. Together with the living saints, they will go to Sinai for judgment. Those found worthy will receive eternal life and will assist Christ in judging the nations at Jerusalem. Then will come the second exodus. The Prophet Ezekiel (20:33-44) tells in detail how Israel is to be the subject of a second exodus. With a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out will I rule over you. And I will bring you out from the people and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered; and I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face; like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.” In this way, the Prophet Ezekiel foretells the mighty deliverance that will soon be experienced by Israel.

In like manner, the Psalmist (68:17) speaks of the mighty power of the Almighty, strong to bring His purpose to pass. “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.” By the exercise of this great Divine power, ” it shall break in pieces and consume all earthly kingdoms.” It is by this means that the kingdoms of this world are to become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. What a wonderful transformation this will be. No longer a contention for Sinai because of it’s position and it’s oil. With the curse on the ground removed, the desert shall blossom as the rose. As part of the area promised to Abraham and his seed, the Sinai will be blessed.

Peace or War? Prepare for World War III

” In times of peace, prepare for War.” This is the axiom followed by the peoples of the world throughout history. This has been particularly true in the 20th Century, which has experienced two world wars. Preparation for World War 3, is proceeding at a tremendous pace. It is the same old story, “make the defense so strong that they won’t dare to attack.” With run away inflation, the cost of peace has been rapidly soaring and has reached into the multiple billions. The nations of the world are now spending $240 billion a year on defense and world peace. The United States alone has spent over $1.5 trillion on defense since the end of World War 2. In 1974 the U.S. led in sales of international arms with some $8 billion in weapons sold, followed by the Soviet Union with $5.5 billion, then France and Britain. Since 1950 the U.S. has sold or given away over $86 billion in arms to various nations, presumably to insure world peace.

The new Israel-Egypt peace settlement will be very costly to the U.S. Assistance to Israel in 1975 will be close to $3.25 billion, whereas economic assistance and arms sales to Arab countries will be equally impressive — about $2.2 billion to Arab nations, including $1 billion for military items to Saudi Arabia alone. Thirty years ago only 5 nations were in the position of providing significant arms to others. Now over 30 nations are involved in a large scale, and at least 50 nations sell arms to some degree. What a paradox this is. Peace is desired by mankind, but man is convinced that the only way to have peace is by dependence on expensive and extensive weapons of war. In 1965 a commission was created to study objectively and to analyze the possibility and desirability of peace. The primary purpose of the analysis was to see just how feasible and desirable total world peace would actually be. Of course in making such a study, it was also necessary to consider the benefits that war provides the nations who choose it as a way of life. The result of over 2½ years of research was a disturbing report that was anything but hopeful about man’s chances for achieving a lasting peace. In short, the report concluded that lasting peace, while not theoretically impossible, is probably unattainable; and even if it could be achieved, it would almost certainly not be in the best interests of a stable society to achieve it. How utterly futile is this conclusion. It amounts to an admission that war is preferable because it is more profitable.

God has Promised Peace

We are thankful that we do not have to depend upon man to bring peace to the world. God has promised it, in His word of truth. The prophet Isaiah (2:2­4) speaks of the coming age when all nations shall go up to Jerusalem to worship. When all shall be taught the ways of the Lord. When the law shall go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. “And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” The prophet Micah speaks of the coming age in almost identical words. (4:1-4) He adds, “But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it.” What a vast improvement this will be over the present conditions. Today, violence is prevalent and security is almost nonexistent. All manner of crime is increasing, including murder, to the extent that the police are unable to cope with it. The Psalmist (72) speaks of the reign of The Lord Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God on earth. He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. In his days shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth. Yea all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. His name shall endure forever, his name shall be continued as long as the sun; men shall be blessed in him, all nations shall call him blessed.” What a wonderful transformation will be brought about with a divine ruler, the Lord Jesus Christ, together with the saints immortalized. All of the problems of man will at last be solved. “When the judgments of the Lord are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”

Economic Problems

In a way which has never happened before, U.S. economic policy has become intertwined with national and international concerns. In the United Nations and other forums, there has been confrontation between a hundred OPEC supported poor countries and nearly a score of advanced western countries. The poor ones are continually seeking for major changes in the international economic system. The basic issue to the nearly 2 billion people of the developing nations, is that they want a better break from the 600 million of the advanced countries. The unprecedented economic growth of recent years has not escaped the notice of the “have nots.” They have despaired over the great imbalance in wealth which has resulted. They now seek abandonment of the free enterprise system and instead, free markets and free trade and investment. But now another problem has arisen. In the U.S. there are many large cities which have millions of poor people who are making large demands. Can the U.S. continue to make large concessions to foreign countries and refuse aid to our cities ? The city of New York is a case in point. There are over 8 million people in New York and many are unemployed and on relief. The city is near bankruptcy and Gov. Carey has demanded either a $5 billion loan or Federal troops to maintain order and vital city services. So we see another indication of the time of trouble coming on the earth, spoken of by the prophet Daniel (12:1) as “a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.” But Daniel gives us an assurance, “at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” This is the book of life. If our names are inscribed therein, we shall be given the wondrous gift of eternal life.

Israel – Egypt Accord:

Perhaps the most interesting development in recent days is the signing of a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. This achievement, the result of Dr. Kissinger’s negotiations, could mark the beginning of a period of relative stability in the Middle East. Under the umbrella of U.S. influence and by means of a buffer manned by some 200 Americans, the interests of both Israel and Egypt are secured.

Judging from the fact that the signers sat at separate tables, were unsmiling, and did not speak to each other, it would appear that the “accord” is not the result of any goodwill between the parties. It is rather a pragmatic acceptance of certain political realities. Each side gets something different.

The Egyptians, notably Anwar Sadat and indirectly his Arab allies, gain prestige and get back a portion of the Sinai they had lost to Israel in 1967. Promises of forthcoming economic aid and security for the Suez Canal round out their spoils.

Israel, on the other hand, although it loses its immediate ability to threaten Egypt by land attack, gains a measure of assurance that its own borders are somewhat more secure. They can now, provided they are more secure, divert their economic resources into domestic areas, rather than into the maintenance of a large army. In addition, they will be getting several billion dollars in aid from the U.S. It remains to be seen, especially in light of the Vietnam experience, whether U.S. influence will be the way a real measure of “safety” for the land of promise is achieved.

It is fascinating to observe that nowhere have the Soviets had a constructive hand in the affairs of recent weeks. They have either been totally absent, or at work instilling factious influences into neighboring countries. It is equally intriguing that, so far, their efforts to prevent the accord have been unsuccessful. One can see how they are constrained by their desire to appear peace-like and in favor of the best interests of the Arabs and Palestinians. Outright opposition would make them the warmongers, and put additional suspicion on their interventionist policies elsewhere.

So as this event concludes, leading to what the world hopes will be a step to bring a lasting peace to the Middle East, it is the western influence, almost exclusively that of the United States, that remains around Israel and Egypt. Can this be the formative stages of the developments described in Ezekiel 38, where after the “king of the South” has “pushed” and the King of the North has come with “great fury to utterly make away many”, the merchants of Tarshish, the young lions and Sheba and Dedan object, “art thou came to take a spoil?”

The Third World:

“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.” Joel 3:9,10

In another area, our attention is drawn to the developing Third World. Until very recently, the less industrialized nations figured little in the politics of the major nations. They were the recipients of foreign aid and the sources of certain raw materials eagerly sought for by the industrialized nations. But the more esoteric forms of industrialization, notably the development of Nuclear power, remained the province of a select few.

This situation has also changed with the explosion of a Nuclear device by India. Until then, it was generally felt that radioactive materials from fuels used in commercial Nuclear generating stations and reactors used for educational or test purposes, would be too costly and too difficult to convert to weapon grade quality. The test reactor, supplied to India by Canada (Candu) was only for “peaceful purposes.” Now with the use of Nuclear power stations increasing as a result of the scarcity of oil, the improbability of Nuclear Weapons being produced by other than the present major powers is in doubt.

Considering the militancy demonstrated in mid-summer, calling for the ouster of Israel from the U.N., and the growing awareness of the value of their natural resources to the rest of the world, the combined leverage of these and a revolutionary viewpoint is great. Fears of nuclear blackmail and further, more intense economic distress have already been aired by many.

These times should not overtake us unawares, for we have been amply warned from the Scriptures. The words of the Spirit speaking through Joel in chapter 3 show that the effect of warlike preparations of the last days is to bring all nations to Jerusalem to be threshed by the LORD and his mighty Ones (v 11).

We note in verses 1-3 that it comes at the time when the “fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem” (RSV) are restored. All nations especially those which have profited themselves by the judgments of God upon Israel, contributing to her scattering and despoliation, these all are drawn to the valley of Jehoshaphat, their Sun, Moon and Stars darkened—to the wine press of God’s wrath.

“And the LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shake.

But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.” (Joel 3:16 RSV)

As the long night of mankind draws to a close, we may take courage in the words of this prophecy. The LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. However dark the way becomes, though the Sun, Moon and Stars of the heavens of this world fall, ” . . . not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.” (Luke 21:18,19 RSV)

We are living in a time when fewer and fewer people around us either believe in God or seek to do his will. We are not immune to the pull of society and our diligence in the things of the spirit must increase as the temptations outside rise. The endurance the Lord mentions in Luke 21, calls to mind the determined efforts of the marathon runner who keeps going even though his limbs are leaden. He cannot stop or he would never be able to get going again. It takes all his will to keep taking one stride after another. The thought of victory carries him onward.

So it is in our race for eternal life. Endurance is what counts. Attention to our reading, and prayer, to meditation and exhortation will keep our lead like feet treading onward. The glory of Christ’s Kingdom as the center of our Hope draws us onward to the day when we become a glorified part of His household—”whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” (Heb. 3:6)