This week was the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem Day, the day people remember the restitution of Jerusalem to its rightful owners. I know this is a touchy subject as even to this day some people, even within our present administration, consider Jerusalem occupied territory. I certainly respect their views, but being a generous man, I also welcome everyone to my own opinion.
Whether one believes in God, the Bible, or in the rightful ownership of Jerusalem by the Israelis or not, it is undeniable that this event from the 6-day War in 1967 was one of the cataclysmic events of the 20th century. It is one of those events which changed the geographical, political, and religious landscape of the world. Never in the history of the world has an ethnic group returned to its own land, revived its own language, and re-established its own capital after 2,000 years of exile. This has been the major eschatological event of the age and many who believed that the Jewish nation was a thing of the past had to go back to the drawing board of Biblical understanding. CBN produced a docu-movie on the 6-Day War called, ‘In our Hands, the Battle for Jerusalem’. There were showings only on one day this week, the day before Jerusalem Day. The movie captured the events which led the Israeli soldiers to the Temple Mount and eventually to the Western Wall. Many of the people who participated in that battle are still alive today and gave testimony. In that war, as usual, Israel was defending itself against an attack by three surrounding major nations who had sworn to throw them back into the sea. No food could come to Jerusalem. The people were starving. The situation was hopeless so the army came to help. The capture of the Temple Mount was an afterthought. It was not in the original plans. It is as they arrived that it dawned on them of where they were. It is almost like they responded to a long forgotten homing-beacon that called them back to where they belonged. Pondering the situation during dinner with a local family, an old lady who had been living in Jerusalem realises what was happening. She gets up and gives an old Israeli flag to one of the officers charging him to hang it on the Temple Mount as they get there. From then on history and destiny took over. The Temple Mount,called in Hebrew ‘Har HaBayit’, or ‘The Mountain of the House of the Lord’, was captured alongside with the Wall. Yielding to political pressure, Israel had to renege authority over the Temple Mount but still kept the Wailing Wall. The full return is for another day. Presently, anyone is allowed to pray on the temple Mount, except Jews. The soldier who led the way to the Western Wall gave testimony. He said that everybody says how great it was to recapture the Temple Mount and Wall but he confessed that at that moment he was just following orders. He was told to fight that battle and to win it so as a good soldier he did. This shows that history and destiny are not static; a great force moves them with a purpose. It also shows that great things get done when we just follow orders and just faithfully do what we are supposed to do, just do our job.
1 Comment
Laureen Zisa
5/26/2017 06:52:53 pm
Oh thank you! I was especially blessed by the concluding paragraph. Are we not like the soldiers today? We know we do not fight an earthly fight (Ephesians 6). As we walk in the Derech HaShem (unblocked by Yeshua) like our Father's Abraham, Issac and Jacob/Israel, we can succeed through the power of The Ruach HaKodesh fulfill our duty, "just do our job" for the Kingdom for His Glory!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
If you appreciate these articles, support their upcoming publication in a book called, "REFLECTIONS OF A FIRE CHAPLAIN"
|