CURRENT EVENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

August 2006 article by Nathan Sanders

The main story which has been filling the News headlines in the last few weeks has been about Israel and latest conflict in the Middle East. It has been hard not to miss what has been going on, as newspapers have had endless pages of coverage with the TV news dedicating at least half of its airtime to the matter. The war between Israel and the Hezbollah group seems to be gathering pace at a significant rate, and nearly everyday there is a new a story to be told through the media.

The Iranian Muslim Terrorist group Hezbollah have been launching missiles into the northern parts of Israel, Haifa, and seem intent on causing harm to Israel and they are the latest of many kinds of attacks. As Hezbollah are situated in Lebanon, Israel have been launching attacks back into Lebanon and they have only recently just sent in ground forces to try and sort out the problem which is a big step from just relying on air strikes.

Israel has long been supported not just by Britain, but by the United States of America too. And it is easier to see now, how in the current strife surrounding Israel, that one of the prophecies from the book of Zechariah, and the words which are written are very true to this day.

Zechariah Ch12 v2

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people.”

The capital of Israel, Jerusalem, has been a sore point for years for pretty much every country in the world. There have been lots of issues in the past with Israel being declared as a Nation and the opposition that brought not just to Israel, but to mainland Europe as well. And now there are reports coming out, both in Britain and the US over the alleged backing of the Israel’s offensive in striking back into Lebanon and being encouraged to continue its bombing. And this may be a bigger stumbling block than many people think.

Israel has made many enemies of the past 50 or 60 years since it was re-instated as a country, the majority of them being of Muslim belief. And it was only late last week that we saw an Al-Qaeda statement slamming the Israeli attacks on the Lebanon Muslims, and declaring a Holy War not just on Israel, but their supporters also. And who are Israel’s two biggest supporters? - England and the US.

Al-Qaeda quote from BBC World News: "The shells and rockets ripping apart Muslim bodies in Gaza and Lebanon are not only Israeli (weapons), but are supplied by all the countries of the crusader coalition. Therefore, every participant in the crime will pay the price."

Israel is proving to be a huge burden to those who do support them, and Israel will continue to be a focal point in the news for a while to come. We must remember that all of the goings on in Israel and the surrounding countries, however violent and bloody the battles may be, are all in the working of God’s plan. We are told in the Bible that there is going to be peace, or a state of false sense of security in Jerusalem, before the events take place when the Lord Jesus Christ returns and then all nations of the earth will be drawn to Israel for battle.

Ezekiel Ch 38 v14-16

“Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day when my people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it?

Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army.

You will come up against my people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.”

Are the events we see today a build up to the possible time of peace in Israel? Or has that time passed us by like a thief in the night and is the return of Christ more imminent than we thought? The Bible has the answers – read and find out for yourselves.