Comments on: On God’s side http://online.worldmag.com/2009/06/11/on-gods-side/ A forum for discussion of news that arises at the intersection of Christianity and culture. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:11:35 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Victoria http://online.worldmag.com/2009/06/11/on-gods-side/comment-page-1/#comment-434320 Victoria Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:57:43 +0000 http://online.worldmag.com/?p=19871#comment-434320 <blockquote> The Jews claimed their land in 1948. They are now one nation - 21 "Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and <b>I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;</b> 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and <b>they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms.</b> Ezekiel 37</blockquote> The sons of Israel (the 12 tribes) will be a mighty force used by GOD during the Tribulation - one has only to look at the 144,000 stated in Revelation 7 and 14.

The Jews claimed their land in 1948. They are now one nation -

21 “Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;

22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms. Ezekiel 37

The sons of Israel (the 12 tribes) will be a mighty force used by GOD during the Tribulation – one has only to look at the 144,000 stated in Revelation 7 and 14.

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]]> By: Michael Martin http://online.worldmag.com/2009/06/11/on-gods-side/comment-page-1/#comment-434317 Michael Martin Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:35:29 +0000 http://online.worldmag.com/?p=19871#comment-434317 Prophetic biblical reasons aside, our Christian faith demands the support and defense of anyone who would be wantonly murdered by his "neighbor." Muslim intentions toward Israel and its Jewish people have been malevolently stated and demonstrated time and again for the last 50 plus years. With nothing to restrain them, they would murder every last man, woman, and child they could get their hands on. If we have we not yet learned the lessons of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, we are dullards of the first order. Why should we support Israel? The question is stupid beyond measure. Prophetic biblical reasons aside, our Christian faith demands the support and defense of anyone who would be wantonly murdered by his “neighbor.” Muslim intentions toward Israel and its Jewish people have been malevolently stated and demonstrated time and again for the last 50 plus years. With nothing to restrain them, they would murder every last man, woman, and child they could get their hands on.

If we have we not yet learned the lessons of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, we are dullards of the first order. Why should we support Israel? The question is stupid beyond measure.

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]]> By: KI http://online.worldmag.com/2009/06/11/on-gods-side/comment-page-1/#comment-433919 KI Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:10:08 +0000 http://online.worldmag.com/?p=19871#comment-433919 So right, Fisherman. Right now we, as a nation, support Israel because they are one of our allies. That does not mean we agree and support everything they do, anymore than they would us. However, they were given a right to exist. Why should any nation have the right now, to take that away? Who wants to do so, and why? Is that really necessary? Is that right? Those are all considerations for the politicians to make. God will do what he wants to do with Israel. In the meantime I can only look in wonder at the reformation of this little country and at its big place in the world's political scene, inspite of its small size or seeming unimportance. So right, Fisherman. Right now we, as a nation, support Israel because they are one of our allies. That does not mean we agree and support everything they do, anymore than they would us. However, they were given a right to exist. Why should any nation have the right now, to take that away? Who wants to do so, and why? Is that really necessary? Is that right? Those are all considerations for the politicians to make.

God will do what he wants to do with Israel. In the meantime I can only look in wonder at the reformation of this little country and at its big place in the world’s political scene, inspite of its small size or seeming unimportance.

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]]> By: fisherman http://online.worldmag.com/2009/06/11/on-gods-side/comment-page-1/#comment-433846 fisherman Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:11:50 +0000 http://online.worldmag.com/?p=19871#comment-433846 Thank you for saying it out loud. These have been anathama words in some circles. The quandry is just the position in which to be. We just can't see as clearly as God sees. The same question is appropriate for America. (Even though the Bible is silent on "The United States." Some Christians support the USA just as rigidly as some support Israel. A nation is never our HOPE. Only One Person fills that role. Thank you for saying it out loud. These have been anathama words in some circles. The quandry is just the position in which to be. We just can’t see as clearly as God sees.

The same question is appropriate for America. (Even though the Bible is silent on “The United States.” Some Christians support the USA just as rigidly as some support Israel.

A nation is never our HOPE. Only One Person fills that role.

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]]> By: JP http://online.worldmag.com/2009/06/11/on-gods-side/comment-page-1/#comment-433828 JP Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:34:18 +0000 http://online.worldmag.com/?p=19871#comment-433828 While I understand and even sometimes ponder the same ambiguities that Andree raises, at the end of the day I note that Israel was miraculously (there's no other word) restored after 1900 years in 1948, and was miraculously preserved in 1968 and 1973. From this I conclude that God is at work in physical Israel and who am I to judge His timing and standards? While I understand and even sometimes ponder the same ambiguities that Andree raises, at the end of the day I note that Israel was miraculously (there’s no other word) restored after 1900 years in 1948, and was miraculously preserved in 1968 and 1973. From this I conclude that God is at work in physical Israel and who am I to judge His timing and standards?

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]]> By: NJLawyer http://online.worldmag.com/2009/06/11/on-gods-side/comment-page-1/#comment-433812 NJLawyer Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:51:40 +0000 http://online.worldmag.com/?p=19871#comment-433812 I was not raised on Pat Robertson's view of the State of Israel, though I understand why people believe it. I doubt that God sitting in heaven looks down and sees the arbitrary lines we've drawn as borders. Politics is man's invention, not God's. Islam distorts Christianity. If you are a believing Christian, you can see how Christ fits in with the Old Testament, and you can also see that Islam is against Christ because of who they say he is not. The issue of whether or not the Jews will accept Christ as Messiah is no different for them than it is for non-Jews. They didn't 2,000 years ago, I've only met a few who do today, but the Bible tells us that Christ will return to defend them -- and it will be put up or shut up time on the yes or no question when that happens, but I'm thinking the way He returns will pretty much do the trick and we'll hear "oh, now I get it" a lot on that day. So, do we pray for the peace of Jerusalem? I think we do. I think we pray for everyone there, but I don't think we turn a blind eye to what's really going on and abandon the Jews to destruction. Christ doesn't return because Arabs want to kill Jews. He returns to claim his own and send the devil packing. There's no politics involved. So, as I see it, we are not on the Israeli side or the Arab side so much as we must choose between Christ and the devil. Choice seems clear to me. I was not raised on Pat Robertson’s view of the State of Israel, though I understand why people believe it.

I doubt that God sitting in heaven looks down and sees the arbitrary lines we’ve drawn as borders. Politics is man’s invention, not God’s. Islam distorts Christianity. If you are a believing Christian, you can see how Christ fits in with the Old Testament, and you can also see that Islam is against Christ because of who they say he is not.

The issue of whether or not the Jews will accept Christ as Messiah is no different for them than it is for non-Jews. They didn’t 2,000 years ago, I’ve only met a few who do today, but the Bible tells us that Christ will return to defend them — and it will be put up or shut up time on the yes or no question when that happens, but I’m thinking the way He returns will pretty much do the trick and we’ll hear “oh, now I get it” a lot on that day.

So, do we pray for the peace of Jerusalem? I think we do. I think we pray for everyone there, but I don’t think we turn a blind eye to what’s really going on and abandon the Jews to destruction. Christ doesn’t return because Arabs want to kill Jews. He returns to claim his own and send the devil packing. There’s no politics involved. So, as I see it, we are not on the Israeli side or the Arab side so much as we must choose between Christ and the devil. Choice seems clear to me.

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]]> By: menliketreeswalking http://online.worldmag.com/2009/06/11/on-gods-side/comment-page-1/#comment-433797 menliketreeswalking Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:22:50 +0000 http://online.worldmag.com/?p=19871#comment-433797 I am most inclined to think, especially in light of how Jesus is very intentionally the antithesis of the Messiah as deliverer of Israel the nation-state, that your second-to-last paragraph there is most appropriate. I think that promise in Genesis 12:3 is just as applicable to you & me today as it was to Abraham's great-great-grandchildren in Egypt in light of verses like Galatians 3:7, where we are very much a part of Abraham's family of faith. I am most inclined to think, especially in light of how Jesus is very intentionally the antithesis of the Messiah as deliverer of Israel the nation-state, that your second-to-last paragraph there is most appropriate. I think that promise in Genesis 12:3 is just as applicable to you & me today as it was to Abraham’s great-great-grandchildren in Egypt in light of verses like Galatians 3:7, where we are very much a part of Abraham’s family of faith.

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]]> By: Random Name http://online.worldmag.com/2009/06/11/on-gods-side/comment-page-1/#comment-433790 Random Name Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:07:27 +0000 http://online.worldmag.com/?p=19871#comment-433790 I doubt it. I doubt it.

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