A highlight from Isaiah - part 7 (Is 19) - God's own commentary on the ongoing war in the Middle East

The promise 

❝¹⁸  In that day five of Egypt’s cities will follow the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. They will even begin to speak Hebrew, the language of Canaan. One of these cities will be Heliopolis, the City of the Sun.

¹⁹ In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and there will be a monument to the LORD at its border. ²⁰ It will be a sign and a witness that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies is worshiped in the land of Egypt. When the people cry to the LORD for help against those who oppress them, he will send them a savior who will rescue them. ²¹ The LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians. Yes, they will know the LORD and will give their sacrifices and offerings to him. They will make a vow to the LORD and will keep it. ²² The LORD will strike Egypt, and then he will bring healing. For the Egyptians will turn to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas and heal them.
²³ In that day Egypt and Assyria will be connected by a highway. The Egyptians and Assyrians will move freely between their lands, and they will both worship God. ²⁴ In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth. ²⁵ For the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will say, “Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!” (Is 19:18-25, New Living Translation)

God is a God of reconciliation, and as Christians we have received the ministry of reconciliation (2. Cor 5.19-21). Yet, how do we relate to the wars that is going on, and maybe; especially when it involves the powder keg in the Middle East. We would easily come into conflicting considerations. 

Israel vs. the
West part of Norway

The issue - how to protect a land that could be eliminated in minutes with enemies on all sides
On one side, we find that the Jews, who are facing raising instability and discrimination in Europe, try to find a little refuge in something that has to be considered a very little spot of land. Even the little county in the Western part of Norway where I live, is bigger than this little thing, that happen to be the only democracy in the Middle East. Obviously, when we read different reactions on the ongoing war since Hamas terrorist attack on 7th of October, we do understand that some do not, or do not want to understand the critical and catch’22 situation that Israel find itself in. On one side, the best thing that could happen to the Palestinian population is to become part of a functioning democracy, the only problem being that they would vote for an end to that democracy at first chance, and then there would be no democratic Israel; rather an Islamic State (IS). On the other side, when you are forced to live side-to-side with people, which basically hate the idea of your existance, it means that you have to enforce a form of security boundaries that makes life unbearable for people who basically also just try to make a living in rather rough climatic circumstances. In such an situation radicalism pops up like toadstools, which again compels the Israellites to enforce even tougher security boundaries. The end of it is yet another intifada - an attempt to “shake off” the state that Palestinians regard as the oppressors. Israel as tried different approaches, and the lastest government seems to think that a slow “takover” is the only reasonable one, since no one could actually enforce a sufficient security garantuee for Israel in a two-state solution, unless that is a treaty that every surrounding Arabic and Islamic country would commit themselves to. This is exactly what the US government has tried to achieve and several more serious media commentators have pointed to this movement in position as the very reason for the terrorist attack from Hamas. Some Islamic groups do not want any two-state solution. They want to wipe Israel off the map. In their understanding this land belongs to Ismael and his decendants. Secular people can have serious challenges as to understand the strong force of Islam and etnicity in this conflict. Two groups of people are fighting to be the Abrahamic heir, and with the Abrahamic heritage, goes the land that God promised to Abraham. An Israelite state in the core of the Middle East is like torns in their eyes. It’s a mockery towards Alah. Since Islam is basically fatalistic - as is expressed in the popular Islamic prayer Inshallah - “as/if God wants”, Muslims tend to take the things of God in their own hand. War and strict social control have always been the main approach to the spreading Islam. Now we see secular people, boasting in their liberal humanity shouts: “Free Palestine!” - and we need to ask: to what end do they see such kind of freedom? Under Hamas, it would be a very strict Islamic dictatorship. Some even add “from the river to the sea!” - which means that they simply wants to see the end of Israel altogether. 

Russia vs. Israel in size

The spiritual root and why people are made blind

For Christians, who do see everything that happens in line with God’s redemptive plan (Rom 11), we can and we should regards this in a spiritual context. There are more secular people in the streets in Norway protesting against a land that is at the size of state of New Jersey, and 0,17% of Russia, than was the case when Russia invaded Ukraine. 22.000 sivilians were killed in the attack on Mariopol, alone, many of them children, but it all seems to be forgotten. Russia's claim is 1) there is no such thing as an Ukrainian state or population 2) Russias security is threatened by Ukraine wanting to be a modern democracy. There is no way the Ukrainian state or population could enforce any major changes in Russia. There is 144 million people in Russia compared to Ukraine's 37 million which makes them a little more than 25% compared to Russia. In comparison, there are 5 million in the Palestine areas compared to 9 million in Israel. That is more than 55%. If more than 55% of the population of  Norway were Sami, and they wanted to 1) take over Norway and 2) if not, have their part of the country as their own independent state or 3) if given the right to vote, would change Norway to an Islamic dictatorship, would Norwegians generally just sit there and let it happen? The Sami people could equally claim that this is their country. True, the Sami people do not have a religious that is mainly driven by political ideology and military force. But if we were to take some pain to understand the Israeli dilemma, we would have to add that to the picture. The funny thing about secular people's stand against religion is that it does not include Islam to the extent that you should expect. Why funny? Well, the things that secular people do not like about religion is found more in Islam than in Christianity. Secular people would counter that Christianity has been forced to change due to freedom of speach and democracy. Firstly, what they forget, then, is that freedom of speech and democracy were Christian, protestant values in the beginning, as protestant Christians were themselves subject to discrimination and percecution. And secondly, why has nobody been successfull in changing Islam the same way? You have to go to its roots. Christianity is culturally adoptable and thrives in persecution. Its power is in God being actually alive and the power of the gospel to change people inside out. Islam is about social and political subduing, as is also  Christianity when it takes the form of a State Religion, historically persecuting even Christian revivalists. Thirdly, and back to secularism, why do modern, liberal democracies allow Islamic illiberal and antidemocratic values to exist within their borders? There could be both natural and spiritual reasons for this. Naturally, democracy and freedom of speech have been with us for so long, that people are not used to pay a price for their opinions. People of Islam make loud noice when they feel oppressed or harassed. If their prophet is carricated, there is violent protest in Islamic countries. Where do we see such protests in democratic countries when Christians are persecuted, that is imprisoned, killed and remarried by force in Islamic countries? It does not happen. 

There is no demonstrations or uproar among 
Christians because of cartoons like this

We seem to like to “fight” for freedom when there is no cost there days. Denmark, though, payed a price when they refused to apologies after the Danish cartoonist make a  carricature of the Islamic Prophet Mohammed. Still, they seem to yield in the end as there are now serious discussions to prohibit burning the Qur'an. If it hadn't been for Islam's fierce anger, could such a law never be passed. Freedom of speach and anger against religious abuse is really important, but not that important after all, it seems. I could have had the carricature of Mohammed here as an illustration, but I rather chose some humorous cartoon of Moses passing the Red Sea, just to point of that even Christians seem to have the freedom to see the humorous in the stories that Scripture relate.

Spiritually, the reason why secular people are not so provoked by Islam, is the fact that the devil is not that provoked by Islam. It a mixture of religious thought, it keeps people in bondage and it keeps people from discovering the Risen One. Demons love religion and a mixture of them is their speciality. No harm as long as power and truth to set people free from sin is not involved. You could say that about Rabinic religion as well, even though some Christians would protest against such an idea. But in the end, will Jews refusing to believe in the Anointed One (gr. ho Christós), be saved if they die? If the answer is no, we must agree that the devil would be delighted to receive them in hell, unfortunately. When you listen to some Christians, you might get the notion that Jews are more holy and heaven ready then even the most devout Christian, and more kind that Jesus Himself. It is neither Scriptural nor balanced nor real.

But, there is another aspect to this picture, and that is the place the state of Israel have in God's redeeming plan, which bring us back to the portion of Scripture that we started out with. In Romans 11 the Bible elaborate on this more specifically:

❝Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. ¹² Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.” (Romans 11:11-12, NLT)

Dispensationalism - where Christians end in a ditch of confusion
Now, I am aware of that there is end time teaching that says that the Jews cannot be saved during what they call the “dispensation of grace”. I may be wrong, but the way I understand their teaching, it is not jealousy of a demonstration of Kingdom power, the prophetic root that they as a people is the very root of, that will make them accept Jesus as their Anointed One in the end, but a greater attack from the enemy. How that situation is going to make then understand that Jesus is the Anointed One, is not explained, as far as I am aware of. It seems that they will call on the Anointed One, and then he will appear as their saviour, and then they kind of: “oh, it was you, after all. Ok, never mind.” That event will then inaugurate the millenium - a thousand year long period, in which the rest of the world is going to be evangelized; that is those who have survived the horrendous times of the antichrist together with the majority of the Jews. According to this view, the end time church - this is - before the millenium - is going to be like the Laodicean church - lukewarm. So forget about revivals in muslim countries where Christians are suffering tremendously for their faith in Jesus, still evangelizing. Don't you get to inspired. Keep lukewarm, so the rapture can take place and the antichrist can raise to power. Why I am making fun of this? Well, it's not fun. It's deadly serious when you read biblical prophecies as you would read Notradamus. Even demons can foretell what will happen, and they will be right. Paul cast out a demon of a “slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future.” (Acts 16:16). Biblical prophecy is not only about telling the future. It is a message that invites us to repent and become serious with God, and so change the events. The prophet Jonah prophecied something that didn't come to pass, because the city repented and he was upset about it. Several times in Scripture God prophecies the opposite, as a response to the receiver's response. So also the message to the Laodicean church serves this purpose. Jesus didn't tell the church: “Alright, you are lukewarm, and since this is what it is going to be like, there is nothing you can do about it.” Then some will say; “Well, the church is lukewarm, because it has become so difficult to be a Christian, and that is why also, Jesus comes to save the church fram antichrist in the rapture.” With all respect; people who claim such a thing cannot have read revival history, including the recent Chinese one. It is actually the opposite. Christianity came to Europe despite fierce resistance and persecution. I have been to Rome and have walked around in Colloseum where Christians were torn apart by lions while praising God. I paid tribute to these faithful believers and thanked God that he in spite of all opposition let his winning gospel of the Kingdom win through, so that even I may have had the chance to hear about Jesus, the Anointed One. The truth is, that in all generation, there has been churches that fulfill all the different kinds of churches that Jesus talks to in the book of Revelation. That is why, whatever is the situation for you, there is a message that is relevant. And yes: the message to the Laodicean church is very relevant for many churches in the western, wealthy part of the world. But when Jesus talks to the church, his very purpose is the opposite of that being lukewarm. He gives advice - instructions - on how to come out of lukewarmness. Why should he do that, if it was not possible? There is too much interpretation of Scripture that is completely against the very purpose of the message. So my answer to this interpretation is simply: Well, Jesus doesn't seem to agree with that, though. His intentions with what He says to the Laodicean church is that they become something else than lukewarm, and His intentions matters.

Back to the promise of reconciliation, unity and abundant blessing after taking off the blinding dispentionalist glasses
So, if we are to stay faithful to what the Bible says, the driving force behind the repentance of the Jewish people - the majority, that is - will be jealousy. Sadly, modern Christianity with it's institutionalized religious systems is not what it takes to make the Jews jealous. They already have institutionalized religion. Why change it? To what end? Well, Jesus has been risen from the dead? Oh, really? That is 2000 years ago. How would you prove it? Well, if we move in the Holy Spirit, like the hebrew prophets of old did, they might open their eyes to see and their ears to hear. Because, that is a legacy that is basically theirs. They have heard the stories of the miracles that God did through the prophets. Jesus actually just performed very much more of the same in his earthly ministry. And a lot of the people believed that at least he was a prophet because of that. Then he died, and dying is not part of the traditional Jewish view of the Messiah, the Anointed One. But if the ressurection power of Jesus is demontrated to them, that might change. How could God possibly get the Jews to receive Jesus? How could the love of God be displayed before their eyes, in such a miraculous way, that it would convince them? I think we find the answer in Isaiah 19. It is about Egypt, which is a long time enemy of God's people in the Old Testament. Israel some times tried to make Egypt their ally against other enemies, but it was never successfull and God always condemned the approach as rebellion and apostacy. But in this portion of Scripture, there is a shift. God Himself deals with Egypt on a deeper level, and Egypt turns to God, starts to talk a language that Israel understands (v.18). God then adds the Assyrian into this picture. Both the enemies in the South and the North will worship the God of Israel together and their will be reconciled in that way. The end result will be a union that will be a blessing in the middle of the earth:

❝ ²⁴ In that day Israel will join a three-party alliance with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing upon the earth. ²⁵ The LORD of Hosts will bless them, saying, 
“Blessed be Egypt My people,
Assyria My handiwork, 
and Israel My inheritance.” (Isaiah 19:24-25)

For those who are familiar with hebrew/semittic poetry, you'll recognize the parallellism. My people, my handiwork and my inheritance are all expressions of the same. It is not like Israel is not God's people or Egypt is not My inheritance. They all now belong to God in every aspect of the meaning. And together they will be a blessing upon the earth. It resembles what Paul says in Rom 11 that we quoted above: “think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.” and again: “what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” (v.15). It is going to be a blessing, because the Bible says it will. My firm belief is that this is going to happen before the return of the King. And the key event to make it happen is that the muslim countries around the state of Israel will receive Jesus as their King og Saviour. So how is that going to affect their relationship to the Jews, which they today are taught to hate from birth? You got it right! Who can hate anybody with Jesus inside as Lord. That's impossible. So the Jews is going to see a great change from hate to love, and what is more: They are going to see their hebrew-prophetic inheritance demonstrated right before their eyes. Could we think om something that could make the Jews more jealous? I think it not! What do we think the Jews will do with their new revelation. Sit with their hands in their laps and say: “Wow, wasn't that great?” I think it not. Their calling to bring the experience of being God's chosen people out to world goes back to Exodus 19; “for the whole earth is Mine” (v. 5). So what happened to the millenium? Well, it has then been fulfilled. The devil did not successfully deceive the nations as Rev 20 says. The Great commandment will be completed and the Jews will play a key part in the mission as they are called to do. For those who have not received the Anointed One by then, jugdment is at hand, because then there is going to be a great deception and a following judgement as Pauls declares in 2. Thess 2. The 1000 years? Do you really think that God really minds? For Him 1000 years is like one day and opposite. 

Jesus, the most Jewish man who ever lived - because He was fully Anointed by the Spirit

Now given this understanding, that muslims, that seems the be the last to receive Jesus, actually will receive Him first and will be the key tool for God to bring his own people to faith and obedience, it leaves as Christians with a task. A Norwegian minister named Leif Hetland, which ministers a lot in muslim countries has put it this way: “The best thing you can do for Israel, love on the Palestinians and the Muslims.” That is a bold statement, but I can understand the rationale behind it. If we can see the Muslims converted and receive the love of Jesus in their hearts, sure that is going to be a blessing to Israel. The akward thing about dispentionalism as a end time view is that it is so right through anti-Jewish. How can I say that? Well, there is nothing more true Jewish than Jesus, and dispensionalism keeps the Jews away from Jesus as long as possible, saying that they'll have go through the "big tribulation". Jesus is the most profound manifestation of the jewish-prophetic tradition that Israel always has been called to be, and which was the cry of Moses: “I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would place His Spirit on them” (Num 11:29). To be filled with the Spirit is the utmost expression of Jewishness. Paul confirms this in Rom 2:

❝ ²⁸ A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical. ²⁹ No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.” (Rom 2:28-29)

To be a prophetic people, is the very core of the calling of Israel. Jesus is the one that can make them into that. The Bible has foretold that the Gentiles, the nations and the Jews will become one spiritual nation, one body in The Anointed One, a temple in the Spirit that God really dwells in. Yet, some people think that a new physical temple with OT rituals with offering of animal blood is the most Jewish there is. But it is not. That is just a foreshadowing of the blessings that God intended for Israel, and that we, the Gentiles, are also parttakers in. The most Jewish any person can do, is to receive Jesus, be cleansed with His blood, and receive the promise that follows: to receive the Spirit of God. The high point of OT Israel was a time where creative and Spirit led worship in God's presence was introduced - the Tabernacle of David. Was David less Jewish because he had the revelation that God wasn't really so busy with blood of animals? Really?

❝Do I eat the flesh of bulls,
or drink the blood of goats?
¹⁴ Sacrifice a thank offering to God,
and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
¹⁵ Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.” (Psalms 50:13-15)

And still, some Christians think to know it better. In their understanding, there is no fullfillment of the prophecies without a new physical temple, even God clearly states that He does not live in such (Act 7.48; Is 66:1-2), for there is a temple in heaven that God is constantly changing into His own image. This would mean that the mosque in Jerusalem will have to be removed. Armageddon, here we come. And it's for nothing, because the Bible says that the current Jerusalem in is bondage with its children, talking about Judaism being Hagar that gave birth to Ishmael (Gal 4.25). That is, if the New Testament counts as final revelation and is not just temporary in its nature. 

So how do we relate to all the pain?
We are left with some issues, though. I find myself between Christians who seems to be more Jewish than Jesus and that accuse me of not being enough pro-Israel, and then there is Muslims and secular people who accuse me of ignoring the sufferings of innocent children in Gaza. I find Muslim people who used to be open, that have closed down the conversation because they feel that western people do not care about the Palestinians and the Muslims. Politically, this thing is not possible to solve. I am afraid that the international judgement is going to be hard when the war in Gaza finally ends. What people that condemn the Israeli government themselves would have done in the same situation, remains a mystery, though. And political condemnation means nothing in the end. I don't ignore the fact that the present Prime Minister plays the cards of rough violence to save his own political life and keep himself out of prison. Not all Jews in Israel are in favor of the brutality - they recognize the danger of even deeper hatred. To try to actually remove the Palestinian population, even as a long time project is going not going to receive international support. Should Christians support such an endeavour? How would that leave us better off winning souls - both Jewish and Muslim to Jesus? And if God's plan to turn Israel to Jesus is through the conversion of the Islamic countries around that little state of Israel, are we then serving God's purpose by supporting ethnical cleansing? Our calling and God's plan for us is to preach the gospel of peace. My heart suffers for the Palestinian civilians, especially the children. I strongly feel that it is my calling as a Christian to raise concerns with all kinds of violence. And at the same time: To say that there is no such thing as a righteous reason war as a means of protection in the present age - it's hard to find a biblical basis for that, also. At one side we know that ending all wars is the goal of God. But then again: also our marriages will eventually end if I understand Jesus correctly. So there are some structures in this fallen world like governments with a sword (Rom 13), and it is not always easy to know how to relate to them. But Jesus does command us to love all people. He has not called us to hate neither Jews nor Muslims. There had to be an reaction after the terrorist attack, but there is always the risk of taking it too far. Hatred spawns hatred and it can become a life-taking circle. I dont't think any human is totally resistant to hatred and evil, and that includes the Jews. They are sick and tired of protecting themselves against militant Muslims. I can understand that. And the Palestinians are sick and tired of all the restrictions enforced on them. I can understand that. My only answer to this is Jesus; He is the only one that can bring peace, and I will try to relate to this in a way that would give me a chance to talk to Jews and Muslims alike. Political and military means is not a lasting solution to this issue. That is what have to be the most important part of our message. And for Muslims and Jews that live outside Israel; what if they came together to show love and acceptance, and show that we understand that this is hard and painful for the opposite part. We should talk about that and be peace initiaters. 

Prayer
Jesus, my longing is to see that your Kingdom comes, and that your will is done. I pray that we as the body of Jesus the Anointed One on earth, will take our calling seriously. That we will cry out for revival, reconciliation and peace. Help us not to take a stand for the only the one part of the conflict, but help us keep in mind that you, Jesus, died for everone; the same price for every soul, and God you care for all people in need. Help us recognize and admit that there is not a political solution to every problem on earth, unless hearts are changed. Let us preach the gospel of peace and hope, and to make every testimony of healed hearts by the Anointed One be heard on every street corner. We really need you to come, Prince of Peace, and equip your people to be the testimony that your gospel deserves, and that will bring you back, because your mission that you want to complete through us, truly has been completed. To us it seems impossible. But with you, God, all things are possible. Come Jesus! Come O' King of kings, God's Anointed One, the Liberating Saviour-King, the Living Word of God, the Ransom for and Redeemer of mankind! Yes come!