Joshua’s Farewell
In a touching goodbye, Joshua reviewed Israel’s history and issued both a warning and a challenge that are still relevant today.
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The Significance of Shechem
In Hebrew shechem means “shoulder,” an apt description of the town’s location in the narrow valley between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal, approximately 40 miles (65 km.) north of Jerusalem. Today the world calls it Nablus…
Nineveh’s Demise
Nahum 3:1-19: Assyria’s unrelenting violence, extortion, and brutality are well documented in the records of its history. More important, however, God kept track of such savagery; and He judged it. In chapter 3 Nahum continued his vivid description…
Eye on Middle East Jan/Feb 2004
Following the brutal suicide bombing that took twenty-one lives and wounded sixty others at the Maxim restaurant in Haifa on October 4, 2003, Israel went on the offensive. The terrorist group Islamic Jihad quickly claimed responsibility…
God is Sovereign Part Five
We have examined the fact that God exercises sovereign rule over the universe, angels, history, nations, rulers, counselors, judges, ministries, nature, and individuals. Now we will consider another sphere of God’s sovereign rule.
An Evangelical View of the Jewish People
The subject was about anti-Semitism in the United States and what, as a Jewish businessman and state senator, the gentleman being interviewed had encountered personally. He spoke about exclusions from local clubs and a number…
The Crescent and the Cradle
The main role of the Muslim mother is to raise children according to the wishes of her husband. With that said, she desires to rear children who will become good Muslims in hopes they will…
They Cry in Silence Jan/Feb 2004
A pastor from an evangelical church was ordered to appear before local security police on August 20, 2003. Upon his arrival, he was forced to stand “like Christ was hung on the cross,” with arms…
Getting the Picture
Paul Marshall’s deeply moving observation in his book Their Blood Cries Out (see adjacent article) helped inspire the Friends of Israel “Remember” pin that reminds us to pray for our Christian brethren who suffer…
Miracle Mother Part One
Biblically speaking, Gentiles probably have more right to question God’s miracles than do Jewish people. After all, it wasn’t the Gentiles for whom God plagued Egypt or parted the Red Sea. It wasn’t the Gentiles…
Israel in the News Jan/Feb 2004
Forty-eight veteran Israel Air Force (IAF) pilots held captive in Syria or Egypt last year have petitioned Prime Minister Ariel Sharon not to free terrorist Mustafa Dirani, who tortured IAF navigator Ron Arad, still in…
Zvi Jan/Feb 2004
History has shown us that where there is no faith there is hate. So it was with Hitler when the Nazis in Germany sang, “Today Germany belongs to us. Tomorrow, the world.” Then came Saddam Hussein….
From Bill Sutter’s Desk Nov/Dec 2003
More and more Jewish people are beginning to recognize a simple truth we Christians have known for years: Protestantism is a mixed bag. Not all Protestants believe the Bible is God’s Word; not all interpret…
Five Big Words
When speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Tom DeLay, visited Israel recently, he said cryptically, “Israel’s fight is our fight.” Just five words to be sure, but words defining what the conflict in the Middle…
The More Things Change…
For thousands of years the world has produced people eager to destroy the nation of Israel. But the conflict is far greater than it appears.
Road Map to Armageddon
The PLO holds every terrorist record on the books, and Arafat has violated every agreement he ever made with Israel. What kind of “peace” lies ahead?
Is the Quartet Fiddling the Same Old Tune?
Despite Israel’s unfaltering devotion to America, some feel Bush’s Road Map plan is selling Israel down the river.
Mahmoud Abbas: One More Victim of Terror
Is the Road Map just another “college try”? Israelis think so. They also think Arafat still holds all the power.
Fighting ‘World War IV’
Former CIA Director R. James Woolsey has an interesting slant on world events. As far as he’s concerned, World War III is over.
Nineveh’s Destruction
Nahum 2:1-13: On March 19, 2003, a coalition of the United States and more than thirty-five countries implemented a preemptive strike against Iraq to disarm it of weapons of mass destruction. Twenty-six hundred years ago…
Tikkun Olam
It is our duty to praise the Lord of all things, to ascribe greatness to Him who formed the world in the beginning, since He hath not made us like the nations of other lands…
Eye on the Middle East Nov/Dec 2003
Israel has been under intense pressure by the United States, Europe, the Arab nations, and others to stop construction of a security fence in areas that have exported suicide bombers and assorted terrorists bent on…
God is Sovereign Part Four
We’ve examined the fact that God exercises sovereign rule over the universe, angels, history, and nations. Now we will examine other spheres subject to His sovereignty. Sovereignty Over Rulers, Counselors, and Judges Assertions of Sovereignty. The Scriptures…
Timeline of Modern Israel
From San Remo to Nazi Germany 1918 British General Edmund Allenby defeats the Ottoman Turks and occupies all of Palestine. 1919–23 Third wave of Jewish immigration arrives, mostly from Russia. 1920 Britain receives League of Nations mandate over Palestine at San…
They Cry in Silence Nov/Dec 2003
In mid-July a Muslim convert to Christianity left his home and headed for a mountainous region of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank. He took with him Christian materials, including audio cassettes, videos…
A Widow’s Christmas
The worst Christmas I ever had was the year my first husband died. It wasn’t the loneliness that did me in; it was the self-pity. As a young widow, I was faced with raising my four-year-old…
Israel in the News Nov/Dec 2003
What is the Palestinian fascination with the Kassam rocket, an imprecise weapon containing 10 to 15 kilograms (22–33 pounds) of explosives with a range of six to eight kilometers (3.73 miles)? Caroline Glick of The…
Zvi Nov/Dec 2003
As it is written in Ecclesiastes 11:1, “Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days.” So it has been with me. Before I was married, I worked in a joinery…
From Bill Sutter’s Desk Sep/Oct 2003
Recently The Friends of Israel joined the Jewish community in a solidarity rally for Israel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. By our presence we sought to demonstrate that, as Bible-believing Christians, we are loyal friends…
Reliving the Thirties
The struggle over suppressing discrimination in Western societies is an ongoing problem that will grow with the ever-increasing influx of third-world minorities into more affluent nations. Additionally, judicial decisions that grant…
How Important Is the Temple Mount Controversy?
Irrefutable evidence validates Judaism’s claim to the Temple Mount. But Muslims are rewriting history, and the final result could be devastating.
Standing Firm for God
The Jews called him a madman. He called himself a god. And his determination to eradicate Judaism led to the Maccabean Revolt.
Jerusalem, Oh Jerusalem
Jerusalem was one of the largest cities in the ancient world. And its destruction in A.D. 70 involved one of Judaism’s greatest tragedies.
Israel’s Falling Star
Some called him Simon, “son of a star.” They thought him the Messiah. But Bar Kokhba’s victories didn’t turn out as they had anticipated.
Masada: The Final Fortress
Herod’s desert hideout was so lavish and self-sufficient that it appeared impenetrable. But appearances can be deceiving.
Workmen’s Circle
The children of Israel provided an interesting name for the heavenly bread sent to them from the Lord. They called it manna, which means “What is it?” (Ex. 16:15). The same question is asked today…
Hope for the Hopeless in Argentina
Argentina is a beautiful country, rich in tradition and extremely hospitable to guests from foreign lands. But the Argentina so many knew and loved to visit in years past shows a different face these days…
Declaring Nineveh’s Destruction
Nahum 1:1-15: In the days of the prophet Nahum, Nineveh was at the height of its glory. Its influence through trade, culture, and political conquest extended from Egypt to the Persian Gulf. The city was built by Nimrod…
God is Sovereign Part Three
Previously we saw that God exercises sovereign rule over the universe, angels, and history. Now we will examine God’s sovereign rule over the nations. Assertions of Sovereignty.The Bible records assertions of God’s sovereignty over the nations. God…
They Cry in Silence Sep/Oct 2003
Christians in Nigeria, Africa, breathed a deep sigh of relief when the vote tallies from the April presidential elections were announced. A large majority of Nigerians reelected President Olusegun Obasanjo, a born-again Christian, over his Muslim…
Eye on the Middle East Sep/Oct 2003
When Israel, in accordance with its agreement with the new Palestinian government, pulled Israel Defense Forces troops out of Bethlehem recently, many residents of the Jerusalem suburb of Gilo feared the worst. And they…
The Seeker Conclusion
It isn’t a good time to be Jewish these days. In Israel, Jews are being murdered almost daily by Arabs determined to remove them from the tiny sliver of land they still have left in the Middle East…
Israel in the News Sep/Oct 2003
Had she been Palestinian, the entire world would be up in arms. But she was Israeli, so no one even noticed when seven-year-old Noam Liebowitz was shot to death while riding in her family car…
Zvi Sep/Oct 2003
We are again approaching Yom Kippur, this most solemn of days, when people ask the Lord to forgive their sins. And what is more, they are so sure that when they come with their “sacrifices,” their sins…
From Bill Sutter’s Desk Jul/Aug 2003
If you were to shop in Norway today, you would see all Israeli products clearly identified as being from Israel. They are being singled out, not to make them easier to purchase, but to make…
Potholes in the Road Map
Just how difficult it will be to negotiate the much-ballyhooed “road map” to peace in the Middle East was summed up by Israel’s prime minister, Ariel Sharon, after the Israeli cabinet recently approved the plan…
Serving the Double Standard
An issue is festering in the road map process that cannot be overlooked and certainly should not be honored. It is the insistence of the Palestinians and their Arab mentors that millions of “refugees” be…
Never Forget
From Masada to YadVashem to Arlington National Cemetery is a long road indeed. But how much has really changed? Less than you would think.
Adonai
Joshua called Yahweh “Lord of all the earth.” The word Lord in Hebrew is Adonai. And it speaks of the absolute lordship of the God of the universe.
I Am That I Am
What is the Tetragrammaton? Ancient Jewish sages considered it too holy to utter. Yet it is God’s covenant name— and belongs to Him alone.
The Other Names of God
Biblical names are usually significant. Unlike the common practice today, ancient names were usually chosen for a specific reason. People were not as concerned with how a name sounded or what others thought…
The Sweetest Name I Know
Some say Yeshua. Others say Jesus. Either way, it is the name of Almighty God. And it has a special significance.
Baruch Ha Shem
Elohim appears more than 2,500 times in the Old Testament. It is powerful, plural, and used by two divine personalities.
Play Ball!
Sports radio, a relative newcomer in the arena known as talk radio, is a result of the mutual admiration between professional athletes and the fans who watch them. The last names of the people who produce…
Who Is a God Like the Lord!
Micah 7:1-20: Micah’s grief over the deterioration of Judean society is poignantly expressed in this final chapter. The prophet lamented Judah’s sinful condition, knowing that the nation could not go unpunished. In the midst of sorrow…
God is Sovereign Part Two
Webster’s New International Dictionary defines the adjective sovereign as follows: “Supreme or highest in power; superior in position to all others,” and “Independent of, and unlimited by, any other; possessing, or entitled to, original…
They Cry in Silence Jul/Aug 2003
They call them “chop squares,” execution sites usually outside mosques where the condemned meet their deaths at the hands of a sword-wielding executioner. For people found guilty of any of the following— murder, rape, armed…
Eye on the Middle East Jul/Aug 2003
A former U.S. ambassador to an obscure Third World nation recently contributed his opinion on TV as to why the spate of terror attacks in the wake of the war in Iraq. His remarks postulated…
The Seeker Part One
King Solomon spoke three thousand proverbs and fifteen hundred songs (1 Ki. 4:32). The epitome of the philosopher-king, he was unequaled in wealth and wisdom, and his fame spread throughout the world. He ruled during…
Israel in the News Jul/Aug 2003
“I’m telling you frankly, the attitude of Islam is not to accept a foreign state in this area.” So said senior Hamas spokesman Mahmoud a-Zahar on the BBC. He later met with Palestinian Authority (PA)…
Zvi Jul/Aug 2003
The ninth day of the month of Av is drawing near (August 7). So the people of Israel come to the Western (Wailing) Wall, weeping night and day and reading the book of Lamentations, asking…
From Bill Sutter’s Desk May/Jun 2003
Many Jewish people assume that, as Bible-believing Christians, we direct our attention to the New Testament to the exclusion of the Old Testament. They are unaware that our keen interest in studying the Bible…
Duty, Honor, Country—Still Alive and Well
A quiet debate reportedly has arisen in the Bush administration over whether our victorious men and women in uniform should be awarded ticker tape, flag-waving parades down New York City’s 5th Avenue…
It Is About Religion— and About Responsibility
Although many people say Islamic militancy is not about religion, the trail of blood says otherwise. Can there be a Sharia democracy? We don’t think so.
Running From God Jonah 1
You may know the story of Jonah and the fish. But do you know what Jonah’s disobe dience implied about the God of Israel? Read this article and find out.
Amazing Grace Jonah 2
If you’re a believer, then this article is especially for you . . . and for anyone else who may be in danger of presuming on the wonderful, amazing grace of God.
Doom and Deliverance Jonah 3
The Ninevites were bad, real bad. But God spared them. Why? Because they did the one thing God requires for deliverance—even today.
The Angry Prophet Jonah 4
Jonah was bitter, selfish, angry, and a poor excuse for a man of God. Unfortunately, he was not much different than many of us.
Jewish Music: Capturing the Heart of a People Conclusion
In Old Testament days, Jewish worship revolved first around the Tabernacle and later the Temple. Crucial to that worship was music, particularly the skill and purpose of its presentation. In accordance with 2 Chronicles…
God’s Judgment Against Judah
Micah 6:1-16: In chapter six of Micah, God brings litigation against the people of Judah, charging them with gross immorality and idolatry. Judah is the defendant, and the Lord is both the prosecuting attorney and judge. Prosecution Revealed…
God is Sovereign Part One
Previously we examined the senselessness and consequences of idol worship. Here we will examine spheres that are subject to the sovereignty of the true and living God. Angels God’s significant relationships with the angels…
They Cry in Silence May/Jun 2003
In his book, Their Blood Cries Out, author Paul Marshall shared this observation: Years ago, I drove up Bathhurst Street on my way to work in Toronto. I would pass synagogues of varying strictness, but each…
Eye On the Middle East May/Jun 2003
The Iraq encounter has clarified precisely where major nations stand on tyranny and the prestige and power of the United States and Israel. President George W. Bush made his assessment of the UN’s power…
His Mercy Endureth Forever Conclusion
To all those who truly repent, God omable wisdom, He distinguishes the weak from the strong, the humble from the proud, and tries the hearts of all men. Somewhere along the way, the Most High…
Israel in the News May/Jun 2003
Palestinian Authority (PA) Arabs made no bones about whose side they were on during the recent war in Iraq as tens of thousands took to the streets waving flags and pictures of Saddam Hussein and calling…
Zvi May/Jun 2003
When the weather is nice, many people come out on the streets; and we have nice conversations. In fact, you can meet people here from all over the world and hear many different languages spoken. Before…
From Bill Sutter’s Desk Mar/Apr 2003
Israelis were proud . . . and so were we. Then they grieved; and we grieved with them. For a fleeting moment, the beleaguered Jewish state forgot its bitter sorrow as it watched its first astronaut…
Show Us the Map
During the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, President Ronald Reagan stood in front of the infamous Berlin Wall and issued a challenge. “Mr. Gorbachev,” he said, “Tear down this wall…
Jewish Music: Capturing the Heart of a People Part One
As an art form, music is multifunctional. It can tell stories, teach, record great events, inspire people to action, vent human emotion, or just be enjoyed. Stated simply, music…
What’s Wrong with the Religious Right?
Who are these “dangerous” religious fanatics the secular media insists are running and ruining America today? Don’t be surprised if they are you!
Jerusalem: In the Eye of the Storm Zechariah 12
No man-made treaties will end this world’s bitter fight over Jerusalem. God will end it Himself—in a most definitive and remarkable way.
The Final Cleansing Zechariah 13
Repentance and an end to sin, idolatry, and false prophets all await Israel in the spectacular final days before the restoration of the Davidic Kingdom.
The Day of the Lord Zechariah 14:1-7
Is it wrath or blessing? Is it one day or many? Actually, the Day of the Lord contains all these components, as this outstanding article clearly explains.
When God Comes to Jerusalem Zechariah 14:8-21
Someday God Himself will return to this planet to set up an eternal, unrivaled Kingdom. What will it be like? Here is a biblical glimpse into that glorious time.
The Messianic King and His Kingdom
Micah 5:1–15: For centuries, Jewish people have looked for the Messiah to deliver them from Gentile oppression, secure for them the land of Israel…
God and Other Objects of Worship
In the previous article we saw that the Bible asserts unequivocally that Jehovah-the God revealed in its pages, the one who brought Israel and the church…
They Cry in Silence Mar/Apr 2003
Everything seemed normal for Christian and Missionary Alliance worker Bonnie Witherall as she approached the prenatal clinic in Sidon, Lebanon, last November 21. Bonnie and her husband, Gary, had served in Lebanon for three…
Eye on the Middle East Mar/Apr 2003
Recent polls taken in a broad range of countries have revealed that many nations view the United States with increasing distaste. This situation…
His Mercy Endureth Forever Part One
A well-known entertainer in Hollywood gave his life to the Lord many years ago. But money, fame, and corruption began to do their work…
Israel in the News Mar/Apr 2003
ARUTZ-7-The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that Arab residents of Yesha have found a new way to take advantage of…
Zvi Mar/Apr 2003
Despite all that is happening, people still come to Israel. Why? Because Israel is like an electromagnet, drawing people from all over.
From Bill Sutter’s Desk Jan/Feb 2003
It was a trip none of us will forget. As our group of 45 landed in Tel Aviv, we did not realize that, for the next ten days, we would be the largest…
The Promise Continues
God never makes promises He doesn’t keep. And He will keep these.
Selling Islam in America
The one-year commemoration of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon spawned a huge irony. While Americans and masses of people the world over held solemn…
Israel: Still a Miracle
The world thought it impossible. But with God, nothing is impossible. And if you don’t believe that fact, you don’t know the history of little Israel.
The War of Independence
When the British received their League of Nations mandate over the Holy Land at the San Remo Conference in 1920, they were told to implement the Balfour Declaration that called for “the establishment…
Who Are the ‘Refugees’?
The original Palestinian refugees were about 650,000 (a UN mediator at the time placed the figure at 472,000) Arabs who voluntarily abandoned their homes before the 1948 War of Independence. Arab leaders encouraged…
Who Took Whose Lands?
Although the British were instructed in 1920 to help the Jewish people resettle into land that had been designated for a Jewish national home, they did just the opposite. Instead of facilitating Jewish…
The Six-Day War
Surrounded by 250,000 enemy soldiers, 2,000 tanks, and 700 jetfighters, Israel again defended herself. The outcome? Another miracle.
What Are the ‘Occupied Territories’?
Israel acquired the “occupied,” or, more accurately, disputed territories during the 1967 Six-Day War. They are Judea/Samaria (West Bank) and the Gaza Strip. In 1981 Israel annexed the Golan Heights, also acquired…