God’s Heart for Israel Romans 9-11
God chose Israel thousands of years ago. Has He stuck with her? This article examines Romans 9, 10, and 11 in light of the sovereignty of God.
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Called to be a Living Sacrifice Roman 12-16
There is no Temple in Jerusalem, but God still expects you to present a sacrifice; and you may be surprised to learn just what that sacrifice is.
Eye on the Middle East Apr/May 2000
Who’s on First.” That famous comedy routine by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello had audiences in an uproar trying to figure out who was where on the baseball diamond.
God’s Indictment of Israel
Hosea 4:1-19: Sowing and reaping is an immutable law of nature. This law holds true in both the spiritual and moral realms of life. During the reign of King Jeroboam II, seeds of spiritual adultery and moral…
The Man Who Brought Hebrew Back to the Land
For its first issue of the year 2000, The Jerusalem Report, a prominent international Jewish magazine, published the results of a poll in which it asked its readers to choose the one hundred greatest Jews…
Jesus Christ and the Future Kingdom of God Part Seven
When Jesus Christ was on earth during His First Coming, He said “the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mk. 1:15); and He taught His disciples to pray “Thy kingdom come” (Mt. 6:10).
Israel in the News Apr/May 2000
Born in Jaffa in 1935, Levy was a thirteenth generation sabra (native Israeli) who devoted his life to his country. He served in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) for more than twenty-five years…
Zvi Apr/May 2000
Here in Israel, many people believe that if they perform good deeds (mitzvot), heaven will be opened to them. They say that repentance and good deeds will shield them from retribution.
Can Israel and Syria Make a Deal?
In spite of all the optimistic talk in Washington, Jerusalem, and Damascus about peace being on the horizon, there are serious questions about how much, in the long run, can actually be achieved.
Struttin’ on Through The Fire
Like pieces of an intricate puzzle, Daniel’s ancient prophecies are falling into place. The “fire” is coming—and so is the King.
When God is in Control
Through two dreams, God unveiled the rise and fall of the greatest empires in the world, including the one that is on the way.
The Character and Career of the Antichrist Daniel 11:36-45
A one-world ruler awaits mankind. What will he be like? Learn what God told the prophet Daniel about him 2500 years ago.
The Hope of a Tomorrow Daniel 12
Tribulation, suffering, affliction. No one wants them. But they serve their purpose—and the best is yet to come.
God’s Future Program for Israel Daniel 9
Take an in-depth look at the seventy weeks of Daniel and God’s six goals for the people of Israel.
God’s Redemptive Love
Hosea 3:1-5: How many people would be willing to buy back their own possessions? In all probability, not many. The average person today, it seems, would be more likely to spend twice as much money going to…
Eye on the Middle East Feb/Mar 2000
JERUSALEM—In an attempt to enlarge an exit to an underground mosque, the Muslim Wakf has been illegally excavating underneath the Temple Mount and dumping the dirt by the truckload into the Kidron Valley.
Jewish Humor
The obstetrician wanted to be sure. His patient had told him the date she expected her baby to be born. Taking into account her age, size, and weight gain…
Jesus Christ and the Future Kingdom of God Part Six
In the previous article, we noted that Jesus Christ (Mt. 19:28) and the apostles Peter (Acts 3:19-21) and Paul (Rom. 8:19-22) foretold that nature will be restored to its original pre-fall condition when Christ…
Israel in the News Feb/Mar 2000
JERUSALEM—The population in Israel has reached 6.2 million, and the Jewish population is approaching 5 million, according to recent figures published by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). A CBS spokesman said he expects rapid…
Zvi Feb/Mar 2000
Every day we see the Orthodox distributing leaflets on the street. They are free to do this, not like us. We must have eyes in the back of our heads to stay out of trouble.
Israel Extends Its Arm
Late last summer the Israeli Navy sent its fleet from the port of Haifa on a special mission. In concert with the navy, Israeli Air Force jets swept into the sky bound for the Mediterranean. Their combined mission was to form a gala welcoming committee. The recipient…
The True Message of the Millennium
The topic was the coming millennium and what we can expect to see develop in the future. Panelists on the television show were secular, running in persuasion from moderately conservative to rather radically liberal. A nattily dressed man, representing the views…
The Church in the New Millennium
The apostle Paul evidenced surprise when the first generation of Christians began to pass away. Today the second millennium of church history is about to give way to a third. Well might witnessing saints in glory be whispering…
How Near the End?
If there is one question that seems to come up more than any other these days, it is this one: “Do you believe that the coming of the Lord is really near?” For almost 2,000 years believers have been looking forward to that…
America in the New Millennium
On the 31st of this month, at the stroke of midnight, the world will finally enter the much-awaited Year 2000. Will automatic teller cards still work? Will electricity still flow? Will America conduct business as usual, or will the Y2K…
Two Millennia of Church History
Over 2,000 years have transpired since Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born in the land of Israel. While He was here, He said, “I will build my church” (Mt. 16:18). Through His death on the cross for the sins of the world, burial in a tomb, and bodily resurrection…
The New World Order
Two thousand years ago the Mediterranean world belonged to the Roman Empire. This empire stretched from Britain in the northwest to what is now Morocco in the southwest, and it proceeded east across North Africa and southern Europe to…
Israel’s Spiritual Adultery
Hosea 2:2–23: Today in America, the divorce rate is at an all-time high. Most people view fidelity, chastity, and commitment differently than they did a generation ago. In the past, those who entered matrimony dedicated themselves…
Judaism vs Jewishness
He could have been a poster boy for a Jewish magazine. Reared in an observant home, he had celebrated bar mitzvah at age 13. He graduated from Hebrew school at the age of 18, and it was clear he had a firm grasp of Jewish history and culture as well as…
Israel in the News Dec/Jan 1999/2000
In the not-too-distant future, El Al will spray its airplanes with aromatic smells, in response to the offensive odors that often permeate airplanes. A “sample” plane will be sprayed on each flight at first, and after studying…
Jesus Christ and the Future Kingdom of God Part Five
Matthew 19:28 records a prophecy Christ delivered to His apostles: “Verily I say unto you that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve…
Eye on the Middle East Nov/Dec 1999/2000
Israeli lifeAn Israeli politician once told me that Prime Minister Ehud Barak is “Bibi compatible.” That is to say that Barak, who spent the major portion of his life in the military and is the nation’s most highly decorated soldier…
Zvi Nov/Dec 1999/2000
Since the recent election here, the ultra-Orthodox have been devoting much energy going from house to house, talking about repentance and telling people that good deeds are a shield against retribution. They make a big noise, but…
Is Everybody Happy? Don’t Count on It!
When the Sharm Agreement was signed at Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, last month, a mini-eruption of euphoria flowed into statehouses and liberal editorial offices all over the world. At long last, the spin was, we are on the road to…
Taking Stock
“My father spent his adult life as a prince one day and a pauper the next.” So said a friend speaking of his father who was addicted to playing the stock market. Winning big and losing bigger brought the man to an unenviable situation…
Israel at the Crossroads
As I sat in the Israeli Government Press Office auditorium with many “weathered” journalists from around the world, a scene unfolded on the large-screen television before me that amazed us all. There in Washington, D.C….
Barak’s Government
Israel’s volatile political scene was struck by lightning the middle of this year with the election of Ehud Barak as prime minister. The One Israel party leader was the choice of nearly six out of every ten voters on May 17. Unlike the late Yitzhak Rabin…
A Palestinian State?
With a new Israeli prime minister who appears more open to negotiating with the Palestinians than his predecessor, it is appropriate to raise this question: What would a Palestinian state involve?
Russia Eyes the Middle East
President Ronald Reagan spoke of the Soviet Union as the “evil empire” in 1983. Although spoken in a political context at the time, there is more truth to that phrase than the former president may have realized. The Union dissolved…
The Marriage of Hosea
Hosea 1:2—2:1: Hosea’s marriage to Gomer and the birth of their children become the texts of God’s message to Israel. Israel’s unfaithfulness is portrayed in Gomer’s infidelity, and the removal of God’s covenant relationship…
Jesus Christ and the Future Kingdom of God Part Four
This earth began with God’s theocracy as its government, but the theocracy was lost through the Satan-prompted fall of mankind. If God does not restore His theocratic kingdom rule before this earth’s history comes to an end, then Satan…
Giving and Receiving the Blessing
Do you remember the old TV program Star Trek? In that series, the expression “Live long and prosper” became a familiar utterance. It was used by First Officer Spock as a greeting and a farewell to special people visiting the starship…
Israel in the News Oct/Nov 1999
According to the Sunday Telegraph, the Iranian regime has significantly increased its funding of the Hamas terror organization to permit an escalation in attacks at a time when the government of Israel is working to advance…
Eye on the Middle East Oct/Nov 1999
Christians who understand what it means to be a true friend of Israel and the Jewish people were horrified upon learning of the tragic shooting of Jewish children in Los Angeles last August. Anti-Semitic violence is always unspeakably…
How Can I Believe in God?
Israel is a small country, and at times we feel as if we are sheep among wolves. But even though we are small, we remain strong because the Lord is with us. Most people living in Israel, both Jews and Arabs, do not know the Lord. The Arabs…
Running Scared
An Orthodox Jewish rabbi recently wrote about his understanding of where society would be positioned just before the coming of the Messiah. The rabbi’s words have the ring of an Old Testament prophet. “Just before the Messiah comes, humanity…
The Many States of Palestine
An early Zionist leader was fond of speaking of the land that was to become Israel as “a land without a people for a people without a land.” Although his observation was, in large measure, accurate, it was not quite the whole of…
Eye on the Middle East Aug/Sep 1999
There is a Muslim family living on a kibbutz in Israel today. How they arrived at their new home is a story that defies virtually all conventional wisdom about the ability of Jewish people and Muslims to coexist. The family is from Albania. They were forced…
The Zion Connection: The Biblical Mandate
When God called Abram to leave Ur of the Chaldees, He was demanding that he strip himself of his identity. Abram was to leave all that made him who he was—his family, his possessions, and the land that he had known as…
The Zion Connection: Jews and Christians—Common Ground
A growing alliance of Jews and Christians is attracting increasing attention today. It is an alliance rooted in Judeo-Christian values. The Christians involved are known as evangelicals or Bible-believing Christians. They are joining…
The Zion Connection: Common Enemies
Possibly the most disturbing event in our nation’s recent history took place in a cozy mountain state in upper middle-class America. At a time when young people concern themselves with test scores, term papers, and final exams, students were…
A Nation in Decline
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,” wrote Charles Dickens…
Jesus Christ and the Future Kingdom of God Part Three
Jesus Christ will play the key role in crushing Satan. His work of redemption through His death on the cross in His First Coming gives Him the authority to do this future work as mankind’s Kinsman-Redeemer (Heb. 2:14; 1 Jn. 3:8). Seven years before…
Try It—You’ll Like!
For many of us, food is an emotional experience. The sights and aromas of various food items evoke wide-ranging passions, both positive and negative. It is not uncommon to observe grimaces and other contortions as people view…
Israel in the News Aug/Sep 1999
“This one we call Yirmiyahu, that one is Tikva and this one here is Fortuna Ziona,” said Col. Dan Engelhard, a pediatrician, pointing to the three newborns under his care. The three were born in the refugee camp hospital—delivered by…
Zvi Aug/Sep 1999
Soon Jewish people around the world will observe the high holy days, culminating with the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. As it is written in Leviticus 17:11, “the life of the flesh is in…
Changing Horses at High Speed
With the dexterity of an old Pony Express rider, America’s current administration appears to have leaped into a new saddle with bewildering speed. Dust raised from the change of direction is causing great consternation in Jerusalem…
Getting Our Attention: Is It Too Late?
There is a threadbare story that I tired of hearing years ago. It had too much of the smell of musty homespun about it to appeal to me and many of my generation, but it made a point. The story had to do with a crusty farmer and his mule.
Who Killed Christ?
Possibly no subject in history has been as inflammatory to the Jewish people as the question, Who killed Christ? Time and again, the accusation of Christ-killer has been hurled against the Jewish people. Centuries of hatred have been built…
Pilate’s Dilemma
Pontius Pilate was awake early. It appeared that it was going to be a normal spring day in Jerusalem. At least that’s what he hoped. He had been appointed as the fifth Prefect to the Roman province of Judea and Samaria by Emperor Tiberius…
The Emperors of Rome vs. The Messiah
Near the end of his life, as the Roman Emperor Domitian was making claims of divinity and persecuting the church, the Apostle John wrote, “the whole world lieth in wickedness” (1 Jn. 5:19b). John was teaching that earthly rulers…
Roman Madness at Masada
On Nisan 14 in the year 73 A.D., Jerusalem was quiet. Normally the city would have been full of Jewish pilgrims waiting in line for the Temple priests to sacrifice their Passover lambs. But on this day there were no pilgrims. There were no…
God’s Final Message
Revelation 22:6–21: All the purposes of God, from the inception of creation to the close of human history, have been completed. Christ has assumed His sovereign rule and reign over creation and has restored creation to the original…
Jesus Christ and the Future Kingdom of God Part Two
In Revelation 4 and 5, where John was introduced to things that “must” take place in the future (4:1), the apostle saw Christ take a scroll from the hand of God the Father. The scroll was sealed with seven seals. Christ took the scroll…
Baptism or Mikveh
“Steve, I can’t do it, I just can’t do it. I know all about the plans we’ve made, but this is not going to happen. I’m Jewish; this would be too much for my family.” The voice on the other end of the phone was quivering with emotion. This was not…
Eye on the Middle East Jun/Jul 1999
I was sitting on the balcony of my hotel room in Tel Aviv, Israel, a few weeks ago. It was about three in the morning, and it seemed to me that, although I couldn’t sleep, the rest of the world should be in bed. But it was not—at least not…
Israel in the News Jun/Jul 1999
As the United States moves to revive the stalled Israeli-Syrian peace talks, Defense Minister Moshe Arens said recently that the only way Damascus will make peace is if Israel withdraws from the entire Golan Heights. He is against…
Zvi Jun/Jul 1999
I recently received a telephone call informing me that a dear friend of our family was sick in the hospital, so my wife and I immediately went to see her. Visiting a sick person in the hospital is not like going to a wedding. There are no…
Listen to the Children
The assumption now is that some sort of Palestinian state will soon be a fact of life for Israel and the Middle East. With the U.S. administration manifesting a perceptible policy shift in favor of Yasser Arafat and the Palestinians, coupled with…
Perceptions…Old Shadows Fade Slowly
A few weeks ago I had lunch with an Israeli diplomat, a man for whom I hold great respect, in Washington, DC. We discussed, among a host of other things, the inescapable tensions that often arise between the Christian and Jewish…
Tested Faith James 1:1–18
Prospective pilots for major airlines are trained on flight simulators, which are designed to present them with a variety of problems they might encounter while flying. The candidates are first tested with simple challenges and are eventually…
Love Without Partiality James 2:1–13
It is all too common today to hear Christians disparage doctrine or theology as entirely theoretical, productive only of pride and division, and therefore almost entirely irrelevant to the real issues of life. The cry is for greater emphasis on…
Workless Faith Is Worthless Faith James 2:14–26
Talk is cheap. In the minds of some people, the mention of the term politician seems to bear this out. Not only do some elected officials make promises they cannot keep, but some Christians do not practice what they preach. As a modern proverb states…
A Subject in Everyone’s Mouth James 3
The average person speaks nearly 30,000 words each day—enough to fill a good-sized book. Do we realize that each of us is writing an unwritten book every day of our lives? As we read a book, we often form certain opinions about…
Other Gems From James
“Ye lust, and have not; ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain; ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts…
The New Jerusalem
Revelation 21:9—22:5: To most people, the thought of home brings a feeling of warmth and comfort, a sense of security. It is a place where one can shut out the cares of this world and find a refuge for the soul during the pilgrimage…
Jesus Christ and the Future Kingdom of God Part One
“God created man in his own image” and gave him dominion “over all the earth,” including its plant and animal life (Gen. 1:26–29). The fact that God gave mankind this dominion reveals the original form of government that He ordained…
Politics And Politicians
From the time of Israel’s inception as a modern state 51 years ago, the United States has been its consistent and loyal friend. In our country, many issues seem to be based on political affiliation. The treatment of Israel has not been one…
Eye on the Middle East Apr/May 1999
Egyptian Foreign Minister Moussa recently sent the Israelis a message meant to influence voters to dump Prime Minister Netanyahu in favor of, in their view, a more flexible candidate. Moussa urged Israelis to embrace a Palestinian state…
Israel in the News Apr/May1999
Brown suede gloves worn by a Mossad agent who helped capture Nazi SS leader Adolf Eichmann 38 years ago have been donated to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority, the institution announced…
Zvi Apr/May 1999
Here in Israel we are facing new elections, and there is great competition among the political parties. Every party and every politician wants to be the greatest, and there is no love or consideration among the candidates. Everyone wants…
Suicide on the Temple Mount
Jerusalem Police Chief Yair Yitzhaki confirmed recently that members of a Denver, Colorado-based doomsday cult have entered Israel. Their agenda, however, is reported to be anything but the usual tour of the Holy Land. Cult watchers…
The Conquest Over Pagan Jericho
When people hear the word Jericho, they naturally think of Israelites marching, trumpets sounding, and walls falling down. It is a wonderful story of faith and victory that we enjoy reading and telling in Sunday school class, but did it…
The Battle of the Gods: Paganism’s Seduction of Israel
The call had gone out nationwide to assemble at Mount Carmel. Now the peak was bustling with thousands of people. King Ahab was there. Also present were 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah. Standing before the throng…
Early Christians in A Pagan World
Recently, my daily newspaper began a weekend feature page on religious events in the community, including an interfaith calendar detailing the religious holidays for the coming week for the various faiths. The faiths represented on…
Divine Condemnation of the Occult
Nothing is more terrifying than being in the clutches of occult activity. The demonic forces of darkness can seize a person with overwhelming intensity. The powers of Satan and his demonic hordes have led many to mental and spiritual…
How Israelis Feels About Jewish Believers
There has been much talk over the last few years about the state of religious freedom in Israel. Some have accused the government and Israelis in general of being hostile toward those who believe in Jesus as their Messiah. This perception is…
The New Creation
Revelation 21:1–8: The subject of eternity piques people’s interest as no other theme in Scripture. People intuitively know that there is a more fulfilling existence beyond this life because the transitory events on earth do not satisfy. But…
The Sinlessness of Jesus Christ Conclusion
If it is true that Jesus Christ was sinless, what is meant by the Apostle Paul’s statement that God sent “his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom. 8:3)? The word translated “flesh” refers to “a human being in contrast to God and…
“I Was Born a Jew, and I Will Die a Jew.”
There are many religions in the world. While some seem to overlap and even share common beliefs and practices, most have distinctive characteristics that mark them out or set them apart. Many have unique, identifiable practices, including…
Eye on the Middle East Feb/Mar 1999
Jewish people who are questioning if they should leave Russia and join their kinsmen who have made the exodus to Israel or other countries would do well to exit while they can. Less than a decade after the Soviet era of discrimination against…
Interview With David Bar–Illan
In view of the turmoil now being experienced in the Middle East, we have decided to replace Israel In The News with an interview Elwood McQuaid conducted with Mr. David Bar-Illan on November 18, 1998. He is the Policy and…
Zvi Feb/Mar 1999
In Israel, many of the ultra Orthodox people follow the age-old tradition of merrymaking at the graves of famous rabbis. They do this every year—it is a big part of their religious life. When they go to these graves for their annual time of…
Watching the Russians
For all of the political turmoil we’ve been experiencing in Washington, DC, things are much worse in Russia—that is, for the United States, Christians, Jewish people, and the Russians themselves. In the former mecca of communism…
The Messiah’s Birth
On November 19, 1997, something extraordinary happened. Bobbi McCaughey of Carlisle, Iowa, gave birth to seven healthy babies. With the news of the successful septuple deliveries, the world seemed to pause and reflect in…
The Messiah’s Life
The Jewish writings have much to say about the Messiah. Very little, however, is written about His identifying characteristics, aside from His being from the family of David and bringing peace. Gershom Scholem agreed with this when he wrote…
The Messiah’s Death
The clearest declaration about the historical facts of the Christian gospel is found in 1 Corinthians 15:3–4: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures…
The Messiah’s Reign
In this well-known carol, “Joy to the World,” Isaac Watts expressed the thrill of the Messiah’s birth by describing events that just don’t seem to exist. I still weed garden beds and prick myself on thorns. The curse has not been lifted. The nations of…
The Great White Throne Judgment
Revelation 20:11–15: On July 8, 1741, Jonathan Edwards preached his famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Edwards held the manuscript so close to his face that the congregation was unable to see his expression as…