Gog And Magog
Ezekiel 38–39 foretells a massive future invasion “of Israel by the armed forces of six nations. Five of those nations are identified in 38:5–6 with the names they bore in Ezekiel’s time.
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A Likely Scenario
Dr. Showers’ article confirms the identification of a number of military contingents who will join Russia in the invasion of Israel described in Ezekiel 33 and 39.
The Millennial Temple
Soon after the Lord delivered the children of Israel from their bondage in Egypt, He gave Moses instructions to build the Tabernacle. The work was done according to God’s plan, and when it was completed…
God’s Throne Revealed Revelation 4:1–11
Questions about heaven are always at the center of a believer’s thinking, especially questions dealing with the appearance of and activities in heaven. Through the eyes of John, believers are permitted a gaze…
General Revelation: Part One
In the previous article in this series, we saw that there are two kinds or categories of divine revelation: general and special. General revelation is God’s uncovering of knowledge through means available to all mankind.
The Talmud
“No! No! No!” the grandmother screamed as the six-year-old boy placed the clean spoon into the drawer of clean utensils. “That spoon goes with the milchig [dairy].” The youngster should have known;
Israel in the News Aug/Sep 1995
The satellite transmits video signals sharp enough to “make out license plates in Baghdad,” an official at Israel Aircraft Industries told AP. The possible military missions of such a device include high-resolution photography, electronic surveillance, and measuring the electromagnetic levels of various objects.
Zvi Aug/Sep 1995
In these times of great uncertainty in Israel, the leaders of the Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) rabbis have taken it upon themselves to compose a new prayer—a nice poem that will comfort the people.
American Troops on the Golan: Another Bad Idea
In a world awash with bad ideas and catastrophic consequences, it is not out of line to counsel caution and offer a bit of good sense to those who make the decisions that affect us…
Capernaum: A Town That Lost the Light
Capernaum was a picturesque town located on the northwestern shore of Galilee where the Jordan enters the lake. The city lay on a gentle slope rising from one of the numerous shallow coves that lend…
Jesus’ Ministry in His Hometown: Luke 4:16–30
I was scared stiff at the prospect of preaching in my hometown! A few years earlier, I had come to the Lord in a church in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Jesus’ Ministry on the Sea of Galilee
When the darkness of night falls, it creeps around the world from east to west. In the same manner, the first beams of morning sunlight sweep around the world from east to west.
But I Say Unto You: Matthew 5:21–48
Swimming pools become graveyards for many young children each summer. To prevent these needless tragedies, some municipalities require fences around pool perimeters. Some pool owners take the additional safety measure of installing another barrier on…
Bread Enough for All
John the Baptist had boldly confronted sin in the palace of Herod. Herod had taken his brother’s wife Herodias for himself, and John was beheaded for his decrying confrontation of this sin.
The Complacent Church Revelation 3:14–22
The city of Laodicea was located in a fertile valley overlooking the Lycus River about 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia and 11 miles from Colosse. Laodicea was established by Antiochus II (264–261 B.C.). Named in honor of his wife Laodice, it was destined to become the capital of ancient Phrygia.
Israel in the News Jun/Jul 1995
News photos of Palestinian policemen raising a Nazi-style salute increase anxiety among Holocaust survivors, according to a Bikur Holim Hospital psychiatrist who researched survivors’ ability to cope with the present.
A Definition and Kinds of Divine Revelation
In the study of biblical doctrine, it is essential to begin with the doctrine of the Bible (bibliology), which consists of commentary on the Bible derived from the Bible itself. Since all other biblical doctrines
The Jesus Boat
Bedlam broke out among the Ultra-Orthodox Jews of Tiberias. The fracas was over the renewed potential for Christian missionary activities around the Sea of Galilee. The culprit for this hullabaloo was the front-page headline…
A Chronology of Jesus’ Galilean Ministry
Jesus finds Philip, who in turn finds Nathanael (Jn 1:43–51)
Zvi Jun/Jul 1995
Many new immigrants from Russia live in my neighborhood. Most of them know me because I have made repairs in their homes, which gives me opportunities to speak with them about many things…
The Specter of the Holocaust
“We still have the option of Jihad.” These were the words of PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat after three Palestinians were killed when Israeli soldiers returned fire leveled at them in the Gaza Strip.
Holocaust: A Christian Atrocity?
And so I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty creator. In standing guard against the Jew I am defending the handiwork of the Lord (Adolf Hitler, August 13, 1920).
Denying the Dead
It has often been said that truth is stranger than fiction. That is certainly the case when studying the writings of those who deny the occurrence of the Holocaust.
Gentiles Who Dared to Save Jews
Why risk your life to save Jews? It was obvious that the easiest and safest position was to be complacent about Hitler’s obsession to annihilate the Jewish race.
Holocaust: It’s An Old Story
The specter of the Holocaust has ranged across the face of the centuries in an unrelenting effort to destroy the nation of Israel and its people. But always, in spite of the worst that devils…
Are There Horns Under That Hat?
Several years ago there was a TV series called Little House on the Prairie. One of the show’s characters, a youngster named Albert, became friendly with an elderly Jewish man.
Israel in the News Apr/May 1995
The US has received signals from 18 Arab states that they will make peace with Israel once it and Syria have struck an accord, sources in the Clinton administration and outside it have told the…
Tenach, Torah, & Targum
The Torah is the foundation stone for the Jewish people. Inspired by God and written by Moses, it has been central to Jewish life since its inception.
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
The infamous “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” are referred to a number of times in this issue of Israel My Glory. Peddling the venomous fabrications of the Protocols has been the stock-in-trade of anti-Semitic…
The Foundation of Faith
This is the introductory article in a series presenting the doctrines contained in the Bible. The word doctrine comes from the Latin term doctrina, which means “instruction, education, learning.”
Surviving the Holocaust
Ten-year-old Henryk stood in the window looking out for a long time. In the courtyard below he could see small children playing games. The gate through which his mother had left the orphanage seemed disproportionately…
Two Faces of the Middle East
The trees look a bit better along Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv these days. New leaves have sprouted on limbs that were denuded of foliage when a mad bomber from Hamas triggered an explosive device…
The Scent of a Lie
Perverted theology is not a new fad. The wonder is that we seem to be surprised each time some emerging religious “star” professes to be anointed with a new revelation regarding heretofore obscure…
In Flaming Fire: 2 Thessalonians 1
“My God, where are you? My God, my God. Where are you? Evil crushes me. Grinds me into dust. O, my God. I can’t bear it. I can’t bear it. Why have you left me?
The Rapture, the Day of the Lord, the Man Of Sin: 2 Thessalonians 2:1–5
In 2 Thessalonians 2:1–2, Paul and his companions asked the Thessalonian saints to avoid doing two things. First, they were not to be “soon shaken in mind.”
The Restrainer, the Rebel, the Rejecters
The beginning of 2 Thessalonians 2 makes it clear that at least two events will precede the advent of the Day of the Lord: the arrival of the great apostasy and the unveiling of the…
Living in Apostate Times: 2 Thessalonians 3
We are living in a day characterized by apostasy. It is hard to say exactly when it began, but it came to the United States as a result of European “free-thinking liberalism.”
The Church in Crises and Commitment Revelation 3:1–13
It has been said that many churches begin with a man, reach out with a mission, become a movement, and eventually end up a monument. Often this is true, but not for every church.
Israel in the News Feb/Mar 1995
Fifty-seven percent of Israelis would oppose a full withdrawal from the Golan Heights even in exchange for full peace with Syria, according to a Gallup poll conducted for The Jerusalem Post and the Independent Media…
Food For Thought
Food, with its various tastes, smells, textures, and visual appeal, is a powerful trigger in the process of remembering. Whether it is in the preparation, serving, or eating, certain foods seem to prompt many people…
Crucifixion: The Exhumed Evidence
The young Jewish victim cringed in agony as the soldier roughly pushed his right heel over his left against the sturdy wooden post. Violent blows from the mallet on the iron nail tore angrily through…
Zvi Feb/Mar 1995
I often go to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, and invariably I meet people who think that just by going there they will be saved, because the Halacha (the body of Jewish law supplementing…
Pillorying the Religious Right
The current wave of vilification flowing over those designated as members of the “religious right” carries ominous undercurrents. Elements from the highest levels of authority in America have declared segments of the evangelical Christian communit…
Salvation in the Old Testament
Our feature articles for this issue of Israel My Glory examine salvation in the Old Testament. Indeed, the basis upon which God justifies sinners has, since the fall of Adam…
God’s Remedy for Mankind’s Ruin
It is wonderful to see a family that gets along well. You can sense the harmony, fellowship, and love shared by all. Many people long for such ongoing relationships in their own families…
Rewarding the Redeemed
The Scriptures reveal a perpetual principle in effect in every age of history since the fall of man. That principle is as follows: Eternal salvation is always by the grace of God…
Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord Will Provide a Lamb
The hands of Caiaphas are bloodstained. On this high holiday, this Day of Atonement, he has already cut the throat of the sacrificial bull.
“Of Whom Speaketh the Prophet This?”
In August of each year, the synagogue Scripture reading from the prophets is taken from the Book of Isaiah. Around the third Sabbath in August, the reading ends at Isaiah 52:12…
A Clear and Present Danger
Life in the Middle East is often fraught with danger for citizens who hope only to live in peace. It goes without saying that the current peace process is a risk-taking venture that reflects…
The Church Compromised Revelation 2:12–2:29
A new Decalogue has been adopted by the neo-Christians of our day, ‘Thou shalt not disagree,’ and a new set of Beatitudes too, ‘Blessed are they that tolerate everything, for they shall not be made…
Hezekiah’s Tunnel
American Edward Robinson a former Congregationalist minister, was the first person in modern times to scientifically explore the marvel of Hezekiah’s Tunnel.
Israel in the News Dec/Jan 1994/1995
A Roman Catholic Church document acknowledging the “co-responsibility” for the Holocaust has been drafted, it was revealed recently. The document goes far beyond any previous official Catholic pronouncement regarding the Christian roots of anti-Semitism…
Fussy Fressers
Food is an integral part of Jewish life. One man explained it this way: “For our people, food is more than a necessity of life; it is an emotional experience.”
Zvi Dec/Jan 1994/1995
While waiting at a bus station recently, I met some people who were more traditional than religious in their beliefs. Because they have known me for some time, they immediately began to attack me.
Jerusalem: Occupied Territory?
“We want a piece of the action!” This seems to be the prevailing attitude when the international community talks about Jerusalem. Until the Jewish people began to wind their way back toward the Holy City…
The Palestinians
“And Isaac entreated the Lᴏʀᴅ for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lᴏʀᴅ was entreated by him, and Rebekah, his wife, conceived. And the children struggled together within her;
The Jewish Presence in Hebron
This February, a lone Jewish man walked into a mosque inside of a shrine built over the cave of Machpelah in Hebron. Dressed in Israeli military garb, he gunned down 29 Muslim Arabs…
The Messiah’s House Is Empty
In the village of Kfar Chabad, just off the highway linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, stands a large brownstone house. I wrote about it in this space shortly after its cornerstone was laid in 1992.
Living With the Peace Process
On September 13, 1993, Israel signed a peace treaty with the PLO, an organization then known as one of our worst enemies. You would expect that after such an historic step…
The Church Confronted And Comforted Revelation 2:1–11
“Churches are like people. No two are alike. Each has its own personality … size and shape … strength and weakness,” wrote Steven Lawson.* This is evident when reading Christ’s letters to the seven churches…
Digging Up Israel
The ground in front of the beautiful Golden Gate was still soft from the recent heavy rains. An archaeology student confidently stepped back from the gate to capture its entire view in his camera…
Israel in the News Oct/Nov 1994
Jerusalem will remain the capital of the Jewish people forever, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin told the conference of Jewish National Fund leaders recently. He was responding to a statement by PLO leader Yasser Arafat that…
Handshakes and High Hopes
It was a photograph far more captivating than the proverbial “a picture is worth a thousand words” theme. The Royal Jordanian jet with King Hussein on board was flying in lazy circles at low altitude…
A Special Diet
Food, glorious food! We need it to survive. We eat it to celebrate almost any occasion. We offer it in hospitality or comfort. Socially, food somehow helps to build bridges for easier and better communication…
Zvi Oct/Nov 1994
In Jeremiah 13:16 it is written, “Give glory to the Lᴏʀᴅ, your God, before he cause darkness.” This is so true. Many people go into the sea but want to come out dry…
Come September
One of my treasured childhood memories is of trips taken to the farm home of my grandparents in upper Michigan. Old barns smelling of leather harnesses and farm animals are a great source of fascination…
From Babylon To Bethlehem
Lord Byron, in “The Destruction of Sennacherib,” caught in vivid poetic form not only the essence of a battle long gone, but the final convulsions of the “times of the Gentiles.” Thus, human observation confirms…
Babylon and Medo-Persia
In Luke 21:24 Jesus Christ referred to “the times of the Gentiles,” when the Gentiles would be the dominant power in the world and Israel would be at the mercy of or dependent upon…
The Greeks
When Bible readers move from the Old to the New Testament, they encounter many new ideas and institutions. They encounter groups like the Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, and Zealots, who are not mentioned in the Old…
Ancient Rome: The Pathology of Political Power
The solace of blissful sleep was violently shattered with dreadful visions of hideous creatures. So disturbing was the dream that the usually composed Prophet Daniel was greatly troubled in mind and body.
The Revived Roman Empire
To understand the end-times revival of the Roman Empire, we must first understand the term the times of the Gentiles. Jesus said, “And they [the Jewish people] shall fall by the edge of the sword…
The Glorified Christ Revelation 1:9–20
What did Jesus look like in the flesh? Artists have tried to paint Him and authors have tried to describe Him. Nowhere does Scripture relate the physical appearance of Jesus during His earthly life.
Israel in the News Aug/Sep 1994
The reason is the source of the request—the United Nations, which has asked Israel to assist in its peacekeeping efforts in Angola by supplying an Israeli-staffed field hospital…
Dressed for Worship Part Two
As Tevya, the milkman in Sholem Aleichem’s story Fiddler on the Roof, considered various practices unique to his Judaism, he turned to the audience and asked, “Why do we do the things we do?”…
Zvi Aug/Sep 1994
I recently was in Eilat, in the south of Israel, visiting my daughter and her family. Because it is located on the Dead Sea, Eilat is a popular resort area, and many people from Europe…
Mainstreaming Madmen
A few nights ago I watched a documentary on the early years of Adolf Hitler. I’d seen it all many times before, but this time around a couple of spine-chilling facets engrossed my mind.
Russia Is Back
One of the most foreboding aspects of the fallout coming from the tragic shooting of Muslim worshipers in Hebron last February is the reemergence of Russia as a player in the Middle East.
Why Do We Need Heroes?
True heroes are in short supply these days. Loyalty to causes larger than one’s own personal interests seems to be out of favor with the “me” generation.
Snapshots of Steadfast Faith: Hebrews 11:4–17
The Temple still stood gloriously on that high mount where the Dome of the Rock now rests. The Pharisees still controlled the synagogues, influencing the people with their strict interpretations of the law.
By Faith Abraham: Hebrews 11:8–19
Hebrews 11 describes the faith of the three men the Jewish people hold to be the cornerstone of Judaism: Abraham, Moses, and David. Abraham is also called the “friend” of God (Isa. 41:8).
Moses and Faith: Hebrews 11:23–29
Moses had a rich heritage of faith. Before his birth, Pharaoh of Egypt commanded that all male babies born to Hebrew women be killed (Ex. 1:15–22). When Moses was born, his parents had to make…
The World Was Not Worthy of These: Hebrews 11:32–40
Every year new members are elected to the various sports’ Halls of Fame. Many good players, however, never receive this public honor. Buried in the past rosters of hundreds of teams are thousands of excellent…
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Futurists are inundating the country with articles, books and videos on what to expect by the year 2000 and beyond. This has rekindled an interest in the study of biblical prophecy.
Israel in the News Jun/Jul 1994
As Yasser Arafat’s administrative style comes under increasing fire, some Palestinians in the territories think the PLO Chairman could learn a lesson or two from Israeli democracy, the New York Times recently reported.
Dressed for Worship Part One: The Tallit
Who hasn’t had it happen—a missed appointment, that lack of association between a name and a face, the forgotten anniversary or birthday? Forgetfulness is a plague that knows no prejudice.
Zvi Jun/Jul 1994
My wife and I recently visited her mother in the hospital. Now past 90 years old, she is like most of the other people in that particular hospital.
A Window in Sudan
The clamor for a Palestinian state on the West Bank in Israel continues to rise. It is now an established perception in the West, particularly in the media, that the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Accord…
Trouble In The Temple: Matthew 23:37–24:2
As with so many important chapters in God’s Word, Matthew 24 actually begins at the end of the previous chapter. The 23rd chapter records what was undoubtedly the hardest-hitting message Jesus delivered during His earthly…
The Beginning of Sorrows: Matthew 24:4–8
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
The Great Tribulation: Matthew 24:9–26
Torrents of tribulation have been part and parcel of the human experience since Adam decided to take a bite out of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Until this day, with increasing frequency…
The Second Coming of Christ: Matthew 24:27–31
Towering over the efforts of mankind, the marvelous inventions that have made life comfortable, the grandiose plans of politicians, and any dreams we may have is the fact that Jesus Christ will come to the…
The Timing of the Second Coming of Christ: Its Practical Implications: Matthew 24:32–51
A number of fine Christians believe that Christ used the fig tree to represent the nation of Israel, that the time when the tree’s branch is tender and it puts forth leaves refers to Israel’s…
The Day of Accountability: Matthew 25:1–46
Christ’s Second Coming is one of the dominant themes in the Olivet Discourse. His coming will be sudden, unexpected, visible, personal, powerful, glorious, and triumphant. When the Lord comes, He will judge the nations…
Israel in the News Apr/May 1994
Arabs rioted both within and across the Green Line in response to the massacre at the Machpela Cave (Tomb of the Patriarchs) in Hebron. The IDF said 54 Palestinians were killed in the shooting…
Hebron—Aftermath
Fanatics always turn out to be their own worst enemies. The tragedy is that in the process they often do irreparable damage to their own cause and to those people they are ostensibly…
Zvi Apr/May 1994
I often go to Mea Shearim, the ultra-Orthodox section of Jerusalem, because I know how deeply into sin these people have fallen, and the Word of God has charged me to warn them to come to God before it is too late.
The Faithful Remnant
Among the material possessions Maxine and I hold dear is an old oak dining room table. It was the object of a rescue effort launched years ago when we discovered the table…
Nehemiah: Facing the Opposition
Whenever the Lord calls a person to serve Him, opposition usually follows. Sometimes it comes in a very subtle manner, and at other times it comes through strong, open resistance. Unbelievers and believers alike can…
Nehemiah the Leader Feb/Mar 1994
Being a leader is an unenviable calling. It appears glamorous and glorious, but it is more often lonely and thankless. The best training for a would-be leader is to observe closely the model…
The Gates Of Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s Day
When the Jewish people returned to their homeland after the Babylonian Captivity, Jerusalem lay in ruins. The Temple, the city walls, and the gates had been destroyed as a result of the three invasions…