Israel’s Babylon Experience
Only a remnant of Judah came back to the land in these returns, while a significant number, probably the majority of the population, remained in the East. At the time of Esther…
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Nehemiah: The Reading of the Law and Revival
The Jews who were living in their homeland during the 440s BC (93 years after the Babylonian Captivity had ended) had a great heart for God. Perhaps all the opposition, affliction, and reproach they had…
Death and Mourning
Chai is the Hebrew word for life. Jewish people frequently wear gold charms depicting this Hebrew character on chains around their necks, emphasizing the fact that life is Judaism’s most precious and cherished commodity.
Israel in the News Feb/Mar 1994
In an October 16 speech, Libyan ruler Muammar Qaddafi called on Arabs to “liquidate Israel” in the same way that “the Westerners liquidate Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina.” In his remarks …
Paul’s Personal Postscript Galatians 6:11–18
VANCE HAVNER once said, “Contending for the faith is not easy. It is not pleasant business. It has many perils. It is a thankless job, and it is highly unpopular in an age of moral…
Reading the Handwriting on the Wall
A pop philosopher once said, “If you want to know how things really are, read the graffiti.” Strange as it may seem, there is some biblical basis for such a statement.
Zvi Feb/Mar 1994
It goes without saying that, as is true in America and many other countries, many people here in Israel are far away from God. In spite of this, there seems to be something inside…
Who’s at the Controls?
Dramatic events played out in areas of the world far removed from one another often appear and are, in fact, unrelated. Occasionally, however, a cohesive dimension developing on a larger scale reflects the fact that…
Jesus Is Better Than the Prophets
Something within human beings compels them to look for something new—a better way, better quality, better fashion. “Build a better mousetrap,” youngsters of another generation were told…
Jesus Is Better Than the Angels
When writing to his Jewish readers of the apostolic age, the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews wanted to demonstrate the superiority of the divine revelation that gave birth to Christianity over the divine…
Jesus Is Better Than Moses
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to read your newspaper at night without the convenience of a light bulb? Hard to imagine, isn’t it? Yet this luxury is only 100 years old.
Jesus Is Better Than the Old Testament High Priest and Sacrificial System
To understand the Book of Hebrews, we must have some understanding of the Levitical system—its orders, law, administration, and sacrifices. This article considers only two areas of that Levitical system, the high priest…
Jesus Is Better Than Melchizedek
“Now consider how great this man was … ” Such was the high opinion of the inspired penman regarding Melchizedek in Hebrews 7:4. The greatness of this unique individual is matched only by the mystery…
Spirit-Led Service Galatians 6:1–10
“Through every believer has the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit does not have every believer,” wrote A. W. Tozer. Many Christians find it easy to talk about being Spirit-filled but show little evidence of it…
Israel in the News Dec/Jan 1993/1994
“I appeal to everyone to tone down the public debate … and not to say that following one course of action will lead to a holocaust, while following another will not,” President Ezer Weizman said…
Shabbat
Holidays are commemorative days used by most people to participate in recreational activities, to travel, or just to relax. Conversely, holy days are special days set aside for worship.
Zvi Dec/Jan 1993/1994
My watch stopped running recently and had to be repaired. I took it to a watchmaker in the Ultra-Orthodox section of Jerusalem because they are very good at this trade.
These Bones Shall Live
As you will discover, this edition of Israel My Glory is dedicated to Israel and issues related to the Jewish people and their land. Recent hostilities between Israelis and Hezbollah terrorists operating from Lebanon point…
We Will Hope
In what may be called a conservative expression of what has taken place between the Israelis and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, a “historic breakthrough” was announced on August 31, 1993.
The Essence of the Israeli-Palestinian Declaration of Principles
On August 31, 1993, the Israeli Government approved a draft declaration of principles designed to implement extensive Palestinian self-rule in the areas of Jericho and Gaza.
Israel’s Political Patchwork
There is a saying in Israel that if you really want to learn about the political situation in the country, the person to ask is a taxi driver.
A Little Sanctuary Ezekiel 11:16
As a youngster growing up, I can remember two synagogues in our neighborhood. Sitting high on a hill was an imposing, three-story brick building with beautiful white stone pillars in the front.
Homeward Bound
The United States of America was built by immigrants. In the earliest days, they came from England, Holland, and Spain, often seeking freedom from religious persecution.
Beware of a False Alarm
Suddenly the alarm sounded! Judging from the teachers’ faces, this was no drill. All of the students filed out quickly and quietly, looking around for signs of trouble.
What It’s Like to Live in Israel
Israel is a modern country, much like many Western countries. It has a modern economy and offers many of the comforts of the world’s most progressive societies.
Viewing the Evidence
Looks of revulsion marked the faces of primly dressed Aryan ladies who pressed handkerchiefs against mouths and noses as a defense against the acrid stench rising from the piles of bodies and charred remains draped…
Victorious Christian Living Galatians 5:13–26
“How Should We Then Live?” asked Dr. Francis A. Shaeffer in his best-selling book by that title. His question centered on how Christians should live in the midst of a declining Western culture in which…
Israel in the News Oct/Nov 1993
Akrameh Sabri, senior imam of Al-Aksa Mosque, last week called for the “liberation of Jerusalem,” attacking Mayor Teddy Kolleck and “Israelis on both the right and left, who claim the city is united.
Zvi Oct/Nov 1993
Many times I am called by people who are having difficulties and I do what I can to help them. Recently a man who was in a state of deep depression called and asked me…
Level Heads, Warm Hearts
A considerable amount of heat has been generated in the Christian community by the refusal of—Israel’s high court to overturn a lower court ruling that refused citizenship under the Law of Return to three Jewish…
Jewish Believers Test the Law of Return
On February 21, 1993, three Jewish families in Israel were ordered out of what they had hoped would be their adopted country. Gary and Shirley Beresford came to Israel from their native Zimbabwe in 1987…
The Abrahamic Covenant
It would not be appropriate to ask which is the most important Old Testament covenant. Each of the covenants plays its own unique role in God’s marvelous plan of redemption and is therefore very important.
The Mosaic Covenant
The establishment of the Mosaic Covenant was an epic moment in the history of the nation of Israel. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai and announced that God would establish a covenant…
The Palestinian Covenant
A brief look at world conditions clearly indicates that many international disputes concern land ownership, particularly in the Middle East. The so-called occupied territories—the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Golan Heights—are familiar to anyone who…
The Davidic Covenant
Second Samuel 7:8–16 records a covenant established by God with David, wherein God made three major promises to David. First, God promised that David’s “house” (his physical line of descent) would endure forever (v. 16;
The New Covenant
In the Scriptures, a covenant is a legally binding obligation of God for man’s redemption. It is God’s solemn pledge to fulfill His promises to those included in the covenant.
The Jewish Wedding
Marriage is regarded as one of the most important and significant decisions in the lives of Jewish people. The Torah (the five books of Moses) clearly states that God made “an help fit” for Adam…
Living in Liberty Galatians 5:1–12
Patrick Henry wrote, “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but…
Israel in the News Aug/Sep 1993
When Switzerland’s Federal Assembly elected her interior minister in mid-March, Ruth Dreyfuss became only the second woman ever named to the notoriously conservative seven member Federal Council that runs the country…
Zvi Aug/Sep 1993
In Isaiah 2:3 it is written, “out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lᴏʀᴅ from Jerusalem.” Most people in Israel know this passage of Scripture…
Terror in the Streets
The bombing of the World Trade Center in New York did more than shake the skyline of the teeming metropolis. Americans were rudely awakened to the fact that terrorism is not a phenomenon…
The Rise of the Crescent: The Arabs and Islam
The Arabs of the Middle East are constantly in the news, one probable reason being that they control a major portion of the world’s petroleum. Islam, the religion most often associated with them…
Islam’s Attitude Toward Jesus, the Bible, and the Jews
The Koran is the holy book of Islam. Muslims believe that it is the infallible word of the one true God, Allah, the earthly copy of a tablet preserved in heaven and revealed…
The Land of Israel or Ishmael?
“This land is mine. God gave this land to me,” is the opening line of the beloved song “Exodus.” Although deeply moving lyrics to the ears of an Israeli, they are inflammatory words…
The Islamic Program for America
Most Americans older than 40 years of age probably consider Islam to be a religion confined basically to the Middle East and thought of only in connection with the Arab world…
Death With Dignity
The State of Michigan has taken legal steps to shut off Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s “death machine.” In the name of “death with dignity,” the doctor helped more than 10 people hasten their leap into eternity…
Two Types of Sons Galatians 4:19–31
The joys of giving birth are great, but so can be the agony in guiding that child to maturity. What is true in the physical realm is also true in the spiritual realm.
Israel in the News Jun/Jul 1993
Gies and his wife, Miep, helped hide the Frank family and five other Jews in a loft above Otto Frank’s own business from July 1942 until August 1944, when the entire group was discovered…
Bar Mitzvah
On Saturday morning, June 11, 1966, I walked from the stage of the synagogue to the platform (bema) where the Torah lay open. Following in the tradition of my father and grandfather…
Zvi Jun/Jul 1993
As it is written in Proverbs 19:21, “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless, the counsel of the Lᴏʀᴅ, that shall stand.” I recently took my wife to the hospital for treatment…
Then There Are Christians
It wasn’t too many years ago that we were hearing a great deal about the inherent goodness of man. Scorning the biblically mandated necessity of redemption, liberal religionists promoted the “divine spark” theory.
Why Anti-Semitism?
Why have the Jewish people been persecuted more persistently than any other ethnic group throughout history? Why, in spite of overwhelming evidence of the Holocaust, do some deny that it happened?
An Uneasy Tension
Relationships between Jews and Christians have always been characterized by an uneasy tension, which has at times turned into violence of the worst kind. At other times, relations between the two have been more peaceful…
Anti-Semitism in the Middle Ages
“During the second half of the fourteenth century, anti-Jewish hatred reached such a peak that we can confidently date from this period the crystallization of anti-Semitism in its classic form…
A History of Anti-Semitism
This chart, although extensive, is not meant to be complete. Many other instances of anti-Semitism in South America, North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa could be cited.
Jews Who Made a Difference
Compiling listings of Jewish people who have added immeasurably to the betterment of humanly is a daunting task Jews have contributed constructively to virtually every significant area of human endeavor.
Combating Anti-Semitism in the Church
There is nothing new in the current outburst of global anti-Semitism. It has been around for many centuries. In fact, it had its beginnings with Satan after God called the Jews to be a people…
Inside Hitler’s Mind
Probing the mind of Adolf Hitler is not an exercise in the macabre that would better be forgotten. For decades, Jews, who were insisting that we remember the Holocaust, were advised to stop their morbid…
Israel in the News Apr/May 1993
Israeli officials are outraged over the possible sale of an American super-secret spy satellite to the United Arab Emirates. For years Israel has begged Americans, with out success, to receive detailed satellite pictures…
Brit Milah
The birth of a boy into a Jewish family is cause for great joy and celebration (simcha). On the eighth day after his birth, a ceremony takes place that unites him with all other Jewish…
Zvi Apr/May 1993
Recently I answered a knock at my door, and before me stood several young Hasidic boys who were students at a nearby yeshiva (ultra-Orthodox religious school). They looked rather ashamed of themselves, and I asked…
Rome Revisited
The days of the judges were a time of almost unbroken national depression for Israel. All of the indicators for survival and success of the nation were pointing downward.
Ruth: The Woman Who Wouldn’t Turn Back
Ruth comes to us from the pages of biblical history as a young woman of Moab who married a young man from Bethlehem of Judah. At first glance, it may appear that her husband simply…
Ruth and Boaz: The Story of the Kinsman-Redeemer
The Jewish community has always looked upon marriage as a sacred and divine institution. It is viewed as a holy covenant between a man and a woman, a necessity for the divine plan to propagate…
God’s Law for Redeeming the Land
One cannot understand fully the story of Ruth and the role of Boaz as the kinsman-redeemer apart from a knowledge of God’s program of land redemption for Israel and the responsibilities of the kinsman-redeemer.
Christ in a Kaffiyah?
Turning fiction into fact has become a favored pastime of writers and film producers in the Western world. Their books and docu-dramas using names of actual people and historical events as a backdrop for writing…
Ruth and the Messiah
The charming little account contained in the Book of Ruth has all the interest-catching elements of an absorbing short story. The reader is exposed to a plot containing elements of tragedy, conflict, characterization, and resolution.
Sonship Has Its Privileges Galatians 4:1–18
“Membership has its privileges” was a slogan popularized by a major American corporation a few years back. The meaning is self evident: Members of the group are accorded privileges not extended to others.
Israel in the News Feb/Mar 1993
The proportion of immigrant scientists has risen over the past few months from 15 to 25 of every 1,000 olim. Absorption Minister Yair Tsaban said the increase could be attributed to the deteriorating economic situation…
Zvi Feb/Mar 1993
For many years, the people of Israel have been singing about the time of the Messiah’s coming. Of course, we who believe in Christ according to the Scriptures know that He has already come…
Babylon: Mother of Harlots
The world is careening toward a new order that does not bode well for the inhabitants of this planet. Quarrelsome nations are attempting to stem the tide of deterioration by creating a patchwork of alliances…
The Times of the Gentiles and the European Economic Community
The Bible foretells that there will be a revived form of the Roman Empire in existence as a major world power during the future Tribulation period. Daniel 7 records a prophetic dream or vision given…
The Gentiles in the Kingdom
When the average Christian studies the millennial reign of Christ, it is usually from the perspective of the literal person of the Messiah ruling over the earth from Jerusalem for one thousand years.
Muslim-Christian Alliance?
Coexistence with the West is a high agenda item in the world of Islam. For Muslims, there is much to be gained in the Middle East and among Western nations through infusive relationships…
The Nations at Armageddon
Although the Bible deals primarily with Israel and the Messiah, it is surprising to realize how much the Scriptures teach about the Gentile nations and their future role in God’s prophetic plan.
Once For All Set Free Galatians 3:15–29
Earlier in Galatians chapter 3, Paul demonstrated that Abraham was justified by faith centuries before the Law was given. In like manner, all who follow in the faith of Abraham—Jew or Gentile—are declared justified without…
Charles Orde Wingate
Israel is a nation in need of friends. But, understandably, after centuries of rejection, abandonment, and betrayal, the Jews are somewhat hesitant about whom they call a friend. For Charles Orde Wingate…
Israel in the News Dec/Jan 1992
Is expansion possible? Prospects of possible expansion to the south were surrendered by Israel when it returned the Sinai to Egypt. To the north? Israel regards its presence in southern Lebanon as a temporary security…
Zvi Dec/Jan 1992
The Lord has taught us in His Holy Word how to pray, but sometimes we repeat those words without paying attention to them. If we consider the words carefully, we can see the great meaning…
A Portrait of the Messiah
With the shadow of the cross shading their minds, two of Christ’s disciples left Jerusalem. They were headed for Emmaus, a village seven miles from the city.
Messiah in the Law
The Law is known in Hebrew as the Torah, the first of the three traditional divisions of the Hebrew Bible. The other two divisions are the Prophets and the Writings.
Messiah in the Psalms
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the 150 Psalms are divided into five books. These poems of prayer and praise cover many themes and are often stated in terms of human experience.
Messiah in the Old Testament Prophets
Messiah would come to crush all the Gentile nations gathered against Israel and Jerusalem, save the repentant remnant of Israel, and provide security for Israel (Isa. 59:18–21; 63:1–6; Joel 3; Mic. 5:4–9; Zech. 14:12).
Justified by Faith Alone Galatians 3:1–14
Dr. William Culbertson, former President of Moody Bible Institute, often concluded his prayers with the words, “Lord, I pray that we will finish well.” He realized that many people begin their Christian walk well but…
The Judgment Phase of the Broad Day of the Lord
A previous article demonstrated that the broad Day of the Lord will begin with a phase of divine judgment. What will be the duration of this judgment phase? What time span will it cover?
Approaches to Jerusalem Part Two
A barren ruggedness marks the eastern side of the Judean Hill Country. Virtually year-round the face of these slopes is covered with only sand, stones, and deep gorges…
A Thousand of Them
When Yitzhak Rabin was swept into office last June, he promised to slow the growth of settlements, get the peace talks back on track, shore up relations with the U.S., and rearrange the national priorities.
Israel in the News Oct/Nov 1992
A host of scholars gathered here for the first international seminar on anti-Semitism in post-totalitarian Europe were unable to agree on what has kept hatred of Jews alive for 2,000 years.
Zvi Oct/Nov 1992
During the recent election campaign here in Israel, the various candidates and parties were engaged in a battle of prestige. Of course, everyone wanted to be prime minister, but, as we say, two kings cannot…
Paul’s Beloved Enemies
The question flows through the minds of those who have pursued the compelling story of God’s ancient people across the pages of the Word of God and down the dusty roads of history.
Paul the Jew
This Jewish man called himself “the apostle of the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13) and twice referred to his role as that of “a teacher of the Gentiles” (1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11).
Paul’s Encounter With the Risen Savior
Regarding the miraculous turnabout of Rabbi Saul, Church historian Philip Schaff, states, “The transformation of the most dangerous persecutor into the most successful promoter of Christianity is nothing less than a miracle of divine grace.
Paul in the Eye of the Storm
Hurricanes are the most powerful storms known to man. Ranging anywhere from 200 to 300 miles in diameter and packing winds of up to 150 miles per hour, they wreak havoc and hardship on whatever…
Paul’s Method of Evangelism
The greatest missionary-evangelist of all time was the Apostle Paul. His ministry and methods put most of ours to shame. This servant of the Lord touched multitudes of people across the world of his day.
Confronting Church Compromise Galatians 2:11–21
Confronting a brother face to face concerning compromise is never easy or pleasant, especially if that brother is a co-worker, of sterling reputation and character, and a highly respected church leader.
Israel in the News Aug/Sep 1992
The vast majority of Muslims are not Arabs. India, for example, has a Muslim population of about 95 million. Indonesia, a Pacific Ocean archipelago, has a total population of more than 190 million;
The Two Phases and Implications of the Future Day of the Lord
The Bible teaches that the future Day of the Lord has two phases. First, there is the broad phase, which refers to an extended period of time involving divine interventions in the 70th week…
Approaches to Jerusalem Part One
Regardless of your point of origin in Israel, with rare exception, if you are headed for Jerusalem, you are going up. Its elevation is nearly 3,000 feet above sea level.
The Schneerson Syndrome
Judging by the number of signs in Israel bearing the slogan “Prepare for the Coming of the Messiah,” one would be led to believe that the nation is gripped by Messianic fervor unparalled in modern…
Zvi Aug/Sep 1992
The Orthodox have many sayings, and by using them they can turn black into white and white into black. Of course, all of this is done in a nice way so that no one is…