Spread the Fire - May 2008 - (Page 24)

THE LAST WORD Happy Birthday, Israel! Congratulations for sixty years of victory, survival, perseverance, democracy and astonishing progress. Truly the desert is blossoming like a rose. I s. 35:1 “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.” I was privileged to have three weeks in Israel this March, including a fascinating 12 day tour from Dan to Beersheba. Jim Jackson of CBU in North Carolina, Carol and I hosted the trip. The Israeli tour guides were superb. We were three buses of excited pilgrims, most of whom were experiencing the Holy Land for the very first time. Although it was my sixth time there, I had not taken the guided tour since 1980. Caesarea, Mount Carmel and Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee seemed unchanged, but Tiberius is now a bustling resort city for Israelis, and everywhere, they are planting, growing and building and developing. The economy is booming, including the tourist industry, as Christian tours are arriving from Korea, Philippines, China, Japan and Nigeria. Israel’s Dept. of Archeology has been extremely active, excavating the ancient city of Dan in the north and uncovering the idolatrous temple of Jeroboam, now minus its golden calf. At Bet Shan, 17 miles south of the Sea of Galilee, archaeologists have uncovered extensive ruins of the Roman city, Scythopolis, destroyed by an earthquake in 749 AD. This is the city where King Saul and his sons were nailed to the city wall before David gave them a decent burial. The ruins confirm history dating from Egyptian / Canaanite times through Roman times including the time of Jesus. The archaeological digs around Jerusalem are the crown jewels. Much of the western wall and the entire southern wall of the temple mount have been cleared showing how it was 2000 years ago during the time of the second temple which existed during the time of Jesus. The original streets, paving stones, the arches and the walls are there for all to explore. Truly the rocks are crying out that the Bible is true and the prophecies of Jesus were fulfilled “. . . Not one stone will be left upon another that will not be thrown down.” (Matt 24:2). But the prophecies fulfilled in 70 A.D. are giving way to the prophecies being fulfilled in our day. These prophecies of Jeremiah and others have been fulfilled before our eyes as modern Israel has become the greatest prophetic sign in recent history. “Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from the ends of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child And the one who labors with child, together; A great throng shall return there. (Jeremiah 31:8) And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those places as at the first” (Jeremiah 33:7 NKJV). Israel, the fig tree, is putting forth its leaves. The Jews are returning to their land in the last days, as a witness to the world. On Nov. 29, 1947, the United Nations voted 33 to 13 (with 10 abstaining) in favor of UN resolution 181 which laid the legal foundation for the creation of the state of Israel. Its declaration of independence soon followed on May 14th 1948, sixty stormy years ago filled with conflict, yet Israel, in fulfillment of prophecy, is not only surviving, but prospering miraculously. B S TF - 2 4

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Spread the Fire - May 2008

Spread the Fire - May 2008 Contents In the River From Mystery to Clarity: Understanding the Language of Heaven Don't Settle for a Substitute Marooned in Bolivia The Sign of Israel's Blooming International Itinerary Resource Center Catalogue Visitor Information Upcoming Events

Spread the Fire - May 2008

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