Jacob’s Trouble – What Are We to Expect?

This transcript was generated automatically. Its accuracy may vary

Short Summary
The discourse examines the biblical and geopolitical aspects of Israel’s current situation, focusing on the concept of “Jacob’s trouble” as primarily historical persecution rather than a future event, and the ongoing conflict involving Israel, Palestinians, and surrounding nations. It highlights the significance of Ezekiel 38 in foretelling a future alliance led by Russia against Israel, discusses the history and complexities of the land’s ownership, and outlines Russia’s evolving role in Middle Eastern affairs, including its shifting relationship with Israel and involvement with Iran. The presentation emphasizes the need to view these events through a biblical lens while acknowledging the dynamic and uncertain nature of future developments.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary of the Discourse on Israel, Jacob’s Trouble, and Ezekiel 38

Introduction and Context
– The speaker begins by acknowledging the current events in Israel and hopes nothing drastically changed that would alter the discussion.
– This discourse builds on prior panels discussing Israel, emphasizing that the views presented are not rigid doctrines but thought-provoking perspectives.
– The May-June issue of the *Herald* titled *Israel Rising at 77* is recommended for further reading on related topics.
– The discussion will cover five main points: the term “Jacob’s trouble,” the Palestinian situation and the two-state solution, Ezekiel 38’s significance (especially regarding Russia), and scriptural predictions yet to be fulfilled.

Israel as a Timepiece in God’s Plan
– Bible students view Israel’s reestablishment in 1948 as a fulfillment of Jehovah’s promises, particularly referencing Amos 9:14-15:
> “I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel… they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith thy God.”
– Israel’s regathering is a major prophetic sign indicating nearness to the end times.
– Population facts as of 2025:
– World Jewish population around 15.8 million (~0.2% of world population).
– Largest Jewish populations are in Israel (7.2 million) and the United States (6.3 million), together making up 83% of the global Jewish population.
– Despite being regathered, a majority (65%) of Israelis identify as not religious or atheists; only 30% consider themselves religious.
– Anti-Semitism is resurging globally, and sympathy for Palestinians is growing in Western societies.
– Israel today is still “blind” spiritually until the church is complete, which is believed to precede the events in Ezekiel 38.
– Technological and scientific advancements in Israel are viewed as blessings preparing for the coming kingdom phase.
Isaiah 61:4 is cited to describe Israel’s rebuilding of former desolations and waste cities.

Jacob’s Trouble: Definition and Interpretation
– The term “Jacob’s trouble” appears only once in Scripture: Jeremiah 30:7:
> “Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.”
– Traditionally, Jacob’s trouble is associated with the final great tribulation of Israel, often linked to Ezekiel 38.
– Some suggest the term refers to earlier historical troubles, including the Babylonian captivity and the Jewish Diaspora, encompassing events like the Holocaust.
– Jeremiah 28-29 and Micah 4:10; 5:3 describe Israel’s travail likened to a woman in childbirth during captivity.
– The speaker believes that much of Jacob’s trouble has already occurred, though future difficulties remain.
– The phrase is typically set outside Israel, referring to persecution and exile.
– Historical sufferings mentioned include:
– Expulsion after 135 AD.
– Pogroms.
– The Holocaust (approx. 6 million Jews killed).
– Scriptures expressing hope and restoration include:
Zechariah 9:12: “Turn to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope…”
Isaiah 42:1: “Speak ye tenderly to Jerusalem… her warfare is accomplished…”
– The current era is seen as the end of this period of trouble, with the main future conflicts focused on Jerusalem, especially Ezekiel 38-39.

The Palestinian Issue and Two-State Solution
– The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, led to significant civilian casualties on both sides and massive displacement.
– Hamas attacked unarmed civilians, killing 1,200 and taking 240 hostages.
– Israeli military response killed over 30,000 (fighters and civilians combined), and about 2 million Palestinians were displaced.
– Hamas uses tunnels under civilian structures to shield fighters, complicating Israel’s military response.
– The conflict is not about taking sides but understanding biblical claims to the land.
– The two-state solution is rejected biblically because the land belongs to Israel.
– Historical background of Zionism:
– Term coined in 1886 from Psalm 132.
– Zionism means return to the biblical homeland and restoration of Jewish sovereignty.
– Four elements of Zionism: political, practical (cultural revival including Hebrew language), labor/socialist, and religious (Jewish law).
– Attempts to restore the Sanhedrin have failed, as God never intended its restoration.
– Historical facts about Palestine and Arab populations:
– Under Ottoman Empire until 1918.
– 1882 census showed fewer than 250,000 Arabs mostly Bedouins and peasants.
– Arab leaders historically denied Palestine’s independent status, viewing it as part of Greater Syria.
– Jordan is effectively considered the Palestinian state by leaders including King Hussein and Yasser Arafat.
– UN partition plan of 1947 was accepted by Jews but rejected by Arabs, leading to ongoing conflict.
– Population shifts in early 20th century showed Jewish immigration increasing but Arabs still majority.
– Arab leadership vowed war if partition was enacted.
– Israel declared independence in 1948 and was admitted to the UN in 1949.

Biblical Boundaries of Israel’s Land
Genesis 15:18: God’s covenant to Abraham promises land from the “river of Egypt” (identified as Wadi El Arish, not the Nile) to the Euphrates River.
Joshua 13:1-3 confirms Gaza and surrounding Philistine lands are part of Israel’s allotted territory.
– Gaza was given to Hamas due to a political decision to divert attention from Israel’s internal issues; Jewish settlers were forcibly removed, and the area was devastated by those who took over.
– Israel currently does not control Gaza fully, but biblically it belongs to them.
– Israel never fully settled the land up to the Euphrates; historically, King David and Solomon took military control over the region.
– Recent geopolitical shifts with Syria (north of Israel) being overthrown and Sunni groups taking control open questions about Israel possibly extending control there.
– The Druze people in Syria have reportedly asked Israel for protection.
– The question remains whether Israel will reclaim these lands before or after the coming kingdom.

Ezekiel 38 and the Role of Russia
– Ezekiel 38 describes a future attack on Israel by “Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal” (Ezekiel 38:2).
– The Revised Version includes “prince of Rosh,” which is interpreted by some as referring to Russia.
– The attack is said to come from the north, consistent with Russia’s geographical location relative to Israel.
– Allied nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38 include:
– Persia (modern-day Iran)
– Ethiopia (possibly Yemen)
– Libya
– Gomer (possibly Germany)
– Togarmah (likely Turkey)
– The inclusion of Gomer (Germany) is significant because Western Europe, led by Germany, is expected to be involved in the final alliance against Israel.
– This aligns with Revelation 16 where kings of the earth gather for Armageddon, a Hebrew term emphasizing Israel’s central role.
– Current geopolitical realities (e.g., Germany supporting Ukraine against Russia) indicate these events are still in the future.

Russia’s Evolving Relationship with Israel
– During the Cold War, Russia was hostile to Israel, supporting Arab nations and restricting Jewish emigration.
– Post-1990s, with Gorbachev and the fall of the Soviet Union, Russian policy shifted toward supporting Jewish migration to Israel.
– Putin, emerging in 2000, has personal ties to the Russian-Jewish community and has maintained complex relations with Israel.
– Russia’s intervention in the Syrian civil war (2015) was partly to protect Israel from Iranian proxies like Hezbollah.
– A coordination channel was established between Israel and Russia to manage strikes and avoid escalation.
– Post-2015, Russia’s Middle East involvement increased significantly.
– However, after the October 7 Hamas attack and ongoing Ukraine conflict, Russia’s stance has soured:
– Putin has made anti-Semitic remarks.
– Relations with Netanyahu cooled.
– Russia has rekindled ties with Hamas and Iran.
– Russia is now involved on two fronts with Iran: Ukraine and Middle East conflicts.
– Russia has financial ties with Gulf states, including investments and sovereign wealth funds, aiming to secure energy revenues and influence.
– Before October 7, Russia desired better relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia to benefit economically.
– Now, Russia is more aligned with enemies of Israel, complicating the Middle East outlook.

Conclusion
– The discourse aims to provide a biblical and historical framework for understanding current events in Israel and their prophetic significance.
– The speaker emphasizes the complexity of the situation, the importance of viewing it biblically, and the anticipation of future events, particularly those described in Ezekiel 38.
– The relationship between Israel, Russia, and allied nations, as well as the land boundaries promised by God, are central to understanding the unfolding prophetic timeline.

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Key Bible Verses Mentioned:

– Amos 9:14-15
– Isaiah 61:4
– Jeremiah 30:7 (Jacob’s trouble)
– Jeremiah 28-29 (context of captivity)
– Micah 4:10; 5:3 (travailing like a woman in childbirth)
– Zechariah 9:12
– Isaiah 42:1
– Genesis 15:18 (land promise to Abraham)
– Joshua 13:1-3 (land allotment including Gaza)
– Ezekiel 38:2-6 (Gog and allied nations)
– Revelation 16 (kings gathering for Armageddon)

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This summary captures the detailed content, historical and biblical references, and the theological interpretations discussed in the discourse regarding Israel’s past, present, and prophetic future.

Transcript

Thank you, Brother John, and good morning, brethren.

I didn’t get a chance to check the news today this morning as I usually do. So I hope that nothing as drastically has happened in Israel that alters anything we’re going to be saying here today. If it is, then this is our disclaimer on it, that we were here with the Lord’s work while that was going on.

There’s been quite a few panels on this in the last year. David and I have both served at least two panels prior to this that discuss Israel, and we know that that’s of great interest to everyone, and as we thought about, as I thought about this, what we could share here, there’s five things that rather we get to all of them I don’t know. But one of the this is just a broad outline of our discussion here.

And David and I are both prone to discuss things, you know, that maybe are not always clear cut in saying that there are alternatives that we can look at when we look at some of these things. So just keep that in mind that what we say is not something that’s cast in stone, but maybe thought provoking things. One of those I wanted to mention to you, if you’re not a Herald subscriber, I don’t mean this to be an advertisement, but in a way I do. The May June issue that was just out is called Israel rising at 77, and it has a lot of the material kind of that, you know, touch on things we’ll be discussing today.

If you, if you’re not a Herald subscriber, you can either get it online, which is there now, or, you know, it’s printed here in Chicago for those that are Chicago residents, or we can send this to you. But it has a lot of information that I think you’ll enjoy on this issue. This was an issue managed by brother Todd Alexander and some of the things we’ll touch on today. But I wanted to make sure that you knew that was there and available for your reading.

This is purported to be a discussion of the term Jacob’s trouble, and we’re going to get to that as our first element, but we’re going to maybe have a little different approach before we get to that. There’s a second thing I’d like to cover as we go through this as well. I know a number of young people especially have been concerned about the lack of sympathy that seems to be there for the Palestinians in the conflict we have, and I think that’s a product of where we are as a society, and so at Least we’re going to address a little bit about that, about why a two state solution to what is happening in Israel we don’t believe is really the answer or why that isn’t the answer.

Ezekiel 38 is the major focus and we’ll spend some time on that because it is the critical part of what is happening, and I want to spend personally a little time on what’s significant about Russia because most of the brethren believe that Russia is the main player in this Ezekiel 38 picture. That makes it the logical leader known as GOG, and how Russia is somewhat tied to Israel in a way that makes it very prominent today and preparing for this final element of the battle over Jerusalem, and then we’ll talk about what scriptures perhaps are yet to be fulfilled in this whole area, especially in Ezekiel 38, and what it might look like. So that’s kind of the general format that we’ll operate on as a way of introduction Bible students, thank you for that.

Bible students really embrace Israel rightly as the timepiece for God’s plan, and I think both of us do as well that we can learn a lot from looking at Israel. The reestablishment and birth of that nation in 1948 is testimony that Jehovah’s promises come true and his plan is true. Amos 9, 14, 15. The last verses of the book of Amos say, I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel.

And they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them, they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine. They shall also make gardens and eat the fruit of them, and I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith thy God. Now Amos, that was his final words and certainly means that this is the culminating event in Amos prophecy that Israel is being on the land again, and so it is a sign that we are extremely close to the end.

When I was younger we always talked about how close the kingdom would be, but we didn’t see what we see today, and that’s the element of Israel. Israel became a nation one year after I was born, and since that time it’s just grown. Today we have Israel regathered.

We have with less than in 1948, less than 600,000.

But immigration now to Israel is where more Jews are in Israel now than in any other country, singly country, and that’s got to be a significant benchmark for us to look at. But today they are regathered, but the atmosphere is perhaps religious. But they’re really not there in faith. An interesting survey done by Israel itself says it’s.

And this is just within the last year, 65% of Israelis say they are either not religious or they’re convinced atheists. Only 30% say that they are religious. Now we know as we’ll talk that they are to be gathered in a religious atmosphere at some time. So that is something that needs to be considered and thought about, and so what we have is this sentiment today is really being shifted worldwide, it seems, in the Western world towards the Palestinian cause.

And anti Semitism is growing again to a much larger extent than it was just a couple of years ago.

Let’s look at as of 2025, the. The world’s core Jewish population is those that identify as Jews above all else. That was estimated to be worldwide at 15.8 million, and that’s approximately when you look at it, we have 9 billion people living today. That’s 0.2% of the world population.

But Israel does, as I said, host the largest core Jewish population in the world with about 7.2 million there, and then the United States is the only other significantly close country that contains a Jewish population, and that’s 6.3 million estimated. So between the two countries, 83% of the world’s Jews are now in these two countries, which is a pretty significant regathering, as it says in Amos. Other than that, France has about 440,000, Canada just under 400,000, and you add those 10 countries up, you know, it amounts to less than about what’s left.

Well, we have the uk, we have Argentina, Germany, Russia, Australia.

But one of the things is Israel remains blind until the church is complete, and that’s another thing. We have to remember that what we’ll see in Ezekiel 38 is that, you know, the church has to be complete before this starts. At least that’s what I, we feel, and I, I don’t know of anyone that thinks otherwise.

The land now being restored is being built up. Advances and discoveries and scientific and technical knowledge is spilling over into a greater benefit of man. So we’re already seeing some of the signs of restitution, blessings that will come out of there. Not that necessarily restitution itself as far as man goes, but at least the blessings that are being prepared out of there, you know, they won’t just happen in an instant. I think God has been working certainly in blessing that nation with the technology side and with the elements that will be required as we move into the kingdom phase.

Isaiah 61:4, I think is a good summary of at least what I look at today, and as we look at Israel, Isaiah 61:4 says, they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. That really is where Israel is today, and that repair work, as we say, doesn’t come overnight. It’s been going on since 1948.

So then what’s left? If we have these things, this situation, what’s left? Well, that’s kind of what we’re going to try to cover and discuss today. We want to start with this term Jacob’s trouble, since it’s on the program that way, and talk about what do we mean by Jacob’s trouble, and I’m going to turn it over to David to talk about that.

I’ll just ask him the question first. David, how many times do we have this term Jacob’s trouble used in Scripture? One time. It’s right here in Jeremiah the 30th chapter, and it’s verse seven, alas, for the day is great, so that none is like it. It is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.

Now, I know that brethren normally consider that to be the last experience that Israel undergo, in which case I would say that’s like Ezekiel 38. Ezekiel 38 is when God finally delivers Israel from the last attack. Contextually, some in our class have suggested that perhaps this expression really refers to something earlier than that. I’m inclined to think that that’s true, and I’ll explain why. But still, it doesn’t mean that we don’t look forward to problems with Israel in the future.

We do, and if that’s the intent to discuss, well, we’ll discuss that. But the reason this expression might refer to something earlier is because In Jeremiah the 28th chapter, verse one, we see that Jeremiah is writing to Israelites in captivity, some people that are in Babylon already, and I believe it’s that Babylonian captivity that is referred to as the trouble that they’re passing through. Now, if you look in chapter 29, verse 31, he’s talking again to people that are in captivity.

Now, we don’t have time to read all the scriptures involved, but I would just mention that In Micah the fourth chapter, verse 10, and Micah chapter 5, verse 3, this matter of travailing like a woman with child. Now in Jeremiah 36, you’ll see that like a woman in travail, in Micah 4, 10, and in Micah 5, 3, that same concept of travailing like a woman with child is used of the Babylonian captivity. But they will be going into Babylon, but they will be saved out of it, even though through great travail. So possibly it’s the Diaspora, maybe even lasting through the Holocaust, that is referred to as this trouble that within the lands that we call Babylon or Christendom Israel has gone through, but they’re saved out of it. I don’t expect another terrible tragedy like the Holocaust to be repeated.

I think they’ve passed through the most difficult part of their experience already. So, yes, there are a really difficult thing to go through. Ezekiel 38. We’ll talk about that a little later. But they have gone through tremendous difficulties already.

And I’m inclined to think the expression Jacob’s trouble is more expansive than just something in the future. Yeah. I think from my standpoint, when you look at the general in Jeremiah 37, and the fact that 30 verse 7 have to make sure I say that all the problem takes place outside of Israel, and that’s the setting. We don’t find Jacob’s trouble associated with the land itself of Israel. It’s really on Israel.

And the setting for this, Jeremiah is outside. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s not a general declaration of the extreme trouble which they go through, and that really began after 135 A.D. when they were expelled from the land and then they had no place. They were exiled through multiple disasters, the Inquisitions.

You look at the pogroms, the Holocaust, as David mentioned, and this is the element that strikes me as we think about this persecution. There were four wars in Israel once they were established in 1948, that was about 10,000 were killed in those four wars in the Holocaust. How many did we have killed? 6 million. Right.

Two thirds of European jewelry, Jewry, not jewelry, jewelry was killed during that time. So I think when we think about Jacob’s trouble, it. Yes, it’s a broad description of what’s coming on them. But I think that was confined to that period until really we had to look forward to Israel being established in its homeland. There are two scriptures that really that are very familiar to all of us.

I know, but they do speak out to us, and that’s Zechariah 9:12, verse says, turn to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope. Even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee, and that was the pronouncement of Israel, and then Isaiah 42, it says, speak ye tenderly to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

And I think that’s really kind of where we are today. The announcement that that period of their trouble of being dispersed out of their land is gone, and as said, the main problems lying ahead are the final battles that will be involved with Jerusalem, which are described in Ezekiel and Ezekiel 38 and 39, the final deliverance which takes place in Israel itself, and that’s the difference which we have here. So that’s Jacob’s trouble.

Anything else you want to say about Jacob’s trouble, David? No. Okay, so let’s turn to the second one. I just want to make sure everybody understands we’re not saying Israel has no more trouble, but this particular term, Jacob’s trouble. Just consider these things that really took place.

The bulk of this took place in the past, but there are still problems for the future.

The Palestinians. The Hamas attack on Israel that took place in October of 23 has been responsible really for all the disaster that’s applied to all the civilians, and that’s true on both sides, whether it’s Israeli side or the Palestinian side. If that attack had not happened, those civilians would not be dead on either side. October 7th, Hamas sought on, sought out unarmed women, children, elderly.

Killed 1200, took 240 hostages. The Israeli response is yes, killed over 30,000. We don’t know how many of those were fighters, how many of those were women, children. Reports are not always reliable coming out of there because of the biasness of pressure, but certainly 2 million of those that were living there have been displaced and 150,000 civilian buildings have been gone. Now Hamas has been operating, as we know, in these tunnels underneath the ground because there is a thing that was instituted many years ago called the law of armed conflict.

I don’t know how many of you heard of that term, but it means that it’s supposed to spare things like schools, hospitals and those types of things. Where the tunnels have been now used to protect those that are involved in the terrorist activity. Israel has waged an all out war against that those densely populated areas because of the significance of the places where they are shielding those that are fighting against them. The battle, however, remember, is not about people. Yes, you look at World War II, you look at World Two War, World War II, especially the number of civilians killed was far outnumbered the soldiers that were killed.

So this is not about people, and that’s the first thing we have to remember. I know it’s hard people. After all, it’s life, and it is life being Destroyed.

But that’s true with all the wars that we’ve seen, and it’s not about taking sides because whether it’s political, whether it’s social, whether it’s moral, whether it’s ethnic, we have to base our own view on biblical reasons, and the two state solution that many are saying, well this is what has happened. It was legislated, it was rejected in the past by the Arabs, and so that is a significant element.

It’s not the first time ever happened. The League of Nations divided Israel soon after it was founded and divided it liberally into two states, one Arab, one Jewish. But it was not honored by the UN and those petitions which we could get into for a lot of years were never honored. So the Palestinian cause, we for the people. But it’s not the fact that this war and what Israel is doing, it’s about being able to control the land.

And we have to look at it from a biblical perspective that this land does belong to Israel, and I wanted to talk just a little bit about this idea of Zionism because that is coming up more and more in the news about Zionism being and the anti Semitism attached to it. If you look at that term Zionism, it was first used by the Australian journalist Nathan Birnbaum way back in 1886, Pastor Russell’s day, and derived from the biblical word for Israel. It’s used in Psalm 132. But it had a much misunderstanding because it means simply a return to the ancient and biblical homeland of the Jews.

When you think about Joseph in Egypt, the Jewish return to the land promised to Abraham In Genesis 50, it encompasses the prayers of the Jews in Babylon that Daniel had every day in Daniel 9, Jeremiah 30, as we mentioned, Ezekiel 36 even to recover the Jewish independence that was lost when the Romans totally destroyed it in 135 AD. So it is not just the return of the people, but it is the return to sovereignty and a nation. So Zionism really developed under four elements. There was a political element and you know the name Theodore Herzl Herzl really introduced Zionism as a non religious movement. Then there was a practical element of this, a means to secure the Jewish cultural revival.

Remember all the decisions to reintroduce Hebrew as part of that, the labor, the establishment of a state and at that time a socialist state, and then there was the religious element. The religious element envisioned a Jewish state governed by Jewish law. That was tried many times and most recently, as you know, there was a group of 70 rabbis that was trying to reintroduce the Sanhedrin that is broken up, not there, because that’s not what God wants. God had no intention for the Sanhedrin to be restored.

They were done away with. But until 1918, this is part of what historians or reporters miss. 1918, Palestine, as it was known, was part of the Ottoman Empire. It was under Turkish rule for hundreds of years, and this especially I’m hoping that those of you that are on the younger side that have heard the things you did, will sort of take this into account.

In 1882, a census taken, there were less than 250,000 Arabs in the entire country of what was then Palestine. They were mostly Bedouins. If you’ve been to Israel, many of us have stayed in the Bedouin tents and no, that’s where they were living. Or else the Faliheen, the peasant migrant workers that were there, the minority of Arabs or the majority of Arabs had immigrated in the previous 70 years to that time for other lands. In March of 1919, the Paris Peace Conference was called and there was an agreement made between the Zionist leader Khayyam Weisman and the Arab leader Emil Faisal, promoting the development of a Jewish homeland and separate from that part that was claimed by the Arabs.

The same year the Muslim Christian association met in Jerusalem to choose representatives for the Paris Peace Conference, and this is what they said. They adopted a resolution that said, we consider Palestine as part of Arab Syria as it has never been separated from it any time we are connected with it by national, religious, linguistic, natural, economic and geographical bonds. They did not view Palestine as having an independent Arab status in 1936. Now maybe you’ve heard of the Peel Commission that proposed the division and partition of Palestine.

The local Arab leader then was Abduhadi, a man named Abdul Habi, and he said, there is no such country as Palestine. Palestine is a term the Zionists invented. There is no Palestine in the Bible. Palestine is alien to us.

It is the Zionists who introduced it. Our country was for centuries part of Syria. Well, the non Jewish Palestine has existed since 1922 when it was created by the British in a separated land east of the Jordan river and that forms modern day Jordan. That’s where they determined that their share of Palestine was. So the majority of Jordan’s population and army are what you would refer to as Palestinians.

It’s not those that settled in the west bank and those that were in the west bank, most of those hold Jordanian passports. It’s always been held that Jordan is the Palestinian state. Even in 1981 when there was an interview with King Hussein, who is the grandson of Abdullah that I mentioned. He said the truth is that Jordan is Palestine and Palestine is Jordan. Arafat said the same thing when he became a terrorist fighter back in 1991.

In 1947, the Declaration of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine had two parties involved. There was an Arab hire committee and then Menachem Begin, who you recognize that name, was chief of the Irgun. The pair of militaries element of Israel that was set up to help defend the Jewish population that was there since 1878. Neither the Jews nor Arabs favored partition of any kind. The Jews argued on biblical grounds that the entire country was Jewish homeland.

The Arabs threatened war if the land was partitioned.

That destroyed Arab unity. David Ben Gurion said, there is no solution. We want the country to be ours and they want the country to be theirs. In November 29th of 1947, a General assembly voted to set up both a Jewish and a non Arab state, determining the borders. Jerusalem was to be an international zone.

The Jews accepted that, but the Arabs rejected it, and immediately then we had this attack on the Jewish settlements that were in all parts of what was then called Palestine, and that’s continued to this day. That’s a little bit of the history on where we got up to this time. We had intractable positions.

One revisions were made. Israeli acceptance of the homeland on one side of Jordan. The Palestinians would only accept if Israel withdraws to the borders they had before 1967.

The demand for independent states really has not existed. No one disputes, no one disputes that Arabs have lived there for centuries. But the controversial issue is the immigration. What happened in 1915 there were 590,000 Arabs in Palestine and 83,000 Jews. 1922, 84,000 Jews, 643,000 Arabs.

But between the two wars, more Arabs immigrated or more Jews immigrated and Arabs emigrated than what happened, and the UN decided to partition the land in 47. But that didn’t end up well. Well, I’ve gone on a long time, but I think we know what’s happened in history. The Arab leaders have continually vowed to go to war if a partition was made.

It really wasn’t made, and Israel declared independence in 1948, and the first Israeli Arab war ended in the establishment of the Jewish state, and finally they’re admitted to the United nations as the 59th member on May 11, 1949, but not having the same voting rights. So that takes us to where the future holds.

And we want to talk a little bit about the land we Examined it somewhat in the Herald, but David has some maps that we’ve put together that were put together to show where we think the land today is versus where perhaps the future it might be. So he’s going to take you through that. Okay, brother Brett, if you’d call up that file and yeah, that’s the map to start with. Genesis 15, verse 18 tells us something about what Abraham at was told to have to be the borders of the land. It says Genesis 15:18.

In the same day Jehovah made a covenant with Abraham, saying, unto thy seed, I have given this land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates. Now that river of Egypt you might think of as the Nile. It’s not the Nile. I think most of the brethren know that the land of promise was never to be from Egypt, you know, from the mountain river. That’s why Israel, Israel left Egypt at the Exodus to go to their land.

This is what they call the Wadi Al Arish today, and that’s. I can’t see this slide very well, but I think that that’s a red outline for that Wadi El Arish, and you’ll see that the eastern and northern part of it goes into what the land land of Israel today. So Israel really has to their border and the southern border, pretty much what they were anticipated to have and promised by God, except for one thing, and that is Hamas and Gaza.

That doesn’t belong to them. That belongs to Israel. Now we do we really know for sure that that belongs to Israel? The answer is yes, because God said so directly, and this is in Joshua the 13th chapter.

This is when Joshua had for some time already taken control of most of the land. But Joshua is getting to be old now. He’s going to die at 110. I’ll never reach that age, but I don’t know how old he was. But in chapter 13, verse 1, it says Joshua was old and stricken in years.

And the Lord said to him, apparently through an angel, I presume this verse two, this is the land that yet remains, and then in verse three, halfway through verse three, it’s a long verse five, lords of the Philistines, the Gazathites, the Ashtathites, the Eshkelanites, the Gittites, the Ekronites and the Avites. So Gaza is stipulated right at the beginning to be part of Israel’s land, and he says, joshua, you haven’t got that yet. I find it engaging that here we are back with Israel, back in their land.

And one thing they haven’t got is Gaza, very first thing that God mentioned. So there’s no ambiguity about whether Gaza belongs to Israel, Israel or not. Well, why was Gaza given to Hamas? Why was it given as a separate entity or area to the. I don’t even like to use the word Palestinians.

It doesn’t really, but that’s what everybody calls them. But the, the people that are there now. The reason is because something bad happened to one of the leaders, the prime ministers of Israel. I, I can see him in my mind, his name slips me. But he was, he was in trouble and he decided to divert attention away from his trouble, which was political, and give away the land of Gaza to these other people.

And you may remember the occasion, it was many years ago and they actually sent the Israeli army in to clear out the Jewish settlers of that area. It was a beautiful area. The Jewish people had cultivated, built nice homes and they forced them out and they gave it the land to these other people in the area, so called Palestinians. So I thought, okay, maybe the Palestinians are going to take those homes, really enjoy them and prosper. No, they didn’t.

They went to those homes, burned them up, destroyed the whole thing. Wow, okay, so there’s not a people that really are looking for peace and settlement and you know, good, good things. So these people don’t belong there and they’re now. When and October 7th of 2023 came around, I was surprised, I was stunned. I think most of the world was.

But another brother in the truth belongs here in Chicago, had told me earlier something’s going to happen in 2023. Well, now I think he’s right and I think his reasons are right. But it wasn’t Gaza. But Gaza is what was taken, and what’s happening now has my rapt attention.

I am surprised and that this has gone on for two years. I thought it would end pretty quickly, but I think it was because of the hostages and the reticence of Israel to be too aggressive. But I think as time unveils that it’s going to be more and more taken by Israel. We’ll see. We’re in the middle of this, we’ll see how it unfolds, but I think it will be okay.

Now, how far north do we go? Now I’d like to show the next slide, the very next one, and that shows you a past way up to the river euphrates that Genesis 15:18 did say you can go all the way to the Euphrates. Israel never has settled any of the 12 tribes as far north as the Euphrates, I mean, never, ever in their history. However, technically, it should be under their control.

So this has my interest. When they came into the land and the land was divided, there were no Israelites that went up into that area all the way to the Euphrates. However, in the days of King Solomon and in the days of King David, they did take that land militarily, all the way to the River Euphrates. So I find it engaging recently. Surprising and yet engaging.

It’s got my attention that Syria, that does have that land all the way to the north, was just overthrown, and now who overthrew them? Well, other people that were Arabs that were rebellious against the other state. Why did they overthrow them? Why was Syria overthrown?

Syria was ruled by a king that was Shiite, and most of the people in the land are Sunni. That’s a big problem. The news media hardly focuses on that today. But you know why there’s a problem between Saudi Arabia and Iran? Tensions and problems because Saudi Arabia is Sunni and Iran is Shiite.

And it’s like, you know, oil and water, they just don’t mix well, and so we think of Islam as a unified. They’re not at all unified, and what has happened is that the Sunnis have taken over Syria. But recently you may have noticed that President Trump and the new leader of Syria are getting more compatible.

I’ll just say that. I won’t say anything more than that. More compatible, and there’s the Druze people. I don’t even know who they are, but that’s what he called them.

The Druze people who are in Syria have actually literally asked Israel if they would please take control of this land and protect them? Okay, Israel’s a little hesitant, but does this perhaps suggest going forward that it might, in some way Israel might get control of that land? Now, a few years ago, I gave a talk on this subject, and October 7th had either just occurred or hadn’t occurred yet. What? But I said, maybe this won’t happen until the kingdom.

Well, now I’m looking to see if it will happen before the kingdom. We’ll see. I don’t know. As Len said, these are things future. We’re not really sure how everything’s going to turn out.

So I’m going to stop here. Len carried away and talk too much. That’s okay. I don’t think anybody minds. Okay, well, thank you.

But those are the two scriptures I had, Joshua 13:3 and Genesis 15:18. The next third question is Ezekiel 38. So I’ll stop there and Turn it back to you. Yeah, it is Ezekiel 38, and, David, I think, if you can, one of the questions we want to say.

I think the brethren are generally agreed that the leader in Ezekiel 38 of this GOG and Magog attack is Russia, and maybe you can cover just why you might think that that’s true, and then I’ll have some things to say about Russia. Okay. Should I talk about some of the other countries?

Sure. Well, this is Ezekiel 38. Everybody knows Ezekiel 38 here. I remember years ago, when Reagan was president and some Christian man that knew about Ezekiel 38 came to his office and started talking to him about it, and he was enraptured. My goodness.

He really thrilled with the concept. Okay, but this is Ezekiel 38, verse 2. Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Now, in the Rvic, you know who wrote that, brother? In the Rvic, he has either a note or in the text itself, it’s the Gog, the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, that’s instead of chief.

It’s the prince of Rash, Meshech and Tubal, and he has suggested that perhaps that refers to three parts of the government of Russia or the land of Russia, and that would be.

Excuse me. See if I can read this. Russia, Moscow, and Tobolsk. I don’t know if that’s right or not. I thought that was probably right.

And then I read some other things that disputed that. But it’s got my attention. That’s all I’ll say. It’s got my attention. Now, almost all the brethren think of Gog as Russia.

So this is not unique or new or novel, but if those three words really mean Russia, Moscow and Tobolsk, okay, then positive. It’s Russia. Now, let’s show Ezekiel 38. Slide if we can. Oh, okay.

Great. There you go, and the other point is that this is. This is to be an attack from the north country. Well, look at what is north of Israel.

Just keep on going north and you get Russia that’s there. So if there’s an attack from the north quarters, that makes sense that this would be Russia. Okay, now let’s go down a little bit to verse five, and verse five lists five other countries that might be allied to this, this union against Israel. The first one is Persia.

You all know who that is. That’s Iran. Now, I’m not old enough to remember when they called Persia Iran, but I found out that it was in the 1930s, and they’re calling it that again today. They are. Many those from that are Iranian are referring to themselves as Persian now.

Oh, okay, that’s interesting, and, you know, when I was in Sacramento, convention, Bill Ducka had invited some Iranians to come to the convention, and I had a talk on Israel and they really loved it because they are not in favor of the current regime in. In Iran. So maybe that’s why they’re delighted to call it Persia. Okay.

I don’t know. Interesting. That’s new information for me. But you all know that Persia is today Iran, and then the next is Ethiopia. Okay, that’s really Kush.

And I have read on the Internet. I just can’t imagine that Ethiopia is going to attack Israel. Just can’t imagine that. But the word cush can refer also to the Yemenites that have come from that area across the Red Sea and, and are now in Yemen, and those Yemenites are not the Yemenites that used to be there.

They’re the ones that are. Are the causing the trouble today. Yemen is divided today. So I kind of think Ethiopia is Yemen. I thought that for some time it doesn’t come from my research, comes from the Internet and other people brighter than me on that.

Next, Libya. Libya is Libya. Now, that’s really odd to me because Libya is a country that’s in the middle of North Africa. But Libya, you know, has lost their government and they were in disarray, and America lost some people there because of that disarray. But I will see what the years pending will bring.

And then after that, you have verse six, Gomer and then Togarmah. Now, most people think that Togarmah is Turkey. I’m of that opinion. It’s not a universal opinion. There’s another brother here, very bright student that has suggested it might be more expansive, perhaps.

You know, I don’t know deeply on these points, but suppose that it’s Turkey for the moment. If Turkey is involved, Turkey is turning against Israel more and more in recent years, and then Gomer, who is Gomer? That’s the one. That’s really a question.

Brother Jim Parkinson suggests to me that Gomer is Germany. He knows more about it than I do. But I, when I listen to him, I think he’s probably right, and there’s another reason why I think that you have to have some Western nation involved in this alliance. Why?

Because in Revelation 16. I’ll stop talking real quick here. It’s okay, okay, Revelation, I’m fascinated. Okay, Revelation 16, you have in plague number six, the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet coalesce and they bring the kings of the earth to the battle of the great day called Armageddon. Now David Duran recently pointed out in a talk that I heard over the Internet, he says in Revelation it says in the Hebrew language Armageddon.

He says, why does it specify Hebrew? Perhaps to remind us that Israel is at issue in this battle of Armageddon. I think so. I don’t think there’s going to be a third world war. I don’t think that’s what Armageddon is.

We’ve gone through the war period already. Wind, earthquake and fire. The wind period, that’s over. This is the battle against Israel. This is Ezekiel 38.

Now I’m saying this dynamically. I’m interpreting though as I speak. So I think that that’s the case, and I think therefore if the beast, dragon and false prophet, which are Western are involved, then Gomer being Germany, the head of the Western states, makes sense to me. What does that tell you?

That tells you we have some years to go. Because right now Germany is not in favor of Russia. They’re in favor of the Ukraine in the current debacle. So we got some years ahead of us. But yes, I think that Western Europe is going to be involved in this problem.

And I’m going to be quiet now. That’s okay. Thank you, David, and I want to talk about why I do believe Russia is the leader in this and involving all these countries that we have, and this will probably wrap up what we have to say.

But I think it’s important because not always widely considered, the Russian approach to the whole Israeli Palestinian conflict has changed over time. During the Cold War, Russia was hostile to Israel, as you know, especially when they were created in 1948. They prevented the Jews from exiting and they built up relations with the PLO and the Arab countries. They offered scholarships in Russia to the Arabs and to the Palestinians. At that point in 1990s, that changed when Gorbachev brought down glasnost.

Yeah, and he co hosted George H.W. bush to move toward a two state solution. After the collapse, however, which I think one of the reasons for that collapse was that proposal. The wave of Jewish migration from the Soviet controlled areas of Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, the Caucasus region and Central Asia occurred very rapidly.

It changed the whole Russian perspective. Then Putin, Putin. Anybody remember what year Putin emerged? 2000. Very significant.

2000 he emerged and over 1 million of Israel’s population at that point had a heritage in the Soviet union. Between that 1991 fall or 1991 exit and 2000 when he came in. THEY SPEAK PREDOMINANTLY RUSSIAN Putin had personal ties to many of those Jewish families. He grew up in Leningrad, which of course today is St. Petersburg.

After World War II. If you read his semi autobiography worth reading just to understand the man, it talks about a Jewish couple that became his de facto parents. They lived in the same space, they looked after him. He studied German, studied German under a Jewish teacher who emigrated to Israel and then he entered the KGB as a result. As part of that kgb, he visited this woman in official state visits and he bought her a flat for her retirement in Israel.

Putin DISCUSSES, HE TALKS and of course speaking Russian we don’t always understand, but he talks about our Jews when discussing Russian speaking Israeli population. The Museum of Judaism in Moscow calls itself the Patron of the Jews. Putin meets regularly with a rabbi called Baro Lazar or Lazer, however you want to pronounce, a close confidant of his, and at this point he refuses to surrender the material from the Jewish museums to those that are living in Israel now. He enhanced his position in the Middle East.

How did he do that? Israel has been a key pillar, certainly for Russian foreign policy along with Iran and Saudi Arabia. In 2015, Russia intervened, remember, in the Syrian civil war. Putin claims that Moscow did it to ensure Israel’s protection as they were threatened from not Hamas at that time, but Hezbollah and isis. He tells Israel that he’s there to secure Israel and to make sure there’s no attacks coming in from the Golan Heights.

Immediately after this intervention, he set up with Israel a channel where Israel informs Russia of any strikes it will make against Iranian proxies in Syria. A Russian is there to prevent counter attacks. Israel began referring to Russia. You may have heard that even from Netanyahu, calling them the neighbor to the north. This is since 2005, before the attack here.

So post 2015, Russia became involved in the Middle east in ways it hadn’t before, which was a really drastic change from Boris Yeltsin, who was the former prime minister. In June 2019, there was a meeting in Israel between several of them. Then when the October 7 hit on the heels of the war In Ukraine, between February 22 and October of 23, the Kremlin started calling Zelensky a Nazi. Remember that at the offense of Israel and remember that most Russian speakers now were either Ukrainian or Russian. But the bigger issue for Israel is Russia becoming dependent on Iran.

David mentioned now for drones and military support. Russia’s relationship with Israel has soured. Putin begins to make now anti Semitic Marks, he backs away from Netanyahu, whom he loved to tout as a friend of his. Now he seek criticism on both him and Israel and rekindle the relationships that he had with Hamas. Some of the other constituencies, the Hamas.

We’re almost out of time, so let me just shift. Talk about the Hamas attack on Israel, but let’s shift to the big shift now, the relationship with Israel and Russia. An increasingly closer security with Iran. Russia is now engaged on two fronts with Iran, one in the Ukraine and one resolving this Gaza, Israel dispute. So we’re getting a much more complicated Middle east situation that’s bundling around what we see in Ezekiel 38.

Russia has significant stakes in what happens next in the Middle East, and one last tie. That’s the financial tie. Now, David wrote an article for the Herald sometime go on the Abrahamic Accords. It was very good.

That was done when it first came out, Trump’s first administration. During those Abrahamic Accords, the head of the Russian sovereign wealth fund, remember, sovereign wealth fund is the money that the government owns that they invest in other countries. That sovereign wealth fund is managed but belongs to the country itself. The head of that fund was a man named Kirill Dmitriev, and a lot of Russian investors with U.S.

representative Jared Kushner, familiar name, tried to push agreements. But the wealthy Russians now had become major investors in the Gulf since the year 2000 when Putin was there. Dubai we talked about Saudi Arabia is now one of the primary locations for a Russian foreign investment, and it’s the headquarters for Russian companies that are relocating from Europe. Prior to October 7, the Russians wanted Israelis to have a breakthrough with Saudi Arabia so they could capitalize on it for Israel.

Russia has now moved into the enemy category after decades of improving relationships with Russia. Saudi Arabia is important to Russia because why remember the words opec? OPEC now is more countries. But Putin wants to make sure that there’s no threat to the energy revenues given the loss to Europe after their invasion into Ukraine. His intention is to court that entire Arab world to make sure whatever happens in Gaza, he is going to be part of it.

Well, brethren, that’s just a preview of, you know, my middle name is Frank. I don’t think David’s middle name is Ernest. But you all remember Frank and Ernest on the radio from the Truth. So hopefully this has been helpful in presenting a viewpoint about what’s going on in Israel.

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