END-TIME ISRAEL - 1 - Miracles Happening in Israel

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Dear Faithful Remnant (about half of those on our mailing list did not want to continue receiving these end-time essays),

Isn't it amazing that Israel is more in the news than ever--just as the Bible predicted it would be in the end times? What human Nostradamus could have foreseen that Israel would become the flashpoint of history thousands of years after the Jews were dispersed throughout the world? Jews are hated more than ever and targeted for annihilation by radical Muslims. The Bible says in the last days every nation will turn against Israel. Even though America is not mentioned in prophecy, this must mean America will also turn against Israel.

Yet God is abundantly blessing Israel. We were there last May for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state. Israel was greener than Ireland, which we had visited the preceding May! We saw with our own eyes and heard how the deserts, as prophesied by Scripture and fulfilled by modern technology, are "blooming like a rose." We heard how the people who were denied asylum in every country in the world during World War 2 are now pouring into their own state by the millions from countries around the world and are being welcomed and assimilated with miraculous ease, finding jobs and homes and adapting to the culture and language.

To know what is to come, we who are steeped in and believe God's Word need only follow what is happening in and to Israel. We must be faithful to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and never abandon the Jews. They are the center of God's eye (the alternative reading, "apple of God's eye," makes no sense to me), the pupil or focus through which He views the whole world.


MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING IN ISRAEL!
By Dena Gewanter, M.D.
Kiriat Yam, Israel

While the media in the West are lambasting Israel for killing women and children, and are saturating their viewers with horrific photos of bloodied corpses, Israel as a nation is undergoing an astonishing spiritual awakening as a result of this conflict. It is a pity that the world is unable to be witness to the miracles that are occurring here daily. Even the most jaded person would be amazed at the transformation of the people in this country.

After many years of feeling the underdog and fearful of the approbation of the outside world, Israel is undergoing an absolute renaissance on a personal and national level. First and foremost, Israel as a nation has finally decided to throw aside the fear of being rejected by the nations and embrace its sovereign right to defend its citizens against terrorist attacks. That is so astonishing for those who know Jews and particularly Israelis. A whopping 92% of Jewish Israelis actually AGREE that the war is necessary and just. The adage of 2 Jews, 3 opinions and 4 political parties has vaporized in the face of the national crisis we are in. Not only is there agreement among the populace, but also the left wing and the right wing of the political spheres agree.

Even more amazing is the concordance among the various religious factions: Ashkenazi, Sephardic, reform and conservative, Zionists and anti-Zionist Jews are all joining together in prayer and supplication to the Almighty for salvation, protection, and victory over our enemies. There are calls to prayer everywhere, regardless of denomination or ethnic background, everyone is united in looking towards the God of Israel to keep our soldiers safe and help us win against an evil enemy who has sworn never to stop until Israel as a nation is destroyed.

The soldiers themselves seem to have a huge spiritual hunger, and are unified in not only asking for prayer but also praying themselves, wearing tzitzit (prayer tassels) into battle and carrying the book of Psalms with them. The Rabbis are calling the tzitzit "heavenly flak jackets"! Tent synagogues on the battlefield have no less than 10 sessions every morning, and it is reported that soldiers who never attended synagogue are now praying with tefillim (prayers). They have reason to cry out to God, since everyone is aware of the years of preparation of the bloodthirsty Hamas militants, their desire to kill, maim or kidnap Israeli soldiers is greater than their desire to live; they have been financed by Iran and supported by Syria and Hezbollah.

Yet, we are defeating them, and there are reports daily of amazing miracles of protection and Divine direction during the battle. The following are just a few examples:

--A Hamas map was found, with booby-traps, landmines and sniper positions clearly spelled out. The IDF was able to counter each installation due to the information given.
--A large platoon of soldiers not realizing they were resting in a school that was booby-trapped, (discovered by a soldier relieving himself in the night), disarmed the bombs with no one hurt.
--A single soldier successfully fought off several Hamas terrorists trying to drag him into a tunnel, and all were captured.
--Hundreds of tunnels were found, hidden in homes under beds and kitchen cabinets, all full of live explosives and ammunition, yet none have exploded with IDF soldiers inside.

While there have been soldiers wounded, there are miracles there as well:
--A young man who moved here alone from England less than 2 years ago to serve in the army was in an explosion and thrown into the air. After being carried off the field by other soldiers and transported on a tractor to helicopter and then to hospital, the doctors were utterly stunned when they saw that a piece of shrapnel that went completely through his neck missed the carotid artery, the jugular vein and the spinal cord by millimeters. After they removed it, he needed only stritches.
--Another soldier was shot through the back but the bullet missed his spinal cord and exited from the front.
--A young newlywed, in grave condition, inexplicably turned for the better and will recover to go home to his wife.
--On the ground level, bombs continue to fall, but here again, miracle after miracle is reported even on the local news. One hears the word "nes" (miracle) over and over by the reporters and the bystanders.
--A bomb heading toward 4 apartment buildings goes into a sewer pipe and explodes underground, damaging nothing above ground.
--An elderly woman caught in an apartment completely demolished by a bomb, walks out with scratches on her ankle.

--The mayor of Beersheva felt he should cancel school one day, and a rocket completely destroys an empty kindergarten.
--The elder housing complex that was hit in Nahariya had the sleeping quarters destroyed, but everyone had just gone to breakfast so no one was injured.

--A man and his daughter leave his car and the car was blown up moments later after they entered a bomb shelter. If they had taken a few more seconds, he and his daughter would have been burned to a crisp. He was televised saying again and again it was a miracle.

Similar stories like these were heard during the second Lebanon war, reported on Israeli radio and television, but no one in the west ever heard; only negative propaganda from the terrorists was reported, whose aim was to malign Israel and make us look like a national of bloodthirsty killers. One has to grieve over the terrible destruction of the cities in Gaza and the horrific human tragedy going on there, but the responsibility for the suffering and death is directly on the doorstep of the Hamas leadership. These deluded people think that their god, Allah, will give them victory, and have entered into a battle with the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that they will never win. We are literally living in times like those of the scripture, when the Lord told Elisha all the plans of the enemy, until they began to wonder if there was a spy in their ranks.

There is hope here and unity of resolve, not despair. Even the parents of Yoni Natanel, killed by friendly fire, were quoted as saying that their son died "for the sanctification of God's name," and forgave and blessed those who accidentally fired at his unit.

There is such heroism and courage here, one wishes that the world could see it, but as one of our journalists said, the media have left their brains at the door of Ben Gurion Airport. They are many miles away from the actual battle, wear flak jackets and helmets for the cameras, and then take them off to have cappuccino at the local restaurant! Fortunately, Israelis are accustomed to being misunderstood and maligned by the outside world. At this point, everyone knows we have a job to do, and we are becoming more and more aware that a greater Power than us is on our side. We are fulfilling our commission to be a "Light to the Nations."

Israel learned from the failure of the Lebanon war, and prepared well to fight the terrorists who clearly said they wanted to destroy us. The rest of the nations have not remembered the threats of Hitler, and how the Jewish people were almost wiped out because no one wanted to believe he actually meant what he said. Contrary to those who want to hide their heads in the sands of political correctness, there is a right and a wrong side in this conflict. It is a battle between darkness and light. Fortunately, we have a God who was never wishy-washy about defending Israel against her enemies, when His People cried out to Him for help.

The outside world is missing the miracle of a righteous God who hears the prayers of the humble, and defends what is His!

"If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Dena Gewanter, M.D.
Kiriat Yam, Israel