By Gary H. Kah
Our country is now at war. The first shots have not been fired – at least not yet. But, make no mistake, the United States is at war.
While most of us have justifiably been concerned about growing threats of terror coming from radical Islamic jihadists, an even greater threat has been brewing right under our noses here at home. This enemy poses a real and present danger to the political, economic, and spiritual well-being of the United States. It already controls over 90 percent of the secular media and other propaganda machines, and holds a majority stake in our federal government’s most influential institutions. I’m speaking of the Far Left.
The Far Left is immoral, deceitful, and absolutely brutal in its attacks on Christian values and America’s heritage as a Constitutional Republic. Its constituents are rebellious against the Lord God and relentless in their pursuit of destroying anything resembling righteousness. Their agenda – funded largely by one-world interests – is to re-shape the United States in order to force it into a socialist, anti-Christian, anti-Israel global government system which they passionately refer to as the New World Order.
These are the forces that President Trump and his new administration are up against. Unfortunately, I believe the worst is yet to come. The Left will continue to throw everything they have at Trump because despite all his flaws, he is a pro-Constitution, pro-American, pro-Christian and pro-Israel nationalist; and there is no tolerance for any of these views in the New World Order. They must, from the Left’s perspective, be completely eradicated.
Trump fending off the liberal press
We are three months into the new administration, and President Trump still does not have all of his Cabinet and other key leadership positions filled – due in large measure to unprecedented partisan resistance and flat-out obstructionism by the Left. The stakes are high and include the future of our Supreme Court, health care system, national debt and fiscal budget, defense of our borders and sovereignty, and the direction of our foreign policy, to name a few. However, it will remain difficult for Trump to move forward on these crucial matters without his appointees in place to carry out his plans. The Left’s strategy, I believe, is to stretch everything out as long as possible so that Trump will lose momentum and the political support to accomplish anything worthwhile.
Two of the biggest problems are the Justice Department and the State Department, both of which are saddled by a disproportionate number of left-wing career bureaucrats. A case in point: This morning on Fox & Friends, Newt Gingrich revealed that 97 percent of campaign contributions from Justice Department employees went to Hillary Clinton.1 The statistics within the State Department would be similar. The fact is, these far-left globalists are entrenched in every facet of Washington’s federal bureaucracy. This creates an enormous challenge for Trump, because until he can get his own leadership in place and they have had time to fire and replace these leftist bureaucrats with patriots who are loyal to our Constitution and his vision for America, Trump has to rely on these same obstructionist forces to implement his agenda. Not a good predicament!
While the conservative Right must continue to apply political pressure on Washington’s obstructionists – which include most Democrats and some Republicans – we must recognize that this is much more than a political battle. We are engaged in an all-out spiritual war over the heart and soul of our beloved country. This being the case, we must fight this war first and foremost using the spiritual weapons given to us by God (Ephesians 6:10-18). The most powerful of these weapons is prayer – specific, concerted prayer. But in order for God to hear and respond to our prayers, and act on our behalf, they must come from repentant hearts.
There have been times in my own life when I have not walked as closely with the Lord as I ought – when I’ve gotten sidetracked by the cares and busyness of this life. On those occasions, I’ve noticed that my prayers have not been as effective. In contrast, whenever I walk in repentant obedience, the Lord releases His power in my life in a way that I sense His moment-by-moment presence. When I pray, I realize I am speaking to the One who knows me best and loves me most. My faith is strong and I fully believe, and know, that the Lord has heard my petition and will respond.
In this present age, God has ordered things in such a way that He rewards a close relationship with Him by responding to unselfish, Christ-exalting requests. God honors our loyalty and faithfulness to Him! He is always certain to answer our prayers in a way (and at a time) that is best for us and His purpose.
One reason why American Christianity has drifted and become so weak is because we have forgotten that we serve an all-powerful, almighty God – and that His power is still available to us if we are wholly submitted to Him. If all of America’s Christians would repent and draw near to Christ, and fervently call on Him to intervene in our nation’s affairs, I believe we would be amazed at how He would shake the halls of Congress and root out the evil in Washington, even at this late hour. We must remind ourselves that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the wicked principalities and powers in the spirit realm who are influencing and directing the Far Left. These spirits are able to do so because those on the Left have over a period of time yielded themselves, wittingly or unwittingly, to Satan’s agenda. Therefore, we must fight dark spiritual forces with righteous spiritual actions, believing that God will respond to the prayers of His repentant children. So, perhaps the real question of our day is: Are we truly willing to believe that God can and will intervene if we humble ourselves in repentance and obedience, crying out to Him?
Supporting the Jewish State
If America wants to experience the favor of God, we must not only walk in repentance in order for Him to hear our prayers, but as a nation we must be a loyal friend and ally to Israel. Historically, both during the Old Testament era and since Israel’s re-birth in 1948, no nation that has worked or fought against Israel – and the Jewish people as a whole – has prospered. In fact, every nation (or empire) that has sought Israel’s destruction was itself brought down by the Lord’s sovereign hand. We do not want to make the mistake of being on the wrong side of this issue. While our support of Israel will mean that we have a target on our back (from Islamic terrorists) and that the rest of the world will view us with contempt, it is better to face the punishment of the world than the judgment of God.
President Trump in a cordial meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House.
President Trump has already received considerable pressure from liberal Democrats, UN loyalists, and some Replacement Theology advocates to abandon the Jewish state. Thus far, he has stood firm in his support of Israel and is forging a close friendship with Prime Minister Netanyahu. However, international pressure continues to mount against Israel and the Trump Administration.
The latest round of opposition came in late March when the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), released a report declaring that Israel was an “apartheid state” and recommending that the State of Israel be brought “to an end.”2 ESCWA is composed of 18 Arab states, the majority of which do not recognize Israel’s existence. Until March 18th, the Commission was headed by Rima Khalaf of Jordan, a well-known hater of Jews who has compared the State of Israel to Nazi Germany and accused it of committing “war crimes against humanity.”3
The report was co-written by anti-Israel globalist Richard Faulk. Faulk has been so open and extreme in his bias that it was even too much for the radical Palestinian Authority. When he was serving as the UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine, the Palestinian Authority tried to have him removed on the grounds that he was a partisan of the terrorist group Hamas.4 As the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) laments, the greater fallout from ESCWA’s action is that “Israel’s enemies will use this report published under the auspices of the United Nations to target Israel legally and further [their] attempts to delegitimize Israel on the world’s stage.”5
Members of the UN frequently, and incorrectly, refer to Israel as “the occupying power.” However, Dr. Mark Goldfeder, Special Counsel for International Affairs at the ACLJ, accurately points out, “One cannot occupy one’s own land, and at worst, the territories in question are disputed, and territory cannot be considered occupied if there was no clear sovereign beforehand. (Neither Jordan, nor Egypt, nor Palestine was ever in legal possession of the land.)”6
Dr. Goldfeder further summarizes his defense against the UN report with the following statement:
The essential argument of the entire report, repeated ad nauseum, is the claim that Israel is an apartheid state because it defines itself as Jewish. Simply and definitively put, there is nothing about that fact which remotely relates to apartheid, and the prima facie veracity of that statement can be established by virtue of the fact that literally 17 out of the 18 member states of ESCWA defines themselves as either Arab states, Muslim states, or both. The report claims that Israel’s laws somehow create “a nested system of covert racism that is invisible to the casual observer” i.e. so invisible that only a well-known conspiracy theorist like Richard Falk can see it. The truth is that in terms of legislation, Israel does not discriminate in any way against non-Jews, or any other class of persons.7
(ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow is writing his next book on the legal, theological, historical, and archaeological arguments for Israel’s existence as a Jewish state. We’ll let you know when it becomes available.)
International pressure against Israel from the UN and other global political and religious institutions will only accelerate in the days ahead, as the world is poised to blame this tiny Jewish nation for the on-going tensions in the Middle East. Undiscerning intellectuals will argue that if it wasn’t for Israel, most of the problems and conflicts in the region could be averted. They will drive this point relentlessly through the biased media in an effort to force Israel into a “peace” settlement that would be detrimental. With worldwide public opinion stacked against her, Israel will be increasingly tempted to sign such an accord, exchanging land for the false hope of peace.
Will We Heed the Warning?
Where the United States falls on this important issue will determine its future. If the current, or a subsequent administration casts its vote to divide Israel – working behind the scenes to bring it about – the fate of our nation will be sealed.
While a final round of end-times duress has been prophesied to occur, in which Israel will be betrayed by forces opposed to her very existence, WOE to the nations who engage and delight in her oppression. They will receive God’s wrath and holy judgment. Whatever is left of them militarily will be utterly destroyed by the Lord when He returns to rescue His people.
Of this time, the prophet Zechariah wrote:
I [the Lord God] will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it…Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives…the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him…The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name…It [Jerusalem] will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure. (Zechariah 14:2a, 3, 4a, 5b, 9, 11)
(Also see Joel 3:1-2; Revelation 14:17-20, 16:16, 19:11-21; and 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12.)
A wise friend of mine named Merrill Bolender, who is now up in years, was recently moved by the Lord to pen the following warning to America and the nations of the world. With his permission, I’ve printed it below, in hopes that our readers will heed the message and disseminate it to others. Also, please join us in interceding specifically for the United States and Israel, by petitioning the Lord with the prayers below (inside the box). Those of you living in other countries are also encouraged to bring your people and leaders before the Lord in prayer.
GOD’S URGENT GLOBAL WARNING
An Eminent Conspiracy of the Nations Is Taking Place, but God says,
“The counsel of the Lord stands forever…” Psalm 33:11a (NKJV)
The Counsel and Warning of God
There has been a modern day conspiracy of nations taking place against Israel – with the United Nations, the former United States President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry leading the way. It is of great significance and is predicted in Scripture. It was moving forward while they were in office because of their rebellion against God and His anointed Messiah, and their ignorance of the Word of God and its consequences. The following scripture gives the reason for their ignorance.
In Micah 4:11-12, we find the words, “Now also many nations have gathered against you [Israel], who say, ‘Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.’ But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, nor do they understand His counsel [warning];
For He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor [judgments].”
Foundational Covenant Promises from God to Abraham’s Seed
Genesis 12:3 (NKJV) “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 17:8 (NKJV) “Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
Psalm 2 and Psalm 83 are very significant scriptures that pertain to current events. Both refer to nations that conspire against Israel.
Psalm 2:1-6 (NKJV) “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath [judgments], and distress them in His deep displeasure: ‘Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.’”
Psalm 83:1-5 (NKJV) “Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.’ For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against You…..”
During my lifetime, there have been very significant miracles concerning the prophetic fulfillment of Israel’s restoration. First, in 1948 was the rebirth of Israel as a nation back in their own ancient homeland as foretold by the prophets. Second, was the regaining of Jerusalem as the nation’s capital in 1967. Both of these miracle events took place following major wars where the Jews were hopelessly outnumbered by the surrounding enemy nations.
In Acts 3:20-21, Peter speaks about the restoration of Israel, both naturally as well as spiritually. “…. and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”
When we study what all the prophets spoke concerning God’s covenants and promises to Abraham and his seed, Israel, we see an overview of their history past, present and future. In God’s foreknowledge, it is all spelled out in the “drama of the ages.” The next step in the drama of their restoration is beginning to happen: The fulfillment of Psalm 2, Psalm 33:10-12, Psalm 83, Joel 3:1-2, Zechariah 12:2, Jeremiah 30, 31, Ezekiel 36, 37, 38, 39…and many others.
The end-time stage is set, the curtains are being drawn open and the actors are already on the stage. The end-time drama is underway. God has foretold through the prophets what He has determined the grand climax to be. Lord, give us eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to understand.
A Parallel Between United Nation’s Decision and Hanukah
The United Nations Security Council unanimously voted for an Anti-Israel Resolution on December 23, 2016, right before the Jewish festival Hanukah. This was probably not a coincidence and was intended to coincide with this important holiday to make a stronger statement. [For more than 2,000 years, Jews around the world have been faithfully celebrating Hanukah, the annual festival of lights that commemorates the miracles performed for their ancestors during the great Hasmonean revolt against the Seleucid tyrant Antiochus Epiphanies.] Former President Obama took an unprecedented move to abstain from voting rather than vetoing this harsh UN measure.
The Security Council convening at the UN
In the words of Dr. David Reagan, Director of Lamb and Lion Ministries, “President Obama’s decision was shameful, reckless, spiteful and dangerous. It was shameful because it represented a betrayal of our nation’s best friend and ally. It was reckless because it serves to encourage Palestinian intransigence and terrorism. It is spiteful because it treats the only democracy in the Middle East as an illegal occupier of land that supposedly belongs to the Palestinians.”
This article is being written because of my understanding of God’s Word in relationship to recent world events. The decision of the United Nations Security Council was that Israel’s West Bank as well as East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount (including the Western Wall) belongs to the Palestinians. Our Former President Obama could have vetoed the UN’s decision, but he made a dangerous choice not to.
This is exceedingly dangerous for our nation because Israel is “the apple [pupil] of God’s eye” (Zechariah 2:8). Former President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry were on a collision course with Almighty God…poking Him in the eye. Further, the Word of God specifically warns that those who try to divide the land of Israel in the end times will be subjected to God’s wrath (Joel 3:2).
The World’s Hatred of Israel
End-time Bible prophecy focuses on the nation Israel. One of these prophecies states that in the end times all the world will come together in its opposition to the nation Israel and its eternal capital, Jerusalem.
Zechariah 12:2-3, “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.”
In verse 2, when God said that He will “make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness,” it appears that whoever comes against Israel is like a drunken person making a mistake of judgment resulting in their own destruction.
Verse 3 states that the people or nations attempting to heave away the heavy stone will injure themselves beyond repair. The late Lance Lambert, a Jewish Bible scholar, shared an illustration from Middle Eastern culture. In the Middle East, the agricultural fields are full of rocks. Before planting time, the farmer will remove all the stones in the field. If and when there is a huge stone that is too large and seemingly unmovable…it is wisdom to let it be and just farm around it. But, if the farmer unwisely attempts to move the stone…he may injure his back to the point of being permanently lame the rest of his days. This is God’s warning to any nation that tries to divide or remove borders that are promised to the Jewish people.
Zechariah 12:3 indicates that all nations eventually will be gathered against Israel and its eternal capital Jerusalem. Also, in Jeremiah 30:11a, we find: “ ‘For I am with you,’ says the Lord, ‘to save you; though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet I will not make a complete end of you.’ ” All nations will suffer consequences but Israel will be spared. Hence, Israel is the only country mentioned in the Bible that has a “guaranteed survival.”
There is a spiritual significance to America’s recent decisions against Israel. Our nation’s growing anti-Jewish sentiments are a big step toward the fulfillment of the last end-time prophecy concerning Israel – namely, that all the nations of the world will come together against Israel over the issue of Jerusalem. And thus, America’s position on this matter is an indicator of how close we may be to the consummation of the age.
Only God Knows What the Future Holds
Isaiah 46:9-10 (NKJV) “Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ [do as I please].”
Notice that God says, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do as I please.” God’s counsel is a very important word in prophecy and it is a key to knowing God’s heart. The following scripture reveals why the nations come against Israel.
In Micah 4:11-12, we find the words, “…Now also many nations have gathered against you [Israel], who say, ‘Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.’ But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, nor do they understand His counsel; for He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor [judgment].”
The “Counsel of the Nations” Versus the “Counsel of God”
Psalm 33:10-11 (NKJV) “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.”
Hill of Evil Counsel and the United Nations in Jerusalem
It is a very interesting fact and paradox that the United Nations Middle East headquarters is built on the edge of Jerusalem on a hill, that for centuries, has been named the “Hill of Evil Counsel.” This name may seem contradictory but has been proven to be an evil reality as the “counsel of nations” is opposed to the “counsel of God.”
The UN’s “Hill of Evil Counsel”
A Prayer to Frustrate the Conspiracy Against Israel
From Psalm 83, “Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.’ For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You: …. Who said, ‘Let us take for ourselves the pastures of God for a possession.’ O my God, make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind! As the fire burns the woods, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire, so pursue them with Your tempest, And frighten them with Your storm. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, O Lord. Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; Yes, let them be put to shame and perish, That they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord, Are the Most High over all the earth.” (verses 1-5, 12-18 NKJV)
Promised Judgment on Nations that Divide His Land
Joel 3:1-2 (NKJV) “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land.”
A modern day example of God’s judgment on a nation that pressured Israel to divide up the land: In 2005, the last of 8,000 Jewish settlers were driven from their land, homes and jobs in Gaza. The United States had pressured Israel to give up this land for the sake of “peace.” Also, Ariel Sharon, a great statesman who formerly had encouraged a massive settlement program, folded under pressure and helped legislate the eviction and dismantlement of the Jewish settlers. Ariel Sharon’s action was a betrayal of his previous policies of supporting and encouraging their settlement. On the very day when the last of the settlers were driven from their lands, homes and jobs, the United States Weather Bureau named a tropical depression in the Caribbean – Katrina.
Katrina grew until it became the greatest weather disaster in the history of the United States. America’s population ratio to Israel is about 50:1. Eight thousand Jews who lost their Gaza homes is the equivalent of about 400,000 Americans who were displaced as a result of Katrina.
Following this “judgment” on America, Ariel Sharon, at the height of his premiership suffered strokes resulting in eight years of coma before his death. Regardless of what some may believe, the warnings concerning the treatment of Israel, found in Scripture, are just as true today as they were when God spoke to Abraham, Joel, and all the prophets.
Genesis 12:3a, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you…”
An International Conspiracy at Work Against Israel
In sorting out international developments – both public and behind the scenes – it seems that there was a “hurried up” conspiracy of the nations in progress before the newly elected President Trump was to be inaugurated. On January 15, 2017, representatives from 70 nations gathered in Paris, France for an unprecedented global conference. The stated goal of this conference was to promote a “two-state solution” as the way that lasting peace would be brought to the Middle East. Their intention was to hand over the Eastern half of the City of Jerusalem to the Palestinians. It appeared that whatever was agreed upon at this conference would immediately be used as a basis for a UN Security Council resolution that would permanently divide the land of Israel and create a Palestinian state.
Things seemed to be moving quite rapidly in that direction, but Obama’s time in the White House came to an end on January 20th, and Donald Trump had already made it clear that he would not support such a resolution. What’s interesting is that the perpetrators aren’t just one or two enemies with a specific grudge, like the Arabs or neo-Nazis. It is 70 nations, representing the nations of the world, who’ve been moving against Israel. If all of this is true (which it is), then the betrayal by Obama was much deeper and more globally coordinated than any of us realized.
Barack Obama’s betrayal of Israel has been recorded in the annals of history. Let us pray that the new Trump Administration is somehow able to reverse any damage done and become a loyal ally to Israel so that America will not be cursed.
Amazing Recent Answers to Prayer
The battle for Israel is far from over, but listed below are some recent breakthroughs brought about by prayer and the promises of God in His Word:
1. At the Paris Conference, the United Kingdom – which was among the 12 nations that had previously passed the UN Security Council resolution – had a change of attitude. They helped disrupt the unity of the conference, bringing confusion that resulted in nothing being decided against Israel.
2. It also appears that a change of attitude has taken place among some at the UN – at least temporarily. In a statement delivered December 15, 2016, to the UN Security Council summarizing his 10 years in office, the former Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon acknowledged that: “The United Nations is biased against Israel and obsessed.” He admitted that the UN has a “disproportionate volume of resolutions, reports and conferences criticizing Israel” and that “in many cases, rather than helping the Palestinian cause, this reality has hampered the ability of the UN to fulfill its role effectively.” The Secretary General admitted the clear truth, that the UN’s hypocrisy towards Israel has broken records over the past decade.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, stated in reaction, “During this time the UN passed 223 resolutions condemning Israel while only eight resolutions condemning the Syrian regime as it has massacred its citizens over the past six years. This is absurd… With a new Secretary General set to take office next month, we look forward to the possibility of a new era of fairness at the UN.” (Excerpts from United With Israel, December 18, 2016)
3. Recently, the new Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres stated, “…I guarantee that as Secretary General of the United Nations, I will be in the frontline of the battle against anti-Semitism and all other forms of hatred.” What he actually does, only time will tell; as he has been a dedicated globalist with a socialist agenda. I genuinely hope that he has had a change of heart.
The following scripture sums it all up:
Psalm 33:10-12 (NKJV) “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.”
Keep praying,
Merrill Bolender
(Merrill is the author of When the Cross Became a Sword, available at garykah.org. A relative of his was directly involved in the extermination of Jews in Europe during WWII. This knowledge has had a profound impact on Merrill’s life and worldview.)