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Countries in the News

Have you ever thought about what makes the headlines?   There are many reasons from the sensational to the weird, but often it is where there is human interest involved - either in the realms of tragedies or in the ability for the events to influence our lives.   It might be the threat of bird-flu, or it might be events that impact the political, and hence economic, stability of our lives.   Which countries feature most in the news?   This was a question I asked myself recently and to get an answer, I went to the BBC News website and used their search facility, entering the names of various countries.   The results can be seen in the table.

Surprised?
It is no real surprise that Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales are in the top 5.   Nor is it unreasonable that Iraq, with all the recent international focus, is also there.   But why is Israel, a country no larger than Wales, the next most featured country?   Why does it rank higher than its neighbouring countries?   Why does it feature more frequently in the BBC News pages than the UK's neighbours, Germany, France and Spain?

Global Political Stability
One reason of considerable importance is that the events concerning Israel are of importance to maintaining a level of political stability, globally.

However, as a Bible reader, I have another reason for appreciating the level of news reported concerning Israel.   Although I have absolutely no political alignment to Israel, the existence of the country is a miracle.   That, coupled with the fact that events in the history of the Jewish people were predicted centuries before (and we find these predictions in   the Bible), makes me 'Watch Israel'.

Results of Obedience or Disobedience
The relationship between the Jews and God is laid out in the early books of the Bible - this includes consequences of obedience or otherwise.   Obedience would see their lives enriched by God's blessings and they would be an example to others to trust in God;   disobedience would see trials and suffering in their lives:

And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, ... , that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: ... And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee. ... But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, ... ; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: ... The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. (Deuteronomy 28:1,10,15,25 AV)

The fact that the Jews did not occupy the land of Israel from the first to the twentieth century is testimony to their failure to obey.   It is very exciting because, according to the words of Jesus himself, the end of gentile (non-Jewish) domination of Jerusalem is a sure sign of the nearness of the return of Jesus to the earth.   Consider his words in Luke;

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.     And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;     Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.     And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.     And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.   (Luke 21:24-28 AV)

Here Jesus has been describing in advance what was going to happen to Jerusalem about 40 years later.   Exactly as he said, a Roman army, led by Titus, attacked and destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70, with the Jews being expelled from the city in AD135.   Jesus said that Jerusalem would not remain under Gentile domination ('times of the Gentiles').   The city was rebuilt as a pagan city and ruled by the Romans and a succession of non Jewish people.   Just before the beginning of the twentieth century, Zionism began to develop and Jews, who had been dispersed around the world, began to organise themselves and seek for means to re-establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

By 1948, Israel was re-established as a nation; by 1967, the Jews had regained control of Jerusalem.   This tells us that the return of Jesus is near.  

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