Congress legalizing propaganda against US citizens

Congress legalizing propaganda against US citizens

Propaganda is defined as "chiefly derogatory information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view; the dissemination of such information as a political strategy." Since 1948, the federal government has been banned by law in using propaganda against its citizens. Texas Republican Mac Thornberry and Washington Democrat Adam Smith have introduced a bill to make it legal for the government to lie to its citizens about certain political causes. The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 (HR 5736) was referred to committee and is likely to be an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for 2013.

The bill authorizes the government to: "use funds appropriated or otherwise made available for public diplomacy information programs to provide for the preparation, dissemination, and use of information intended for foreign audiences abroad about the United States, its people, and its policies, through press, publications, radio, motion pictures, the Internet, and other information media, including social media, and through information centers, instructors, and other direct or indirect means of communication." The bill has a provision stating that no funds authorized "shall be used to influence public opinion in the United States."

The US has a full propaganda operation disseminating information to foreign countries. A lot of this information is aimed at gaining support for US foreign policy initiatives. This information, however, has been prevented from distribution to the American public because it is considered persuasive material--propaganda. Thanks to Congressmen Thornberry and Smith, this propaganda will likely be used on the American public. And although there is a provision in the bill saying that funds will not be used to influence public opinion in the US, this is only legal doublespeak trying to absolve the government of the responsibility of using propaganda before it puts into practice its program.

Irrespective of Congressmen Thornberry's and Smith's intent, this legislation opens the door for the government to legally lie to the American people. Many would say that the mainstream media is already a propaganda arm of the government. Nevertheless, it will be far more difficult to discern the truth by making propaganda legal. The Congress and the Administration are not painting a very good picture for a free people--property confiscation, spy drones, citizen detention without cause, nationalization of property and resources. The list goes on and on. Yeshua said in Matthew 24:4, "Take heed that no man deceive you." As we enter the end times, deception will prosper. Too bad its being legalized in America.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson 

www.dailyjot.com

Don't like high gas prices? Ancient prophecies may predict even higher

Don't like high gas prices? Ancient prophecies may predict even higher

Destabilizing the Middle East by supporting the overthrow of governments for Sharia Law "democracies" and rumors of war with Israel and Iran have the White House and European leaders facing some extremely high gas prices and resulting inflation for their citizens. No doubt the cause and effect of American involvement in last year's "Arab spring" impacted the prices at the pump, but ancient prophecies of the Bible point toward even higher prices for food essentials and oil in the latter days. The wars and rumors of wars, the political unrest seen around the world, the debt of the nations, the deception on the world stage, and the high prices of goods and services are likely a type and shadow of the end times.

In Matthew 24:3, disciples of Yeshua Ha Mashiac ask him, "Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"  Yeshua outlines a very succinct chronology of what to expect before His return. This account tracks with Revelation, Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah and many other books of the Bible. These books hold more specific accounts of what Yeshua teaches in Matthew 24. One thing for certain, wars and rumors of wars historically produces times of high inflation. When the latter day judgments begin on the earth, there is conquering, killing, war and inflation. We have seen types and shadows of them throughout history. We are now in another such cycle.

The wars and rumors of wars have placed military assets in the path of oil rich trade routes. Many rumors abound that oil shipping lanes will be closed as violence, even war, in the Middle East becomes closer to reality. Revelation 6 speaks of a time when a measure of wheat will cost a day's wages. And there is a curious ending to verse 6, saying "and see thou hurt not the oil ad the wine." Some translations say "save" the oil and the wine. Notwithstanding, the intent of this verse is to demonstrate that prices for food, oil and wine will be extremely high. Oil could be olive oil or it could be other types of oils. In today's market, the Middle East controls the oil supply, especially Saudi Arabia, the largest producer of oil.

The minister of petroleum for Saudi Arabia Ali Naimi wrote in the Financial Times that oil prices are artificially high because of "irrational fear." He said Saudi Arabia would like to correct this "myth." This plays into prophecy because Saudi Arabia is establishing itself as the main broker for the world's most needed commodity. Revelation 17:2 speaks of the "great whore" "With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." Think about all the leaders that bow to the king of Saudi Arabia, and all the people who are addicted to oil so much so that they tolerate the evils of Saudi Arabia to get it. Could this be a type and shadow of what is to come?

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!   

Bill Wilson 
www.dailyjot.com

The Last Eight Days, Part 1

This Week's Feature Article by JackKelley

Palm Sunday, 10 Nisan

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.  He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him.  On the third day he will rise again.” (Luke 18:31-33)

The time had come for the Lord to make His official appearance in Jerusalem.  Having spent the bulk of His ministry in and around the Galilee, He now set His sights on the Holy City for what He knew would be His final showdown with the religious leaders.  It was a long walk and would require most of the day.

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9:9)

As they came to the twin villages of Bethpage and Bethany on the Eastern slope of the Mt. Of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples ahead to fetch the donkey He knew would be waiting there, and as He crested the Mt. Of Olives he saw the beautiful city spread before Him.  Large crowds were arriving for the Passover and many of them had already heard that He had raised Lazarus from the grave. Surely this was the long awaited Messiah.  Some spread their cloaks on the road while others cut palm branches and laid them in front of Him as He rode down the western slope, across the Kidron valley, and into the city.  There were large joyful crowds both in front of and behind Him spontaneously shouting the portion of Psalm 118 that was reserved for the entrance of the Messiah into the city.

 “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!  Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:9-10)

A contingent of the ever present Pharisees was there, and some of them instructed Jesus to rebuke His followers. If Jesus was not the Messiah, and they didn't think He was, the crowds were committing blasphemy.

“I tell you,” He replied, “If they keep quiet the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:40)

It was 483 years from the day Persian King Artaxerxes had issued the decree authorizing the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem after the 70 year Babylonian captivity (Nehemiah 2:1-10).  It was the day ordained in history for the Messiah King to officially present Himself to Israel (Daniel 9:25), and instead of rebuking His disciples He rebuked the Pharisees for not knowing this.

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.  The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.  They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” (Luke 19:41-44)

It was also the 10^th day of Nisan, the day when God commanded the Jews to select the Passover lamb.  Then for three days they were to carefully inspect it to make sure it had no spot or blemish that would prevent it from being used in the Passover celebration on the 14^th.  (Exodus 12:3,6).  Over the next three days Jesus would be subjected to the most intense scrutiny of His ministry as the Jewish leadership tried to find some proof against Him.

Matthew and Luke take us right into their accounts of the Temple clearing, leaving the impression  that it might have happened on on that first Palm Sunday.  But Mark makes it clear that when Jesus finally entered Jerusalem He went to the Temple and looked around at everything, but since it was late He took the disciples and went back to Bethany where they were staying (Mark 11:11).

Clearing The Temple.  Monday 11 Nisan

In the morning Jesus left Bethany in the company of His disciples.  He was hungry and seeing a fig tree went to pick some its fruit, but there was none. He cursed the tree saying, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again” (Mark 11:14). Much has been made of this, the only negative miracle Jesus ever performed. Some scholars see it as a prophecy that Israel would soon wither and die, never again bearing fruit for the Kingdom. History has given evidence supporting the validity of their interpretation.

Upon reaching Jerusalem, the Lord headed straight for the Temple and when He got there He began driving out those who were buying and selling, overturning the tables of the money changers.  He said to them, “It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer (Isaiah 56:7), but you have turned it into a den of robbers (Jere. 7:11).”  

He was referring to the fact that the pilgrims who traveled a great distance found it safer to buy animals for their sacrifices in Jerusalem than try and bring them from home.  The priests would only accept Temple coinage in payment for these animals and for offerings the people made.  Some say they charged exorbitant prices for the animals and also maintained an unfavorable exchange rate for foreign currency.  Most likely, this is what prompted the Lord's accusation.

Word that Jesus was at the Temple spread quickly.   The blind and lame came to Him and He healed them.  The children who had also gathered around began shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David”, a Messianic reference.  The chief priests and teachers of the Law were indignant but Jesus said, “Have you never read, 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise' (Psalm 8:2)?  Then He left the city and returned to Bethany. (Matt. 21:14-17)

A Long Day Of Teaching And Confrontation. Tuesday 12 Nisan

The next morning Jesus set out early for the Temple.  After being challenged by the Pharisees again, He launched into a series of parables.  A parable is a fictional story placed in an Earthly context that's designed to convey a Heavenly truth.  Every character or event is symbolic of something else.  Understanding what they symbolize helps us discover the Heavenly truth.

He began with the  parable of the 2 sons, one obedient and other not. One son said he would obey then didn't.  He represents the Pharisees.  The other son said he would not obey but then did.  He represents the tax collectors and prostitutes.  Jesus said to the Pharisees, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him” (Matt. 21:28-32).

Then came the Parable of the Tenants. It's about a landowner (God) who rented his vineyard (His Land) to tenants (Israel). But when harvest time came they refused to give him his share of the fruit (the salvation of mankind).  They killed the servants he sent (prophets) and even killed his son (Jesus) in an effort to keep everything for themselves.  Jesus asked them what they thought the landowner should do to them when he returns. They said he should bring them to a wretched end and rent his vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share.  Jesus agreed and said, “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit”

The chief priests and Pharisees understood that Jesus was talking about them (Matt. 21:33-46).

In the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, which came next, Jesus spoke of the invited guests refusing to attend a banquet celebrating the marriage of a king's son.  The banquet represents the  Kingdom, the King is God, His Son is Jesus, and the invited guests are Israel.  Enraged, the king sent his army and burned their city (Jerusalem).  Then, as the time for the banquet approached he sent his servants to collect anyone they could find to attend as his guests.  At the banquet the king found a guest who was not properly attired and had him ejected. (Matt. 22:1-14)

Many Christians have misinterpreted this group of guests as representing the Church.  But the Church is the bride, not a random group of last minute guests.  And the guest ejected from the wedding is not a back sliding believer. Clothing is symbolic of righteousness and our righteousness is by faith (Romans 3:21-22), not by works.  The last minute guests are Tribulation Survivors, and the ejected guest is an unbeliever trying to gain entrance to the Kingdom in his own righteousness, which is woefully inadequate.  

At the time of the 2^nd Coming Jesus will gather all Tribulation survivors together.  Believers will be clothed in the righteousness of the Lord and ushered into the Kingdom, while unbelievers will be escorted off the planet to eternal punishment.

In an effort to trap Him, the Pharisees asked Him if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar.  Responding with a question of His own, Jesus took a coin and asked them whose portrait and inscription were on the coin.  When they said it was Caesar's Jesus said,  “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's”. They were amazed at His answers so they left Him and went away (Matt. 22:15-22).

Then another group, Sadducees this time, asked Jesus about marriage in the resurrection. Sadducees didn't believe in a resurrection but told Jesus a story of a woman who sequentially married seven brothers, each  marriage following the death of the preceding brother. It was an outlandish exaggeration of the law of leverite marriage, which provided that the brother of a deceased Israelite marry his brother's widow and have a child with her to produce an heir for the dead brother's inheritance (Deut. 25:5-6).

Jesus accused them of not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God.  In the resurrection there will be no marriage.  Then He attacked their denial of the resurrection. He reminded them that in the Book of Moses (the Torah) God called Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. “He is not the God of the dead but of the Living,” He said.  The people listening were astonished at His answers (Matt. 22:23-33)

Then they asked Him which of the commandments is the most important.  He replied, quoting Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  (Matt. 22:37-40)

The first 4 commandments explain how we are to love the Lord, and the last 6 tell us how to love one another. Together they summarize all of God's word.

Then He asked the Pharisees a question.

“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?”

“The son of David,” they replied.

He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

“‘The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet”’ (Psalm 110:1)

If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”  No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Matt. 22:42-46)

His examination was complete.  They had found no fault in Him.  He was qualified to be the Passover Lamb. 

Now It's My Turn

Having defended Himself against all their tricks and traps, the Lord now went on the offensive with a scathing indictment of their religious practices. It was pay back time for all the resistance they'd shown, all the criticism they'd leveled at him.  He called them hypocrites and told the people to obey what they say but not to do what they do.  He said all their actions are just for show to make themselves look pious and important. Not only would they not enter the Kingdom, but they prevented others from entering as well. He called them false teachers and blind guides, saying they were obsessed with little things but neglected the more important matters of the Law.  He said they were like white washed tombs, all clean on the outside but full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. He called them snakes, a brood of vipers (seed of the serpent) and held them responsible for the blood of all the prophets their predecessors had killed (Matt. 23:1-36).

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” He cried, “You who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.  Look, your house is left to you desolate.  For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matt. 23:37-39)

Then He left the Temple and walked out of the city. But His day was not over.  On the way back to Bethany the Lord gave 4 of His disciples a critical lesson on End Times prophecy.  We'll pick it up there next time. 03-24-12

 

 

The Crown of Righteousness

The Crown of Righteousness - Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor – www.omegaletter.com

 

In many churches, those members who study Bible prophecy are relegated to the lunatic fringe or dismissed out-of-hand for wasting their time trying to divine the future.

 

The Bible says that there are other rewards, or crowns, set aside for those that dedicate themselves to Christ in a number of different theological disciplines.

 

Not so. Christians that study prophecy are not trying to “divine the future” – they are earning the “Crown of Righeousness” promised to all those that love His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8)

 

The Judgment Seat of Christ is the place where all of the deeds that individuals have done after they have become Christians are revealed and examined to determine whether they be good works or whether they be bad.

 

Let me emphasize that the word "bad" refers not to sin, but to deeds that are worthless according to His purpose. Whether or not they were sin is irrelevant – all sin is forgiven at the Cross -- but every deed has consequences.

 

The Bema Seat evaluation, therefore, is based upon whether the works that have been done are worthwhile or whether they are worthless.

 

The Greek word translated as the 'judgment seat' of Christ is the Greek word 'bema'. During the Greek Olympics of Paul's day, the judge would sit on the 'Bema Seat' situated along the finish line. His judgment was to determine who won the gold, who won the silver, who won the bronze, who came in fourth, fifth, etc.

 

Note that the only ones judged at the Bema Seat are those who cross the finish line.

 

The Bema Seat is reserved for believers -- those who successfully completed the 'race' and specifically to determine their running order and to award their prizes. Unbelievers will be judged at the Great White Throne.

 

Scripture teaches that after these works are judged, rewards will be given if the works are worthy. There will be no rewards if the works were unworthy -- but that is not the same thing as being condemned.  

 

"If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; yet so as by fire." (1st Corinthians 3:15)

 

Salvation is based on whether or not you trust that Jesus Christ made full payment for your sins, as He promised He would. While we will stand before the Judge as judicially 'righteous' -- that righteousness is Christ's alone.

 

But it is freely offered to whosoever will accept it by faith.

 

Once we stand before the Bema Seat, our rewards are determined -- not our punishment. Our punishment, although richly deserved, has already been borne by our Savior. Now, we are judged according to our works on behalf of the kingdom.

 

There are those who argue, "You know, I don't think we ought to talk about our rewards. We ought to serve the Lord just because we love Him."

 

I agree. We ought to serve Him because we love Him, but we have every right and reason in the world to strive to warn our rewards.

 

Our rewards are based on our works – but not our salvation.

 

“If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.” (2 Corinthians 3:14)

 

First, let's look at the different crowns available to the believer. There is the 'incorruptible crown' -- what one might term a crown of self-denial. 1st Corinthians 9:24-27 teaches:

 

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

 

Not everybody will receive the crown of self-denial. Each of us is gifted with certain strengths according to some predetermined purpose of God. In other words, some things are harder for some than they are for others -- according to God's purposes -- not our own.

 

We are judged according to how hard we try.

 

"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." (1st Corinthians 12:4-7)

 

There is also the Crown of Rejoicing -- the 'Soul Winner's Crown'.

 

 "Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord." Note that Paul is addressing people as a 'crown'. He is saying to those whom Paul has led to Christ, "You are my joy now and you will be my crown by and by." (Philippians 4:1)

 

"For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?"

 

Translated literally, it reads, "are not even you, in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ when we stand before Him?"

 

"One of these days," the Apostle says, "we are all going to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, and when we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, you Philippians, and you Thessalonians, are all going to be elements of my crown."

 

It is difficult for us to think of people in terms of a crown, but Paul emphasizes that the Philippians and the Thessalonians, among others, are the crown which he expects as an award to him at the Judgment Seat of Christ."

 

James 1:12 identifies the 'Crown of Life': "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him."

 

Notice the word "temptation." That is a broad word. Sometimes it means a solicitation to evil--that is, you are tempted to commit murder, or you are tempted to commit adultery. It is a solicitation to evil. Sometimes it is a reference to a test that God permits you to go through as a kind of 'refinement by fire'.

 

The Lord Himself also speaks of the Crown of Life reward, promising: "be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

 

'Faithful unto death' is not a condition of salvation -- salvation comes by grace through faith in the efficacy of Jesus' sacrifice for sin at the Cross. Keep in mind that the only ones that will stand before the Bema Seat are ALREADY saved by grace.

 

The Crown of Endurance won't be given to every believer -- the Scriptures say of even those who receive NO crowns, as previously noted, "he shall suffer loss: but HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; yet so as by fire."

 

There is the Crown of Glory -- the crown of the 'undershepherd' or the 'pastor's crown'.

 

"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." (1st Peter 5:1-4)

 

Not every pastor or undershepherd will receive this crown, either. There are those who will fail the test of ‘willing service’ or those who set themselves up as 'lords over God's heritage' instead of being examples to their flocks, or those who fail to feed their charges with God's Word.

 

Finally, there is the Crown of Righteousness.

 

"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing." (2nd Timothy 1:8)

 

Those who study prophecy, those who dedicate themselves as watchmen on the wall, ready to give the warning of His soon appearing, will receive the Crown of Righteousness from the Righteous Judge at the Bema Seat.

 

Literally, the Crown of Righteousness means 'a crown for doing right.' Paul is saying, "I have loved the appearing of the Lord. Because I have loved the appearing of the Lord, I have fought a good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith."

 

Note what Paul did NOT say. He did NOT say, "If you keep the faith, you will receive the Crown of Righteousness." Instead, he says, "If you love His appearing, you will."

 

Personally, I am not certain that I will receive the crown of self-denial. I am not too sure that I keep my body under control enough to deserve this reward.

 

I am not too sure I will win the soulwinner's crown, although it is one I really, really hope to earn.

 

I am not sure that I will get the Crown of Glory -- as an undershepherd, I have many shortcomings.

 

I pray for the Crown of Life for enduring life's trials -- but I am not certain that I have endured them with the long-suffering love of Christ as I should.

 

So I am not sure about that one, either.

 

But I am hopeful of the Crown of Righteousness -- it is the easiest one to get. My righteousness is not my own, but that of Christ's, and my love of His soon appearing is an all-consuming passion.

 

The point to it all is this: We will all one day stand before the Bema Seat -- but the Bema Seat is where we are judged for our rewards.

 

Whether or not I receive all -- or even any -- of the rewards that are available to me as a believer, I have the certain assurance that, even if I suffer loss, I will still enter heaven, even if it is 'as if by fire'.

 

And so will all those who have trusted Jesus for their salvation.

 

“Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's."

 

"And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." (2 Corinthians 3:22,23)

Isaac And Ishmael, Then And Now

Isaac And Ishmael, Then And Now - Perspective by Jack Kelley – www.gracethrufaith.com

 

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

 

But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

 

Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.”(Genesis 15:1-4)

 

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

 

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.(Genesis 16:1-4, 15)

 

Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. (Genesis 21:1-3)

 

But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”

 

The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”(Genesis 21:9-13)

 

Abraham was 75 years old when God called him, about 80 when God promised him a son, 86 when Ishmael was born (Gen. 16:16) and 100 at the time of Isaac’s birth. (Gen. 21:5) This made Ishmael 14 years older than Isaac, and about 16 or 17 when Isaac was weaned. When he made fun of Isaac, Sarah demanded that Abraham get rid of him.

 

That snapshot seems to set the tone for our understanding of Ishmael. God had told Hagar that her son would be a “wild ass” of a man with his hand against every man and every man’s hand against him. (Gen. 16:12) He was bigger, stronger, and older than his helpless baby brother, and yet he thought it sport to mock him.

 

We can imagine that the jealousy between Sarah and Hagar had its effect on Ishmael and served to frame his view of Isaac from the beginning. And it doesn’t take too much of a stretch to believe that Ishmael was told repeatedly that Isaac was God’s choice to become Abraham’s heir although Ishmael was the first born and, at least in his opinion, the rightful heir. When Ishmael and Hagar were sent away to fend for themselves the sense of abandonment likely made it difficult for Ishmael to trust anyone for a long time. I can almost hear him thinking that his life was a mistake, and wishing he had never been born. No wonder he didn’t get along with anyone.

 

This feeling of being an unworthy outcast matured into a resentment so strong that it permeated Ishmael’s very soul and from that day to this the descendants of Ishmael have stood against the descendants of Isaac. His anger had given the devil a foothold that grew into a stronghold so powerful that it has lasted through all the generations since. All this happened because Abraham and Sarah grew impatient with God and tried to fulfill His promise on their own.

 

Once More, With Feeling

 

A generation later, Esau felt similarly disenfranchised by Jacob’s manipulation of Isaac. This was the case even though Jacob only received that which he had earlier purchased from Esau, who in a moment of extreme hunger traded his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew as though it was a mere trinket. Esau was so angry with his father, who refused to reverse the transaction, that he did the one thing that he knew would hurt Isaac the most. He married Malhalath, a daughter of Ishmael. (Gen. 28:8-9) How he and Ishmael must have railed against Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who in two consecutive generations had humiliated them in the matter of their presumed inheritance. Each recounting of the events added bricks and mortar to the stronghold the devil was building in their minds.

 

It had been God’s plan all along for His promise to Abraham to be fulfilled through Isaac in Jacob. When Sarah took matters into her own hand after waiting impatiently for six years to give her husband an heir, God promised to make Ishmael’s descendants into a great nation with 12 rulers just as he had in mind for Jacob. “But,” He said, “My covenant I will establish with Isaac.” (Gen. 17:20-21)

 

And Esau’s descendants were given land east of the Jordan River that the Israelites were not allowed to take as their own. (Deut. 2:4-6) But Ishmael didn’t inherit the covenant position and Esau didn’t get the Promised Land, and to them what they received, though generous, probably seemed like 2nd best. Far from encouraging them to forgive and forget, their anger was further inflamed.

 

The land given to Esau became known as Edom because of its spectacular red rock mountains and, until their rebellion against God, Esau’s descendants thrived there. The final straw came when the Edomites took advantage of God’s punishment of Israel during the Babylonian wars. Thinking to finally get the coveted Promised Land, they sided with Nebuchadnezzar and cut off the Jews’ escape from the Babylonian armies, ambushing the fleeing Israelites and looting their homes. (Obadiah 1:10-14) As a result, Edom was destroyed to the last person, and the Nabateans, another of Ishmael’s descendants, took their land.

 

We’ll Return After This Break

 

During Israel’s 1900 year absence from the world scene, the sons of Ishmael grew into the family of nations that God had promised, but the hostility remained even though the Promised Land was seemingly theirs for the taking. When Mohammed, a descendant of Ishmael’s, failed to convert the Jews in the region to his new religion, he declared war against them and the ancient hostility was born anew. All the old feelings of resentment were re-kindled, and even though the armies of Islam embarked upon an era of conquest that eventually took them all the way to eastern France, they maintained a special hostility toward the Jews.

 

And then the unimaginable happened. For the third time they were required to step aside in favor of the sons of Israel. God was bringing His people back to the land He had promised to Abraham so long ago. Never mind that the land had been pretty much abandoned for much of the preceding 1900 years, it had been Moslem land and now it was being given back to their sworn enemies, the Jews. It violated their sense of ownership, tainted though it was, and it violated the promise of their religion. Mohammed himself had told them that any land conquered in the name of Allah would never be lost again to the infidels.

 

Of course by now the majority of Mohammed’s followers weren’t sons of Ishmael, but Persians, Egyptians, Babylonians, and Assyrians, to use their Biblical names. But their historical hatred of the Jews had been kept alive through the religion they all shared in common. And most of the returning Jews weren’t of the original 12 tribes but the descendants of Europeans who had converted to Judaism over the centuries. Only a remnant of today’s Jews can trace their ancestry to Jacob’s 12 sons. But it’s that remnant that validates Israel’s claim under the Abrahamic covenant in God’s eyes.

 

Therefore, the wars of today aren’t between Ishmaelites and Israelites, but between Moslems and Jews. The family feud has become a battle of religions. Will the God of the Jews prevail, or will it be the god of Islam, for they are not one and the same. The God who inhabits eternity created the land and gave it to Abraham in an everlasting covenant. The god of this world had taken it as his own and refuses to give it up. It’s the most hotly contested piece of real estate in the entire universe, and the contest has both its origin and its resolution in the spiritual realm, not in the assembly halls of human governments.

 

So now we’ve come full circle. Ishmael, represented by the Moslems, is older, bigger, and stronger, but Isaac, represented by the Jews, is still the child of the promise. And as we’ll soon see, what God has promised, He performs. Against all odds, Ishmael will once again be driven away, and God will use the occasion to re-instate His ancient covenant with the children of Israel, biological or not. It’s another giant signpost that the End of the Age is upon us. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

 

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