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Father God, we pray that Your will would come to pass, both in Israel and around the world. Help us not to misuse the Bible but rather to get our insight and revelation from You alone,.
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Many Christians are laser focused on Israel right now, trying to place Hamas’ brutal attacks into a larger prophetic puzzle. Is this truly how believers should be treating the current conflict in the Middle East?

From Israel Today. Many people believe that we are living in the end times, including me. We are definitely getting closer. … Many people, including me, look for clues in the Bible for every political or military development in the country. But what I am wary of and try to avoid is “raping” the biblical text for my own purposes. Over the years I have thought, spoken and written about it many times. I am completely convinced that God’s Word is true and still relevant in our time, as it was in biblical times. …

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What I can’t participate in is twisting the Bible to fit my imagination. In the last few weeks I have often been asked how I spiritually or prophetically interpret Israel’s dire situation these days. To be honest, I ask myself this too. I talk and debate about it with my friends and have to admit that I don’t understand a lot of it myself. …

But, why do we have to constantly seek prophetic interpretation of every extraordinary incident in the country? This makes no sense to me because I’ve heard too many different interpretations of this or that episode over the years. For instance, many Christians I’m hearing are highlighting the “idolatrous” Nova music festival as being responsible for the Hamas attack. If every festival in Israel were compared to the incident of the Golden Calf, Israel would no longer exist. …

People look for relevant passages in the Bible and then boom, another prophecy is discovered. Even the political murder of Yitzhak Rabin was found in the Bible a few days after the assassination in 1995. In addition, I could list numerous other “prophetic words,” not just from the last few years, but from the last 30 years. And? I know so many people, mostly in Christian circles, who only dig for prophecies in the Bible and see every political development or statement as a prophecy. One wonders whether this has something to do with sensationalism.

In the Jewish world, biblical prophecy is talked about less. Here, we live it. These days alone, the Children of Israel are fighting a war that some Christians abroad see as an end-time war. Once again, that may well be the case. But the difference is that here, we don’t have time to speculate because we are busy living out what many Christians abroad imagine to be a prophetic event. …

I am fully convinced that everything will happen as the Bible describes, sooner or later. The Savior of Israel will also appear one day, but until then I will wait patiently and report what is happening in the land. … The Bible is the foundation of our faith, and me and my household want to deal with it first in our lives and our present, and less in trying to peer into the future. …

What did you think of this article? Share your thoughts and prayers below.

(Excerpt from Israel Today. Photo Credit: michelangeloop/Getty Images)

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Fred L Marley
December 10, 2023

EXCELLENT!!!!! Jesus said, “occupy til I come again.” That’s what we, as the children of God need to be focused on.

Thomasene Campbell
December 1, 2023

I fully agree.

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Maria Altizer
November 30, 2023

I totally agree w/this article’s author.

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Dave
November 30, 2023

You hit it very well. We so want to think we are given the ‘special’ gift of interpretation – at least think we can take up ourselves. This is a gift from God for his purposes, not ours. Our ego leads us down the path of self anointment that resembles the genie within the bottle (or in ourselves). Rub a dub dub God will give whatever we want. Doesn’t work that way as His ways are greater than ours. Patience will enlighten us if we are humble enough to seek. Retro-spec seeking does reveal much. Mercy!

7
Greenman21
November 30, 2023

Satan has accolytes in Gaza ( and Tehran of course ) – this is something that many throughout the world are failing to take note of.
Surely only those under the direct influence and control of the Devil himself can live purely in hatred to the extent that they become capable of savagely and brutally murdering babies, children and mothers – and not only rejoicing in their barbarity but even celebrating and promoting it ?
Golda was right when she described the islamic mindset !
May Almighty God protect and preserve all His people in the land He gave to them and worldwide.
AM YISRAEL CHAI

4
Anne Loeffler
November 30, 2023

Excellent! So true about quit speculating and trust the Word!!

4
Mary Buckley
November 30, 2023

Dear Lord in heaven in Jesus name
May the Holy Spirit be released upon this earth to bring sincere repentance,, forgiveness and a Great Harvest of souls in faith in Jesus Christ and his complete sacrifice for each of us. May your Glory fill the earth for all to see and feel.
May I live in this peace and happiness and freedom now.
Amen

9
Marianne Allen
November 30, 2023

Thank you for your timely comments on Scripture interpretation.
God bless! Keep encouraging us to pray!

4
Teresa Pusey
November 30, 2023

I agree. We are told not to be concerned with the end and I especially appreciate focusing on the here and now. I have a lot to be doing in my own corner of the world. The gospel message needs to get out. End times prophecy is secondary.

5
Linda Rice
November 30, 2023

Antisemitism is prophesied. Check. A continual flow of aliyah is prophesied. Check. The nations are aligning. Check. Jacob’s trouble approaches.

I pray for the peace of Jerusalem and look forward to the purification of the Bride of Messiah.

I know the outcome.

5
Elaine
November 30, 2023

I asked the Lord why this happed,you love her!! He told me Isreal is still under the Old Testament Covenant with rules & laws to. be obeyed. When they hosted the largest gay pride parade they sined -broke their part of the Covenant. God will still uphold his part of the agreement and deliver them, but pain is their midst.
I’m asking God to forgive them & to send someone to tell them error. Bringing them to repentance.

2
    Linda Rice
    November 30, 2023

    And as this is happening, the Bride in Africa, the middle east and Asia suffers greatly. The Bride has a call to suffer as her Beloved did so the lost can see the Love of Yeshua.

    4
Grant Windholz
November 30, 2023

God Almighty, we pray for those in the Israeli War for strength and wisdom against the demonic forces of Hamas! Worldwide confusion is present.
Let us all know the truth of your people in Israel and pray for your people 🙏!!

8
Donald Johnson
November 30, 2023

The problem is that people are imprecise in thought and language. The Hamas attack wasn’t caused by a pagan festival…if that was said that way it’s absurd. However the larger picture is that Israel has become a secularized society which always leads to becoming becoming demonized. Tel Aviv is practically the abortion capital of the Mideast and perversion is approved and flaunted, just like in the West. Those are Israel’s abominations of ancient times and those sins have returned. So, judgement has returned. This will set off a series events culminating in Jesus’s return. Therefore people rightly try and discern the times. And without a firm foundation in Scripture, some will chase false signs. A thorough understanding of the Word needs to come before any interpretation of current events. And people need to be precise in what they say.

3
Eileen Brado
November 30, 2023

Good word for us.

Dan
November 30, 2023

A worthy insight and commentary for these times. God help us not be distracted by the religion that pervades Your church and speaks sometimes more loudly than Your Word. Help us to tune it out and retire to our closet with Your life-giving Word that Your life may be seen in our lives for Your glory. Thy Kingdom come..

7
Cindy Gates
November 30, 2023

Good Article! Thank you for sharing it.
We need to keep on living the Christain life keep Sharing the gospel keep praying for laborers in the harvest.
Keep seeking God. Reading his word. Keep praying and praying for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel 🇮🇱 keep praying for our pastors teachers prophets.
Praying for the official in our government
And the government of the world.
Keep fighting the good fight!
I love what IFA prayer is doing.

10
diane Jackson
November 30, 2023

I totally agree with your insight and understanding. Some events we cannot put in our theological boxes. For one thing, they are too varied. ” Be still and know He is God.” And “His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.” We can’t possibly figure it all out.” Seek first the Kingdom of God.”

9
Carlida
November 30, 2023

God’s plan for His people, Israel, is written and documented throughout all scriptures. But one can NOT take His words out of context to fit whatever situation. We are instructed in scripture to rightly divide the word, to know to whom each word is being given at which time, and to be continually looking to Jesus instead of people or circumstances

4
Pam Johnston
November 30, 2023

So blessed by the perspective in this article…thank you, IFA!!!

7
Mary Beth
November 30, 2023

When you see God’s Word as living and active, it’s not hard to see prophetic fulfillment in many things happening today. It is amazing that the Biblical patterns set in the Torah, Prophets and Writings continue in a cycle throughout history. I don’t believe it is wise to make “the prophetic” our primary focus in everyday life, but considering how much of Scripture is prophecy, I don’t think it is wise to ignore or minimalize it either. Just be discerning, and seek wisdom and discernment from Holy Spirit. Prioritize God’s Word above man’s commentary or prophetic utterances.

15
Judy
November 30, 2023

I hope that everyone who reads this clicks on the link to Israel Today. The entire article deserves to be read, not just an excerpt.

7
Shocked Disappointed
November 30, 2023

Wow….i believe it’s natural to watch events and try to understand them, or at least see how they might fit into what one knows as absolute truth (the Bible). Most, if not all, of the believers I know are watching Israel from afar and praying for her deliverance and safety. It’s good to know that amidst your trying to survive, you have time to judge the people who donate and support you.

5
    Sherry
    November 30, 2023

    Or are you the one that’s judging?

    5
    Emily Lynch
    November 30, 2023

    I do not see this as judgment by the one from Israel today. I will go read the entire article as should we all but it seems to me to be a warning to be careful how we judge

    3
Daniel Felice
November 30, 2023

While I see wars, rumors of wars, the earth being disrupted by earthquakes and volcanoes, people turning away from God, evil running its mouth, woke everywhere, hatred publicly for Jews and Christians, the enemy has not stepped openly and publicly in the world and declared peace with Israel being part of that peace to become the ‘new world leader.’
As Christian’s we need to seek the Lord for daily guidance and wisdom and take each day as biblically written, one day at a time. God has this.

18
Patricia Abdalla
November 30, 2023

In reading some of Derek Prince and his “take” on “End Time Prophecy” interpretations and predictions, he warns against personal speculations about things that are currently going on…one of the scriptures that he quotes is Deut. 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God…”
I appreciate this person’s “reporting” …. NOT speculating…
Further along…we may KNOW but for now we must continue to pray…

29
Judy
November 30, 2023

I agree. I’m told by friends and some Bible teachers to listen to this one or that for their prophetic word. If we didn’t have social media and only the Bible, would that be enough to guide and comfort us? I think so.

21
Richard Spurlin
November 30, 2023

Amen

5
Tracie Simm
November 30, 2023

Yessss!

4
Ruth Bloxham
November 30, 2023

Brilliant article, let’s get on with our Kingdom business and not trying to make every event fit a Biblical prophecy.

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