Some Thoughts on the Passing of Lindsey Graham by Aaron Hecht

 

Let's start with the obvious. It is a very sad occasion when anyone dies unexpectedly, but it's also a VERY bad time for Israel and America to be losing Lindsey Graham. 

He was a great friend to Israel and a great leader in the Conservative movement in America. He was also one of the few people from whom President Donald Trump was willing to take advice, and that, all by itself, made him a precious asset to everyone in this season of history.

But that's not all. 

I believe the death of Lindsey Graham at this critical juncture has prophetic significance. I believe this is going to change the course of American history, Israeli history, and human history. I don't think Lindsey Graham simply "died" of a sudden heart condition the way people sometimes do at an advanced age. I believe the Lord took Lindsey Graham because he needed him off the stage in order for His plans and purposes to go forward.

Now, if you've been reading these blogs for awhile you know I try REALLY hard not to over-spiritualize things and/or get superstitious, but the moment I opened up my morning news update on my computer yesterday, that was the first headline at the top of the list, and as soon as I read it, a word flashed through my mind. 

The word was "Gettysburg."

But then, a moment later, another part of my brain replied; "yeah, but, Midway."

Allow me to explain.

For those who are not students of American history, Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was one of the most brilliant tacticians in American military history, but sadly, he was fighting for the wrong side. He joined the Confederate Army shortly after the outbreak of the US Civil War and led his troops to victory in several engagements. Most Civil War historians would say that he was the most effective battlefield commander on either side in the Civil War, and if not the most important factor, then certainly one of the most important factors in the success that the Confederate Army had in the first two years of the war.

Then, on May 2nd, 1863, he was accidently shot by his own men during a confused nighttime reconnaissance mission. The wound was severe, prompting the amputation of his left arm, and then he came down with pneumonia, which in his weakened condition, he was unable to recover from, so he died on May 10th. This loss would have been devastating to the Confederate Army under any circumstances, but it came just a few weeks before the most decisive battle of the entire war, the Battle of Gettysburg.

Once again, most Civil War historians agree that had Stonewall Jackson been in his usual place at the Battle of Gettysburg, the battle and the entire war might have ended very differently then it did, and the trajectory of US and world history might have been very different. But he wasn't there, and the General who replaced him, Richard S. Ewell, made decisions that cost the Confederacy the battle, which was a decisive turning point in the US Civil War and by extension, a pivotal turning point in world history.

Fast forward to June of 1942.

Just six months after the devastating strategic defeat suffered by the United States at Pearl Harbor, the massive battle of Midway was fought and won by the US Navy. Just as the Battle of Gettysburg had been a turning point in the US Civil War, the Battle of Midway was a turning point in WWII. Also, just as at Gettysburg, the presence of one man who had replaced another played a major role in how the battle turned out.

Admiral William "Bull" Halsey was supposed to be in command of the American forces at Midway, but a few days before they were supposed to deploy, he was diagnosed with severe combat fatigue, accompanied by a stress-induced skin disease, that prompted his superiors to order him to check into a military hospital in Hawaii. He recommended his cruiser commander, Admiral Raymond Spruance, to replace him in command of the task force, which would soon be sailing towards Midway, and that turned out to be a very good idea. Admiral Spruance made decisions in that battle that resulted in a massive strategic victory for the United States. Halsey would later candidly admit that he would likely have made different decisions, which would have resulted in disaster.

So, when I saw the headline about the untimely demise of Lindsey Graham, my brain coughed up these two historical examples where a leader was removed from the stage just before a really important battle, and the person who replaced them made decisions that resulted in the battle ending very differently than what would have been the case had the original person been in command.

At both Gettysburg and Midway, the course of human history was bent very severely, in a good way, because of the result. I believe it was God's Will that these battles ended the way they did. I believe God intervened in human history on both of these occasions, removing someone who He knew would make certain decisions and replacing them with someone else whom He knew would make different decisions.

I have never claimed to be a prophet, and I'm not going to start now. But I DO have a feeling in my guts that we've just seen Him do something similar.

I believe something big is about to go down, and God took Lindsey Graham home because He needed someone else to be making the decisions that will affect what happens next in a way that will work for the advancement of His plans and purposes in this world. I believe it's going to be a glorious victory for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and a decisive turning point in the history of the Human Race.

That doesn't mean those of us who are caught up in whatever is about to happen next will enjoy it. The US won major, historic victories at both Gettysburg and Midway, but many Americans were killed and wounded at both battles.

So, brothers and sisters, hold on tight, keep your physical and spiritual eyes and ears wide open and pray without ceasing.

Some Thoughts on Iran, Turkey, Israel, and the prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39 by Aaron Hecht

Here in Israel, everyone is in shock over the announced Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that the Trump Administration and whoever they were talking to in Iran agreed to last week. I have spent several dozen hours this week listening to podcasts, think tank seminars, news analysis shows, etc. and the analysts and "Middle East experts" and "National Security experts" are all over the place regarding what they think this MOU means and what will happen next.

Candidly, I am among those who think that it is very unlikely that everything listed in this MOU will be implemented. I could tell you my reasons for thinking so, but it would make this blog too long for most people to read, and anyway, it's beside the point. I don't believe Iran's ruling regime will get the hundreds (or even tens) of billions of dollars they think they're going to get, and I also don't think they're going to crumble and disappear the way every sane, decent person walking the earth's surface hopes they will.

The reason they survived this war, beaten and battered but still on their feet, and the reason they're going to stay on their feet no matter what President Trump does or does not do to them in the months and years ahead, is not because of any current events. It's because of something that was prophesied 2,600 years ago. I am talking, of course, about the Book of Ezekiel the Prophet, specifically chapters 38-39.

I will be the first person to admit that the events prophesied about in these chapters have been predicted to be just around the corner many times in the past.

There's a few different reasons I think this time it's actually going to happen, and they are as follows.

Iran, or Persia, is prominently mentioned in these prophetic chapters, so it MUST be part of the coalition that comes against Israel. But Iran is in the midst of a brutal, years-long drought and is rapidly heading towards water bankruptcy. This will make it impossible for this country to survive as a cohesive state. Experts are divided on their estimates of when the breaking point will come, but already late last year, the dams supplying water to the major cities of Iran, including the capital of Tehran, were holding less then 15% of their capacity, and in some cases, the level fell to as low as 5%. These are the kinds of numbers that are almost impossible for a nation to recover from.

This is just one of many reasons I believe if Iran/Persia is going to take part in a grand alliance against Israel, it needs to happen soon, otherwise there will be no Iran/Persia to speak of.

That brings us to other members of the coalition mentioned in Ezekiel 38-39.

Some of the places mentioned in this prophecy as being part of the alliance that comes against Israel from the north make up what is today the modern nation-state of Turkey. For most of modern Israeli history, Turkey was a friend and ally of Israel, but since 2003, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP political faction have been ruling that country. The AKP is a political franchise of the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas is the military wing of another franchise of the Muslim Brotherhood. There are franchises of this organization in many other countries all over the Middle East, Europe and even in the United States and Canada. They do not always agree on everything, but they have an overall, long-term strategic vision for what they want this world to look like, and Israel is not part of that vision. I could say a lot more about that, but once again I'm trying to keep this blog short.

Turkey, with it's Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated political leadership, has built alliances with the Muslim Brotherhood franchises in several other countries around the Middle East and northeastern Africa, including in places like Libya and Ethiopia, both of which are also mentioned specifically as being part of the alliance that attacks Israel in Ezekiel 38-39, as well as in other countries which include territories that are mentioned by their ancients names in this prophecy.

Finally, there's Russia, which has traditionally been identified with the prophecies about "Rosh" and "Gog, in the land of Magog" that are mentioned in this prophecy. I know that there is some argument about this, that not everyone is convinced that modern-day Russia is necessarily going to be part of this alliance that attacks Israel. I am among those who believe that it will, and there are all kinds of motivations for them joining the Turks, Iranians, and their other allies in the Middle East and northeastern Africa in coming against this country.

One motivation is that in the last four years since beginning the "special military operation" in Ukraine, Russia has turned into a country whose entire economy is based on war. If the Russia army stops fighting a war, the Russian economy will collapse. So, when the "special military operation" in Ukraine ends, as it might soon have to, one way or the other, the Kremlin will need to find a new war to fight.

I can even imagine them framing this as another "special military operation" to "protect the Russian-speaking population of Israel" against the "fascists" in the Israeli government who are persecuting them. This ludicrously absurd narrative is precisely what Vladimir Putin used to justify his invas...er, I mean, his "special military operation" in Ukraine. It would not surprise me at all if he tries to pull the same nonsense when he launches a similar "special military operation" against Israel, in support of his pals in Ankara and Tehran.

So, brothers and sisters, this is how I see things going. I won't try to put a date on when all of this will happen, but I believe it will happen soon, and it certainly can start very quickly and with very little warning. As it is, right now, at this very moment, the only thing holding this back from happening is America, and as we are already finding out, the Americans, in both major political parties, are losing interest in helping Israel.

So, God will get all the glory for the miraculous deliverance of Israel from all these invading armies coming from all directions.

It's difficult to know how to end a blog like this, so I'll just say thanks for reading it, and I hope it blessed your life.

Eitan Bar: "When I was a Messianic, Catholics were pagans who will burn forever in hell"

I've written before about Eitan Bar, the Israeli evangelist who was fired from his role at One for Israel for having a romantic relationship with an employee under him. Since that time, Bar has written books and posts that run against the grain of the Messianic world, particularly against Christian sexuality, Calvinism, the doctrine of hell as eternal torment, and even Messianic Judaism itself.

On Facebook today, Bar wrote about the Messianic movement and its negative view of Catholicism.

It spurred comments from Jews and Christians, including some well-known Israeli Messianic Jewish leaders like Ron Cantor and Dan Juster.

He starts off with,

When I was part of the Messianic movement, a highly fundamentalist form of Evangelicalism, the message about Catholics was clear: they were pagans, God despises them, and they would burn forever in hell. We were discouraged from associating with Catholics, and the few who did often found themselves marginalized or boycotted.

My parents were both part of the Catholic Church and left it before I was born, so this post piqued my interest. Are Messianics too negative on Catholics and other Christian groups?

I grew up in the Messianic movement and can confirm the movement has a general negative feeling towards Catholicism. I haven't personally heard the extremes of Catholics burning in hell forever. But the core is probably true: Messianic believers generally view Catholicism negatively.

There are reasons for that. Catholic faith requires believing in a co-redeemer, Mary, alongside Jesus. It requires the prayer to saints, not just to God. It requires affirming Papal ex cathedra rulings as infallible. Some of that is dangerously close to idolatry. I admire many Catholics and have Catholic friends and consider them brothers in faith. Some significant parts of their theology are foreign to the New Testament and the original Jewish followers of Jesus. I am convinced it will be foreign when Jesus returns to Jerusalem as the Jewish Messiah. But it doesn't preclude salvation or fellowship.

How should we in the Messianic movement look at groups outside of our own? I believe two very important measures for that are salvation and fellowship. I say those two measures because they are two issues addressed in the early church in the New Testament (e.g. Acts 15 and Romans 10). Salvation and fellowship are still relevant for today.

Salvation: when you die, will you be with God?

Fellowship: can we spend time with you in religious settings? Are we family in God?

For Catholics, I answer yes to both questions:

• Salvation: This is up to God, and not me, but the New Testament says, "If you believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, and that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Catholics believe this; it's a core part of Catholic faith. 
• Fellowship: Since Catholics are part of the family of God, they're fellow Christians and I can (and have!) learned from them. I could fellowship with them in religious settings, despite significant theological differences.

Even early Protestants, including Luther himself, did not advocate for a schism where Protestants could no longer fellowship with Catholics. That wall of division developed later through escalation, war, torture, and all sorts of horrible things committed by both sides in the last 600 years. I think that wall is a mistake.

I've long advocated for a big tent faith: expand your tent to allow many in. Better to have many with varying beliefs, than a tiny few with uniform beliefs. Yes, I think megachurches are superior to tiny, closed sectarian groups. Especially in light of the reality that every religious group is almost certainly wrong about something; no one has theology that perfectly aligns with heaven's reality. Better to love many, as love covers a multitude of sins.

But.

There's a limit to big tent theology.

I couldn't have a big tent with Hindus, for example. Hindus worship Krisna, Ganesh, and a plethora of false gods. The reason I can't welcome them into my tent of faith should be obvious: it would compromise core parts of my own faith. The Torah is jam packed with prohibitions on idolatry, with explicit commandments to destroy idols, to avoid supporting or defending idolaters, even commandments to burn idolatrous cities in Israel. Embracing people who worship other gods is a tent too big. What unity can God's people have with people who reject the one true God or worship other gods?

One commenter on Bar's post said in support of Bar's newfound love for Catholics,

I was taught and believe, "If you love Jesus you are part of the family".

I responded, "That sounds nice, but it would mean we must consider Muslims part of the family. They love Jesus and consider him an important prophet."

I can't take Muslims into my big tent of faith. They fail the salvation test and the fellowship test:

• Salvation: Muslims don't believe Jesus is Lord, they believe him a prophet. They don't believe God raised Jesus from the dead; they believe Jesus wasn't crucified at all.
• Fellowship: Muslims believe Christians and Jews are to be subservient to Muslims and must pay a special tax in any Muslim-controlled land. Those Christians and Jews who resist this were (and still are, in some parts of the world) put to death. 

Dan Juster, a leader in the Messianic Jewish movement, commented on Bar's post, suggesting that allegiance to Jesus is the most important matter:

There is a book by Matthew Bates, Salvation by Allegiance Alone. A great book argues that it does not matter what denomination one is part of, Catholic, Proestand, Orthodox, Messianic Jew, Pentecostal. In each stream allegiance is the central issue. Then we add, Jews who come to faith are the saved remnant of Israel, the sanctifying first fruits (Rom. 11:5, 11:16)

I replied to Juster, "Allegiance is important, but I wonder to what extent theology matters for salvation and fellowship. For example, Mormons hold allegiance to Jesus, but consider him one of many gods, alongside the Heavenly Mother, Satan and millions of others. Additionally, they are preaching a second gospel, the Book of Mormon."

Are Mormons saved? Can we have fellowship with them?

• Salvation: This is up to God, but I suspect God will save them because they believe Jesus is Lord and God raised him from the dead.
• Fellowship: Much murkier. I personally have no qualms hanging out with Mormons in a non-religious context; they tend to be morally upright and genuine people. But I couldn't fellowship with them in a religious context because of the idolatry in their faith. According to Joseph Smith, only Mormons are Christians. Mormons don't consider Christians to be true Christians. It's difficult to call them part of the family of God when they don't consider you the family of God.

Israeli Messianic leader Ron Cantor also chimed in, saying how he really has fought to maintain good relationships with Catholics and others outside of Messianic Judaism.

But all this newfound love and togetherness strikes me as false and shallow. 

For years, Juster and others have issued papers and spoke at conferences and urged their followers to avoid fellowshipping with Messianics of slightly different stripes. One Law Messianics, Two House Messianics, Hebrew Roots folks and others were blacklisted from Messianic events. Musicians who performed at One Law congregations were blacklisted. I personally had a leading Messianic Jewish congregation in Minnesota tell his congregants not to associate with me because I adhered to a different ecclesiology as he did. I had one Messianic rabbi, who is not Jewish, telling the IAMCS Rabbis forum to avoid associating with me at a Messianic music event because he affiliated me as a Messianic with a different stripe.

Heck, just a few years ago, I wrote about how one Messianic pastor in Israel labeled all forms of Torah observance as heresy. 🤪

I'm not bitter about that, and I forgive them and give it to the Lord. I only raise it to show that Messianic folks have likely been far too small-tent. I would welcome a change for big tent Messianic faith, even if it meant building bridges to Catholics and other Christian groups.

As for Eitan Bar, I don't know him or his situation personally. I've only read about it from him and from people tangential to the situation, so I could be misreading this. But it seems to me he's resentful of the Messianic movement because it called out his sexual sin. This is a game that has played out so many times in the Evangelical world Bar now rejects; there's even memes about it!

When an Evangelical pastor rebukes a member for adultery, pornography, homosexuality or other sexual sin, the member leaves and complains about church hurt. In reality, they're in denial about sin. I kind of wonder if that's playing a role in Bar's own distancing from the Evangelical and Messianic world. From my outside perspective, that's what it looks like. I suppose Bar knows the truth, as does the Lord.

Bar blasts Evangelical fundamentalism, but honestly, they're one of the few groups actually calling out sin. And calling out sin is a very Biblical thing to do.

Bar has one thing right, though: the Messianic movement has been too closed and too sectarian, too quickly condemning other Christians as unsaved and fit for hellfire. But Catholics are not going burn forever in eternal torment. That's just not what the original reformers had in mind, and frankly, contrary to the New Testament.

While Juster and Cantor and other Messianic Jewish leaders seem to agree and desire an more open Messianic Judaism, they need to start in their own camp: an openness to Messianic believers who have ever-so-slightly different ecclesiology, nomology, soteriology.