" ... for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem" Micah 4:2.
Could these pictures be a message to the world and a portent of things to come?
In responding to my personal request Israel Today wrote the following (13- 02-2013):
Shalom Rev. Powell, You are welcome to use some of our snow photos with credit given to Israel Today. Jerusalem will see at least some snow almost every winter. However, the kind of snow we received this year (about 30 cm. in some areas) only occurs once every 5-10 years. Typically the snow does not come in December, but rather January-February. Blessings from Jerusalem - Ryan Jones, Israel Today.
At least twice in “modern” history snow has significantly contributed to the outcome of war:
Zechariah 14:2-3 - I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle.. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.
Have you entered into the treasures of the snow, ... which I have re- served against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? – Job 38:22-23.
Secular people and sadly even some Christians fail to see the Hand of God in the coincidences of history. That is forgivable except for the occasions when there is some prophetic indication about events in the Bible— God’s Word cf. Matt. 16:3. Such must be the case in respect of the modern state of Israel, which stands as a monument to the incredible displays of supernatural intervention on their behalf throughout history, notwithstanding their failings and appalling suffering. If asked for a proof of the existence of God, and for the fact that the Bible is the Word of God, there can never be a better answer than that given to Frederick the Great (1712-86), King of Prussia, which is deemed to be the shortest ever given:
“Can you give me one single irrefutable proof of God?” “Yes, your Majesty, the Jews.” (MARQUIS D’ARGENS to Frederick the Great, 1779).
If that was true then it is doubly true now. As Dr. Paul Wilkerson confidently affirms:
The re-establishment of the Jewish State proved that the Abrahamic Covenant had not been abrogated. .... Israel has been described as “God’s time clock”, “God’s barometer”, “God’s prophetic clock”, “the powder keg fuse for the final world conflict”, “the divine touchstone of world politics”, and “the evidence that God is the God of history”. In the words of Leonard Sale-Harrison, “Watch the Jew, consider his movements in the light of the Word of God and you have your finger on the time of the great world-movements which are still to take place.”
The Devil’s in the Detail
According to Wikipedia the above well known idiom first occurred in 1965 and is derived from the earlier phrase, “God is in the detail”, which occurred in French - “Le bon Dieu est dans le détail” = “The good God is in the detail” as early as the mid 19th century. In essence both idioms refer to a catch or mysterious element hidden in details. Yet the idea of God being in “the detail” is seldom considered in today’s society. The following recording from 47 years ago, which is well worth listening to, may suggest a reason - http://stg.do/9LDc Our problem is we’ve given place to the devil! Nevertheless the God of the Bible is the God of detail.
Nothing could be more detailed than a snowflake. It takes countless numbers to constitute a “snow storm”, yet observation and photography of snowflakes since 1885 have failed to discover two snowflakes that are identical. The God of detail declared that He had “reserved” the “snowflake” for the time of battle and war. It has already occurred! Will it happen again?
The final battle, when the forces of Satan and the world will array themselves in defiance against the God of Israel and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is yet to be fought. The Bible refers to a battle at “Armageddon” (Rev. 16:16), which is the gathering place for the final conflict (Rev. 16:14) for Jerusalem. Clearly this will take place in Israel. Doctrines and ideas surrounding the end time 3rd World War vary greatly, but the TRUTH, as always, is in the detail. Read the Bible in an unbiased manner, asking God to guide you. Pay attention to detail. The God of the detail is the God of HISTORY and PROPHECY and the God of ALL TRUTH.
A detailed, biblical examination of doctrine (teaching) will inevitably reveal truth and expose error, making biblical discernment vital in our time. Recently I had a long email debate with my 85 year old friend Trevor Chandler (TC), who arguably has done more than any other leader to influence the Pentecostal movement in the antipodes away from the original premillennial end time teaching of our Pentecostal forebears, including a strong belief in the prophetic place of modern Israel, in Bible prophecy. He and those who embrace his views fail to recognise that the New Covenant was made with ethnic Israel – “the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Jer. 31:31 cf. Heb. 8:8) – and that neither the Old Covenant (OC) nor the New Covenant (NC) is ever said to replace the Abrahamic Covenant (AC), which is still in force and will not be abrogated because it is based on PROMISE not on WORKS – see Gal. 3:17. Truth is in the detail.
At least TC is man enough to state his belief whereas Wayne Alcorn, President of AoG appears to be wanting in that area – see Open Letter to AOG Australia Home Page www.cwm.org.au and join the troops who are making comments. If nothing else let’s try to shame the AoG into making a statement about Israel, “the apple of His (God’s) eye” (Deut. 32:10 cf. Zech. 2:8).
Once more I commend the contents of this CETF to your prayerful consideration and thank you for your prayerful and practical support in these difficult times. We are determined to face the important issues of our day, without fear or favour.
A plethora of false teachers and false teachings have invaded today’s Pentecostal Church. Our godly forefathers, including principal James Wallace warned against these things. My former colleagues largely ignored the warnings. They sowed to the wind and now we are reaping the whirlwind (cf. Hosea 8:7). Men from the Word of Faith and the Faith Prosperity camps have influenced virtually the entire AoG movement within Australia. One new operator is an American preacher called Bill Johnson. In this issue of CETF (see pp. 33-37) we commence a series of three articles in which we will examine and expose him and his teachings.
We need Revival – see Aeron Morgan’s article (pages 7-10), and we need discernment in respect of false teachings and false teachers – see The Error of A-MILLENNIALISM (pp. 25-30), Desiring God or Desiring Influence? (pp. 31-35), Calvinism’s Misrepresentation of Arminianism (p. 6) and much more in this CETF, which does NOT include Letters to the Editor as these are now being referred to the website after each article.
God bless you and may Jesus Christ be PRAISED in all things.
Philip
