DELIVER US FROM EVIL

What a challenge we have all faced this last week with the stories and images coming from the areas in Israel near Gaza, where Hamas attacks inflicted so much carnage, and more recently, with footage from the air strikes by Israel on Gaza.

Now there is contested information about a missile strike on a hospital in Gaza that has inflamed Palestinian supporters. However, Reuters seems to have established that the video is false and predates the October 2023 war– see this link. As of the morning of 20th October in Australia, this is the latest news but things change rapidly in the Middle East and so further events may have occurred by the time you receive this newsletter. However, what we are seeing is the continuing ascent of evil and, with support of Hamas by the Left, the attempt at public deceit by the promotion of evil as good.

The response of Israel and the “atrocity” videos from Hamas were predictable even in advance, after the shock of the initial attacks. The next phase was bound to be “atrocities” committed by Israel, as this seemed to be the intention of Hamas and has been a successful strategy in the past. It is well-established that Hamas launches rockets from facilities like schools and hospitals, where weapons stores also are located. As images of mothers and babies dead and maimed from Israel’s retaliation emerge, Hamas has the material it needs for effective propaganda.

Great care is needed when evaluating any news out of Israel or Gaza. It reminds you of the importance of Churchill’s quote: “In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies”. It is difficult to establish the veracity of any information out of the Middle East because “bodyguards of lies” are working overtime.

I have listened to many commentators and read dozens of articles from various viewpoints this week, to try to answer two important questions:

1.     Why did this happen?

2.     What does it mean?

With these questions at the back of my mind, this week I have tried to provide a big picture for those who seek, like the Sons of Issachar, to understand the times. As I thought about the horror that we have seen and the challenges ahead as the forces of darkness try to draw the world into WWIII, there were two stories that came to mind.

How Do I Get to Dublin?

The first was a joke that I heard more than 20 years ago about an American tourist lost somewhere in the south of Ireland. He goes into a local store and asks the owner: “How do I get to Dublin?”. The store owner answers: “Well, I wouldn’t start from here”.

In evaluating the current conflict, we cannot understand what is happening if, like the tourist, we start from here.

Bad Systems Beat Good People

The second story is one from my own experience. In the early 2000s, I was facing a range of problems in the university veterinary teaching hospitals, which were losing money hand over fist. As fast as we sought to stem the money flow in one area, losses would accelerate in another. I sought assistance from a very clever businessman who, was a member of a group of CEOs that I had joined to seek some commercial nous. He spent some time examining the situation and came up with a critical insight: “Bad systems will beat good people 100% of the time”.

He explained to me that there were good people trying to do their best to make everything work, but we would keep losing money because we had a bad system. It was no good trying to fix the symptoms of the problem; we had to fix the system. Such a fix proved to be more difficult than I had thought initially.

Likewise, as we look at the situation in the Middle East, the systems and underlying assumptions make it difficult to find neutral ground to implement systemic solutions.

Some Lessons from the Stories

Both these stories seemed relevant to help readers and listeners gain a perspective of the current Israel-Hamas conflict. If we start from here (the terror event) and try to find a solution, none will be possible, just like the American trying to make his way to Dublin. Also, unless we understand the overarching international system and the global agenda, we will be distracted and put our hope in the various solutions or proposed peace agreements. However, they will never work. Israel is in a fight for its existence and the call for a “two state solution” is impossible when one of those states wants to see the elimination of the other.

We need to remember that the New World Order is attempting to use conflict, digital tools, economic pressure and “pandemics” to usher us toward a global system where “we own nothing and are happy”, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) and shown by the happy people who appear in this video from 2021.

Also, if you follow the money trail, in the US there is the military-industrial-congressional complex that I wrote about in a previous newsletter. It is in the interests of the money men to see an extension of the conflict in Israel and Ukraine.

The WEF and their Public Private Partnerships, support the UN’s cunning range of global initiatives to shepherd us toward the utopian 17 Global Sustainable Development Goals of the UN (SDGs) by 2030 - see this link. These goals are: no poverty; zero hunger; good health and wellbeing; gender equality (except no one knows what gender is); clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequalities; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; life below water; life on land; peace, justice and strong institutions; partnerships for the goals.

Apart from many of these goals making no sense (life on land, life below water?), there is not a single instance of central planning being successful when it involves handing our autonomy over to a huge institution. Somehow, we are being manipulated to believe that if we hand over all decisions to the UN, there will be no poverty, zero hunger and great health. It certainly will be true for those at the top of the pyramid!

Of course, we can just write this off as a utopian fantasy by elite globalists, which will never eventuate, and so why should we even be concerned? Well - we should be worried because our governments have signed up to the UN’s sustainable development goals and these guys are serious. No votes have been taken about the UN programs in any countries, but unaccountable officials are pushing forward with the UN agenda.

James Roguski has written in the last few days  - see this link - about the Working Group for amendments to the International Health Organization of the WHO seeking to find a way around existing rules to implement new and binding regulations that would be instigated when the next “pandemic”  is declared.

Even now, an army of bureaucrats is at work putting in place legislation to ensure that we have no autonomy. Digital IDs, central bank digital currencies and health regulations being planned by the WHO, are just a few of the tools that seek to centralize control and prevent freedom.

We need to remember this overarching aim as the Israel-Hamas conflict seeks to draw us into conflict with each other. Rather than being drawn into the mess, we should resist the narratives that are being presented by the global cabal or the Islamists and their supporters on the Left.

When you examine the shocking and barbarous attacks of Hamas on innocent Israeli villagers, it seems apparent that the intention was to induce a severe response from Israel. The retaliation by Israel would be sure to cause further terrible casualties that then enable propaganda of injured Palestinians that will enrage people against Israel. The world then becomes polarized and drawn into supporting one side or other of what becomes a global conflict.

Such an outcome seems to be the intention of Hamas from the outset of this shocking terrorism.We have to remember that Hamas is a self-declared death cult and their charter is to destroy the state of Israel completely.

The Palestinian and Israeli citizens are unfortunate pawns in a conflict that is designed to draw the world into a war that looks as though it could have China, Russia, North Korea (and assorted Marxist states) and the Muslim countries on one side and the US and Western allies on the other.

What Can We Learn From History – Why Did This Happen?

It is hard to see any solutions from where we are now because the antecedents are so significant but forgotten. Most people are reluctant to examine the historical context, which can teach us much about the current horrific situation around Gaza. In fact, most schools and universities today do not teach important historical events, and so it is easy to stumble headlong into yet another disaster because there is no political or societal memory that allows us to answer the question: why did this happen?

The twenty-year disastrous Middle East conflict following 9/11 has sent the US broke (a recent figure I read is US$7 trillion spent but probably more like $10 trillion in net present value) and emboldened the Muslim fundamentalists. The Islamic scholars, who have widespread support from everyday Muslims in the West, want to spread global conflict or jihad. Even Henry Kissinger pointed out in the last week that the unrestricted migration to the West, of those with a completely different philosophy and religion, has sown the seeds of the West’s destruction -see this link.

Some in Islam believe that conflict with the West is a means of bringing forward the return of the “guided one”, the Mahdi. They believe that the world then will be under Islamic domination and we all will have to submit to Islam and Sharia Law (see my post from last week). This is not a recent development but one of the original aims of Islam since the 8^th century.

There have been many battles between Islam and the West since the time of Muhammed, but in the last 100 years, the economic power provided by Middle East oil has given Islam the capability and influence that it previously lacked. Of course, when this is backed by perhaps millions of “true believers” who see their own pathway to paradise being enabled by inflicting death and achieving personal martyrdom, we have no answer. We in the West don’t seem to have the will to fight the doctrines of a death cult. We have been deceived by the lure of multiculturalism and have invited “the religion of peace” to establish deep roots in Western countries. It is worthwhile reviewing this website - The Religion of Peace.

Not only have we enabled the fundamentalists in the Middle East, but we have apparently shown incompetence when retreating from combat zones. The hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan ordered by Joe Biden resulted in perhaps US$800 billion of weapons being left behind to arm terrorists around the Muslim world. Then, Iran has been gifted US $6 billion from the Biden administration to further arm Iran’s terrorist proxies – Hamas, Islamic State and Hezbollah. The Biden administration has actually fostered the current conflict and has many members of its intelligence and security staff that have close ties to Iran.

Many believe that this is incompetence by a hopeless US administration. However, when you combine these decisions with reckless spending, the creation of an impossible debt load, the opening of the southern US border to potential terrorists and the incapacitation of the military, which seems to only focus on woke issues, and the the destruction of US energy independence, there is only one conclusion possible. These decisions are not incompetence but seem to have the goal of destruction of the sovereignty of the US and its economic power, which has been a long-term global aim.

So – as we try to make sense of what is happening in the Middle East today, it is important that we take a historical viewpoint. Last week in my newsletter, I wrote about the destructive hatred of the Jews that has been afoot ever since God called Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as patriarchs of a special nation that He would use to bless all nations (Genesis 12:3).

There is ingrained antisemitism that seems to be part of the international agenda and a continuing focus of the notorious UN Human Rights Council, which repeatedly denounces Israel while saying nothing about countries like China and North Korea – see this link.

As I have been searching for a presentation that provides a good overview of the Arab-Israeli conflict, I came across a video that provides a snapshot of modern Israeli history by Dr Nikos Sotirakopoulos from the Ayn Rand Institute in the US. The presentation is 30 min long, and there are some excellent questions that follow from the presentation, which results in a video that is 53 min long and titled “The Left’s Long War on Israel”.

Dr Sotirakopoulos is an instructor at the Ayn Rand Institute, with a PhD in political sociology and has worked for the last 10 years in UK universities. His most recent book is Identity Politics and Tribalism: The New Culture Wars.

Dr Sotirakopoulos begins his talk with a great introduction that I enjoyed:

“It was once said that Communism has no history. Communism has a criminal record.

And you have heard about the many crimes of Communism…but there is one element of Communist evil that many of you may not have heard of…..I’m talking about the war waged by Communist countries, by the Communist movement and by radical leftists in general, against Israel……The materiel and moral support that Communist countries and radical leftists have been giving to all sorts of enemies of Israel….from Arab dictatorships to Palestinian guerrillas to anti-Israeli Western Europe terrorists. The Left’s long war on Israel is a fascinating but mostly unknown story. A story of hate and a story of destruction. But it is also a very didactic story….not only for a student of history…not even a story about the past….a story that teaches us about the present….and teaches us about the character, identity and DNA of the Left.”

The talk focuses on the history of modern-day Israel from 1947 up until today, and Dr Sotirakopoulos demonstrates the irrational hate on the Left and the way that the Left has supported the Islamists, who stand for everything the Left hates – homophobia, the subjugation of women, severe punishments for crimes like theft and overall religious fundamentalism. It’s  a great example of the saying that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”.

Dr Sotirakopoulos’ talk provides very useful context to understand what is happening with the support that we see for Hamas today, notably by the Left in the West.

So, if I return to one of my original questions in relation to the war between Israel and Hamas and address the question: why did this happen? Here are a few of the answers:

• A supernatural hatred towards Jews and the state of Israel has deep spiritual roots and is a core item of belief by the Muslim countries and the Left in the West.

• Internal turmoil in Israel that has occurred because of the complexities of a coalition government where the different parties have different goals. The turmoil resulting from the changes to the selection of High Court judges seems to have diverted attention of the government from focusing on the longstanding enemies on Israel’s borders. See this link.

• Intelligence failures? This seems very unlikely, given the sophistication and ability of Israeli intelligence. It makes you wonder if what we have seen is part of another plan, and a number of commentators have raised the possibility of the attacks of Israel being allowed as a “false flag” event. One of the remarkable facts is that Hamas was created by the Israeli government to be a counterforce to the Palestinian Authority. Hamas’ leaders are billionaires leading the Palestinian freedom movement from the safety of Qatar. Nothing is what it seems in this conflict.
  There is a useful article about the intelligence failures of Israel, published in the Washington Examiner in the last few days – see this link. Undoubtedly, more information will emerge in coming weeks about what happened in Israeli intelligence that left the Gaza border so exposed. There is also the shocking failre of the military to come to the aid of local residents and some reports indicated that help arrived only eight hours after the bloody attacks commenced.

• The West has taken in millions of “refugees” from Muslim countries, and now all Western countries have problems as the Left in these countries combines with their Muslim populations to demand the destruction of Israel. At its roots, this is a spiritual hatred that can never be overcome by negotiations and agreements about land.

What Does It Mean?

The significance of the War in Gaza (and Ukraine – now largely forgotten by the newspapers) is part of a context that can be clearly seen when standing back from the fray. Every road leads to the eventual demand for a “great leader” to solve the problems and also the need for a global government - if we have eyes to see. Here are just a few of the roads that I believe all lead to the same outcome – a global dictatorship:

• The green agenda, with its focus on “sustainable development” (which means no development) has been gathering pace for the last 50 years, and the “solution” is the de-industrialisation of the West, population control and the elimination of food-producing animals. We are being shepherded into 15-minute cities (see my post from 1^st September this year). This “crisis for humanity” is the overriding agenda that lies behind many other issues being promoted by the New World Order. It will be necessary to eliminate private property rights under a system controlled by the state. The outcome - handing total control of emissions and energy to a global organization.

• Transhumanism – the merging of man and machine. This seems to have been tied into the transgender movement, which has at its heart the elimination of gender and the family as well as the promotion of a new digital identity. The outcome – elimination of the family and establishment of a “new humanity 2.0”.

• The digital world – the combination of digital identity and central bank digital currencies will allow AI to track our movements and purchases and provide total government control. We will be told that this is necessary for our own safety, as we hand over all our information to Big Brother. We can’t trust the usual incompetence of governments because AI will have control and is very efficient. The outcome – intrusive surveillance, restriction of our movement and control of our purchases.

• Global conflict – the Ukraine and Gaza conflict is part of a wider global agenda to enrich the global elite and ultimately pave the way for a “man of peace” to enter the world stage. The Bible tells us that this extraordinary individual will bring about a Middle East peace agreement (Daniel 9:27) that heralds the start of a seven-year period of terrible trials and tribulations. The outcome – the rise of a global leader to solve the conflict.

The End of the Age?

As I look at current events, I can see the tools and opportunities to implement global government and enable the rise of a deceptive dictator who, the Bible tells us, will eventually demand the allegiance and worship of all - see this link. You could say that I may be misinformed, but I have made a 20-year study of Biblical prophecies, and this is the lens through which I write to help inform the Sons of Issachar readers.

Undoubtedly, the forced vaccination of most of the world and the associated vaccine passports and IDs, were a test run for a coming global control and surveillance state. Wars and conflict are also tools that are used to control populations, enrich the elite and centralize power.

We need to resist those who seek to lead us into war, often used to restrict freedom and promote fear. The current conflict in Israel has no winners, and each day there will be new incidents that inflame an already horrific situation. It is important to remember that the aim of many of the key combatants against Israel is the complete destruction of Israel and the elimination of all Jews.

Nonetheless, God’s hand is on Israel and I have confidence that God’s purposes will be fulfilled. As the great prophet Isaiah wrote around 700BC

“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
They shall never hold their peace day or night
You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent,
And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth” (Isaiah 52: 6-7)

The Bible prophets wrote about the close future but also about the distant future. For example, Isaiah wrote about the coming judgment on Israel as the people were sent into exile. He also clearly prophesied about the coming of Jesus the Messiah in the remarkable verse:

“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Isaiah also wrote about the God’s future work to restore Israel at the end of the age.

The Bible has a lot to say about the end of the age when Jesus returns, and this return is closely tied to the future of Israel. This will be a time of great trouble (or great tribulation), and while no one knows how close we are to this endpoint, we see some of the signs of this time approaching.

It is important to know that God’s promises to Israel were unconditional, and while there are undoubtedly evil rulers in Israel as in other nations, God’s heart for His people and His promises will prevail. An overarching view for Sons of Issachar is the sovereignty of God, even in a world where evil seems to be on the ascendancy.

Future Hope

This week, we have been reading and singing a remarkable passage from Isaiah 62:

“For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
And her salvation as a lamp that burns.
The Gentiles shall see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory.
You shall be called by a new name,
Which the mouth of the LORD will name.
You shall also be a crown of glory
In the hand of the LORD,
And a royal diadem
In the hand of your God.
You shall no longer be termed Forsaken,
Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;
But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah;
For the LORD delights in you,… (Isaiah 62:1-4).

Although this was written 2,700 years ago, God will not rest until Jerusalem is established as a praise in all the earth when Jesus returns to inaugurate an everlasting reign of peace. This sounds fanciful to many, but for me, it is a sure hope and a solid foundation, founded upon God’s own promises.

It is hard for us to remember that the battles here on Earth are just a reflection of the spiritual battle in the heavenly realm. The great St Paul wrote about this to the church in Ephesus as follows:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

As we all struggle to make sense of the terrible events around us and the even more terrible that are to come, it is important to understand that we are seeing the results of a great spiritual conflict. St Paul’s advice is to “put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11), which has its effectiveness in the foundation of prayer (Ephesians 6:18).

There will be a day of true justice when Jesus returns, and it is important to keep this hope before us. Prayer seems like an unlikely weapon with what we see happening around us, but it was the principal tool used by Jesus as He brought the Kingdom of God to the regions around Galilee two thousand years ago. His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray (see Matthew 6:8-14), and one of the critical lines of this prayer was: “deliver us from evil” (Luke 6:13).

This is what we have been praying here, along with prayer for the “peace of Jerusalem” which will be an everlasting peace only when Jesus returns. Israel stands at the crossroads and clearly must do everything it can to secure its future as it faces the assault of the forces of darkness that seek its elimination. While things look very dark, God has said that He will not rest until “ He makes Jerusalem is a praise in all the earth” (Isaiah 52:7).