By Jan Willem van der Hoeven

Sadly there are today in some Christian Zionist circles which started out on the right course influences at work which seem to be critical of their former biblical dedication to God?s prophetic truth concerning the care for His land and His people, a vision that was based entirely on the Bible.

I was therefore thankful to read the following honest and wonderful report and testimony from Constance Fisher:

Yisrael is a threat to the [enemy?s] staying in power on the earth as he sees prophecy coming to pass before his eyes. In short, ?Saul? represents COMPROMISE with the world order and the world?s way of seeing things, which certainly includes the Vatican. He was saying that this compromising spirit? this political spirit? would cause a separation of those who HAD been flowing with Him in His plan for Yisrael, from those who would continue on. This is not unlike Ruth and Orpah parting company over Naomi. Ruth clung to Naomi and returned with her to the land of Yisrael. Then I received the long article from a Messianic group in Yisrael, with one person?s delineated stand against the settlers of Gaza! It was a convoluted article which ultimately concluded that the Settlers should be removed, because ?The land is not important. It is only the Gospel [that] matters.? What He had shown us had come to pass. Here was a teacher regarding Yisrael who had sided with the move to remove Yehudah from Yehudah?s territory. What a HORRIBLE witness to those Jews who had taken a stand for Yisrael, fought for Yisrael, died for Yisrael because they believed, RIGHTLY SO, that they were doing so according to His Word.

I have subsequently wondered if these men and women will be as magnanimous when they come to remove them from their homes. It is a horrible witness for Messianics or any believer in Yeshua to say that His land is not important or is to be given away. What kind of a message does this send to Jews, who believe in the Elohim of Yisrael and believe in His Word although they are not as yet born again? They KNOW this anemic position is untenable scripturally. However, I have also met a number of believers who are also citizens of Yisrael who say no such thing? they STAND for the land of Yisrael.

I understand that there are those who love the land of Yisrael who believe that the Settlers were removed so that His judgment could be poured out on Gaza and all Edom. This may be? we will wait and see. HOWEVER, believing this and remaining supportive of the Settlers is quite different from taking a stand AGAINST them because ?IT IS ONLY THE GOSPEL THAT MATTERS.? The latter opens a door to compromising on all the land of Yisrael and Yerushalayim.

?THE LAND IS NOT IMPORTANT? IT IS ONLY THE GOSPEL THAT MATTERS?

Why is it that I continue to hear this mantra ?The land is not important. It is only the Gospel that matters? coming from a number of sources? Are they saying our Father is so impotent that He cannot do both? Is it necessary to give away His precious inheritance to preach the good news of the Hebrew Messiah? Scripture says otherwise. He is MORE THAN ABLE TO DO BOTH! It is HIS PLAN TO DO BOTH and if we come into agreement to divide and give away His land, we come against HIS PLAN: ?And I shall pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Yerushalayim a spirit of favour and prayers. And they shall look on Me whom they pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son. And they shall be in bitterness over Him as a bitterness over the first-born? In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, for sin and for uncleanness. ?And it shall be in that day,? declares YHWH of hosts, ?that I cut off the names of the idols from the earth, and they shall be remembered no more, and I shall also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the earth.? Zechariah 12:10, 13:1-2

Sounds to me like His people need to be in Yerushalayim to have His Spirit poured out upon them there, correct? So having Yerushalayim as part of Yisrael IS important. Not only does He very successfully do BOTH, spread the good news AND regather all His house to the land of Yisrael, but He also CLEANS UP THE WHOLE HOUSE? removing idolatrous names, false prophets and all uncleanness!

I will never forget years ago when I was teaching on the book of Daniel for the first time and I said something like, ?He doesn?t care about the land, buildings, of Yisrael. He just cares about the people!? When I got home, He brought a hard REBUKE and showed me in His word how much He LOVES HIS LAND and how PIVOTAL it is to HIS ENTIRE PROPHETIC PLAN!! He jerked me up by my collar. And He should have and I was GRATEFUL. I went back that next week and APOLOGIZED for this false statement and shared with them the TRUTH of His Word that He had so powerfully shown me. We must be TEACHABLE. He LOVES Eretz Yisrael, the land of Yisrael, AND He loves Am Yisrael, the people of Yisrael. They are ONE. Have you ever noticed that when you say, ?Yisrael?, it IS both the people and the land? They are ONE. Let us respect what He has to say and let His word be the FINAL word.

Even though He will bring about His purpose for Gaza irregardless of the expulsion, He made it very clear to us PROPHETICALLY to stand with the settlers as a witness to His ultimate purpose of restoration. He was going to USE THIS TIME to bring together His STICK OF YEHUDAH and His STICK OF EPHRAYIM. Those who didn?t grieve over this? who didn?t mourn over this? let me say, it is a concern. He told us WEEKS in advance, before Gaza was even a blip on the radar screen, that the enemy wanted to open a FRONT in Gaza. And this HAS happened with Kassam rockets now firing at Ashkelon kindergartens and other surrounding areas, not to mention the smuggling of arms. However, He has also shown Himself FAITHFUL and much of this has been thwarted. Praise Him! The Islamists are desperately trying to make plants grow in the hothouses previously run by Yehudah, and they CANNOT make them grow? not even with American assistance and know-how. Only HE can bring the increase and He says clearly in His word that the land will only blossom and bloom when HIS PEOPLE are regathered and tend the land. If I had stood AGAINST the Settlers, this fact would make me shudder! He is still bringing forth a WITNESS of HIS WORD through the failure of the greenhouses of Gaza, for those who have eyes to see.

We cannot be beguiled by academic degrees or fine sounding ?Christian? positions irregardless of whether the person teaching went to the finest schools or seminary or was a pastor for 40 years. Does what they teach LINE UP WITH HIS WORD?? That is the only question that matters. We must stand upon His word. HE IS RESTORING THE LAND OF YISRAEL AND HE IS SENDING FORTH THE GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM, which can never be preached apart from Scripture and the fulfillment of the prophets! Yeshua said very clearly in Luke 21:24, that the GENTILE NATIONS were the occupiers of Yerushalayim. Once again, WE MUST STUDY TO SHOW OURSELVES APPROVED.

In Acts 3:20-21, His word is also clear that the Messiah MUST REMAIN IN HEAVEN until the TIME OF THE RESTORATION of ALL. All what?? ALL that the PROPHETS have spoken! So it behooves us to not listen to what man is articulating, albeit eloquently? but to LISTEN to? STUDY HIS PROPHETS and line up with His WORD. He is RESTORING all that His prophets said He would restore, so we MUST find out what that is and LINE up with Him. And this includes and centers around BELIEF IN YAHSHUA THE MESSIAH, the coming King Who will rule and reign in YERUSHALAYIM.

Some trusted American church leaders are also lining up with this stance of dividing His land, saying that it doesn?t matter if America forces Yisrael to give away the land. Why? One reason given is because USA is in the middle of JerUSAlem. Please? The true name is Hebrew and is spelled Yerushalayim? no USA. Then a reason is given saying Joel 3:1-3 has to do with the end of the age? or the very end of the age, and we?re not there yet?? So, now it?s ok to give away the land, because, you guessed it, ?The land is not important. It is only the Gospel that matters.?

As time progressed in the plan to expel the settlers from Gaza, He told us He was going to SEND A STORM to the shores of America in JUDGMENT for America?s part in the expulsion? He told us that in May 2005. Can anybody say ?KATRINA?? Then He said He was sending another storm because America was continuing to come against the mountains of Yisrael in Samaria and Judea, (which the world and this Messianic leader call, ?The West Bank?). Can anybody say ?RITA?? These were the largest natural disasters to hit the United States of America! What will happen when America goes after the city of the Great King?! Do we want to be aligned with America then? Do we want our identity in America then? I pray not? NO! So much for ?no judgment? for dividing His land and scattering His people NOW. It has clearly happened.

In regard to the mantra, ?The land is not important. It is only the Gospel that matters.? According to His Word, our Father would disagree. He is the ultimate Zionist. His plan is to have a RESTORED YISRAEL AND YERUSHALAYIM WITH HIS KING ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT ruling the whole earth from there.

?Why do the nations rage, and the peoples meditate emptiness? The sovereigns of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against YHWH and against His Messiah, and say, ?Let us tear apart Their bonds, and throw away their ropes from us.? He Who is sitting in the heavens laughs, YHWH mocks at them. Then He speaks to them in His wrath, and troubles them in His rage, saying, ?But I have set My Sovereign (?Melek?) on Tsiyon, My set-apart Mountain.? (Kadosh har Tsiyon!) I inscribe for a law: YHWH has said to Me, ?You are My Son, today I have brought You forth. Ask of Me and I make the nations Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth Your possession. BREAK THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, DASH THEM TO PIECES LIKE A POTTER?S VESSEL. And now, be wise, O sovereigns; be instructed, you rulers of the earth. Serve YHWH with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest He be enraged, and you perish in the way. For soon His wrath is to be kindled. Blessed are all those taking refuge in Him.? Psalm 2

When we opened up the new International Christian Embassy Jerusalem headquarters in 1981, we proclaimed for all Israel to hear:

Knowing that God in His word has solemnly pledged to bring back His people, the Jews, to the land that He promised them as an everlasting possession, ?the land of their fathers?, which land certainly included all the area now in Israel?s possession, we pledge our support and untiring international effort for the unification of Israel?s land and Israel?s capital Jerusalem. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem. (International statement of support at the official opening ceremony of the new International Christian Embassy, 15 October 1981)

In February 1996, at the Third International Christian Zionist Congress organized by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, and timed to coincide with the 3000th anniversary of the Jewish presence in Jerusalem, delegates from around the world drew up a carefully-worded proclamation whose resolutions included the following:

Concerning Jerusalem: It is the Holy City of the Jewish people and those of biblical faith. At the time appointed by God, Messiah will return to sit on the everlasting throne of David in Jerusalem and will reign over the entire world in righteousness and in peace.

According to God’s distribution of nations, the land of Israel has been given to the Jewish people by God as an everlasting possession by an eternal covenant. The Jewish people have the absolute right to possess and dwell in the land, including Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Golan.

Christians should oppose all forms of discrimination and prejudice (anti-Semitism) against the Jewish people and the Jewish State and should actively seek to be a comfort and a friend to them?.

Further, we are persuaded by the clear unction of our God to express the sense of this Congress on the following concerns before us this day:

Because of the sovereign purposes of God for the city, Jerusalem must remain undivided, and under Israeli sovereignty, open to all peoples, the capital of Israel only, and all nations should so concur and place their embassies there.

As a faith bound to love and forgiveness, we are appreciative of the attempts by the Government of Israel to work tirelessly for peace. However, the truths of God are sovereign and it is written that the Land which He promised to His chosen people is not to be partitioned. It is our moral sense that Israel and the nations err in according favor and status to the current leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization and in placing in their hands land and people that are precious to God. It would be further error for the nations to recognize a Palestinian state in any part of Eretz Yisrael.

(Excerpts from the Proclamation of the Third International Christian Zionist Congress ? 1996)

May all of us who love the Lord, His Word and His purpose for Israel not be swayed by the opinions of this world and by what is nowadays considered to be politically correct. Rather, may we remain inspired only by the Word of the Lord and His Spirit in these dangerous and treacherous days. May it be so!

© Israel My Beloved