Amir Tsarfati BEHOLD ISRAEL

Amir Tsarfati: The Third Temple & Red Heifers?
less than 9 mins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRqm9ZQh7GQ




Shalom from Israel! When I published this newsletter last week, Israel was on the brink of a major retaliation against Iran for the historically large UAV, cruise missile, and ballistic missile attack of April 13. But just as the finishing touches were being put on the newsletter, I heard rumors of an alternative option. In return for the US imposing strong sanctions on Iran, approving military actions against Rafah, and transferring financial aid to Israel, the Israeli government would hold off on its intended attack. I made it clear that I was not a fan of that course of action but said that it might be slightly more palatable if a fourth item was added to that list – some sort of military retaliation, even if it is minor, must be taken by Israel against Iran.

In the early hours of the next morning, Israel struck. But instead of the massive retaliation expected, it was a tempered strike. Small quadcopter drones were sent into Iran to confuse the air defenses. These were followed by Israeli Air Force (IAF) jet fighters that fired missiles at the Shikari base in Isfahan destroying the air defense systems deployed to protect the Natanz nuclear facility 150 km away. Compared to what was originally discussed, it was certainly a minor strike.

Why didn’t Israel exploit this perfect opportunity to destroy Iran’s nuclear sites? There are two primary factors that led to them holding back. First, the US administration was dead set against it. If the previous president was still in office, this last week would have been very different. Actually, under the previous administration, Iran never would have had the chutzpah to launch their attack to begin with. But we must work with what is, rather than with what might have been. Prime Minister Netanyahu and his administration are dealing with an extremely complex international situation. While it is easy to say, as I have often done, just go in and blow Iran’s nuclear capabilities to pieces, there would be huge ramifications for Israel doing so. I still believe that there will come a time when we will be forced to act alone in this realm, but I understand the PM’s need to keep relations with the US strong. This is primarily true due to the second factor below.

Israel is already fighting a war, and that war is only going to get bigger. If you think that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are nearing the end because they’ve already worked their way through northern and central Gaza and are now ramping up to move into Rafah (southern Gaza), you are missing the bigger picture. Once we are done with Gaza in the south, that is when we will need to turn our full focus onto Lebanon and Syria in the north and the West Bank. What we will find awaiting us there is a much better funded, much better trained, and much better weaponed terrorist military in Hezbollah. We will also be facing multiple Iranian proxy militias in Syria. This is not the time we can say to our allies who are helping supply us with munitions, “Forget what you say, we’re going off on our own.” Again, that day will come, but it is not today.

What benefits came from Israel tempering its response? The US House approved a foreign aid package on Saturday night that included $26 billion in wartime aid to Israel. On Tuesday night, the senate approved that bill. Second, the US has signed off on Israel moving into Rafah to finish the work against Hamas. Finally, Iran has received the message from Israel, “Now you know that we have the capability to destroy your nuclear facilities any time we choose.”

Again, am I fully satisfied with Israel’s retaliation against Iran? No. But I understand it, and I respect the incredibly difficult waters through which Netanyahu and his cabinet must navigate.


The Middle East

If you haven’t already, please join my Telegram channel. Recently, it passed 500,000 subscribers, and 25,000 more joined in just the last week. That’s because Telegram is the one place where I can keep everyone fully abreast of all that is going on in Israel, the Middle East, and the rest of the world without the concern of being censored. If you want the details surrounding what you are reading in this newsletter, my Telegram channel is the place for you!


Israel

Sunday saw two terrorists, one armed with a gun and another with a knife, attack IDF soldiers near Hebron. Both were killed. Later, a woman with a knife tried to stab soldiers at a West Bank checkpoint, and she too was killed. The next day, two Palestinians drove their car into a group of Israelis in Jerusalem, sending three pedestrians flying into the air. The terrorists then exited the car with a rifle, but, before they could fire, the gun jammed. Unable to hurt more people, the two assailants fled, only to be captured later. The three pedestrians received minor injuries. It is not just the steady barrage of rockets fired over the northern border that keeps tension high in Israel, but these ongoing terrorist attacks.


Gaza

The concentration of military forces east of Rafah has begun. This is a strong signal that ground maneuvers will be beginning soon. Egyptian officials read in on the plan report that Israel has a 2–3-week plan to move civilians out of the area north toward Khan Yunis before moving in. They will be prevented from going further north by the Netzarim Corridor. This is a buffer zone cutting Gaza in two. The IDF is expanding and modernizing this area in order to keep a strong military presence separating Gaza City from Khan Yunis and below.

One cry from the antisemitic left is that Israel is starving Gazans. But is that the truth? A news anchor for the ruling Palestinian faction, Fatah, has accused Hamas on air of killing aid workers and stealing food in order to manufacture a food crisis in Gaza. The terrorists accumulated the aid into warehouses leading to “these crazy and unreal prices that no one can pay”, said the anchor. In the same way that Hamas shows its disregard for the Palestinian people by using them as human shields, it deliberately starves Gazans for political talking points.

Warnings are flying that Qatar is preparing to evict senior members of the Hamas political bureau from their cushy hotel rooms and from the entire country due to the terrorist group not negotiating in good faith for a return of the Israeli hostages. But these multi-millionaire terrorists need not worry about being forced to live on the streets. Turkey is waiting with arms wide open to welcome them in. Following Turkish President Erdogan’s asinine comment last week equating Hamas fighters with Turkish freedom fighters, he enjoyed quality time with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul Saturday. Turkey is looking for influence in the Muslim world after many years spent outside of radical Islam. This is completely expected for all who know their Bibles. When the Ezekiel 38 war launches, Turkey will be there with Iran and Russia aiming all their weapons at Israel.


Northern Battle

Israel continues to hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in preparation for a likely war in the near future. Just yesterday, the IDF claimed to have hit approximately 40 targets in southern Lebanon, targeting storage facilities, weapons, and terrorist infrastructure. The day before, two Hezbollah leaders were killed in air strikes. Muhammad Khalil Atiya, a commander in the aerial unit of the group’s elite Radwan force, was assassinated in Azron. That same day near Tyre, Hussein Azqul, a major figure in Hezbollah’s air defense unit, met his end.

In response to the elimination of the two key Hezbollah figures, the terrorist group launched three drones toward Acre and Krayot in Israel. All three UAVs were intercepted by fighter jets. Along with the occasional drone attack, Hezbollah continues its steady dose of rockets flying over the border from Lebanon. Not to be outdone, the Iranian-backed proxy militias make their regular contribution of rockets fired from Syria.


University Protests

We all know that the one activity university students enjoy more than a raging frat party is a good old-fashioned protest. Unfortunately, what is taking place in colleges across the United States and into Europe is not your parents’ march for equal rights or an end to the Vietnam War. Today we have the element of Antifa and professional protesters, and they are incredibly skilled at ratcheting up the violent tension of these crowds of ignorant, impressionable teens and young adults. Now we see that pressure beginning to burst. Whether it is at Columbia, Harvard, the University of Texas at Austin, USC, or any of the other universities where the mobs are taking over, the police are facing overwhelming numbers of frenzied students. Many think they are doing a good thing, but they’ve been duped by those who know better and are masters at using lies and passion to create chaos. I don’t know what this is going to look like in the days ahead, but I am very concerned. I don’t see this just breaking up, because the provocateurs know that they have strong foothold.

I also recognize that this is a spiritual battle. Satan hates what God loves. This is a direct assault by the enemy against the people that God has chosen to be His own. He is using his minions – the provocateurs – to do his bidding, whipping up vitriol against Israel. It is very important to recognize that this is bigger than just these protests. This is a well-planned effort to pass antisemitism on to the next generation. The anti-Israel rhetoric that these students have been hearing in their classrooms is being driven deep into their hearts through these protests. Sadly, for many, if not most, it will remain there for the rest of their lives.

One last comment about these protests. Whenever you are looking for root causes of nefarious activities, it is always good to follow the money. In the last twelve years, Israel-hating Qatar has given over $3 billion to American universities. China has given more than $1.7 billion; Saudi Arabia, $1.4 billion; Russia, $141 million; Turkey, $81 million; Lebanon, $21 million; and the Palestinian Authority, $1 million. When you look at the anti-American, leftist drivel being taught in US universities these days, all you need to do is – what? Follow the money!


The Ministry

We are in the final stages of construction with CONNECT, and I couldn’t be more excited! With the growing antisemitism in the world and the incredible power of the enemy’s false narrative, I truly feel that God has had us moving this direction for such a time as this. As I watch the media equipment being put in and the cables being pulled throughout the office and studio, I can’t help but think of the reach that the Lord is going to give us not just around the world, but in Israel itself! Thank you for your prayers and your support of this vital new tool for reaching around the globe with God’s truth.

If you’re confused over stories you’re hearing about red heifers and temples being built, you’re not alone! On Sunday, I recorded a short video that will hopefully answer your questions. “The Third Temple and Red Heifers?” will make clear whether, as Christians, these are events that we should be looking for and supporting.

While the rebirth of the nation of Israel remains one of the most revealing signs of the world’s location on the prophetic timeline, so much is yet to come regarding the Jewish state. Before the October 7 massacre in 2023, Israel was in an extremely divided state. Now, despite its newly united front, the nation is dealing with a new war on several fronts. The current circumstances have many wondering, "What's Next for Israel?" Will there be another war? Is peace on the horizon? What does the future look like for the Jewish people? Tune in for my new Scripture-based teaching, “What’s Next for Israel?”, premiering Friday at 12:00 PM PDT, as I answer these questions and more!

It is less than two weeks until the release of Discovering Daniel! With all the insanity taking place in the world, it is so encouraging to know that hope is found in God. Discovering Daniel is a book that highlights this hope and will leave you encouraged that God is in control and is working out His plans! Preorder while you still can!

Be sure to check out our Behold Israel Store, as we offer a handful of spiritually valuable resources, including books, Bible stuffers, and more! We’ve recently added two new Bible stuffers entitled, “Choose Life”, and “Who Has the Right to the Land of Israel?”. We designed these to be easy handouts to help equip people with the gospel and the truth about Israel!

After the amazing success of our Alaska Cruise conference in 2023, we are preparing to take our teaching back on the water! For these opportunities, we will be presenting our Discovering Daniel & Revealing Revelation Conference in two very different venues. The first will be a cruise through the Mediterranean, which will take place from October 19-29, 2024. Our second opportunity to present these teachings will be on the waters of the Caribbean on January 18-25, 2025. Registration for both cruises is currently open! Make sure to register soon, as we anticipate these events to fill up quickly.

Thank you so much for your love, prayers, and support during these crazy times. It’s a blessing to know that you are there lifting our arms up as we seek to bring truth to Israel and the world.

Awaiting His Return,
Amir Tsarfati

https://mailchi.mp/beholdisrael/amirs-bible-bites-devotionals-1007367-q7a8ch7s7m-1008184?e=52ebe87529
While we were dead in our trespasses and our sins, He resurrected us while we’re still alive. This is not the resurrection from the dead that will happen in the future. So, if the Bible says, “If then you were raised with Christ….” In other words, if you are a true believer, then what? “Seek those things which are above, where Christ is.” Where is Christ right now? He’s at the right hand of the Father right now. And it says so: “Sitting at the right hand of God.” And then he says, “Set your mind on the things above…” and what? “Not on the things on this earth.” In other words, a true believer is someone who is not always thinking about the things on earth, but he’s someone who is rapture-ready, as we just said. Someone who is geared up for something that is way higher, much better, the greatest calling of all, the greatest future of all. This is all temporary here. This is all, I mean literally, it’s all plastic. It’s not real. This thing that we are going through right now is going to be such a dot in eternity. And we have to seek those things which are above.


Amir Tsarfati: A Dot in Eternity
While it is true that we all as believers have our individual struggles and battles against our flesh, it is also true that some battles are more common among us than others. Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness would be one of them. The struggles of life are always trying to climb into first place in our minds and emotions. We want to seek first the Kingdom, but don’t always do so.

One of the greatest battles against our flesh common among believers is contentment.

1 Timothy 6:6-8
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

The Greek word translated as “contentment” means “a perfect condition of life in which no aid or support is needed.” We can better understand this type of contentment by considering what Paul wrote to the Philippians:

Philippians 4:11-13
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

This tells us that the contentment the Bible speaks of is more about attitude than actuality. That means, contrary to what the word/faith movement teaches, contentment is not dependent upon bounty and, thus, it is not God’s will that every Christian be wealthy through faith. If it were God’s will that we all be wealthy by faith, then why would the Spirit inspire Paul to tell us to be content with the things that we have? Or why would Paul, a great man of faith, know what it is like to be abased, hungry, and suffer need?

Our society spends billions to convince us that we can’t be content without their products, cars, or clothes, and that having the things of this world is the key to contentment. The Bible says the opposite. Contentment doesn’t come through things, but rather through godliness.

Psalm 37:25
I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.

Isaiah 55:1-2
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.”

King David and the prophet Isaiah remind us that the Lord is faithful to us, and while we may not always have what we want or all the desires of our flesh, in Him will have all that we need and we can delight in our souls in the abundant blessings of knowing the Lord.

The Bible reiterates for us that life is a vapor and like the grass of the field and like the flower that fades, and all those comparisons are to remind us that we are here for a very short time in contrast to eternity. So why allow tough times to steal our contentment and joy? Our future is bright and glorious and we will dwell in a city whose builder and maker is God!

When life tries to get you down or circumstances are bleak and discouraging, read through Revelation 21:9-22:5 and remember your future home. It is a city of pure gold, with gates of single pearls and walls of precious stones, which will remind you that what people struggle and strain to obtain in hopes of being content in life, are common construction materials in the New Jerusalem where you will live forever.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

Shalom from Israel! Saturday night was very tense. There were rumors that Iran was actually going to do something they had never done before. They were going to attack Israel from their own soil. In the past they always had their little proxy terrorist minions do their dirty work. Why get Persian hands bloody when there are plenty of Arab to do the job? But this time, they felt that to keep their honor, the world needed to seem them step up and act. All the rumors indicated that it was going to be an air attack, and it was going to be massive.

The Attack

Then it launched. Dozens and dozens of explosive drones began their slow trip toward Israel. It’s an 8-hour flight for a drone to cross the airspace between Iran and my country. As we in Israel awaited their arrival, it was like watching war in slow motion.

But then the situation escalated. Drones were launched from proxy militias in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, countries closer to Israel. Those were followed by cruise missiles. In all, 185 suicide drones and 36 cruise missiles filled the air. The Israeli Air Force set to work, sending fighter jets to destroy these flying explosives before they reached our borders. But we weren’t alone. The United States, the UK, and France joined us in plucking them out of the sky.

Then came Phase Three of the attack. The drones and cruise missiles were not the end game. Their role was to deplete Israel’s air defense system prior to the primary attack – 110 ballistic missiles. As I mentioned earlier, it takes a drone eight hours to fly from Iran to Israel. A cruise missile’s flight is two hours. But a ballistic missile can traverse the gap in 12 minutes. I have to give the ayatollahs credit – it was a good plan. It just wasn’t good enough. In the end, 99% of the missiles and drones were intercepted. Those that managed to make it through caused a little bit of damage to an airfield and critically injured an innocent child.

The Historic and the Miraculous

History was made in the early morning hours of April 14. But more significantly, God clearly showed Himself.

It was historic in that Iran had never attacked Israel before from its own borders. As I mentioned earlier, they always had their proxies do their dirty work. This was the first time in the nearly 76 years of Israel’s existence and the decades of the Islamist regime in Iran that the ayatollahs put their own fingers on the trigger and pulled.

It was historic in that never before had an aerial attack of this type and this size been carried out. Again, there were 185 drones, 36 cruise missiles, and 110 ballistic missiles launched in a coordinated assault with the intention to cause major damage and loss of life. Some may balk, saying, “Yeah, but only one child got hurt. Israel really needs to temper its response.” Let me ask you this – picture a mass shooter loading himself up with multiple guns and 200 rounds of ammunition. He then goes to a crowded event and opens fire. Several people are struck and wounded, before he is tackled by bystanders and subdued. Do we say, “Relax, it’s not a big deal. It’s not like he actually killed anyone.” Or, do we say, “Thank the Lord that this man’s plan to massacre all those people was thwarted. Let’s put him away so that he can never do it again.” Iran’s intention was to kill many Israelis, and it is by that intention that they should be judged and punished.

It was historic in that not only did Israel receive help from the US, the UK, and France, but Saudi Arabia and Jordan also participated in shooting down anything that entered their airspace. Help, though, from our Sunni friends had begun prior to that night. The Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia and the UAE funneled classified intelligence through the US to Israel that helped spoil Iran’s plan. It’s truly remarkable to see the ever-growing effects of the Abraham Accords, mediated by the previous US administration.

It was miraculous in that this level of success never should have happened. Mordecai Avitbul, a Doctor of Physics who works for Israeli security, said, “When I look at what happened on Saturday night on a scientific level, it simply cannot happen.” He explained that to have such a high percentage of weapons destroyed would take every element of the process – human, electronic, mechanical – working just perfectly. He went on to say, “The likelihood that everything works out just as it should does not exist in complex systems like the defense systems that were operating…. Even if we got 90% protection, it would be a miracle…. If this is not an act of God, then I no longer know what a miracle is.” If you feel he may be a biased observer, let me assure you that he is not the only one who sees the miraculous in this event. A close friend of mine in the US who is involved in military security related to missiles and weapons of that sort has assured me that it is impossible to logically look at what took place that night and not see the hand of God. It just doesn’t happen.

If it seems like I am taking a victory lap, let me assure you that I am not. Intercepting hundreds of warheads and stopping a disastrous attack isn’t a victory. It’s just success. Victory is never achieved by defensive actions. The enemy will just fall back, regroup, find ways to improve, and try again. Attacking and defeating the enemy is the only path to true victory. That is why Israel must now go on the offensive.

The Response

No sooner were the engines cool on the jet fighters than the US and Western Europe began to warn Israel against a strong response. As I mentioned above, their logic went something like, “Yeah, Iran was wrong for doing that, but nobody really got hurt, right? Let’s just forget it and move on.” Really? Let’s imagine an enemy fires 110 ballistic missiles at the White House or Buckingham Palace or the Élysée Palace. Just because your air defenses shoot the weapons out of the sky, are you then going to say, “Tsk, tsk, tsk. This is your warning, guys. Better not do it again”?

Israel is going to respond, and it will do so with force. Iran crossed a line and now they have brought the fight to their own soil. It may be a blow to their nuclear program, causing destruction to their production facilities. Their infrastructure may be targeted, taking out dams or electrical stations. The response could be directed at their economy, destroying oil production. Considering the Iranian currency hit an all-time 700,000 rials to the US dollar following the failed attack, this could be particularly damaging.

Whatever it will be, it is likely the ayatollahs will have to wait and wonder. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi indicated that a response was unlikely to occur until after Passover ends on April 30. This would enable a homefront policy that would provide for a much-needed, almost-normal Passover week for the people of Israel. It will also give the leaders of the Islamist regime time to sweat. Already they are pulling back workers and reducing the presence of IRGC senior officers from Syria. I understand the strategic benefits of waiting and moving in a time of our own choosing. However, I still think that a forceful attack that same night would have been more effective. The psychological impact of their failure being compounded by a devastating strike by Israel could have gone a long way towards demoralizing and quieting the violent religious radicals who are running the country. In a perfect world with the current U.S. administration’s pressure, an attack would have already been carried out.

There is one more twist to this story. A rumor has surfaced today of a deal that may be taking shape. If Israel does not attack Iran, the U.S. will 1) impose severe sanctions on Iran, 2) approve the actions on Rafah in the south and Hezbollah in the north, and 3) transfer the financial aid approved for Israel. Should this be true, it is almost as if Iran has unwittingly fixed all of the U.S.–Israel problems on the regional disputes. I see what the US and Israel are doing here; however, I’m not okay with any of this. This does not sound like Middle East language. It has much more of an American feel. When you leave an attack such as this unanswered in the Middle East, it emboldens the other side to feel like they’ve deterred you. I believe that Israel must do something militarily. Ideally, to the three points above, I would add a fourth that would allow Israel to hit back at Iran. Even if it is something minor, it would at least show that any strike they give will not go unanswered. Then, if Iran were to retaliate, we could come back on them forcefully giving us a win either way.

I do know one thing for sure, that however Israel responds and whatever the resulting escalation might entail, both Iran and Israel will survive this conflict. My confidence does not come from the military or infrastructure or allied relationships. My assurance is rooted in the Bible, where Ezekiel 38 tells me that when Russia comes against Israel it will not be alone. Among those joining Russia will be Persia, or Iran. Thus, Iran must be around to attack, while Israel must still exist so that it can be attacked. There is such clarity when people know their Bibles.

The Rest of the War

Before I go any further, let me encourage you to please join my Telegram channel. Recently, it passed 500,000 subscribers, and 25,000 more joined in just the last week. That’s because Telegram is the one place where I can keep everyone fully abreast of all that is going on in Israel, the Middle East, and the rest of the world without the concern of being censored. If you want the details surrounding what you are reading in this newsletter, my Telegram channel is the place for you!

In the south, the IDF is intensifying its readiness for a major assault on Rafah. Prior to the attack, all the civilians in the area are being encouraged to leave immediately. Any who refuse the order will likely get moving once the bombs start dropping. As always, the IDF will do all it can to minimize civilian casualties, despite Hamas’s policy of using their own people as human shields.

Daily strikes are taking place against Hezbollah in Lebanon. On Tuesday, a targeted attack in the city of Ain Ebel took out Ismail Youssef Baz, commander of the coastal sector of Hezbollah. That same day, another airstrike in Al-Shahabiyeh killed Muhammad al-Shahouri, commander of the Rockets and Missiles Unit of the Radwan Forces’ Western Region. No Hezbollah leader is safe as long as they are targeting Israel.

In a heartbreaking story, Nova survivor, 19-year-old Guy Ben Shimon, told a State Audit Commission on the treatment of survivors of the October 7 massacre at the dance festival that “there have been almost 50 suicides among the Nova survivors. This number, which was true two months ago, may have increased since.” The victims of Hamas’s holocaust continue to increase even to today.

As evil as Hamas is, they are not without friends. A recent article in The Times revealed that Iran has given at least $222 million to the terrorist organization. This isn’t a surprise. However, the article revealed the money pipeline which passed from Iran to Beirut to the Hamas Politburo to Yahya Sinwar in Gaza. Knowing this trail allows the possibility of freezing the Hamas accounts. Turkish President Erdogan gave Hamas some legitimacy, saying, “There is no difference between the Turkish national forces in the (Turkish) War of Independence and the Hamas movement now.” So, what I hear you saying is that Turkey’s freedom fighters also kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered innocent civilians? Are you sure Hamas is who you want to link your country’s history to, Mr. Erdogan?

The Ministry

This coming Monday night is the beginning of Passover. First instituted by God through Moses, it commemorates the night that the Lord used the blood of sacrificial lambs to demonstrate His mercy toward those who trusted Him. This relationship between sacrificial lambs and God’s mercy was later perfected in the willing crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah. If you want to learn more about this powerful connection between the Passover and Jesus’ fulfillment, tune in to the premiere of “The Messiah and the Passover Seder” on Friday, April 19, at 12:00 PM PDT.

If you are looking for a breakdown of the Israel and Iran showdown and how it relates to Scripture, tune into my guest appearance on last night’s episode of TBN’s “Stakelbeck Tonight”. In this ten-minute interview, we cover what’s next between the two countries, how this ties in with biblical prophecy, and the ways in which God is moving among His people in Israel.

The Barnes & Noble-sponsored Discovering Daniel sweepstakes is still on! If you pre-order the book between now and the day before its May 7 release date, you will be automatically entered for a chance to win a signed copy of the book, a 10th generation iPad, and a $125 Barnes & Noble gift card. While this is purely a Barnes & Noble promotion, we do appreciate it. Thanks B&N!

You can also check out our Behold Israel Store, as we offer a handful of spiritually valuable resources, including books, Bible stuffers, and more! We’ve recently added two new Bible stuffers entitled, “Choose Life”, and “Who Has the Right to the Land of Israel?”. We designed these to be easy handouts to help equip people with the gospel and the truth about Israel!

After the amazing success of our Alaska Cruise conference in 2023, we are preparing to take our teaching back on the water! For these opportunities, we will be presenting our Discovering Daniel & Revealing Revelation Conference in two very different venues. The first will be a cruise through the Mediterranean, which will take place from October 19-29, 2024. Our second opportunity to present these teachings will be on the waters of the Caribbean on January 18-25, 2025. Registration for both cruises is currently open! Make sure to register soon, as we anticipate these events to fill up quickly.

This has been a very trying time for my family. On Monday, I said goodbye to the third of my children who are serving in the IDF. May I ask that you pray for safety for them and peace for those of us who are left back at home? And not just for me, but please pray for all the Israeli men and women who have risen up to the call for service. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you also for your faithfulness in praying for and supporting the ministry of Behold Israel. We are able to carry on our work because of you. May God deeply bless you.

Awaiting His Return,

We must be Bereans. Which means? Who were the Bereans? Remember Acts 17? “The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. And these were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica.” How? “In that they received the word with all readiness. And searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” You see? We must search the Scriptures, not watch YouTube. Search the Scriptures, not round corners. Search the Scriptures and that’s when you’re ready. When you see that the Scriptures, when the Bible talks about the return of the Jews to the land in the end times – and you see the Jews return to their land – hello, it’s true then! “Oh, I don't think they are the real Jews.” Who are they? Eskimos? Tell that to Hitler. He knew exactly their names, their addresses. He went after them one by one.

Unless you know what the Tribulation is, you'll never know when it has begun. And that’s the problem. People make the Tribulation a lockdown. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Do you know what the Tribulation is all about? It’s a set of events considered to be God’s judgment on what? Look. “Satanic host of heaven and the wicked people here on earth, also preparing Israel to accept Jesus as Messiah upon His return.” That’s not what we see right now. And we must remember the difference with the day of Christ speaking about the return of Christ to earth and the Day of the Lord speaking about the judgment of God upon this world. We must remember that, because it appears so many times and we must not mix the two.

The Tribulation is the Day of the Lord, ladies and gentlemen. It has many names, by the way. The Great Tribulation, it speaks on Planet Earth in general. The Wrath of God, the Wrath of God upon the wicked people. The Hour of Trial, it’s for the saints of that era. And Jacob’s Trouble, that is, of course, regarding Israel. We must remember that and not confuse those things. The Day of the Lord has three layers. First, God’s dealing with Satan and his demons. Then, God’s dealing with the nations. And then, God’s dealing with Israel. Remember that it’s a span of seven biblical years that can be clearly seen through the Scriptures. And according to Daniel, as I said before, “It is going to be the 70th week, namely, seven biblical years of 360 days each, exactly 2,520 days.” Now why am I saying that? Why are numbers so important in this case? Because those who say that the Rapture can happen in the middle of the Tribulation, they actually know the day because we know exactly the length of the Tribulation. And if it’s 2,520 days, then 1,260 days after it begins, we’re being raptured. But we don’t know the day and the hour. You see, understand, even at the end of the Tribulation doesn’t make sense. What’s the story of God? Bungee jump? Taking us up and throwing us down immediately? It doesn’t even make sense because Jesus went to prepare a place for us there. So why would we not even spend time there? Hello! Plus, we’ve got a wedding to attend and we happen to be the bride.


Bible Bite: Understanding When the Tribulation Will Be
Among the many Bible verses that are either misquoted or taken out of context is the famed statement of Jesus in John’s gospel:

John 16:33
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

The word “tribulation” here means “anguish, burdens, persecutions, and troubles”. It does not mean “wrath”. Jesus was not saying, as many propose, that the church will go through the Great Tribulation. We know this because the Great Tribulation is a time of God’s wrath, which we do not have an appointment with (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

The purposes of the Great Tribulation are well-defined in scripture. To finish the years determined for Daniel’s people and holy city (Daniel 9:24) and to punish a Christ rejecting and disobedient world (Colossians 3:6). The Bible also states that there are plans for the church during the Great Tribulation that are “out of this world,” quite literally.

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Revelation 19:6-9
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

The judgment seat of Christ is in heaven as is the marriage of the Lamb and the next thing John records in Revelation 19 is the bride returning to earth with the Lord. To return with the Lord requires already being “where He is”. Thus, when the Lord ends the Great Tribulation with His return, the church will have already experienced the marriage of the Lamb and have stood at the judgment seat of Christ. Therefore the church cannot be on earth during any of the Tribulation.

The Great Tribulation, the Day of Jacob’s trouble, the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord are not in the church’s future. The Day of the Lord centers on Israel and a Christ rejecting world.

We will be safely in heaven, forever to be with the Lord, “in that day”. And in that, we can greatly rejoice!

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.

Shalom from Northern Israel –

What a week it has been. If there’s a biblical phrase that best describes my region of the world over the last seven days, it’s “wars and rumors of wars”. From the attack in Syria that killed multiple high-level Iranian personnel to the looming war with Hezbollah in the north to the imminent invasion of the IDF into Rafah in the Gaza Strip, the tension has reached unprecedented levels. If that’s not enough, Israel is making preparations for a potential and imminent confrontation with Iran in the days ahead. More on that below.

What’s worse is that Israel’s longtime friend in the west, the United States, has become unreliable during some of Israel’s darkest days since the nation was reborn in 1948. This is largely due to the current administration. Moreover, some well-known “conservative” voices in the west are beginning to adopt the mindset that it’s un-American to pour resources into other countries, including Israel. To those considering this same mindset, I would challenge you with a simple reminder that God will one day judge the nations based on their treatment of Israel, and Israel only.

Genesis 12:3a
“I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you…”

Joel 3:1-2
“For behold, in those days and at that time,
When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,
I will also gather all nations,
And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
And I will enter into judgment with them there
On account of My people, My heritage Israel,
Whom they have scattered among the nations;
They have also divided up My land.”

Matthew 25:37-40
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”

God will not ask anyone if they stood up for America or any other nation. He will only ask if they stood up for Israel. In these historic times of biblical proportions, let the enemy not deceive you. Standing with Israel is not an option from God; it’s a commandment from God.

The Middle East

What a milestone to have reached 500,000 subscribers to my Telegram channel! Thank you for your support of that outlet through which I can provide up-to-date reporting on news in Israel, the Middle East, and around the world. If you haven’t subscribed yet, do so today!

Israel
As I mentioned, the tension is at an all-time high inside Israel right now. In addition to the much-needed judicial reform in my country, the war in Gaza rages on, we’re bracing for escalations with Iran, and we’re receiving strikes almost daily up near our northern border. I can assure you, a conflict with Hezbollah is also on the horizon. However, the aim of the IDF and Israel’s government is to finish business in Gaza first – specifically, the city of Rafah, which is the final stronghold of Hamas. And yes, regardless of what the world media is telling you, we’re going to enter into Rafah soon and finish the job. Attacks are already happening there.

Maybe you’re thinking, “Amir, won’t this isolate Israel all the more if countries pull their support due to Israel not achieving a ceasefire?” To this, my response is twofold: 1) Hamas has rejected every ceasefire proposal put forth. 2) While it’s a shock to live through these biblical times, my God revealed ages ago that Israel would one day be isolated from the rest of the world so that only He will intervene on her behalf. Again, these are tumultuous times, but the God of Israel will make good on His promises.

Gaza & Hamas
One of the biggest complaints coming out of the UN and the global community has to do with the alleged death toll of civilians in Gaza. First of all, war is ugly, but the IDF does everything it can to minimize and avoid civilian fatalities. And let’s not forget that Hamas uses its people as human shields. They have perfected the act of cowardice. Secondly, it surfaced in a report on Wednesday that the Hamas-run organization responsible for keeping track of the death toll in Gaza couldn’t validate over 1/3 of the alleged deaths. Over 11,000 of the 30,000+ deaths could not even be verified.

On Tuesday, it surfaced that an Israeli attack killed three sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Additionally, some of his grandchildren were killed. One would think there would be great mourning. This is not the case when you love death more than you value life. He thanked his nonexistent god for their martyrdoms.

The IDF continues to operate in multiple areas inside of Gaza at this time. Often, forces will temporarily remove themselves from some key locations, which causes the terrorists to come out of their holes, exposing them, leading to their elimination.

Lebanon, Syria, and Hezbollah
As previously alluded to, Israel can see a war with Hezbollah on the horizon – it’s only a matter of time. And if we don’t deal with a direct attack from Iran, you can make a safe bet that we’ll deal with increased attacks coming over our northern border. By God’s grace, we haven’t had to deal with Hezbollah while we wrap things up in Gaza, which has allowed us time to move reinforcements up north and manufacture more ammunition and weapons.

Iran
In what’s not a surprise, the Islamic state of Iran continues to develop its nuclear program in pursuit of obtaining a nuclear weapon – something they’re no longer vague about. Iran also continues to strategically sow chaos in the Middle East through its proxies in the region. Furthermore, Israel is prepared to deal with a military confrontation with Iran any day now following the targeted killing of two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) generals and five others associated with the terror organization. This happened when the Israel Defense Force (IDF) leveled an annex in Damascus, Syria, that belonged to the Iranian embassy. One of Iran’s personnel that was killed was in the decision-making circle for Hezbollah and played a crucial role in the planning of the October 7 massacre.

The Iranians know that if they attempt to attack Israel directly, their nuclear sites will enter the crosshairs of the IDF.

The United States
While periodic support for Israel is expressed from the US government, the current administration is flirting with a dangerous line concerning the jeopardizing of its relationship with us during some of our darkest hours. Some of the more recent negative revelations coming out of the US include the decision to label products coming from “Jewish settlements in occupied West Bank”, increased pressure in the form of withholding aid if we don’t pursue a ceasefire in Gaza, and more. Commander of the US Central Command, General Michael E. Kurilla, is visiting Israel now to consult with top military officials in preparation for an attack from Iran.

Time will tell, but this current administration in the US is putting itself in a very weak and compromised position if it wasn’t there already.

The Ministry

I’m excited to tell you that we’re making significant progress at the site of BI CONNECT! What was once a void-and-without-form construction site is now beginning to look like a beautiful office and studio. I cannot wait to begin doing online ministry from this facility that God has richly blessed us with.

The Barnes & Noble-sponsored Discovering Daniel sweepstakes is now live! If you pre-order the book between now and May 6, you will be automatically entered for a chance to win a signed copy of the book, a 10th generation iPad, and a $125 Barnes & Noble gift card. While this is purely a Barnes & Noble promotion, we do appreciate it. Thanks B&N!

You can also check out our Behold Israel Store, as we offer a handful of spiritually valuable resources, including books, Bible stuffers, and more! We’ve recently added two new Bible stuffers entitled, “Choose Life”, and “Who Has the Right to the Land of Israel?". We designed these to be easy handouts to help equip people with the gospel and the truth about Israel!

While the concept of judgment for the non-believer is widely known and accepted, few understand that judgment is awaiting the believer as well; a very different judgment. Where is the bema seat of Christ? How can we get there? When will it happen, and how different will it be? This and more in Amir's teaching, The Bema Seat of Christ, tomorrow at 12:00 PM PDT!

After the amazing success of our Alaska Cruise conference in 2023, we are preparing to take our teaching back on the water! For these opportunities, we will be presenting our Discovering Daniel & Revealing Revelation Conference in two very different venues. The first will be a cruise through the Mediterranean, which will take place from October 19-29, 2024. Our second opportunity to present these teachings will be on the waters of the Caribbean on January 18-25, 2025. Registration for both cruises is currently open! Make sure to register soon, as we anticipate these events to fill up quickly.

I can’t thank you enough for the overwhelming support many of you have been sending to me on social media regarding your love for Israel. Moreover, thank you very much for your faithful financial support and abundance of prayers that fuel what we do each and every day.

If you would, please pray for the health and well-being of my team. There has been a significant number of challenges for members of the Behold Israel family. Your prayers on their behalf are coveted.

Despite the course that the world is on, I believe our God has big things in store concerning ministry in the months ahead. May we all remain diligent to fulfill our ministry in these Last Days as we eagerly await His return.

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Awaiting His Return,

Behold Israel

From:
info@beholdisrael.org

Mon, Apr 8 at 4:11 PM

April 8, 2024

If you put your trust in government, in military, in constitutions, say goodbye to those things. This world will never be the same. The world is getting more and more and more progressive and liberal by the second. That is exactly why we’re not of this world. That is exactly why we were told that our citizenship is in heaven, not here. If it’s so good here, how about being a citizen of Earth? No. And more than ever before, I hope you polish and shine your heavenly passport because soon you’re going to use it. If there is anyone here this evening who doesn’t know Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior, I’m telling you, you’re up for a very rough ride. This world is going to get worse and worse. I did not even mention yet, and it’s not for this message, the rising number of earthquakes – Israel in the last 12 hours had two – of natural disasters, of eruption of volcanoes.

There’re so many things that this world is going to go through, and I’m not saying that to scare you. I’m quoting the birth pangs that Jesus Himself talked about. “These things I tell you that in Me you will have peace,” He says. In this world you will have what? Tribulation. “But be of good cheer. I have overcome this world,” He said. He said, “Look, in this world, the only thing you have to rely on are the things of this world, and it’s getting worse and worse and worse. But believers, you switch those serious long faces with the smiley ones. He says, “Be of good cheer, for I have overcome this world.”


Amir Tsarfati: This World Will Never Be the Same
Few things highlight the uniqueness of the Christian faith more than the dichotomies we frequently encounter when reading the word.

Psalm 30:11
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.

Mourning and dancing are not words you would normally find in close proximity to one another when talking about life experiences.

Psalm 30:5
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Anger and favor, weeping and joy, all being found together in one sentence is a rather significant anomaly. Yet, these seemingly contradictory statements are at the very heart of what it means to be a Christian. The ultimate of these is in relation to Jesus Himself when it is said of Him:

Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

There was a joy that was greater than the shame Jesus despised when He was hung naked on a cross made from a tree. That joy was saving our perishing souls by His shed blood. With Him as our ultimate example, we can see the legitimacy of these opposing terms being paired together so frequently. There are joys awaiting us that far exceed the pains and sorrows in this life.

Psalm 16:11
You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Someday we will be in His presence forevermore and only joy and pleasure will be our experience. If we consider this when times of difficulty come, it will keep us on the path of life in our thinking. Often times our minds and emotions want to take us on a different path, one of doubt and seemingly endless despair. The enemy is more than happy to exploit these moments.

We live in intimidating times when wars and rumors of wars abound, economic struggles are a constant, truth and facts have been replaced with lies and fables, as we see the “whole world lying under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). Add to that, the earth is quaking, plagues and famine are looming, and all these things could lead to forgetting where we are going.

Another of the monuments of contrasting experiences is a reminder by the Lord Himself regarding this life:

John 16:33
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Jesus is not telling us that we will be present in the Great Tribulation, as some erringly propose, but rather that the life we now live in the flesh by faith in the Son of God will be peppered with affliction, troubles, anguish, persecution, and burdens. In fact, the word translated “tribulation” can also be rendered as any of the struggles on that list. Yet, Jesus says, when they come, be of good cheer for they have all been overcome.

It is easy to get distracted during perilous or troublesome times. It takes a conscious decision to remember where we are going and who has made our future of joy and pleasures possible, if we want to ensure we don’t let them control us. We live in perilous times and yet are reminded frequently that we can trust the Lord at all times, peace is ours to enjoy, and we can be of good cheer because we know where we’re going.

Psalm 121:1-3
I will lift up my eyes to the hills— from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.

It has been said: A single uplook can change your whole outlook. So keep your eyes on the prize and focus on the One who made the hills, the One who is our help, the maker of heaven and earth!

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

Shalom from the lush Jezreel Valley! Looking from my home to the vast swaths of farmland below, it is hard to believe that my country is at war. It is beautiful, serene, pastoral – until an Israeli Air Force fighter jet flies at low altitude over my head coming in for a land at the nearby airbase. On the one hand is a magnificent colorful bounty filling the land. On the other is war. That has been the juxtaposition of Israel for millennia.

Because of the unique nature of this nation, however, the battles are not limited to the physical. Yes, there is the war in Gaza, the constant skirmishing with Lebanon and Syria, and the indirect conflict with Iran through its proxies, which sometimes, like last week, becomes very direct. It is this action of blood and bombs that gets the headlines, leads to protests, causes the United Nations to pass silly resolutions, and is turned into political fodder for upcoming elections. And it is right that this violent conflict receives its proper attention. Lives are being lost on both sides of the battlelines and humanitarian suffering is rife due to the disregard which Hamas feels for their own people, using civilians as human shields and turning hospitals and schools into military bases.

The other war, however, did not begin on October 7. True, it has been exacerbated since then, but it is a battle that has been going on since the early church. This is a spiritual battle for the legitimacy of the Jewish people and, since 1948, the State of Israel. It is astounding to me how many Christians believe that God is done with the Jews. Whether it is because of their idolatrous past that led to their exile or because there were a group of them 2000 years ago who were responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus, they feel that God finally had enough of that rebellious people and kicked them to the curb in favor of the church. And, once again, this is nothing new. The whole reason Paul wrote Romans 9-11 was to address this exact fallacy. It’s also the reason why several years ago, I wrote the book Israel and the Church.

Every Wednesday morning, the staff of Behold Israel gathers on a Zoom call from their various locations around the world. Yesterday, I took the opportunity to remind them that we are on the front lines of a serious battle. We are not warring in Gaza or up in the north. We are fighting the spiritual battle that the enemy has been waging against God and His chosen people for time immemorial. I invite you to join us in this battle. Invest time to learn how we can be sure that just like a father will never abandon his children, our God will never reject the people He loves – referring both to the holy people of Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6) and the holy people of the church (1 Peter 2:9). Then, armed with this knowledge, take what opportunities God presents to let those around you know that, yes, God has brought His people, the Jews, back to the promised land just as He said He would in Ezekiel 36-37, restoring them as a nation. And, yes, the Lord has a future plan for Israel that will include a mass revival (Romans 11:25-29) and a reconciliation with the One whom they pierced (Zechariah 12:10).

Our God is faithful, and we must not allow the enemy to besmirch the character of our Lord by saying that His eternal love is only temporary and His promises are dependent upon our behavior.

Jeremiah 31:3-4,6
The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! …. For there shall be a day when the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.’”


The Middle East

Israel
The IDF is on its highest alert this weekend due to a convergence of events on Friday. 1) It is the last Friday of Ramadan. 2) It is Lailat al-Qadr (“Night of Power”), which celebrates the night the Quran was given. 3) It is Iran’s Quds Day (“Jerusalem Day”), a once-a-year show of support for the Palestinians. 4) Iran has already vowed to avenge the attack on Damascus, as described below. Individually, each is excuse enough for a terror attack. Taken together, they are an ominous warning. The commander of the Israel Defense Force’s (IDF) military intelligence said today, “We are not convinced that the worst is behind us. We are facing some very loaded and complicated days.” After the horrific events of October 7, we now recognize that we can no longer take any chances. We will not be caught off-guard ever again!

It was a difficult week for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on two fronts. First, Sunday saw him at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem where he underwent surgery for a hernia. The procedure went well, and he was released on Tuesday. Second, a four-day rally protesting his government turned into a small riot on the third night as those gathered tried to break through police barricades to the PM’s house. The emotion of the moment was heightened by the presence of some family members of hostages. A vast majority of Israelis are strongly united against the common enemy of Hamas. However, these protesters are a very vocal minority who are heavily funded by outside sources that are looking for more pliable leadership in Israel.

The IDF Home Front Command is preparing to launch a media campaign to prep Israelis for war against Hezbollah. The terrorist group has at least 100,000 fighters on its rosters, many with battle experience from the Syrian Civil War, and is expected to fire up to 5000 rockets per day at Israel. The government is building up massive emergency supplies of fuel, food, and medical gear and is fortifying the electrical grid. The Bank of Israel has told smaller banks to prepare for a high cash demand in case of a run on currency. Amazingly, despite these bleak forecasts the past couple weeks have seen the Israeli stock market soaring as high as it’s ever been.

A UAV struck an Israeli naval base in Eilat, damaging a building but causing no injuries. Apparently fired by the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, the drone traveled through Jordanian airspace and past Israeli defenses before hitting the site.


Lebanon and Syria
Among the numerous Israeli airstrikes against Lebanon and Syria, there is one that stands out in significance. On Monday, six F-35 aircraft launched more than 20 missiles at the residences alongside the Iranian embassy in Damascus. Eight Iranians were included in the 16 people killed. Among those casualties was Gen. Mohammed Reza Zahedi, commander of the elite Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who was responsible for all the shipments of weapons and precise ordnance to Hezbollah in Lebanon. This surgical strike, which left the nearby French embassy untouched, sent shockwaves throughout the Middle East. On Tuesday, both Iran and Hezbollah vowed severe retribution in the next 48 hours. I, along with most of my fellow Israelis, will sleep better once that window of time has passed. If you want to learn more about the attack, watch my ten-minute Breaking News Update from Monday or my hour-long “Q&A with Amir Tsarfati: Israel-Hamas War” from Tuesday, during which I answer 28 questions from viewers of the live stream. The latter will give you much in-depth information that you won’t hear from your mainstream media sources.

Friday saw another blow for Hezbollah as one of its most senior commanders, Brig.Gen. Ahmad Jawad Shahimi, was killed in an Israeli airstrike near Aleppo, Syria. Shahimi was responsible for coordinating arms smuggling between Syria and Hezbollah.


Gaza
The fight at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City is over. More than 900 suspects were found, of whom 513 were confirmed to be members of Hamas or Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Many weapons were confiscated, and infrastructure destroyed. The battle in Khan Yunis continues with the beginning of this week seeing the Israeli Air Force attacking more than 25 terrorist targets, including military equipment warehouses and other infrastructure.

Tragically, seven workers for the World Central Kitchen (WCK), a humanitarian relief group, were accidentally killed by an Israeli airstrike. Prime Minister Netanyahu was quick to apologize for the incident, adding, “This happens in war. We are conducting a thorough inquiry and are in contact with the governments. We will do everything to prevent a recurrence.” The PM is right. In war, there are tragic accidents. We are heartbroken for the families of those who lost their lives.


USA
There were some encouraging words coming from Washington for a change this past week. First, on Tuesday, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told a press conference that the US government has not found “any incidents where the Israelis have violated international humanitarian law.” While not an affirmation, at least it’s not a criticism. The previous day, American and Israeli officials came out of joint virtual talks claiming agreement on their shared objective “to see Hamas defeated in Rafah.” Where they differ is that the Biden administration wants plans to relocate all noncombatants before an assault. Israel has said they will consider the issue.


Turkey
There are certain stories that I think make those in the West gasp and shake their heads in wonder, while we Middle Easterners just nod and say, “Yep, that’s business as usual.” Last week, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan compared Israel’s prime minister and cabinet to modern-day Nazis and said that he would “send Netanyahu to Allah.” This week, Erdogan is reaching out to Israel in the hopes of improving relations between the two countries. What changed? The Turkish president’s party got trounced in the elections, with the secular main opposition party gaining huge victories in many of the major cities. If it sounds cynical to you for me to label Erdogan’s criticisms of Netanyahu as simply political bombast, then maybe you’ll believe Turkey’s deputy ambassador to Israel. He said, “Erdogan’s harsh rhetoric against Israel stems from Erdogan’s political considerations in the local elections in Turkey.” Interpretation – “The president needed his party to do well, so he threw you Jews under the bus. But now that the elections are over, let’s be friends.” It’s so typical, but some credit must be given. Politicians around the world do the very same thing. It’s only us Middle Easterners who have the chutzpah to come right out and admit to it.


North Korea
Kim Jong-un has a new toy. On Tuesday, the Respected Comrade supervised the launch of North Korea’s Huasong-16B hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile. Hopefully, the hermit leader will be careful with it so that he doesn’t accidentally shoot someone’s eye out.


Taiwan
Yesterday, the biggest earthquake Taiwan has experienced in a quarter of a century rocked the island nation. Measuring 7.2 magnitude, the temblor killed nine and injured more than 900 with at least 50 others missing. Many buildings in the eastern shore city of Hualien sustained major damage.


The Ministry

The Barnes & Noble-sponsored Discovering Daniel sweepstakes is now live! If you pre-order the book between now and May 6, you will be automatically entered for a chance to win a signed copy of the book, a 10th generation iPad, and a $125 Barnes & Noble gift card. While this is purely a Barnes & Noble promotion, we do appreciate it. Thanks B&N!

What is going on in the Middle East and how does it relate to the Ezekiel War? For answers, watch the premiere of my teaching “Who Really Controls the Middle East” on Friday, April 5, at 12:00 PM PDT. Never before has this message been more relevant than it is today.

After the amazing success of our Alaska Cruise conference in 2023, we are preparing to take our teaching back on the water! For these opportunities, we will be presenting our Discovering Daniel & Revealing Revelation Conference in two very different venues. The first will be a cruise through the Mediterranean, which will take place from October 19-29, 2024. Our second opportunity to present these teachings will be on the waters of the Caribbean on January 18-25, 2025. Registration for both cruises is currently open! Make sure to register soon, as we anticipate these events to fill up quickly.

For those of you in Arizona and surrounding areas, we’d like to invite you to join Pastor Mike Golay, Pastor Barry Stagner, Pastor David Guzik, and Gary Kah for the Prophecy 24 Conference! In this one-day gathering next Saturday, April 13, Pastor Mike and the others will open up the Scriptures to address the days we’re living in and the hope that lies ahead. For more information and to register, follow this link!

Please pray for Israel, particularly in these next few days. The threats are real and all of us are on edge. While I have peace knowing that God is ultimately in control, I am also a husband and a father, and I have my family to watch over – both those at home and those serving in the military. Thank you for your faithfulness, your love, your support, and your encouragement during these difficult days.

Awaiting His Return,

Shalom from Israel! It has been a very busy week. Pastor Mike Golay has been here with me, and we have been involved in meeting after meeting as we progress with the development of CONNECT. I am excited to tell you that not only is the construction work going exceedingly well, but our Israeli team is coming together.

Some have asked me, “Amir, with the war going on, why are you working on creating a ministry hub in Israel? Won’t it be a waste if things go badly for Israel?” I have two answers for that. First, we must always progress in ministry. If God gives a call, it is not our place to question it based on the circumstances around us. Second, because I read the Bible, I have confidence that it will not go badly for Israel right this moment. That difficult time will come, but it is not now. You see, my hope is in the Almighty God who has given us His plans for the world in general and Israel in particular. We will survive this war, and we will end up safer than we were before. This will happen. I have no doubt because my hope is in the Lord.

As believers, we carry a different perspective from the world. We do not allow ourselves to be bogged down in fears, conspiracies, speculations, and “What ifs”. Because our Heavenly Father is all-powerful and in control, we have the blessed luxury of dwelling above the fray. Sure, we may physically experience pain, struggle, deprivation, and violence. But because we have the example of our Savior on the cross, we can emulate Him, keeping that attitude of “This, too, shall pass and in the end there will be glory.”

Much of the world will memorialize the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ this weekend with Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. It is a time to recognize that our forgiveness, our hope, and our eternity rest in the work that our Messiah accomplished by dying on the cross and three days later emerging alive once again from the tomb. We believers who are in Israel still have a few weeks until Passover and then the Feast of First Fruits. It is at this time that we will remember Jesus offering Himself as the sacrificial lamb for our sins, then rising again as the first fruit of the resurrection. If you do not have the hope, peace, and eternal life that come from having received the free gift of salvation that Jesus’ sacrifice has provided, what are you waiting for? Let today be the day you receive Him as your savior. Let today be the day of your salvation.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23
But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.


The Middle East
There is so much going on in the world, that it is impossible for me to cover it all in this newsletter. That is why I greatly encourage you to subscribe to my Telegram channel, which I am constantly updating throughout the day. The details of what you read in the newsletter are found on my Telegram.

USA
This has been a very disappointing week as Israel has watched the United States separating itself from us. Through ultimatums, threats to withhold arms, vote abstentions, and condescending rhetoric, the Biden administration has made it clear that it believes that “peace at all costs” between Israel and Hamas is necessary for a November reelection.

This is in spite of a recent Harvard CAPS-Harris survey that showed Americans overwhelmingly back Israel. Nearly four out of five questioned expressed support for Israel over Hamas. More than two out of every three believe that Israel is seeking to do all it can to minimize casualties. Of course, you wouldn’t know that if you follow the news or pay attention to the words of the party in power in Washington. If those are your sources of information, you’d think there was a pro-Palestinian protest on every street corner populated by concerned citizens heartbroken over the genocide the evil Jews were perpetrating on the helpless Gazans. There is no mention of massacres or torture or systematic rapes or women and children being held hostage.

This is all part of the drift that I warned you about months ago back in the halcyon days when everyone supported Israel avenging October 7. “Go get them,” they said. “They must pay, and you must make yourself safe!” So, Israel did. But now that these people see what Israel has to do to make itself safe, they are all screaming, “Wait! We thought you’d just go in and arrest a few leaders. Maybe bomb a few buildings. You know, like you used to do in the good old days.” What they failed to realize – and, quite honestly, what Israel had failed to realize, also – was that the old way of doing things was nothing but dealing with the symptoms of the disease. For Israel to be safe, the cancerous tumor of Hamas has to be removed. The difficulty has been that the cancer spread throughout Gaza, garrisoning in civilian and humanitarian centers, like schools and hospitals, and burrowing in a vast and intricate underground tunnel system.

Israel was confronted with a new form of urban warfare that had never been experienced before. The leadership of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was confronted with the dual charges of destroying Hamas while protecting the human shields behind which the enemy had hidden. They have succeeded on both counts to an amazing degree.

It is not just me saying this. Last week, I linked you to a Newsweek opinion article written by John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute (MWI) at West Point and codirector of MWI’s Urban Warfare Project entitled, “Israel Implemented More Measures to Prevent Civilian Casualties Than Any Other Nation in History”. This week, Mr. Spencer followed up with another article called, “Israel Has Created a New Standard for Urban Warfare. Why Will No One Admit It?” He writes, “In my long career studying and advising on urban warfare for the U.S. military, I’ve never known an army to take such measures to attend to the enemy’s civilian population, especially while simultaneously combating the enemy in the very same buildings. In fact, by my analysis, Israel has implemented more precautions to prevent civilian harm than any military in history.”

Still, the U.S. attempts to dictate how Israel should prosecute the war. Vice President Kamala Harris warned, “Any major military operation in Rafah would be a huge mistake,” adding that Washington had been “very clear in terms of our perspective on whether or not that should happen.”

Perhaps most telling of all was the recent United Nations Security Council decision, led by Russia and China. It demanded a ceasefire in Gaza. There was no condemning of Hamas for initiating the war, and the mention of a hostage release was not linked to the ceasefire. Essentially, it was handing Hamas a victory in the war, telling Israel that the fight is over and to go home. Rather than vetoing the resolution, the U.S. abstained from the vote. Nothing could have more clearly communicated this administration’s view of Israel. As a result, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a state delegation that was scheduled to leave for America. What would be the purpose?

It used to be, “As America goes, so goes the world.” Now that is reversed. As I look around the globe, I see the Palestinian flag flying over the town center in Luton, UK. In the British parliament, 130 MPs sent a letter to the foreign minister urging for an arms embargo against Israel, citing the country’s non-compliance with the ridiculous UN Security Council ceasefire resolution. In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez agreed with the leaders of Ireland, Malta, and Slovenia to work towards the recognition of a Palestinian state. The global trend is away from Israel, and I fully expect this U.S. administration to follow lockstep behind.

Gaza
The end of last week saw furor over a story alleging the rape of Palestinian women by IDF troops in their operation targeting Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Soon, word spread throughout the gullible branch of the international community that the Israelis were no different than Hamas. Meanwhile, anyone with common sense smelled a rat. Sure enough, on Sunday night Al Jazeera had to retract their gleeful reporting of Israeli sexual abuse admitting that the accuser, a woman named Jamila al-Hissi, had made up the accusations in order to “arouse the nation’s fervor and brotherhood.” Great journalism there, Al Jazeera.

The battle in Shifa hospital continues. Again, it’s not where the IDF wants to fight. It is where Hamas is forcing them to fight. The terrorists intentionally chose the battlefield hoping for the maximum number of civilian casualties. This is the same reason that the IDF was forced to break into the Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis and is possibly also operating at Nasser Hospital. At Al-Amal, large numbers of terrorists have been killed or captured, and the IDF is now working on leveling the ground around the facility.

Lebanon and Syria
Airstrikes continue by the IDF against terrorist outposts and warehouses in Lebanon and Syria. Tuesday night, jets hit a building in southern Lebanon killing seven, including members of the al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya terrorist group who had been planning to infiltrate Israel for an attack. In response, Hezbollah fired 30 rockets at the Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona. Most were downed by the Iron Dome or fell harmlessly. However, three hit their marks, with one resulting in the death of 38-year-old Zaher Bashara.

Earlier in the week, the IDF launched a Saturday night strike destroying a Hezbollah weapons storage location in Baalbek in the Beqaa Valley. The terrorist group retaliated by firing 50 Katyusha rockets toward an IDF base in the Golan Heights with little effect. The rocket launches alerted the IDF to the launchers’ location, and the Hezbollah soldiers consequently received a loud and fiery recognition of their actions.

Russia
On Friday, four Tajiki Muslims entered the Crocus City concert hall outside of Moscow and opened fire with automatic weapons. By the time they were through, 137 people were dead and more than 180 are still in the hospital. It is unimaginable the fear the victims endured. Immediately, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility, releasing a video of their actions inside the hall. Despite the admission of ISIS-K, Moscow knows a good opportunity when it sees it, and is now desperately looking for any links the perpetrators may have had with Ukraine. All four suspects have already pled guilty before a court. At the hearing, each showed signs of torture, and videos have leaked clearly showing members of the Russian Spetsnaz brutally extracting the confessions. Imagine the uproar if it was an Israeli torturing a Muslim suspect. But no Jews; no news.

The Ministry
Imagine our surprise when Barnes & Noble informed us they wanted to run a sweepstakes in conjunction with Discovering Daniel. If you pre-order the book between now and May 6, you will be automatically entered for a chance to win a signed copy of the book, a 10th generation iPad, and a $125 Barnes & Noble gift card. Even though we have no part of this, we did want to take a moment and say, “Wow, B&N! Thanks a bunch!”

Was the resurrection of Christ the fulfillment of an Old Testament festival? What is the meaning of this fulfillment? And what is the Jewish view of the resurrection? In preparation for Resurrection Sunday, join me Friday, March 29, at 12:00 PM PDT for my teaching “The Firstfruits Resurrection”. Since it’s firstfruits, that means ours will soon be following. How exciting is that?

After the amazing success of our Alaska Cruise conference in 2023, we are preparing to take our teaching back on the water! For these opportunities, we will be presenting our Discovering Daniel & Revealing Revelation Conference in two very different venues. The first will be a cruise through the Mediterranean, which will take place from October 19-29, 2024. Our second opportunity to present these teachings will be on the waters of the Caribbean on January 18-25, 2025. Registration for both cruises is currently open! Make sure to register soon, as we anticipate these events to fill up quickly.

For those of you in Arizona and surrounding areas, we’d like to invite you to join Pastor Mike Golay, Pastor Barry Stagner, Pastor David Guzik, and Gary Kah for the Prophecy 24 Conference! In this one-day gathering on Saturday, April 13, Pastor Mike and the others will open up the Scriptures to address the days we’re living in and the hope that lies ahead. For more information and to register, follow this link!

Once again, if you don’t have the hope and peace that come with a relationship with Jesus Christ, it is as easy as making a commitment. There are no hoops to jump through; no great quests to accomplish or rituals to complete. The Bible just says you need to believe and receive. That means believing that salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life are found in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Then, receiving Him as your Lord, the One you give your life to and commit to following. Let this weekend during which so many celebrate Jesus returning to life be the one in which you receive your new life.

Thank you all for your prayers and support of this ministry. May God bless you as you serve Him!

Awaiting His Return,

These are dark days, but our hope is not in anything in this world. The Bible says in Colossians 3, “If you indeed were raised with Christ, and seek those things which are above where Christ is at the right hand of the Father, and do not seek those things which are on earth….” I want to tell you that according to what the Bible says, things are only going to get rougher. But why is he saying seek those things which are above? Because greater things are still ahead for us, the believers. Can you imagine? We are going to be taken up at the last trumpet with the sound of the archangel, and we are going to be escorted into the throne room. You think that I like anything in this world when I know I’m going to be in the throne room? Hello? You know, I walked in here and I saw a coffee machine. And I’m like, “I’m in heaven.” And then I was reminded, “No you’re not. Heaven will be even better.” Coffee machine. Isn’t that great? Coffee is amazing, but heaven is even more so.

And I also want to remind you that in these last days, the whole world is looking at you. Look, if you behave as anxious, fearful, and confused, if you are into conspiracy theories, if you are an angry person, if you are fighting all day long, if you are hateful, I’m not sure you’re ready. The Bible says He never gave us the spirit of fear. But of what? Of power and love and sound mind. Not of conspiracy theories and not of anger and not of fear. And I’m going to tell you something, you think that COVID is the worst thing you’ve seen. It’s nothing. It’s nothing. It’s almost over. We are going to see more and greater and more terrible things. Not that I’m wishing to see that, but I know where this world goes. And you should too.


Amir Tsarfati: Greater Things are Ahead
Imagine one day you received a legitimate notification. It’s not one of the scams that float around today, but a real and proven true notification that you had inherited a large fortune. The notifying entity told you that the process time necessary to transfer the funds to you was going to take three-to-four weeks. Think about how you would view any current financial woes you may have during that time. Let’s say that your personal financial situation was dire, even perilous. Would the notification change how you lived, felt, and thought for the next three-to-four weeks?

Obviously we all wish this scenario would actually happen. But what we need to remember is that in a far more important way than temporal financial freedom, we have received notification from the King of heaven that a pain and problem free existence is in our future. Our feet will walk streets of gold. Our eyes will behold ultimate beauty. Our ears will hear things unimaginable to our finite minds. And, most of all, we will see the King of Kings and Lord of Lords face to face!

1 John 3:2
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

This notification we have received is not spam. There are no catches or hidden fees. It is a promise from God, who cannot lie (Titus 1:2) that someday we will see Him as He is. In order for that to happen, we need to remember another promise from the author and finisher of our faith:

John 14:1-3
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Whether through death or rapture, our future is nothing like our present. When we are absent from the body we are present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). This should remind us of another truth:

Psalm 16:11
You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Over and over the Bible directs our minds to the future. This practice enables us to face the present without being overwhelmed by temporary circumstances that are unpleasant or painful. Our future is one of fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. It’s not like a vacation you wish wouldn’t end or a place you long to visit someday again. It is our eternal existence through Christ who has promised all this to be true.

Until our future becomes our present and permanent experience, we would do well to heed to words of the Psalmist:

Psalm 121
I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

Our fictitious fortune notification we began with may actually happen for a few people here on this earth, but our promise is much bigger and is true for us as many as received Him. For to them He gave the right to called the sons and daughters of God (Acts 4:12) which makes us welcome in the Father’s house when Jesus comes to receive us unto Himself.

Until then, let’s keep our eyes lifted up and not let circumstances get us down. This life is not all there is and the next one is far better and way longer, and with all that is going on in the world today, it seems possible we are heading to the Father’s house soon!

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,


Amir Tsarfati: The Next Temple

https://mailchi.mp/beholdisrael/amirs-bible-bites-devotionals-1008136?
March 18, 2024


“Where is the promise of His coming? Where is it? Show it to me. I don’t believe it.” Interesting. They’re doubting the coming of Christ to His people. They’re basically saying, “Look, yeah, yeah, yeah, He was here. Yeah, He said things. But you have to take things in the right context. Look, ever since our fathers were here and they died, things are the same.” Huh? Things are the same for them, maybe. For a newborn, spirit-filled believer, things are not the same. They can never be the same. You saw my testimony. If things were the same, I wouldn’t be alive today. They doubt the coming of Christ to His people. They doubt the literal promise. They start speaking in a figurative way. Interesting.

You know, I’m saying to myself, when you talk about Christ and you deny His resurrection, your whole faith is basically gone. But when you talk about Christ and you don’t deny His resurrection but you deny His coming back to take us, then what’s the point of His resurrection? You’re doubting the literal promise of His physical return to this Earth; not just to touch Earth with His feet, but to meet us in the clouds and take us to be with Him. John 14, “So, where I am, you will also be.” Not, “Where you are I’m coming to be so, too.” He says, “I will take you and receive you unto Myself.” This is a very interesting word in the Hebrew and in the Greek. To receive is to take to yourself. Hmm. It’s interesting, because those people are just telling you, “Look, the world is the same. It’s all the same from the time of our fathers. Nothing is changing.”

These are the same people who are really acting as in the days of Noah, basically, if you really think about it. Everybody knows that in the days of Noah, there were very few people that prepared themselves for something great. Yet, the rest of them, what is it that they did? The Bible says in Matthew 24, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying, giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark,” which is an amazing picture of us being taken out of here. “And did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” They just didn't want to hear what Noah had to say. They didn't want to listen to the warnings that God, through Noah, was speaking to the people. So, just like those scoffers, okay, you know, “Everything is the same.” And why are they doing that, do you think? To put people to sleep and steal their hope. You see, the hope of the coming of Jesus is the most important thing that a believer can hold onto today and is the number one thing Satan wants to steal from you. And he’s going to use people – sometimes from within, most times from outside – but he will always bring those scoffers to always tell you, “Where is the promise of his coming?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcmCO9xZgV4

Amir Tsarfati: What You Must Hold On To
As we await the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13), there are a myriad of indications that the hour is late and the time of our redemption is near. We can certainly see indications of the nearing end of the church age in all that Israel is experiencing. We can also note that the Ezekiel war must be coming in the not too distant future in light of developments related to that battle. Add to those, the move toward globalism, evil and good exchanging definitions, and on and on the evidence of the lateness of the hour goes.

There are also signs within the church that things are wrapping up, and, sadly, they are negative. The Bible does not say there will be a huge revival or global Great Awakening prior to the rapture. As a matter of fact, it says the opposite will be taking place.

2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

2 Peter 3:3-4
Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

When sound doctrine is not endured, there are consequences that will be experienced by those who will listen to teachers that scratch their itching ears with things that aren’t true. This will contribute to the scoffing that Peter says will be present in the last days. The Greek word translated as “scoffers” can also mean “mockers”, and it is the same word that would be used to describe false teachers.

To scoff or mock the teaching of the rapture of the church is to not endure sound doctrine. The rampant practice of mocking the rapture of the church should remind us that time is running out and the church age is rapidly coming to a close.

John 14:2-3
“In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

What makes this statement valid is that three days after His death, Jesus rose from the dead. Forty days after He rose from the dead, He ascended into heaven where He had come from and He did so in front of eyewitnesses. After He ascended into the clouds and disappeared from the eyewitnesses’ view, two angels said the men:

Acts 1:11
“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Jesus said in John 14 that He would receive us, and Revelation 19 makes it clear that when Jesus comes “in like manner” we will be with Him. That means we have to already be there in order to come with Him at His return. There is only one way that can happen, and that is the rapture.

Scoffers tell us the hour is late and mockers will not endure sound doctrine which includes the rapture of the church. This should create a sense of urgency in us for the lost and perishing around us, and raise our expectancy for that “moment and twinkling of an eye” experience we are all longing for. Sadly, many are not expecting what we are told is coming.

Matthew 24:44
Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.

https://mailchi.mp/beholdisrael/amirs-amirs-weekly-newsletter-1008132?e=52ebe87529
Shalom from Northern Israel –

I’ve said it before and I will say it again – My region of the world never takes a holiday. This has become all the truer since October 7, 2023. The past five months and counting have resulted in greater levels of stress than I’ve dealt with in a long time – maybe my entire life. If the massacre of that Saturday wasn’t enough, we’ve been at war with Hamas for five months now. Adding to that, we’re dealing with an imminent war in the north with Hezbollah seemingly any day now. On top of both of these realities, there is a never-ending battle with the global bias against my beloved country…

…but God.

Even in this tragic season, I see the faithfulness of the Lord. And one of the primary ways I see this is through the preservation of His people, Israel. He’s preserved us throughout the ages and He’ll preserve us now.

Malachi 3:6
“For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”

I can’t thank you enough for all of the wonderful pictures and words of encouragement you’ve been sending over the past several weeks. They’ve had a greater affect than you know. Despite the circumstances, Behold Israel is moving full steam ahead in pursuit of the ministry God has entrusted to us for 2024.

Current Events

As I summarize some key happenings from the last week, please make sure to check out and subscribe to My Telegram Channel if you haven’t already, as this is the platform I use to provide real-time updates concerning Israel, the region, and events happening around the world on a daily basis.

Gaza & Hamas

Adding insult to injury, the US began supplying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip last week. If it’s not enough that the people of Gaza were seen throwing some of the aid in the trash because it came from the US, some locals were also killed in the process. Apparently, some of the aid was incorrectly dropped from the sky leading to fatalities. And don’t be fooled, there’s plenty of evidence revealing there’s no food shortage in Gaza. The people have plenty of access to food.

Sadly, the news doesn’t get better regarding US involvement in our war with Hamas. In a recent interview, President Biden explained that he would never cut off defensive weapons. This means the current administration would be willing to cut off offensive weapon supply as leverage against Israel in the future in an attempt to prevent further operations in Gaza. Both the US and Hamas share at least one thing in common – they have completely unrealistic expectations regarding what it will take to bring an end to this war.

Tragically, Israel has learned that at least 34 abductees of the 134 taken to Gaza on October 7 have died. On a positive note, #3 in the Hamas hierarchy is believed to have been eliminated over the weekend.

The US is slowly but surely becoming our greatest obstacle when it comes to obliterating this terrorist organization. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even had to correct Biden in a recent statement saying, “When he says that my policy is against Israeli interests and against Israeli public opinion, he is wrong on both counts.” No matter what, Netanyahu remains determined to win this war. I’m glad to have a strong leader at such a time as this.

None of this should surprise us, as the Biden administration has gone out of its way to save face with the pro-Palestinian audience over the last several weeks, especially since the beginning of Ramadan.

Lebanon & Hezbollah

With Hezbollah increasing its aggression, Israel has been the recipient of a multitude of rocket barrages from Lebanon over the last several days, which has forced the IDF to respond with a number of strikes in Southern Lebanon and Syria. While our primary military conflict has been with Hamas in Gaza, we’ve been dealing with these terrorists north of our border as well. At least 240 of them have been killed as a result of Israeli strikes since October 2023, which have happened in multiple cities and towns.

Tensions are only on the rise. Given recent developments, Israelis are expecting an imminent war with our enemy in the north. I encourage you to watch my most recent breaking news segment concerning this very issue!

The United States

It’s of no small concern to see what’s happening in the United States. Its sympathy towards the Muslim mentality is extremely alarming. Look no further than Times Square, where Muslims gathered for prayer at the onset of Ramadan. Beyond this, amid the war in Gaza, disgusting pro-Palestinian fliers were seen in New York City stating, “Rape is resistance”, and “Babies are occupiers too”. This is the direction the west has been heading for years. It’s no surprise that NYC is seeing a rise in Islamic terror propaganda.

As our war in Gaza rages on, it’s becoming clearer by the day that Biden is living in a fantasy world when it comes to his perception of the Middle East. He appears to think that Palestinians are eager for peace and Israel’s government is at odds with its people. Both are anything but true.

Russia

Since the onset of the war, Russia has stood by the side of the Palestinians. Just days ago, they denied the report of the special envoy investigating the sexual crimes committed against Israeli women throughout the massacre – crimes that left an overwhelming trail of evidence. If the Russians hadn’t already made their position clear concerning who they side with, they’ve now left zero room for doubt.

Yemen & the Houthis

After sinking a British-owned ship, the Iranian-sponsored Houthis continue to initiate terror in the region. Late last week, the group fired a pair of ballistic missiles at a Singapore-owned ship. Thankfully, the missiles missed their target. Within 24 hours, coalition forces and the US Navy intercepted 15 Houthi drones in the Gulf of Aden. Furthermore, the Houthis announced that they targeted a US container ship in the Red Sea with several naval strike missiles. The Houthis are now reportedly testing hypersonic missiles and are preparing to produce them as well.

Israel

Needless to say, Israel has its hands extremely full right now. In addition to what I’ve mentioned above, we have approximately 15,000 troops deployed in the West Bank for the month of Ramadan in order to counteract and prevent terror. The IDF has been extremely proactive in dealing with terrorists coming out of the West Bank throughout this war. Sadly, our readiness doesn’t stop those who love violence. Even today, we’re dealing with the aftermath of multiple isolated acts of terror.

I have zero doubts that my country demands strong leadership right now. The polls reflect this, as Netanyahu is overwhelmingly desired in contrast to his opponent(s).

The Ministry

We want you to know that we’re continuing to monitor the events in the region, as our hearts long to resume our Bible Experience Tours as soon as possible. Please continue to pray that God would give us clear wisdom as to the right timing for this. We’re so passionate about exposing people to the land of the Bible so they can testify of the faithfulness of our God.

After the amazing success of our Alaska Cruise conference in 2023, we are preparing to take our teaching back on the water! For these opportunities, we will be presenting our Discovering Daniel & Revealing Conference in two very different venues. The first will be a cruise through the Mediterranean, which will take place from October 19-29, 2024. Our second opportunity to present these teachings will be on the waters of the Caribbean on January 18-25, 2025. Registration for both cruises is currently open! Make sure to register soon, as we anticipate these events to fill up quickly.

For those of you in Arizona and surrounding areas, we’d like to invite you to join Pastor Mike Golay, Pastor Barry Stagner, Pastor David Guzik, and Gary Kah for the Prophecy 24 Conference! In this one-day gathering on Saturday, April 13, Pastor Mike and the others will open up the Scriptures to address the days we’re living in and the hope that lies ahead. For more information and to register, follow this link!

In just two-to-three minutes each, “Make Gaza Great Again?”, “Should Palestine Be Free From the River to the Sea?”, and “Who are the Palestinians?” confront the party line narrative with historical and political truth. Please make sure to utilize these resources while they remain on the internet by sharing them with those around you.

The hope of the coming of Jesus is the most important thing a believer can hold on to today. Why is it that this truth is scoffed at and trampled underfoot by so many from within the church? What are the driving motives behind this type of thinking? Tune in for the premiere of my teaching, “Where is the Promise of His Coming?”, this Friday, March 15, at 12:00 PM PDT!

Thank you for your abundant support through prayer and faithful financial gifts. We would not be able to do what we do without your help. Your prayers continue to fuel us each and every day.

As we approach this season in which we reflect on the finished work of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, may we long to be with Him all the more! For our Passover Lamb not only suffered for us in the most gruesome way possible, but He rose again assuring us of what’s to come! If you haven’t made the decision to put your confidence in Christ yet, what are you waiting for?

Acts 17:30-31
“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Awaiting His Return,

I am sorry to tell you, I am really sorry, I’m going to apologize thousands of times probably in the next few months, but God does not write about the Russia and Ukraine war. God is not writing about China or India or Libya unless they have something to do with His plan for Israel. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 32, “When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, and when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord’s portion is His people, Jacob is the place of his inheritance.”

So the key to all prophecies is actually the Jew. No, they’re not perfect. In fact, they’re going to suffer for no reason. If they only acknowledge Jesus, only if they could understand, it will spare them from going through the horrors of the Antichrist. The key to all prophecy is the Jew. If the Jewish nation had not forsaken God and neglected the Sabbath, there would’ve been no times of the Gentiles.


Amir Tsarfati: The Jew is the Key to Bible Prophecy
It has become a normal practice in our day for people to identify themselves via their heritage and their homeland. Many refer to themselves as African-Americans or Mexican-Americans, etc. But there is one place and people where the practice cannot be engaged in. That would be Israel.

Exodus 32:13
“Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’”

Israel is a people who descended from Abraham and Isaac and that have been given a land as an everlasting inheritance. That means it is a misnomer to call anyone an Israeli-Arab. Arabs descended from Abraham through Ishmael, and Israel descended from Abraham through Isaac. Though related, they are distinct people groups.

Today we refer to the Israelites as the Jews, a practice that began at the time of the Babylonian captivity. This marks the beginning of the time of the Gentiles, because the vast majority of the captives were from the tribe of Judah. While it is true that Israel separated into two kingdoms for a time, what God has done cannot be put asunder. The point of all this is that when you talk about the Jews today, you are talking about a people and a land. When you talk about Israel today, you are referring to the Jews and their land.

Ezekiel 36:22-24
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD,” says the Lord GOD, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.”’”

The whole of the last days prophetic scenario centers on the Jews and Israel – both the people and the land God has given to them. This tells us that when we see antisemitism growing against the Jewish people and global calls for dividing the land God gave them, we know we are watching prophecy being fulfilled. There are a myriad of other prophetic elements in our world that are more global in scope; things like digital currency, AI, wars and rumors of war and so on. But the reality is they are all leading up to one thing:

Zechariah 12:3
“And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.”

Zechariah 12:10
“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”

Zechariah 14:3-4
Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.

There is a progression here that was once not possible. The Jews had been outside their homeland. There was no Jerusalem to be gathered against by the world. Now, however, there is. The people and place known as Israel is alive and well. That means the prophetic wheels have been moving toward the outpouring of God’s Spirit on His people, and the Lord has been fighting as He fights in the day of battle for over 75 years now. This took a giant leap forward on October 7, 2023, when antisemitism lifted its ugly head in a way unseen since the Holocaust.

All of this tells us that it is more likely now than ever before that the fulfillment of the destruction of Damascus and the Ezekiel War and the 70th week of Daniel and the words above from Zechariah are on the near horizon. And that means something else is also very near:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

We are watching events develop that will be fulfilled during the Tribulation. This can only mean that the unknown day and hour of the Rapture of the church is more likely now than ever before.
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus ,
Amir Tsarfati: Israel's Prophetic Timeline
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKotIMmRoU4

 God is in control of everything. We know that. The Bible says, “He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations and guides them.” But “God is the judge,” in Psalm 75. “He puts down one and exalts another.” So when the 46th president walked into the White House – when, I guess, he knew then that he is the President for a few minutes – you think God was taken by surprise? Do you really think that this is it? God is completely shocked? “I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create calamity. I the Lord do all these things.” God is looking at the state of a nation. I know some of you will say, “Whoa, we did not vote for this. We did not.” Yes, but you know how many people did? Millions.

Therefore, in Jeremiah 25, “Thus says the Lord of Hosts, ‘Because you have not heard My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ says the Lord, ‘and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants and against these nations all around. And I will utterly destroy them and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and a perpetual desolation. Moreover, I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstone and the light of the lamp. And these whole lands shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon 70 years. Then it will come to pass when 70 years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon.’” So God says, look, the children of Israel needed to be punished. I will allow the king of Babylon to come and make that land desolate. But after 70 years, when I’m done, I’m going to punish the king of Babylon for what he did. Wait a minute, what are you talking about, Willis? He allows him to destroy them and then he’s punished for that? Yes! God did not put the hatred in Nebuchadnezzar’s heart for Israel. He actually used it, but [Nebuchadnezzar] had to pay for that hatred and for what he did.

Amir Tsarfati: He Makes Nations Great and Destroys Them
We live in a time when many in our world believe that love is accepting everyone “as is” and condoning everything that they do. To many, a God who would judge or correct or not accept people “as they are” is not a God they will accept. The interesting thing about this group is that they also take an accusatory tone towards God when something bad happens, demanding an explanation of why He would allow this or that if He is indeed a God of love. On the one hand, they want God to accept everything anyone thinks, says, or feels. Yet, they draw a line when something they don’t like happens. This is the proverbial “have your cake and eat it too” mindset. The truth is that justice and love are completely consistent characteristics, and there is no greater example of this than God’s relationship with the nation of Israel.

Deuteronomy 7:6-10
“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.”

God set His love on the nation of Israel and in that love we find His justice in dealing with their disobedience. They forsook His commanded Sabbath year for 490 years, and subsequently went into Babylonian captivity for 70 years to let the land rest as they were directed to allow. God loves them, but He did not turn a blind eye to their disobedience.

Jeremiah 25:8-12
“Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Because you have not heard My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ says the LORD, ‘and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then it will come to pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,’ says the LORD; ‘and I will make it a perpetual desolation.’”

What an incredible picture of the love and justice of God. God disciplines the people He has chosen because He loves them, and then He judges the people who were the instrument of His justice toward His chosen people.

It is important we remember that all we see happening around us, all the injustice, truth twisting and fact contorting, has not gone unnoticed by God. Yes, He is love and His love was demonstrated when His Son went to the cross to bear our sins. Yes, He is just, and all the things we see happening in our world will be dealt with justly. How do we know? Israel. Chosen and loved by God, disciplined justly by God, yet never forsaken by God.

So remember, no matter what we see going on in our world, God is love and God is just. He is sovereign over the earth and His will is ultimately going to be done.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyy54RwFIco
Amir Tsarfati: The Decline of An Empire

https://mailchi.mp/beholdisrael/amirs-amirs-weekly-newsletter-1008112?e=52ebe87529
Shalom! After an extended period of being rooted to terra firma, I am back in the air. Soon, I will be in London. “Amir, my friend, you said 2024 is for staying in Israel! No travel!” That is true – or, at least, true-ish. What I said was that I will not be traveling to speak in 2024. And, while I will be speaking while in London, I will not be “speaking” speaking. Confused enough?

I am actually on my way to London to record the audiobook for Discovering Daniel. I am so excited about this book! Who knew that the life of an Old Testament prophet could be so relevant and applicable to our time today? Discovering Daniel breathes new life into the old Sunday School stories and explains in an easy and understandable way the visions and dreams this man of God receives. We’re just a little more than two months away from the book’s release, so preorder your copy of Discovering Daniel today!

While you have your computer booted up or your phone in your hand to read this newsletter, let me encourage you also to check out the three short videos I’ve released talking about Palestine. In just two-to-three minutes each, “Make Gaza Great Again?”, “Should Palestine Be Free From the River to the Sea?”, and “Who are the Palestinians?” confront the party line narrative with historical and political truth. Watch them and share them with your friends and family before YouTube takes these important videos down.

Genesis 26:2-5
Then the LORD appeared to [Isaac] and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”


The Middle East

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Gaza
Let me reset the table before we begin this section. There are still 134 abductees in Gaza, which include four who have been there since 2014. For those of you doing the math, that’s a full decade in captivity. With the announcement of the death of 19-year-old Sgt. Oz Daniel, the number of confirmed dead among the hostages has risen to 33. Hamas needs to understand that there will be no peace until our hostages have been returned home.

As part of the preparation for the invasion of Rafah in southernmost Gaza, Head of Shin Bet Ronen Bar and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visited Cairo. The Egyptian government has been concerned that military action in Rafah will push Palestinians into their country. In other words, the Egyptian Arabs want to make sure that none of the Palestinian Arabs cross the border. Why? Because they know the Palestinians and recognize that they bring trouble with them wherever they go. Former Jordanian King Hussein understood that truth and used his military to drive out all the militant Palestinian factions from his country. Bar and Halevi reassured the Cairo government that they needn’t be concerned.

Israeli citizens were once again reminded how dangerous tunnel warfare is when they were informed of the deaths of 25-year-old Maj. Iftah Shahar and 24-year-old Cpt. Itai Seif. A booby-trapped tunnel shaft exploded in Gaza killing the two officers and wounding ten more soldiers. As I’ve said before, never before in the history of warfare has a military been forced to conduct simultaneous above and below ground operations in the manner necessary in Gaza.

It seems that everyone in the world is desperate for a ceasefire, except Hamas and Israel. Excitement for a ceasefire began to stir again this past week, leading U.S. President Joe Biden to postulate that a deal could be signed as soon as Monday. But two days ago, Hamas said, “Yeah…no!” The two most disappointed by this are Biden, who needs peace in the Middle East before the upcoming elections, and the Gazan people, who are seeing prices for necessities skyrocket as Hamas steals goods and relief supplies for themselves.


Northern Front
The back and forth between Hezbollah and Israel in the north continues. A heavy barrage yesterday consisting of 40 rockets was launched toward northeastern Galilee and Kiryat Shmona. Most were intercepted or fell in unpopulated areas. However, one rocket landed on the roof of a three-story building but caused no casualties.

Two days prior, on Monday, IDF aircraft targeted a car driven by Hassan Hossein Salami, killing the man. The senior Hezbollah commander, who was in charge of the Hajir Sector, oversaw a number of terrorist plots carried out against IDF forces and Israeli civilians.

A building near Damascus used as headquarters for pro-Iranian militias was destroyed in an Israeli strike last night. Very powerful bombs dropped by IAF planes decimated the structure in the Saida Zeinab area, while a Syrian army facility in the south Damascus village of Hajira was also blown apart. Reports of casualties began to filter out as the fires burned late into the night.


Houthis
Last Tuesday, the Rubymar, a Belize-flagged cargo ship carrying fertilizer from the UAE to Belarus, was hit by a Houthi anti-ship missile while in the Red Sea. The resulting 18-mile oil slick became a natural disaster. The ship is now sinking. Before a senate subcommittee, US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking testified that Iran was “equipping and facilitating” the Houthis in their attacks. The chairman of the committee reportedly replied, “No kidding, Tim. That Tsarfati guy has been saying that in his newsletter for months.” Well, maybe he didn’t. But he could have. The Houthis are just another of Iran’s proxy militias, just a little better funded and a lot more crazy. On Saturday, the U.S. and U.K. launched dozens of strikes against the terrorist group, targeting infrastructure and weapons.

The Houthis are targeting more than just ships. In the past months, four underwater communications cables are alleged to have been knocked out of working order. The cables, which run between Saudi Arabia and Djibouti, are a key link between Europe, Asia, and Africa. Repairs could take up to eight weeks.


Iran
Great news! Iran’s stockpile of military-grade, 60%-enriched uranium is decreasing! Wait, the report came from the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA]? Never mind. But I did read somewhere that no progress has been made lately on Iran’s nuclear project! So, at least that’s something! What? That came from the same report from the same autonomous division of the United Nations? Uh…okay, let’s just move on to the next story.


Abraham Accords
If you remember, recently I told you that the ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia are growing stronger. But for the relationship to progress, it has to be done quietly. On Monday at the World Trade Organization’s ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi, Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat approached Saudi Arabia’s Commerce Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi. The two shook hands and Barkat told his counterpart, “Israel is interested in peace with countries that seek peace, and we can make history together.” It was a cordial meeting. Unfortunately, it was recorded, and the video quickly went viral. Before you knew it, the Saudi government issued a statement saying that Qasabi was busy, talking to the Nigerian minister when “an unknown individual approached the minister to offer greetings.” Only later did he identify himself as a member of the “Israeli occupation government.” In the Middle East, appearance is everything.


Ministries

For those of you in Arizona and surrounding areas, we’d like to invite you to join Pastor Mike Golay, Pastor Barry Stagner, Pastor David Guzik, and Gary Kah for the Prophecy 24 Conference! In this one-day gathering on Saturday, April 13, Pastor Mike and the others will open up the Scriptures to address the days we’re living in and the hope that lies ahead. For more information and to register, follow this link!

Throughout history, empires have come and gone. What at one time seemed all-powerful eventually collapsed on itself. With each cycle of super-powers, it was possible to see the deterioration that eventually led to its demise. In my teaching, “The Decline of an Empire”, premiering Friday, March 1 at 12:00 PM PST, we will walk through what these indicators are, and compare them to what we are seeing today in America. Because the key to all Bible prophecy is the Jew, I’ll take time to explain how the health of an empire depends on its treatment of Israel. Finally, I’ll remind you how we as Christians have a higher allegiance than that given to our country and a much greater citizenship than what might be on the cover of our passports.

After the amazing success of our Alaska Cruise conference in 2023, we are preparing to take our teaching back on the water! For these opportunities, we will be presenting our Discovering Daniel & Revealing Conference in two very different venues. The first will be a cruise through the Mediterranean, which will take place from October 19-29, 2024. Our second opportunity to present these teachings will be on the waters of the Caribbean on January 18-25, 2025. Registration for both cruises is currently open! Make sure to register soon, as we anticipate these events to fill up quickly.

God is so good! CONNECT continues to come together and we are finally bringing on some necessary new staff in Israel. Thank you once again for your prayers and your support for CONNECT and this ministry. May God continue to bless you as you seek Him!

Awaiting His Return,

Shalom from Israel! The battle rages in the south. The storm clouds of war build in the north. The political opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is back at it, trying to remove him from office. A crazy president in Brazil is comparing Israel to Hitler’s Germany. Ignorant mobs the world over are chanting their slogans of love for the perpetrators of the October 7 massacre, while vehemently condemning the victims. Christians are regularly being slaughtered by Islamists in Western Africa, but the press is ignoring it. Iran missed a turn somewhere and found themselves at the South Pole, so they decided to lay claim to it. Another Putin critic, healthy and only 47-years-old, somehow managed to die in prison. And the president of the most powerful nation in the world, well, let’s just say it appears he may be slightly past his prime.

People, this is the crazy world we are living in!

But through it all, we know that God is in control, and that is why there are great things happening too. You should see the number of pictures I receive from all over the world of churches, community groups, school classes, and families, all waving their Israeli flags and sending messages of love and support. There are pro-Israel rallies and marches in many areas of the world. The new Argentine president has been very supportive of Israel, and the mainland European country that has given us the most love has been Germany, of all places! While the U.S. is turning into a political morass for us, they continue to send arms and much needed munitions, particularly for our missile defense systems. Israel has established a land route to bypass the Houthi blockade of the Red Sea that is bringing us supplies from India via the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. And Israel is forging deeper friendships with most of the Gulf States, as well as, very quietly, the family of Saud in Riyadh.

Even amid this world’s insanity, God is at work. He loves His nation, and He loves His people the world over. It is that truth of God’s hand on His children that comforted me and my family as we sent my number three child, a son, off this week for his mandatory military service. For the next three years, he will serve in the IDF, and we pray that the second and third year of his stint will be much less tumultuous than this first. Once again I say, our God is in control. Halleluiah and amen!

Psalm 34:7-8
The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

The Middle East

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The War in the South
The work dismantling the tunnel system in Khan Yunis continues. Spearheading this operation is Yahalom, a sayeret or “special forces” unit of the Israel Defense Force’s (IDF) Combat Engineering Corps. The goal of Operation Protective Edge is to put out of commission Hamas’s extensive tunneling throughout the Gaza Strip. It is extremely dangerous work as there are many places for terrorists to hide and booby-trapping is extensive. But through it all, Yahalom and other units of the IDF are making amazing progress.

Despite international protests, the IDF launched an operation against Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. As expected, it was crawling with Hamas. Hundreds of terrorists were arrested, and many weapons were destroyed. A vehicle stolen from Kibbutz Nir Oz was found on the premises, as were packages of necessary medicine for the hostages that were never distributed. The IDF must fight Hamas where it is at. It is the terrorists who chose Nasser Hospital as the battleground. They are the ones who bear the blame for the resulting humanitarian issues. It is no wonder that more and more Gazans are fed up with Hamas and are speaking out against them. A Gazan widow, in response to the leaflets that Israel dropped offering cash rewards to anyone who could provide the location of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, was recently recorded saying, “I swear, if I knew where he was, I’d bring them Sinwar’s head for free.” So many have lost everything in this war, and they are quickly realizing that the blame does not lie north of their border in Israel but with the terrorists within their midst.

With the operations of both Northern Gaza and Khan Yunis coming closer to completion, the focus is on Rafah. The plan of the war cabinet for that southern region of Gaza is to enter strong close to the beginning of Ramadan. The IDF will move to encircle Yahya Sinwar from all sides, then conduct negotiations for the release of the abductees.

What these negotiations will not include is a promise of a permanent ceasefire if that means Hamas remains a viable entity. Nor will it include any verbiage hinting at a Palestinian state. Prime Minister Netanyahu has been adamantly against a two-state solution, despite the hard push from the United States. The Knesset on Wednesday backed the PM up with an overwhelming majority, only one vote short of 80% support, that included his own coalition and many from the opposition.

If anyone feels that Israel is unreasonable in their prosecution of this war and insistence that a Hamas-led Gaza not be allowed self-governance on their border, they need only remember October 7. Murder, torture, and kidnapping were carried out not just by the Hamas terrorists, but by ordinary Gazan citizens who followed the “soldiers” through the border fence. The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel submitted a report to the United Nations (UN) detailing the systematic and premeditated rape of women, men, and underaged girls and boys throughout the attack. The despicable assaults included the use of foreign objects, including gun muzzles and knives. What we hear from returning hostages is that the sexual violence perpetrated against the abductees has continued through the many days of their captivity.

This is part of the reason why Israelis are so disdainful of the claim by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) that Israel is operating a campaign to destroy the agency. Hey, UNRWA, we don’t have time to fight with you. We already have a war on our hands. All we’re doing is telling the truth of the dozen, at least, of your employees who actively participated in the actions of October 7. We’re just letting folks know of the many UNRWA sites that housed terrorists, warehoused weapons, and provided access points to the terror tunnels under Gaza. The only thing we’ve done is report the truth. The world is doing the rest. When the UNRWA collapses, it will be as a result of your actions, not ours.


The War in the West Bank
Many believe that the IDF is only facing the enemy in the south and the north. However, the West Bank is a dangerous place in which many belonging to Hamas and the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) are harbored along with an extremely large cache of weapons. Almost nightly, there are operations into the region, such as the one that took place in Jenin on Wednesday. Three terrorists were killed and 40 more were arrested when the IDF raided two houses. Also, many weapons were seized, and improvised explosive devices (IED) were located and disarmed along the roads in and out of the city. The West Bank terrorist cells are especially concerning, because when the battle in the north eventually begins, Israel will immediately face another front right in the heart of the nation.

The West Bank is also the origin of numerous terror attacks on Israeli civilians, including the one that took place just this morning near Jerusalem. Three Palestinian gunmen from the Bethlehem area opened fire on a line of cars stuck in traffic. Put yourself in that situation. You’re just going to work when suddenly automatic weapons are being fired at you and the cars around you. And because you are in traffic, you’re trapped and helpless with nowhere to go. One man was killed in the attack and 11 more innocent civilians were wounded. Two of the gunmen were killed at the site of the attack by police and armed citizens, and the third was “neutralized” a short time later.


The War in the North
The soft war in the north continues with rockets crossing the border southward and airstrikes directed north. A targeted elimination by Israel killed two in the Kfar Sousa neighborhood of Damascus, a district known for the presence of Iranian security personnel. The Israeli airstrike took place just one day short of the one-year anniversary of a similar attack directed at Kfar Sousa. Eventually, the generals of the IRGC are going to catch on that their people are much safer when they are kept in Iran. Although, that’s not always the case.

The IDF continues their “softening” of targets in Lebanon prior to the coming launch of the war in the north. A concerning report was released on Tuesday by French newspaper Liberacion that claims that Hezbollah has a tunnel system in Lebanon that dwarfs that of Gaza in both size and sophistication. Back in the 1980s, Iran and North Korea came alongside Hezbollah to begin the tunneling, and the terrorist organization has been working on it for the past four decades. The tunnels can be used for attack, troops movement, warehousing, barracks, and other needs. Hundreds and hundreds of kilometers stretch through the country reaching Syria and Israel.


Yemen
The Houthis of Yemen continued their attacks on shipping throughout the week, leading U.S. forces to carry out five self-defense strikes on Saturday. Each strike was aimed at lessening the terrorist group’s ability to carry out their missile launches. This morning, however, it became quite evident in Israel’s southern city of Eilat that the Houthis still have plenty of capability when warning sirens sounded. A surface-to-surface missile was inbound toward the city. Thankfully, the Arrow missile defense system was able to intercept and destroy the threat before it reached its target.


Iran
Iran has declared property rights in Antarctica and announced sovereignty over the South Pole. Sometimes the potential jokes are so plentiful that it is best just to sit back and let the fact stand on its own. I will say that this excites me for my Mossad thriller novel series. I think I’ll call my co-author, Steve Yohn, about getting Nir Tavor a heavy-duty parka and maybe a pack of sled dogs.


Russia
Speaking of my Nir Tavor series, during a discussion about imprisoned Putin critic Alexei Navalny on page 107 of my latest novel, Out of the Far North, one of my characters made the suggestion, “I hope Navalny has his life insurance paid up, because I don’t think he’s going to be around much longer.” Fiction became reality last Friday when Navalny fell over dead during a walk in an Arctic prison. When his lawyer and his mother arrived at the prison colony the next day, they were told he died of “sudden death syndrome”. This is a diagnosis that can likely be used for most of Putin’s now deceased critics, including the many who fall from high-rise balconies and the ones who commit suicide by shooting themselves twice in the back of the head.


Brazil
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio da Silva, known as Lula, made a speech in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday in which he declared the war in Gaza as genocide. He then took it a step further, saying the only other moment in history when something so heinous has occurred was “when Hitler decided to kill the Jews.” A firestorm ensued. The next day, Foreign Minister Israel Katz reprimanded Brazil’s ambassador to Israel and declared Lula persona non grata in Israel. That same day, Lula ordered the ambassador home to Brazil. Kudos go out to the opposition in the Brazilian government which on Tuesday garnered 110 signatures for a call for the impeachment of the president.



The Ministry

In last week’s newsletter, I included a letter from Professor Yonatan Dubi in which he presented four opportunities to support humanitarian efforts in Israel. The final one listed, Nachshon Preparatory Academy, gave a link for information but not a link to give. If you want more information about the academy, please click this link. If you want to support the academy’s work, you may use this link.

Have you seen the second of my series of two-to-three-minute videos explaining the history of Gaza and the Palestinians? If not, check out “Should Palestine Be Free from the River to the Sea?”, and be sure to share it with your friends and family.

What’s next? From the very beginning, the eyes of mankind have always been looking ahead – waiting, wondering, worrying. Now more than ever, wars and pandemics have the world feeling like we’re living in a pressure cooker that is about to blow. In my teaching, “Global Suspense”, premiering Friday, February 23 at 12:00 PM PST, you’ll learn how our peace regarding the future can only come about by looking to the past.

If you are looking for a beautiful reminder to pray for Israel or just something you can use to keep track of all your appointments, the Behold Israel Ministry Calendar is for you! This 16-month biblical calendar features stunning imagery shot by various photographers in the Holy Land. Get yours today!

After the amazing success of our Alaska Cruise conference in 2023, we are preparing to take our teaching back on the water! For these opportunities, we will be presenting our Discovering Daniel & Revealing Conference in two very different venues. The first will be a cruise through the Mediterranean, which will take place from October 19-29, 2024. Our second opportunity to present these teachings will be on the waters of the Caribbean on January 18-25, 2025. Registration for both cruises is currently open! Make sure to register soon, as we anticipate these events to fill up quickly.

Thank you so much for your prayers and generous support of this ministry. God is working and I am seeing incredible progress on CONNECT! Already we are planning new online shows and other ministry opportunities that we can use to get the truth of the Scriptures out to the world. Thank you for your partnership in fulfilling that mission!

Awaiting His Return,

https://mailchi.mp/beholdisrael/amirs-amirs-weekly-newsletter-1008096?e=52ebe87529
Shalom from Israel! In this week’s newsletter, I want to give you a state of the war update. We’ll look at what’s happening in each of the main regions of battle, seeing what has been completed and what is yet to accomplish. But, first, I would like to begin with something very special. Soon after the October 7 massacre, many of you contacted us with the desire to minister to those affected. Professor Yonatan Dubi, whom many of you know from my video, “Climate Change: A New World Religion?” recommended a number of excellent humanitarian organizations, which I passed on to you. Then, you stepped up in a remarkable way. Below is a letter of appreciation from Professor Dubi, and a list of four more options for blessing those affected by the violent attack.

From Professor Yonatan Dubi:

Beloved “Behold Israel” Community,

Over 125 days ago, Israel was forced into a war following the horrific events of October 7th. Only a few days later, your amazing community opened its heart, and in only a few days donated hundreds of thousands of dollars (!!) in support of the people of Israel.

Here are a few things that I personally witnessed that could only have happened through your amazing donations:
• Food, clothes, housing, furniture, and other basic needs were supplied to evacuees from the attached areas.
• Temporary schoolrooms and kindergartens for evacuated children were built and maintained.
• Day-to-Day support for evacuees – from food to driving needs to emotional assistance.
• Tens of thousands of sets of warm clothing were sent to our troops at war.
In addition, there were numerous other acts of kindness, including direct care to families of those still abducted in Gaza, and to those who have lost their loved ones, as well as all their belongings. There are too many stories to list all of them here.

But we still need your help.

As the war progresses, some evacuees are starting to go back to their homes, and they need help in re-building their lives. Many thousands are still forced to live as refugees in their own country, looking for ways to rebuild and push forward. This is a long haul, and years will be needed to rebuild. We need your help to take the first steps, and to keep the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the heart-breaking events of October on their feet.
Below is a list of amazing NGOs, doing amazing things. I have vetted each organization personally, to make sure that every dollar that you send will be used for doing good.
I thank you personally – your support touches my heart, and the hearts of all those who benefited from it. God bless you all!

Galgal Hozer (the turning wheel)
Shlomi Sofer’s foundation aids evacuated families and IDF soldiers. Located in Netivot, Shlomi has been able, through your generous donations, to provide food, clothes, and other basic needs for tens of thousands of people. His work started immediately on October 7th, and he has had very little sleep since then. I have seen this myself.

Nir-Oz Support
My friends from Kibbutz Nir-Oz have suffered an unbelievable loss – over 15 Kibbutz members viciously murdered. We are helping them to rebuild their lives, one step at a time.

“Amazing Grace”
My good friend, Lilach Lester, founded a wonderful organization that in normal days is devoted to helping Israel’s poor. Lilach has established the “Israeli Food Bank” and was awarded a special commendation from the president of Israel. Since the beginning of the war, Lilach’s work has been devoted to helping those who have suffered personal losses.

Nachshon Preparatory academy
This preparatory school for high school graduates sits right next to Sderot & Kibbutz Shoval. They are now working around the clock with many of their alumni for aid and relief in the area. Their founder, Ze’evic Nativ, called me with tears of gratitude after the first round of your donations.

The Middle East

My Telegram Channel is a constant flow of news throughout the day. Subscribe to my channel to catch all of the headlines as they happen.

North Gaza/Gaza City
Just because the talk on the international stage is about Rafah, that does not mean that the work is done in Gaza. It will still be several years until the tunnel structure that stretches through the entirety of the Gaza Strip is completely destroyed.

That being said, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has done a tremendous job neutralizing most of the threat in the north of the Gaza Strip. They accomplished this by going to where Hamas was hiding out and destroying them there. These necessary actions were taken despite those locations typically being protected behind humanitarian façades. Schools, mosques, and hospitals all served as human shields, and most, if not all, contained access to the underground terror tunnels. For a while, this humanitarian lie swayed public opinion against Israel. But most finally realized what was taking place. Even the worthless New York Times had to admit Monday that the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City was used by Hamas for cover, weapons storage, and as an access point for the tunnels.

One of the worst offenders for antisemitic propaganda has been Al Jazeera. Their rhetoric has been over the top and completely one-sided. Now we have a clue as to why. Mohamed Washah, a Palestinian correspondent for the news site, has been discovered to also be a “prominent commander” in a Hamas anti-tank unit. He has also been involved in air unit research and development for the terror organization. Sadly, that is exactly the type of “unbiased” reporter that you’d expect to find working for Al Jazeera.


Khan Yunis
As in northern Gaza, the IDF’s work in Khan Yunis has been exceptional. The force shown was both overwhelming and humanitarian. I can think of no other war where one combatant has gone through so much trouble to protect the other combatant’s civilians. Phone blasts, leaflet drops – every practical method has been used to warn people ahead of time that the IDF is coming in. It has obviously worked because tens of thousands of people fled further south prior to the operation.

What is left to do in Khan Yunis? Of course, there are the tunnels. But as saw earlier, completing that work will be a long-term project. For now, the primary work remaining is under the hospitals. Just like in Gaza, the IDF has left these medical centers for the end. This allows them to be used as long as possible and gives time for the maximum number of civilians to leave the area. Currently, the IDF is focusing on Nasser Medical Complex. The fact that the international media is going crazy over video of people being forced to leave the hospital shows just how short their memories are. In a move that so clearly shows the New York Times for what it is, on each of the two days following the paper’s admission that there were tunnels under Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, as mentioned above, they published articles by their journalist, Raja Abdulrahim, excoriating Israel and the IDF for ordering the evacuation based on claims of Hamas’ activity that “could not be independently verified.”


Rafah
Just as the IDF was focused on Gaza City then Khan Yunis, it is now setting its sights on Rafah. If you want a detailed explanation of why this is so, I encourage you to watch my Breaking News update from Monday. It is in Rafah that Israeli forces must go to destroy Hamas’s final four remaining battalions of the original 24. As always, the IDF has warned the citizenry, and thousands are fleeing north. Why are they going back the way they originally came? To the east is Israel, to the west is the Mediterranean, and to the south is Egypt. Why not just cross the border to their fellow Muslim country? Because Egypt has made it very clear that they don’t want any Palestinians coming in.

There is a strong international push against Israel moving into Rafah. Many nations are against the offensive simply because they don’t want to see Hamas finished off. They see them either as heroes, as victims, or as a necessary foil against Israel. Egypt, in particular, is warning against the offensive, but for a different reason. There are a tremendous number of tunnels between Egypt and Rafah, some of them large enough to drive a truck through. Weapons, ammunition, supplies, and, even, commodities have been smuggled through these tunnels for years. If Israel succeeds in Rafah as they have in northern Gaza and Khan Yunis, the Egyptian corruption that has allowed this smuggling will be exposed and the government will be severely embarrassed on the world stage.

An amazing event took place in Rafah early Monday morning in the Shaburah refugee camp. A special hostage rescue team of the Israeli police snuck into the camp, used ladders to climb to the second floor of a building, blew the door off, killed three terrorists, and liberated two October 7 hostages. The entire nation wept with joy as 70-year-old Luis Har and 61-year-old Fernando Simon Marman were brought home and soon reunited with their families. This proved the other reason that the IDF is moving into Rafah. There are still 131 hostages remaining, and many of them are in that part of Gaza. The stories we are hearing from hostages who have come home include the daily raping of both women and men, severe beatings, deprivation, and other brutality. We will bring them all home, and we will make their captors pay most dearly for what they have done.


Lebanon
The greater war in the north has yet to begin. Hezbollah knows this, and they are scared. Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of the terrorist organization, said on Tuesday, “A strong Israel is a danger to the region, and a weak, deterred, and fearful Israel constitutes a less harmful and catastrophic situation for the countries and peoples of the region. In Lebanon, a strong Israel is a danger to Lebanon, and a deterred Israel is the one whose danger to Lebanon can be reduced.” In other words, “We must win, because we have no other choice.”

But Nasrallah’s statement is not completely accurate. If you take his second sentence and change “Lebanon” to “Hezbollah”, that would be closer to the truth. Palestinians and Lebanese are not the same kind of people. Palestinians hate the Jews more than they love their lives. The Lebanese love their lives more than they hate the Jews. A war with Israel will mean many people losing their homes and all they have. Many would see Hezbollah out of their country before they allowed that to happen. The question is whether they are strong enough to accomplish that. I believe they likely have until the middle of May to make it happen.


Iran
On Wednesday, Iran’s main north-south gas pipeline was cut by two massive explosions. Tehran claims that the incidents were acts of sabotage. Really? I can’t imagine who would ever do such a thing. Totally random thought, this may be a great time to remind everyone of my Nir Tavor Mossad Thriller series. Sorry, can’t imagine what made me think of that just then.

If this is an update on Israel’s wars, then why have I included Iran? Because they are the head of the snake. They have done a masterful job keeping their hands clean, while their proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen have done all the dirty work. Israel is too busy at home to do anything about Iran. It would take the full power of the United States to bring justice to the radical Islamist regime. But we all know that’s not going to happen any time soon, and possibly never depending on how November’s elections go. So, for now, Israel will have to content itself with the occasional elimination of an Iranian general and an act of sabotage here and there – allegedly.


Ministry

Have you seen the first of my series of two-to-three-minute videos explaining the history of Gaza and the Palestinians? If not, check out “Make Gaza Great Again?”, and be sure to share it with your friends and family.

Upon its inception as a nation via Abraham and his descendants thousands of years ago, God vowed to use Israel as a source of blessing to the world – the vessel through which He would make Himself known. In my message, “Be a Light to the Nations”, premiering Friday at 12:00 PM PST, I am joined by special guest Eyal Dror on the Golan Heights. Together, we will discuss one of Israel’s greatest humanitarian operations, revealing how God continues to use His chosen people as an example of how to be a blessing, to love your neighbor, and, yes, to be a light unto the nations.

If you are looking for a beautiful reminder to pray for Israel or just something you can use to keep track of all your appointments, the Behold Israel Ministry Calendar is for you! This 16-month biblical calendar features stunning imagery shot by various photographers in the Holy Land. Get yours today!

After the amazing success of our Alaska Cruise conference in 2023, we are preparing to take our teaching back on the water! For these opportunities, we will be presenting our Discovering Daniel & Revealing Conference in two very different venues. The first will be a cruise through the Mediterranean, which will take place from October 19-29, 2024. Our second opportunity to present these teachings will be on the waters of the Caribbean on January 18-25, 2025. Registration for both cruises is currently open! Make sure to register soon, as we anticipate these events to fill up quickly.

The work on CONNECT is progressing well. Please continue to pray as we are facing many very important decisions in the weeks ahead. Also, thank you so much for your constant prayers and faithful support of Behold Israel. You are such a blessing to me and to the team. May God lift up your head and give you hope and peace.

Awaiting His Return,
Amir Tsfarti

Shalom from Israel! Despite the nearly constant roar of F-16 fighter jets taking off and landing at a nearby airbase, it has been a very productive week of ministry here. The work on CONNECT has been progressing well. Certainly, there have been problems, delays, and additional costs, but that is true of any project of this type. If you want to see the latest that’s been happening with CONNECT, check out this short update video and the video of the CONNECT sign going up on the building. It’s so exciting to see, and it just continues to stimulate my mind toward the many and varied ministry activities we will be able to carry out in this facility.

It has been a very busy seven days in the Middle East, so for this week’s edition of the newsletter I’d like to dig right in.


The Middle East

Gaza

Israel is winning the war in Gaza. Don’t let the media tell you otherwise. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have destroyed 17 of 24 Hamas battalions. Thousands of buildings used to house terrorists and their war materiel have been demolished, and kilometers of underground tunnels are being blown apart weekly. A massive number of weapons, from explosives to rockets to automatic rifles to handguns, have been found and confiscated.

Still the work is not yet done. The IDF has yet to capture or eliminate Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s chief in Gaza, who is currently on the run from one hiding place to another. It is without question that he has surrounded himself with a human shield of Israeli hostages. There are still thousands of Hamas terrorists in Khan Yunis and down in Rafah. Although, today, Rafah has one fewer after Majdi Abd al-Aal, commander of the special forces of Hamas police in the area, was taken out in a targeted killing. The work in Khan Yunis, then down toward the Egyptian border, will continue until the threat is completely neutralized.

Despite defeat after defeat, Hamas seems to think they are winning. That is the only explanation for their ridiculous response to the Qatar, US, and Egypt-brokered ceasefire proposal. While verbally giving a generally positive response, they then issued a counterproposal that, according to the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper, essentially stated: 1) we want all IDF soldiers out, 2) let’s go back to how it was before we slaughtered your people, with the same borders and international guarantees that you’ll stay on your side from now on, and 3) we don’t want Jews up on the Temple Mount anymore. In return, we’ll give back your hostages over a 135-day period. How could Israel say “no” to such a gracious offer?

Alas, it seems that Israel will, in fact, say “no”. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that it is quite obvious that Hamas’s answer “was drafted in a way that will make Israel reject it.” Based on Netanyahu’s statements of the last week, Israel’s counterproposal to Hamas would be more along the lines of “surrender or die.” If that sounds harsh, then remember what these vicious animals did on October 7. If you need your memory jogged, watch the video that Israel presented to the International Court of Justice. However, let me give you my strongest warning before you do. Murder, mutilation, rape, beatings, kidnapping – all were part of Hamas’s actions that day. Still today, over 100 days later, 136 hostages are being held. However, of that number, we know that at least 31 have perished in captivity. Israel cannot afford to let the Hamas terrorist organization continue to exist.

Hundreds of Israelis are fed up with their country sending humanitarian aid into Gaza. Taking matters into their own hands, they are blocking the transports of this aid. It is not because they want to take vengeance on the Gazan civilians. It’s because they recognize that a majority of the aid sent ends up in the hands of the terrorists. Netanyahu recently estimated 60% of humanitarian aid is taken by Hamas, but many believe the number to be as high as 80%. The Gazans themselves tell of this theft, often carried out by Hamas soldiers who liberally use clubs to beat back those who are in need.


The West Bank

The fighting continues daily in the West Bank as the IDF seeks to root out Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Many people think the greatest threats are in the south and in the north, but I believe it is quite possible that an October 7-like massacre could come from the West Bank. First, the will is there. Most Palestinians in whatever part of the region they are in support Hamas. Second, the ability is there. The West Bank has been heavily weaponized through smuggling over the years. If there were an attack, there would be no shortage of guns or ammunition. Finally, the hostile attitude of the U.S. and Europe against Jews living in the West Bank emboldens the Palestinians living there, giving them an excuse to attack. The terrorist groups must be eliminated from the area.


Lebanon and Syria

Rockets flew from Syria toward Golan at the beginning of the week, leading Israel to target a site in Homs belonging to pro-Iranian militias. In Lebanon, rockets and projectiles are daily being fired across the border at Israel. In return, Israel is regularly flying sorties into Lebanon, particularly in the southern portion. In the past months, according to spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the IDF has eliminated 200 Hezbollah terrorists and destroyed 120 observation posts, 40 weapons depots, and 40 command centers. It is essential that the IDF soften Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the south of Lebanon before Israel’s northern border war begins.


Argentina

On a bright note, Argentina’s new president Javier Milei has come to Israel, meeting with President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday and Prime Minister Netanyahu on Wednesday. When he first arrived, Milei immediately announced Argentina’s intention to move the country’s embassy to Jerusalem. Milei’s visit has included an emotional trip to the Western Wall, and many diplomatic talks about expanding the economic relationship between the two countries. Thank you, President Milei and Argentina, for showing yourselves to be great friends of Israel!


Saudi Arabia

The Riyadh government has spent much effort trying to repair the damage caused by the United States when it was leaked to the media that Saudi Arabia was willing to soften its position toward Israel, even while the Gaza conflict continues. This rumor was then reaffirmed by US Secretary of State Blinken. The accusation brought great embarrassment to the Saudis, who are, in fact, pursuing a stronger relationship with Israel but in an extremely quiet manner. This leak to the media forced Riyadh to come out with a strong denial, stating that a relationship with Israel will not be normalized without a Palestinian state.


US Bases in Iraq and Syria

The US launched a retaliatory strike against Iran-supported militias in Iraq and Syria on Saturday in response to the deadly attack on American troops last week. Eighty-five targets were hit using 125 precision weapons, killing nearly 40 people. On Monday, however, the militias were back in action, conducting a drone attack at the American base at Al-Omar oil field which killed six US-allied Kurdish fighters.

Last night, the US took more decisive action against Kataib Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia responsible for the January 28 attack on an American base that left three US soldiers dead. A missile fired from an American drone destroyed a car traveling in eastern Baghdad. Among the three killed in the vehicle was Abu Baqir Al-Saadi, the commander of Kataib Hezbollah’s operations in Syria and the man directly responsible for the deadly attack that killed the three American troops. Al-Saadi is the most senior person to be killed on Iraqi soil since the targeted eliminations of Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in January 2020. Also killed in last night’s strike was Arkan Al-Alawi who oversaw the sending of UAVs from Iraq to Israel.

As positive as it is to have those two Hezbollah terrorist commanders removed from the playing field, Iran couldn’t have asked for a better US reaction. First, no Iranian was killed or asset damaged on Iranian soil. The loss of Soleimani four years ago was devastating to Iran, because he was a Persian who headed the IRGC’s Quds Force. In contrast, Al-Saadi and Al-Alawi were not Iranian but Iraqi. Thus, while their skills may be missed, they are still only expendable Arabs to Iran. Second, the assassinations took place in Iraq violating Iraqi sovereignty. This gives the Iraqis an excuse to kick the Americans out and the pro-Iranian terrorist militias a reason to seek revenge against US troops and assets. Once again, Iran’s Persian hands remain clean, while their Arab minions spill their blood to further Tehran’s agenda.


Yemen

Saturday saw the US and the UK hitting back hard against the Houthi infrastructure in Yemen. Struck were 36 targets in 13 sites in retaliation for the near daily missile and drone attacks by the Houthis against shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The government in Jordan is in hot water after it was discovered that it was participating in a “land bridge” to get necessary goods to Israel. Ships docked in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and their contents were loaded onto trucks. Those trucks were then driven across Saudi Arabia, through Jordan, and into Israel, thus bypassing the Houthi blockade of the Red Sea.


NATO

Turkey has finally given its okay to Sweden’s joining NATO. That should clear the path, right? Hold on a minute. Hungary is still dragging its feet. While some say that it is an internal political issue with President Viktor Orbán’s party saying that Sweden has lied about the quality of their democracy, others say it is Orbán himself who is blocking the way. They claim that the president, channeling his inner Rodney Dangerfield, feels that Hungary “don’t get no respect” from Sweden. Orbán, however, tweeted that he’d talked with the NATO secretary-general and expressed his support for Sweden’s membership. Whatever the real story is, Hungary needs to get it figured out.


The Ministry

Throughout the Old Testament, recurring prophecies and insights are revealed regarding a future on earth where there is no war, no overlooked injustices, and an overall theme of restoration – an era in which the Creator serves as King. In addition to the prophets speaking of this and Jesus’ disciples anticipating it, the apostles reinforced it. What is the Millennium? Is it something to come or something that’s being experienced now? Is it something to be taken literally? Tune in to “Life in the Millennium” on Friday at 12:00 PM PST for Pastor Mike Golay’s exciting journey through the Scriptures for answers to these questions and more!

Discovering Daniel – so much of what is taking place in the Middle East ties in with the Old Testament book of Daniel. This book, a prequel of sorts to my bestselling Revealing Revelation, is available for preorder leading up to its May 7, 2024 release.

After the amazing success of our Alaska Cruise conference in 2023, we are preparing to take our teaching back on the water! For these opportunities, we will be presenting our Discovering Daniel & Revealing Conference in two very different venues. The first will be a cruise through the Mediterranean, which will take place from October 19-29, 2024. Our second opportunity to present these teachings will be on the waters of the Caribbean on January 18-25, 2025. Registration for both cruises is currently open! Make sure to register soon, as we anticipate these events to fill up quickly.

My Telegram Channel is a constant flow of news throughout the day. Subscribe to my channel to make sure you know exactly what is going on.

Thank you for your constant prayers and your faithful support of Behold Israel. This could be a very trying year around the globe. With your help, we will be able to assist people in making sense of the craziness around them by filtering it through a biblical lens. God is in control, and together we will make sure the world is reminded of that wonderful truth.

Awaiting His Return,

Amir Tsarfati: All Things
We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Is it true? Yes. Am I glad that it’s true? Yes. And when is it true? Now.

All things are working together for good. “I don't see it.” That’s not part of the verse, that you need to see it. While the fruit called patience is still growing, it is now. God is working. And even when you go through hard times, He’s still working. All things are good. So I hope you understand, we live in the last days. There are essential things that all of us should know and exercise regardless of circumstances. And I can tell you that great is our reward, and wonderful is our inheritance. And we are the most blessed people that this world has by not only knowing who we belong to, but having all of these promises and holding onto them, even in these evil days.

It has been said: The three primary rules of Biblical interpretation are: Context, Context, and Context! Here’s an example of contextual importance:

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Many have taken this to mean that because you know Christ, then by faith you can do anything or have anything you set your mind to. The context however is this:

Philippians 4:11-12
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Paul says, I can do poverty through Christ’s strength, I can do riches through Christ’s strength. He said, through Christ I can do fullness and I am equally empowered to do hunger. Because of Christ’s strength in me I can be abased and I can do abundance. Abased means to suffer humiliation.

Context is also critical for another famed, yet often misapplied, passage:

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

This is a verse many love to quote when hard times come. And while their intentions might be well meant and good, the interpretation can be misleading. Context is established by reading the surrounding verses and we always need to be careful about isolating verses from the overall context of the passage. Case in point, if you were to keep reading Romans 8 you would find this a few verses later:

Romans 8:36
As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

This tells us that the good that is in view in Romans 8:28 is the greater good. It is not saying that since something bad happened to you, something good will come from it to cancel it out. What it is saying is that, ultimately, no matter what happens in life, there is good waiting for us in the end.

There is nothing good that comes from the loss of a child or the untimely death of a spouse. They are lifelong pains and sorrows that may lessen over the years, but the pain never goes away completely in this life.

Revelation 21:3-4
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

This is our glorious future. A tear-, death-, sorrow-, and pain-free existence will someday be ours forever. Until then, Christ will strengthen us to do all the things that cause today what one day will pass away. Until then we have to remember that no matter what comes our way, there is an ultimate good that awaits us in the future.

One other thing to remember is that there are times in life when the hard things we encounter can also lead to good things that cannot be seen when they are endured.

Think about all that happened to Joseph. He was betrayed and sold to Midianite slave traders by his brothers, then lied about and imprisoned because of Potiphar’s wife. He was forgotten by those he had helped while in prison, finally remembered, and ultimately named the second most powerful man in all of Egypt because he was faithful in the face of the bleakest of circumstances.

What his brothers did to him was not only intended for evil, but it led to a series of evil things in Joseph’s life. Yet, Joseph runs in some rather elite company in the scriptures with men like Enoch, Nehemiah, and Daniel of whom the Bible has nothing negative to say.

Genesis 50:20
But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

It was not until many years and negative experiences later that Joseph could see that what was intended as an evil act against him led to the saving of many people because of the position in life in which he wound up. Not all hard things lead to temporal good things. Yet all things, for those who love God, will lead to ultimate good when we see the Lord as He is and we, then, are like Him (1 John 3:2).

So when life brings things that don’t make sense or that hurt us deeply, remember there is an ultimate good that awaits us all.

Psalms 16:11
You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

Amir Tsarfati: Last Days Essentials
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2t71W-0HrU

BEHOLD ISRAEL
AMIR TSARFATI
Psalm 16:9 says, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.” Only when we have that hope, we can rest. We can really, truly rest in that hope. “Let love be without hypocrisy, abhor what is evil, cling to what is good, be kindly, affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor, giving preference to one anther, not lacking in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope.” We see that Paul and Silas are coming to a place called Thessalonica. Coming to a synagogue full of Jewish people, and the Jewish people are holding onto tradition and religion. And, yet, the Greeks, as we just read, who had no hope and no God at the time, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, found hope.

The Bible says that hope is not something; it’s someone. 1 Timothy 1:1 says, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope.” He is our hope. Interesting. And what is the hope? 1 Thessalonians 2:19, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” So not just that He is our hope but He’s coming to take us. That is our hope. So not only He’s our hope, but the fact He’s coming to take us is our hope.
WATCH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIhww7iSvO0
AmIir Tsarfati
Behold Israel.

Bible Bite: The Hope the Messiah Brings
Few things impact the life experience of both believers and nonbelievers like hope. In some ways, hope affects both groups alike, and, in other ways, hope means something completely different. Hope requires an object, and both groups might at one time “hope” for pizza for dinner, or “hope” to pass a test or “hope” to get a raise. Parents “hope” for the best for their children, or, when facing one of many of life’s dilemmas, “hope” things will work out.

Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

The word “wait” in this famed passage means “to bind together”. It can also mean “to hope for or expect”. That sheds a little more light on the meaning here as we can better understand that those who bind together or place their hope in the Lord will experience renewed strength, power, vigor, and stamina. This is exclusive to those who wait on the Lord. When the Lord is the object of our hope, everything changes.

Psalm 31:23-24
Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

Psalms 43:5
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.

Proverbs 10:28
The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

These verses highlight the differing life experiences of the believer and nonbeliever, and hope is even presented as a weapon for the believer with which to combat a disquieted soul.

There is also an element of hope that Christians have always had that is closer to being realized today than at any point in church history.

Titus 2:11-13
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

This blessed hope is described as belonging to those who have experienced the grace of God that brings salvation and who appeared to all men. That blessed hope is His glorious appearing once again, and the object of our hope is identified as our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Yes, people who do not know the Lord experience hope. Yet their hopes are not the same as ours as believers. They are based on wishes combined with efforts and desires. The hopes of the world can be dashed, lost, and lead to disappointment and even despair. But for the believer, the object of our hope never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So you might say in comparison to the hope of the world, our hope is next level.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

The hope we have in Christ is so powerful it even changes the way we experience the greatest of life’s painful experiences, the death of a loved one. We do sorrow, but not without hope.

1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

Peter says that the hope we have in Christ is so powerful that it is visible to the degree that it causes others to inquire as to the reason we have such hope. This is one of the reasons it is so important that we not live in fear in these fear-mongering last days. It is why it is so important that we know where things are headed and not fall prey to the uncertainty and despair the world lives under today.

We have a hope that is different from that of the world. Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. On Christ the solid Rock we stand, all other ground is sinking sand. We sing it, but we must also live it so others can see it and desire it.

People are sinking in hopelessness all around us today. Talk of food shortages and famines, pandemics and death, are driving people to seek escape from these things through drugs or alcohol at unprecedented levels. Many, from hopelessness, are taking their own lives at numbers never seen before.

We, as Christians, have what they need and know where they can get it. We need to live in a manner, as Peter said, that leads them to ask where such hope can be found. Our hope is not like that of the world – circumstance-related. Our hope is one that cannot be impacted by circumstances and is even more clearly visible when they are at their worst. Tell someone about the hope you have today!

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.

Civilian Deaths in Gaza: Relatively Low.
by Alan M. Dershowitz • January 28, 2024 at 5:00 am

Critics of Israel almost never cite comparable data from other military encounters. This omission creates the false impression that the civilian death tolls in Gaza are among the highest in history, when they are in fact among the lowest.

The New York Times' conclusion that the new data suggests that it is "wrong to accuse [Israel] of wanting to maximize civilian deaths" is highly relevant to the false charges of genocide that are being considered by the International Court of Justice.

The decreasing civilian death rate among Gazans should also end the campaign to impose a ceasefire on Israel before the IDF completes its legitimate mission to destroy Hamas' military capacity. Successfully completing that mission will save civilian lives in the long run, by reducing Hamas' capacity to keep its promise of repeating the barbarism of October 7 and also by reducing its use of civilian shields.

The time has come, indeed it is long overdue, for the world to stop imposing a double standard on the nation-state of the Jewish people. Double standards are a form of bigotry, and when bigotry is addressed to the only nation-state of the Jewish people, it becomes a form of international anti-Semitism against the Jew among nations. It must stop.


Israel's military actions have produced far fewer deaths and a far lower ratio of civilian-to-combatant deaths than in any comparable urban warfare. This is especially significant considering the reality that Hamas deliberately increases civilian deaths by using women and children as human shields and by hiding its military personnel and equipment among civilians. Pictured: Gazans, protected by the Israeli military, walk along a safe corridor in the northern Gaza Strip, leaving the battle zone towards the southern Gaza Strip, on November 10, 2023. Hamas terrorists had ordered Gazans not to move to safety, and shot at them as they tried to flee. (Photo by Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images)
You wouldn't know it from the hectoring decision just rendered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel, but the death toll among civilians in Gaza — even including children and women — is among the lowest in the history of comparable warfare. Over the past several months, it has become even lower.

According to The New York Times, "The daily death toll in Gaza has more than halved in the past month," and has fallen almost two-thirds since late October. Moreover, the percentage of civilian to combatant causalities has gone down considerably as well.

In a massive understatement, The New York Times also reported that these considerable reductions in civilian deaths have been "somewhat overlooked" by the media and critics. "Somewhat"! They have been totally buried and ignored. The New York Times also opined that Israel's "harshest critics are wrong to accuse it of wanting to maximize civilian deaths."

Continue Reading Article https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20343/gaza-civilian-deaths



Iran-Pakistan: The Beautiful Vase Has Been Chipped
by Amir Taheri • January 28, 2024 at 4:00 am

Despite attempts by both sides to pretend that the recent clashes were a passing storm, it is clear that something deeper and more lasting may be involved.

Tehran is sore that China decided to locate the trade-cum-security hub it wants to build in the Indian Ocean in the Pakistani port of Gawadar on the Arabian Sea rather than in the Iranian port of Gavatar a few kilometers to its west.

Tehran fears that China's choice indicates Beijing's lack of confidence in Iran's stability once the "Supreme Guide" Ali Khamenei bows off stage, while Pakistan would retain a measure of stability because its system does not depend on a single leader.

Both Tehran and Islamabad are anxious to patch things up as quickly as possible. But one thing is clear: the beautiful vase filled with flowers has been chipped.


Despite attempts by Iran and Pakistan to pretend that the recent clashes were a passing storm, it is clear that something deeper and more lasting may be involved. Pictured: An anti-Iran protest in Lahore, Pakistan on January 19, 2024, after Iran launched an airstrike in Baluchistan province. (Photo by Arif Ali/AFP via Getty Images)
If you had asked me just a couple of weeks ago, I might have assured you that Pakistan is the last county with which the Islamic Republic of Iran would pick a fight.

I might have cited many reasons for that opinion.

First, A recent demise of the classical reasons for antagonism between nation-states. Their border, almost 1,000 kilometers long, was fully demarcated in 1964, ending ambiguities left behind by the British when they withdrew from the subcontinent in 1947. Relations were never marred by irredentist pressures on either side.

Nor did Iran and Pakistan compete over access to natural resources, including water, or competition over markets.

History, too, designated Iran and Pakistan as natural friends. Iran had been a source of inspiration for two generations of Muslims in the subcontinent who dreamt of a separate homeland. Many of them even adopted surnames that indicated an Iranian rather than Indian origin: Gailani, Isfahani, Shirazi etc.

Continue Reading Article https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20344/iran-pakistan

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Some of the last words of Jesus, and even Paul, were actually words of warning to the church. And, remember, when Jesus gathered the disciples on the Mount of Olives and when they asked Him about the signs of the end of the age in Matthew 24, it says, “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately.” It’s something that didn't really cause the rest of the Jews to even think that Jesus had an answer to. But the disciples came to Him privately without anyone around and asked Him, “Tell us when will these things be and what will the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them, and He started with, “Take heed that no one deceives you.” In other words, there’s going to be the things that I’m going to tell you that will be, but I want you to know that deception is the first thing you’re going to encounter.

And Paul, to his beloved Timothy in 2 Timothy 1, says, “Timothy, hold fast the pattern of…” What? “…sound words.” Why? Why did he have to use the word ‘sound words’? Because a lot of junk is going to be thrown in the air. He says, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words…” But what words can be sound? “…which you have heard from me…” In what? “…in faith and love…” What kind of faith and love? “…which are in Christ Jesus.” In other words, all the words that I gave and it was all about Jesus. It has to produce love and faith. And that’s the things that I want you to keep. Hold fast onto these things. “That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chains; but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that day.” That day.

Paul loves to use that term. The day we’re going to see Jesus – in that day. “And you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.” Paul is warning Timothy, telling him, “Look, hold on to the words that I told you that could only be from Jesus. But I want you to know, first century, first church, everybody left me.” Look what he said, “All those in Asia have turned away from you.” They haven’t turned away from Paul because he’s an obnoxious person. They turned away from the message of Paul. They heard the message from Paul directly and they just left. And he said, “Look, in this, I can see we’re not going to be the majority. Look, a lot of people are going to turn back on us. Look, these are the days of deception.”
Amir Tsarfati: Take Heed that No One Deceives You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLS6f4gfiQE

Many have heard or used the adage; “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The point being, if something is working, leave it alone. This is exactly what Satan has done through the centuries. His efforts in the garden worked with Eve, and he still employs the same tactic today.

Genesis 3:1-5
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Satan has been convincing people that what God says is not true ever since there were only two people in existence. It worked then and it still works now. Only now he has his agents to incorporate into his strategy; ones whom the Bible says will grow worse and worse as time progresses in their efforts to deceive (2 Timothy 3:13). This is consistent with what Jesus told Peter, Andrew, James, and John when they asked about the signs of His coming and the end of the age.

Mark 13:5-6
And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.”

This is the warning Jesus issued as He opened the last message He would give before His betrayal and arrest two days later. At the Last Supper, He would give one of the great promises of scripture that He would come again and receive us unto Himself. But the Olivet Discourse would be His final sermon during His time on earth.

Paul offered a similar warning in the last chapter of his last epistle written before he would be executed by Caesar Nero for his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

When someone is about to depart from this world, their last words would certainly be worth our undivided attention. This is especially true for us, as Jesus and Paul were both referring to the days in which we now live. This is a time when imposters and deceivers have grown worse than ever, and churches, in many cases, have become places where fables have replaced the line upon line teaching of the sound doctrines of the word of God.

The only conclusion we can draw is that time is short, the hour is late, and Jesus is coming for us soon. We have precious little time left to tell others about our Savior. Tell someone about him today!

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,
Amir Tsarfati: The Days of Deception
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God loves to declare His plans. Sometimes He declares them in real writing, and sometimes He’s hiding them. Not hiding them, but He’s actually showing you that in the past, there was something, but in the future, that something reflected something else, and that’s the beauty of the word of God. The Old is actually revealed in the New, and the New is concealed in the Old, and both are going together. And every time Jesus said that, “All those things that are written must take place,” Jesus speaks of the Old Testament. “All those things that were written by the prophets must take place.” And unfortunately, instead of going to the things that are written, to the things that we are instructed to learn and study, people love to go to those places that are not written, the places that are nicer and cooler, probably, that makes a bit more interest in our Christian boring walk, probably, and then they come up with some strange theories and theologies.

Lately, you know, I was attacked by blood moons, and Shmita, and so many different things. And it’s already October and we’re still here. And I say that if there are some things that God wants us not to know, then we should not know. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law,” which means that we have to remember that there are things not for us to deal with, and the things that He wants us to deal with are the things in his written, given word to all of us. Amen.


Amir Tsarfati: God Loves to Declare His Plans
Imagine going through life right now without the Word of God. You wouldn’t know what’s going on or where things are going. You wouldn’t know that the delusion that much of the world is under is actually a sign that something wonderful is going to happen for the church. You wouldn’t know where we came from, and you wouldn’t know what to think about the rebirth of the nation of Israel. You wouldn’t have hope; you wouldn’t have comfort. All that is happening in this world – all the pain, suffering, and sorrows – would be the sum total of your existence. The greatest tragedy of all would be you wouldn’t know there was One who came into the world to provide a way to a place where sorrow, pain, suffering, and death are not allowed.

Isaiah 46:9-10
“Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.’”

The true and living God, the God of the Bible, dwells outside of time. He knows and has declared to man how things began and how things will end and how we should live in the between time. He has told mankind of His plan of redemption after the fall in the garden. He has told man of the nation and people through whom He would choose to send the Savior of the world. He has told man how this Savior would be born, where He would be born, where He would live, how He would die, and that He would be resurrected. And He put all this in His book.

Yet many today choose to ignore the Bible or they focus exclusively on the New Testament. By doing so, they miss out on much of what makes the Bible “living and powerful.” Things like:

Psalm 34:19
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 119:41
Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD— Your salvation according to Your word.

Psalms 138:2
I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

Proverbs 3:5-8
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.

Why face life without this crucial information? The problem with avoiding the Old Testament is it is the foundation for the New Testament. Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection being foretold in advance makes His birth, death, and resurrection unique amongst all others. It establishes that we can trust in the Lord at all times, that He will be faithful to direct our paths, and that living righteously is healthy for our bodies.

It also protects us from falling for sensationalistic nonsense.

Deuteronomy 18:21-22
“And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.”

God is never wrong, nor does He ever misspeak. His word is inerrant and this inerrancy is why He has exalted His word above all. If His word is not true, His name is disparaged. If a person claims to be a prophet and speaks something contrary to God’s word or speaks things that do not come to pass, do not pay attention to them no matter how appealing their words may be.

In light of this age of a diminished view of God and His word, we would do well to remember that the Bible does not contain God’s word, but the Bible is God’s word – all of it!

2 Peter 1:2-4
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

We need not live without knowledge of the past nor what’s coming in the future. The God who knows the end from the beginning has given us His word, and both Testaments are living and powerful. The history, the poetry, and the prophecies are all what make the Bible the inspired word of God.

Isaiah 55:11
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

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Weekly Newsletter December 27 - January 4 2024
Shalom from Israel! Along with the rest of the world, many in my country celebrated the beginning of a new year. However, instead of the sound of champagne corks and the singing of Auld Lang Syne, we rang in the turn of the calendar to the tune of air attack sirens and the deafening sounds of our low-flying fighter jets. Lest that sound pessimistic, let me tell you that I in no way feel negative about the future of Israel. We are sorrowful, wounded, and heartbroken. But we are not defeated. In fact, it is just the opposite. The Israeli people are filled with a scowling, jaw-clenched determination that should have those who are set on harming us running deeper into their tunnels. The year 2024 will see Israel at peace and without any more fear of what is just on the other side of its borders.

To get there, though, it is going to take another six-to-nine months. That is what the US administration and the United Nations need to understand. Well, maybe not the UN – they’re hopeless. But the pressure and the restrictions that my government is dealing with from Washington is threatening to hobble the effort. How do people not understand that this is not just an anti-terror action? This is an all-out war against a real enemy. When the Americans and the British bombed Dresden, Germany, in February 1945, there were no restrictions demanding that the 3,900 tons of explosives be precision directed only at military targets. There was no requirement that humanitarian aid be immediately provided as part of the assault. Instead, it was determined that the reward of shortening the war was worth the cost of the devastation. It was the same thinking used to end the War in the Pacific.

But the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are not indiscriminately bombing. In fact, they are doing everything they can to avoid civilian casualties. The war in Gaza could have been completed before the end of October with far fewer Israelis hurt and killed if the IDF didn’t care about civilians. Instead, the military gave up the advantage of surprise in order to warn Gazans to flee areas that would soon be targeted. Also, they limited the size and strength of the ordnance used if civilian targets would be put at great risk.

What does Israel get for their care in the prosecution of the war? The Gazan perpetrators are made victims by the press, and the US administration warns our prime minister that he better stop the “indiscriminate bombings”. Academics, social influencers, protest organizers, and the talking heads on television all agree that the while the Palestinians may have possibly gone a bit overboard in expressing their legitimate rage on October 7, it can certainly be understood after so many years of repression. What ultimately needs to happen to bring peace in the land is summed up in the catchy little phrase, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free!” For those of you who may not get what is meant by “free”, just add “Jew-” in front of the word and that should clarify it.

I wish there was a magic wand that Benjamin Netanyahu could wave that would give us peace on all our borders. But that kind of security only comes through perseverance, hard work, and time. Israel is determined to see it through. While I would love to think that Washington will stand with us the whole time, I am not that naïve. But there is a bigger, global entity that I believe is even more important to have as an ally. That is the church. Already, I am seeing cracks in the resolve of the worldwide church when it comes to Israel. Some are condemning the country’s actions. Many more are just ignoring it, afraid to speak of it out loud for fear of offense or reprisals. I call on the church to pray in your services for Israel. I call on the church to pray in groups and as individuals. We show our love for God when we love that which He loves. Please, encourage your pastors to weekly bring the safety of Israel before the One who considers this backslidden nation to be, even now, the apple of His eye.

Zechariah 2:8
For thus says the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.”

One piece of wonderful news for the beginning of 2024 is that today sees the beginning of construction on CONNECT! From this new facility, Behold Israel will be able to continually update the news, produce quality videos, teach Israelis, host tour groups, and carry out many other ministry-related activities. Despite the war carrying on around us, we still anticipate CONNECT being ready for operation at the end of April. Thank you so much for your prayers and your giving to this ministry facility. With your help, God has brought CONNECT from the spark of a vision to the place that we are only months away from opening.


The Middle East

IDF Assassinates Major Hamas Commander
Tuesday night saw a meeting of key leaders of the terrorist organization, Hamas. Among those attending the meeting was Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy chairman of the Political Bureau of Hamas. Born in the West Bank, al-Arouri joined early with Hamas, and in 1993 he founded the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, which is the military wing of the terrorist organization. He continued to rise in the ranks until he became the most important person in Hamas outside of Gaza. That came to an end when an Israeli airstrike targeted al-Arouri’s Tuesday night meeting. He was instantly killed, along with five other terrorist leaders. Not only was this an embarrassment to Hezbollah since the meeting was taking place in their headquarters, but more importantly this is a major blow to Hamas. Al-Arouri was the number two man in Hamas and deputy to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. But his elimination is even more significant than if it had been Haniyeh taken out. Al-Arouri was a strategic terrorist. He was a creator, an initiator, and an implementer. He was also ambitious and very charismatic. The elimination of Haniyeh might have been more symbolic in nature, but taking al-Arouri will have far greater impact and it is a shame it didn’t happen earlier. To learn more about this attack, watch my short Breaking News Update from immediately after the event.

IDF Working Hard in Khan Yunis
There are five governorates to Gaza descending southwards. The first two, North Gaza and Gaza City, are firmly under IDF control. Rather than continue to the third, Deir el-Balah, the IDF has focused its attention on the fourth governorate of Khan Yunis. They are doing this to try to cut off the gradual southward retreat of Hamas. If the fleeing terrorists were able to make it all the way to the fifth governorate of Rafah, then they would potentially be able to flee across the border into Egypt. This is why, if you follow my Telegram, you have seen so much activity in Khan Yunis this past week. To have this strategy and its reasoning described in much more detail, please watch "An Important Update from Amir" posted on Tuesday. Beyond the activity in the south, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) has been very busy in the north. Iranian officers and proxy militias bore the brunt of the attacks in Syria, while Hezbollah targets were incessantly pounded in Lebanon.

Extraordinary Number of Chinese Weapons in Gaza
The IDF says that it has seized a “massive” amount of Chinese manufactured weaponry in Gaza. Defenders of China have said that it is impossible because China does not sell weapons to the Middle East. This short-sighted response ignores the round-about way weapons travel, particularly within what seems to be an emerging axis of evil between China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran with its minion proxy militias. So, while China may claim to have a strict control over the flow of their weaponry, it is likely that the containment practices of their arms factories are similar to that of their biological labs.

Houthis Given Stern Warning
A stern warning was issued to the Houthis by a coalition of 13 countries, led by the United States. A joint statement issued by the coalition read, “Ongoing attacks in the Red Sea are illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilizing…. The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways.” In the last three months, there have been approximately 24 attacks on international shipping in the area.

U.S. Bases in Iraq and Syria Under Constant Attack
There have been at least 118 attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria since October 17. The perpetrators of these assaults are the Iranian-led proxy militias. While they’re sending suicide drones toward U.S. troops, the Washington administration continues to play footsie with the ayatollahs holding out hope for some sort of nuclear deal. For those of you in America who are reading about this, how many of you knew that the attacks were this extensive? If you didn’t, then ask yourself why you didn’t? There’s an event coming the first Tuesday in November that might have something to do with it.

Explosions in Iran Cause Hundreds of Casualties
An explosion yesterday sent shrapnel flying into the massive crowd that had gathered in Kerman Martys Cemetery, located just over 500 miles southeast of Tehran, to commemorate the death of assassinated Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. The fleeing crowd funneled onto Shohada Street, where twenty minutes after the first blast took place a second bomb went off. It is here that most of the casualties occurred. So far, at least 103 are known to be dead, while another 211 are wounded. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the terror attack, but sources in the U.S. speculate it to be ISIS or a related group. It is also possible that it is one of the many disgruntled minority populations that make up between one-third to one-half of Iran’s population. Iran, however, claims that they know who the perpetrators are. Mohammad Jamshidi, deputy chief of staff for political affairs to the Iranian president, posted on X today, “Washington says USA and Israel had no role in the terrorist attack in Kerman, Iran. Really? A fox smells its own lair first. Make no mistake. The responsibility for this crime lies with the US and Zionist regimes and terrorism is just a tool.” The Islamic regime knows full well that it is neither the U.S. nor Israel, but their own opposition. But less than 24 hours after the assassination of al-Arouri, it’s much more convenient to make Israel the scapegoat.

Turkey’s Skyrocketing Inflation
It’s possible that Turkey’s President Erdogan needs to stop worrying about Israel’s prosecution of its war and start focusing on his own economy. The inflation rate finished the year near 65%. A shift in philosophy at the central bank this past June has led to interest rates lifting from 8.5% to 42.5% six months later. Unfortunately, from what we know about Erdogan, this kind of news will not quiet him on the world stage. It will only make him more dangerous.

Difficult Start for Japan’s New Year
A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Ishakawa Prefecture on New Year’s Day. At least 55 people were killed, and there was widespread damage to roads and houses. The next day, sorrow compounded sorrow when a JAL jet carrying 379 people collided on the ground with a Coast Guard plane preparing to aid victims of the quake. Everyone on board the passenger plane survived, but five of the six on the smaller plane perished.

South Africa Accuses Israel of Genocide
The South African government has filed a case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, accusing Israel of genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. Apparently, the country’s ANC-dominated leadership has forgotten what genocide really is. To refresh their memories, they are welcome to look back at the Hamas-led atrocities on October 7. Or, if they prefer something closer to home, their constant turning of a blind eye to the massacring of white farmers all across South Africa speaks well of the concept. Israel has chosen to defend itself against the charges, and South Africa is demanding that the case, which would normally take several years to adjudicate, be dealt with directly. In the meantime, they are asking the court to issue a legally binding injunction for Israel to “immediately suspend its military operations in and against Gaza.” Should this occur, I am positive that the Netanyahu administration will give the demand the due that it gives everything connected to the United Nations. For all of Behold Israel’s dear friends in South Africa, especially those who have contacted us apologizing for this court case, let me assure you that we recognize that this is your ANC-led government, not you. We pray for you as you struggle under their leadership, even as you faithfully pray for us in the difficulties we bear.


Ministry

Registration is now open for Proximity 2024, held at Calvary Central OC on January 27, 2024. Pastor Barry Stagner and Pastor Mike Golay will be teaching in person, while I will “satellite” in from Israel. Just where are we in the prophetic timeline, and where are we going next? Those are the questions we’ll be answering. Please come and join us! You may register here!

After the amazing success of our Alaska Cruise conference in 2023, we are preparing to take our teaching back on the water! For these opportunities, we will be presenting our Discovering Daniel & Revealing Conference in two very different venues. The first will be a cruise through the Mediterranean, which will take place from October 19-29, 2024. Our second opportunity to present these teachings will be on the waters of the Caribbean on January 18-25, 2025. Registration for both cruises will begin tomorrow, January 5!

My Telegram Channel is a constant flow of news throughout the day. Subscribe to my channel to make sure you know exactly what is going on.

God gave His laws to Moses for the people of Israel to observe. He did the same with the yearly cycle of feasts. Why were these rules and observances so important? In “God’s Calendar”, premiering Friday, January 5, at 12:00 PM PST, I’ll use the seven Old Testament feasts of Israel to show you Jesus Christ and His redemptive role as described in the New Testament.

Discovering Daniel – so much of what is taking place in the Middle East ties in with the Old Testament book of Daniel. This book, a prequel of sorts to my bestselling Revealing Revelation, is available for preorder leading up to its May 7, 2024 release.

As we close, I would like to make a personal request for prayer. I am going south this weekend to spend time with my 76-year-old mother in Eilat. She has been battling cancer and she could very much use your prayers. Thank you so much.

I am so grateful for your support and your prayers. As we enter 2024, we know that it will be full of surprises – some good and some not so good. But through it all, we have the profound assurance that God is always with us and we are never alone. With Him alongside us, how can the enemy ever prevail against us?

Awaiting His Return,

https://mailchi.mp/beholdisrael/amirs-bible-bites-devotionals-amirs-bible-bites-devotionals-010124?e=52ebe87529

When God is separating you, He knows you by name. He knows who you are, what your name is, and He wants you to demand Him to be with you. But sometimes it’s not just the people from a foreign land or the people from a pagan world. Sometimes within the people there is a separation. Think about Moses coming down from Mount Sinai, and they were celebrating the golden calf. Moses, the Bible says, Exodus 32, when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained, for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies, then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side, come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. Within the nation, sometimes within your own, you will have to have a separation. And the only criteria is, who is on the Lord’s side? It’s not who do you like more? Who looks better? Who is wealthier? It’s who is on the Lord’s side.

Behold Israel with Amir Tsarfati

Amir Tsarfati: Who is on the Lord's Side
WATCH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVvd5I_HdXM

Amir Tsarfati BEHOLD ISRAEL CHANNEL ON Telegram


Merry Christmas from Netanyahu

https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/25171#