Amir Tsarfati BEHOLD ISRAEL

[b][/bAmir Tsarfati: Is UNRWA a Weapon for Continuing the War?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlkDyIuOjZs

Shalom!

It was a beautiful site to see the streets of Jerusalem flooded with Israeli flags as we celebrated Jerusalem Day yesterday! This national holiday stems from the outcome of the Six-Day War of 1967 when Israel reunified the city of Jerusalem after defeating the militaries of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. At that time, we not only reunified Jerusalem, but we obtained control over the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, Judea & Samaria (the West Bank), and the Golan Heights! Despite the fact that so much has since changed – Our God performs miracles and His plans stand!

From young Israelis praying and dancing on the Temple Mount to waving their flags throughout the day, I’m once again reminded of the fact that God fulfills His promises. It brought tears to my eyes to see the beautiful sight of thousands of Israelis dancing at the Western Wall while singing aloud from a specific psalm:

Psalm 28:9
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever.

From nearly being annihilated during the Holocaust to dwelling in the land of our forefathers – God’s decrees remain unhindered. Yes, we’re a nation facing political and geopolitical turmoil right now. Yes, we have both internal and external threats we’re dealing with. Yes, most of the nation remains in spiritual blindness – but that’s just it. Much like when God initiated His covenant with Abraham, when the Lord promised to bring His people back to the land through the prophet Ezekiel, it wasn’t contingent on our faithfulness or righteousness, but His holy name!

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.”

Yes, things are both physically and spiritually chaotic right now – not just in Israel, but all over the world – but I can’t tell you how much I look forward to the day when I witness what God promised next through Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 36:25-27
Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

First came the physical restoration. Oh, how I await the spiritual restoration of my people.

Yes, we are destroying Hamas in Gaza! Yes, we are about to strike Hezbollah in Lebanon! Yes, terror will continue from the West Bank as well as from Syria, Iraq, Iran and Yemen. As an Israeli Jew who is a follower of the Messiah and a strong believer in the words of the prophets, I am often conflicted between the will to say what I feel about the current war and the need to stay calm and look at things from a biblical and much broader perspective.

According to the prophet Ezekiel, the coming big war is NOT against Iran and its proxies, but rather, against Iran and its allies. Iran will be joining a coalition led by Russia. This future major war will catch Israel feeling safe and secure, but with allies that won’t extend any help besides tough words of protest.

But God.

The Lord, the keeper of Israel, will intervene and help Israel in a very supernatural way. He will defeat the enemies of Israel on the mountains of Israel as the world will watch with great awe and astonishment!

Knowing this, tell me – On whose side do you prefer to be?

As I jump into the latest regarding current events in Israel and the region, I want to remind you that the best way to stay up to date regarding world events – especially those impacting Israel – is to subscribe to my Telegram Channel. This is the one-stop shop for my real-time news updates. You can also follow me on Instagram for news updates in the form of stories.

The Middle East

Hezbollah
As things with Hezbollah continue to escalate, the Iranian-funded terror proxy – the most powerful proxy in the region – launched three large missiles into Northern Israel on Friday, which ultimately hit their targets. Significant damage was caused to Israel’s Biranit Barracks, but no casualties were reported. On the flipside, the IDF is continuing to carry out targeted attacks on Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon – even ambulances that move weapons and terrorists. And we’re not just active in Lebanon, but Syria as well.

That said, the rockets keep coming from the other side of our northern border and our strikes continue in various parts of Lebanon. A hotspot for recent Hezbollah strikes in Israel is our northern town of Kiryat Shmona where we have some of our forces stationed. Hezbollah has also had success when it comes to shooting down Israeli drones operating in Lebanese airspace. Sadly, two casualties and several injuries occurred in the Israeli town of Hurfeish after a targeted drone and rocket attack took place at a playground. Furthermore, the month of May brought 325 attacks from Hezbollah, which is the highest number in one month since the beginning of our war with Hamas.

A new front has opened with Hezbollah in the form of wildfires. Throughout the northern region of Israel, various serious fires were started after Hezbollah launched rockets into open fields knowing the effects it would have given the current heat wave we’re facing. Significant regions of Northern Israel quickly became engulfed in flames. As of a few days ago, a state of emergency had been declared, yet little to no help was provided to the citizens affected by the fires for a significant amount of time. However, Lebanon is now dealing with some fires of their own. War of attrition – to slowly wear down your enemy mentally and physically through small-scale attacks – is the strategy of Hezbollah. This tactic and the results it’s yielded so far is what has led Israelis to demand action.

As I’ve reported several times over the last week, an official war with Hezbollah is imminent, as our security cabinet has met multiple times in the last week to address this very issue. Part of the decision-making process when it comes to starting a war is ensuring that you can catch your enemy off guard because the initial surprise attack is what will deliver the most damage, dismantling the enemy’s capabilities. So, there is a two-fold reason Israel hasn’t begun a war with our enemy to the north as of yet: 1) We’re allowing our brigades in Gaza to finish the job and 2) we’re preparing for the right time to strike. When the right time comes, Hezbollah is going to feel it. Hezbollah has actually stated that they’ve increased their attacks in anticipation of the looming war.

Something I’ve been thinking about lately: The stronger the attacks on Israel, the bigger the plans of God for us!

Hamas
The IDF continues to operate in the heart of Rafah. So far, our troops have discovered a minimum of 84 tunnels running from Rafah into the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. We’re continuing to investigate whether or not any live hostages or bodies of victims from October 7 were smuggled through these. Moreover, the IDF continues to carry out operations within the Philadelphi Corridor between Rafah and Egypt, including the destruction of terror tunnels. The IDF also continues to find bodies of victims from October 7 as it navigates through Rafah.

As for our troops in Jabalia, after eliminating approximately 500 terrorists in the area, the IDF’s 98th Division concluded the operation, has the left the Strip, and is preparing for where they’ll be sent next. We still have around 16,000 soldiers actively serving in Gaza.

While the world continues to scream, “genocide!”, the IDF was busy handing out leaflets in Northern Gaza urging civilians to leave the safe zone. Furthermore, before the attack that took place on Wednesday night in Lebanon, Israel sent an evacuation notice via text message to residents of the Wadi Jilou area.

The Houthis
The Houthis claimed to have conducted a combined missile attack against the American aircraft carrier Dwight Eisenhower in the Red Sea in response to the joint US strikes in Yemen. Days later, they made this same claim once again.

The International Community
Global hypocrisy never takes a break! After speaking out in favor of a Palestinian state, there are reports that the progressive, Pro-Palestinian, and antisemitic Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked government ministers to stop using the term "genocide" in the context of Gaza, fearing that Gazans would seek political asylum in Spain. What goes around comes around! Spain’s government – bless their heart – following their recognition of a Palestinian state last week, stated that they would open an embassy in Ramallah. However, they’re now shying away from that commitment because their diplomates prefer to stay in Israel because it’s “safer” and provides a “higher quality of life”. This is almost laughable.

Slovenia now officially recognizes a Palestinian state. Fools! Switzerland has rejected the recognition of a Palestinian state for the obvious reasons that every country should reject a Palestinian state – they don’t want Iran 2.0.

The United States
Adding insult to injury, the POTUS delivered a shameful speech last Friday in which he exposed the administration’s total lack of competency when it comes it Israel, Hamas, and our fight for survival as a nation. Biden laid out a peace plan for Gaza, where Israel retreats and Hamas continues to rule over Gaza indefinitely. As I stated previously, Israel’s government will collapse overnight if a deal like this should be embraced! Furthermore, the Israeli hostages are the only bargaining chips Hamas has. These terrorists are well aware that the minute all the hostages are released, Israel can complete the job and utterly destroy them! Ultimately, Biden’s plan puts all of the pressure on the Israeli government. When terrorists like Hamas support your plan, you know you have a terrible plan.

Thankfully, the recent statements from the Israeli government have made it very clear that Israel’s conditions for ending the war have not changed. Hamas will perish.

The Ministry

We recorded our very first podcast at CONNECT just days ago with my dear friends, Sarah & Steve Berger. I look forward to sharing it with you soon!

The Bible says, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way..." Who is the Restrainer? When will He be removed? Why does He restrain? How will He be removed? Tune in for my teaching, "The Restrainer," for insight into what the Bible says about the Restrainer in today's world and His role in the future. This will be aired on Friday at 12:00 PM PDT on YouTube & Facebook.

In the weeks ahead, I will air an unfiltered video of the October 7th events. The atrocities are very difficult to watch and so graphic that no social media platform will ever allow me to show this content. That is exactly what the deniers are banking on! In preparation, there are two ways you can help me: 1) Please send my telegram channel to everyone you know! 2) Please be there to watch and then forward the video! Here is a link to my telegram channel for you to share with others: https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel

As I mentioned the last couple of weeks, I want to encourage you to monitor our Facebook page and YouTube channel for the consistent release of short, informational videos over the next two weeks. These videos will cover a variety of topics from Zionism to the Palestinians to the third temple to the UN and more, and they’re perfect for sharing with others in order to provide a fact-based and Scripture-driven perspective on such relevant topics! The most effective way to be updated whenever we share a new video is to subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking the “subscribe” button. The most recent regarding UNRWA can be found HERE.

Discovering Daniel is now available in the Behold Israel Shop! Moreover, the study guide that accompanies this bestseller is also available for order. I am so excited for this book to fall into the hands of believers and unbelievers alike. Understanding the Old Testament is the key to making sense of the New Testament. What Daniel foretells; Revelation fulfills. I believe you’ll find this new book to be a very helpful resource in your biblical studies.

Don’t Grow Weary!

Over the past eight months I’ve had many “down” moments where I felt crushed and powerless in light of the massive spiritual blindness and brainwashing the prince of this world is doing to the gullible masses. The following verses kept my spirit afresh and strengthened my soul!

Galatians 6:7-10
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Awaiting His Return,

Behold Israel
From:
info@beholdisrael.org
Amir
Shalom from Eilat in Southern Israel –

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – My region of the world never takes a holiday. And it hasn’t been “business as usual” in the Middle East. Things are continuing to escalate. Egypt exchanged fire with the IDF. The IDF has made its way into the heart of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. The Hague revealed its true colors. Europe is recognizing a Palestinian state. What’s next?

While I may not know what tomorrow holds, I remain certain concerning who holds tomorrow.

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.

Despite the darkness of the times we’re living in, I’m encouraged to see the great number of Christians around the world who are steadfast in their support for Israel. From small groups to churches to different ministries, I’ve received countless pictures of believers standing for Israel. Why does it matter? Because it reveals to me that there is a remnant of believers in these last days holding fast to the promises of God from ages ago.

As I begin to dive into the details of several different current events, I want to remind you that the best way to stay up to date regarding world events – especially those impacting Israel – is to subscribe to my Telegram Channel. This is the one-stop shop for my real-time news updates as they unfold in Israel, the Middle East, and throughout the world.

The Middle East

Israel & Hamas
As I mentioned previously, the IDF has made its way into the heart of Rafah – the last major Hamas stronghold in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Tragically, more bodies of Israelis who were killed on October 7 and taken to Gaza continue to be recovered in this city. Being the cowards they are, Hamas leaders are content to dwell in their tunnels presenting the façade that hostages are alive in order to leverage some sort of deal with Israel. Of course, when their strategy fails, they blame Israel for their deaths.

Like the rest of Gaza, the true city of Rafah is based in its hundreds if not thousands of terror tunnels under the city, which the IDF is progressively destroying. Of course, the military is also terminating weapon-storage facilities, rocket-production sites, and more along the way. It’s time for us to put an end to Hamas!

Speaking of Rafah, are you aware that Israel accomplished the safe removal of civilians from the city in a matter of weeks when the Biden Administration said it would take months? While the Biden Administration is screaming, “But the civilians in Rafah…!”, we find rockets and other weapons everywhere we go. It’s safe to say that the opinion of the White House is not held in high esteem these days.

As you probably know by now, the Hague condemned Israel last week for what we’re doing in Rafah. At the end of the day, this is meaningless. Israel will do what we need to do to survive and prevent future terrorist attacks. However, consider the darkness of the hour in which we live, as an international court condemns Israel for protecting its people, ultimately sympathizing with Hamas and terrorism in general! And yes, Hamas praised the decision! Oh, and by the way, yes, Hamas is continuing to kill the people of Gaza. And in case you’re still on the fence concerning UNRWA, it was in the tunnels inside of buildings constructed by UNRWA that the mutilated body of the German-Israeli woman, Shani Louk, was found. UNRWA is corrupt to the core!

As of Wednesday, the IDF obtained full operational control of the Philadelphi Corridor near Rafah. This is extremely significant because Hamas is now completely cut off from all sides. There is no way of escape. There are no incoming resources. As one source put it – This is the beginning of the end of Hamas.

On another note, while tourism in Israel – a very large source of income – continues to be hammered by the ongoing war in the region and threats from the BDS movement, a unique business located next to the Dead Sea is in need of your support. The people at Kedma & Revival Products are friends of mine. All of our tours visit this well-known shop that is popular due to the variety of mineral-based cosmetics it offers – Minerals sourced from the Dead Sea. Please consider supporting them during this difficult time. The provided link includes a special discount at checkout.

Lastly, if you want to help support an IDF unit that is fighting in Gaza right now and might be called up to the northern border later, please click HERE.

Egypt
In the wake of the deteriorating relations between Israel and Egypt, a very unusual incident occurred between the IDF and the Egyptian army in the Rafah crossing area. Israel is conducting an investigation into the details of the incident, which may have significant political consequences. Basically, Egyptian soldiers opened fire on IDF forces. Ultimately, one Egyptian soldier was killed. I encourage you to watch my breaking news segment regarding this incident!

Lebanon, Syria, & Hezbollah
Israel is continuing to conduct targeted attacks in Lebanon as Hezbollah’s presence thrives in the region. Northern Israel has experienced a host of air raid sirens due to more barrages of rockets being fired from Lebanon over the last week. Sadly, the terrorists successfully caused some damage to homes in the Galilee region. However, it’s almost a daily occurrence that we’re killing Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon.

Our targeted attacks are not isolated to Lebanon, as they’re happening throughout Syria as well. Last night, Israel carried out a dramatic and remote bombing in the Alawite city of Banias on the Syrian coast (north of Tartus near the Russian base in Khmeimim Air Base). Hezbollah trucks were bombed and there are casualties. Make no mistake, while Gaza is the largest terror base on the face of the earth, the largest war is yet to come – and it will be with Hezbollah.

Yemen & the Houthis
The Houthis continue to provoke violence in the region whenever and wherever they can. In the last week, they’ve claimed attacks on ships in various bodies of water, and they’ve even shot down another Reaper Drone belonging to the US military.

Russia
In case you forgot, the war between Russia and Ukraine is ongoing. However, there are reports of a proposed ceasefire by Russian President Vladimir Putin pending certain conditions.

Russia has allegedly offered weapons and ammunition to Sudan in exchange for a fueling station to be established in the Red Sea by the Sudanese government. This deal is expected to be signed soon. Sound familiar? Indeed, we live in the days of Ezekiel’s prophecies.

The United States
The $320M dock in Gaza that American taxpayers provided – courtesy of the Biden Administration – was short lived, as it met its end yesterday. The dock began to be dismantled by the waves earlier in the week and finally deteriorated yesterday. What was a terrible idea from its conception resulted in a massive waste of resources in the end. This dock turned out to be an embarrassing metaphor for the current US foreign policy.

All of that said, America should be far more concerned about what’s happening internally. If what’s coming out of DC isn’t telling you everything you need to know, the terrible fruit coming from America’s college campuses ought to do the trick. If Al-Qaeda and the supreme leader of Iran are siding with what’s taking place on your college campuses, it’s a sneak preview into the decline of your empire.

The International Community
Last week, I informed you that a handful of European countries were moving towards recognizing a Palestinian state. Sadly, what was moving last week is a reality this week, as just days ago, Ireland’s & Spain’s governments chose to formally recognize a Palestinian state. I expect that others will follow suit. Personally, I’m curious if they will be recognizing Narnia as well. If that’s not enough, Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz called for a genocide of Jews in Israel saying, “We cannot stop. Palestine will be free from the River to the Sea.” Apparently, the Inquisition wasn’t enough.

Thankfully, there are countries like Denmark standing in opposition to this stupidity. Moreover, Greece has motioned to deport any foreign students who participated in anti-Israel protests.

October 7 was so barbaric that it either intimidated the free world into appeasement or inspired others to courage, such as Holland and Argentina. Regrettably, much of the West and Asia simply tried to stop Israel from defending its people from the savagery of the Islamic fascists. In doing so, they revealed their own corruption. And so, the violence continues due to their cowardice. If only the world was united against evil, this war would’ve ended long ago.

The Ministry

Much progress continues to be made here at CONNECT. The studio is nearly complete and we’re now preparing to begin producing a wide variety of broadcasts – something I’m so excited to begin doing. MidEast Updates, CONNECT Round Tables, the Anchor Podcast, Author’s Corner, various interviews, and other installments are in the works! Please continue to pray for us as we prepare, and thank you for your unwavering support up to this very moment.

On another note, I’d like to ask for your prayers regarding a very specific need we have here at the studio, and that’s for an administrative assistant/personal assistant for me. Ideally, this person will be able to speak solid Hebrew and English, but even more importantly, I need for them to be a believer in Yeshua. Please join me in asking God to help meet this need.

It is easy to get discouraged as we look at the world around us, but as Christians, we are not to be a people of fear or despair. Instead, we have been called by God to a mission - the Great Commission. I want to challenge you to keep your eyes upward towards Christ as you run the race that is set before you! Tune in for my teaching, “Reaching the Finish Line”, on Friday at 12:00 PM PDT.

In the days ahead, I will air an unfiltered video of the October 7th events. The atrocities are very difficult to watch and so graphic that no social media platform will ever allow me to show this content. That is exactly what the deniers are banking on! In preparation, there are two ways you can help me: 1) Please send my telegram channel to everyone you know! 2) Please be there to watch and then forward the video! Here is a link to my telegram channel for you to share with others: https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel

I want to encourage you to monitor our Facebook page and YouTube channel for the consistent release of short, informational videos over the next two weeks. These videos will cover a variety of topics from Zionism to the Palestinians to the third temple to the UN and more, and they’re perfect for sharing with others in order to provide a fact-based and Scripture-driven perspective on such relevant topics! The most effective way to be updated whenever we share a new video is to subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking the “subscribe” button. The most recent video can be found HERE.

Discovering Daniel is now available in the Behold Israel Shop! Moreover, the study guide that accompanies this bestseller is also available for order. I am so excited for this book to fall into the hands of believers and unbelievers alike. Understanding the Old Testament is the key to making sense of the New Testament. What Daniel foretells; Revelation fulfills. I believe you’ll find this new book to be a very helpful resource in your biblical studies.

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!

Things Are Falling into Place

While the events of Bible prophecy ought not surprise us when they come to pass, there’s no question that it’s a rather surreal thing to live through them. And indeed, we live times of great biblical proportion. As I look at the events unfolding in Israel and the Middle East and I see the rapid decline of the western world – namely, America – and so much more, I’m reminded of what God said to the prophet Isaiah. He’s declared all things. He knows all things before they take place. His perfect plan will stand. While so much seems to be spiraling out of control, the reality is that things are only falling into place.

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…’

Awaiting His Return,

https://mailchi.mp/beholdisrael/amirs-bible-bites-devotionals-1007367-q7a8ch7s7m-1008239?e=52ebe87529
Amir's Bible Bites Devotionals
May 27, 2024
Look around. You are the generation that is watching the fig tree come back to life. You are watching God's handling with Israel within your lifetime in a way the apostles and disciples never saw. Jesus said, “Learn this parable from the fig tree,” when He spoke about the end time signs. He said, "When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near at the doors." The point He was making was this: When the Jewish people return to their land, signaling that the cursed fig tree is coming back to life, you know it's the end.

He said, "Assuredly I say to you, this generation…”. I want you to lift up your hand right now. Hello. You are the generation! "This generation will by no means pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My word will by no means pass away." And the Psalmist wrote, "Bring us back to the land.” He said, "Like the streams in the south." Have you been to Israel? Good. Because there are no streams in the south. The southern part of Israel is a desert. There's only one case where that part of the land has streams. Do you know when? Flash floods. When it rains heavily all around in the mountains, the water arrives in the form of flash floods. Have you ever seen a flash flood? It takes everything in its path.

And that’s exactly what happened in 1948. I started this message with my grandparents surviving Auschwitz, making it all the way to the land. For every person that lived in Israel in 1948, three new immigrants came. Amazing, flash flood. And it's Aliyah. It’s immigration from the four winds. And we didn't even know how to communicate. Yemenite Jews, Moroccan Jews, German Jews, Spanish Jews, Polish Jews, Russian Jews. How will they even communicate? God says, "It's time to restore their language. Hebrew." Wow. You see, He restored first the land, then restored them from their graveyard in Europe, brought them back to their land, restored the language, and now, thus, the fig tree is coming back to life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUUhWQg_qII
Amir Tsarfati: Learn This from the Fig Tree

Learn This from the Fig Tree
While the subject is debated by some, the fact that national Israel is represented by the fig tree multiple times in scripture is clear - Joel 1:7, Hosea 9:10, Jeremiah 24, to name a few.
Matthew 24:32
“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.”

Arbor-culturally, the fig tree putting forth leaves was also an indication of a change of seasons. When the branch was tender - symbolizing new growth - and the leaves sprouted, it meant that summer was near and the late harvest season (fall) was in the not-too-distant future. The fig tree was also the last of the spring fruit trees to bud. So, when it put forth leaves, a seasonal change into summer was very near.

When Jesus came the first time, the four spring feasts of Israel were fulfilled; Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfuits, and Pentecost. Summer would then arrive and there would be no fulfillment of the fall feasts until the fig tree became tender and put forth leaves; until Israel became a nation again.

Matthew 24:34
“Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”

That means that the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement), and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) will happen within a single generation of the rebirth of the nation of Israel.

Between 1882 and 1903, approximately 35,000 Jews immigrated to Ottoman Palestine, joining the pre-existing Jewish population, which in 1880 numbered 26,000. Since then, 3,340,000 Jews have made Aliyah (ascent) to Israel with millions now having been born in Israel. Over 7,000 have made Aliyah so far this year, even in the midst of war.

Why is this continuing in the midst of war and growing antisemitism? Because God is bringing them back into the land for His name’s sake (Ezekiel 36:22) to prepare them for what’s coming.

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.”

The House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem are the same group. And no, they are not Muslims, Arabs, or Palestinians. They are Jews. The promise spoken of by Zechariah will happen at the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets - the Second Coming - when the 1/3 of the Jews who survive the great and terrible Day of the Lord will look upon the returning Christ Jesus as the Holy One of Israel, their Savior.

May 14th, 1948, was over 76 years ago. While we do not know what the length of a “generation” is, we know that 76 years is a lot closer to the end of a generation than the beginning.

Matthew 24:36-42
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”

The unknown day and hour can only be referring to the Rapture of the church and not the Second Coming. The Second Coming is 42 30-day months, or, 1260 days after the Abomination of Desolation, which occurs at the midpoint of the Tribulation. The Rapture can occur at any moment.

The Jews are back in the land and the nation is now 76 years old. Moreover, the world is gathering against Israel just as the Bible foretold. So, let’s keep our eyes lifted and be watching for His glorious appearing and listening for the sound of the trumpet.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

https://mailchi.mp/beholdisrael/amirs-amirs-weekly-newsletter-1008235?e=52ebe87529
Shalom from Galilee!

What a bizarre and interesting week it has been regarding events in the Middle East. Before I get into the nitty gritty of what’s transpired in my region of the world, allow me to first share some updates about the ministry.

James 1:16-17
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

I’m thanking the Lord for what He has done to make CONNECT a reality here in Israel. The studio is in its final stages of preparation. Construction is complete. The harvest is plentiful. My team is ready to get to work, as we have so many creative ideas regarding the sharing of biblical content and providing accurate reporting in this region of the world. I’m also excited to see how God uses CONNECT to reach Israelis and other ministries in the months ahead. I can’t thank you enough for your unwavering support through your faithful prayers and generous financial blessings throughout this process over the last several months and into the future.

Discovering Daniel is now available in the Behold Israel Shop! Moreover, the study guide that accompanies this bestseller is also available for order. I am so excited for this book to fall into the hands of believers and unbelievers alike. Understanding the Old Testament is the key to making sense of the New Testament. What Daniel foretells; Revelation fulfills. I believe you’ll find this new book to be a very helpful resource in your biblical studies.

"When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream" (Psalm 126:1). God uses dreams, sometimes to speak, to warn, or even to encourage. But there are also times when being like someone who dreams means you simply can't believe the incredible events you are witnessing. Please tune in tomorrow, Friday, at 12:00 PM PDT for my teaching, "Like Those Who Dream". As the number of Jews moving to their homeland continues to increase, prophecy is being fulfilled before our very eyes. It also reminds us that the clock is ticking down for the time of the Gentiles to end and for the Messiah to return for His church.

Recently, I joined my dear friend, Jan Markell, on her radio program to discuss The Ultimate Bait & Switch. I encourage you to follow the link and listen!

I also want to encourage you to monitor our Facebook page and YouTube channel for the consistent release of short, informational videos over the next two weeks. These videos will cover a variety of topics from Zionism to the third temple to the UN and more, and they’re perfect for sharing with others in order to provide a fact-based and Scripture-driven perspective on such relevant topics! Today, we released our most recent video, wherein I asked author & lecturer Dr. Einat Wilf about her perspective on the two-state solution in the aftermath of October 7. The most effective way to be updated whenever we share a new video is to subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking the “subscribe” button.


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!

The Middle East

Before I dive into the details of a multitude of events happening in my neck of the woods, allow me to remind you that the best way to stay up to date regarding world events – especially those impacting Israel – is to subscribe to my Telegram Channel. This is the one-stop shop for my real-time news updates as they unfold in Israel, the Middle East, and throughout the world.

Israel, Hamas, and Gaza
Since the onset of Israel’s operations in Rafah, the IDF has uncovered more than 700 terror tunnel shafts belonging to Hamas – and over 50 tunnels that funnel into Egypt to the south. As you’re likely aware of by now, Israel’s decision (which was the correct decision) to enter Rafah in a move to end Hamas and free the remaining hostages was not met with approval by a host of the international community. In fact, the IDF only made the decision to reveal its findings regarding the tunnels in Rafah for the benefit of the discussion in the Hague and the international justification for the action in Rafah.

Sadly, the bodies of more Israeli hostages were uncovered by the IDF in Rafah. The three bodies belonged to Yitzhak Gelernter, Amit Buskila, and Shani Louk. We expect more to be found. It's worth noting that the Rafah situation could and likely will have negative ramifications regarding the relationship between Israel and Egypt.

Tragically, the Hague is maintaining its hypocrisy and ignorance when it comes to the survival of the Jewish state as it sympathizes with terrorists in Gaza. Apparently, the burning, raping, kidnapping, and slaughtering of over 1,200 Jews isn’t enough justification for what we’re doing in Rafah, not to mention the fact that an overwhelming amount of evidence shows that Hamas sees to oppressing its own people.

At this stage, over 800,000 Gazans have been evacuated from Rafah. 277 IDF soldiers have died since the ground operation in Gaza began.

Operations are continuing to take place in other locations throughout the Gaza Strip as well. A lot of military operations are becoming the regular in the area of Jabalia where the IDF has eliminated well over 200 terrorists so far. Dozens of others have been arrested for interrogation. The IDF claims this has been one of the most violent wartime locations so far. Not only are we operating in Gaza – we’re pursuing Hamas terrorists everywhere. Last week, the IDF also killed a senior member of Hamas near the Lebanon-Syria border. We’re also continuously active in Judea & Samaria (the West Bank).

Iran
Where do I begin? Well, let’s just call it what it is – Iran’s president is dead. Not only did Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi die in a helicopter crash this last weekend, but a number of other high-ranking Iranian officials were killed as well. The crash took place while the group of officials were on their way back to Tehran following a meeting at the border with Azerbaijan. Apparently, between the lack of capabilities of the particular helicopter they were in and the treacherous weather conditions, they fell short of survival. From the perspective of the naive international community, Iran just suffered a massive blow. However, ask the common Iranian citizen, and you’ll experience a different story.

Raisi and others like him were and are passionate about terror, death, and oppression. This is why numerous Iranian citizens could be seen celebrating his death across social media following the crash. Don’t let the corrupt leadership and radical ayatollahs confuse you. They don’t represent the worldview and mindset of the vast majority of Iranians. To make matters worse, the US offered its condolences to Iran, accompanying several other countries.

Since the death of Raisi, Vice President Muhammad Mokhber has become the president of Iran until the next election cycle. You can find more on this story by watching my breaking news segment. I also issued a second installation of breaking news at the conclusion of the event.

On another note, and unsurprisingly, following Iran’s massive projectile attack on Israel weeks ago, the Islamic Republic has allegedly vowed to join any future war that takes place between Israel and Hezbollah. We sure do live in prophetic times.

Hezbollah, Lebanon, and Syria
In what’s no surprise, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) continues to carry out strikes in various places in both Lebanon and Syria as tension with Hezbollah increases in the region. While the tension in this region has been ever-present for quite some time, the consistency of military confrontations has certainly increased since October 7, 2023. Moreover, targeted attacks are becoming all the more prominent, which was seen as recent as last Friday when a senior Hezbollah commander was killed in a vehicle attack about 40km from the border with Israel. However, the rockets keep coming from the north, as Israel – in a single strike from Hezbollah – had approximately 75 rockets fired into the region of the Golan and Galilee, most of which were intercepted.

Another key target that was eliminated by the IAF was the commander of the rocket unit of Hezbollah. This took place in the coastal sector in Lebanon. His name was Qasem Skalawi. In addition to conducting multiple strikes in Southern Lebanon & Syria, the IAF has also remained extremely busy intercepting a host of rockets, drones, and other aerial threats coming from their enemies to the north.

The Houthis & Yemen
It’s business as usual for the Houthis, as the Iranian-funded terror proxy in the Arabian Gulf continues to muster up chaos in the region. Most recently – aside from its periodic projectile launches towards Israel – the terror group hit an oil tanker in the Red Sea that was moving oil from Russia to China.

The International Community
Slovenia and other European countries – namely, Ireland, Norway, and Spain – have vowed to formally recognize a Palestinian state in the weeks ahead and they’re encouraging other countries to do the same. Now do you understand the spiritual blindness of the days in which we’re living? Over 1,200 innocent Israelis are murdered in cold blood and Europe pursues what it believes is best for the culprit of that terror.

The United States
Unfortunately, like a reckless wave, the US administration has been all over the place regarding its position on the Israel-Hamas War. There are moments when Team Biden voices support for Israel. There are also moments when it stands in the way of what the country needs to do right now. Furthermore, it has become common practice for the Biden Administration to criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his every move to eliminate Hamas. And when there’s an opportunity for the US to side with Israel, lately, it seems that there are always strings attached.

Such is the case with the ongoing situation between Israel and the ICC. From various sources, we’ve received confirmation that the US administration gave a green light to the ICC to move forward with asking for an arrest warrant against Hamas and Israeli leaders as if they are equal. If that’s not enough, the US administration is conducting talks with Iran in Oman where both sides agree that Netanyahu must be removed. The most failed US administration is causing internal chaos and outside attacks on its best ally in the Middle East. Insane!

Wait on the Lord

Patience, endurance, and perseverance are virtues we, as believers, must all have in this ever-changing and morally self-destructive world. For me as an Israeli, a new dimension of the need for these three was added. We have been fighting an existential war for the past eight months on multiple fronts - both above the ground, under the ground, and in the airwaves. When you add the spiritual aspect of this battle, you’ll see how vital it is to be equipped with strong faith, knowledge of the Word, and power that can only come from the person of the Holy Spirit in us!

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.

Awaiting His Return,
Shalom from Galilee!

What a bizarre and interesting week it has been regarding events in the Middle East. Before I get into the nitty gritty of what’s transpired in my region of the world, allow me to first share some updates about the ministry.

James 1:16-17
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

I’m thanking the Lord for what He has done to make CONNECT a reality here in Israel. The studio is in its final stages of preparation. Construction is complete. The harvest is plentiful. My team is ready to get to work, as we have so many creative ideas regarding the sharing of biblical content and providing accurate reporting in this region of the world. I’m also excited to see how God uses CONNECT to reach Israelis and other ministries in the months ahead. I can’t thank you enough for your unwavering support through your faithful prayers and generous financial blessings throughout this process over the last several months and into the future.

Discovering Daniel is now available in the Behold Israel Shop! Moreover, the study guide that accompanies this bestseller is also available for order. I am so excited for this book to fall into the hands of believers and unbelievers alike. Understanding the Old Testament is the key to making sense of the New Testament. What Daniel foretells; Revelation fulfills. I believe you’ll find this new book to be a very helpful resource in your biblical studies.

"When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream" (Psalm 126:1). God uses dreams, sometimes to speak, to warn, or even to encourage. But there are also times when being like someone who dreams means you simply can't believe the incredible events you are witnessing. Please tune in tomorrow, Friday, at 12:00 PM PDT for my teaching, "Like Those Who Dream". As the number of Jews moving to their homeland continues to increase, prophecy is being fulfilled before our very eyes. It also reminds us that the clock is ticking down for the time of the Gentiles to end and for the Messiah to return for His church.

Recently, I joined my dear friend, Jan Markell, on her radio program to discuss The Ultimate Bait & Switch. I encourage you to follow the link and listen!

I also want to encourage you to monitor our Facebook page and YouTube channel for the consistent release of short, informational videos over the next two weeks. These videos will cover a variety of topics from Zionism to the third temple to the UN and more, and they’re perfect for sharing with others in order to provide a fact-based and Scripture-driven perspective on such relevant topics! Today, we released our most recent video, wherein I asked author & lecturer Dr. Einat Wilf about her perspective on the two-state solution in the aftermath of October 7. The most effective way to be updated whenever we share a new video is to subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking the “subscribe” button.


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!

The Middle East

Before I dive into the details of a multitude of events happening in my neck of the woods, allow me to remind you that the best way to stay up to date regarding world events – especially those impacting Israel – is to subscribe to my Telegram Channel. This is the one-stop shop for my real-time news updates as they unfold in Israel, the Middle East, and throughout the world.

Israel, Hamas, and Gaza
Since the onset of Israel’s operations in Rafah, the IDF has uncovered more than 700 terror tunnel shafts belonging to Hamas – and over 50 tunnels that funnel into Egypt to the south. As you’re likely aware of by now, Israel’s decision (which was the correct decision) to enter Rafah in a move to end Hamas and free the remaining hostages was not met with approval by a host of the international community. In fact, the IDF only made the decision to reveal its findings regarding the tunnels in Rafah for the benefit of the discussion in the Hague and the international justification for the action in Rafah.

Sadly, the bodies of more Israeli hostages were uncovered by the IDF in Rafah. The three bodies belonged to Yitzhak Gelernter, Amit Buskila, and Shani Louk. We expect more to be found. It's worth noting that the Rafah situation could and likely will have negative ramifications regarding the relationship between Israel and Egypt.

Tragically, the Hague is maintaining its hypocrisy and ignorance when it comes to the survival of the Jewish state as it sympathizes with terrorists in Gaza. Apparently, the burning, raping, kidnapping, and slaughtering of over 1,200 Jews isn’t enough justification for what we’re doing in Rafah, not to mention the fact that an overwhelming amount of evidence shows that Hamas sees to oppressing its own people.

At this stage, over 800,000 Gazans have been evacuated from Rafah. 277 IDF soldiers have died since the ground operation in Gaza began.

Operations are continuing to take place in other locations throughout the Gaza Strip as well. A lot of military operations are becoming the regular in the area of Jabalia where the IDF has eliminated well over 200 terrorists so far. Dozens of others have been arrested for interrogation. The IDF claims this has been one of the most violent wartime locations so far. Not only are we operating in Gaza – we’re pursuing Hamas terrorists everywhere. Last week, the IDF also killed a senior member of Hamas near the Lebanon-Syria border. We’re also continuously active in Judea & Samaria (the West Bank).

Iran
Where do I begin? Well, let’s just call it what it is – Iran’s president is dead. Not only did Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi die in a helicopter crash this last weekend, but a number of other high-ranking Iranian officials were killed as well. The crash took place while the group of officials were on their way back to Tehran following a meeting at the border with Azerbaijan. Apparently, between the lack of capabilities of the particular helicopter they were in and the treacherous weather conditions, they fell short of survival. From the perspective of the naive international community, Iran just suffered a massive blow. However, ask the common Iranian citizen, and you’ll experience a different story.

Raisi and others like him were and are passionate about terror, death, and oppression. This is why numerous Iranian citizens could be seen celebrating his death across social media following the crash. Don’t let the corrupt leadership and radical ayatollahs confuse you. They don’t represent the worldview and mindset of the vast majority of Iranians. To make matters worse, the US offered its condolences to Iran, accompanying several other countries.

Since the death of Raisi, Vice President Muhammad Mokhber has become the president of Iran until the next election cycle. You can find more on this story by watching my breaking news segment. I also issued a second installation of breaking news at the conclusion of the event.

On another note, and unsurprisingly, following Iran’s massive projectile attack on Israel weeks ago, the Islamic Republic has allegedly vowed to join any future war that takes place between Israel and Hezbollah. We sure do live in prophetic times.

Hezbollah, Lebanon, and Syria
In what’s no surprise, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) continues to carry out strikes in various places in both Lebanon and Syria as tension with Hezbollah increases in the region. While the tension in this region has been ever-present for quite some time, the consistency of military confrontations has certainly increased since October 7, 2023. Moreover, targeted attacks are becoming all the more prominent, which was seen as recent as last Friday when a senior Hezbollah commander was killed in a vehicle attack about 40km from the border with Israel. However, the rockets keep coming from the north, as Israel – in a single strike from Hezbollah – had approximately 75 rockets fired into the region of the Golan and Galilee, most of which were intercepted.

Another key target that was eliminated by the IAF was the commander of the rocket unit of Hezbollah. This took place in the coastal sector in Lebanon. His name was Qasem Skalawi. In addition to conducting multiple strikes in Southern Lebanon & Syria, the IAF has also remained extremely busy intercepting a host of rockets, drones, and other aerial threats coming from their enemies to the north.

The Houthis & Yemen
It’s business as usual for the Houthis, as the Iranian-funded terror proxy in the Arabian Gulf continues to muster up chaos in the region. Most recently – aside from its periodic projectile launches towards Israel – the terror group hit an oil tanker in the Red Sea that was moving oil from Russia to China.

The International Community
Slovenia and other European countries – namely, Ireland, Norway, and Spain – have vowed to formally recognize a Palestinian state in the weeks ahead and they’re encouraging other countries to do the same. Now do you understand the spiritual blindness of the days in which we’re living? Over 1,200 innocent Israelis are murdered in cold blood and Europe pursues what it believes is best for the culprit of that terror.

The United States
Unfortunately, like a reckless wave, the US administration has been all over the place regarding its position on the Israel-Hamas War. There are moments when Team Biden voices support for Israel. There are also moments when it stands in the way of what the country needs to do right now. Furthermore, it has become common practice for the Biden Administration to criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his every move to eliminate Hamas. And when there’s an opportunity for the US to side with Israel, lately, it seems that there are always strings attached.

Such is the case with the ongoing situation between Israel and the ICC. From various sources, we’ve received confirmation that the US administration gave a green light to the ICC to move forward with asking for an arrest warrant against Hamas and Israeli leaders as if they are equal. If that’s not enough, the US administration is conducting talks with Iran in Oman where both sides agree that Netanyahu must be removed. The most failed US administration is causing internal chaos and outside attacks on its best ally in the Middle East. Insane!

Wait on the Lord

Patience, endurance, and perseverance are virtues we, as believers, must all have in this ever-changing and morally self-destructive world. For me as an Israeli, a new dimension of the need for these three was added. We have been fighting an existential war for the past eight months on multiple fronts - both above the ground, under the ground, and in the airwaves. When you add the spiritual aspect of this battle, you’ll see how vital it is to be equipped with strong faith, knowledge of the Word, and power that can only come from the person of the Holy Spirit in us!

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.

Awaiting His Return,

Miracles are one of the languages of God. You all know that. He is the God of miracles. In fact, so many times to get the attention of people, He would perform miracles. This is God; that’s who He is. I think a lot of people think that this is a miracle right now, meeting today in September in a church, it is a miracle. And I want you to know that the story of Israel is just one long miracle. And the reason why it’s important for me to say that is because when you understand the role of God in Israel’s history, you understand it’s not a man-made story, but it’s a God-made nation for His purposes. And the last time I checked, He is not interested in your opinion.


God Speaks Through Miracles
Other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, few sources in scripture teach us more about the nature and character of God than that of His relationship with the nation of Israel. Through Israel we have learned that the Lord is our provider, protector, redeemer, enabler, and deliverer. We learn that He is faithful to His word, He neither leaves nor forsakes us, and, even in His disciplines, He remembers His promises.

Romans 11:25-29
For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

While it may be popular to believe and teach that the church has replaced Israel, this is nothing more than the proverbial “cut off your nose to spite your face” idiom. In other words, if God is in the business of casting off those to whom He has made unconditional and eternal promises, then we are all in trouble. If He cast off Israel, then He could do the same with the church.

Paul reminded the Romans that someday “all Israel will be saved.” This has not happened yet. Instead, it will occur at the second coming, according to Zechariah 12:10. Does this not demand that there be a nation of Israel in order to save them and that the nation must exist at the time of tribulation?

Deuteronomy 7:6-8
“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.”

It is a bit odd that many who do not believe that modern Israel is biblical Israel do believe that God chooses to save some and not others, and that those whom He chooses to save cannot be lost because they are eternally secure. Yet they deny this very security when it comes to the nation of Israel. If God doesn’t change, then how can their belief about modern Israel be true?

God is omniscient and knows what will happen long before any of it actually takes place. Why would He choose Israel only to cast them off later? This too is a denial of the nature and character of God. The only way to look at this is that God has not cast off His chosen people. Despite knowing full well of their national rejection of the Holy One of Israel, He chose them anyway.

After all, He chose us while we were His enemies (Colossians 1:21) and were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). He chose us knowing we would fail and falter at times, and yet He doesn’t cast us off. Besides, there are too many prophetic scriptures regarding Israel that are yet unfulfilled for Replacement Theology to be true or for modern Israel to be anything other than biblical Israel.

So take heart! Learn from Israel that God is faithful to His promises, and not even nearly 2000 years outside of their national homeland can separate them from His unconditional and everlasting promises. That means we can know that when we blow it – and we all do – that He will remain faithful to us, for He cannot deny Himself.

2 Timothy 2:13
If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

You won’t find a greater proof of this than the miracle of the regathered nation of Israel being back in their national homeland.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

Behold Israel
From:
info@beholdisrael.org


Shalom from CONNECT in the beautiful Jezreel Valley of Israel! What an eventful week this has been. It began with watching the mounting positive reviews of my latest book, Discovering Daniel. When Dr. Rick Yohn and I first discussed this work, our goal was to take what can be a very confusing book of the Bible and make it easy to understand. Not only that, but we wanted it to be enjoyable to read instead of some stuffy commentary. Judging by the more than 400 five-star Amazon reviews, that is exactly what God accomplished in this book! It is so wonderful when, through God’s guiding hand, we can see a plan come to fruition. And thank you so much to all of you who have taken time to write such encouraging words in the Amazon reviews.

As we came to Sunday evening, the mood in my house, and all across Israel, changed greatly. At sundown began Yom Ha’Zikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day. On this day, every business, restaurant, and workplace shut its doors so we could take time to remember the 25,040 soldiers who have fallen and victims of terror who have died since 1948. This is the first year we’ve had the murdered innocents of October 7 to include in our mourning. The violence and evil actions perpetrated by Hamas on that day were brought right back in front of our faces. While it was a day of mourning, it also steeled us for what is ahead. I appreciated the words on Tuesday of former chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, when he said, “If you take the math and do 1,200 [victims of October 7] and apply it to the United States, that’d be 50,000-100,000 people dead in a morning. Can you imagine what we would do?” You’re exactly right, general, and we’re carrying out precisely those actions that you would imagine.

We’ve mourned those whom we’ve lost, but even mourning must come to an end. As the psalms tell us “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Or, because in Israel our days change in the evening, joy comes at sunset. When sundown came on Monday, Yom Ha’Zikaron became Yom Ha’atzmaut. Memorial Day became Independence Day! Sorrow turned into joy! This Independence Day celebrated the 76th anniversary of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in the final chapter of his book:

Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. (Isaiah 66:8)

Not only do we celebrate the birth of the State of Israel, but we rejoice in the fact that following one attack after another we are still here! From the river to the sea, Israel shall always be!

Now, as this week wraps up, my joy moves from a national celebration to a ministry one. Today, I will be recording the very first video in the CONNECT studio. What began as a vision well over a year ago has now come to pass. I am overwhelmed at what the Lord has done from the planning of CONNECT to its provision to the final completion of the project. In the months ahead, prepare yourself for the increase in both quality and quantity of biblical teachings, news reports, interviews, panel discussions, and more. The possibilities are almost overwhelming, but, without doubt, when God gives the vision, He will also provide the strength, wisdom, and people to carry it out.


The Middle East

I want to remind you to make sure to subscribe to my Telegram Channel if you haven’t already. This will allow you to stay up to date on all the latest events surrounding Israel, the Middle East, and other world affairs!

Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) completed this past week an operation in the Zeitoun neighborhood of northern Gaza. Word had come that Hamas was regrouping in the area. Forces from the IDF came from the Netzarim corridor and eliminated the threat before it could become a major problem. Sadly, four nineteen-year-old IDF sergeants were killed in the operation. Then, today, the IDF spokesman announced the deaths of five soldiers of the Paratrooper Brigade’s 202nd Battalion in the northern Gaza strip. In addition, three more soldiers of the 202nd Battalion were seriously wounded.

Rafah has seen significant action in the past week. The IDF is setting up a new secured parameter along the Philadelphi corridor at Egypt’s border, while in Rafah Israeli tanks have entered the neighborhoods of Al-Geneina, Al-Salam, and Al-Brazil. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have already fled the area for safety, having been warned by the IDF ahead of time. The civilian evacuation that the U.S. said would take months has only taken a couple of days. Once Rafah is at least somewhat stabilized above ground, it will be time to uncover the massive underground tunnel system. Egypt is very concerned about this eventuality because it will show them in a very bad light. For years, these tunnels have been used to transport huge amounts of weapons from Egypt to Hamas. The American CIA is also unhappy about the tunnels being uncovered. They’ve known about them for many years but have kept them quiet. They much prefer a weak and controllable Israel that depends on U.S. armaments for security.

Either the United Nations has mastered the power of resurrection or they failed basic math. On May 6, the august body published a report asserting that the dead in Gaza included 9,500 women and 14,500 children. Two days later, on May 8, they amended the report to read 4,959 women and 7,797 children. There were no press releases surrounding the change. No apologies. Now, I certainly do not want to make light of those numbers because they are a tragedy. However, the responsibility for their deaths must be laid at the feet of Hamas who used them as human shields and at those of the United Nations who have been encouraging antisemitism through their words and actions for decades.

Want to know the kind of people you find working for the UN? A growing number of posts in a chatroom run by a former United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) employee indicate that UNRWA staff are stealing humanitarian aid and selling it for profit. Remember, UNRWA employees have been reported to have participated in the October 7 massacre and harbored Israeli hostages.

In the midst of their condemnation of all that Israel does, the UN managed to find time to vote to enhance the rights and privileges of Palestine. Included in the vote was also an encouragement to the UN Security Council to reconsider Palestine’s request to become the 194th member of the international body. Only nine countries voted against the resolution – Argentina, Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, and the United States – while another 25 wimpily abstained.


The North
Late Tuesday night, an Israeli aircraft took out a car in the city of Tyre, Lebanon. At least two people were killed, including Hussain Ibrahim Mekky, a senior Hezbollah field commander on the southern front of Lebanon. Mekky was involved in the planning of many terrorist attacks.

Hezbollah retaliated with a heavy barrage of rockets fired at Mt. Meron from southern Lebanon. A recent claim by terrorist group indicated that they have now included in their rocket arsenal new 1200-pound missiles that they call “Jihad Mughniyeh”. The name comes from the son of senior Hezbollah official Imad Mughniyeh. The younger Mughniyeh was killed in an operation in 2015, while the elder was assassinated in Damascus back in 2008.


US Relations
A standoff still exists over certain arms shipments to Israel. U.S. House Republicans have pushed a bill that would force the Biden administration to send the frozen shipment of bombs to Israel. The president has already indicated that he would veto the bill, should it pass to him. Instead, the administration is putting forth a new $1 billion package of military aid, which includes tactical vehicles, ammunition for tanks, and shells. While the aid is appreciated, it is not what is most needed for the operation in Rafah. And that is the sticking point. The Biden administration is trying to interfere in the IDF’s ability to conduct an operation in Rafah. What the Republicans are saying with their bill is that Israel knows best how to carry out the war with Hamas, and that the U.S. should support their allies in their actions.

Biden has a strong ally against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the plan for the IDF to complete the war. Sadly, that ally comes from within Israel. Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has aligned with the U.S. president to bring Netanyahu and his government down. And Gallant isn’t the only one. It’s all the generals and ex-generals who were educated in America. They have become liberal leftists, and they are seeking to do to Israel what the hard left has been doing to the U.S. Once they have taken Netanyahu down, it will pave the way for Hamas’s survival and the creation of an international force to rule Gaza. This would be disastrous. Netanyahu’s administration has no desire to rule over the Palestinians. But Israel is at a place where it is not about what we want, but about what we need. If any other option than Israeli military control of the Gaza Strip is implemented, it is a reward to Hamas and a guarantee that October 7 will one day happen again. It will also lead to the grand prize of the terrorist agenda – a Palestinian state. And what would then be the lesson to the terrorists around the world? What a long struggle can’t achieve, a massacre can. Butcher, rape, and behead to your heart’s content, and you’ll be richly rewarded.


Jordan
Jordanian officials announced that they had thwarted an Iran-backed plan to smuggle weapons into the country to carry out acts of sabotage. Iranian proxy militias based in Syria funneled the weapons to a Muslim Brotherhood cell in Jordan. When the scheme was discovered, the cache of weapons was seized, and arrests were made.

Turkey
Could the president of Turkey be facing another coup attempt? If you ask Erdogan, he’d likely tell you that it is very possible. There are reports that he has gathered the heads of his intelligence departments to discuss information about a possible imminent coup, the first since a failed 2016 plot. With the economy floundering the way it is, it would not be surprising to see people rising up. However, it could also be a false flag that President Erdogan uses as an excuse to crackdown on any opposition. In a possibly related story, the president ordered the arrest of four senior police chiefs in Ankara on Tuesday for connections to an organized crime boss. There are those, however, who say that these chiefs were involved in the planning of a coup.

Slovakia
A gunman fired five shots Wednesday at Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico, hitting him multiple times. The alleged assailant, 71-year-old Juraj Cintula, is reported to be a former security guard with links to a pro-Russian paramilitary group. As of the time of this writing, the prime minister was in surgery in extremely critical condition.

Ministry

Antisemitism is spreading seemingly into all areas of society. Sadly, this includes the church. Join me this Tuesday, May 21, at 10:00 AM PDT, as I host Pastor Barry Stagner, Pastor Mike Golay, and Jan Markell in a CONNECT Round Table entitled “Antisemitism in the Church”. It is a difficult subject, but it is one that absolutely must be discussed.

There is no other country on earth that was driven from its ancient homeland only to return nearly 2,000 years later. From the diaspora beginning in 70 AD to the restoration beginning in the early 1900s, the Jews were dispersed among the nations of the world. And to this day, the Jewish people have continued to make their way back to their God-given land. Furthermore, from the very moment that God made His covenant with Abraham, we can testify of the miracles He's worked on the nation's behalf. Join me for a premiere video this Friday, May 17, at 12:00 PM PDT, as I uncover what is “The Miracle Called Israel.”

Make sure to stay tuned, as we’ll soon be releasing the very first CONNECT podcast that will feature my friend, Dr. Golan Broshi. The two of us will be discussing “Israel: Replaced or Embraced?” as we sit down together. I greatly look forward to sharing our discussion with you!

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!

Thank you for your constant prayers and your generous support of this ministry. We are experiencing the results of what God is able to do with our sacrifices. Join us in praying that what we are seeing right now is just a fraction of the many lives that He is going to touch through Behold Israel.

Awaiting His Return,

Shalom from CONNECT in the beautiful Jezreel Valley of Israel! What an eventful week this has been. It began with watching the mounting positive reviews of my latest book, Discovering Daniel. When Dr. Rick Yohn and I first discussed this work, our goal was to take what can be a very confusing book of the Bible and make it easy to understand. Not only that, but we wanted it to be enjoyable to read instead of some stuffy commentary. Judging by the more than 400 five-star Amazon reviews, that is exactly what God accomplished in this book! It is so wonderful when, through God’s guiding hand, we can see a plan come to fruition. And thank you so much to all of you who have taken time to write such encouraging words in the Amazon reviews.

As we came to Sunday evening, the mood in my house, and all across Israel, changed greatly. At sundown began Yom Ha’Zikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day. On this day, every business, restaurant, and workplace shut its doors so we could take time to remember the 25,040 soldiers who have fallen and victims of terror who have died since 1948. This is the first year we’ve had the murdered innocents of October 7 to include in our mourning. The violence and evil actions perpetrated by Hamas on that day were brought right back in front of our faces. While it was a day of mourning, it also steeled us for what is ahead. I appreciated the words on Tuesday of former chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, when he said, “If you take the math and do 1,200 [victims of October 7] and apply it to the United States, that’d be 50,000-100,000 people dead in a morning. Can you imagine what we would do?” You’re exactly right, general, and we’re carrying out precisely those actions that you would imagine.

We’ve mourned those whom we’ve lost, but even mourning must come to an end. As the psalms tell us “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Or, because in Israel our days change in the evening, joy comes at sunset. When sundown came on Monday, Yom Ha’Zikaron became Yom Ha’atzmaut. Memorial Day became Independence Day! Sorrow turned into joy! This Independence Day celebrated the 76th anniversary of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in the final chapter of his book:

Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. (Isaiah 66:8)

Not only do we celebrate the birth of the State of Israel, but we rejoice in the fact that following one attack after another we are still here! From the river to the sea, Israel shall always be!

Now, as this week wraps up, my joy moves from a national celebration to a ministry one. Today, I will be recording the very first video in the CONNECT studio. What began as a vision well over a year ago has now come to pass. I am overwhelmed at what the Lord has done from the planning of CONNECT to its provision to the final completion of the project. In the months ahead, prepare yourself for the increase in both quality and quantity of biblical teachings, news reports, interviews, panel discussions, and more. The possibilities are almost overwhelming, but, without doubt, when God gives the vision, He will also provide the strength, wisdom, and people to carry it out.


The Middle East

I want to remind you to make sure to subscribe to my Telegram Channel if you haven’t already. This will allow you to stay up to date on all the latest events surrounding Israel, the Middle East, and other world affairs!

Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) completed this past week an operation in the Zeitoun neighborhood of northern Gaza. Word had come that Hamas was regrouping in the area. Forces from the IDF came from the Netzarim corridor and eliminated the threat before it could become a major problem. Sadly, four nineteen-year-old IDF sergeants were killed in the operation. Then, today, the IDF spokesman announced the deaths of five soldiers of the Paratrooper Brigade’s 202nd Battalion in the northern Gaza strip. In addition, three more soldiers of the 202nd Battalion were seriously wounded.

Rafah has seen significant action in the past week. The IDF is setting up a new secured parameter along the Philadelphi corridor at Egypt’s border, while in Rafah Israeli tanks have entered the neighborhoods of Al-Geneina, Al-Salam, and Al-Brazil. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have already fled the area for safety, having been warned by the IDF ahead of time. The civilian evacuation that the U.S. said would take months has only taken a couple of days. Once Rafah is at least somewhat stabilized above ground, it will be time to uncover the massive underground tunnel system. Egypt is very concerned about this eventuality because it will show them in a very bad light. For years, these tunnels have been used to transport huge amounts of weapons from Egypt to Hamas. The American CIA is also unhappy about the tunnels being uncovered. They’ve known about them for many years but have kept them quiet. They much prefer a weak and controllable Israel that depends on U.S. armaments for security.

Either the United Nations has mastered the power of resurrection or they failed basic math. On May 6, the august body published a report asserting that the dead in Gaza included 9,500 women and 14,500 children. Two days later, on May 8, they amended the report to read 4,959 women and 7,797 children. There were no press releases surrounding the change. No apologies. Now, I certainly do not want to make light of those numbers because they are a tragedy. However, the responsibility for their deaths must be laid at the feet of Hamas who used them as human shields and at those of the United Nations who have been encouraging antisemitism through their words and actions for decades.

Want to know the kind of people you find working for the UN? A growing number of posts in a chatroom run by a former United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) employee indicate that UNRWA staff are stealing humanitarian aid and selling it for profit. Remember, UNRWA employees have been reported to have participated in the October 7 massacre and harbored Israeli hostages.

In the midst of their condemnation of all that Israel does, the UN managed to find time to vote to enhance the rights and privileges of Palestine. Included in the vote was also an encouragement to the UN Security Council to reconsider Palestine’s request to become the 194th member of the international body. Only nine countries voted against the resolution – Argentina, Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, and the United States – while another 25 wimpily abstained.


The North
Late Tuesday night, an Israeli aircraft took out a car in the city of Tyre, Lebanon. At least two people were killed, including Hussain Ibrahim Mekky, a senior Hezbollah field commander on the southern front of Lebanon. Mekky was involved in the planning of many terrorist attacks.

Hezbollah retaliated with a heavy barrage of rockets fired at Mt. Meron from southern Lebanon. A recent claim by terrorist group indicated that they have now included in their rocket arsenal new 1200-pound missiles that they call “Jihad Mughniyeh”. The name comes from the son of senior Hezbollah official Imad Mughniyeh. The younger Mughniyeh was killed in an operation in 2015, while the elder was assassinated in Damascus back in 2008.


US Relations
A standoff still exists over certain arms shipments to Israel. U.S. House Republicans have pushed a bill that would force the Biden administration to send the frozen shipment of bombs to Israel. The president has already indicated that he would veto the bill, should it pass to him. Instead, the administration is putting forth a new $1 billion package of military aid, which includes tactical vehicles, ammunition for tanks, and shells. While the aid is appreciated, it is not what is most needed for the operation in Rafah. And that is the sticking point. The Biden administration is trying to interfere in the IDF’s ability to conduct an operation in Rafah. What the Republicans are saying with their bill is that Israel knows best how to carry out the war with Hamas, and that the U.S. should support their allies in their actions.

Biden has a strong ally against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the plan for the IDF to complete the war. Sadly, that ally comes from within Israel. Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has aligned with the U.S. president to bring Netanyahu and his government down. And Gallant isn’t the only one. It’s all the generals and ex-generals who were educated in America. They have become liberal leftists, and they are seeking to do to Israel what the hard left has been doing to the U.S. Once they have taken Netanyahu down, it will pave the way for Hamas’s survival and the creation of an international force to rule Gaza. This would be disastrous. Netanyahu’s administration has no desire to rule over the Palestinians. But Israel is at a place where it is not about what we want, but about what we need. If any other option than Israeli military control of the Gaza Strip is implemented, it is a reward to Hamas and a guarantee that October 7 will one day happen again. It will also lead to the grand prize of the terrorist agenda – a Palestinian state. And what would then be the lesson to the terrorists around the world? What a long struggle can’t achieve, a massacre can. Butcher, rape, and behead to your heart’s content, and you’ll be richly rewarded.


Jordan
Jordanian officials announced that they had thwarted an Iran-backed plan to smuggle weapons into the country to carry out acts of sabotage. Iranian proxy militias based in Syria funneled the weapons to a Muslim Brotherhood cell in Jordan. When the scheme was discovered, the cache of weapons was seized, and arrests were made.

Turkey
Could the president of Turkey be facing another coup attempt? If you ask Erdogan, he’d likely tell you that it is very possible. There are reports that he has gathered the heads of his intelligence departments to discuss information about a possible imminent coup, the first since a failed 2016 plot. With the economy floundering the way it is, it would not be surprising to see people rising up. However, it could also be a false flag that President Erdogan uses as an excuse to crackdown on any opposition. In a possibly related story, the president ordered the arrest of four senior police chiefs in Ankara on Tuesday for connections to an organized crime boss. There are those, however, who say that these chiefs were involved in the planning of a coup.

Slovakia
A gunman fired five shots Wednesday at Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico, hitting him multiple times. The alleged assailant, 71-year-old Juraj Cintula, is reported to be a former security guard with links to a pro-Russian paramilitary group. As of the time of this writing, the prime minister was in surgery in extremely critical condition.

Ministry

Antisemitism is spreading seemingly into all areas of society. Sadly, this includes the church. Join me this Tuesday, May 21, at 10:00 AM PDT, as I host Pastor Barry Stagner, Pastor Mike Golay, and Jan Markell in a CONNECT Round Table entitled “Antisemitism in the Church”. It is a difficult subject, but it is one that absolutely must be discussed.

There is no other country on earth that was driven from its ancient homeland only to return nearly 2,000 years later. From the diaspora beginning in 70 AD to the restoration beginning in the early 1900s, the Jews were dispersed among the nations of the world. And to this day, the Jewish people have continued to make their way back to their God-given land. Furthermore, from the very moment that God made His covenant with Abraham, we can testify of the miracles He's worked on the nation's behalf. Join me for a premiere video this Friday, May 17, at 12:00 PM PDT, as I uncover what is “The Miracle Called Israel.”

Make sure to stay tuned, as we’ll soon be releasing the very first CONNECT podcast that will feature my friend, Dr. Golan Broshi. The two of us will be discussing “Israel: Replaced or Embraced?” as we sit down together. I greatly look forward to sharing our discussion with you!

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!

Thank you for your constant prayers and your generous support of this ministry. We are experiencing the results of what God is able to do with our sacrifices. Join us in praying that what we are seeing right now is just a fraction of the many lives that He is going to touch through Behold Israel.

Awaiting His Return,

Behold Israel
From:
info@beholdisrael.org

Sparkling Gems from the Greek - Week of May 13
If you have allowed the challenges of life to distract you and throw you off sched­ule in doing God's will, don't you agree that it's time for you to get back on track again?
The Right Way to Die!

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.
- 2 Timothy 4:7

When I was just old enough to get a job, I heard about a job opening at the huge cemetery just down the street from where my family lived. The old caretaker needed someone to mow the cemetery lawn. So one day I walked down to the cemetery and knocked on the door at the caretaker's residence. When he came to the door, I said, "Sir, I understand there's a job opening here. I've come to apply for that position."

The old man, who had been the caretaker for more than forty years, looked me over and asked me a few questions. Then he told me to report to work on the following Monday.

That following Monday I started my short career at the local graveyard - my first real job! Every day after school, I quickly dashed down the hallway to put my books in my locker, and then rushed across town to the cemetery, pulled out my lawnmower, and went to the next section of the cemetery that needed to be mowed. Five days a week, I lived and worked among the dead!

Each day, I mowed and edged the weeds around new graves, old graves, mausoleums, and one section of the cemetery that was so old, no one could decipher the inscriptions on the limestone markers any longer. When it was time to bury someone, I helped dig the grave, lower the casket, and fill the grave with dirt. When the flowers wilted that loved ones had placed on the graves, I was the one who gathered up the dead flowers and took them to the garbage. I helped put up the tent that loved ones stood under during gravesite rites, and then I helped take it down.

Working in a graveyard had a very strong effect on my life in those formative years. God used that time in the graveyard to make me think about the seriousness and temporal nature of life in gen­eral, as well as what I was going to do with my own life.

As I walked between the tombstones, I'd look at them and ask myself, Who were these people? What did they do with their lives? Did they contribute anything to the world, or did they just live, die, and then disappear into these graves? Every day I thought about these questions. It made me determine that I would not pass from this earth without doing something significant for God with my life. I resolved that when I died, no one would have to ask, "Gee, I wonder who he was and what he did with his life?" To me, it was totally unacceptable that I would end up like so many others had - as just another name on another tombstone.

People don't like to think about dying, yet death is a reality each of us ultimately has to face. We may hope and wait for Jesus' return in our lifetime. But if He doesn't come before we die, then a day will come in all our futures when we will be laid in a coffin. Family and friends will come to our funeral services; the casket lid will be closed for the last time; and we will be lowered into a grave that will then get packed with dirt. Later our graves will have grass growing on top of them - and a young boy will push the lawnmower over them as a part of his job, just as I did years ago.

Like it or not, there is a funeral in all our futures unless Jesus comes while we are still alive. This thought may sound morbid, but if you live with this unavoidable fact before you at all times, it will help you to live a more balanced and committed life. Why is that? Because when you live thinking only of today, everything seems monumental. Yet the truth is, most of the things that steal our peace, hinder us from doing what God wants us to do, disrupt our joy, and hurt our relation­ships won't matter anymore when we die and stand before Jesus. The only thing that will matter then is what Jesus will say to us when we stand before Him and look into His eyes.

The apostle Paul told us, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10). Because Paul lived with the awareness of that moment when he would stand before Jesus, he was able to keep pushing ahead even when times became exceedingly difficult. He knew that eventually life would pass and the difficult trials would end, and he would stand before Jesus to give account for his life.

This is why Paul wrote, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17).

I love this verse, because it sheds light on Paul's attitude toward life and afflictions. He didn't like afflictions and he stood against them, but he refused to over-magnify them, choosing instead to view them as "light afflictions."

Would you call Paul's problems "light afflictions"? He faced rejection from some of his closest friends and, even worse, by many of the churches in Asia (2 Timothy 1:15). He had been severely beaten several times (2 Corinthians 11:24, 25). He had been shipwrecked three times (2 Corinthians 11:25). He had lived through perils in the city, in the wilderness, and at sea. He had been in peril of robbers, of heathens, and of false brethren and had endured periods of hunger, thirst, and sleepless­ness (2 Corinthians 11:26, 27).

These were monumental problems, yet Paul refused to let them be monumental in his life. Instead, he deemed them "small stuff" - mere distractions compared to the eternal glory that awaited him.

What enabled Paul to press ahead when he was being assaulted so viciously? How could he maintain such a victorious attitude? How is it that he never surrendered to weariness, exhaustion, or to the devil's attacks?

These questions can all be answered by the foremost desire of Paul's heart: That he would one day hear Jesus say to him, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Paul's driving motivation was his anticipation to hear Jesus say those words and to know that he had finished his race well. This is why Paul said, "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy…" (Acts 20:24).

At the end of his life, he wrote to Timothy and triumphantly declared, "I have fought a good fight…" (2 Timothy 4:7). The words "fought" and "fight" are from the Greek word agonidzo. This word means a struggle, a fight, a combat, or a fierce competition, and it is where we get the word agony. By using this word, Paul tells us that some of his ministry has been a real struggle - difficult, fierce, and agonizing. Yet Paul never budged an inch! He stayed in the fight and was faithful to his call!

This verse could literally be translated, "A good fight - that's what I fought!" That proclama­tion has the sense of victory and exhilaration. These are the sentiments of a man who has no regrets. He is proud of the contest in which he has been engaged. Regardless of all the others who have dropped out of the fight, Paul can say, "I stayed in there. A good fight - that's what I fought!"

Then Paul goes on to tell us, "…I have finished my course…." This word "course" is the Greek word dromos, which always describes a foot race or a running track. Also, notice that he referred to his life assignment as "my course." Paul knew precisely what race he was called to run, and he didn't attempt to run anyone else's course. In spite of all the things that tried to slow him down, knock him out of the race, and defeat him, he refused to quit running! No matter what happened, Paul just stayed right on track - true to the course God had given him. Thus, this part of the verse could be translated, "My race - I ran it with all my might, never stopping until I knew I had reached the goal and finished it!"

Lastly, Paul writes, "…I have kept the faith." The Greek word for "kept" is the word tereo. It is the same Greek word used to depict a watch of soldiers who were positioned to protect something important. The job of these soldiers was to stand guard and to keep watch. They were to be faithful and remain committed to their charge of keeping watch regardless of the kind of assault or the num­ber of attackers they might encounter.

This is the word Paul uses when he says, "I have kept the faith." Even though he encountered difficulties and challenges, he never left his post or surrendered to the assaults and attacks that came against him. Through it all, Paul kept watch over the mission and the message God gave him!

When you put all of this together, Second Timothy 4:7 could be understood to say this:

"A good fight - that's what I fought! My race - I ran it with all my might, never stopping until I knew I had reached the goal and finished it! The faith - I protected it, guarded it, and watched over it with all my heart and strength. In spite of the assaults and attacks, I stayed true to my assignment!"

This soldier of the Lord has everything to shout about! His ministry may have been difficult, but he made it! Paul never gave an inch to the enemy. Now as he faces his own death, he isn't fearful; rather, he rejoices because he knows he has done well. He's ready to depart this earth and to be forever with his Lord! Looking toward that moment when he will finally stand before Jesus, Paul confidently writes, "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8).

When you are tempted to be sidetracked and distracted by the problems of life, try to find a few minutes to be alone with the Lord. Remind yourself that all your problems are fleeting and that they will soon pass. But your obedience to God is eternal, so there is nothing more important than doing what God has told you to do.

When you stand before Jesus, all the challenges you faced will be forgotten, and just one ques­tion will remain. Jesus will want to know, "Did you do what I asked you to do, or did you get dis­tracted and let the cares of life stop you from fulfilling your assignment?"

It will help you live a more balanced and committed life if you will keep everything that hap­pens to you in perspective of that day when you stand before Jesus. Don't you want to look into His face with confidence? Of course you do. So take the attitude of the apostle Paul. Decide to deliber­ately view your problems as nothing but "light affliction" that won't last too long. On the other hand, what you do with God's call on your life will last forever, so don't let those measly little problems prevent you from pushing onward toward the high calling of God!

Just as the apostle Paul finished his race with joy, you can finish your course with joy and vic­tory as well. Determine today that you will be a soldier of the Lord who can look back one day and be proud of the fight you fought, the race you ran, and the faith you kept - a soldier with no regrets!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, help me to keep my focus and to not allow the challenges I face to distract me from fulfilling Your will for my life. I know that the enemy keeps surrounding me with distractions because You have called me to do something important. Rather than let these nuisances break me and steal my joy, help me keep my eyes focused on that day when I will stand before You. I ask that Your Spirit will supernaturally energize me to push beyond the obstacles and keep pressing forward to the high calling You have designed for my life!

I pray this in Jesus' name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I boldly declare that I am a winner and not a loser. I don't throw in the towel and quit when it gets hard; instead, I dig in my heels and refuse to surrender the territory that God has called me to conquer and possess. I live my life seriously and with balance and commitment. Because of God's Spirit inside me, I am tougher than any challenge and stronger than any foe. I fight a good fight and run a good race - and I successfully guard over and hold tight to the assignment God has given to my life!

I declare this by faith in Jesus' name!

The Bible says, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.” This is all in the Heavenlies. This is not anything the world will hear, the world will understand, the world will take note of. Nothing. It’s all about us. In the Bible, it is the trumpet of God. It’s not the trumpet of men. It’s not the shofar. It’s not anything else. It’s not even the trumpet of an angel. The Bible says that the trumpet of the rapture is connected to the voice of an archangel. Everything is in the celestial realm. It’s not here.

Let me paint it in a better picture. When we return with Him, the Jews will blow the trumpet on the Feast of Trumpets and the whole world will see Him returning with us. But when we go up, nobody will see us. We’ll be gone just like that. All the excitement is not going to be here. Nobody will be excited that, “Oh wow, look, there's a rapture.” No, they’ll probably say, “Good riddance.” I mean, that’s it. “They’re out of here, finally. Let’s party.” Guys, guess who is excited? We are.

No, no, no. Of course we are, because it’s us. But who is excited for our rapture? Heaven is expecting us. There is going to be a celebration in heaven. Heaven is preparing for the coming of the sons and the daughters. It’s amazing.

1 Thessalonians 1:10. When will that happen? 1 Thessalonians 1:10 – “…to wait for His Son from heaven whom He raised from the dead. Even Jesus who delivers us,” talk to me, “from the wrath to come.” Not through the wrath, but from the wrath to come.


Amir Tsarfati: The Trumpet of the Rapture
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the “last trumpet” Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15. However, if we let scripture interpret scripture, we can arrive at the intended meaning.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
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. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Early Christians would commonly refer to the death of the body as sleep. This was based on a firm belief of a future bodily resurrection of the dead in Christ. They noted that the time a believer’s body was in the grave was temporary, and, thus, they likened it to sleep, which is also a temporary state.

The confusion with the last trumpet often comes from mixing the trumpet judgments of Revelation with the trumpet of God and the voice of an archangel that signals the end of the church age. The latter is the time of the bodily resurrection of the dead in Christ. It is when believers who are still alive at that moment will meet both the dead in Christ and the Lord in the air. Paul says to comfort one another with these words.

If the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15 is the same as the last trumpet of the seven listed in Revelation, then there is a problem with finding comfort in the words of Paul. There is also a problem with other scriptures.

Revelation 3:10
Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

The Lord doesn’t say, “I’ll keep you from the bowl judgments during the last part of the tribulation.” He says He will keep those who persevere from the whole of the tribulation, the hour of trial coming on the whole world.

Another problem with seeing the last trumpet as the seventh of Revelation 11 is that the events following the sounding of that final trumpet judgment mention nothing of the events recorded in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4. This is to say nothing of the fact that, by the time the seventh trumpet sounds, billions will have been killed, the earth will have experienced unprecedented catastrophic events, and Satan and his two beasts will have made war with the saints and overcome them. This is something that cannot happen to the church.

The point is that if we are not taken to be with the Lord, there is no comfort to be taken from what is coming upon the whole world.

1 Thessalonians 1:10
…and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11
For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

The trumpet of God is not the seventh trumpet of Revelation. Instead, it is the trumpet that signals the end of the church age. The removal of the church is necessary for the first beast of Revelation to rise to power which happens at the beginning of the tribulation. From that we can conclude, since we do not have an appointment with God’s wrath, that the whole tribulation is the wrath of God and, as the church, we will not see any of it.

For those who like to argue that Christians have always faced tribulation so why would we escape the Great Tribulation, the answer is simple – the Great Tribulation is God’s wrath, but our current tribulations are caused by Satan and man. They are two completely different things.

So, dear saints, take comfort in the fact that this ever-darkening world indicates that the unknown day and hour when the dead in Christ and those alive in Christ will meet the Lord in the air to forever be with Him, just might be today!

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus ,

Shalom from Israel! This Sunday night will begin Yom HaShoah, and the remembrance will run through Monday afternoon. Translated literally as “Day of the Catastrophe”, this is Israel’s annual Holocaust Remembrance Day. In the 1930s and 1940s, more than six million Jews lost their lives under the Nazi regime. Of those victims, greater than 1.5 million were children.

At 10:00 on Monday morning, sirens will sound throughout the nation of Israel. At that moment, all people will stop what they are doing and stand in silence for two minutes to honor and remember those who were slaughtered during that horrific time. Places of business will halt their activities. Cars will pull over and their passengers will get out. School classes will pause their instruction. As a nation and as a people, we are determined that we will never forget what took place during those dark times.

Why is it so important to intentionally remember tragedy? To answer that, all you need to do is look at what is currently happening in national and international government buildings and on university campuses around the world. On October 7, a slaughter took place that was so vile, so vicious, so demonic that it seemed the world had to pause to catch its breath. Torture, systematic rape, kidnapping, murder, and mutilation were perpetrated by gleeful terrorists against an unsuspecting and wholly innocent civilian population. Israel was forever changed, and a huge majority of nations around the world commiserated with us. But that was then, and this is now.

Before we get to what is different today, let’s talk about what led to this change of attitude. It’s really very simple – Israel fought back, and it did so with a vengeance. That’s not what is supposed to happen. The world likes it much better when its Jews are victims. During the Holocaust, apart from some amazing acts of bravery, like the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, most all of the Jews went quietly to their deaths. During the pogroms in Russia, the Jews fled from the violence. Over the centuries, when Jews were forced to leave their homes and their countries, they went. What else could they do? They were part of a diaspora. They were strangers in a strange land.

But now the Jews have a home, and that home has allowed us to become strong. No longer are we forced to take the shots. When the chanters cry out, “From the River to the Sea”, we respond, “Yeah, just try to take our land.” And when the terrorists invade, Israel will make sure that they can never, ever do it again. How do we do that? We kill all of Hamas’s leadership, and, if there are any of their rank-and-file members that survive the onslaught, we will bring them to justice. It’s harsh, it’s violent, and it’s bloody. But it is what it will take for Israel to once again be safe within its own borders.


The International Pushback

The United Nations hates anything it can’t control. For decades it’s been unsuccessfully trying to control Israel. Resolution after resolution condemning Israel and demanding the government change its ways have all fallen on deaf ears. This is especially frustrating for them, because Israel is filled with those same Jews that for so many centuries were under the thumb of many of the United Nations’ nations.

After October 7, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the Hamas attack, although the body itself never did so. But what goodwill might have been contained within the UN soon started to fade once Israel began to fight back against Hamas in Gaza. In January, Guterres condemned Israel for the killing of Gazan civilians, despite the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) taking unprecedented care to avoid innocent deaths. Then, in March, the UN Security Council demanded a ceasefire in Gaza for Ramadan. Since those tactics didn’t work, they’ve now concocted a new scheme to use the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to issue arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and other top government officials. The United States’ president and congress have threatened retaliation if the ICC goes through with this hair-brained scheme, but it goes to show how desperate the international community is to get those renegade Jews back under control.

As wonderful as it is to have this support from the United States, Israel recognizes that America is getting frustrated at the fact that they, too, are losing control of their closest Middle Eastern ally. From its inception, Israel has been the beneficiary of U.S. goodwill, sometimes military, sometimes financial. The extent of this goodwill has varied from time to time, often based on who is in the White House. In return for that support, the United States could typically count on Israel to acquiesce when Washington felt strongly enough to insist on a matter. Currently, that is not the case.

The Biden administration needs peace in Gaza. The election is coming, and he desperately needs an international win. Unfortunately, Netanyahu is saying, “Yeah, I get it. But we’ve got to see this thing through, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.” This puts the Washington administration in a tough situation. The majority of American public opinion is still with Israel, so if the U.S. pulls an Afghanistan and totally abandons their Jewish allies, Biden will get walloped in the polls. But if he does nothing and the war in Israel expands up into Lebanon, as planned, he’ll also get walloped in the polls.

So, the administration is resorting to arm-twisting using the normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia as leverage. While in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, just prior to visiting Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “In order to move forward with normalization, two things will be required – calm in Gaza and a credible pathway to a Palestinian state.” Bringing to a close Israel’s battle for safety and passing some sort of two-state solution would go a long way to showing Biden as an international leader. But there is no way that Netanyahu is going to allow either of those to take place.

That is why the White House is working to oust the prime minister using the hostage situation. Factions are arising in Israel surrounding the hostages. It’s understandable, because people want their family members home. Rumblings are coming out of the White House talking about a ceasefire in return for a limited release of hostages. If Netanyahu were to cave to the pressure to take such a deal, his government would fall apart almost instantly. Some members of the left in Washington are hoping that the emotions surrounding the hostages will overwhelm the big picture wisdom surrounding the war to such an extent that Netanyahu’s coalition will break and a more pliable option like Yair Lapid or Yoav Gallant will be given the prime minister position.

For now, Netanyahu is doing what most of Israel is wanting him to do. We have not forgotten October 7. The IDF is using aerial attacks to soften up Rafah, in preparation for a ground invasion to put the final nails in the coffin of Hamas. They are also continuing the battle in the West Bank against Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Up in the north, key Hezbollah infrastructure is being destroyed and terrorist leaders are being killed in Lebanon and Syria. Hezbollah and the proxy militias are fighting back. Regular barrages of rockets are flying over the Syrian and Lebanese border into Israel, and terrorist attacks in the streets and at military checkpoints are becoming all too familiar. Israel’s fight against the terrorist groups will continue, and we will not at all be surprised if the day will soon come when we will be prosecuting the war standing by ourselves.


Radical Pushback

It is certainly more sensational to focus on the crazy antics that are taking place on college campuses in the U.S. However, I don’t think that is the important story. This is not a “what” question, but a “why”. And to understand the “why”, we must identify the “who”.

It’s impossible to turn on the network media or to go onto your favorite online news sources without seeing a bunch of black-and-white keffiyeh wearing college students chanting ridiculous slogans, setting up “Palestinian Liberation Zones” on campus, breaking into and taking over university buildings, and wrestling with the police. According to AP News, more than 1,000 protesters have been arrested on university campuses over the past two weeks. But despite the location of the arrests, many of those taken into custody were not students.

The protests taking place are neither spontaneous nor organic. They have been carefully planned and were simply awaiting a catalyst to launch. Those behind the college riots are outside professionals funded by radical leftists like George Soros and organizations like the American Muslims for Palestine, which is a Hamas-financing arm in the U.S. These skilled agitators know the right words to say to whip up emotion. They are social media savvy and know how to glamorize the idea of “sticking it to the man.” They are also masters at escalation, and when protests turn violent it is typically their hands behind the intensification.

The greatest tools these agitators have are the liberal nature of secondary and university education, the susceptibility and geopolitical ignorance of the majority of American young adults, and the desperate craving of this generation for deeper meaning in their lives. So, when a passionate activist comes along and reaffirms the lies of their leftist teachers and professors, they are ready to believe it. Because they are susceptible and ignorant, logic and truth are easily discounted in favor of emotion and feelings. Thus, when they take over a university building and throw a water bottle at a policeman, they feel they are doing something righteous in the name of justice for the oppressed. Little do they know that their entire belief system is a house of cards built on a foundation of lies.

This is why you can find college students who two years ago were nervously posing for prom pictures now employing Nazi SA brown shirt tactics blocking Jewish students from entering college buildings and beating them up because of their race. It is the lies of these agitators that turn the high school valedictorian who went to Columbia for a law degree into a keffiyeh wrapped banshee screaming and spitting at the cops. Meanwhile, at many universities, the administration and faculty that parents are trusting to educate and lead their children are allowing this insanity to take place without recrimination.

This is why we must constantly be reminded of October 7. This is why you regularly find brutal reminders on my Telegram channel of what took place that tragic day. Already, the rapes and torture are being branded as lies or exaggerations. Or, worse yet, they’re being given a pass as an understandable acting out of an oppressed people. That is disgusting, it is appalling, and it is heartbreaking to think of what that kind of moral equivalency is doing to the hearts of those who are being taught that brand of evil.

But the ever-worsening antisemitic rhetoric being spouted on streets and on campuses is not just limited to October 7. It is directed at Israel in general and at the Jewish people in particular. That is why it is unfathomable to me that so many pastors and political figures remain mute on the subject. It is a silence that I believe they will have to answer for. God is looking for church pulpits and political rostrums from which His chosen people are prayed for and antisemitism is harshly condemned.

Yom HaShoah ensures that we will never forget the Holocaust and the millions who were brutally murdered. But even though we Jews didn’t forget that there were people who once wanted to wipe us all out, we did get complacent. October 7 was a different kind of “Day of Catastrophe”. It was a wake-up call. Rather than stand in remembrance of the slaughtered innocents for two minutes, we grabbed our guns to take revenge on the guilty. We will not be caught off-guard again. We will never forget.


The Ministry

This coming Tuesday will see the release of my latest book Discovering Daniel! I cannot wait for you to delve deeply into the life and visions of this incredibly relevant Old Testament prophet! 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!

If you haven’t already, please join my Telegram channel. Recently, it passed 500,000 subscribers, and nearly 30,000 more joined in just the couple weeks. 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!

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.

In the Bible, the sounding of a trumpet often indicated that something important was about to happen – change was going to come or movement was about to take place. For those of us who are in Christ’s church, we eagerly await the sounding of one particular trumpet, the Last Trumpet, which will bring an incredible change, translating us from corruptible to incorruptible. But what exactly is this great event? In my teaching, “The Last Trumpet”, premiering Friday, May 3, at 12:00 PM PDT, I will eliminate all the confusion surrounding this momentous occurrence by taking a practical who, what, when, and why approach in order to discover what it is the Bible says about the sounding of this all-important horn.

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.

With all the growing antisemitism in the world, it is such a blessing to know that there are so many out there who are praying for Israel and for this ministry! Thank you for your faithfulness, and may God bless you as you use your gifts to bless others.

Awaiting His Return,





Amir Tsarfati: Do You Have a Heart for Israel?

Amir Tsarfati: What's Next for Israel?

Behold Israel Weekly Prayer Meeting

Behold Israel
https://mailchi.mp/beholdisrael/amirs-bible-bites-devotionals-1007367-q7a8ch7s7m-1008196?e=52ebe87529
We need to have a heart for this nation [Israel]. We need a longing for them to find salvation, to find their peace between themselves and God, and to not have to go through the tribulation. Israel is going to be here whether you like them or not. Israel is going to stay here whether you love them or not. Israel is God’s people, whether you love this or not – whether you support it or not.

God never asks you whether they should be His people or not. God is asking you, “What are you doing about it? Do you love them, support them, pray for them, and share with them that which saved you?” That’s what He’s asking. So what’s next for Israel is actually something that is affecting all of us, but it’s something that is also challenging you even today.

So I hope and pray that you understand that the Bible is clear about what’s coming next. What is left for you is to do what God is expecting all of us to do, and that’s to share the good news with the people He loves so much and who He wants to be with Him forever.


Amir Tsarfati: Do You Have a Heart for Israel?
As we watch our world spiral downward into Nazi-era antisemitism, we need to recognize that the side effect of this will be and is a disdain, and eventually hatred, for those in support of the nation of Israel. This will eventually migrate into a hatred of those who love not only the Jews but also the King of the Jews, Jesus of Nazareth.

Revelation 6:9-11
When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

As we watch global antisemitic thought and behavior arise, we must remember that this is not a coincidence nor happenstance. Rather it is the precursor to what John prophesied will happen during the Tribulation. We also know that at the end of the Tribulation, the treatment of the Jews by the surviving inhabitants of the earth will be judged by Jesus after His return.

Matthew 25:31-40
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ 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.’”

The righteous, those who helped Jesus’ brethren, were admitted into eternal life. Those on His left did the opposite. They did not help His brethren and they went into everlasting punishment. Keep in mind that this is not an attitude of the Lord exclusive to this moment in time. It is His attitude today as well.

Genesis 12:3
“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

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.”

The phrase “heave it away” in Zechariah comes from a single Hebrew word that means “to impose a burden.” In the Genesis verse, the Lord says of the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob that He will curse the one who curses them. The word “curse” means exactly what we think, “to be put under a curse.” The word “curses”, however, is a different Hebrew word that means “to think little of or to despise.” Again, this is not limited to the time of dividing the sheep and goats, but it is proven to be true historically and is thus currently true. Those who think little of Israel and despise them will be cursed.

This is not to say that loving Israel saves you, but it does tell us what the attitude of the saved should be towards Israel. It is completely inconsistent to say you love the King of the Jews but despise the Jews of the King. So don’t let the ignorant antisemites of our day bully you into silence. If God has not cast off Israel – and He hasn’t – we shouldn’t either.

In these last days it is important to stand with the few, not the many. The majority is not always right and the majority of the world is completely wrong about Israel and the Jews.

Pray for the nation and people of Israel that they might be saved and have their eyes opened to the Holy One of Israel who is one and the same as the head of the church, Jesus Christ, the Son of God!
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

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

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