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Listen to the teaching "Why israel matters?"
Why Did God Choose Jerusalem From Among All the Places on Earth to Reveal His Name and His Salvation?
By Tony Sperandeo
The story of Redemption for mankind does not begin in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 2, as many people would want us to believe, but in Genesis chapter 1.
In fact, our faith is the most ancient faith in the world, since our story begins before the creation of man. The plan of God is described in the very first verse of scripture:
“In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.” Note the emphasis on this small word and. Everything that God created he wishes to unite and reconcile. God’s heart is to bring Heaven on Earth and Earth in Heaven. He started and will finish His plan of redemption right in the Middle East.
The book of Genesis reveals that man was placed in a Garden named Eden, which contained the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. We all know the outcome of man's disobedience to the only commandment with a condition given by God: “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.” (Genesis 3:3).
We do not know exactly where the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was placed but we know that the boundaries of the Garden of Eden were four streams of the same river: They are named: the Tigris (or Ahidekel), the Euphrates, located in Mesopotamia, now known as Iraq and Syria, east of the land of Canaan; the Pishon, being the Blue Nile, and the Gihon, the White Nile in Egypt and Sudan. The map of the area was much different from the one we have now. The phenomenon of the division of the continents happened later during Peleg. (Gen 10)
Just imagine all of the Arabian Peninsula still connected by land to Egypt and Iran. The geographical centre of these four rivers was located in the land of Canaan. According to Jewish tradition, Mount Moriah in Jerusalem is the place of the creation of man called“even Hashtiyah“ or 'stone of beginnings.’ It was there that Adam disobeyed God and sin entered into the world. There God provided the first covering sufficient for man, lambskin instead of fig leaves. God's plan is to redeem mankind in exactly the same place where Adam failed. We know how Adam and Eve were escorted out of the protected Garden and placed 'East of Eden, the entrance to the Garden then guarded by fierce Cherubim. (Gen 3: last verses) These verses describe the borders of the Middle East.
Ten chapters later we read about a man aged seventy five, by the name of Abram. He was called by God to leave his comfort zone and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit “to a land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). This man Abram (meaning 'exalted father') later had his name changed to Abraham ('father of many nations’.) He lived in Ur, in the land of the Chaldeans, (now South Iraq), just at the gates east of the Garden of Eden. Coincidence? No, not knowing God's economy. Abraham was led back to the land of Canaan, following the border of the Euphrates, (now Iraq, Syria and Turkey) which God gave to him and his descendants, forever, the narrow strip of land between three continents, which was called the Land of Canaan, Israel.
The first time the city of Salem (or Jerusalem) is mentioned is in Chapter 14.
Its king is named Melchizedek: (King of Righteousness), who is priest and king ,a type of the messiah (see book of Hebrews).
Melchizedek offers bread and wine to Abraham and as a sign of submission Abraham gives him the tithe of all he received (Gen.I4:20). God is named; “The possessor (Konei –the one who bought) Heavens and Earth.”
In Genesis 22, God asks Abraham to offer Isaac (born supernaturally, the son of the promise) on an altar, and to kill him. Abraham's faith is demonstrated in Genesis 22:5. After traveling many days and approaching the country of Moriah with his son and his servants, he tells the latter: “Stay here …; the lad and I will go ... and worship, and we will come back ...” They climb Mount Moriah and there Abraham builds an altar, puts on the wood, and Isaac asks him, "I see the altar, I see the wood but where is the sacrifice?” and Abraham answers: ADONAI JIREH – 'the Lord will provide or see to it'. In verse 20 we can read that on the mount of the Lord (Mount Moriah) it shall be provided.
All spiritual eyes still watch over Jerusalem to see when God's unfolding plan of redemption will be fullfilled. Our spiritual enemy, Satan, is also aware that Jerusalem will be the last great stage for Yeshua's appearance to the entire world. It will be there that every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that He is truly the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. Satan’s plan is to stop or further postpone Messiah's coming by launching his last weapons of destruction and lies in and around Jerusalem. We all know from scriptures that he is the father of lies who comes to steal, kill and destroy. He has built another religion, another gospel, and another faith that stands opposite to the pure belief of scripture. This is obvious in the statement written in Arabic, inside the Dome of the Rock mosque: "Allah is God and he has no son!" It is there, where Abraham offered his son Isaac. There, right where our Lord, the Son of God came to this world as the "Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.” This blasphemous statement is being declared so as to warn Yeshua and his followers that they are not welcome. Who can stop the return of the Lord in Glory? From scripture we know that he who rejects the son is from the Antichrist. (1John 2:22-23)
It will be there in Jerusalem that Yeshua will reveal Himself to His Jewish brethren, the same brethren who rejected Him. It will be just as Joseph of Egypt revealed himself to his hardened and cruel brothers, and yet forgave them and restored them entirely to their family relationship. There they will "look to me whom they have pierced" and "mourn as they mourn a firstborn child." It will be here, that a spirit of grace and supplication will be released to His natural brethren, Israel. (See Zechariah 12:10)
He will also reveal Himself to all the children of Abraham, including the descendants of Ishmael, the southern Arab nations (Saudi, Yemen, Emirates, Kuwait)
Also, Isaiah 19 speaks to us of the redemption of two of the neighbors of Israel; Egypt in the south and Assyria in the north. These two countries will serve God in the end times. In fact, they will become strong allies of Israel ("on that day there will be a HIGHWAY from Egypt to Assyria...”). Israel will be the third (triumvirate team)
"Shlishia" in Hebrew, with Egypt and Assyria, whom the Lord of Host has blessed saying: “Blessed be Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my Heritage". I am convinced that the new resurrected Assyrian nation as mentioned in Isaiah 19 will be Kurdistan. The 35 million existing Syrian, Iraqi, Iranian and Turkish Kurds who never has their own independent state, will then establish an independent nation and thus become allies of Israel.
Today we see the fierce opposition of Turkey and the Russian-Assad regime in Syria. We know our fight is not against flesh and blood. So we see that God is interested in saving Israel and its neighbor countries. If you love Israel you must pray for its enemies and its neighbors. (Matt 5:44)
Yeshua's is returning to Jerusalem. At the very place of beginning, the plea and longing will end for all those who truly long to see the victory of the Eternal Kingdom of God free of all manmade borders.
All those who are joining the "cloud of witnesses" including Lebanese, Jordanians, Turks, Syrians, Iraqis, Egyptians and all other nations of the garden of Eden
(Middle East) are saying "Maranata". Come Lord quickly.