Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Mar/82

Contributor - Rev. John J. Opmeer

Title - A Trip to Israel

Topic - Israel

"Tonight, all the prophets of doom and gloom should be in Jerusalem to see your shining eyes. And they will know that Israel is not alone. Other days have come to our land." These words were spoking by Menachem Begin, Prime Minister of Israel, addressing some 3,000 Christians who had come to Jerusalem for an International Christian Celebration during the Feast of Tabernacles. My wife and I were privileged to be there, thanks to the trip to Israel presented to us by the marvelous people of Hope Reformed Church in Vancouver, for our 25th Wedding Anniversary. I would like to share with you some of our impressions and experiences while in Israel.

Generation of the Holocaust

First of all, no one will understand Israel without the background of the Holocaust. During the second world war, one third of all Jews in the world were murdered. If one third of a body were amputated, the rest of the body would go into severe shock. The reactions of Israelis to Palestinians and Arabs are the reactions of the generation of the Holocaust. They have seen their people hunted down and slaughtered like sheep. They say "never again". They do not trust the nations of the world. They finally have a place they can call "home". Not much of a home, a very small country, surrounded by a sea of Arabs, many of whom would like to drive them into the sea. But better than no home at all, and to be dependent on the Christians, as in the past! Every Jewish child of school age in Israel is taken to Yad VaShem, the holocaust memorial museum. It is a dreadful place to visit you get choked up and nauseated, looking at the horrible pictures of human beings tracked down like beasts and gassed like insects. They were treated like that just because they were Jews! And no Jewish child is allowed to forget that.

Because It Was Written

In a way, the Jews were able to establish a nation back in their ancient homeland as a result of the Holocaust. The guilt-ridden Western nations put pressure on the other members of the United Nations to vote for partition of Palestine, so that the Jews could have a mini-state there for the survivors of the Holocaust. The area allotted to the Jews was so small that at places the border was only 8 miles from the sea! Even so, countries like Great Britain did all they could to lobby against partition. However, the final vote, on November 29, 1947, was in favour of partition. Even so, the 600,000 Jews had no one to help them to live peacefully in the land. The Arabs promised to wipe out the new nation the moment it would be born. They almost succeeded. Miraculously, the Jews survived the attacks of 5 Arab armies. They won the War of Independence, and the nation of Israel began its troubled existence.

No one could have predicted the birth of the Jewish nation. Who has heard of a resurrection after 2,000 years?

But it happened because "it was written"! The ancient Jewish prophets had predicted that in the latter days their scattered people would live again in their land. Not all Jews, of course, believe in prophecy, but many do. Dr. Maurice Jaffa, president of the International Union of Synagogues, in addressing our meeting, said, "Our hope is in people like you, who understand prophecy. You are our only support in the world. Tell your governments that Israel has returned home. God did not restore us here to take it back again!" And Prime Minister Begin said, "We hope in the future, because we believe in divine providence."

By The Finger of God

The feeling that Israel exists today because God wants it that way is widespread among Israelis. Our incomparable Israeli guide, Mattania Segal, told us story after story of how Israel was preserved "by the finger of God". For example, in 1948, just before the Declaration of Independence, the few hundred Jews in Safed, the ancient Jewish holy place in Galilee, were hopelessly outnumbered by the 12,000 Arab residents. Many of them went to the synagogues, expecting to be slaughtered. The Jews were liberated by 150 teenagers of the irregular Haganah army, who attacked the Arab defenders with home-made grenades designed to make a terrific noise. Added to the man made noise, there was the noise of hail and thunder. In early May it almost never rains in Galilee, and thunder is even more rare. Our guide said, "It was the finger of God." And we remembered similar stories of deliverance in the Old Testament! The Palestinians who fled the town in 1948 are now refugees, whereas those who stayed are all Israelis citizens.

Another area nearby, to the east, is the Golan Heights, which has recently been rather brazenly annexed by Israel. It must be remembered that in most towns in the area you find ruins of synagogues, both from 2,000 years ago and those destroyed by the Syrians between 1948 and 1967. When the Jews were driven out, the world was quiet. When they came back in 1967, the world protested! The story of how the Israelis took the northern part of the Golan Heights, on Saturday, June 10, 1967, was told by our guide. On Friday, the Israelis had taken the lower heights, at terrible human cost. They decided to stop. The officers figured that it would cost them 1 0,000 men in order to capture the fortifications on top of the hills. Yet, there was a feeling that they should push on the next day. It so happened that the radio announcer in Damascus made a fatal mistake, it was announced that the Israelis had already captured the Golan Heights, and were on the outskirts of Damascus. Even if it had been true, military authorities never allow such news to get out, in order not to demoralize the troops. But it was not true at all! The Israelis were in bad shape. However, when they attacked early Saturday, the demoralized front lines of the Syrians panicked, and retreated. The Heights were taken at minimal cost to tip Israelis. Later, they learned of the erroneous radio announcement: "the finger of God"!

The Embassy in Jerusalem

I would like to tell you about the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem. Perhaps this is still new to some of you because the news media have not given it much publicity (guess why?). The embassy is now a little over a year old. Its opening was the culmination of a movement that began many years ago among Christians who believed that God would bring Israel back to its land. After the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, more and more evangelical Christians have come to believe that Israel is here in fulfilment of prophecy. With such belief came an intense interest in Israel and support for the beleaguered little nation. Since 1967, with the capture of old Jerusalem by the Israelis, an explosion of interest in Israel has taken place among Christians, culminating in the establishment of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem.

The purpose of the Embassy is to provide Christians worldwide with means of expressing their love and commitment to Israel. The opening of the Embassy, on September 30, 1980, was timed to stand by Israel at a time of discouragement. The last 13 embassies had just been withdrawn from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, under pressure of Arab oil blackmail. The Embassy could be seen as a contemporary effort to give expression to the ancient call of the prophet, "Comfort, comfort my people". Mr. Teddy Kollek, mayor of Jerusalem, called the opening of the Embassy the most moving ceremony he had ever attended. The chief rabbi of Israel, Mr. Shlomo Goren, addressed the 1,000 Christians as follows: "We bless you, and consider you a part of the prophetic vision spoken by Zechariah." In Zechariah 14:16, we read of the nations of the world going up to Jerusalem during the end times to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. The rabbi's statement was a breakthrough in Jewish Christian relations!

During the one year of its existence, the Embassy had to move twice to larger quarters. Its present headquarters is in the beautiful building of the previous Chilean embassy. The aims of the Embassy are:

- to be a focus of comfort to Israel, according to Isa. 40: 1;

- to be a centre where Christians from all over the world can learn what is taking place in Israel;

- to begin or assist practical projects in Israel;

- to be a reconciling influence between Arabs and Jews.

If you want a brochure about the Embassy's work, drop me a line.

... to be continued next month

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