The Simchat Torah War

(Opinion piece by Pastor Robbie Coleman)

The Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, October 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Avi Roccah)

On October 7, 2023, Israel suffered the worst atrocity in fifty years. On the eighth day of Sukkot, also known as Simchat Torah, terrorists from Hamas declared war against Israel. This day is usually filled with celebrations and lots of joy (Leviticus 29:39). Instead, Israel was awakened to the shrill sound of sirens, not knowing the extent of the attack against them. Literally, all eyes are upon Israel, many with overwhelming compassion, although the voices of antisemitism are disconcertingly hateful.

I’ve repeatedly been asked to explain what it all means prophetically. In this writing, I will give my opinion on where I think we are headed, but I insist you make your own conclusion.

End-time prophecy is best understood when the sequence of events is in proper order. Each prophet in the Bible holds a piece of the puzzle. Jesus revealed even more about the last days. Still, we ask the same question the disciples asked: “When will these things take place?” (Luke 21:7).

Like a puzzle, we study the picture on the box before positioning the pieces. However, with biblical prophecy, we can delicately assemble the picture but still ponder when. Jesus warned that we would not know the day or hour. Those who give specific times are probably wrong.

The present war (Oct. 2023) has most Bible scholars scratching their heads, trying to decide where it fits in scripture. I am looking again at Psalm 83 in light of the current situation. To be perfectly honest, I felt Psalm 83 had previously taken place since certain Arab countries have tried to wipe Israel out for centuries. However, could it be that it plays out right before our eyes?

They have said, "Come, and let us cut them off from being]a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more." (Psalm 83:4)

This war is not Ezekiel 38-39

Ezekiel 37 is a process that began when Israel was reborn and populated with the seed of Abraham in 1948. The dry bones came to life after centuries of harsh persecution from the nations. After watching the vision of dry bones coming to life, Ezekiel heard God call them “an exceeding great army” (Ezekiel 37:10).

They had to be mighty because God knew the wars that would ensue to maintain possession of the Land.

It is evident that the Simchat Torah War is not Ezekiel 38 but could lead to that war. Russia and her alliances, no doubt, are looking closely and deciding when to strike Israel. We can be sure they will study Hamas’ successes and mistakes and use that knowledge to their advantage.

Did someone within Israeli intelligence look the other way to allow their people to be ravaged and slaughtered? For all the reasons the invasion was executed, it was not to the degree Hamas and those who funded and trained them intended.

This was a huge wake-up call not only for Israel but also for the world. Will Israel ever feel secure again? The answer is crucial in positioning Ezekiel 38 in its proper place (see Ezekiel 38:11-12).

Tell Gog that Adonai Elohim says this: “Won’t you be aware of it when my people Israel are living in security? You will choose just that time to come from your place in the far reaches of the north, you and many peoples with you…you will invade my people, Israel like a cloud covering the land…so that the nations will know me when, before their eyes, I am set apart as holy through you, O Gog. (Ezekiel 38:14-16)

(Picture: Iron Dome in action. credit:Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

After the dry bones received life, God told Ezekiel to join the two sticks—Judah and Israel (37:16). Before the Simchat Torah War, we witnessed brother against brother because of the complex political climate. This war has brought about an intense unification among the Jewish people that crosses all political, religious, and economic classifications. They are remarkably coming together as one, like I’ve never seen before.

The current assailants are from Gaza and Lebanon, bordering Arab countries. Ezekiel 38 is an invasion from the north of Israel—Russia, Turkey, and their alliances, including Persia (Iran), Sudan, Libya, and possibly others (Ezekiel 38:2, 5-6).

There will be no one who helps Israel during the Ezekiel War, but there will be God’s supernatural intervention (Ezekiel 38:17–23). Fortunately, many countries are standing with Israel today.

Whether the war Ezekiel describes is before or in the middle of the Tribulation, God has a set time to draw Gog of Magog into His arena. Many scholars believe that Ezekiel 38–39 is Armageddon, which occurs at the end of the Tribulation. Read the final verses of Chapter 38 to see if you agree.

There will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel…and every human being there in the land will tremble before me. Mountains will fall…making myself known in the sight of many nations, then they will know that I am God. (Ezekiel 38:17-23)

Interestingly, It will take Israel seven months to bury the dead and cleanse the land, and seven years to burn the weapons (Ezekiel 39:9, 12). The result of the Ezekiel war will be a time of repentance (Ezekiel 39:22–29, Joel 2:28).

Is this war Psalm 83?

There are two Muslim groups—Sunni and Shia. Of the 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide, 85% are Sunni, the less radical group of the two (cfr.org). The countries with the highest proportion of Sunni Muslims in the Middle East include Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia (history.com). The majority of the Arab nations of Ezekiel 38 could possibly be Sunni. The terrorists today are Shia and have Iran as their leader.

Psalm 83 is a war that starts with a hateful voice: “Come and let’s wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!” (83:4). This is most likely a reference to the Palestinian Authority, that has in its charter a determination to wipe out Israel. Notes found in the pockets of the fallen terrorists prove that fact. Psalm 83 infers that all those who hate Israel perish.

The final end is to teach those aggressors that “God is eternal and most high.” Psalm 83 is about the Arab League. Verses 6–8 include Edomites, Ishmaelites, Hagrites, Ammonites, and Philistines (Gaza area). Is this the war that will cause many Arabs to lay down their weapons against Israel?

We almost see a peaceful union between the sons of Ishmael and the sons of Isaac in Ezekiel 38. For example, verse 13 references Dedan (Saudi Arabia), Sheba (possibly Yemen or Ethiopia), and the young lions of Tarshish (Gulf of Aden). They seem to stand in unity with Israel. They tell the evil alliance, “Have you come to take spoils?"

Wikipedia

I have many Arab friends who are doing an about-face concerning Israel. Just last week, a well-known Muslim cleric throughout Saudi Arabia took to the airwaves, expressing disapproval of the Palestinians. He is at a boiling point because of the massacre. Just when the Abrahamic accords were moving in a positive direction, terrorists, known as Hamas, were harbored in Gaza, committing some of the worst atrocities ever in the Middle East.

So why are the Arab nations not in the Magog union? They have either been defeated or had a change of heart.

Saudi Arabia has started limited relations with Israel. A local Israeli news source recently published an article by Adam Berkowitz, “Egypt has been reluctant to accept refugees from the outset of the war,” and expressed concern that “there are no guarantees that the refugees from Gaza will return to their homes after Israel’s war against Hamas is complete” (Israel365 News). King Abdullah also refused to open his borders to refugees, concerned that the refugees would remain in Jordan. President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) said, “Hamas’ policies and actions do not represent the Palestinian people."

I contend that the Psalm 83 war does not destroy all Arab nations but leads them to reality. Isaac and Ishmael put aside their grievances to bury their father, Abraham. “Just as “Esau ran to meet him (Isaac), hugged him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him” (Genesis 25:9). If indeed the Tanach serves as a shadow of the future, then there will be some level of reconciliation between Jacob and Esau.

We may begin to see some fractures in the wall of hate. While I don’t think we will see any quick changes in relations between Jews and Palestinians, I see a beginning. My Arab friends are very tired of their present leaders. They say they only want peace and are glad to work and live in Israel. The Palestinians need trustworthy leadership.

In the future, they will be one with us. But for now, the actions being carried out in the name of “the Arabs” do not represent the majority, and if what I see in scripture is correct, those who remain will stand with Israel. This may be how Israel will be “a land of secure and unwalled before the Magog War of Ezekiel 38 (Ezekiel 38:8, 11).

Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD." (Ezekiel 38:23)

A Sweet New Year

Photo by Unsealed.org

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Ha Shana, is not in fact the biblical new year, but the Feast of Trumpets. One concept is about tradition, sweet things and pomegranates. The other seems rather more serious: the Kingship of God and the shofar call to repentance. But are these two parts of the one festival incompatible?

Jerusalem held a sweet atmosphere in her air during the ‘new year’ weekend of 15-17 September. The Sabbath and Erev Rosh Ha Shana (evening start to the holiday) candle lighting was early, at a few minutes after 18:00, so the streets became quiet as families gathered in their best clothes to usher in one of the sacred Feasts of the LORD.

It is traditional to eat gefilte fish, and also fish heads, to mark the ‘head’ of the year. There are extra blessings at the dinner table, to thank God for His sweet produce. It is traditional to dip apples in honey and wish one another a ‘sweet’ new year. At the gathering I attended, we added a blessing for a dish including pomegranate seeds. The delicate fruit is another tradition at Rosh Ha Shana, since the number of seeds is said to represent the 613 commands of God in the Torah (Five Books of Moses).

The weekend celebrations held a precious sense of unity. Israel has been so divided of late, with demonstrations and disruptions. Some say this is good for democracy, while others have held deep concerns that internal division could embolden Israel’s enemies. Many of the demonstration posters and placards have been in English, causing some to suspect a planned, media-attracting coup, aimed at the overthrow of yet another democratically-elected government here. Many prayers have been lifted up for internal peace and resolution of strife.

With Rosh Ha Shana ushering in the ‘Ten Days of Awe’, a time of introspection and reconciliation prior to the Day of Atonement, it is an opportunity to press ‘pause’ on the grievances, and to just be grateful for the many blessings and promises of God. The awe-inspiring sound of the shofar (ram's horn) can be heard in different locations, such as the Western Wall, and in congregations.

One community of Jewish believers in Messiah, together with many visiting tourists, heard the shofar played stunningly, during a Yom T'ruah (Day of Blowing Trumpets) service. It was a chance to really present ourselves afresh to the Lord in this new year season. Both Tenach (Older Testament) and New Testament passages referencing the shofar or trumpet, were read aloud in Hebrew, by different people, young and old. Welcoming people at the door was a smiling lady giving out little plastic bowls containing apples and honey.

The room of President Ben-Zvi on Mount Zion

The exact same psalm was spoken corporately at this service, as I had heard some young devout Israeli girls singing, as they sat in a friendship group on a special site on Mount Zion. It is special because it is the traditional site of the Lord’s supper, but also the place from which the second President of Israel, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, used to host fellow Jews, during the Jordanian occupation of the Old City. From their Mount Zion vantage point, the Jews filled with centuries of longing could see the Temple Mount. Not until the 1967 liberation of the city could they return to the Kotel (Western Wall) to pray.

At the Messianic service, congregants prayed this psalm aloud, before taking the customary communion elements to remember their Suffering Servant King:

“Lev tahor bara-li Elohim, ve ruach nachon chadesh be kirbi” (Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me).

You may know a simple song to these words. Well, it turns out they are actually a Rosh Ha Shana and Elul prayer! Psalm 51 is just a natural expression for the descendants of the Psalmist, during their penitent month (Elul the Hebrew month of seeking the King) of preparation for Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). It was so special to hear the girls singing these familiar words in Hebrew, from such sincere and simple hearts, not in a building or under duress. They had chosen to find themselves a special place to sing to their Maker and Redeemer.

A serious business? Yes – a holy God. A sweet time? Definitely. The Fragrance of Messiah is all around.

View from the President's Room: Jewish people knocking on the door of the traditional site of the Lord's Supper but finding it locked. Behind is the Dormition Abbey. Lit up in the background (left) is the King David Hotel.

The Importance of Names

“...and you shall call his name YESHUA (meaning Salvation): for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

Yeshua in ancient Hebrew script

The Hebrew word for “soul” is ‘neshamah’. Central to that word, the middle two letters, Shin and Mem, make the word ‘shem’, Hebrew for “name”. They say, here in Israel, that your name is the key to your soul.

Names are a book. They tell a story, often the story of our spiritual potential as well as our life’s mission. Some sources tell us that when we complete our years on this earth and face heavenly judgment, one of the most powerful questions we will be asked at the outset, is: “What is your name and did you live up to it?” For instance, my birth name is Sharon. It means, “a fertile and fruitful valley,” the name of a plain in Israel. As believers, we are all called to this. Our commission is:

“Go and bear fruit...” (John 15:16).

My grandmother told my mother: “This little girl will be a blessing.” I have tried to live up to my name but of course, like so many of us, wish I could do so much more!

His Name: God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel (1 Kings 18:36) Credit: Names for God.net

Jewish sources tell us that God used names not for the sake of identification in the beginning, but rather for creation. He spoke; and the very words describing the object came into being. The Almighty merely gave it a name, and the very letters defined its atomic structure. Names came before the existence of those things with which they would subsequently be identified. When Abram came to the realization of monotheism, his name had to be changed. See Genesis 17:5.

The change of identity required a change of identification. When Jacob, whose name came from the root word meaning “heel” - which so perfectly suited someone whose approach to the problems of life was always flight - suddenly realized he had to fight rather than flee, the angel informed him:

“Your name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28)

A traumatic lifestyle change brings with it a new personal description. The Children of Israel were redeemed from Egypt; God took note of their suffering and ensured their survival. They were imperfect in many ways, but they did not change their names, their language, or their mode of dress. They remained true to themselves. The Bible tells us: “As his name is, so is he” (1 Samuel 25:25). We will forever leave behind our names as a final legacy. Does that mean we are predestined to live lives circumscribed by something beyond our control? Are we doomed to play out roles handed to us by our parents while we were infants? Is our free will limited by our names? Of course not. We emphasize the principle of freedom of choice. Our names do not force us to be what we are. It is what we are that transmits itself, in a profoundly prophetic manner, to those entrusted with the holy task of choosing our names. It is a message from God, entrusted to our name-givers, in order to help us define our mission on earth. Our names outlive us; let’s do everything in our power to make them be remembered for a blessing.

First published in February 2020, written by Sharon Sanders