In ancient Israel, recorders and scribes usually copied facts and information onto parchment, to preserve accurate records of what would become, one day, history. Nothing could be altered, deleted or changed. Every stroke and dot of the ink pen was sacred and written down with painstaking accuracy. In today’s world of reporting and journalism, men–rarely clothed in linen depicting righteousness–still report concerning the world. However, global reporting, especially regarding Israel, is extremely biased. By the time a report is published or broadcast, inaccuracies and blatant lies, reinforce the age-old admonition: “check out the facts before you believe it!” Having lived in Israel for over thirty years, the Lord has sensitized our ears to detect media bias deceiving many readers and listeners in today’s world. We now look at “the big picture” from an international point of view. At times, it appears truth has fallen in the streets and that people swallow myth-like fairytales easily, especially when it comes to reporting facts about Israel. Erroneous anti-Semitic statements are sent across the world through publishing, broadcasting and the Internet collectively, by reporters with phones and computers at hand, who form their own opinions and then release them globally.
In November, 1945, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) was formed. Today in the Place de Fontenoy, Paris, France, 195 member states assemble together, in a large arena-like auditorium for daily sessions. Their mission statement declares they were formed to “contribute to peace and security in the world and to further universal respect for justice, the rule of law, human rights and freedoms for the peoples.” Recently this “universal respect for justice” international body declared to the world, that Jews and Christians have no right to visit, or claim the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as important, to either faith. Even more implausible, they state there never was a First or Second Temple on the holy mountain. Do they feel they had been granted Divine Authority to broadcast what amounts to an erroneous lie? This in my opinion, was a bold attempt to blot out God’s Word from the annals of history and hearts of believing mankind. These UNESCO diplomats, mere men–but representatives of nations–with “ink horns in hand” or more appropriately termed, “lightening-speed computer technology,” recently infected the planet with a huge delusional lie. As a virus contaminates, millions of people gulped the bitter pill, difficult as it was to swallow, and are now deceived. UNESCO, denying Jerusalem and the Temple Mount to Jews and Christians, is an attempt to nullify God’s Word. They have failed to acknowledge the One True God and have made their own “crude revision of history.” (Eylon Asian-Levy). UNESCO committed a breach of truth, of the sworn assurance, by God Almighty, that Jerusalem is destined to be the “throne of the LORD” (Jeremiah 3:17) not Mohammed’s seat. Man has once again attacked the Almighty’s plans and purposes for Israel (and the Disciples of Yeshua). Many have been powerfully deluded and we’d like to set the matter straight!
Setting the record Straight
“Every man has a right to be wrong in his opinions. But no man has a right to be wrong in his facts” (Bernard Baruch).
Someone has wisely said “let’s get the facts straight!” Facts are statements that can be proven, but opinions cannot. Opinions are based on someone’s thoughts, feelings and their understanding. Though a person may be able to use facts to add credibility to an opinion, it is still an opinion! Though an opinion may be widely accepted, that does not make it a fact.” (Anonymous) “For this reason, God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie…” (2 Thessalonians 2:11, NIV).
If the recent decision by UNESCO resolving that Jews have no historical ties to the Temple Mount (nor do Christians) is believed, they have rewritten history and ignored God’s promises. The implications could affect Israel in drastic ways: (a) Israel would need to cease all works celebrating Jewish heritage in Jerusalem, (b) stop plans to update the prayer plaza at the Western Wall, and (c) also plans for the Kedem Center, a new archaeological visitor’s center in the City of David. Added to this would be the plans UNESCO disapproves of: the Liba House project at the Western Wall plaza (which involves exposing deeper foundations of the Wall), the proposed building of classrooms and an auditorium for educational purposes, etc. Given that now is the time when Jerusalem is putting on her “garments of glory” (Isaiah 52:1) we see the spirit behind Islam trying to stop it! Immediately on the coat tails of the UNESCO resolution came another blow. “The United Nations committees adopted ten anti-Israel resolutions in one day…more than twice as many as they passed about the rest of the world combined this week”. (TheTower.org Staff, November 10, 2016). To top it all off, “Israelis believe that the Palestinian Authority seeks to use the UN cultural body to lay claim to the Dead Sea Scrolls…considered to be among Israel’s greatest archaeological treasures.” (Times of Israel).
By denying Israel’s right to Jerusalem and family treasures such as the scrolls, the hope of the Arab world is that Israel’s light will be extinguished. This would leave no people or place on earth for God Almighty to set up His Earthly Kingdom. Those who know God’s Word and live by it, know that no matter how hard the nations try to erase Israel from history, God has regathered His Chosen People for His plans and purposes. He is still bringing them home, to give them their promised inheritance. His covenant with Israel stands as long as the ordinances of the moon and stars give their light. (Jeremiah 31:35-38). However, many nations of the world have chosen to believe what is false.
Three masters of lies, Adolph Hitler, Joseph Goebbels and Vladimir Lenin all knew too well, what lies could do. “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it…for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy…” (Joseph Goebbels/Adolph Hitler). “A lie told often enough becomes the truth.” (Vladimir Lenin).
It appears we are living in a generation of erasers. ISIS has been destroying the history of civilizations, eliminating one ethnic group after another. We have seen the removal of Godly foundations from leading nations. In the fall of 2016, we saw a US Presidential candidate erase thousands of emails of events and happenings under the watch of a political career. The satanic attempt to obliterate a whole nation from the maps and annals of history can be pinpointed to careless reporting of actual facts, all part of a demonic scheme to discredit Israel.
This recent preposterous announcement by UNESCO includes claims that there never was an Israelite Temple – not of King Solomon, nor a Second Temple of Ezra or a Temple of Herod. That would mean that Jesus never taught in the Temple which is blatant deception. “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11, NKJV). Their claims take away from the Word of God (Revelation 22:18-19), and attempt to cancel God’s eternal promises to His People.
No one can hit a “delete button” hoping to remove the Chosen Nation from the memory of the world. God does not tolerate man meddling with His Everlasting Word. His words are pure words, as silver is purified. (Psalm 12:6-7). This interference by UNESCO, is another sign that we are living in the latter days. It is a vociferous resolution and an attempt that will fail to prevent the Second Coming of Christ. If they could remove every trace of Judeo-Christian history on the Temple Mount, then Messiah would never return. God’s Kingdom will never be set up with an Islamic flag flying high from the towers of Jerusalem. In order for Israel’s King to come, Israel must be regathered to her ancient homeland, Jerusalem must be established in the top of the mountains and Israel must be in control of the Temple Mount. The Kingdom belongs to the One True God and all nations will ascend to Jerusalem in the latter days to worship Him. This is the truth and these are the facts.
In making these false claims, both UNESCO and the UN fall into part of a subtle plan by Satan to prevent the Messiah-Redeemer (Jesus) from setting up His Father’s Kingdom. The driving force behind it all is a hope to set up a “one world government” which would disavow the God of Israel, a form of denialism.
“In the psychology of human behavior, denialism is a person’s choice to deny reality, as a way to avoid a psychologically uncomfortable truth. Denialism is an essentially irrational action that withholds the validation of an historical experience or event, by the person refusing to accept an empirically verifiable reality.” (Wikipedia)
The Jewish sage, Rashi, says about the Tower of Babel “…Their unanimous plan was to build a tower to reach the abode of HaShem for making war on the Creator. They wished to prevent Him from bringing about another deluge to destroy humanity, as He did at the time of Noach…HaShem thwarted the project’s success by developing dissimilar languages and dialects, which by their very nature evolved into different cultures…The confusion that was created caused the dispersion of peoples and cultures…until this very day…in our time, we are witnessing a reversal of that human dispersion as the world’s nations, gathered together to create the United Nations as the initial step in eventually creating a “one-world government.”
Almost immediately after their absurd denial of Israel’s history, it was accurately reported in Israel, that from the dust heaps of Jerusalem, God had given some amazing surprises. On the tails of every historical lie told over the past weeks, came more treasures out of the archeological dust bins of history boldly proclaiming “Here we are…we were here all along!” They put the pieces back into the puzzle to show us the truth of history. Solomon’s Temple-Era artifacts (the 8th and 6th centuries) were found for the first time on the Temple Mount. Similar artifacts have been found by the Temple Mount Sifting Project, which has gone through some 400 truckloads of topsoil that the Islamic Waqf dug and removed from the Temple Mount in 1999. The historic rubble “…had been dumped by the Muslim authority in a landfill at Jerusalem’s Kidron Valley under the cover of night.” (TheTower.org) They were all attempts at covering up Israel’s link to the Temple. Again, “…an ancient Muslim inscription testifying to the fact that the original name of the Dome of the Rock, Qubbat al-Sakhrah, was “Beit al Maqdis” or (Beit Hamikdash” in Hebrew, aka, the Jewish Temple…”. (David Israel). This inscription is dated about 1000 years ago. Fresh light continues to be shed on Jerusalem and her greatest destiny: to be the location of the Throne of the Lord God of Israel!
The head of the Temple Institute, Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, recently stated that no one can erase (the Torah) and say any longer that it is forbidden to ascend to the Temple Mount. God recently put into the hearts of Jerusalem authorities a renewed push for Jewish people to worship the God of Israel on the Temple Mount.
Another sign that Jerusalem is putting on her “garments of glory” for the Kingdom era, is that the Mayor of Jerusalem has recently endorsed a massive project to construct a whole new district in Jerusalem. The project, is called, “The Entrance to Jerusalem.” It is expected to become one of the most prominent business districts in the Holy City. CFI’s new ministry offices and Distribution Center sits in the heart of this new Jerusalem hub.
The folly of the nations throwing God and His Word to the wind, is to arm wrestle with the Almighty. Truth may fall in the streets but it will get back up and walk on its own merit. I’ve been in situations over the years, when people formed their own opinions, but did not know all the facts. Therefore they stood wrongly against the truth. So it will be with UNESCO and the UN who stand wrongly against Israel. The quagmire of deception spread around the world today continues at full speed. Jerusalem is termed the “gateway of the peoples” (Ezekiel 26:2) and all nations will ascend here under God’s sovereignty and Israel’s role will be carried out.
High level meetings are being held by the enemies of Israel listed in Psalm 83:2,3. Their united goal is to “cut them off from being a nation. ” In order to do this, they must first spread lies and deny that the Jews ever existed in the Land, and secondly, that they had nothing to do with the Temple Mount. With hardened hearts, identical to Pharaoh’s, evil plans are being devised in the shadows of Islam, to make war against Israel–a war that will dwarf all others. UNESCO has helped to set the wheels of war in motion, but God will be the Defender of Israel!
How does Israel face the future? How will the true Body of Christ face the days ahead? We must cling to the Lord’s promises as the beautiful sash which clung to the waist of servants of the Most High God, (Jeremiah 13:11). We must always search for the truth and research the facts.
The circles of the Crescent of Islam are being drawn around the borders of many Middle Eastern nations; however, their plans will come to nothing. Romans 9:17 tells us that God will allow many things to happen in order for His Great power to be seen across the world. All governments must, in the end, bow to His Government. I heard recently that “the State of Israel will disappear” because of the coming Kingdom. I believe the Israel of God will rise up as He helps her put on her garments of glory. A recent report from Jerusalem stated that the government is “calling to create a society that protects itself from things for which we pay a heavy price…at this moment Israel is in a process…” (Hana Levi Julian). This process of moving to eliminate corruptive practices such as gambling, trafficking and prostitution, means that Israel is on her way to positive changes. What other nation has this on their national agenda at this time?
The song is coming back to Zion and the praise back to God. Let us pick up our own ink horns and declare for all the world to read: “We exalt you, God Almighty, You are worthy to be praised, Let all nations bow before you, Holy Ancient of all days.” (Gaither/Holy Highway). If you have an ink horn, be it in the form of a pen or a computer, like the ancient Scribes, this is a matter worthy to be reported for generations to come!
-Sharon Sanders-