The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 07:26 PM

OUR VIEW: President Trump Stands In Agreement With God And Shows Courage Where Others Have Showed Cowardice In Naming Jersualem Israel's Capital

There will never be TRUE peace in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world until the One we call the Prince of Peace returns to the earth, the Lord Jesus Christ.

For those who understand Bible prophecy, there is coming an individual, known as the Antichrist, who will broker a false peace at a point yet future between Israel and himself causing Israel and the rest of the world to wonder after him as its Messiah. The man of sin will not be wanting peace, but will play the role of the world's final Hitler, its final Haman, its final Stalin, seeking the total destruction of the Jewish race.

This is a newspaper, but I'm not ashamed to write the following words in any shape, form, or fashion. The world at large is headed for Great Tribulation over this entire situation with Israel at the center of the coming conflict. That is what the Bible says is coming and no matter what any President does or tries it will not succeed long term. The world's answer to all its ills is Jesus Christ.

Having said this, let me say loud and clear that Wednesday, December 6, 2017 was a historic and powerful day for our nation, Israel and the world. President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence need to be applauded for their courage in the face of a sure Muslim backlash which has already broken out hours after the announcement against the United States and Israel.

The President's acknowledgement Wednesday was one of historical fact and current reality. Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for 4,000 years and four MILLION years into the future will STILL be the capital of Israel in the mind of God.

As Israel’s closest ally, as the principal facilitator of Arab-Israeli peacemaking, and as the pre-eminent global leader, the U.S. initiative in taking this step is of critical significance.

The president has acted not just wisely, but with courage and with I believe, the smile of heaven upon him for his words today. MSNBC's Chris Matthews was busy mocking evangelical Christians on his show Wednesday night saying their influence was behind Trump's decision. Last time I checked, that is not a bad thing.

Better to have a Christian influence than a murdering, American-hating, Jihadist Islamic one upon our leaders as was the case during the past eight years. As one meme said recently it's amazing since President Obama has been out of office ISIS is going bankrupt but that is none of my business.

Bold actions can prompt new thinking and stimulate initiatives to advance peace. Twenty years ago, last month, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat flew to Israel. He became the first Arab head of state to visit and he addressed the Knesset (parliament) in Israel’s capital of Jerusalem, even before formal peace negotiations began. That took courage.

That is something that was lacking in former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush Sr., Bill Clinton, George Bush Jr., and the illustrious Barrack Obama. Israel was treated as bad by the United States as she ever has been in the history of U.S.-Israeli relations under the previous president.

The way he treated Israeli PM Netanyahu at times when the Israeli leader visited was beyond pathetic.

Recognition of the city that Israel has always deemed its capital is long overdue. The prime minister’s office, the Knesset, and nearly all Israeli government offices have been situated in Jerusalem since Israel declared its independence nearly 70 years ago. We celebrated the UN vote that set this in motion just days ago. On May 14, 2018, Israel will celebrate 70 years officially being a nation. That is prophetic and worthy of all honor and attention!

U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital by President Trump was an act of constructive and powerful prophetic diplomacy – not, as one Palestinian leader proclaimed, a “declaration of war.”
Heads of state and other top officials from countries around the world visit Jerusalem regularly to engage with Israel’s leadership.

In fact, there was a time when 16 countries maintained their embassies in Jerusalem. Succumbing to Arab pressures, however, they relocated their embassies to Tel Aviv, where the U.S. and other countries have long kept their embassies.

This perpetuates a nonsensical abnormality. No other country in the world has been treated this way, neither in bilateral relations nor at the United Nations and other multilateral forums.

Longstanding resistance to recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has encouraged many U.N member states, led by Arab and Muslim nations, to regularly adopt resolutions that ignore historical facts and deny any Jewish link to Jerusalem.

Tel Aviv has been the city politicians have used to pacify PLO terrorism peddlers such as the late Yasser Arafat and other PLO leaders who have sought for Israel's total destruction from since the days of Isaac and Ishmael. This fight goes back 4,000 years friend. Don't think the spots of this leopard have changed. They haven't and never will!

Indeed, just last week, the U.N. General Assembly voted 151 to 6 (with nine abstentions) to adopt another resolution disavowing Israeli ties to Jerusalem. But the ties are authentic and deep. For millennia, Jerusalem has been uniquely connected to Judaism and the Jewish people, and thus it was only natural that it would become the capital of Israel.

U.S. recognition sets the stage for moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. When that happens, the new embassy will be located in a neighborhood in western Jerusalem, an area that has been under Israeli sovereignty since its independence in 1948.

The status of the disputed eastern part of the city will be resolved through the peace process, in direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Palestinian leaders to their own peril continue to prefer confrontation, intifada, and terrorism over resuming negotiations to achieve an enduring comprehensive peace based on a two-state solution.

Even before President Trump delivered his speech recognizing that Jerusalem is indeed the capital of Israel, Palestinian and other leaders of Arab and Muslim countries issued threats of protest and violence.

Hamas has declared Friday a "day of rage" to protest this historic event. Let them rage.
It's amazing when the world rages and protests it's usually because the right thing has been done in the sight of heaven. When the world applauds and rejoices, you can be sure what is being done is filled with evil intent and bent for the destruction of nations, many times Israel and the United States.

In the future, with prudent hindsight, we will look back at Dec. 6, 2017 as a day of clear-headed and purposeful action by the White House.

I read an email from Evangelist Alveda King, the daughter of the late Martin Luther King who praised the decision. She said in her email: "President Trump is on a record promise-keeping roll. His support for Israel, under girded by our 'prayers for the peace of Jerusalem' are encouraging evidence that God is blessing us."

What took place today may not wash away all of America's sins and square the books with Her Creator of our national ills. But what it did do was at least put us on the blessing side of the promise of Genesis 12:3 which states a promise God made to Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who curse you."

As President Trump spoke today I literally felt the presence of God coming through my TV to the point I wept inside knowing our nation was turning a corner at least for now in our relationship with Israel. No President has shown this much courage in the face of so much outrage from a group of people whose history is filled with terror and war, not peace. That's not even counting the outrage he is facing from world leaders, including Pope Francis, who wanted to keep the "status quo" in place regarding this.

Well the status quo has not solved a thing and it never will. Salute President Trump, you did the right thing today and millions of Americans and Israelis are happy you did this, including me.
As Christians, we know we are to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May they prosper who love you!" (Ps. 122:6).

President Trump needs our prayers tonight for what he did. So, does the nation of Israel and PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his people.

The city of Jerusalem needs our prayers too. A friend I have known for nearly 17 years who lives in downtown Jerusalem and owns a historic gift shop told me late Wednesday night that the city is on edge awaiting what comes next.

I think the world at large late Wednesday as I write this is doing the same thing. Those who grasp the spiritual significance of what took place today need to pray that what comes next is peace, not war or terrorism. The Middle East could use a lot more of that without a doubt.
 

EDITORS NOTE: This is the first of a series of editorials this week into the weekend about Israel. We will be sharing several journals we wrote years ago about the importance of Jerusalem and Israel in Bible prophecy.
 

MSNBC'S CHRIS MATTHEWS: Crazy Alabama Christians Blame For Trump's Jerusalem Decision

Christopher McDonald, Publisher, Editor in Charge

Great Smoky Mountain Journal