This Generation

April 3, 2025
“Truly I say to you this generation will not pass away until all things take place” (Matthew 24:34)

This verse of the Olivet Discourse has led to so much speculation, misunderstanding, prophetic pronouncement and prediction that failed to happen — “this generation.”

It has been assumed that the generation that died in the wilderness as told in the story of the Exodus was forty years, therefore a biblical generation must be forty years. Hal Lindsey popularized this idea in his best-seller “The Late Great Planet Earth,” in which he speculated that something apocalyptic had to happen within a forty-year period of time, give or take a few years, from the birth of the nation of Israel.

The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error

There has been two sources for the misinterpretation of “this generation”. The first had been with those who propagate the deception of post-millennialism, with its modern-day adjuncts. These include Dominion Theology, Kingdom-Now Theology, and Triumphalism (the bogus notion that the Church is going to conquer the world before Christ comes and set up His Kingdom. Only then will He come for a victorious Church.) This is the diametric opposite of what the Word of God teaches. Jesus does not come for a victorious Church, He comes with a victorious Church which has been raptured. It is the seed of the woman who crushes the head of the serpent, not as Kevin Connor teaches in Australia that it is the woman who crushes the serpent’s head. In Romans, the Lord of Glory will trample Satan under your feet; we don’t trample Satan under our own. It is the return of Jesus that turns the final victory into ‘The Final Victory’.

Post-millennialists forget that the early Apostolic church was almost uniformly pre-millennial before the Council of Nicea. There were heretics like Soirthis who were also pre-millennial but there is no indication that the apostolic Church believed anything other than that there would be a literal millennial reign of the Lord Jesus. Post-millennialism was invented by those who had both political and theological motives. Certainly after Constantine “Christianised” the Roman Empire and the Church was Platonized by Augustine of Hippo to accommodate the pseudo-Christianisation of the Roman Empire, they needed a new eschatology; a new doctrinal basis to explain the last days. So while Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world, “Christendom” said “oh yes it is.”

This is the basis and the origin of the foolish thinking of post-millennialism. Indeed the meek shall inherit the earth, but if there is no earth, how shall it be inherited? And as for the idea that the church is going to take it over now, and Satan is bound for a thousand years, one might ask “when did the thousand years begin?” Those who followed Augustine believed not in Y2K but Y1K — the bogus idea that Christ would come back at the end of the first millennium. So in 999 A.D., people began giving their land, money, castles, etc. to the Pope and to the church. But we know in hindsight that Jesus did not show up in 999 A.D. under Pope Sylvester, and nobody got their money back.

The same kind of people, like Gary North in America, began pushing the Y2K idea, with wild, foolish speculation about the return of Christ. There were people such as Brae, in America, and others who tried to tell us the events of the Olivet discourse were totally fulfilled in 70 A.D. with the destruction of Jerusalem. They said that “this generation” must have included those who were around when Jesus was alive, who saw the destruction of the Temple. It would have been just about forty years later, and it would seem to fit to them. However, in verse 21 Jesus said that there would be a great tribulation such has not occurred since the foundation of the world, nor never shall be.

There have been other tribulations, both for the Jews and for the church, that have been worse than anything that happened in 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed the temple, so that interpretation fails the test of history. Additionally, the Olivet discourse is not just Matthew 24 but it’s 24 and 25. Jesus did not separate the sheep from the goats or give people their eternal reward based on what they did with their talents in 70 A.D.
Without a doubt those events that happened in 70 A.D. prefigure and foreshadow what will happen in the last days, so it is important to study them. The church at that time was rescued from Jerusalem under the leadership of Simeon, a cousin of Jesus who became the Pastor of Jerusalem after the Apostle James was martyred. They fled to a place called Pella. This is indeed a type or a foreshadow of the rapture, just like what happened on the day of Pentecost is a foreshadow of what will happen in the last days. But neither Joel’s vision, which we read about in Acts 2, nor what we see in Matthew 24:29 — “the sun will be dark and the moon will not give its light” —happened in 70 A.D. They are only partially fulfilled, not totally. And there has never been a unique Great Tribulation before or since 70 A.D. These are still coming events foreshadowed by the events of 70 A.D., with their ultimate fulfilment in the return of Jesus.

Understanding the Parable of the Fig Tree and the Other Trees

The other source of misinterpretation of “this generation” are Pre-millennialists who realise that it has a future meaning, but use it as a key for date-setting. They rightly believe there is a future fulfilment of the Olivet discourse, there will be an anti-Christ, a great falling away, a return of the Jews to Israel, and a future 1,000-year rule of Christ on Earth.

They look to the parable of the Fig Tree in Matthew 24:32-34 “…when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

Using the same 40-year generation from the Exodus account as their guide, they follow this logic: Israel became a nation in May, 1948. So they count, 1948 to ‘58 to ‘68 to ‘78 to 1988, and arrive at the year of the Lord’s return. There was a man named Edgar Whisenant who actually put out a book entitled “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988.” In 1987 on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, there was a fundamentalist Baptist preacher from America standing in Speakers Corner in London telling the Muslims that he would be gone within 48 hours, but of course he was still there. He made a public fool of himself, and wound up leaving the country in humiliation. The very next year that same man and others like him said “We got the year wrong. It was not 1987, it is 1988.” These were not hyper-charismatics; they were fundamentalist Baptists. They made fools of themselves speculating about dates for the return of Christ, which they based on their misinterpretation of “this generation” and they made a mockery of Bible prophecy, discrediting it in the eyes of the world.

People often assume that the rebirth of Israel is the fig tree budding forth its leaves, but is it? There is no doubt that the re-gathering of the Jews to the nation of Israel is of prophetic significance; the stage is being set for the Great Tribulation — ha tekufot tsorat Yacov — as Jeremiah the prophet called it “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” There is no doubt Israel will be deceived by the Anti-Christ. There is no doubt they are being re-gathered for what Daniel called the 70 th week. There is no doubt these things are happening. But are these things the primary meaning of the fig tree? Does the image of the fig tree have other meaning? When the Holy Spirit gives us multiple accounts of something, it must be examined carefully, prayerfully, and read in light of comparing all accounts. In this case we have not just Matthew 24 and 25, but also Luke 17, Luke 21, and Mark 13. Jesus did not say “when you see the fig tree full, stop. Period. End of story.” He shows us “Learn the parable of the fig tree and the other trees”-- not just the fig tree.

Now the parable of the fig tree and the other trees comes from the book of Judges chapters 8 and 9. The sons of Gideon, 70 of them, were destroyed by Abimelech. Only Jotham, who knew the parable of the fig tree and the other trees, recognised the deceiver. They said to the bramble, “come reign over us.” The bramble would because the olive tree wouldn’t, because the vine wouldn’t, because the fig tree wouldn’t. The infidelity of God’s people makes a way for the Anti-Christ to come to power in the end. This is the ultimate meaning of the fig tree. Understand the fig tree. In Judaism; the fig tree is a metaphor for the tree of life — the Eytz Hayim — that we see in a millennial context in Ezekiel 47, and in the creation narrative in Genesis, and that we see in the book of Revelation at the end. And the leaves in Revelation are for the healing of the nations. Fig leaves are metaphors for good works in the Bible. Unsaved people will always try to justify themselves with good works.
Every “religion” is established on a works-based righteousness. The righteousness of the Gospel is not based on works. Christians do not do good works to get saved, they do good works because they have been saved. There is more to the fig tree than the nation of Israel, but the main aspect of Israel concerning the fig tree is that Jesus cursed the fig tree. Why? Because it had leaves with no fruit. Israel had works, but not the fruit of the Spirit. The leaves normally occur at the same time as the fruit. The sun in the Middle East will burn up the fruit unless the leaves are covering them. Faith without works is dead. But it was not yet the season for figs when Jesus came. The Son of Man comes at an hour you do not expect.

But of the Day and the Hour No One Knows…

You cannot calculate the day of His return on the basis of a generation being forty years, nor estimate that day based on the date of the rebirth of Israel. Neither can you speculate that it only means Jerusalem and count down from the time it is no longer trampled down by the feet of the Gentiles. In 1967 the Jews had control of the Temple Mount, therefore ‘67 to ‘77, to ‘87, to ’97 -- therefore by 2007, they speculate, Jesus will be back since Jerusalem is no longer trampled under the feet of the Gentiles. Yet Jesus said until the time of the Gentiles is completed, but Jerusalem is still under the feet of the Gentiles. The Israeli General Moshe Dayan gave unilateral control of the Temple Mount to the Moslems. The Mosque of Omar, with an inscription from the Koran “God has no son,” is on the Temple Mount as is the Mosque of Al-Aqsa. It is still under the feet of the Gentiles. The time of the Gentiles is closing, but it is not yet over.

After Their Kind…

It is never wise to speculate about dates for the return of Christ. The right understanding of “this generation” has complications. We have Hebrew words Dor and Min Dor la Dor — “from generation to generation.” Dor is a biological generation; min is “of a kind” as referred to in the book of Genesis. God made the species according to their kind, hence the impossibility of Darwinism. There is absolutely no evidence that recombinant DNA transmutates across the genus barrier in the natural environment and now that Man is beginning to engage in biogenetic engineering, and the transfer of DNA across the genus barrier we are in danger of creating monsters. Things can very easily get out of control. Anything fallen man can use for evil he will. Can nuclear energy be used for good? Yes, but fallen man will use it for evil. Can biogenetic engineering be used for good? Fallen man will use it for evil. The world is in the power of the wicked one. If they clone species or invent new ones based on combining the DNA of different species, we can no longer be sure that when we look at some of the monsters that appear in the Book of Revelation, that they are only symbols, and not literal as well. God made them according to their kind or “min” in the Hebrew text, not hybrids.

There are now rats that have 1% human brain due to biogenetic engineering. Can you imagine rats with human minds? The theoretical possibility cannot be ruled out. Min is “of a kind,” and is the root of the Hebrew term for sex and sexual reproduction — minee. However, generation — dor —is another Hebrew word entirely. The complication happens when we put these Hebrew terms into the Greek language. The word gennao in Greek closely approximates min Jesus is the monogenes —the only begotten. Gennao means “begotten.” This is also the root of the word “genesis.” The word used in Matthew 24, however is gennea notgennao.

This is a more complicated term because it is ambiguous. The context and its connectives determine what is meant. It can have two possible meanings. Think of the word “blue.” This cup is blue. That is clear; it is referring to its color. But blue is also a metaphor for being sad in English. There is a form of music invented by Black Americans called “The Blues.” There is a music which combines jovial upbeat major chords with sad minor chords, or that plays minor chords in a fast rhythmic pattern called Rhythm & Blues. Rhythm & Blues is sort of like Jewish music; it is both happy and sad at the same time, using minor chords in a vivacious way. So what does blue mean? Does blue mean a colour, or is blue a metaphor for being sad? Well, the context tells you, and the other words to which it is connected to tell you what blue means. So it is with gennea. Gennea can almost be a synonym for gennao, meaning of the same kind because of common ancestry.
Being begotten of the same source it can almost be a synonym for gennao, or it could mean that which is in a circle of time, that is a multitude of contemporaries, or it could be a metaphor like blue.

For example, there are airplanes called 747s. They have been built since the 1960s, and some forty years later they are still coming off the assembly lines in Seattle, Washington. The next generation will be the 787, an airplane that you can get on and fly non-stop from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo, or from London to Melbourne. It is an airplane that can go non-stop from anywhere in the world to anywhere else in the world without landing. That is the next generation. If you can have a 747 that was built in 1968 that was junked twenty years ago, and you can have one built in 1995 that is still in operation, they are still the same generation because they are of the same design. They are “of the same kind.” It is the 787 that is the next generation. In the same sense one can determine the meaning of gennae — by the context. Does it mean “of a kind?” Or does it mean “a multitude of contemporaries within a circle of time?” Or does it mean both? The context will clarify the meaning.

In Matthew 24:34, it means “of a kind” because we are the generation of Jesus. He is the monogenes — the only begotten of the Father, and the church is made up of those who are born again. We are begotten in a spiritual sense; we are begotten from the same source, born again of the Spirit, and we are of the same kind. What Matthew 24 is telling us is that the church will not pass away. Those of this kind, those who have been begotten from Jesus, will not pass away until all these events happen. Now these events will recapitulate, will replay, on a much broader, larger scale than that which happened in 70 A.D. This is what pre-millenialists have always understood, but post-millenialists have never grasped. The judgments on Egypt and events that took place in the book of Exodus are a microcosm of what will happen to the entire planet in the last days. It will replay, but it does not mean the forty-year generation. What it means is those “of the kind” gennao or begotten — have the same ancestry in the new birth; we come from the same source.

Who Has Believed Our Message?

This has led to so much confusion, so much misunderstanding, that it has caused Christians — true believers — to be discredited. They wind up looking like “the boy who cried wolf.” In this tale from Aesop’s Fables, the boy cries wolf too many times when the wolf is not there, so when the wolf actually shows up, nobody pays attention to the boy. Likewise, if Satan can deceive Christians into speculating about nonsense like Y2K, or the rapture in 1988, or that He has to come by 2007 since that is 40 years from Jerusalem being captured in the Six-Day War -- the more Satan can have the church sounding a false alarm. So when it comes time to sound the real alarm, who is going to listen; who is going to believe it?

These things are not necessarily perpetrated by people with wrong motives; the people who do these things are largely sincere Christians wanting to do the right thing. But instead of sounding a distinctive note, they are blowing a cacophony as Paul warns against in Corinthians. It’s something indiscernible; they are sending false signals, so when it comes time to sound the true alarm, the church will have been so discredited nobody will listen. We have reached a point now where the ridiculous has happened. In a media-driven society the world is looking to Hollywood instead of the church. There is a movie called “End of Days” with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and people are getting their eschatology from that movie! “Well this cannot be the Anti-Christ.” “That cannot be of prophetic significance; the movie did not happen that way.” Don’t think people don’t think this way; there are those who do think this way.

Worse than the world looking to Hollywood, born-again, evangelical Christians embraced an unbiblical, historically-inaccurate film called “The Passion of the Christ.” This movie was made by a man who is a self-professed Traditional Catholic who states that he based the movie not just on the Gospels, but on the visions of Roman Catholic mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich. In the movie Mel Gibson’s own hand drive the nails into the metacarpus instead of the radius, supportive of the Roman Catholic superstition of stigmata. (In fact palaeo-archaeology tells us that the nails went through the radius.) Mel does not even think it is necessary to believe in Jesus for salvation. Based on the following excerpt from the Monday, February 18, 2004 program with Diane Sawyer, one can only assume that he is not even saved.

DIANE SAWYER (ABC NEWS) -- “... when we talked with Gibson and his actors, we wondered, does his traditionalist view bar the door to Heaven for Jews, Protestants, Muslims?

MEL GIBSON—“That’s not the case at all. Absolutely not. It is possible for people who are not even Christian to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s just easier for - and I have to say that because that’s what I believe.”

DIANE SAWYER—“You have the non-stop ticket?”

MEL GIBSON—“Well, yeah, I’m saying it’s an easier ride where I am because it’s like -I have to believe that.”

In August of 2004, an Australian newspaper asked what impact making the film “The Passion” has had on his life. He responded “I have a hell of a lot more money than I used to have, I don’t have to answer questions like this anymore.” He implied he made it for money -- a biblically and historically inaccurate film. And he doesn’t even believe one must trust in Jesus to go to Heaven. The Gospel says “unless you believe I am He, you will perish in your sins. Unless a man is born again he cannot enter the Kingdom.” Yet there are people who claim to be born-again, Evangelical pastors and leaders saying this is still an evangelistic tool. If the Church is going to Hollywood for its Gospel, why shouldn’t unsaved people go to Hollywood for their eschatology?

When the real thing happens, who will believe it? Signs of the times and world events point to the soon coming of Christ. Apostasy and deception in the church point to the soon coming of Christ. It is amazing the speed at which the ecumenical movement, pioneered by agents of Lucifer such as Chuck Colson, have swept born-again Christians into thinking the Roman church is biblical. My mother’s family is Catholic, but you must be born again; salvation is not by sacraments, not by an ex opera operato ritual. Praying to the dead is the sin of necromancy, transubstantiation is cannibalistic and idolatrous. The apostles forbade the consumption of blood, but if saved Christians cannot see through a Chuck Colson, what is going to happen when real deception comes? If saved Christians cannot see through con-artist, money preachers on television preaching mammon worship, calling covetousness a virtue, what is going to happen when real deception comes?

When saved Christians run around with unbiblical ideas of what “this generation” means, speculating about dates for the return of Christ, scare-mongering about Y2K, when the real thing happens who is going to listen? They will be like the boy crying wolf.

The Hebrew prophets tell us in the last days one of the things we are called to do is set a trumpet to your mouth; blow a trumpet in Zion. As you read in Joel Chapter 2, “blow the trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain.” In its Sitz im Leben (in its historical setting) it is a warning about the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar, the armies of Babylon, and the locusts which are illustrations of the Babylonian invasion. In the ninth chapter of the book of Revelation there are the demon cohort armies of Anti-Christ. Yet people in the Vineyard movement and those in churches like Holy Trinity Brompton in London sing, “They run on the city, they run on the walls, great is the army who carries His Word.” They are singing about the armies of Babylon; they are singing about the demon cohorts of Anti-Christ, and they think they are singing about themselves — the Church Triumphant. It is ridiculous. These are the inventions of men under the inspiration of Satan.

For by One Spirit We Were All Baptized into One Body

This Generation, this generation, this generation. It is true, this generation will not pass away until these things happen. Well these things are happening. You are this generation. What does that mean? Does it mean that you’re guaranteed to be alive when Jesus comes? No -- maybe you will; maybe I will; maybe we won’t; but it is to say that those who are born of God, those who are reborn — the gennao — those “of that kind,” will have to be here when it happens, when He comes, and He is coming. If He was not coming soon, Satan would not be so determined to spread so much confusion, false information, raising up so many false prophets, so many deceivers, so many false teachers, in this generation — indeed, this generation.

Y2K had no more biblical or logical basis than Y1K. Likewise, saying that Jesus must return by 2007 has no more biblical or factual basis than for those who said He must return by 1988. Saved Christians should leave the ignorant folly of such speculation to those cult leaders, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who deserve to make public fools of themselves with their bogus, date-setting nonsense. The only thing we can know for sure at this point is that He is indeed coming soon.

Maranatha — Come Quickly Lord Jesus!

 

Don't bit ethe hand that feeds you - Irish hypocrisy towards Israel

By David Passmore • August 21, 2026
Don't bite the hand that feeds you - Irish hypocrisy towards Israel Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM Amongst European nations, Ireland in recent years has gained the reputation as being the leading anti-Zionist country. The Irish Republic has never been favourably inclined to Israel. It only established an Embassy in Tel Aviv in 1996. In poll after poll the vast majority of the Irish public have indicated hostility towards Zionism and strong support for Palestinian Statehood. The curious aberration to this is that in British Ruled Northern Ireland support is demarcated along sectarian lines. Catholic Republican areas predictably tend to ardently support the Palestinian cause, while Protestant Unionist communities are overwhelmingly pro-Israel. Perhaps some credence can be given to sentiments of traditional Catholic antisemitism hardwired into the Irish psyche as contributing towards this disposition. It was certainly odd that the Irish government promptly sent a delegation to the Nazi German Ambassador in Dublin to convey condolences after news of Hitler's suicide broke at the end of WW2. But more concretely if you were to ask the average Irish protester on a pro-Palestine march the basis of their empathy for the Palestinian cause, they would point to the ostensible parallels between the Irish experience of fighting for independence from British colonial oppression to the plight of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. Further remonstrations on a diplomatic level concern the actions of the IDF interreacting with Irish Peace Keepers in Southern Lebanon that have caused the deaths of several Irish Peace Keepers over the decades in friendly fire incidents. Ireland has contributed the most peace keepers to this mission per capita and the government has condemned Israel for these deaths that they view as avoidable. This animosity towards Israel is unbalanced. There are reasons to consider that Ireland and Israel have a shared experience of national liberation. Both countries fought the British in the pursuit of independence. Both countries made great efforts to resurrect their ancient languages for modern wide scale use. Both the Irish and Jews form major diaspora communities in New York. Despite all this Ireland ranks as Israel's second largest export market after the US. The preponderance of Israeli exports to Ireland comprises electronic integrated circuits, micro-assemblies, and tech manufacturing components. American multinational colossal tech corporations like Intel are substantially engrossed in this trade through the chain of supply. Ireland and Israel are hubs for design and manufacture of high-tech hardware components for US corporations. So, due to the nature of the most prosperous and competitive sectors of their respective economies, Israel and Ireland are inextricably bound in bilateral trade ties. Resolutions from the Irish government to impose sanctions on West Bank originating produce is merely perfunctory rhetoric. Such actions amount to a drop in the bucket in terms of impact to overall trade. The stark reliance of Ireland on advanced Israeli aviation equipment recently caused a spectacle when Ireland's new government jet struggled to land in heavy fog due to it being ordered without an advanced Israeli made navigation system. This was directly due to a short-sighted government decision not to buy Israeli military technology. There is a marked disparity between the official position of the Irish government designed for domestic public consumption and the economic policies that it actually pursues towards Israel. The government is acutely aware that the US is massively invested in the Irish economy and they don't want to do anything to jeopardise this. Washington demands that their enterprises in Dublin are intertwined with operations in Israel. The Irish government dare not even prevent US military supply flights refuelling at Shannon Airport on their way to Tel Aviv. The Irish government knows that times change and now the gripping social issue is the anti-immigrant/anti-Islam popular street protests. Soon the anti-Israel protests could become a mere side show only really promoted by Sinn Fein given the pressing ramifications of mass migration. So, in the meantime certain politicians will rile against the occupation, purported genocide and pass paltry sanctions against insignificant produce from the West Bank. All the while making hand over fist in money with the Israelis where it really matters in tech.  (Author is an Israeli American lawyer academically qualified in British and in U.S.A. law, and a graduate of the School of Oriental & African Studies, London. He is a Jewish believer in Jesus and is currently based in Israel).

The tide has Changed

By David Passmore • July 31, 2026
The Tide Has Changed Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM The America that Netanyahu touched down on is a changed America. The death of Lindsey Graham represents a changing of the guard. Graham was a staunch Israeli ally who will most probably become an increasingly rare breed in Washington. Sixty percent of Americans now hold a unfavourable view of Israel which politicians are finding difficult to ignore. It was once unthinkable to believe that New York City with such a strong Jewish electoral base and influence on all sectors of economic and cultural life would have a mayor that is so hostile to Israel to such an extent that he is calling for the arrest of its Prime Minister. From all accounts Netanyahu was cordially welcomed at the White House. The official press release stated that the talks were constructive. What is more telling is what was left unsaid particularly concerning the proposed sale of F35's to Israel's new regional adversary -Turkey. Trump is keen to find a swift resolution to the Iran War, while Netanyahu is opposed to a premature departure. When the US and Israel initiated their attacks on Iran over five months ago, Trump and Netanyahu appeared united in the War's goals and purpose. But as the protracted conflict has staggered to topple the Iranian regime fractures have emerged. Much has been said about the imminent political realities both leaders face. The Republicans could take a big hit in the November midterm elections should the war continue and global energy markets be negatively impacted. Netanyahu is anxious to demonstrate a big win to the Israeli public with the upcoming October election. In Israel, the Iran War is not viewed in isolation, but rather as an extension of the response to the colossal disaster of the October 7th massacre. Netanyahu must rehabilitate his reputation as a competent steward of national security having had the greatest loss of civilian life in an attack happening under his watch. Aside from the Iran issue, Trump is being pressured by Erdogan to insist upon Israeli withdrawal from Syrian territory pre-emptively seized by Israel following the toppling of Assad. Trump has also indicated disapproval of the extent of continuing Israeli measures against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, questioning the proportionality employed. Netanyahu is not in an envious position. Throughout his tenure and political career, he lauded his ability to engage successfully with the American public by zealously advocating Israel's position. Yet under his government Israel's reputation has plummeted in the US. Trump may be the last US President to extend such overwhelming bilateral support to Israel. The days of politicians like Lindsey Graham are fast ending. While John Fetteman and Marco Rubio appear to be remaining more solid, even some of the most warmly inclined leading Republican and Democrat voices like Donald Trump and Rahm Emanuel have nuanced their support for Israel. The tide has shifted and will at best level off if not continuing to shift further.  (Author is an Israeli American lawyer academically qualified in British and in U.S.A. law, and a graduate of the School of Oriental & African Studies, London. He is a Jewish believer in Jesus and is currently based in Israel).

The Saudi Nuclear Deal: An attempt to alter the Regional Balance of Power

By David Passmore • July 24, 2026
The Saudi Nuclear Deal: An attempt to alter the Regional Balance of Power Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM The initiative to develop a civilian nuclear program in Saudi Arabia with US assistance isn't new. There were concrete plans discussed towards these ends during the first Trump Administration. The recent announcement to actualize this deal follows the geo-political regional tumult in the wake of the Iran War. Several dimensions of motivation underlie the US decision. An overarching US strategic agenda is to keep the Saudis firmly in the American sphere of influence. Washington knows all too well that the Chinese and Russians are eager to offer their nuclear technical assistance to the Saudis in order to draw them closer to their camp. On a personal note, the nuclear agreement is a significant achievement for Bin Salaman. The Saudis have long had designs to diversify their energy supplies. Having a civilian nuclear program also adds prestige to Saudi Arabia as an emerging market economy. For the US, a monopoly on contracting companies for the requisite construction offers lucrative economic opportunities. Although the Civilian Nuclear deal does not allow the enrichment of Uranium, the Saudis will be in a position to do so if Washington gives the green light. This will act as a counterbalanced threat hanging over the Iranians. After the recent flare up of renewed fighting with Iran due to their lack of adherence to the moratorium of understanding, something had to budge in Trump's estimation. A reconfiguration of the power balance in the Gulf by introducing the potential of Saudi Arabia to be able to acquire nuclear weapons shifts the dynamic and places further pressure on Iran to strictly abstain from nuclear proliferation. Despite Israeli concerns about the agreement, Trump sought to assuage their alarm by making it contingent upon Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with them. Given the inherently unstable nature of an autocratic Saudi regime Israel views a diplomatic relationship with the Saudis as being on precarious footing in the long term. Israel is already forced to contend with the implications of one nuclear armed Muslim state - Pakistan and it will further weaken its own deterrent capability if another similarly capable hostile neighbour were to emerge in the future. The roles of Turkey and Qatar in all this foray are a wild card. Officially Turkey is served under the NATO nuclear umbrella for defence that is subject to US control. However, its civilian nuclear program remains in its infancy. Now with the Saudi deal, Erdogan may be inclined to exert pressure on the US to help accelerate his own nuclear program. Just as Erdogan's efforts to acquire F35 fighter jets from the US greatly disturbed Israeli military planners, a heightened Turkish nuclear ability will intensify this fear. Qatar views itself as pursuing its own independent foreign policy that has managed to remain rather neutral during the current war, thereby escaping the ire of Iran's strikes on US regional assets. Overall, the Qatari government has grown closer to the Turkish vision for the region and so likely isn't particularly amiable to the Saudi agreement. Ultimately the Saudi deal is a gamble. Many will see it as throwing more fuel on the fire which will further imperil the tinder box region and heighten tensions. But Trump finds himself at a continuing impasse with a stubborn regime in Tehran that is leveraging their geographic hold on the straits of Hormuz to inflict damage on the global energy markets. Iranian strikes upon US Arab regional allies have underscored the de facto alliance between Israel and the Arabs against Iran and its Shia proxies. The US hopes to use the Saudi nuclear deal as a means of making this alliance official by having Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords as a pre-condition.  (Author is an Israeli American lawyer academically qualified in British and in U.S.A. law, and a graduate of the School of Oriental & African Studies, London. He is a Jewish believer in Jesus and is currently based in Israel).

Circling the Wagons

By David Passmore • July 14, 2026
Circling the wagons Ruben Rothler LLB, LLM Israel is a society riddled with tension and division. It is sociologically, if not politically miraculous that a country drawing Jews from all over the world is able to exist at all. The army affords a degree of integration as a melting pot. But this is only a marginal source of national unity in the overall scheme of things. More so are the myriads of external threats that face this small country. In the former generation the Ashkenazi (Jews of European descent) - Sephardic (Jews of Oriental descent) divide was far more pronounced. The dominant Ashkenazi establishment held the reins of political and economic power which was resented by the Sephardim. However, due to a combination of inter-marriage and political accommodation much of the chasm that separated these distinct groups was forged. Menachem Begin (an Ashkenazi politician) in 1970 successfully ran on the Likud Party ticket with a campaign that brought Sephardic Jews under his conservative political umbrella. Later the immigration of Russian Jews following the end of Communism would add a whole new dimension to the Israeli demographic milieu. The younger generation of these immigrants tended to adapt well to Israeli society and contributed much to the economy. The wider division in Israeli society that crosses ethnic lines concerns that between religious and secular Jews. This can be further bifurcated to the clash between the secular and specifically ultra-orthodox Jews (Haredim) as distinguished from the national religious Jews (Dati Leumi). The Secular and the Religious generally part on what they envisage a Jewish State to entail. Religious Jews desire the State to strictly adhere to the stipulations of Jewish Law (Halacha), while at present Halakhic influence is largely limited to certain areas of Family Law concerning Jewish citizens. Wider considerations of promoting a socially conservative political agenda would also be forefront amongst the religious mindset broadly. Secular Jews view the imposition of such proposed measures as a serious infringement of their civil rights. With regard to the Haredim, the bone of contention looms larger, in that this group is fundamentally opposed to participating in society at large. This is acutely manifested in diminished contribution to the work force and a refusal to be conscripted into the army. The 2023 judicial reform protests posed a significant threat to social civil order. The nation appeared to be bitterly divided into two opposing camps. This split reflected broader divisions concerning visions of how the country should be governed. The judicial reforms would have weakened the Supreme Court's ability to render the Executive branch accountable. However, the Supreme Court was also accused of using its considerable powers to promote a socially liberal agenda. Left wing secular Israelis tended to oppose the proposed reforms while those on the right (which included the majority of Religious Jews) supported the reforms. Every weekend droves of protesters were brought onto the streets causing major disturbances to traffic. The polarising nature of this impasse threatened the future of Israeli democracy. It was the October 7th attack that brought a swift end to this public debate and civil strife. The nation instinctually united in response to this common existential threat. The judicial reforms were shelved for a future point when the urgent security threats subsided. However, as the war dragged on the enduring issue of Haredi refusal to conscript into the army became more pronounced. Mounting casualties combined with ever increasing manpower demands to field troops on the multiple theatres of action on which the IDF is engaged has depleted the ranks, and the army is now in much need of fresh conscripts. Haredi belligerent refusal to participate in the pressing national defence has escalated from being a political debate to a matter of very practical vital importance. Overall we can observe that the challenges to national unity in successive generations since the establishment of Israel has recurrently been ameliorated by the common necessity of defence towards outside threats. Most recently we can see this happening with regard to the global anti Semitism and anti-Zionism that has been raging since the October 7th atrocities. These hostile attitudes have paradoxically acted as a force which promotes nationalism and a sense of national cohesion in Israel that otherwise might not functionally exist.  (Author is an Israeli American lawyer academically qualified in British and in U.S.A. law, and a graduate of the School of Oriental & African Studies, London. He is a Jewish believer in Jesus and is currently based in Israel).

A Divided Nation

By David Passmore • July 8, 2026
A Divided Nation Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM The Haredi community has had a complicated, paradoxical relationship with the State since its founding. Rooted in a Talmudic precept that the Jews are forbidden to resettle the land of Israel en masse by force before the coming of the Messiah, the secular democratic State of Israel presents itself as blasphemous by its mere existence. Yet due to practical considerations such as the need to obtain funding for its religious academies the Haredi leadership reached a settlement with the State's founders that exempted Haredi men from being conscripted for military service. This was at a time when the Haredi population in Israel was relatively small. Over the past decades this demographic ballooned until the point that soon the majority of Jewish children in Israel will be born into Haredi families. Such a situation is clearly unsustainable. Recently the Knesset's (Parliament's) Haredi parties have pressured their coalition partners in government to codify Torah Study as part of the Country's Basic Laws. This was purposefully done to elevate the status of their institutions to be on parity with service in the IDF. Israel is yet to promulgate a written Constitution, so legislation classed as a Basic Law holds Constitutional status for all intents and purposes. These moves by the religious parties represent a back door power grab to enshrine in law very significant hurdles to prevent the enlistment of Haredi men. The burden of Israel's defence is comparatively massive for a country its size and it is vastly disproportionately shouldered by the secular population. Until now there have been political initiatives to conscript the Haredim. But given the huge manpower shortages emerging in the wake of near continual conflict on multiple fronts since the events of October 7th this matter has become urgent and not merely a theoretical discussion of what is fair and equitable. It is important to draw a distinction between the Haredim and national religious Jews (Dati Leumi). The Haredim adhere to a lifestyle entirely committed to observance of Jewish Law and Talmudic study. This is embraced to the exclusion of gainful employment and participation in wider society. They are either outrightly opposed to Zionism or consider themselves non-Zionist. Conversely, followers of the national religious movement in Israel although being observant of Jewish law and learning would alongside this pursue secular professions. Furthermore, they are ardently Zionist and disproportionately serve in IDF combat units. This is often done within the framework of a program called Hesder Yeshiva that combines religious learning with military service. Efforts to cater a similar model for accommodating Haredi participation in the IDF have so far failed to make substantial gains. Such measures designed to override Haredi objections to service based upon modesty concerns by strict segregation of the sexes in these specially formed units have failed to appease the Haredi leadership. For them, any form of military service is considered a dereliction of their duty to fully devote themselves to a Torah lifestyle. They argue that their Talmudic learning and prayers are in itself a form of national service and act to protect the Jewish people spiritually from enemy attack. It is as if two parallel societies exist within Israel. And the trajectory of separation between the two is only growing. The Haredim are cloistered away in their Yeshivas, immersed in lives devoted to adhering to the stipulations of Jewish law. While the particulars of actually running the State is left to the Secular. The Haredim desire all the benefits of subsidizing their lifestyle without contributing to society. What we really have going on here at source is two profoundly different and opposing ideological visions of what is important in life and what is the purpose of a Jewish State. At the State's founding these divergent perspectives were more manageable. Ben Gurion only had to contend with one religious party –the National Religious Party. Later in 1970 Begin aligned with the NRP to form a coalition government that also brought Sephardic Jews under the Likud umbrella which had the effect of bringing unity to the country by bridging the Ashkenazi-Sephardi divide. However, over time Israeli politics has seen a proliferation of religious parties, gaining further leverage as king brokers in forming governments due to the proportionate representation voting system which secular Israelis not uncommonly view as political blackmail. (Author is an Israeli American lawyer academically qualified in British and in U.S.A. law, and a graduate of the School of Oriental & African Studies, London. He is a Jewish believer in Jesus and is currently based in Israel).

Why Is It Always Israel? | Zechariah 12 Is Happening Before Our Eyes

By David Passmore • June 29, 2026
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Pray for South Africa!

By Mea Fredrickson • June 23, 2026
New Paragraph

Disclosure - A Christian response

By David Passmore • June 22, 2026
THE CAPTION AT THE HEAD OF THE POSTER IMAGE FOR THE MOVIE ‘DISCLOSURE DAY’ BOLDLY DECLARES ‘WE DESERVE TO KNOW’ Indeed, we do need to know the truth. But will we find it in Stephen Spielberg’s new movie ‘Disclosure Day’? Could it just as well be entitled ‘DECEPTION DAY’? In an interview with USA Today Spielberg says that evidence of non-human contact has become “overwhelming” to him. He has suggested that his film could raise significant theological questions for Christians. But will it? For us Christians - No, not on our watch! The movie raises no questions for those who accept the proven accuracy of God’s Word, the Bible. The film, which is capturing the imagination of the public, only confirms exactly what scripture tells us about what are in fact extra-dimensional beings. ALIENS OR FALLEN ANGELS? God inhabits the heavenly realm along with a vast array of angels. Because Lucifer, a created angel, wanted to usurp God as ruler of the universe, he was expelled to another realm outside of our time and space, along with one third of the angels who rebelled with him. These fallen angels manifest themselves as demons who can appear on earth and disappear at will. Spiritual hosts of wickedness exist in heavenly places, wherever this realm is, it is not the place where God dwells. ARE ALIENS BENEVOLENT? In the movie, the ‘aliens’ are portrayed as friendly beings who want to help mankind in a time of crisis. If the aliens are really demons, not visitors from outer space, this is a dangerous delusion. Whitley Striber in his book ‘Communion’ writes on encountering ‘aliens’; ‘I felt an indescribable sense of menace. Whatever was there seemed so monstrously ugly, so filthy, so dark and sinister. Of course they were demons. They have to be.’ Many others have reported similar malevolent experiences. During the movie, Daniel claims to have had an encounter with extra-terrestrials during which he received a special gift of empathy, which is regarded by him as the ultimate superpower. However, there is only One who completely understands our human frailty. We read this concerning Jesus: ‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin.’ (Hebrews 4 v 15). Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11 v 28) END TIMES DECEPTION Before he was crucified, Jesus warned his disciples about these last days in which we are living. The first words he used in this context were: “Watch no one deceives you. For many will come in my name saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” Deception was top of the list! Later, the Apostle Paul wrote about these days: ‘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.’ (2 Thessalonians 2 v 9) Have you received the love of the truth? Have you received Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life? If not, you are in great danger. Perilous times are here and they are only going to get worse as man turns more and more away from his maker. Things will only change when Jesus returns soon to establish his own Kingdom on earth, where justice and peace will rule. JESUS, OUR ONLY HOPE! The Bible says all human beings are sinners. The message of Jesus is simple; repent and believe the good news, that God wants humanity, his highest creation, to be reestablished in relationship with him. His plan was simple: to give his life in unconditional love for every human being that has and ever will live, by shedding his blood on a Roman cross. In doing this, we can receive forgiveness of sins. Our old life will then be buried with him, giving us new life with the hope of an eternal future of true peace, love and joy, with freedom from pain and tears. Why ignore such a great gift of salvation? If you do, your fate will be sealed for eternity in hell, which is a real place without God, and thus without love, to face only eternal consequences of punishment. We condemn ourselves to such a fate. REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE! Jesus loves you and asks that you repent and believe in him. It would be the best and safest decision of your life! If you commit your life to him, he will give you a new heart, you will be a new person inside. You will also gain a new desire for all that is right and true. And his Holy Spirit will give you an ability to discern the lies of the age we are living in. ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave us his only son, that whosoever believes in him, will not perish, but have eternal life.’ (John 3:16) FINALLY, A RECOMMENDATION  All that is described in this leaflet has been open, in the light for millennia. On the other hand, the theory of extra-terrestrial life has been hidden in darkness, awaiting ‘Disclosure Day’. Which would you prefer to believe, the Word of God, or the word of Stephen Spielberg? I made my choice years ago, and have never regretted it! If this message has spoken to you, just call upon Jesus in a short prayer. Confess to him that you are a sinner in need of salvation. Ask him in sincerity to forgive you and to fill you with his Holy Spirit. You will then become what the Bible describes as being ‘born again’. (John 3 v 7) Then you need to seek a Bible believing church where you can be baptised and become part of a group of believers who can help you get to know Jesus more and more fully. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8 v 32)

Prayer request for Teerth Sond

By David Passmore • June 20, 2026
Prayer request for Teerth Sond Petitioned Prayer-Supplication/Personal Prayer/ Collective Prayer/Thanks Giving Prayer Our Dear brethren in Yeshua, my family & myself Teerth request your prayers in The Spirit that the latest drugs Ramicirumab & Pacilitaxel will destroy the cancer cell in the Authority Of The Lord Yeshua in The Power of The Holy Spirit. Targeted Petition: Please stand with us in prayer & fasting; The Lord will target the 2cm legion & that it will be cast out of my Liver in the love (agape), compassion, kindness, grace, mercy of God. I do not deserve it because of me- but By His Stripes we are healed for His Glory. This will allow the main operation to go ahead (which should have been done 18 months ago). Step by Step in the leading of The Holy Spirit and the in the Lord Step by Step, as our beautiful sister Beryl said, has worked on my Spiritual man- thank you Lord for waking me up. Lord raise me up for your glory forever because of your love to me, the family & fellowship- an unworthy sinner saved by your grace & love. Email sent to my Oncologist & my Local MP: Greetings Natasha & Dr Mano Joseph Hope All Is Well Thank you for our meeting today. At our meeting we discussed my MRI & CT scans which were done in May 2026. We discussed the operation on my oesophagus which I believe is the best option. (This should have been done 18 months ago). My Kidney operation will be done- non evasive- Lord willing within the next month. Will you be talking to Mr Chacravaty about this? The liver must be targeted first- this is wisdom and the latest radiotherapy treatments available- proton therapy-radiotherapy atezolizumab and bevacizumab sorafenib lenvatinib regorafenib cabozantinib durvalumab and tremelimumab At the meeting we discussed the next CT & MRI scans to be held end off July. Wouldn't it be to better to have them in August so by then I've had 4 full treatments on the latest medication. Also we have Zolbetuximab on compassionate usage- all glory to The Lord. After all the past wrongs I have no doubt now Dr Joseph you will pursue the best for me and family. Dear brethren- King Manasseh, David, Hannah, The Church For Peter, James, The Lord Jesus Christ for example made petitions onto the Lord. We pray as one body to cast off the illness in the Power of The Holy & The Authority Of Yeshua. The Great Physician who came for the ill. To lay out raised hands 🙌🏽 upon the head of our Lord. ABBA/Daddy/Lord in your mercy have mercy on us. Love you all in Yeshua our Lord & God. Teerth, Family & Fellowship

The End of an Extended Honeymoon – Are Trump and Netanyahu Parting Ways?

By David Passmore • June 19, 2026
The End of an Extended Honeymoon – Are Trump and Netanyahu Parting Ways? Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM  The Israeli public had high hopes for Trump. Unlike his predecessors, he consistently endorsed Israeli measures of self-defence in the different theatres of conflict in which it had to contend. Further to these ends Trump shared in Netanyahu’s determined agenda of preventing the Iranians from pursuing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. During Trump's first term he tore up Obama's negotiated settlement with the Iranians concerning enriched Uranium, echoing Netanyahu’s position that it didn't go far enough. Now in his second term Trump partnered with Israel in a war with Iran that turned out to lack clearly defined goals. The campaign required resolve on the part of America that it wasn't willing to commit. After an initial lightning blitzkrieg that decapitated the Iranian leadership, the Persians dug in and the conflict became a protracted war of attrition hinging on Iran's stranglehold on the straits of Hormuz that could only be realistically lifted by placing boots on the ground or an intensified air war directed against Iranian coastal positions and the destruction of Kharg island, or at least the viable threat to obliterate Kharg island if Iran did not acquiesce. It transpired that Trump and Netanyahu underestimated the resilience of the Iranian regime, thinking that it had already received a near mortal blow during the prior popular demonstrations. So now we are left with a situation where Trump is exasperated with this protracted endeavour and appears to be aiming his frustration towards Netenyahu. A sticking point is Israel's continued occupation of Southern Lebanon. Iran is insistent that Israel withdraw its forces from there as a precursor to fully committing itself to a final status agreement with the U.S. to put an end to its nuclear aspirations. With the midterm elections looming Trump seems to be desperate for an exit strategy from this war. From Israel's perspective the fight against Hizbollah is an inextricable part of the Iranian equation. The IDF has invested massive resources and personnel in the hopes of quashing the Iranian proxy once and for all. Netanyahu is determined to build on the momentum achieved after the spectacular pager attack in 2024. After the catastrophic Hamas massacres of October 7th, the majority of the Israeli public is unwilling to tolerate a capable hostile force on its borders. Trump's proposed solution to this dilemma unrealistically suggests that Syria should take on the role of disarming and removing Hizbollah from Lebanon. In the ultimate reckoning of international relations, America doesn't have iron clad allies, but rather interests like any other nation. If, (as appears to be occurring now) U.S. and Israeli interests fail to align the two countries will cease to act in unison and there may be a rupture in relations on the not-too-distant horizon. Trump has indicated that Israel owes him big time. He has asserted that were it not for his decisive actions they would have been obliterated by Iran's missiles. This is nothing to say of the robust diplomatic support Trump has lent Israel in such forums as the United Nations Security Council and sanctioning officials of the International Criminal Court. Netanyahu is acutely aware of what may be next after Trump. The way public opinion is turning against Israel it is unlikely that the next administration is going to be any way near as friendly as Trump has been thus far to Israel. Trump too of course is mindful of this turning tide opposing Israel. The Iran war has been unpopular to his domestic audience, and the President has been caricatured as Netanyahu’s stooge doing Israel's bidding. Another major consideration for Trump is the colossal impact that the war has had on his other major regional allies: the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia. They have received the brunt of the Iranian backlash that has effectively targeted their energy infrastructure and trading routes. They, along with the Europeans have been exerting pressure on Trump to end the conflict and reopen the Straits of Hormuz regardless of whether the most favourable terms of Iranian capitulation are achieved. Israel, however important a strategic asset and technological powerhouse will not override these broader concerns that are endangering global energy markets. An unspoken factor is Trump's propensity for a belligerent severing of his relationship with allies in the political sphere. His public displays of hostility with former political allies such Senator Ted Cruz, Governor Ron Santos and Elon Musk demonstrate a temperament that the same kind of falling out could invoke with strategic allies as well as those political. Both Trump and Netanyahu are approaching the sunset of their political careers and are naturally inclined to deeply consider the legacies they will leave behind. In the international sphere Trump projected himself as a peacemaker from a position of strength. But as many commentators have pointed out, the war with Iran demonstrated the limits of U.S. power. Trump appraised Iran as low hanging fruit that could be swiftly toppled like Venezuela. However, when push came to shove and the only prospect of landing a decisive blow demanded a massive ground offensive on the scale of the Iraq war, he bottled out and sued for a premature peace that will leave Netanyahu in the cold. Netanyahu is anxious to rehabilitate the injury inflicted on his reputation of the greatest disaster to have occurred in Israel's history having happened on his watch. Eliminating Iran as the great regional adversary pulling the strings of its proxies would have done much in this regard. Neither leader is able to craft their legacies as they would have wanted. Trump is choosing the perceived option of mitigating the damage done to his legacy in foreign affairs. He is trying hard to sell his Iran deal as being more than what Obama bargained in terms of guaranteeing a nuclear free Iran. But as further details of his proposal are leaked this is becoming a tall order. Netanyahu is faced with October elections and he may decide to stay the course in Lebanon as otherwise he will seem weak to most voters. Should this happen, we will be in uncharted waters as it will thwart Trump's designs for an immediate end to this affair.