Watchmen Who Are Not Watchmen - Afrikaans

April 1, 2025

Wagters Wat Nie Wagters Is Nie ®

Die profetiese wagters van Jerusalem en Juda, gister en vandag!

"O' Jerusalem, Ek het wagte op jou mure uitgesit wat gedurigdeur die hele dag en die hele nag nie sal swyg nie. o Julle wat die HERE herinner aan sy beloftes??moenie rus nie en laat Hom nie met rus nie, totdat Hy Jerusalem bevestig en maak tot 'n lof op aarde!" (Jes. 62:6?7)

Dit was Jesaja wat eerste geprofeteer het dat God wagters gaan oprig spesifiek met betrekking tot die algemene geskiedenis van die Hebreërs en met hulle land Juda, met ook 'n direkte verwysing na hulle hoofstad Jerusalem, waar die Tempel en die Ark ook was.

Soos wat die gebeure wat deur Jesaja geprofeteer was profeties begin ontvou het, sien ons inderwaarheid hoedat God die Profeet Esegiël begin oproep het as 'n duidelike Wagter volgens die riglyne van die geskrewe Woord: "Mensekind, Ek het jou as wag vir die huis van Israel aangestel; en as jy 'n woord uit my mond hoor, moet jy hulle van my kant waarsku." (Eseg. 3:17 /33:7) Dit is Esegiël wat vir ons in die Bybelse weergawe demonstreer wat 'n ware wagter behoort te wees.

Eerstens moet ons oplet dat wagters nie 'n term is wat in die Nuwe Testament gebruik word nie. Wagters was eerstens rigters vir die Hebreërs van ouds, daarom, alhoewel daar sonder enige misverstand sekerlik ook diegene is wat as wagters in die kerk kan optree, moet ons eerstens verstaan wat hierdie posisie in die Ou Testament beteken het as ons oplet na die voorbeeld wat die Profeet Esegiël vir ons gestel het, en ook wat die verskil is tussen die Ou en die Nuwe Testamentiese Profete. (Esegiël was die enigste individu wat spesifiek geroep was vir hierdie taak.) En soos u sal oplet is dit beslis nie die self aangestelde profete, sensasie soekers wat ons vandag sien nie, valse profete van vandag wat die Skrifte in 1 Kor. 12:29 & 14:32 misbruik om hulle valse profesieë te regverdig. Hulle beweer dat: "Een verskil tussen die Ou en Nuwe Testamentiese profete is NIE dat hulle altyd 100% reg moet wees nie, (Deut. 18:20?22) maar, sê hulle: "Omdat ons ten dele ken en ten dele profeteer kan die Nuwe Testamentiese profete half reg en half verkeerd wees?" Met sulke verdraaiings buite alle redelike woordverband wil mense vandag valse profete regverdig soos in die geval van die Vineyard Beweging met hulle self aangestelde profete soos Mike Bickel, Paul Cane, Gerald Coates, en Rick Joyner. 'Profete' wat probeer om hulle posisies te behou nadat hulle God se mense in 'n leuen laat glo het. (Jer. 28:15? 17). Daar bestaan geen grammatika samestelling in die Griekse óf die Engelse Skrifteks om hierdie verdraaide vertolking te regverdig nie.

Een groot verskil vandag tussen die Ou en die Nuwe Testamentiese profete is dat as iemand vandag in Israel, of in enige ander nasie, in 'n profetiese bediening wil staan, dan moet so 'n persoon 'n geredde gelowige Jood of Heiden wees, maar daar was in konteks nie geredde gelowiges in die N. T. voor die koms van die Messias nie. Korinte vertel ons dat 'n profetiese bediening ook in die kerk kan bestaan,

maar wat nie sodanig in die Ou Testament bestaan het nie. Nuwe Testamentiese profesie egter kan net betrekking hê tot woorde van stigting, troos en bemoediging, (1 Kor. 14:3) en dit hoef nie noodwendig 'n wagters element soos in die Ou Testamentiese konteks in te sluit nie. Israel se profete het die mense gewaarsku en aangemoedig om tot bekering te kom en terug te keer na die Tora. Die grootste en belangrikste verskil egter is dat die Ou Testamentiese profete die Kanon van die Ou Verbond se Skrifte geskrywe het en die Apostels die Nuwe Testamentiese Kanon.

Die Hebreeuse Profete het die volk gewaarsku en hulle terug geroep na die Wet en hulle het geprofeteer op die basis van wat alreeds in die Hebreeuse Skrifte, die Hebreeuse Kanon bestaan het. (Dan. 9:2) Maar die Bybel in die geheel was nog nie geskrywe nie, en so was daar verdere Skriftuurlike openbarings wat uitstaande was. Maar noudat die Kanon van die Skrifte, die Nuwe en die Ou Testament in die geheel voltooi is bestaan daar nie meer "Nuwe" openbarings en byvoegings tot die Skrifte nie, (Op. 22:18?19) net openbaring aan die Einde van die Tye oor dinge wat alreeds geskrywe staan. (Dan. 12:4) Dit is ook wat ons lees in die proloog tot die Boek Hebreërs 1:1:

"Nadat God baie keer en op baie maniere in die ou tyd gespreek het tot die vaders deur die profete, het Hy in hierdie laaste dae tot ons gespreek deur die Seun."? Dus sal enige voorspellende profetiese bediening in 'n waarskuwende vorm, soos in die geval van 'n wagter, nie net moet funksioneer in die karakter van die profetiese Wagters van Israel van ouds nie, soos in die geval van Esegiël, maar hulle profesie sal ook Skriftuurlik moet ooreenstem met dit wat alreeds geopenbaar is in die Nuwe én in die Ou Testament soos wat die Ou Verbond dit vertolk, verklaar en vervul word in die Nuwe Testamentiese openbarings deur en in Christus.

As ons dus na die karakter en die natuur van die wagters van ouds kyk, dan sien ons dat so baie van dit wat vandag gepromoveer word as 'n Wagter bedieninge in der waarheid niks anders as net uitvindsels van mense is nie, dinge wat niks in gemeen met die Bybelse model het nie. Soos wat die Bybel, soos in die geval van Esegiël dit duidelik stel, het die Wagters bediening in die besonders, maar nie eksklusief nie, 'n direkte verband met Jerusalem en Juda gehad. Dit is dus dan ook nie toevallig dat die eerste groot voorbeeld van 'n Nuwe Testamentiese Profetiese bediening wat deur Agabus gekom het, spesifiek betrekking gehad het op die belofte aan die gelowiges wat in Jerusalem en Juda was. (Hand. 11:27?30) Soos wat ons sien toe God die Wagters aangestel het, was 'n Wagter iemand wat die Woord van die Here aan die mense gebring het.

Esegiël het mense tot bekering geroep weg van afgodery en weg van die valse profete wat die volk mislei het. Dus sal enige wagters bediening wat vandag in Jerusalem kan staan volgens die Bybelse voorskrifte die Joodse volk tot bekering roep en hulle aanspoor om Yeshua ons Messias aan te neem, en om hulle te waarsku teen die valse profete en misleiers wat vandag in Jerusalem asof deur 'n magneet getrek bedrywig is. Dit sluit bewegings in soos: "Bridges For Peace," (Volgens die Bybel kan werklike vrede net deur die Vredevors kom.) en die sogenaamde "International Christian Embassy" met hulle geskiedenis van inhuisige probleme en dwalings. Die Woord van die Here sê dat die enigste Christen Ambassadeurs wat in Jerusalem kan bedien net die gesante van Christus moet wees, en niemand anders nie. (2 Kor. 5:20)

Een van die groot Christelike tydskrifte, wat self ook onderandere die hiper Charismatiese ekstremiste onderskryf, het Ruth Hefflin van die goue tande faam op die Olyfberg ontmasker, die sogenaamde "Goue Vlokkies" was niks anders as plastiekstof wat oral in die winkels verkrygbaar is nie. Maar by dit alles maak haar aanhangers daarop aanspraak dat hulle 'n "Wagter" bediening in Jerusalem bedryf!

Maar wat egter die swakste verskoning vir 'n wagter in Jerusalem is, is Lance Lambert wat by een van die Toronto groepe van Mahesh Chavada aangesluit het. Op 'n Video band is dinge vasgelê waar mense in 'n kerk in 'n deurmekaar rituele styl van die "Manifest Sons" al singende sonder hemde met swaaiende arms en swaarde skree en gil: "Prepare For War??prepare For War." Chavada was al in die verlede geassosieer met die Christen Ambassade? wat ook verbind word met die invoer in Israel van skatte jagters soos Morris Cerullo. Maar ten spyte van al die opvoerings van sy vriende het Mnr. Lambert saam met sy kollega Chavada in hierdie fiasko opgetree.

In Jerusalem is Bybelse Wagters mense wat die woord van God aan die mense gebring het, dit was mense wat geprobeer het om God se mense te bewaar van misleiding en verleiers, maar dit is 'n feit dat Israel en Joodse bedieninge 'n teelaarde is vir alle soorte dwalings.

Opregte Messiaanse leraars lê hulle daarop toe om die oorspronklike Bybelse Joodse konteks van die Skrifte te onderhou. Mense soos Arnold Fruchtenbaum en Dwight Pryor moet egter meeding met valse leraars soos Jospeph B.Goode en Peter Michas. (Wat die Drie Enigheid van die Godheid verloën.) Maar moontlik die mees bekende valse wagter in hierdie kategorie was seker Michael Brown, wat 'n kloning is van die Brownsville Assemblies of God uit die stal van die Toronto misleiding in Pensacola. Brown het jare gelede by 'n Messiaanse konferensie in Jerusalem met die nasionale ramp wat daar plaasgevind het toe 'n geweldige vuur ongeveer 'n kwart van die plantegroei vernietig het, het hy dit verklaar as die uitstorting van Heilige Gees!

Brown het toe saam met 'n groep mense 'n halwe nag gesit en wag vir die Wegraping wat natuurlik nooit plaasgevind het nie en toe eindig hy as 'n "wagter" in Pensacola!

Laastens is die karakter van wagters soos wat dit opgedra word deur Jesaja: Om die Here te herinner aan Sy Verbond beloftes en om hulleself geen rus te gun in hierdie proses nie. [Jes. 62:6: O' Jerusalem, Ek het wagte op jou mure uitgesit wat gedurigdeur die hele dag en die hele nag nie sal swyg nie. o Julle wat die HERE herinner aan sy beloftes??moenie rus nie.]

Dit is natuurlik die Nuwe Verbond beloftes soos wat dit aan Israel en Juda opgedra is in Jer. 13:31. Die klem op waaragtige wagters in Israel val altyd op gebed en intersessie om die Here te herinner aan Sy beloftes om Israel uit te red. Rom. 11:25?26: "Want ek wil nie hê, broeders, dat julle hierdie verborgenheid nie moet weet nie, sodat julle nie eiewys mag wees nie: dat die verharding ten dele oor Israel gekom het totdat die volheid van die heidene ingegaan het; en so sal die hele Israel gered word, soos geskrywe is: Die Verlosser sal uit Sion kom en sal die goddelooshede van Jakob afwend??"

Ander self aangestelde wagters vandag word getrek deur die identiteit bewustheid bewegings soos die mite van Britse Israelisme of soos ons hulle hier ken as die Israel Visie, wat in Noord Ierland deur Jim Mc Connell in Whitewell in Belfast gepromoveer word. Hierdie mense lewe in die skaduwee van hulle eie

denkes en hulle is ook in die meeste gevalle anti? Semities. Hierdie sogenaamde wagters se teologiese denkes is niks anders as die vervanging teologie nie? In plek van die Jode. Dit is eenvoudige onskriftuurlik en hulle is self aangestelde wagters wat leuens profeteer.

Predikers wat wolf? wolf skree

Dan is daar die ander groep wagters wat ook by hierdie groepering ingedeel word, maar wat hartseer is om te beskrywe. Hierdie mense is nie doelmatige misleiers of valse profete, of Anti Joods nie, maar hulle is eerlik en opreg in hulle motiewe en baie van hulle is pragtige Christene met 'n geroepe gawe om in 'n geldige bediening te staan in plaas daarvan om in 'n bediening te staan waarin God hulle nie in geroep het nie. Hier word gepraat van predikers wat wolf? wolf skree soos in die geval van die Y2K fiasko.

Hierdie is broers en susters wat met 'n kinderlike geloof optree maar wat nie onderskeidings vermoëns besit of wil besit met betrekking tot geestelike wysheid nie, kortliks hulle het nog nie Christelike volwassenheid bereik nie, hulle lewe in 'n waan en wil voorgee dat hulle Skriftuurlike en Teologiese kennis het wat hulle nie het nie. Ons kan egter nie hulle motiewe oordeel nie al sou dit uit hoogmoed, of 'n skuldige gewete of trots, of 'n kombinasie van dinge wees, ons sal nie weet nie.

Ons lees egter in 1 Thessalonicense dat sulke wilde denkes probleme veroorsaak het in die vroeë gemeentes daarom waarsku Paulus dat ons alle dinge moet ondersoek en die goeie moet behou, ons moet nie eens dink bo wat geskrywe staan nie. Maar dit gebeur vandag nog, mense hoor 'n klok lui maar hulle weet nie waar die klepel hang nie. So was daar deur die eeue die Montaniste teen die einde van die tweede eeu. Pous Sylvester met sy wegraping denke by die sluiting van die 10de eeu toe die 2de Juliaanse Millennium begin het. Die Muenster Ana Baptiste aan die einde van die 16de eeu; Die Shakers aan die einde van die 18de eeu; Die Milleriete / 19de eeue, en natuurlik ook by die einde van die 20ste eeu die Y2K en die Wegraping. Soos wat Dr. Martin Lloyde Jones gesê het: "As ons nie uit al die eeue van die kerk die lesse geleer het nie, dan gaan ons al die foute weer herhaal." ? Met dank natuurlik aan al die wagters wat nie wagters was of is nie!.

Dit is dan ook nie sonder oorsaak dat die self aangestelde, in plaas van deur God geroepe wagters ook deel gehad het aan die Bible Code uitvindsels en ander dwalings nie. Maar die ware probleem lê nie by die wagters wat nie wagters is nie maar by diegene wat nog steeds hierdie dwaalleraars bly ondersteun en volg ten spyte van hulle valse profesie. Kyk maar na die Kansas City, Toronto en Pensacola dwalings, die mense weet dit is vals maar nog bly hulle in hierdie bewegings: Dit is moedswillige sonde.

(Jer. 5:30?31: " " 'n Ontsettende en afskuwelike ding het in die land gebeur: die profete profeteer vals, en aan hulle sy oefen die priesters mag uit, en my volk wil dit graag so hê. Maar wat sal julle doen aan die einde daarvan?"

Met betrekking tot dinge soos die Y2k fiasko is daar in die wêreld sekere onstabiele persoonlikhede wat enige ding sal aangryp en saamflans om mense op hol te dryf sonder dat dit enigsins geondersoek word. Hulle het 'n obsessie met betrekking tot wêreld gebeure wat samelewings kan beïnvloed. Ek het nie 'n groot vertroue in sekulêre sielkunde nie maar hierdie is inderwaarheid kompulsiewe, of gedwonge onstabiliteit. So is dit ook in die politieke wêreld van vandag. Baie hooggeleerde mense het nooit verwag dat die Amerikaanse regering in 'n sameswering sekere feite oor die Kennedy sluipmoord sou wegsteek

nie, maar hierdie feite het deur forensiese ondersoeke en navorsing na vore gekom en nie deur wilde saamgeflanste spekulasies nie.

Die probleme in die kerk het begin toe hierdie sielkundige versteurde mense Christene geword het en met hulle verwronge idees van die Bybelse Eskatologie en profesie? wagters geword het. Die Internet is vandag letterlik oorlaai van naywerige dwaalleraars en dwalings en dit is hierdie groep mense wat met dinge soos die Y2K fiasko oploop gegaan het.

Maak nie 'n fout nie ek het geen tweede mening nodig om my te oortuig dat Vry Messelary 'n demonies beweging is nie, 'n beweging wat deur Felix Weisshaupt se Illuminatie onderskrywe word en dit is sekerlik dinge waaruit Christene gered moet word. Baie van die wêreld se hoof figure soos in die Internasionale Finansiële top bestuurslui en die wet en politieke sektore, is Vry Messelaars, maar om nou luidkeels dinge te verkondig, soos wat dit vandag gebeur, dat daar 'n Vrymesselaars sameswering bestaan en dat dit die Antichris se voetbank is om sy wêreld regering in te stel, is ongeregverdig, dit is maar een van die fasette.

Daar is egter duidelike planne van Satan om die Christene in 'n ekumeniese beweging saam te snoer onder die anti? christelike Roomse Pousdom, maar hierdie is nie dinge wat uit die lug gegryp word nie want dit is duidelike feite. Net so is daar ook planne om Groot Brittanje in 'n stoomroller taktiek deel te kry van 'n Federale Europa ten koste van haar soewereiniteit. Sommige mense sal sê dit is 'n politieke sagmaak proses terwyl baie ander sal sê dit is 'n demokratiese proses.

Die gebeure in die Midde Ooste vandag is van uiterste groot profetiese waarde en daar gebeur baie dinge wat 'n sameswerings is van die bose magte, maar om hierdie dinge te ondersoek moet 'n persoon 'n baie goeie Bybelse fondasie en ook oor Bybelse georiënteerde kwalifikasies beskik. Daar is mense soos die Christen joernalis David Dolan, of die universiteit lektor Bill Alnor wat God geroep het om die huidige toestande met 'n Bybelse oog te ondersoek. Maar God het Chuck Missler geroep vir 'n Bybelse oorsig oor die dinge en vir Barry Smith vir Evangelisasie, en dit is 'n tragedie om te sien dat twee sulke begaafde mense van hulle self sulke groot openbare pampoene laat maak het en so hulle bediening baie skade aangedoen het en alles wat hulle deur die jare opgebou het nietig gemaak het omdat hulle nie dinge Skriftuurlik geondersoek en beoordeel het nie. Hulle video's het uitgegaan en nou lag die wêreld, nie net vir hulle nie maar ook vir ons. Moriel is oorval deur mense met navrae en klagtes wat voel dat hulle mislei is deur die bediening wat hulle geondersteun het, die feit is, Moriel het Dave Hunt se boek oor die Y2K geondersteun deur saam te stem dat dit 'n massa histerie was. Terwyl ek self nie so voel nie, het ek niks teen iemand wat 'n paar kaste proviand bymekaar gemaak het vir die onbekende nie. Maar Christus vertel vir ons baie duidelik dat ons ons nie moet bekommer oor wat ons sal eet of aantrek nie, maar instede daarvan dat mense na die Gebod van Christus luister, sien ons hoedat predikers oral rondgaan en in seminare vrees en bewing preek. Die waaragtige wagters op die mure van Sion sal 'n baie duidelike reeks basuin klanke laat hoor, 'n absolute duidelike uitkenbare klank wat baie duidelik 'n waarskuwing alarm sal wees en nie valse note wat verdere onsekerheid sal veroorsaak nie. (Joël 2:1, Jer. 4:5, Hos. 8:1, Amos 3:16) Die skape is afhanklik van hulle wagters en daar word van hulle verwag om duidelike en opregte ongemengde boodskappe te verkondig, en nie dit wat ons vandag sien en hoor nie. Vandag vind ons leraars wat nie vir die skape duidelike antwoorde kan gee nie, en as mense begin vrae

vra oor misleidings soos die Toronto dwalings dan kan hulle nie vir hulle sê of die lig rooi of groen is nie, hulle gee vir hulle 'n geel lig!

Dit egter, is die klanke van 'n valse basuin, die lig is rooi maar hulle is te bang om dit te sê, omdat hulle mense meer vrees as vir God! Baie skerm vir hulle posisie en hulle waggel by die regspraak!. Die vrug van die Gees is selfbeheersing, (Ekreitei) en nie die teenoorgestelde, 'n wanorde nie, daarom het die ware Wagters geprofeteer dat geen herlewing deur die Toronto dwaling sal kom nie. Die feit is dit, hierdie dinge is 'n mengsel tussen dit wat goed en wat sleg is, wat dit 'n onreinheid (Akatharsis) gemaak het, en wat bewys het dat dit nie van God af gekom het nie, (1 Tes. 2:3) en die feit dat dit 'n mengsel tussen die Ware en die valse (parasouxousin) is, bewys dat dit 'n misleiding is. (2 Pet. 2:2) Net soos wat Jesaja gewaarsku het, is die leiers in die hierdie laaste dae besig om te wankel: "En ook die manne hier wankel deur die wyn en waggel deur sterk drank; priester en profeet wankel deur sterk drank, hulle is verward van die wyn, hulle waggel van sterk drank, hulle wankel as hulle gesigte sien, hulle waggel by die regspraak." (Jes. 28:7) In hierdie laaste dae het ons nie sulke leiers of wagters nodig nie, ons kan dit nie bekostig om na valse wagters en basuine te luister nie.

Wanneer 'n prediker geredde mense in sy bediening in 'n misleiding lei instede van 'n Bybelse gefundeerde kerk, dan is daar 'n ernstige afwyking van God se Standaarde. In die Berg Rede: Mat. 24 & 25; Luk. 21: Waarsku die Here Jesus ons eenmalig oor oorloë en gerugte van oorloë en pessiektes, vermeerdering in aardbewings en hongersnood en oor gebeure in die Midde Ooste rondom Jerusalem. Maar Christus waarsku ons vier keer meer oor misleiding en valse profete onder die uitverkorenes as oor die ander dinge. Christus het nie gepraat van onklaar rekenaars wat groot chaos sal veroorsaak nie, nie eers een keer nie!

As mense dan geroep is om in hierdie laaste dae die kerk voor te berei, hoekom waarsku hulle dan nie die Christen kerke oor die misleiers en die valse profete soos wat Christus beveel het nie? Hoekom konsentreer hulle op dinge wat Christus glad nie eens een keer beveel of genoem het nie? Die bediening van Barry Smith en Chuck Misler word op die prys gestel maar dit is baie jammer om te sien waarin hulle hul begewe het en van hulle pampoene gemaak het, mag die Here ons deur Sy Groot Genade bewaar dat ons nie dinge op spekulasie sal verkondig vir die waarheid nie. (Ondersoek alle dinge en behou die goeie.) Wanneer 'n begaafde prediker van die riglyne van die Woord van die Here begin afwyk en op sy eie ontwerpe begin konsentreer dan is hy besig om te beweeg na 'n vlak van 'n gekraakte kruik, en dit is hier waar die ongelukkige resultaat van so 'n misstap na vore begin kom. Barry en Chuck is ver van die gekraakte kruik stadium maar dit is presies wat hulle Y2K fiasko van hulle gemaak het.

Mense wat betrokke raak in sulke dinge is nog steeds ons broers en susters, hulle is nie diegene wat in 2 Timotheüs beskrywe word nie: [ 2 Tim.3:13: "Maar goddelose mense en bedrieërs sal voortgaan van kwaad tot erger, hulle wat verlei en verlei word."] Die werklike probleem egter is nie hulle voorspellings van grootskaalse krag onderbrekings, kern ontploffings, sosiale en politieke chaos, groot vlieg ongelukke en 'n totale ineenstorting van ekonomieë, wat nie plaasgevind het nie! ( Italië het 1.5 miljoen gespandeer aan voorbereidings terwyl Brittanje 'n halwe biljoen pond gespandeer het. Niks het egter in Italië gebeur nie.) Nee, die groot en werklike probleem is dat wanneer die werklike gevaar begin aankom en die Ware Wagters die Basuine van God sal begin blaas dan sal dit gebeur dat niemand meer daarna

sal wil luister nie, dit is die groot gevaar. Ek haat dit om enige iets goeds te sê van die Bose, maar hy ken sy werk, en as hy misleide Christene as pionne kan gebruik om die kerk te mislei dan is daar sekerlik nie beter gereedskap te vinde vir dit nie.

Die tye waarin ons lewe is sekerlik volgens die Skrifte die Laaste Dae, en persone wat die Bybelse Profesieë in hierdie laaste uur misbruik skep daardeur vir die skape 'n gevaarlike situasie. Mense wat voorgee dat hulle wagters is waarin hulle nie geroep is nie sal geweldige skade in die kerk aanrig. Hierdie is 'n ernstige saak vir baie pragtige mense wat God liefhet, 'n saak tussen die Hemel en die Hel, en ons mag nie voorgee wat ons nie is nie. Ons moet waaragtige Wagters in ons midde hê en laat dit ons gebede wees dat hierdie wagters wat nie wagters is nie navore sal kom en hulle oortredings bely, en laat ons tot God bid en vra dat as dit moontlik is dat Ons Hemelse Vader die skade sal herstel wat in die gemeentes aangerig is sodat die Waarheid weer kredietwaardig kan word.

Die Valse Makkabeërs

In Daniël 11:33?35 lees ons van wat teoloë noem, 'n dubbelsinnige profesie. Daniël profeteer van die doen en late van Matthias die Makkabeër en sy seuns, Johannes, Eleazar, Jonatan, en Yehudah onder in die regering van Antiochus IV wat ook geken was as Epiphanus wat 'n vark in die tempel geslag het en 'n wet ingestel het wat die Jode verbied het om die voorskrifte van die Tora te onderhou terwyl hy ook die algemene populasie verhelleniseer en verheidens het. Hy het ook 'n afbeelding van die afgod Zeus in die tempel opgestel met sy eie voorgeskrewe aanbidding wette. Antiochus Epiphanus was natuurlik die verpersoonliking van die Antichris wat gaan kom waarvan sy gees alreeds in die wêreld is, en tot en met vers 36 het die Skrifte gedeel met hierdie bose heerser. Die Antichris sal aan die einde van die tye weer die werke van Antiochus Epiphanus laat herleef? volg vanaf Vers 36 en verder, en net soos Epiphanus sal hy ook deur bedrog en misleiding mense onder sy mag kry.

Soos wat dit in die tyd van die Makkabeërs was, wat aan baie mense insig gegee het, so sal dit in die Laaste Dae ook weer wees wanneer hulle wat hulle God ken sal optree en vir baie tot insig wees wanneer die Riglyne van die Woord van die Here (Die Verbond) verontagsaam sal word. Dit is vandag baie duidelik dat die ekumeniese beweging wat ons baie duidelik vandag waarneem, 'n voorloper is van die hergeboorte van Babilon, die Groot Hoer van Openbaring, en dat misleidings soos die Toronto en Pensacola die voorloper is van die Groot Afval van Thessalonicense.

Soos wat dinge huidiglik ontwikkel in Israel met die valse vrede tussen Israel en Islam, die her? konfederasie van die Romeinse Ryk deur ooreenkomste in 'n federale Europa, is dit merkwaardige tekens van die tye wat daarop dui dat die resultaat van hierdie dinge besig is om die verhoog op te stel vir die verskyning van die Man van Sonde wat Antiochus onderandere tipifiseer, waarvan hy 'n skadubeeld is. En net soos in die voortyd sal daar diegene wees wat hulle God ken en wat gaan aksie neem en baie tot insig lei oor dit wat oppad is. Maar soos wat dit in die dae van Antiochus gewees het, sal daar baie wees wat in 'n skynheiligheid by hom sal aansluit en hulle broers en susters sal verraai. (Twee van die Oorspronklike Makkabeërs was doodgemaak as gevolg van interne Verraad) Net soos wat ons dit vandag duidelik sien gebeur. Daar is vandag mense in die kerk wat wil voorgee dat hulle wagters is, wat hulle self aangestel het as "Onderskeidings bedienaars" maar wat grootliks niks anders as 'n groepering van kwaksalwers, na?apers en misleiers is nie, mense met hulle eie agendas wat alreeds

hierdie roeping verloën het. Hierdie mense het baie in gemeen en neig om mekaar na te boots. Baie is sielkundige grensgevalle wat baie maklik beïnvloedbaar is. Hulle flans dinge saam op die basis van wat hulle vermoed of wat hulle dink, en diegene wat nie met hulle saamstem nie word as vals of ook as "New Agers" onder 'n vermomming gebrandmerk. Constance Cumby, wat self gepubliseerde verklarings uitgereik het vir haar ondersteuning van die Roomse Katolieke stelsels, het Dave Hunt aangeval. Kevin Burgess het Mike Oppenheimer, 'n Joodse broer wat in Hawai 'n Christelike TV en radiostasie bedryf onder die naam van :?Come Let Us Reason, ook aangeval. Tex Mars het 'n hele aantal pragtige mense aangeval en ook onderandere Dave Hunt. Daar is twee karaktertrekke van valse wagters. Die Eerste is: Hulle is sogenaamde Christene met 'n witgewaste teologiese kennis met geen egte akademiese teologiese agtergrond het in die bediening wat hulle probeer voorgee hulle spesialiste in is maar wat hulle nie is nie. 'n Persoon het nie nodig om 'n intellektueel te wees om 'n bediener te wees, of om onderskeidings vermoëns te besit nie, maar 'n persoon moet kwalifiserende kennis besit om te weet waarvan hy praat. Petrus, in sy Brief, het sy skolastiese probleme aan Paulus oorgelaat, en Paulus het die probleme wat hy gehad het aan Apollos oorgelaat.

Die tweede ding wat valse wagters definieer is hulle altyd soekende neigings na redes om die ware wagters in oneer te laat beland.

Die fondasie raamwerk van hierdie valse Makkabeërs is sekerlik die Ruckmaniete, genoem na hulle groot vader: Peter Ruckman, wat nou al in sy derde huwelik is na nog 'n egskeiding. Ruchman lewe met die idee dat die King James vertaling van die Bybel die enigste gemagtigde geskrewe Woord van God is, en hy maak daarop aanspraak dat die aanhegsels tot die 1611 uitgawe, wat egter nie in die ou manuskripte gevind kan word nie, 'n verdere openbaring van God is. Sy volgelinge stem nie almal met hom saam nie maar hulle word tog deur hom beïnvloed! Op hierdie gebied is daar dan ook Gail Riplinger wat in die openbaar teruggebring is aarde toe deur die Christian Research Institute deurdat sy nie eens Grieks kan lees nie. Sy het ook geen akademiese teologiese kwalifikasies in Grieks of Hebreeus of enige analitiese agtergrond van Aramese manuskripte wat uiters noodsaaklik is om Bybels vertalings op 'n basiese vlak aan te vat nie. Haar kwalifikasies strek egter net oor behuising ekonomie. In plaas daarvan dat sy 'n tesis opstel oor koste effektiewe skoonmaak produkte, waarin sy gekwalifiseer is, gaan sy en publiseer 'n boek oor "New Age Bible Versions" en doen hierdeur meer skade aan die bewaring van oorspronklike grondteks manuskripte as wat die omskrywende verklarende Roomse Katolieke Bybels, en die politieke korrekte vertalings ooit kon aangerig het. Laat ons dit net hier duidelik stel, Moriel het nie 'n probleem met die KJ vertaling nie, ons lees dit met toewyding en ons respekteer dit wat God in die verlede daarmee bereik het. Om meer na 'n punt te kom, wie kan nie die nalating waarde en die toegewydheid van mense soos Wycliffe, Tyndale en Coverdale in die voorbereiding tot die samestelling van hierdie werk waardeer nie? Die Trinitarian Bible Society om maar een voorbeeld te noem, het dit duidelik gemaak dat hulle niks met haar of haar boek te doen wil hê nie. Daar bestaan uitstekende boeke oor die betroubaarheid van die Nuwe Testamentiese manuskripte wat deur akademies gekwalifiseerde mense soos F.F. Bruce en Dr. Craig Blohmberg geskrywe is.

Mense soos: Ruckman, Engstrom, Aho, Dillen en Marrs is ook 'n voorbeeld van mense wat skriftelik te kenne gegee het dat hulle niks met haar en haar boek te doen wil hê nie, maar, Ruckman, Engstrom,

Aho, Dillen, Marrs en Riplinger is nie akademikusse nie, hulle is ook nie wagters nie, hulle is gewone mense wat wil voorgee wat hulle nie is nie. Maar die probleem hier is dat terwyl geen akademiese skool enige kredietwaardigheid aan sulke mense sal verleen nie, is daar altyd die gewone gematigde Christene wat ongelukkig uit onkunde dit wel sal doen. So is daar in hierdie rigting hiper Calviniste soos Peter Clover wat uit onkunde die Joodse Skrifuitlegkunde, Midrash, afmaak as gnosisme net om in die openbaar tereg gewys te word dat dit 'n geëerde Puritynse Kalvinistiese Teoloog was wat die eerste gedokumenteerde kommentaar geplaas het oor die gebruik van die Joodse Skrifuitlegkunde, Midrush, in die Nuwe Testament.

Net soos Cumby wat ander onderskeidings bedieninge aangeval het terwyl sy self vasgevang is in 'n ernstige afwyking van die Skrifte en ook in die Ekumeniese misleiding deel het. Clover het weer op sy beurt waardige bedieninge soos Bill Randles en Michal Penford aangeval, terwyl hy self betrokke was in 'n Aids geld insamelings veldtog saam met Patrick Dixon. Dixon is weer een van die mees ekstremistiese ondervindings georiënteerde charismatiese predikers wat hom toelê op New Age teologie soos in die Toronto dwaling. Kuber kultus leiers soos Aho, Dillen, en Engstrom met hulle verbintenisse met die Ruchmaniete en die identiteit bewuste bewegings en kan vergelyk word met 'n kinder bende. Hulle het nie die mag van 'n professionele kriminele organisasie, skelm prokureurs of geld verduistering skemas nie, maar wanneer iemand 'n geweer in 'n gewone misdadiger se hand plaas dan dink hy, hy is 'n groot meneer. Dit is dan ook wat gebeur wanneer 'n kuber ruimte ridder toegang kry op die Internet. Die meeste kuber kultus ridders het geen verbintenis met enige kerk nie, hulle doen ook nie Evangelisasie werk nie of enige iets wat met Bybelse georiënteerde Christenskap te doen het nie. Hulle spits hulle egter hoofsaaklik toe om net soos die dwaal wagters, die Ware en opregte wagters en ook diegene wat nie met hulle teorie saam stem nie aan te val. So was daar onlangs 'n voorbeeld van hierdie ridders se optredes wat gegaan het oor hulle weersin teenoor die Ster van Dawid, maar dit is niks anders as 'n sameswering van anti? Semitiese denkes en die identiteit bewuste bewegings nie.

Die feit is egter dit: In Judaïsme word hierdie ster geken as die Skild van Dawid of "Magen Dawid", en dit word nie gesien as 'n ster nie. Die Rabbiniese verklaring van hierdie teken is dat dit die samestelling van die 12 stamme van Israel is wat rondom die Ark opgestel is met hulle swerftog deur die woestyn. Dit was egter ook 'n Heidense simbool in die voor Christen era in Babilon, Phonecia, en in Egipte, net soos wat die kruis ook 'n voor Christen era heidense simbool in die Keltiese Brittanje en Ierland was. Die Menora, en nie die Ster van Dawid nie, was die simbool van die Jode van ouds en dit is vandag nog die staat simbool van Israel en ook die offisiële seël kenteken op die Israeliese staats dokumente. Net so was die vis, en nie die kruis nie, die oorspronklike Christen simbool. Die vis was egter ook eerstens 'n heidense simbool wat gebruik was by die aanbidding van die vis god Dagon, soos in die Ou Testament. Die vyfster Pentagram is 'n sataniese embleem en nie die Ses Punt Ster van Dawid nie. Dus het beide die Joodse en Christelike simbole albei hulle heidense ekwivalente. Die Hebreeuse Tempel het sy argitektoniese ewebeeld in heidense Egipte gehad en die Sondvloed verhaal in Genesis word weer verbind aan die mite van Gilgemesh. Maar beteken oppervlakkige ooreenkomste dat dinge boos is? Dit is wat die simbool beteken het in 'n gegewe historiese en kulturele tydperk wat bepaal of dit boos is of nie. Die Amerikaanse ruimte program het 'n projek naam gedra van Murcury, Gemini en Apollo maar niemand het hierdie projekte geïdentifiseer met heidense afgode of met astrologie nie, en hulle ook nie as

heidense praktyke gebrandmerk nie, maar die kuber kultus kwaksalwers wat gedryf word deur hulle eie vooropgestelde denkes kan dit doen en hulle kom weg daarmee. Daar is goeie Christen navorsers soos Dr. John Weldon, Dr. Ron Rhodes, en Dr. Tal Brooks wat uitstekende kennis het op die gebied van okultiese invloede. Dan is daar ook Dr. Curt Koch, 'n spesialis op die gebied van die okkulte. Dan is daar die meesterstuk: The Two Babilons van Alexander Hislop wat handel oor die invloede wat die insypeling van heidense simboliek op die Christen leefwyse uitoefen. Die Ahos, Dillens, Howards, en die Engstroms of die kubus ridders is nie antropoloë of argeoloë, of sielkundiges of teoloë nie, hulle is basies die valse Makkabeërs van ons tyd wat wil voorgee dat hulle wagters is maar wat hulle nie is nie. †††


October 12, 2026
Written by - Rubin Rothler LLB, LLM Examples abound in history of how the responses to innovations in technology that disrupted and transformed the nature of warfare have taken a delayed time to be adapted. Chain mail and armour had to be altered and bolstered to repel arrows from the English Longbow in Medieval Europe, but this didn't occur in time to the dismay of the French at Agincourt. It took the Spanish decades to redesign their cumbersome Galleons that lay prey to the swifter English ships. Napoleonic era field tactics were still being employed during the American Civil War, with mass charges mowed down by the Gatling barrel machine gun. Trench warfare was only later embraced during WWI. With the cheap manufacture of drones and the advances in AI a new chapter has opened in how war is waged in our own time. The conflicts in Ukraine and Iran have demonstrated how asymmetric warfare has become as much an economic calculation as a game of cat and mouse. Drones (and relatively cheaply manufactured ballistic missiles by Iran) are being shot down at great expense. AI which has been extensively deployed for target identification in Gaza is also proving to be a vital tool in hunting incoming drones. But as in the delayed development of military countermeasures historically, drones are ahead of AI in the battlefield. This is reflected in the enormity of Russian military casualties that have fallen victim to Ukrainian drones. AI is able to cut through the 'background noise' of distracting projectiles, birds and other debris to home in efforts to eliminate the actual drone target. The magic formula is speed and precision. Humans can detect and assess a threat, but AI can process radar, cameras and other sensors almost instantly, and with increasing accuracy predict where a drone intends to strike. When swamped with a wave drone attack, AI acts to identify and track the multiple threats. AI can also help decide how to respond. Depending on the system, the response could involve electronic warfare, an interceptor drone, a missile or a gun-based system. Ukraine has installed automated machine gun turrets instructed by AI to protect Kiev. In some cases, humans still make the final decision to engage, while AI handles the calculations and tracking required to make that decision quickly. More broadly, drone warfare is becoming a contest between autonomous systems. The challenge is no longer simply building a better missile or a better drone. It is building a system that can see the threat first, understand it quickly and respond before the drone reaches its target. In that sense, AI is becoming a critical part of air defence. The advantage may increasingly belong to whoever can make the fastest and most accurate decisions—not necessarily whoever manufactures the most expensive weapons. AI's pace of progress is exponential. It is beyond comprehension what capacity could be realized in even the next 2-3 years. The combination of drones, robotics and AI may render the traditional military hardware of tanks, frigates and fighter jets almost functionally obsolete. The development of AI's course of military application will be largely directed by the conflicts where it is deployed. In the pre-AI world of 1987, the black Friday market crash during the Reagan Administration saw a dangerous drop in the Dow, where computer analysis issued sell orders against a background of Reagan's massive budget deficits. Amidst Reagan's budget deficits this created an environment where social security was looted to fund defence spending. A supposed conservative President ran a fiscal policy with simultaneous increases in the Pentagon budget, coupled with tax cuts. The computer generated sell off was beyond the functional control of brokers and market makers, while the Soviets attempted to engineer market irregularities affecting the American economy which had further global ramifications due to massive American trade deficits with Japan under Reagan. The current Securities exchange environment is at best no less complex now. Given the spectre of what transpired in 1987 with computerised over control of stock exchange trading, and a shadow hanging over the bond market we are left to ponder could another such scenario be triggered in the age of AI? And even more illuminous prospect over shadows us now with the question can AI gain a decision-making operational capacity over command-and-control decisions. Certainly, for tactical weapons systems or even a doomsday scenario with Russia, China, India or Pakistan placing nuclear launch control in the hands of AI that could result in an exchange that either the US, Britain, France or Israel would be forced to react to. Without scaremongering it is necessary for strategic planners to prevent the nuclear powers that be from arriving at the precipice of such an abyss.
September 21, 2026
The interlinked nature of third-party involvement in the ongoing conflicts in Iran and Ukraine has increasingly come to the fore in recent weeks. It emerged that China has not only been providing Iran with radar systems, navigation tools, and electronic warfare technology, but also high-resolution satellite imagery and geospatial data to direct its rockets. The same great-power relationships that are shaping the Middle East are affecting the conduct and constraints of the war in Ukraine. It is apparent that a reciprocation in kind is dictating Russia's conduct towards the US in Iran. Intelligence and targeting support mirror similar U.S. assistance to Ukraine. But this picture becomes murkier when considering the backroom accommodations Trump is willing to give Putin. Recently, Trump pressured Zelensky to stop targeting Russian diesel infrastructure, saying the attacks were causing a shortage of the fuel that is "hurting the world." The U.S. national average price for diesel, which is used by trucks, trains, ships, and farm equipment, rose above six dollars a gallon for the first time last Thursday. Such interventions demonstrate how developments on the battlefield in Ukraine can no longer be considered independently of wider economic and geopolitical calculations. China has been using tankers that are already at sea, when that runs out the American blockade will create shortage problems for the Chinese economy, as China no longer gets Venezuelan oil and is reliant on Iran and international spot market prices. The war with Iran is now spreading to Yemen, with the Houthis attempting to replicate the Iranian chokehold model perfected in the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic importance of controlling or threatening critical maritime chokepoints is central to the wider contest. What happens in the Gulf can therefore have consequences for shipping, energy markets, and military calculations far beyond the immediate theatre. So far, the US has declined Saudi requests to slow the Houthi advance. Neither Turkey nor Egypt seems inclined to come to Saudi Arabia's aid. This is despite the signing of a very recent mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. More developments can happen in these conflicts on an average day than can be afforded mention, but they should be increasingly understood as interconnected parts of a wider geopolitical confrontation. Assistance in one theatre triggers reciprocal action in another. Consequently, these cease to be discrete, containable conflicts and are extending into prolonged multinational conflicts. There is a distinct possibility that these may become frozen conflicts over time. A more terrifying eventuality is something more akin to the Thirty Years' War, which was fought in the first half of the 17th century in Europe. It is important to remember that this calamity, which ravaged Europe, began as a localized rebellion that gradually drew in more and more powers. The initial religious nature of the fighting gave way to political struggles. The mechanism by which a localized conflict becomes a multinational struggle offers a historical warning worth considering. The danger today is that a collection of individually distinct conflicts could become sufficiently interconnected that containing any one of them becomes increasingly difficult. Iran, Ukraine, Russia, China, the United States, and the conflict involving the Houthis are already linked by military assistance, intelligence, energy, trade, and strategic competition. The question, therefore, is no longer simply how any one of these conflicts ends. It is whether they can remain separate conflicts at all.  (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).
By David Passmore • September 12, 2026
Moriel & Jacob Prasch request prayer for our sister in Jesus - Wendy Blomkamp, widow of Brother Fred Blomkamp (now with The Lord), the founder of Moriel South Africa Branch (not to be confused with Moriel's Ebyown Aids Children's Mission in South Africa founded by David Royle). Wendy, (an equestrian rider of all things) is originally from West Yorkshire, England but has lived most of her life in South Africa and is currently in retirement in the USA. Unfortunately, Wendy is diagnosed with inoperable pre terminal cancer with cardio pullmonary complications. The Lord will either intervene supernaturally or call her home. We request prayer for Wendy and her beloved family and wisdom for her physicians. In Christ, All at Moriel
By David Passmore • September 7, 2026
The US midterm elections are around the corner and the results could have profound effects on US foreign policy concerning Israel. Much has been said about this vote being a referendum on Trump's unpopular war with Iran. But it can equally be said to be about Trump's other foreign policy engagements that are viewed rather more favourably like the overthrow of Maduro in Venezuela and his replacement with a pro-American regime. With Israel the picture is less clear. It used to be a given that Israel enjoyed bipartisan support on the Hill. You could count on the fingers of one hand the number of politicians opposed to supporting Israel - the occasional fringe Democrat representing a singular Michigan constituency with a high Arab origin demographic, or a rare odd ball Republican preaching strict isolationism. This dynamic has shifted quickly in the last decade. The Democrats have all but abandoned any inclination of a pro-Israel position. Even establishment figures like Chuck Schumer have been pressured to side with the Party's radical left wing. With 60-80% of Democrats now anti-Israel, Israel can no longer rely on Jewish Democrats to oppose anti-Zionism or antisemitism. The most outspoken Democratic member of the Senate advocating a pro-Israel position, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania is being pressured to resign and leave the party even by Pennsylvania's Jewish Governor Shapiro and Soros sponsored Philadelphia Prosecutor Krasner. This is happening concurrently with mass endorsement from 170 leading Hollywood Jewish actors writing a letter of support for Mark Ruffallo - despite his antisemitic comments naming Jewish investors supporting a Hollywood studio mega merger as being associated with apartheid genocide. However most shocking, were the comments by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel who stood before an audience of Jewish Democrats last weekend telling them they may need to sacrifice the safety, and even the future, of their own people in exchange for saving the rest of humanity. Such rhetoric is contrary to basic human instincts of survival and self-preservation. If any other nation were suggested this course of action, I wonder what their response would be? On the Republican side the foreboding sense of an altering course towards Israel no longer seems so distant. The anti-Israel faction in the Republican party led by Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes are now being supported by Vice President Vance. Jewish kingpins in the Trump Administration such as Witkoff and Kushner have been tied to business dealings in N.Y. with the Muslim Brotherhood controlled Qatari government through its business holdings. Should Republicans lose control of the Senate while Democrats take the House, Israel could find itself having to drastically re-access its relationship with Washington. We wouldn't see an immediate break in ties. American military, intelligence, technological and strategic cooperation with Israel is too integrated into the core of US institutions and corporations that would take a protracted period to dismantle. However, the power of Congress is in no way feeble. Congress controls funding, foreign-assistance legislation, sanctions, arms-related legislation and, perhaps most importantly, the political milieu in which an administration operates. A Democratic House combined with a Senate no longer controlled by Republicans could place enormous pressure on Trump to alter his attitude towards Israel. Practically this could entail demanding further accountability from Israel over military operations in Gaza, and the West Bank Settlers causing civilian casualties and property damage. Military aid could face more conditions or restrictions, but an immediate cutoff is unlikely. Israel has historically depended upon the presumption that regardless of who was President, there would be a robust enough bipartisan coalition in Congress to prevent a major deterioration in the relationship. Now the opposite appears true. Israel is taking the gamble of solely relying on a friendly President like Trump getting elected to maintain cordial relations. With the erosion of even much of Jewish American support for Israel and the hijacking of the Democratic party by a pro Islamist socialist left seen in Mamdani and others, Israel is forced to confront the inescapable reality that the last strong bastion of support for it is the Republican Party's evangelical base. But even younger voters in this key demographic are beginning to question support for Israel. The hostility displayed by the Haredim in Jerusalem and elsewhere against Christians including evangelicals, is to say the least counter-productive to the national interest. To attack the one friend Israel has left with a proven track record of loyalty and is vital to pro-Zionism internationally, is particularly detrimental to the national interest. It is Iran with its Mahdiist interpretations of jihad and sharia as a religious ideology that drives its hatred of Israel and the USA, and The West, to the detriment of the interests of the majority of the Iranian populace who want non hostile co-existence.  Such religious fanaticism and ideologically fuelled hatred ought not be given place in Israeli Judaism. It too, will generate adverse consequences for the majority of Israelis, including religious moderates, who desire an ongoing friendship with Evangelical Christians whose theology is not one of anti Semitism, but of proven Philo-Semitism and pro Zionism.
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).
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).
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).
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).
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).