Reader’s longer letters
A time to choose
On the evening of 7 October 2023, as the scale of the massacre in southern Israel emerged, I felt very strongly that this was a moment of choice for the Church.
It was such an egregious attack on the people of Israel – and by extension on all Jews – that non-Jews would be obliged to take a stance, either of solidarity with Israel or by hardening their attitudes.
I have concluded that the ‘default setting’ of humanity is to be opposed to the Lord’s purposes, until the heart is changed by the Holy Spirit. Hence it should be no surprise that so many people have an antipathy towards Jewish people! While the unbelieving majority might be somewhat vague in their understanding and convictions about the background to the massacre, Christians should have no such excuse.
After over four decades of observing modern Israel and the way nations, organisations and individuals respond to it, I have seen that Genesis 12:2-3 applies without exception to everyone, regardless of whether they take it seriously!
Given that the Jewish people and the nation of Israel are central to the Lord’s prophetic purposes, I consider that 7 October is the most prophetically significant event since 9/11. Our enemy knows that biblical prophecy requires that Jews must be living in Israel before they can finally recognise their Messiah at his return in glory.
This is not a political issue, but a Bible issue. World events are moving very rapidly towards the return of the Messiah. We need to be ready!
I know from Britain and Israel that the steadfast moral support and material generosity of committed Christians is playing its part in the softening of Jewish hearts towards the Gospel of Christ.
And with many thousands called up to the IDF and or displaced from their homes, there has been a great increase in spiritual hunger. Let us pray earnestly for the Jewish people, in Israel and around the world, that the veil will be lifted from their spiritual eyes and that they will seek and find their Messiah (2 Corinthians 3:14-16).
Pete Walker
Knighton, Powys
The Francis Scott Bridge
Jesus said that in the latter days there will be wars, famines, earthquakes and other disasters (Matthew 24: 4–8).
Such seismic events can pave the way for historical breakthroughs. For example, as World War 1 set the scene for the land of Palestine to become a homeland for the Jews, so World War 2 prepared the Jewish people to return to their ancient homeland.
On 25 March, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution calling for a halt to the war between Israel and Hamas. What surprised many was that the United States, previously Israel’s reliable ally, did not veto this resolution.
While the UN delegates were voting, dock workers in Baltimore were preparing the container ship ‘Dali’, one of the world’s largest container ships, to leave port. Within one hour of sailing, the ‘Dali’ collided with the Francis Scott Bridge which crosses the Patapsco River, leading to the bridge being cut in two and collapsing.
‘Dali’ means ‘Immediately’, ‘Quickly’, or ‘Hurriedly’. That collision of ship and bridge symbolically reflected the broken relationship between America and Israel ‘Immediately ‘ after the UN vote – and it has further deteriorated with the Biden administration trying to limit Israel’s military advance in Gaza.
The entrance to the Patapsco River forms the Baltimore Harbour, the location of the 1812 Battle of Baltimore, where Francis Scott Key wrote ‘The Star-spangled Banner’, a poem later set to music as the national anthem of the US. That location has come to represent the whole of the United States of America.
The function of a bridge is to bring together those who live on opposite sides of a river. Given that the bridge was destroyed and that this happened only a few hours after the United Nations vote, it illustrates that modern day events, although they can be perplexing, should not be ignored.
Such connections also link biblical events. In my book, ‘My Master’s Sevenfold Plan’, I link the seven days of Creation to the seven biblical feasts of Israel, and the seven pillars of wisdom (Proverbs 9:1– 6) – essential reading for those who wish to understand the Bible. Please email me at david.hamshire@uwclub.net for a discounted copy.
David Hamshire
Swindon, Wilts