The scientific achievements of this nation continue to evoke our admiration. The Space Shuttles have again performed with great precision. The miles they travel in such short time we would have considered impossible as little as twenty-five years ago; and their entire performance is a great tribute to the scientific ability of the men who operate them.
Some months back a newspaper columnist headed his column article with these words: "Israel an exciting nation with its high technology and modern industry." And here is part of what he wrote: "I will never forget the emotion I felt the afternoon I crossed the Allenby Bridge from Jordan and first set foot in Israel. It was an almost mystical experience, and I'm neither Jewish nor particularly religious. But there is an excitement in the very air, and you can feel the vibrant life and energy all around you. The country literally hums and has an aura.
"Israel’s birthday always is a happy occasion. If you are ever in need of having your faith in miracles restored, hop on a plane and visit Israel where miracles still occur on a daily basis. This is the Israel where there are 50,000 engineers doing innovative research and scoring breakthroughs in everything from telephone systems to solar energy to cancer research to computerized irrigation systems.
It is indeed inspiring to note that Jewish scientific minds have transformed large parts of Palestine from a pile of sand to a flourishing Garden of Eden. For three thousand years the Arabs sat on that sand, and did nothing to improve it; but, now that the Jews have performed many wonders with it, they want it. Thus, the attacks on Israel continue to increase; but little do they realize with whom they are dealing. The Prophetic Page had recorded these events some thousands of years ago; and those statements were read by many devout Christian believers as interesting reading matter, and that was all. Now those writings have become living reality - humanly speaking, by the tremendous surge in scientific process.
IN RELIGION
In this faith controversy, as was true of so many of the reformers, they clearly saw the error in their opponents, but they were much off the truth on their own subject so that their opponents made them look equally ridiculous. St. Paul tells us in the text in Romans 10:17: "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." From this Scripture it should be clear enough that we should have a moving faith before we can offer any acceptable work to God; but without such a faith, it is dead; because the faith of such a person has not become vitalized sufficiently to motivate activity in acceptable works.
AGAIN, WE MENTION ISRAEL
In this connection we have a booklet written by a woman on MODERN ISRAEL - FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY; and we offer some material from that booklet because we feel it has a direct bearing on much that is going on there:
"Why is it, I used to ask myself, that when prophecy was being fulfilled, people never seemed to recognize it? Today in Israel, however, the evidence of prophetic fulfillment is overwhelming. Events are taking place which confirm the Bible 's prophecies of the return of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland, and of what would happen to the land and the people when they returned.
"In a seemingly spontaneous movement, they have come home to build a new nation on the foundations of the past. After 2,000 years, the Jews in Palestine all learn to speak their ancient Hebrew language for use in the modern world.
"'For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out from all countries, and bring you into your own land, and a new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and do them, and ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people and I will be your God.' (Ezek. 36:24,26,28).
"When a new independent state of Israel was created from a portion of Palestine, Leon Keyserling, economic advisor to President Truman, stated, 'Israel, relative to its size and resources, has rescued more victims of tyranny, sheltered and fed more people, provided more jobs, developed more medical facilities than any other nation in history ancient or modern.’
"Jesus Christ, the Savior of the Christian faith and the greatest teacher that the world has ever known, was a Jew. Asked how the thirteen American colonies were formed into a democratic republic such as had never been before, Thomas Jefferson replied that it was copied from the social organization laid down by Moses in the wilderness. Thus the ancient Jews provided the blueprint for the United States of America.
"Moses issued a decree that when a father died, daughters were to have equal rights of inheritance with sons. This established greater respect for women in Biblical times and through the ages.
"Development of serums to do away with the curse of polio and the blindness of trachoma, are among their recent contributions. Jews are among our greatest scientists, writers, scholars and physicians.
"The Balfour Declaration of 1917 was Britain's recognition of the Jews' right to their homeland in Palestine. In 1923 the League of Nations gave Great Britain the Mandate 'to facilitate in the establishment of a Jewish National Homeland. ' But Great Britain soon decided that she did not want this new progressive movement in Palestine to upset the status quo in which she ruled through the princes of India, the pashas of Egypt and the effendi of the Middle East as they exploited the masses. She partitioned off four fifths of the Jewish National Homeland and set up Jordan as an Arab kingdom under Sheikh Abdullah. In the 10,000 square miles west of the Jordan River left for the Jews, she exercised a divide-and-rule policy and continually obstructed Jewish development.
"The final tragedy was brought on by Britain 's 'White Paper,' which in 1939 forbad all further Jewish immigration into Palestine on the basis that there was 'no further economic absorptive capacity for the Jews. ' Thus the British shut and padlocked the doors of Palestine during the dark years of Hitler's extermination policy, cutting off the only place in the world where the Jews could go by right. Those who entered during the 1940s came illegally, spirited into the country by their brethren in the night, and absorbed into the homes of Jewish Palestinians.
"Great Britain decided, however, that her interests lay with the large Middle Eastern Arab countries and their vast oil fields. She repudiated her obligations to the Jews. The British Ambassador to Washington at the time stated, 'There are times when moral obligations must give way to political expediency. ' This 'political expediency' brought down on the British Empire the same curse that befell all other nations who had mistreated the Jews. Britain' s colonies broke away, and we have seen her stripped of her possessions, prestige and riches, and left a small, poor little island struggling with massive problems.
"Britain armed the Arabs and allowed armies of neighboring Arab nations to come in and occupy 70 military fortresses as she vacated them. Meanwhile she had thoroughly disarmed the Jews. They were to be 'driven into the sea' by combined Arab armies. The new nation was to be stillborn. Then the God of Israel took over and miraculously gave the lusty newborn nation stunning victories.
"The Arabs did not accept Israel's existence. In 1956 they again prepared for war, this time with air runways in Sinai which brought in Russian arms and volunteers to assure the total defeat of Israel. But again the God of Israel gave a stunning victory to His people, although President Eisenhower caused a cease-fire just before the Jews reached Suez, forcing them to withdraw. Along with them, however, the Jews brought back about a billion dollars' worth of Russian and Egyptian equipment, and the promised use of the Gulf of Agaba and the Suez Canal.
"Israel's enemies then sold their souls to Russia for equipment for another attempt to defeat Israel. They mortgaged the cotton crops of generations to come and allowed their ports to be taken over by the Russians in return for military supplies. Again the God of Israel tried to show the enemies of Israel that the return of the Jews to their promised homeland was a part of His plan to bring about a better way of life for the masses of exploited farmers of the Middle East through Israeli example and technical assistance. The 1967 six-day war proved to be the most stunning victory of all history, one that will be studied by military experts for years to come.
"The enemies of Israel still refuse to accept Israel's victories and are openly planning her destruction. In reality, they are creating situations which will only bring about more trouble for their own peoples, for they are fighting not only against Israel, but against the God of Israel. Perhaps the outcome of these conflicts was intended to show the enemies of Israel that God is still the Jehovah of Israel and that the return of the Jews to Palestine is part of His plan. If God is for a thing, who can stand against it? Had other nations recognized this fact, there would have been no battles, no Arab refugees, no humiliating defeats and bitter hatreds. Instead, Israel would have spent more energies on land reclamation, on a TVA for the Jordan River and on progress in all fields of endeavor that would have been an example and benefit for all the peoples of the Middle East.
"Israel is the success story of all the emerging nations. She did what no other nation in the history of the world has done - she doubled her population in four years and at the same time reclaimed worn-out lands to increase production, keeping pace with her increasing population. Israel now produces the bulk of her food needs, and she already exports enough agricultural products to pay for the food she imports, such as tea, coffee, hard wheat and some meats. The details of Israel's progress and industry are an inspiration and an example for the world.
"No nation in history has ever treated her defeated enemies as Israel has treated the Arabs. In none of her wars has Israel demonstrated any boasting, gloating, looting or raping after her stunning victories. Rather, the Israelis provided tens of thousands of loaves of bread and cartons of milk for the besieged Arabs in Jerusalem and certain other cities. They cared for Arabs wounded in Israeli hospitals, and immediately implemented vaccination programs for all Arab children against polio and trachoma.
"And what does the Bible say about the neglected and long-eroded mountains? 'But ye, 0 mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come. For, behold, I am for you, and ye shall be tilled and sown: and I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes all be builded: and I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring forth fruit; and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better for you than in your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am, the Lord. Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess you, and thou shalt be their inheritance.’ (Ezek. 36:8-12)
"How could the mountains be better than in their beginning, before at least three feet of soil had eroded off all the mountains of Judea and Galilee? The soil had been devastated for centuries. Fortunately the hills are of limestone and are shot through with solution pockets which retain the ancient fertile terra rosa, the famed red soil of the Holy Land. The roots of planted trees seek out these soil pockets and trees grow beautifully today. By 1975 the Jewish National Fund, Israel's official land reclamation agency, reported that the Jews of Israel have planted 140 million trees! Many of the forests have already transformed the barren hills into green emeralds on the landscape.
"Water formerly sank completely underground in the limestone hills, flowed steeply downhill and emerged far out onto the floor of the Mediterranean Sea. Israeli geologists discovered that by sinking deep wells immediately at the foot of the mountains they could tap this Turonian water aquifer (the permeable material which carried underground water) and pump water to the surface in abundance, Thus the very mountains are productive, with vineyards and orchards on the reconstructed terraces, cities and towns rebuilt and waste lands too rocky for grazing or farming turned into green forests 'shooting forth their branches.' The United States and the Middle East should have an added Eleventh Commandment concerning man 's responsibility to the Holy Earth, something like this: 'Thou shalt inherit the Holy Earth as a faithful steward, conserving its productivity and resources from generation to generation. Thou shalt safeguard thy fields from soil erosion, thy living waters from drying up, thy forests from desolation, and protect the hills from over grazing by thy herds, that thy descendants may have abundance forever. If any shall fail in this good stewardship of the earth, thy fruitful fields shall become sterile, stony ground or wasting gullies, and thy descendants shall decrease and live in poverty, or perish from off the face of the earth.
"The people of Israel took this challenge from the very beginning. The visitor today finds an Israel well on the way to restoring the Holy Land to its ancient fertility. Her people combine this ambition with an ever-constant search for peace. While so doing, they work toward the fulfillment of this Bible prophecy: 'And I will make them a covenant of peace, and I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land and shall know that I am the Lord. '"
The above was written some years before 1982; consequently, no mention could be made of the smashing victory the Jews gained in Lebanon in the summer of 1982. However, that victory was incomplete because our President commanded the Jews to refrain from the clean up that should have been made at that time. Therefore, we now have the devastating uproar in that country. It is our opinion that our President did not wish to restrain the Jews because of any animosity toward them; it was probably an honest mistake - doubtless prompted by what then seemed to be political expediency. But we rest in the calm assurance that in spite of some colossal blunders, we have "the sure word of prophecy" that Israel shall eventually prevail.
With the outbreak of the Great War of 1914, the Gentile Halo began to fade, and is becoming increasingly obscured with each passing year until these Gentile nations will be completely obliterated, as was true of the Jewish nation in the year A.D. 70 when the Romans broke down the walls of Jerusalem, leveled the Temple to the ground, and dispersed the Jew to all corners of the civilized world. Now, just the reverse is occurring: The Jews are being regathered into the Land from every far-distant point to which they were scattered in the year A.D. 70. Thus, the prophecies herein cited are having a fulfillment, which is plainly visible to all who have an eye for the Truth on the subject. And much more is yet to come! "Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle." (Zech. 14:3)
Now we offer some Biblical prophecy clearly foretelling this performance: "The heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll" (Isa. 34:4) The heavens in this text refer to our present-day church systems - reconciling their differences for the sake of peace. This union would have been considered impossible a hundred years ago; but the disturbed condition of the world today is causing many to decide that union is the best price of safety. Of course, the clear Bible teaching is opposed to such a thought. Again from the Apostle Paul: "There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all." (Eph. 4:5,6)
Isaiah 34:4 tells us that "the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth from the vine." And Revelations 6:14 says, "The heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain [strong Gentile governments] and island [republican governments, such as the U.S. and Great Britain] were moved out of their places [be dissolved by the anarchistic masses as a millstone cast into the sea (the lawless elements of society)]."
"Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters [the Gentile nations] … and I will give them unto thee for daughters [the Gentiles are to be instructed and blessed], but not by thy covenant [by the New Covenant - Jer. 31:31]. And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord." (Ezek. 16:61,62)
The Gentile nations will be blessed through the Jews, as the Kingdom will be Israelitish. Now one nation out of every four is at war with someone else; but we have the strong assurance that all this will be completely reversed in the approaching Kingdom. "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Isa. 2:4)
A pamphlet giving much detail about Jerusalem, ends by saying, "This is the Jerusalem of today - the capital of Israel. This will be the Jerusalem of tomorrow."
We add to the above, Jerusalem will be the capital of the world in the Kingdom, when the New Covenant is made with Israel.
(This was written by John J. Hoefle in 1984)
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THE HARVEST WORK
"Were it not that the Lord has favored us with a share in the work of gathering out the Bride and helping to make her ready for the marriage of the Lamb, we would be in Jerusalem and, by the grace of God, would do a part in the great work now due of turning away blindness from Jacob (Rom. 11:25)." (Reprint 1395, column 2, par. 3) See expanded comments on Isaiah 40:2 and Romans 11:25.
That Servant knew that Psalms 50:5 was given to him and he would not forsake that work as long as he lived: "Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice." The Gospel-Age Harvest was the only time the saints were gathered together. All through the Gospel Age they were not together, especially so during the dark ages and on up to the beginning of the Gospel Age Harvest, but were scattered here and there. They were gathered mainly from Babylon, but some who were outside Babylon, were also gathered under That Servant into one unit.
He also gave three ways in which the closing of the door to the High Calling would be indicated in Volume 3, pages 207 and 208: "First, by a definite Bible statement of the exact date [That Servant didn’t know until Bible Chronology gave him the date that the Kingdom was set up September 21, 1914.]; second, by such a reversal of public sentiment with reference to the truth, that fidelity and zeal in its service would no longer meet with opposition, and when suffering with Christ for the truth's sake (Rom . 6:17) would no longer be possible; or third, by such a condition of affairs obtaining in the world that all opportunity for such service would be effectually obstructed, thus leaving no opportunities for candidates to enter into such a work and to develop and prove their love and faithfulness by their activity and endurance.”
The second and third conditions now occurring would surely indicate that the work of gathering the saints is over. And the first is proved by Bible Chronology, Reprint 5632. Of course some Bible students would say the Bible Chronology just gives 1914, and That Servant said in 1916 that the door was still open, which he did, but there was a gleaning that took place before That Servant died October 16, 1916. He was on a Pullman train in Texas, with one of his final statements being "I have done as thou hast commanded me." (Ezek. 9:11)
Yes, 1914 is particularly marked in Bible Chronology as the end of the Gentile Times. When the stone had been cut out of the mountain September 21, 1914 all saints were sealed in the heart but not in the forehead. As each country became involved in World War One, the Saints of that country were sealed in the forehead - came to an intellectual understanding of the Truth - and all were sealed by 1916. In reprint 5632, top of page That Servant also tells us that the Smiting was going on in 1915.
In Volume 3, top of page 48 Brother Russell said, "But 1799 was only the beginning of the period known as the Time of the End, within limits of which every vestige of that system [Papacy] shall pass away."
We are still in the Time of the End, and the Time of Trouble will witness the destruction of all systems of error. The Epiphaneia (Epiphany) is the last period of the Gospel Age. During that time "The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. " (Isa. 24:20) But Israel shall arise and shine (Isa. 60:1,3).
The Time of the End, the Time of Trouble and the Epiphany all end at the same time. When one ends the other two will end.
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"U.S. PRESIDENTS SPEAK ON ISRAEL: John F. Kennedy, said that 'in the prophetic spirit of Zionism, all free men today look to a better world, and in the experience of Zionism, we know that it takes dedication and perseverance to achieve it.' Warren G. Harding (1921): 'It is impossible for one who has studied the services of the Hebrew people to avoid the faith that they will one day be restored to their historic national home.' Harry Truman: 'I had faith in Israel before it was established, I have faith in it now. I believe it has a glorious future not just as another … future nation, but as an embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization.' Herbert Hoover said in (1928): 'Palestine, desolate for centuries, is now renewing its youth and vitality through enthusiasm, hard work and the self-sacrifice of the Jewish pioneers who toil there in a spirit of peace and social justice.’ Dwight D. Eisenhower called Israel 'A democratic outpost in the Middle East.’ Source: 'You don't have to be Jewish to be a Zionist: a review of 400 years of Christian Zionism' "
(Christian Action for Israel, 1st Quarter Newsletter, March 2001)
"Did you know? The English city of Leicester formally renounces an 800-year-old ban on Jews put in place by Simon de Montfort, widely regarded as the father of the English parliament. From Financial Mail, 26 January 2001."
"Quotes of Note: 'We have to destroy Israel because there is no alternative.’ From chapter heading in a Palestinian sixth grade textbook.
"U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell described U .S. relations with Israel as 'unbreakable,' and Washington 's commitment to Israeli security as 'rock solid. ' From Intercessors from America, 2001.
"'The world does not know what to do with Jerusalem because it does not know what to do with God. ' By speaker at the 4th Christian Congress on Biblical Zionism."
(Christian Action for Israel, 1st Quarter Newsletter, March 2001)
"PLAN MAPS PATH TO PEACE: Mitchell report calls for cease-fire in Mideast. WASHINGTON - The United States on Monday threw its weight behind a long-awaited report that offers Israel and the Palestinians a road map back to peace negotiations, and it urged both side to halt their escalating bloodshed.
"Minutes after a committee led by former Sen. George Mitchell released its recommendations, Secretary of State Colin Powell publicly endorsed them. The Mitchell plan called for an immediate, unconditional halt to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has claimed more than 500 lives since September, followed by confidence-building measures - such as a halt in Jewish settlements - that could restore trust and lead to renewed peace talks.
"Powell, edging closer to active mediation, announced that he was tapping a senior aide to talk with the governments of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat about implementing the Mitchell plan. 'The burden, I think, is now on the leaders of the region,' he said.
"But it remains far from clear whether Arafat and Sharon are either willing or able to compromise and end an eight-month spate of violence that escalated sharply last weekend. The killings have destroyed the good will built up since the 1993 Oslo accords, which established general guidelines for establishing peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Violence continued Monday, although most of it took place before Mitchell released his report in New York and Powell spoke at a news conference in Washington.
"Israeli troops shot two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, located between Israel and Egypt, saying they were on their way to plant a bomb. Three Palestinian children were hurt in clashes in the West Bank town of Hebron. Four hours of shooting from Beit Jala in the West Bank, located west of the Jordan River, to the Jerusalem suburb of Gilo, left one Israeli injured in the eye. Officials in Sharon’ s government were heartened by Powell's backing of the report's insistence that Palestinians end the violence without preconditions. Sharon has said repeatedly that he will not reward violence with steps sought by the Palestinians, such as a halt in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
"Powell said he had instructed William Burns, the U.S. ambassador to Jordan who has been nominated to be assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, to talk with both sides about a timeline for implementing the proposals. "
(From Knight Ridder Newspapers, The Orlando Sentinel, May 22, 2001)
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QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST
"QUESTION - I read with great interest that the first human cloning experiment might take place in Israel. Is this procedure permissible according to the Torah?
"ANSWER - "'The nephilim (giants) were on the earth in those days… the sons of G-d consorted with the daughters of man.'…the angels fell from their level of holiness in heaven. The result of this deviation, according to most popular views, was the 'giants.'
"These giants were unnatural in yet another way. The Torah teaches us: 'Honor your father and your mother.' Thus these nephilim had a mother, but since they were conceived of angels they really had no natural father and this was a deviation from Hashem's way.
"How much more so if we deviate with a totally artificial way of creation via cloning, when the result will be a being created not in conformance with the Heavenly will. Indeed, in the pasuk that follows the description of the nephilim the Torah explicitly states, 'And G-d saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth …' The many destructive ways of the inhabitants of the earth contravened G-d's will and ultimately resulted in the Flood …
"The cloning procedure, which involves the insertion of the cell of a donor into the shell of a host egg, obviates the normal process of an egg being fertilized by a sperm. Cloning is thus totally different from fertility programs or in vitro fertilization procedures, many of which have halachic authorization. The result of cloning is the creation of a donor 'twin ' who is a duplicate of the donor in every manner except in reference to age, who has no biological father or mother. The procedure has given rise to discussions and questions of ethics even in the secular world…
"It is interesting to note that several Israeli scientists and officials have recently declared that there will be no such experiments in Israel since they are not permitted under Israeli law. They must have realized that such experiments are also against G-d's law."
(The Jerusalem Post, March 23, 2001)
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LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST
Dear Emily:
Many thanks for your letter of February 8, 2001! In his e-mail of 12 December, 2000 … writes among other things: "From time to time brethren rise up to question or challenge the clear and forthright presentation of the chronology as laid out in volume two of Studies in the Scriptures."
Morton Edgar as well as my father, Hugo Karlen, showed that Russell 's chronology was correct. There is no doubt that Charles T. Russell was That Servant. It is remarkable what he could find in the Scriptures. He was a genius. The Lord must have helped him.
In the beginning of 1942 my father wrote ten studies about the Chronology in the Bible. We have sent numbers 5,9 and 10 to … and numbers 5 and 9 to you. we are now translating numbers 1-4 into English. Birgit Stjernstedt, who learned English at the University in Stockholm, is helping with the translation. I will now send numbers 1,2 and 10 to you. we are still working on the others. You will find that all the studies and the solar eclipse in 763 B.C. prove that Russell was right.
In your letter you write that you will be happy to get … answer. Therefore I am sending a copy of his e-mail of 26 January, 2001.
All the best and many kind regards. Your friend, Anders Karlen (SWEDEN)
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Dear Emily and all there,
We send our loving greetings from the receding shores of the Sea of Galilee. Thank you for your interesting thoughts sent in February, and the Lev/Hava card in April. Your greetings were a blessing in all ways!
Please forgive that we have not written sooner, but the time seems to fly. Lev was down at the Dead Sea once again from March 22nd to April 20th for his skin treatments. It was very helpful for his head and arms. The areas on his lower legs are still not healed up. So we continue to work on them daily with creams from the Dead Sea minerals. It is so amazing that such healing properties can come from this dead body of water, and that people come from all over the world to be helped by its benefits. God's healing to the nations even begins at this lowest spot on the earth that would seem useless!
Well, while Lev was gone for a month our Bed/Breakfast rooms became busy, so I had a real four to five weeks of running in circles. The guests were mostly local people coming up from Jerusalem/Tel Aviv to get away from the tensions or old friends. This period is usually the busiest tourist time, but there are so few tourists that hotels remain closed, and no work for guides, drivers, etc. It is really a hard time here, and the time ahead does not look, brighter for any increase in tourism! So many of the governments of various nations warn against traveling to Israel including the U.S.A.
We had some good rains and the Spring was so beautiful with green hills. But it was all cut short by hot weeks in mid-March already. Soon the hills were turning brown and those lovely flowers were gone. So we are into Summer, and the dry season without the Sea of Galilee coming up to normal again. The water crisis looms ever nearer not only here, but all over the Middle East. Some say the next war will be over water!
On the other hand some feel we are into a war already, as things get hotter and hotter. Arafat has indeed lost his mask of "statesman/peacemaker" and is back to the true terrorist he has always been at heart. Sadly his desire to achieve all by violence has so much hurt his own people from children on up. We are just so amazed how God hardened Arafat' s heart so he would not accept the far-reaching give-aways that Barak was so willing to give. It shows he wants all or to gain it by violence which he thinks makes him more of a hero to his own people! Indeed God put Sharon in for this hour!
Thankfully we see God's mercy and watch-care over His people day by day even under the present problems! So many times the terrorists attacks could have been worse and it seems God's protection was there to prevent more deaths or injuries. Now Israel intercepted a boat smuggling arms into Gaza, and not little guns, but mortars, etc. This was not the first time they brought boat loads in and this is to a people "not at war with Israel," but making peace via the Oslo Peace Accords I Thankful this thirty tons of Katushas rockets, and other things will not be used against Israelis. There is no "peace process " left! God' s plans will go forth in His way and His timing!
We do hope you have good health, and all there are doing well as you carry on with your work for the Lord!
Hope you can see Elva before long. She is closer, but I know she is concerned to make a long drive north in all the Florida traffic.
Thanks again for your prayers and letters.
Love, Lev and Hava Bausch (ISRAEL)