Make This Proclamation

Amos 3:1-8 Listen you Israelites to these words that the Lord addresses to you, all of the twelve tribes that He brought up from Egypt; You alone I have cared for among all the nations of the world, that is why I must punish you for your sins. Do two travel together without agreeing? Or if disaster comes, is it not the work of the Lord? Indeed the Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants, the prophets. Amos 3:9-11 Make this proclamation: Assemble on the hills of Samaria, look at the tumult seething amongst the people! Those who don’t know how to do right and who live by oppressing others. Therefore the Lord says: The destroyer will surround your land, your strength will fail and your towns will be despoiled. Amos 3:12-15 Listen to this testimony against the descendants of Jacob. As a shepherd may rescue fragments of a sheep from a lion, so will only a remnant of Israel be rescued. On the Day that I deal with Israel, for their sins, I will also destroy the pagan shrines and their ostentatious buildings. Amos 4:12 Israel, this is what I shall do to you – so, Israel: Prepare to meet your God. Amos 5:4-9 These are the Words of the Lord to the people of Israel: Seek the Lord, if you want to live, or He will sweep through Joseph’s descendants like a fire with no one to quench it. He who made the stars, has power over all things, He will make a destruction flash forth against the mighty that wipes out their military power. Amos 5:10-15 You that despise the truth, you that extort tribute, though you have fine buildings and beautiful farms, you will not enjoy them. For I know of your crimes and monstrous sins – but at this time, keep silent, because now are evil times. You must hate evil and love good and it may be that the Lord will show favour to the survivors of Joseph. [Joseph- Ephraim and Manasseh, now Britain and USA] Amos 5:16-17 Therefore the Lord says: In the towns and in all the world, there will be mourning and sorrow, for I will pass through your midst. [This refers to the Day of the Lord’s vengeance and wrath, the next prophesied, worldwide event. Amos 5:20 – The Day of the Lord is indeed a Day of deep darkness and terror.] Amos 9:8b-15 Yet, I shall not totally destroy Israel’s posterity. I shall shake Israel among the nations, none will be lost, but the ungodly among My people will die. Those who say disaster cannot come to us, we are strong and safe. The fallen House of David will be restored as it was long ago. The time is coming when the Land will be prosperous, My people will live on their own Land, eating and drinking the abundant produce. They will never again leave the Land that I, the Lord, have given to them. [Look forward to the great redemption and restoration promises of the Lord] Reference: REB, NIV, KJV. Some verses abridged.

Rise now and judge the earth!

Psalm 94:1-7 God of vengeance – show Yourself! Rise now and judge the earth, repay the arrogant as they deserve. Lord, how long will the wicked exult and tread down Your chosen Land? They murder and carry out terror attacks, saying: The Lord does not see, their God pays no heed. Psalm 94:8-11 Take heed yourselves, you most stupid of people; you fools, do you think that the Maker of all things cannot see or hear? Will He, who controls the destiny of nations, not correct them? The Instructor of mankind has all knowledge, He knows that the thoughts of everyone are but puffs of wind. Psalm 94:12-15 Happy is the one whom the Lord instructs, those who receive His Law. They will be rescued from trouble, while the godless fall into a pit of their own making. The Lord will not abandon His people or forsake His chosen Land, for justice and righteousness will again come together and all who love the Lord will experience it. Psalm 94:16-19 Who is on the Lord’s side against the godless? Who will stand up for Him against evildoers? I nearly made the mistake of not trusting the Lord, but He helped me in my time of trouble , He held me up and His comfort brought me joy. Psalm 94:20-23 If justice is perverted and mischief is contrived under the cover of the law, that condemns the innocent – then you must not agree with it. The Lord will repay the wicked for their injustice, He will destroy them for their misdeeds. The Lord is my Rock, in whom I trust, He will give me refuge. Reference: Revised English Bible. Some verses abridged, This is how it is now: The wicked exult and tread down the Lord’s chosen Land, they murder and carry out terror attacks. Psalm 10:1-6, Psalm 83:2-3 The prayer of the righteous people: Rise now and judge the earth; God of vengeance, repay the wicked for their injustice, destroy them for their misdeeds. Jer. 9:25-26 The Lord’s reply: The Lord will not abandon His people or forsake His chosen Land. He, who controls the destiny of the nations will judge those who disobey Him. The godless will fall into a pit of their own making. Psalm 7:12-15, Obadiah 15, Habakkuk 3:14 Our response: The Lord is my Rock, in whom I trust, He will give me refuge. Isa. 30:15, John 14:1 His promise: The Lord keeps us safe in the time of trouble. All those who love Him will experience justice and righteousness in the Land. Bruce McKerras June 2012

Godless peoples live in the Holy Land

Psalm 79:1-4 The heathen have invaded Your domain, Lord – they have defiled Your Holy Place and ruined Your Land. Your servants have been killed and evicted from Jerusalem. Now we suffer the taunts of our neighbours and the threats of those around us. Psalm 79:5-7 Lord: You are roused to a fury, Your indignation blazes like a fire. Pour out Your wrath onto the nations that do not acknowledge You, those peoples that deny Your existence, for they have taken over the heritage of Jacob. Psalm 79:8-10 Do not remember against Your people the guilt of past generations, rather let Your compassion come swiftly to meet us, for now we are brought so low. Help us, God our saviour for the honour of Your Name. For Your Name’s sake rescue us and wipe out our sins. Why should the nations ask: Where is their God? May we see Your vengeance for their treatment of Your servants. Psalm 79:11-13 Let the supplications of Your exiled people reach Your presence and in Your great might save those who are dead in the spirit. Ezekiel 37:13-14 Turn back sevenfold onto their own heads the contempt the godless nations pour upon You. Then: we, Your people – the flock which You shepherd will give You thanks forever and praise You to all generations. Ref: REB. Some verses abridged My comments; ‘The heathen have invaded Your domain’- Almost all the current inhabitants of the Holy Land; that is: Greater Israel, are atheistic, apostate or false religion worshippers. Isaiah 20:30-32, Psalm 52:1-5 ‘neighbours have taken over the heritage of Jacob’- Jacob; the twelve tribes of Israel. Jeremiah 12:14, Ezekiel 21:13-14 ‘Your indignation blazes like fire’ - The many prophesied punishment by fire that the Lord will bring upon the world, but especially devastating the Middle East. Ezekiel 30:2-5, Amos 1:3-15 ‘onto their own heads’- The weapons prepared by the nations who attack the State of Israel, will ‘recoil upon themselves’. Psalm 7:12-15, Obadiah 1:15, Joel 3:4 ‘Your people, the flock which You shepherd’, Righteous Israelites, protected, saved and back living in their heritage, the holy Land. Ezekiel 20:34-38, Isaiah 11:11 Psalm 79 is another example of How the Lord will act when the Islamic confederation commences their attack on the State of Israel. It will be the literal fulfilment of the many prophecies of a terrible CME fire punishment upon the nations, an event instigated by the Lord, but He is not seen at this time, so it can be thought of as a natural disaster by the secular peoples. It is the sudden and shocking Lord’s Day of vengeance and wrath, that will virtually depopulate all the area given to Abraham, nearly four centuries ago. This will allow the gathering and settling of the true Israelites – natural and grafted in, to live in the Holy land. The rest of the world will form a One World Government, as nations will cede their sovereignty because of this disaster. About 18 years later, the Lord Jesus will Return for His Millennium reign.