Bible In The News

A member of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), MK Effi Eitam is one of three Knesset members injured by police as they attacked settlers on Wednesday during the destruction of Jewish homes in Amona. Eitam was taken to the neurosurgery department and to the same floor where Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is still in a coma. He had a CT scan on his head and chest.

Well, it’s hard to keep up with all the events that are happening, and which in one way or another reflect the Truth of the Bible. Jesus said to his Father in John 17:17, "thy word is Truth." Well it certainly is, and here we are some 2,000 years later watching it come true in the news headlines. For example, the apostle Peter who was inspired as he wrote his epistles, said to his readers in 2 Peter 2:1, "there shall be false teachers among you." Now no one, of course, likes to point the finger—yet here are Christians who are being told that there would be false teachers among them. Jesus himself in Matthew 7:15 says "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits..."

There is a great deal happening in the News at the moment which can be directly related to Bible prophecy, and to what we call the “Signs of the times.” Iran, Russia, Europe, the Vatican and a lot of what is going on in the Middle East, and as always — especially Israel. It is all relevant. This week our focus will be upon the so called West Bank — that’s the mountains of Israel, and what the Jews call Judea and Samaria. Having “disengaged” (as they call it) from Gaza and Gush Katif last summer, the Israeli Government is now moving its attention to the West Bank. Isolated settlements that are labeled “illegal” are slated to be demolished and the Jewish settlers to be evicted, just as they were from Gush Katif in Gaza.

This is The Bible in the News, and this is Paul Billington commenting on it again this week—the first edition in 2006. Well, it has been a very eventful week since we last talked, and the stand-off between Russia and the Ukraine over gas supply has been dominating the international news. As Russia turned off some of its taps, all Western Europe realized their dependence upon Russia for the supply of energy. It became clear just how vulnerable the whole of Europe has become to Russia’s whim. The fact is that as things stand, Russia is in a position to virtually strangle Europe into submission to her will, through energy supply. The outcry from Europe earlier this week may have resulted in Russia restoring supplies—but the point has been well made—and it won’t be lost on European leaders, though just what they can do about it is an open question.

Much of the news this last week has focussed upon Ariel Sharon who has been unconscious ever since his massive stroke a week ago. As was expected, his sudden removal from the political scene in Israel brought uncertainty and turmoil. With a General Election scheduled for this coming March, the whole future direction of the country seemed to enter a thick mist of unknown variables. All hopes for the future had been pinned on Ariel Sharon—the majority of Israelis (we are told) believed and trusted that this man would be the salvation of Israel: It all proves once again the truth of the Scriptures which declare: “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish” (Psalm 146:3-4).