Why is the violence we’re seeing today so much worse than in recent years?
The violence today between Israel and Gaza is the worst that there’s been since Operation Cast Lead four years ago. Israel right now is in an election season and the government is running on a platform of security and stability. It makes them look completely impotent if they can’t stop hundreds of rockets from raining down on their citizenry. The citizenry has a real demand for safety and security.
Also, from the perspective of the Israeli government, they want to change the rules of the game. They want to reestablish deterrence with Hamas – the kind of deterrence that has not existed in a number of years now. So they want to force Hamas to do things differently.
And I think on the Palestinian side, it’s the same, it’s the adverse calculation: that Hamas wants to show that despite the fact that it gets hit hard by Israel, it can continue to send rockets and they will not bow to the pressure being exerted on them from the other side…What we’ve learned is that until there is a regional solution, the bilateral violence cannot stop.
The International Crisis Group’s Robert Blecher, director of ICG’s Israel/Palestine Project
********************************************************************** Now listen to the Lord speaking through the Doctrine and Covenants, Sec 98:
V4, 8-17 “I, the Lord God, make you free, therefore ye are free indeed; and the law also maketh you free. Nevertheless, when the wicked rule the people mourn. Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil.
And I give unto you a commandment, that ye shall forsake all evil and cleave unto all good, that ye shall live by every word which proceedeth forth out of the mouth of God. For he will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept; and I will try you and prove you herewith. And whoso layeth down his life in my cause, for my name’s sake, shall find it again, even life eternal. Therefore, be not afraid of your enemies, for I have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant, even unto death, that you may be found worthy.
For if ye will not abide in my covenant ye are not worthy of me. Therefore, renounce war and proclaim peace, and seek diligently to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children; And again, the hearts of the Jews unto the prophets, and the prophets unto the Jews; lest I come and smite the whole earth with a curse, and all flesh be consumed before me. “
I think the message is clear: We are blessed when we strive for peace, we are protected by God. He will fight our fight for us when we follow His counsel. The righteous shall prosper with the Lord’s help IF they have faith, keep the commandments and uphold their part of covenants made with God. The unrighteous shall lose, their blessings withheld. None of those involved in this turmoil is seeking peaceful solutions and many innocent are paying the price for the desire of each party for revenge.
The Jews anciently did not listen to their prophets and numerous wars ensued throughout the centuries before Jesus was born on earth. Early prophets have testified about these conflicts, specifically Daniel 11, Isaiah 14-17 and 51, Ezekiel 25-28, 35-38,47, 1Kings 17-18, Zech 11-14, Joel 1, 2, 3:14, Amos 1-2, Jeremiah 47-49, Zephaniah 2, Zechariah 9-11 and 14, Psalm 83, Rev 16:-14-21, Doctrine and Covenants 29, 45, 77:15, 133, Teachings of Joseph Smith p.286). These verses also discuss the winding up period when Israel will be besieged by her enemies, prior to the Second Coming of Christ.
I am reminded of the opening of Psalm 83:
A Prayer for the Destruction of Israel’s Enemies
A Song or Psalm of Asaph.
1 Keep not thou silence, O God:
hold not thy peace,and be not still, O God.
2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult:
and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people,
and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of
Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent:
they are confederate against thee: KJV
These nations that Israel is fighting want the death of Israel and have wanted it since Israel became a nation in 1948. These nations blaspheme against peace. They embrace terror, destruction and war. But Israel is spiritually dead because it has not embraced its Savior, Jesus Christ (Yeshua), the Mashiach (Messiah) of the world. Read Ezekiel 37, written when the Jews returned to Israel from exile.
It looks like this Middle East war can be the spiritual turning point for Israel that will lead eventually to their acknowledging their Savior and Redeemer.
Acknowledgement for map to:trackingbibleprophecy.com by Amy Van Gerpen