Sharon's Prophecy

During the past US presidential election, President Barak Obama chose Egypt as his first foreign destination and Governor Romney made his election promise to first visit Israel. There could not have been a more starkly defined difference between the prophetic views of these two leaders. Obama believing he possessed the capacity to alter facts on the ground by redefining the Islamic ideal and Romney believing Israel represents the ideal.

In a previous article I emphasized the present day cold war that is masked by the Arab Spring and implored readers not to be fooled by Russia’s role in Syria, Iran or their historical engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan. It struck me that a result of the economic competition between the Soviet Union and the Allied forces at the end of the Second World War was the wall that divided Berlin and Germany for more than 40 years. It also became apparent that the German wall enabled a cultural and political divide that may bear some relationship to the wall built by Israel’s previous Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

For many years I have questioned why Sharon, despite all of his policy statements and political ambitions unanimously reversed everything he apparently stood for to build the wall that today divides Israel and Jerusalem. Was it security, demographics, immigration? I asked these questions over and over again sometimes of his closest advisers. I tried on many occasions to discover the justifications for his action including his resolve as Prime Minister to walk on the Temple Mount in a declaration of Jewish sovereignty over the sacred site. Recently, whilst considering Russia’s role in the Syrian conflict, I found an answer that may just have motivated him to act so boldly and it may have a bearing on Obama, the 44th President.

Notwithstanding Israel’s direct efforts to dispel Iran, Russia’s recent $4bn arms deal with Iraq is indicative of shifting alignments endorsed by the USA to share trading benefits to deter Russian insistence on continuing Syrian and Iranian trade. In return its likely the Russians have agreed to reduce their support to those countries - a fact that may become apparent and pivotal in months to come.

Thinking through the Sharon era, I am increasingly convinced he considered that Russian economic pursuit would fuel Middle East geopolitics including by their using Israel as a scapegoat for improving Russian arms trade. The pent up Muslim fervor orchestrated around the Palestinian issue that fueled Israel’s second intifada and that which inspired and followed 9/11, provoked President Bush to alter the balance of power in the region. Since settlement of such a war would require declaration of land and economic rights for the prevailing parties, its possible "Sharon’s wall", built in advance of the encroaching cold war, would declare Israels future concession before serious conflict arose. Thus, it would take the wind out of the Islamic insurgency's sails.

In actual fact, Sharon’s wall may eventually lead to conditions for unification of Israel and Jerusalem in much the same way East and West German constituents demanded of Reagan and Gorbachev. The 45th President of the USA is likely to preside at a time when future conditions for lasting peace truly emerge. There is an ancient Jewish prophecy and teaching that the 45th King of Edom, considered to be the leader over the people of the USA, will inaugurate over the final process of Jewish redemption. This heralds a time of great hope and lasting prosperity in the world. We hope and pray!

See my most recent article - Israel's Forthcoming Miracle!

Solving the Riddle of Beit-El and Beit-el - Part 2.

At Pesach I wrote an article  explaining the Haftorah of the second day hints at important aspects that could help to locate Beit El, which relates to the final redemption of the Jewish people. The haftorah of last day Sukkot outside of Israel, in many ways the mirror of Pesach in the Jewish Calendar, tells the story of Joshua leading Israel’s return to redeem their land.

Motivated by the deepest convictions, the nation, Israel after enduring 250 years of exile were finally returning. The first alien city encountered, once the nation crossed the Jordan River into the defined borders of its land, was Jericho, which as commanded by God was to be destroyed entirely. Its the second city of Ay (Ai) that Israel was commanded to attack that presents a particular interest to the theory proposed.

As described in the image above, (1) under the cover of darkness Joshua led an army of 30,000 men up the Judean mountains to (2) a camp below, or south of the then Canaanite city home to Beit El. Before daybreak, Joshua moved 25,000 through the valley between Beit El and Ai (today known as the Kidron Valley), where (5) a rear guard ambush party of 5000 troops remained, whilst the balance (3) climbed to the top of the hill (to the north - today known as Mount of Olives) across the valley that separated them from the city of Ai. At daybreak Joshua crossed the valley to taunt the guards and residents of the city, who on a previous occasion had successfully chased Joshua’s, much smaller, first invading party. The gates of the city were open and a similar pursuit soon began, only this time Joshua planned it to be a trap. By the time the army of Ai and Beit El had chased (6) Israel some distance, the ambush party (5) came up the rear attacking the city and setting it alight. Once the pursuers of Ai saw and realized their city was burning, they retreated and in their retreat, Joshua turned his retreating troops on them. In a pincer movement they were trapped between Israel’s main army and Israel’s rear guard ambush troop. The people of Ai were defeated and the city destroyed.

Looking South East toward Ai circled in the background

The suggestion here is a significant departure from the confusion brought by King Yerovam, which has plagued the Jewish people for thousands of years. An adoption of this theory would require a reconsideration of many previous interpretations. Centering the source of Israel’s holy connection to the location at the correct Beit El at the Canaanite city that became the City of David has been a long time coming.