Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

Peace is one of life’s most precious possessions. Everyone wants it but not everyone has it or knows how to get it. Peace is not so much the absence of conflict as it is an inner state of the mind. A man can be at peace when all of the world around him is in shambles, as the reading of Paul’s prison epistles clearly demonstrate. Inasmuch as everyone has a quest for peace, let us see what the Bible tells us about how to attain it.

Peace Can Be Found By Obedience to the Lord’s Word

One of the blessings given to those who follow God’s word is “peace.” Consider the following precious promises from God’s word:

The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace (Psa. 29:11).

But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace…: Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace (Psa. 37:11, 37).

Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them”(Psa. 119:165).

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: be-cause he trusteth in thee (Isa. 26:3).

And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever (Isa. 32:17).

For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee…. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace (Prov. 3:2, 17).

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6).

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith (Gal. 5:22).

And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God (Gal. 6:16).

As we approach the subject of peace, we have the firm conviction that the greatest peace to be found in this life is found in obedience to the Lord’s word.

Peace Because All Is Right With God

One’s inner peace begins with the assurance that one is at peace with God. Eliphaz said, “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee” (Job 22:21). One attains his peach with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember these passages.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27).

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh (Eph. 2:14-17).

The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) (Acts 10:36).

When one obeys the gospel, he is appealing for God to forgive him of his sins so that he can be at peace with God (see 1 Pet. 3:21). Having found that peace that comes from knowing that all is right with God, one can say like David, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety” (Psa. 4:8).

Peace Because All Is Right With Oneself

A person must learn to live at peace with himself before he will have much peace with others. The idea of contentment is related to inner peace. Paul wrote, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phil. 4:11). Here is an inner peace that is not dependent upon outward circumstances.

A person can find inner contentment with the knowledge that he has a pure conscience. A person needs a good conscience to have inner peace (1 Tim. 1:5).

A person will find peace with himself only after he learns to be content with his wages (Luke 3:14). Solomon wrote, “He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live” (Prov. 15:27). The greedy will never find that inner contentment associated with peace. Paul taught men to be content with the necessities of life. He said, “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (1 Tim. 6:8). The author of Hebrews added, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5). Much of our absence of peace is created by greed, covetousness, lack of trust in God’s providence, and other manifestations of a weak faith.

Much inner peace is lost because men have such high, unreasonable goals that they can never accomplish the goals they set before themselves. Interruptions interfere with their attaining their goals and create turmoil in their life. People  even those whom they love, such as the wife and children  are thrown aside in the quest to achieve unrealistic goals. One throws away his inner peace to sacrifice himself on the altar of his own ambitions.

Peace Because All Is Right With Those Around Us

The Bible exhorts men to live at peace with one’s fellowman.

Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it (1 Pet. 3:11).

Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltiness, where with will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another (Mark 9:50).

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom. 14:17).

Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another (Rom. 14:19).

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints (1 Cor. 14:33).

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful (Col. 3:15).

And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves (1 Thess. 5:13).

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord (Heb. 12:14).

When we learn to identify the things that disturb the peace, we can work toward correcting it. Here are some things that disturb peace among brethren: offences (whether intended or unintended), sinful attitudes such as arrogance, condescension, bitterness, malice, hatred, strife, sedition, etc.

A person cannot always control the circumstances about him. However, he can find more peace by focusing on his own attitudes toward those circumstances. Here are some things one can do:

 Develop a sense of self-esteem that enables one to look at himself and know that he has done all that he can to promote and keep the peace. Not even Jesus was able to live at peace with all men. Remember that they crucified him! Paul wrote, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Rom. 12:18). One must not God. Eliphaz said, “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee” (Job 22:21). One attains his peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember these passages: allow his own inner peace to await the approval of every-one about him. It will never come.

 Be considerate of the feelings of others. Learn to be concerned, not only with what you want, but also with what others wish. “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Phil. 2:3-4). Selfishness destroys peace.

 Be forebearing (Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:13).

 Go the second mile (Matt. 5:41).

 Pass over an infraction. “The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression” (Prov. 19:11).

 Forgive those who sin against you (Matt. 6:12-15).

 Be obliging. Be ready to forego the use of your liberties for the sake of peace (see 1 Cor. 8:10-12). What is the joy of getting one’s way if it leads to confusion and trouble accompanies it?

 Avoid known sources of trouble. “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul” (Prov. 22:24-25).

Conclusion

When a person does these things, the Lord has promised to give him peace. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). Moses wrote, “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace” (Num. 6:24-26).

(Some of the ideas for this article are taken from the lesson “Seek Peace and Pursue It” from Better Than Medicine by Leroy Brownlow.)

Guardian of Truth XL: 6 p. 2
March 21, 1996

By Randy Blackaby

As God and Scripture are rejected by an ever widening segment of our population so is the biblical concept that man is created in the image of God and filled with spirit and soul. The loss of such ancient truths has led to the gross trivialization of life and an undervaluing of this greatest of human assets.

Certainly this is reflected in our millions of abortion murders. But it also is seen in the killings perpetrated by anti-abortion zealots. Increasing suicide among teens, the popularity of entertainment that depicts savage and bloody killings, and the increasing approval given to so-called “mercy killings” all give evidence to a change in American thinking about the value of life.

This trivialization of human life is not new. It was and is a common part of pagan life. But it is new to a nation, such as ours, which originally was built on biblical principles. Our changing view of life is evidence of our own paganization.

Justified nearly every day by politicians, talk show hosts, collegians and sometimes “religious” leaders is the idea that life must be pleasant and enjoyable to be valuable. If a newborn will “burden” its parent(s) or have a chance of living a less-than-ideal existence, today’s pagans justify killing the infant in the womb. It would not have had a “quality life,” they say.

When mom and dad grow old, when granddad and grandma require more help than they produce, it is only sensible to put them out of their misery like we would Rover or Spot. At least that is the Dr. Jack Kevorkian view.

The role of suffering in human development is totally misunderstood. Patience in tribulation is a mystery unknown. Life is considered only from the selfish perspective of the immediate.

I wonder how Job would have fared had he lived in the last decade of the 20th Century. Would his three friends have come to comfort him or shoot him? Would Job have searched for the purpose and meaning of human suffering or would he have called Dr. Death?

If God offered his own Son to live a life of suffering and to ultimately die for our benefit, what does that say about the value God places on human life? Jesus himself said it best. “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Perhaps we had better listen to what he had to say.

Guardian of Truth XL: 6 p. 3
March 21, 1996

By Jim Gabbard

Philip of Macedon might never have been heard of in history and his illustrious son, Alexander the Great, might have gone as an unknown but to a few except for the discovery of much gold in the area of Thessalonica, with which Philip built an army that eventually defeated the Medes, and if they had not lived in proximity to the life of Jesus Christ. Alexander was tutored by Aristotle and be-came a high genius, especially in terms of military strategy. He marched through Palestine in 332 and took it all.

The Maccabees

The Hasmonean family of Jewish patriots, Mattathias and his sons, Judas (The Hammer), Jonathan, Simon, and John, challenged the Greeks in 168 B.C., at which time one of the Greek officials, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, offered a pig on the altar in Jerusalem. The Maccabees fought for and won their independence and established a Jewish state which would last until 63 B.C., at which time the Roman General, Pompey, marched in with his army. The Jews were defeated, many killed, many carted off to Rome as prisoners to be displayed before the public.

From Christ to the Gulf War

The Romans continued to rule Palestine and oppress the Jews until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Herod the Great ruled as king from 37 to 4 B.C., during the latter end of which rule Jesus Christ was born (Matt. 2: 1). Herod’s son, Archelius, ruled as Tetrarch (governor of the fourth part of a region) to 6 A.D., from which time governors called Procurators ruled until 70 A.D. There was a short exception in their rule, Herod Agrippa ruled as king from 41 to his death in 44; God killed him for claiming God’s glory for himself (Acts 12:23). Among the procurators were Pontius Pilate (26-36 A.D.), Antonius Felix (52-58 A.D.), and Portius Festus (58-62 A.D.).

Jesus came into the world in the fullness of time for the purpose of saving fallen man (a continuous part of God’s scheme of human redemption). He was rejected by the Jews for a number of reasons just as many of the prophets be-fore him had been rejected and as the apostles who followed him would be rejected. For their rejection God totally destroyed the city of Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D. using the Roman army as agency.

The Destruction of Jerusalem

There was a constant uproar between the Jews and the Romans during the entire period 63 to 68 A.D., at which time Nero, shortly before he himself would commit suicide, ordered a Roman army under the command of Vespasian into Palestine with instructions to solve the Jewish problem. After Nero died, Vespasican had to go back to Rome to settle the uproar there, but sent in his son, Titus to finish off the Jews. The prophecy of Jesus in Matthew 24, that not one stone of the temple would be left upon another had come to pass.

Hadrian Banishes Jews from Jerusalem

In 132 A.D. the Roman Emperor Hadrian banned the practice of circumcision and Jewish Sabbath keeping. He rebuilt the city of Jerusalem but renamed it Aelia Capitolina. He was attacked by an uprising of Jews led by a false Messiah named Simon bar Kohba, who tried to bring about a revolt that failed. No Jew was allowed in Aelia Capitolina on the pain of death for the next five hundred years.

The Byzantine Period

Constantine became emperor of Rome in 324 A.D. In 330 the capital was moved from Rome to Byzantium, which was renamed Constantinople (presently Istanbul, Turkey) in Constantine’s honor. Constantine is said to have been converted to Christianity (actually he gradually adopted his new religion from paganism from 312 to 324 A D.). He proclaimed Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, which had a very great effect on history.

Helena, the mother of Constantine, wanted Jerusalem restored and made a Christian city. She built many shrines and religious buildings, including the church of the Holy Sepulcher, on the site where many believed that Jesus had been buried.

By the fifth century the Roman Empire divided and the eastern half became the Byzantine Empire, with its capital in Constantinople, and Rome becoming the capital of the western Roman Empire. The Jews were permitted to enter Jerusalem and pray on the Temple Mount on the anniversary of the destruction of the temple. By the middle of the fifth century Jerusalem was recognized as a patriarchate equal in status to Constantinople, Alexandria, Rome, and Antioch. In 614 A.D. the Persians conquered the land, massacred the people, and destroyed the church buildings. In 629 A.D. the Byzantine emperor Heraclius reconquered Jerusalem.

The Early Moslem Period (638-1099)

Just nine years hence the Moslems moved back in and took over. They permitted the Jews and those who called themselves Christians to worship as they chose. The Jews were able to return to Jerusalem. In 660 to 750 a Moslem Dynasty called the Umayyad reigned. During this time Mohammed made a journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, he claimed, on his winged horse Al-buraq. His sojourn on the Temple Mount, in their eyes, made it holy. Caliph Abd el-Malik was commissioned to build a mosque, the Dome of the Rock, on the temple mount, which was started in 688 and finished in 691. It still stands there as a great oppression to the Jews. This site is considered by the Moslems to be their third holiest.

The Period of the Crusaders (1099-1244)

Pope Urban II could hardly abide the conditions in the Holy Land and persuaded the Crusaders to go to Palestine to liberate it from the Moslems. In five weeks of siege, they were able to capture Jerusalem, which they called the capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Many noblemen and bourgeoisie from Europe settled in Jerusalem and began to turn mosques into church buildings and build new church buildings and monasteries. They would not permit Jews and Moslems to live in Jerusalem but permitted them to visit, for a period of eighty-eight years.

The Ayyubid Arabs Fight Back (1187-1192)

Under the Moslem General Saladin, who founded the Ayyubid dynasty, Jerusalem was recaptured, the cross which had been erected on top of the Dome of the Rock was take down, and many church buildings were turned into mosques. Jews were permitted to return to Jerusalem, and many came in from such places as North Africa, England, France, Russia, and other places.

Not to be outdone, at least for now, the Crusaders also fought back. Richard the Lion-Hearted (1192) and Phillip Auguste of France took the area and the city of Jerusalem back. But Jerusalem was divided with part, including the Temple Mount, remaining in Moslem hands, while the Crusaders ruled the remainder of the city. But they lost the city again in 1244.

The Mumluk Period (1260-1517)

Armies from Central Asia, called Mumluks, moved in 1260 and conquered Jerusalem. These were the new rulers in Egypt also. They held out until 1517.

The Ottoman Turks (1517-1917)

The Ottoman empire had enlarged greatly and became every powerful. It held Constantinople, Asia Minor, parts of Europe and the Balkans, Egypt, Syria, and added Pales-tine to its rule in 1517. Jerusalem was taken from the Mumluks and it was Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent who now called the terms and defined the walls of Jerusalem. When he died the Jews were able to move in and build the Jewish quarter along the Zion Gate. With help from their friends, the Jews established learning centers in Jerusalem and other places.

A sad event occurred beginning in 1832: Mohammed Ali of Egypt cleared all the trees in the region for wood with which to build ships. To his credit, he had a liberal attitude toward other groups and allowed a myriad of activities such as missions, schools, foreign consulates, archeological digs, and generally allowed much western influence into Jerusalem. Zionism, a political movement among the Jews sprang up in Europe sometime in the late 1800s with a goal to create a homeland for Jewish people in Pales-tine. Jews infiltrated in large numbers from Europe and Russia with high hopes of a free state for Jews. The first Zionist Congress was held in 1897 in Basil, Switzerland

The British Mandate (1917-1948)

The great Arab dream of ruling the world came to an end on 9 December 1917 when the British under Field Marshal Edmund H.H. Allenby marched into Jerusalem and pronounced it the capital of the country. The Belfour Declaration raised high hopes for the Jews when it promised them an establishment of a national home. The Jews and Arabs clashed in 1920 and again in 1929, though violently, it was indecisive. Open war broke out in 1936 when the Arabs rebelled and fighting for control of Jerusalem continued until 1939.

Adolph Hitler systematically murdered six million Jews between 1939 and 1945. When World War II ended sentiment was greatly in favor of a Jewish homeland, in every quarter of the world. Tensions mounted greatly between Jews and Arabs so that the United Nations intervened in 1947 and voted thirty-three to thirteen to divide Palestine into two parts west of the Jordan River, one for Jews and one for Arabs. The Jews accepted, but the Arabs rejected the plan.

The State of Israel (14 May 1948)

British and Americans were in agreement for the British to withdraw which they did on 14 May 1948, at which time the Jews declared an independent State of Israel. Israel was immediately attacked by Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt. By December, Israel had put them all away and was able to declare victory and independence. Jordan held part of the West Bank and part of Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. Egypt held on to the Gaza Strip. A cease fire agreement was reached in January 1949, with Jerusalem being partitioned. Jordan had all the shrines and the old city.

Israel had to make ready for nearly a million immigrants from more than 100 countries during the next decade. The Jews were willing for a trade-off, tough living conditions for a homeland. The land was converted from a desert to an agricultural near-miracle.

More War (1956)

The Sinai campaign was fought in 1956 between Israel and Egypt but didn’t last long. Israel had won, but agreed to pull back for a guarantee of free flow through the Straits of Iran and the Gulf of Elat.

The Six Day War (1967)

On 5 June 1967, the Six-Day war broke out, in which Israel took the Golan Heights, Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. Jerusalem was now in Jewish hands and they could again weep at the Wailing Wall.

The Yom Kippur War (1973)

Yom Kippur means Day of Atonement, which is Israel’s highest of holy days, and was the date set for Syria on one end and Egypt on the other (1973) to attack Israel. Israel again made rather short work of the enemy. In three weeks both were defeated and a precarious peace agreement was signed.

Egypt and Israel Come to Terms (1978)

In September 1978, Menahem Beagan of Israel, and Anwar Sadat of Egypt, signed a peace treaty returning the Sinai to Egypt. Israel launched a campaign through Lebanon on 6 June 1982 to root out the forces of the Palestine Liberation Organization and its threat to her territories.

Desert Storm (1991)

Israel was again attacked with missiles during the Middle East Gulf war between Iraq and a coalition of nations headed by the United States. Israel was not part of the coalition and restrained from entering the war, which came to an end in six weeks.

Yitzhak Rabin (1923-1995)

Although the opposition conservative party led by Benjamin Natanyahu strongly resisted it, the Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin was making progress negotiating with the Palestine Liberation Organization to return the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to Palestinians. He was cut down on 3 July 1995 by a young law student named Yigal Amir with three close range pistol shots. Shirnon Peres, who once served as Prime Minister and was at the time, Foreign Minister became new Prime Minister and vows to continue the peace process.

Guardian of Truth XL: 6 p. 10-11
March 21, 1996

By Jim Gabbard

Philip of Macedon might never have been heard of in history and his illustrious son, Alexander the Great, might have gone as an unknown but to a few except for the discovery of much gold in the area of Thessalonica, with which Philip built an army that eventually defeated the Medes, and if they had not lived in proximity to the life of Jesus Christ. Alexander was tutored by Aristotle and be-came a high genius, especially in terms of military strategy. He marched through Palestine in 332 and took it all.

The Maccabees

The Hasmonean family of Jewish patriots, Mattathias and his sons, Judas (The Hammer), Jonathan, Simon, and John, challenged the Greeks in 168 B.C., at which time one of the Greek officials, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, offered a pig on the altar in Jerusalem. The Maccabees fought for and won their independence and established a Jewish state which would last until 63 B.C., at which time the Roman General, Pompey, marched in with his army. The Jews were defeated, many killed, many carted off to Rome as prisoners to be displayed before the public.

From Christ to the Gulf War

The Romans continued to rule Palestine and oppress the Jews until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Herod the Great ruled as king from 37 to 4 B.C., during the latter end of which rule Jesus Christ was born (Matt. 2: 1). Herod’s son, Archelius, ruled as Tetrarch (governor of the fourth part of a region) to 6 A.D., from which time governors called Procurators ruled until 70 A.D. There was a short exception in their rule, Herod Agrippa ruled as king from 41 to his death in 44; God killed him for claiming God’s glory for himself (Acts 12:23). Among the procurators were Pontius Pilate (26-36 A.D.), Antonius Felix (52-58 A.D.), and Portius Festus (58-62 A.D.).

Jesus came into the world in the fullness of time for the purpose of saving fallen man (a continuous part of God’s scheme of human redemption). He was rejected by the Jews for a number of reasons just as many of the prophets be-fore him had been rejected and as the apostles who followed him would be rejected. For their rejection God totally destroyed the city of Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D. using the Roman army as agency.

The Destruction of Jerusalem

There was a constant uproar between the Jews and the Romans during the entire period 63 to 68 A.D., at which time Nero, shortly before he himself would commit suicide, ordered a Roman army under the command of Vespasian into Palestine with instructions to solve the Jewish problem. After Nero died, Vespasican had to go back to Rome to settle the uproar there, but sent in his son, Titus to finish off the Jews. The prophecy of Jesus in Matthew 24, that not one stone of the temple would be left upon another had come to pass.

Hadrian Banishes Jews from Jerusalem

In 132 A.D. the Roman Emperor Hadrian banned the practice of circumcision and Jewish Sabbath keeping. He rebuilt the city of Jerusalem but renamed it Aelia Capitolina. He was attacked by an uprising of Jews led by a false Messiah named Simon bar Kohba, who tried to bring about a revolt that failed. No Jew was allowed in Aelia Capitolina on the pain of death for the next five hundred years.

The Byzantine Period

Constantine became emperor of Rome in 324 A.D. In 330 the capital was moved from Rome to Byzantium, which was renamed Constantinople (presently Istanbul, Turkey) in Constantine’s honor. Constantine is said to have been converted to Christianity (actually he gradually adopted his new religion from paganism from 312 to 324 A D.). He proclaimed Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, which had a very great effect on history.

Helena, the mother of Constantine, wanted Jerusalem restored and made a Christian city. She built many shrines and religious buildings, including the church of the Holy Sepulcher, on the site where many believed that Jesus had been buried.

By the fifth century the Roman Empire divided and the eastern half became the Byzantine Empire, with its capital in Constantinople, and Rome becoming the capital of the western Roman Empire. The Jews were permitted to enter Jerusalem and pray on the Temple Mount on the anniversary of the destruction of the temple. By the middle of the fifth century Jerusalem was recognized as a patriarchate equal in status to Constantinople, Alexandria, Rome, and Antioch. In 614 A.D. the Persians conquered the land, massacred the people, and destroyed the church buildings. In 629 A.D. the Byzantine emperor Heraclius reconquered Jerusalem.

The Early Moslem Period (638-1099)

Just nine years hence the Moslems moved back in and took over. They permitted the Jews and those who called themselves Christians to worship as they chose. The Jews were able to return to Jerusalem. In 660 to 750 a Moslem Dynasty called the Umayyad reigned. During this time Mohammed made a journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, he claimed, on his winged horse Al-buraq. His sojourn on the Temple Mount, in their eyes, made it holy. Caliph Abd el-Malik was commissioned to build a mosque, the Dome of the Rock, on the temple mount, which was started in 688 and finished in 691. It still stands there as a great oppression to the Jews. This site is considered by the Moslems to be their third holiest.

The Period of the Crusaders (1099-1244)

Pope Urban II could hardly abide the conditions in the Holy Land and persuaded the Crusaders to go to Palestine to liberate it from the Moslems. In five weeks of siege, they were able to capture Jerusalem, which they called the capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Many noblemen and bourgeoisie from Europe settled in Jerusalem and began to turn mosques into church buildings and build new church buildings and monasteries. They would not permit Jews and Moslems to live in Jerusalem but permitted them to visit, for a period of eighty-eight years.

The Ayyubid Arabs Fight Back (1187-1192)

Under the Moslem General Saladin, who founded the Ayyubid dynasty, Jerusalem was recaptured, the cross which had been erected on top of the Dome of the Rock was take down, and many church buildings were turned into mosques. Jews were permitted to return to Jerusalem, and many came in from such places as North Africa, England, France, Russia, and other places.

Not to be outdone, at least for now, the Crusaders also fought back. Richard the Lion-Hearted (1192) and Phillip Auguste of France took the area and the city of Jerusalem back. But Jerusalem was divided with part, including the Temple Mount, remaining in Moslem hands, while the Crusaders ruled the remainder of the city. But they lost the city again in 1244.

The Mumluk Period (1260-1517)

Armies from Central Asia, called Mumluks, moved in 1260 and conquered Jerusalem. These were the new rulers in Egypt also. They held out until 1517.

The Ottoman Turks (1517-1917)

The Ottoman empire had enlarged greatly and became every powerful. It held Constantinople, Asia Minor, parts of Europe and the Balkans, Egypt, Syria, and added Pales-tine to its rule in 1517. Jerusalem was taken from the Mumluks and it was Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent who now called the terms and defined the walls of Jerusalem. When he died the Jews were able to move in and build the Jewish quarter along the Zion Gate. With help from their friends, the Jews established learning centers in Jerusalem and other places.

A sad event occurred beginning in 1832: Mohammed Ali of Egypt cleared all the trees in the region for wood with which to build ships. To his credit, he had a liberal attitude toward other groups and allowed a myriad of activities such as missions, schools, foreign consulates, archeological digs, and generally allowed much western influence into Jerusalem. Zionism, a political movement among the Jews sprang up in Europe sometime in the late 1800s with a goal to create a homeland for Jewish people in Pales-tine. Jews infiltrated in large numbers from Europe and Russia with high hopes of a free state for Jews. The first Zionist Congress was held in 1897 in Basil, Switzerland

The British Mandate (1917-1948)

The great Arab dream of ruling the world came to an end on 9 December 1917 when the British under Field Marshal Edmund H.H. Allenby marched into Jerusalem and pronounced it the capital of the country. The Belfour Declaration raised high hopes for the Jews when it promised them an establishment of a national home. The Jews and Arabs clashed in 1920 and again in 1929, though violently, it was indecisive. Open war broke out in 1936 when the Arabs rebelled and fighting for control of Jerusalem continued until 1939.

Adolph Hitler systematically murdered six million Jews between 1939 and 1945. When World War II ended sentiment was greatly in favor of a Jewish homeland, in every quarter of the world. Tensions mounted greatly between Jews and Arabs so that the United Nations intervened in 1947 and voted thirty-three to thirteen to divide Palestine into two parts west of the Jordan River, one for Jews and one for Arabs. The Jews accepted, but the Arabs rejected the plan.

The State of Israel (14 May 1948)

British and Americans were in agreement for the British to withdraw which they did on 14 May 1948, at which time the Jews declared an independent State of Israel. Israel was immediately attacked by Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt. By December, Israel had put them all away and was able to declare victory and independence. Jordan held part of the West Bank and part of Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. Egypt held on to the Gaza Strip. A cease fire agreement was reached in January 1949, with Jerusalem being partitioned. Jordan had all the shrines and the old city.

Israel had to make ready for nearly a million immigrants from more than 100 countries during the next decade. The Jews were willing for a trade-off, tough living conditions for a homeland. The land was converted from a desert to an agricultural near-miracle.

More War (1956)

The Sinai campaign was fought in 1956 between Israel and Egypt but didn’t last long. Israel had won, but agreed to pull back for a guarantee of free flow through the Straits of Iran and the Gulf of Elat.

The Six Day War (1967)

On 5 June 1967, the Six-Day war broke out, in which Israel took the Golan Heights, Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. Jerusalem was now in Jewish hands and they could again weep at the Wailing Wall.

The Yom Kippur War (1973)

Yom Kippur means Day of Atonement, which is Israel’s highest of holy days, and was the date set for Syria on one end and Egypt on the other (1973) to attack Israel. Israel again made rather short work of the enemy. In three weeks both were defeated and a precarious peace agreement was signed.

Egypt and Israel Come to Terms (1978)

In September 1978, Menahem Beagan of Israel, and Anwar Sadat of Egypt, signed a peace treaty returning the Sinai to Egypt. Israel launched a campaign through Lebanon on 6 June 1982 to root out the forces of the Palestine Liberation Organization and its threat to her territories.

Desert Storm (1991)

Israel was again attacked with missiles during the Middle East Gulf war between Iraq and a coalition of nations headed by the United States. Israel was not part of the coalition and restrained from entering the war, which came to an end in six weeks.

Yitzhak Rabin (1923-1995)

Although the opposition conservative party led by Benjamin Natanyahu strongly resisted it, the Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin was making progress negotiating with the Palestine Liberation Organization to return the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to Palestinians. He was cut down on 3 July 1995 by a young law student named Yigal Amir with three close range pistol shots. Shirnon Peres, who once served as Prime Minister and was at the time, Foreign Minister became new Prime Minister and vows to continue the peace process.

Guardian of Truth XL: 6 p. 10-11
March 21, 1996