 New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog |
|
This week, three prominent U.S. evangelical leaders visiting Israel told CBN News the decision by President Donald Trump to move the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is both historic and prophetic.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, brought a group of 200 supporters to Israel. Joining him on his tour was retired Army Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin and former Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.
Perkins told CBN News that by moving the U.S. Embassy, America is coming into line with the Bible.
"We're finally doing what we said we were going to do a quarter of a century ago, and that is to move our embassy to Jerusalem. And then on another level is, I think America is coming into alignment with biblical truth. I mean this is, it doesn't matter what the United States says—this is the capital, Jerusalem. It was bought and paid for. David declared it to be the capital of Israel, and so I think we're just coming into line and alignment with biblical truth," Boykin said.
Bachmann sees the move as a blessing to the United States.
"For the United States, what President Trump has done is put our country in a pathway of blessing because we are acting in conformity with Genesis 12:3: 'Those who bless Israel will be blessed; those who curse Israel will be cursed,' " she explained.
"We have blessed Israel as the United States of America because President Trump has recognized the legitimacy of the Jewish people to the Jewish land and the right to have Jerusalem as their capital," she continued. "All we are doing is agreeing with what God Himself said 3,000 years ago—that Jerusalem is the capital."
Boykin, who helped found the Delta Force, reflected on how Israel has grown and prospered as it celebrated its 70th anniversary on April 19 (on the Jewish calendar). He also revealed that Israel celebrated its birthday on his own.
"I'm the only one you're going to interview here that is going to say this to you. I was born on the 19th of April, 1948. That is very special. And that is very special because my mother always felt that I was born in 1948 and it had some spiritual significance," Boykin said.
"And if you talk to people like Anne Graham Lotz, who was born in May of '48, she feels the same way," he added. "So us Baby Boomers who were born in '48, especially in that April/May timeframe, we think there's something very prophetic about our birth dates."
As a military man, Boykin analyzed how a tiny nation birthed in 1948 could grow up to become a regional and world powerhouse.
"It's a miracle. No question about it. It's a miracle," he said. "Look, I'm a soldier. I've spent a lot of time here. I've spent a lot of time here with the IDF [Israel Defense Forces}. From the very beginning, they've been at war. They've had to fight five to seven neighbors at one time. They're in a daily battle for survival just to prevent terrorist attacks and so forth."
"It's a miracle. No question about it. It's a miracle," he said. "Look, I'm a soldier. I've spent a lot of time here. I've spent a lot of time here with the IDF [Israel Defense Forces}. From the very beginning, they've been at war. They've had to fight five to seven neighbors at one time. They're in a daily battle for survival just to prevent terrorist attacks and so forth."
"And there's no way they could have won those wars. They were outnumbered, grossly outnumbered," he noted. "There's no way they could have won those wars.
"So how do you explain that Israel is now 70 years old, that Israel is thriving, that tourism is growing, that this country is now being recognized even by its former enemies as being a powerful force and one they actually want to have an association with?" he asked. "How do you explain that?"
"It's just the hand of God," Boykins concluded. "This is God's chosen land as well as God's chosen people." 
