…weep with those who weep.
– Romans 12:15
Today’s episode of Behind Blood Falls contains a personal message from the author.
A Nation Savaged
A small, white chair lies upended along an Israeli road among what was once the happy trappings of a planned picnic. Nearby, a car reamed with bullet holes sits deserted and soaked in blood. The family is gone, missing with hundreds of others in the wake of an early-morning attack upon Israel by the terrorist group Hamas.
The scope of the carnage upon the innocents unfolds in the following days. Video footage, broken survivors, and hollowed-eyed reporters document the brutality for the world to see.
The butchers of Gaza knew their opponent well.
Israel was caught flat-footed during the joyous celebration of Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah. Sukkot, or the Feast of Booths, had just ended. The two next festivals constituted a call for Israel to renew her connection with God and offer prayers for the rain of blessing and harvest, along with a joyous celebration of Torah. Israel marks these festivals with rest, dancing, singing, and praying for the Temple to be reestablished in Jerusalem. October 7, 2023, also happened to fall on Shabbat, or the Sabbath. Observant Jews had turned off their phones, effectively cutting off critical means to warn others of the assault.
Hamas entered by land, sea, and air in the early morning hours before dawn on October 7th. Their barbaric attack upon a peaceful citizenry stunned the world and sent shockwaves as far as the self-absorbed nation of the United States. We contemplate our open borders and hear the same butchers who chant Death to Israel! follow those words with Death to America!
Brothers in Pain
For days, we’ve been glued to the television at our house, consumed by alternating waves of grief, revulsion, and anger. The perspective is overwhelming. It’s very uncomfortable to sit in our comfortable homes and watch a nation we love suffer such loss. I’ve averted my eyes many times from the images of death. I couldn’t look upon such savagery and told myself it wasn’t necessary to see the pictures to empathize with the grief.
Then an Israeli acquaintance in Israel sent me photos. Some images were of the relief work being done there. Others were unfiltered photos of the brutal killing of Israelis. In that moment I realized he needed others to see what has been done to them. I needed to document with my own eyes the work of demons, to plumb the depths of the hatred poured out upon one people by another, to validate and share in the pain of our friends.
I can’t comprehend the trauma they have endured. But I know we are called to share in both their pain and their resolve. We can pray, send financial support, and let them know we stand with them against the forces of hell.
Know the times.
I have loved the Jewish people since my conversion to Jesus Christ in the seventies. We who are believers owe a great debt to the children of Jacob, for through Israel came our Deliverer. A Jewish carpenter wearing our crown of thorns shed His blood to ransom our souls from the evil one. We have been adopted into sonship through Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. The first church was comprised of Jewish believers. God has never abandoned His chosen people, and He never will.
In order to understand what is happening in the Middle East, it is vital to know God’s Word. The Lord tells us what to expect in the last days and at His coming. More than forty years ago, when I first studied Daniel and Revelation in the Bible, I couldn’t visualize the events prophesied in the Scriptures. Recently, I spent three and one-half years studying prophecy, current events, history, and science to write my Christian thriller Blood Falls. Often these studies brought me to a place of worship as the Spirit of God honored His promise in Revelation 1:3:
Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
In these last days, God has thrown open the doors to understanding the times.
Today, we are seeing truly world-shaking and Biblical events unfold. Nothing that happens on the world stage or in our own lives is random. God is the blessed controller of all things. He will deliver Israel through a time of great tribulation. As for us, He has declared:
But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
– Revelation 21:28
Thanks for allowing me to share my heart. Live each day like Jesus will return any moment. One day, He will.
– Pam Thorson
Coming next week: Like a Scroll
