THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND OF ISRAEL

An Open Letter

composed and written by Pastor Ewald Frank, and circulated in German, English, French and Russian

To
The President of the United States of America,
Mr. George Bush

The President of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics,
Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev

The President and to the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,
Mr. Richard von Weizsacker and Mr. Helmut Kohl

All Heads of State throughout the world
via their respective diplomatic representatives

April /May 1991

Subject: THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND OF ISRAEL

Since at the present time this subject is to an ever greater extend the focal point of intensive discussion, and since a forceful solution is liable to be sought, it is essential in such a crucial hour in world history to place an inescapably binding pronouncement of the Almighty on the agenda. Jews, Christians, and Moslems commonly believe in the Creator of heaven and earth, to Whom all men owe their earthly existence, and to Whom all God's children are indebted for Eternal Life. Concerning the people of Israel, He has in His Word made clear and definite decisions that are irrevocable and hence final, which were also respected by Mohammed (peace be unto him).

Kings, princes and other earthly rulers and systems change and disappear, but the King of kings and Lord of lords, the true helmsman of world history, remains from Eternity to Eternity. In the Bible He has thousands of times declared Himself as the God of Israel. It was he Who chose this people out of all other people and Who determined the borders of the Land of Israel. Whoever truly believes in Him is bound to respect that.

As determined by Him, of the twelve tribes of Israel, two-and-a-half tribes settled on the eastern side of the River Jordan, and nine-and-a-half tribes on the western side. Thus the question is not which areas of the present land surface in Israel should be given up, but, on the contrary, how much of present-day Arabic territory rightfully belongs to Israel. It is not Israel that occupies foreign territory, but, as follows from the quotations given below, precisely the reverse. Old maps provide convincing evidence for the exact geographical location and original course of the boundaries.

We will let God Himself speak on this subject from the Holy Scriptures, citing Moses who is recognised as a prophet alike by Jews, Christians and Moslems; likewise other prophets and also Mohammed (peace be unto him) from the Koran.

First, several quotations from the Bible:

"And Abraham said unto God, Oh, that Ishmael might live before thee!

And God said, Sarah, thy wife, shall bear thee a son indeed: and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

And as for Ishmael I have heard thee: behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly: twelve princes shall he beget, and l will make him a great nation." Genesis 17:18-20

"And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

Command the children of Israel and say unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan with the borders thereof" Numbers 34: 1-2

'The Lord our God spoke unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:

Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the

Amorites, and unto all the places near thereunto, in the Arabah, in the hills, and in the Shephelah, and in the Negev, and by the seaside, to the land of the Canaaniles, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

Behold, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them." Deuteronomy 1:6-8

Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your border be." Deuteronomy 11:2

"… on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto Mount Herman, and all the Arabah on the east…

… and Moses, the servant of the Lord gave it for a possession unto the Reubeniles, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh." Joshua 12: 1b+6b

"Now, therefore, divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh,

With whom the Reubeniles and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave them" Joshua 13:7-8

"And Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, whichMoses, the servant of the Lord, gave them." Joshua 18:7

But the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.

And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the nations, where the Lord shall lead you.

But if from there thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shall find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?

Unto thee it was shown, that thou mightest know that the Lord, he is God: there is none else beside hint

Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he showed thee his great fire, and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.

Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord, he is God tn heaven above, and upon the earth beneath, there is none else." Deuteronomy 4:20, 27, 29, 32, 35-36, 39

"For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel and set them in their own land: and the sojourners shall be joined with them, and they shall cling to the house of Jacob.

And the peoples shall take them and bring them to their place; and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord for servants and handmaids." Isaiah 14: 1-2a

"In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land.

Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt, my people, and Assyria, the work of my hands, and Israel, mine inheritance." Isaiah 19:24-25

"Yet now hear, O Jacob, my servant: and Israel whom I have chosen.

Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob, my servant: and thou,, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen." Isaiah 44:1-2

"For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people, Israel and Judah, saith the LORD, and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it" Jeremiah 30:3

"Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the coasts afar off, and say, He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.

For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.

Therefore, they shall come and sing in the height ofZion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord" Jeremiah 31:10- 12a

"Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, to which they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land." Ezekiel 37:21

"And the Lord shall inherilJudah as his portion in the holy land and shall choose Jerusalem again" Zechariah 2:12

Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Behold: I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country:

And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness." Zechariah 8:7-8

"And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the nations of the earth be gathered together against it.

In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be like David: and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them." Zechariah 12:3+8

"And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will smite all the peoples that have fought against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles." Zechariah 14:12+16

Next, quotations from the Koran:

"We gave unto Moses the Scripture, and We appointed it aguidance for the Children of Israel, saying : Choose no guardian beside Me." Surah XVII, 2

"Again, We gave the Scripture unto Moses, complete for him who would do good, an explanation of all things, a guidance and a mercy, that they might believe in the meeting with their Lord.

And this is a blessed Scripture which We have revealed. So follow it and ward off (evil), that ye may find mercy." Surah VI, 154+155

"And We bestowed upon him Isaac and Jacob; each of them We guided; and Noah did We guide aforetime; and of his seed (We guided) David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do We reward the good." Surah VI, 84

"And (remember) when Moses said unto his people: O my people! Remember Allah's favour unto you, how He placed among you prophets, and He made you kings, and gave you that (which) He gave not to any (other) of (His) creatures. O my people! Go into the holy land which Allah hath ordained for you. Turn not in flight, for surely ye turn back as losers." Surah V, 20+21

The last quotation cited here from the prophet Mohammed (peace be unto him) is exceptional and can be regarded as a prophecy, for it strikes at the heart of the matter with Israel. The 48 Moslem governments in the world are especially exhorted to believe and follow their prophet in this point also, in not opposing but supporting what he says. He has pronounced that this people shall enter into the Holy Land, as God has determined!

Nobody has the right to contest the assignment by God of this land, for God's determinations are valid not only for the past, but also for today and for ever. The philosophical viewpoint, that Modern Israel is not the former Israel, is based upon a desire not to feel bound by the expressed decisions of God and is self-deception.

In this document we especially appeal to the countries bordering on Israel, to President Assad of Syria and to King Hussein of Jordan, that they no longer maintain the artificial problem of the Palestinians, but absorb them into their immense territories.

No politician or religious leader has the right to advance hypotheses and try to enforce them if such run contrary to the decisions of the Living God. And no one will succeed with that.

It was one of the results of World War II, that millions of Germans and many others were driven from their ancestral homelands. None of them were kept for decades in camps, but were integrated into new lands. Even until now the most varied national groups have again and again been incorporated anew, after having had to leave their homeland for various reasons. Why are the Palestinians forcibly held in camps? Is that happening only in order to foment world opinion afresh against Israel?

The United Nations are herewith invited to respect God's established order for this region, and to be concerned that the Palestinian problem is solved within the limits fixed by the Highest Authority.

After the information provided in this letter, none of the responsible persons is left with any excuse. There is no political or religious authority in the whole world who could make bold to defy the Almighty without having to suffer the consequences.

All further discussion about this subject is really superfluous. We can rest assured, that what God has said in His Word will most certainly happen.

"Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

And I am very much displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

Therefore, thus saith the Lord: I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies; my house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts: My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad, and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem." Zechariah 1:14-17

Conclusion

If all parties, Jews, Christians, and Moslems should act according to their faith, this discussion could only be under the aspect to enlarge the territory of Israel, for many more Jews are to return into the land of their Inheritance as the coming of the Messiah draws near.

The blessing of God rests on all those who believe Him and respect His declared purposes. Whosoever blesses Israel will be blessed by the Almighty. The returning of Israel into the Promised Land of their fathers is not based on a political or Zionist decision, but rather on God's decision. May all ethnic groups in the Holy Land live together in peace to the honour of God.

Thus saith the Lord: "Fear not; for I am with thee. I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west

I will say to the north Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from Jar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth,

Even every one who is called by my name, for I have created him for my glory; I have formed him: yea, I have made him." Isaiah 43:5-7

„Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper who love thee.

Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.

For my brethren and companions' sokes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.

Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek thy good." Psalm 122:6-8

Shalom — Salaam

Rev. E. Frank

© Publisher: Pastor Ewald Frank, P. O. Box 905, 4150 Krefeld, Germany