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Israel, Canada & Bible Prophecy
Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, heads to Israel
January 18, 2014 - Audio, 8.50 MIN
(Links at bottom of page to download free viewers.)
As the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, heads to Israel this week-end, the Canadian press is engaging in the controversy of Zion with vigour. The super critical Globe and Mail says that the Canadians will be deluded by the Israelis, and will only see what the Israelis want them to see. But whether the Toronto-based Globe and Mail approves or not, Harper and about 200 delegates are visiting Israel and will make a clear commitment to support the Jewish State.
 Hello, this is Paul Billington speaking from Ontario in Canada where there is a great deal of argument going on about the Government’s friendship with Israel.
It is not without significance that Canada’s Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, has declared “Israel will always have Canada.” Harper stressed that Israel, Canada and the western world share threats. He said: “We understand the future of our country depends on having a free and democratic state in the Middle East.” The chairman of the Jewish organization (the J.N.F.) termed it an “unprecedented show of support.” Harper emphasized “Israel will always have Canada.”
In a televised video message the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said:
“Stephen doesn’t follow the herd. He has stood up for the truth, time and time again.”
“Stephen doesn’t want to be politically correct, he wants to be correct. He had the courage to stand up for what he believed,” Netanyahu said. “I salute you Stephen, not only as a personal friend, and a friend of Israel but as a great leader.”
A Biblical Perspective
The development of this friendship between Israel and Canada illustrates once again the reliability of Bible prophecy; it also demonstrates that the understanding of prophecy that has been held by many for over 160 years is a true representation of what has been written in the Prophets. As far back as 1849 the book entitled Elpis Israel commented upon Ezekiel 38:13 which reads:
“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee (Israel), Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?”
The book, “Elpis Israel” (that is, Greek for ‘The Hope of Israel’) commented: “The merchants of Tarshish and its young lions, identified as the British power.” (For confirmation of this identification, see The Bible Magazine Vol. 26, No. 4).
Now if Britain is identified as being the Tarshish here, who are the merchants? Historically, Britain’s “merchants” were those far-off countries with whom she traded and developed into colonies - countries like India (a candidate for the eastern “Tarshish” of Scripture). It has been customary to see Britain (Tarshish) itself as the merchants referred to. The ancient Tarshish of Scripture traded with Tyre. Ezekiel 27:12 reads:
“Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs”.
But trade is a two-way street. The Tarshish of Ezekiel 27 would both produce their metals and trade them for some other commodity. The Revised Version reads “they traded for thy wares.” We know that Tyre traded her purple cloth in exchange for the products of the colonies. She is described as being “a merchant of the people for many isles” Chapter 27:3 reads,
“The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants: they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold” (27:22).
Here, both Sheba and Tyre are called merchants - they traded with each other. The mariners of Tyre did the shipping as well as being a merchant city. Britain is the latter-day counterpart of ancient Tyre and she has traded her merchandise for tea, cocoa, jute, ivory, furs, precious metals etc, etc. The British merchant navy took care of the shipping as she traded with India, Africa, Australia and British North America.
In North America,
The Hudson’s Bay Company was incorporated by English royal charter in 1670 as “The Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson’s Bay” and it functioned as the de facto government in parts of North America before European states and later the United States laid claim to some of those territories. From its long-time headquarters at York Factory on Hudson Bay, the company controlled the fur trade throughout much of the English and later British controlled North America for several centuries. Undertaking early exploration, its traders and trappers forged early relationships with many groups of aboriginal peoples, and its network of trading posts formed the nucleus for later official authority in many areas of Western Canada and the United States.
The Dominion of Canada (1867), though now known simply as Canada, is still a member of the British Commonwealth with Queen Elizabeth II as monarch. So Canada was, and still is a merchant of Britain/Tarshish, having become independent through the Statute of Westminster in 1931.
 In short, this means that Canada is today an independent “young lion” as defined by the words of Ezekiel 38:13. So Canada is to fulfill its role in protesting against the invasion of Israel by the Russo-European “Gog” of Ezekiel 38. Recent statements by the Canadian Prime Minister places Canada in a leading position among the Sheba, Dedan, Tarshish alliance of the latter days. It may be that her courage and leadership in this matter will encourage other “young lions” such as Australia to adopt a similar position. Perhaps, in time, the old lion itself will be moved into standing up against Israel’s enemies. Not only is Canada’s Prime Minister about to visit Israel, but The Jerusalem Post (December 11, 2013) reports that the British Prime Minister David Cameron also plans to visit the country. With Russia seeking to replace the United States in the Middle East Britain and her “young lions” are perhaps waking up to the fact that they must support their allies east of Suez. It is 40 years since the Labour Government of Britain ordered the withdrawal of British forces from the region, but times have now changed. Prophecy clearly teaches that the Arabian States (Sheba and Dedan) together with Britain and her family of nations will seek to support Israel against the aggressors. However the case may be, we know that Israel’s ultimate salvation will not come from her would-be protectors, it will come from the God of Israel working through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
An illustrated presentation on this subject is to be given in Brantford, Ontario, on Thursday evening, January 23rd (God willing) at the Brantford Christadelphian Hall. The talk will be video-taped and will be available from The Bible Magazine. You can order your copy by email from sally@Biblemagazine.com
Bible in the News provides a weekly analysis of world politics and events
in the light of Bible prophecy — the Bible in the News!
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