If the past few years have taught us one thing, it is that God is at work in the nations, and is in control of events, not man, as the prophet Daniel told us so many years ago:

This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Daniel 4:17)

Evidence of this was seen in the election of President Donald Trump. Like him or hate him, he has been bringing about the Father’s will when it comes to the nation of Israel. Under Trump, Jerusalem has been recognized as Israel’s legitimate capital by the most powerful nation in the world. Other are following suit. The Golan heights have also been recognized as Israel’s sovereign territory.

God’s Eyes Upon Jerusalem

The reason we have great interest in land of Israel is because God’s eyes are always upon it:

But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.” (Deuteronomy 11:11–12)

Not only this, but also on Jerusalem:

Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.” (2 Chronicles 7:15–16) 

The Psalmist tells us Jerusalem is the city of the great King:

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, On the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge.” (Psalm 48:1–3)

Eyes of the Nations on Jerusalem

Jerusalem is the focal point of the future conflict in the Middle East as Joel points out:

For, behold, in those days, and in that time, When I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, And will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, And will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” (Joel 3:1–2)

It is the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem to Israeli control that sparks all nations coming down into the land, as is also reported by Ezekiel 38, Daniel 11 and Zechariah 14. Zechariah 12 states:

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, When they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: All that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, Though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zechariah 12:2–3)

The nations that are gathered against Jerusalem, that burden themselves with it , will be cut in pieces. It will be a burdensome stone that will crush the nations, as Daniel 2 reports of the little stone the breaks the image which represents the kingdom of men:

Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:34–35)

Jerusalem in the news

In light of these prophecies, the fact that America moved its embassy to Jerusalem is very significant, and other nations are following suit. Guatemala has opened its embassy there, and according to CNBC,

“More countries are preparing to make the leap. Paraguay’s Foreign Ministry announced that its embassy will also relocate to Jerusalem, while the Czech Republic, Romania and Honduras reportedly considering the move.”

In the same news report, John Cristol, a fellow at the World Policy Institute, stated:

“I would be very surprised,” Cristol said. “I would be astounded, frankly, if the major Western European powers, with the possible exception of the United Kingdom, would move their embassies any time soon. ”

Under world pressure, Paraguay’s new prime minister has back-tracked since making the announcement.

However, both Honduras and Romania announced they would move their embassy’s at the AIPAC Conference in March of this year.

It was only two days ago that Romania reconfirmed its commitment according to Israel Hayom the Romanian Prime Minister called Israel’s Ambassador in Bucharest and reiterated Romania’s commitment:

“My word is my word. I stand behind what I said in the past. There is no change in policy,” she said.

Brazil made a commitment to move its embassy and in March of this year Brazil opened a trade mission to Israel in Jerusalem. At the opening Netanyahu told reporters,The reaffirmation came after a Palestinian official stated Romania had reneged on its promise, with the Romanian Prime Minister calling the remarks deceptive “fake news.”

“I hope, and I would like to believe, that this (office) is the first step toward the opening of the Brazilian embassy in Jerusalem, when the time comes.”

Canada’s Embassy to Move?

In Canada the issue of the US Embassy Move has been on the front page. Last year, Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau made the following statement:

“Canada has a long standing policy on the Mid East, that we need to work towards a two state solution through direct negotiations. That is why we continue to engage constructively, and substantively in the region, and with partners and friends around the world. But as we said, we will not be moving Canada’s embassy from Tel Aviv.”

However, this year is an election year in Canada and the Conservative party has taken a different stand to the ruling Liberals. The leader of the Conservatives, Scheer stated the following during his foreign policy speech in Montreal this past week:

“Putin has been forthright when it comes to propping up Bashir Assad in Syria.  Along with Putin, the Iranian regime must be held accountable for its state-sanctioned sponsorship of terror, and the constant threat it poses to its own people, its neighbours and to Israel, Canada’s foremost friend in the Middle East….

To stand up for pluralism and democracy Canada must renew our support for Israel and its inherent right to defend itself. Terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah have absolutely no interest in peace. Since their inception, the leaders of Hamas have been trying to destroy Israel. When Israel gives them the concrete they need to build hospitals and schools, Hamas instead builds tunnels to kill civilians. When the world gives Hamas money to feed the Palestinian people, Hamas buys rockets to indiscriminately target Israelis.

The reality of the Middle East is this, if Israel’s enemies were to lay down their arms tomorrow
there would be peace. If Israel were to lay down its arms, there would be no more Israel.

This is why it is disappointing to me that the current government has abandoned Canada’s principled for Israel in abstaining in key votes in the United Nations. When Israel’s borders came under attack from Hamas terrorists, as they have in recent days, Canada must support Israel’s right to defend itself, and recognize Hamas’ direct responsibility in inciting violence and the loss of life. Canada  must be ready and reliable when Israel needs to count on their democratic friend and ally. 

I want to be very clear as well, that under my leadership, extending a hand of friendship to the Palestinian people will be a priority. The Palestinian people want the same thing that all people want: freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.  This will come not through incitement to violence but through peaceful negotiations. I do not believe that giving money to highly flawed organizations like UNRA advances the cause of peace or partnership.  And the Palestinian people are denied democracy, not by Israel, but by their own government.

And I will recognize the fact that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.

The Globe and Mail reported that Trump’s Middle East envoy welcomed Scheer’s plan to move the Canadian Embassy to Jerusalem:

Jason Greenblatt, an assistant to President Trump and special representative for international negotiations at the White House, said that while Canada has the right to decide where to locate its embassy, the Trump administration supports Mr. Scheer’s proposal to follow in the footsteps of the United States and move it to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. He made the comments to reporters following a speech to a meeting of the World Jewish Congress in Ottawa on Wednesday.

Mr. Greenblatt said Canada, like every country, can “re-educate the population” on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by acknowledging its complexity, instead of using “talking points” that have yet to bring peace to the region.

Canada’s former prime minister also supports the move as Arutz Sheva reported:

Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told the Israel Hayom newspaper that there is no reason why Canada shouldn’t follow in the footsteps of the US and relocate its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

In the interview he stated his relationship with Israel

"was not popular among other Western countries. It is not the direction certainly of European countries, and it was not popular for much of the Canadian media. But the fact is that the position had very strong support from major elements in the Canadian population and is a position that many individual Western politicians do have and a lot of politicians outside the west have.”

When asked about moving Canada’s embassy he stated the following:

"There was a conservative prime minister many years ago who tried to do that, and it was a schlimazel, so no government wanted to touch it since ... At the time, it would have been a symbolic move, but with real serious security risks. And Canada doing it alone – the risk just did not match the reward.

Now that the US has done it, there is really every reason for the government of Canada to do it, and certainly my successor as leader of the Canadian parliament, [Current Conservative Party leader] Andrew Scheer has committed to doing that, because this now is a very feasible thing to do. And it is the right thing to do. It is the right thing to do not just because Jerusalem – at least west Jerusalem is certainly the capital of Israel – but it is also the right thing to do because by not having the embassies in Jerusalem since 1948, I think we have inadvertently – Western countries have – sent the signal to extremists on the Palestinian side that someday Israel really won't exist. I think that by putting our embassies now that Donald Trump has made that possible really sends a signal that this is how we get peace.”

So which way will Canada move?  That comes down to the hand of the angels in the upcoming election. Is this the right time, only they know. What we do know is that ultimately, Canada is part of the Tarshish “young lion” conglomerate who stand with Israel when the nations of Russia and Europe invade:

Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, 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?” (Ezekiel 38:13)

So, we watch with interest the upcoming Canadian election. Trudeau, the pretty boy of Canadian politics, son of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, dubbed “frat boy” by Trump, often found shirtless photobombing unsuspecting Canadians seems to have used up his charm.  Trudeau’s government has been buried under a landslide of scandals at home. Trudeau’s approval ratings have been dropping substantially, and the Liberals now sit well behind the Conservatives in polls.

Trudeau’s opponent, Andrew Scheer does not have the charisma of Trudeau, nor the statesmanship of former prime minister Stephen Harper, but he has content and may win on a reactionary vote, bringing with him the promises he has made on the campaign trail. One big divergence between the Conservatives and the Liberals is their foreign policy on Israel.

Obama pulled America away from supporting Israel during his term. The Democrats, lost the election to Trump who reversed America’s policy on Israel. What will happen in Canada remains to be seen…. One thing we do know is, The Most High rules in the kingdom of men and will give it to whomsoever He will.

For the Bible in the News – this has been Jonathan Bowen joining you.