Quite a
furor ensued in the social media when a storm cloud descended in the
Israel-Syria border on December 1st 2016.1 If this storm
cloud weather phenomenon occurred in another country, it may have been
interpreted as fascinating or just ignored. Since this weather phenomenon
occurred in Israel, it cannot be passed off as strange, because the Jews are
God’s chosen people. Therefore, a deeper consideration is mandated to verify if
there’s a divine vantage point to this strange storm cloud phenomenon.
Would God
have engineered this storm cloud?
First and
foremost, it is highly plausible to connect this storm cloud to God’s presence,
for the Bible narrates instances of God’s presence with the Israelis in the
form of a pillar of cloud (Exodus 13: 21, 33:9; Number 12: 5 et al.).
Second, the
storm cloud descended at the same location where the Islamic State militants
had attacked the Israeli Defense Forces four days earlier.2 So this
could be interpreted as a sign from God that HIS presence remains with HIS chosen people.
If this storm
cloud weather phenomenon was a one-off occurrence, then we could possibly eliminate
the perspective of God. But if there were other fascinating weather phenomena
or non-weather related occurrences alluding to God’s presence in the lives of
the Jews, then God, certainly, should be in the discussion.
Since weather
phenomena could be manmade, we ought to consider non-weather occurrences. In
the past, there have been intriguing occurrences in Israel during wars.
How would
we interpret significantly low casualties in, not one, but two wars (2 people
killed when 38 Scud missiles were fired & 4 people killed when 3356 rockets
were launched at Israel)?
In the
first Iraq war in 1991, 38 Scud missiles landed in the densely populated parts
of Israel but the casualties were significantly low! 2 people were killed, 220
suffered light injuries, 10 suffered moderate injuries and one person suffered
serious injury.3
Interestingly,
the scientific journal “Nature” concluded that the low casualties were due to
luck (!!), “…luck must have played a crucial role in determining the overall
casualty rate. Indeed, there is considerable anecdotal evidence that good
fortune played an important role in reducing casualties in Israel. Of the
warheads that detonated in Israeli cities, one hit the only empty lot in a
densely populated neighborhood;23 two others hit a factory and a
partially constructed shopping mall during the night. Several other Scuds
landed near unoccupied buildings: an underground bomb shelter, a municipal
center, and a school. Even when Scuds severely damaged occupied buildings,
casualties were remarkably low: a missile that landed in an alleyway between
several apartment buildings and caused one building to collapse killed only one
person, and an attack that destroyed a two-storey house and severely damaged
several others also killed only one person; two people reportedly survived only
because they disobeyed government instructions and went to their basement bomb
shelter… However, anecdotal also suggests that luck helped to reduce
casualties.”4
Luck? Seriously?
Of course,
it would be politically incorrect for a research, in a secular setting, to
attribute low casualties to God. But it is indeed plausible that God
protects HIS people. Scientists, like Nuclear physicist Gerald Schroeder, do
believe that God protected HIS people.5
Consider
a recent war. In 2014, during the month long Operation Protective Edge conflict
between the Hamas terrorists and the Israeli Defense Forces, once again, there
were significantly low casualties, “Over 3,356 rockets have been fired at
Israel, with that number rising everyday, and only four people have been killed
as a result of rocket fire. While Israel’s Iron Dome is a wonder to behold and
responsible for maintaining the safety of Israeli civilians from rocket fire,
the numbers show that only 578 rockets were destroyed by Iron Dome
Interceptions, or roughly 17 percent of all rockets fired at Israel. Simple
statistics show that there is something extraordinary occurring here.”6
It is
indeed strange that low casualties should occur in a war especially when the
enemy pummels Israel with rockets and missiles. Hence, it is quite plausible to
conclude that it was perhaps God’s presence that protected Israel.
There are
many personal testimonies in the public domain that further ascribe God’s hand
upon Israel. These could be true, but citing a subjective personal testimony
does not lend any more credence to a divine protection upon the nation of
Israel.
Not just
low casualties, but the very fact that Israel stands strong amidst its enemies
that have vowed to wipe her off the map of the world could be heralded as a
testimony to God’s protecting hand upon Israel.
Is God’s
hand of protection upon Israel of any theological significance to the church? Outside of a discussion regarding the attributes of God (e.g. Sovereignty) and HIS intervention in our day-to-day affairs, a theological discussion on this theme need not unnecessarily engineer a divide within Christendom based on these events.
Christians
who do not consider the present day Israel as the biblical Israel would be
quick to ignore or debunk the notion that God’s protection is upon the Jews and
their nation. That’s fine, for we can agree to disagree.
Those who
do not consider the contemporary Israel as the biblical Israel are as much
Christians as those who consider the modern nation of Israel as the biblical
Israel. Personally, I consider Israel as distinct from the New Testament church.
In other words, I would disagree with covenant theologians who believe that the
church has replaced the nation of Israel in God’s program.
So why do
we consider this theme? A good reason to diligently consider these events is because
it is wise to not discount God.
If Israel
was not a chosen nation of God, then there is no need, whatsoever, to think
through these events. Since the Jews are God’s chosen people, we would be
better off to diligently think through these extraordinary events, for given
the evidences, it would be unwise to categorically determine that God’s
protective hand is not upon Israel.
Endnotes:
1http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/30652/Default.aspx
2http://www.christianpost.com/news/did-god-protect-israel-border-syria-with-storm-cloud-171961/
3http://faculty.publicpolicy.umd.edu/sites/default/files/fetter/files/1993-Nature-Scud.pdf
4Ibid.
5http://www.israelvideonetwork.com/scientist-have-proven-that-god-is-protecting-israel/
6https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/19812/rumors-abound-gods-protection-israel-fable/#0gE4Z0AdLwjDMwB0.97
Websites cited were last accessed on 26th January 2017.
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