The Zionist Movement began in 1896 with a group of Jewish patriots who banded together to work for the repatri ation of world Jewry in their ancient homeland. Since that day revolutionary changes have taken place in Palestine, in preparation for the time when God will put “breath” into His people. The first World War of 1914-1918 rad ically changed the picture in the Near East as it took the Promised Land from the domination of the “unspeakable Turk” and placed it under the protection of Great Britain. Along with this came the significant Balfour Declaration, is sued by the government of the British Empire. It read, in part, “His Majesty’s government views with favor the estab lishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use its best endeavors to facilitate the achieve ment of this object.” No wonder the Jewish press on that memorable day jubilantly reported: “With one step the Jewish cause has made a great bound forward. The Jew is at last coming to his rights. In place of his being a wan derer in every clime, he is to be given a home in his ancient land. The day of his exile is to be ended.” There were few Jews in the land be fore the turn of the twentieth century, but the real influx of immigration began about the year 1921. Orders were given to allow the Jews to enter as quickly as the land could be prepared to care for them and great numbers did return. World War II brought other great changes in the Holy Land. At the pres ent time, .another bloody conflict is rag ing, the end of which only God knows. Transformation Into a Fruitful Garden The will to work and the joy in the doing, manifested by those Jews who do make their home in Palestine, is a sight beautiful to behold. Progress goes on apace. Hoads have been repaired and surfaced throughout the land. New high ways have been completed. Fever-infested swamps have been drained; and the Val ley of Jezreel, which was pestilential for so long, is now a fruitful garden. On the barren slopes of many hills grape vines have been planted. Fruit produc tion is greatly on the increase. Millions of cases of oranges are produced and exported from the Jaffa section annu ally. Travel facilities are so good that it is possible to pick grapes from the Samaritan hills in the afternoon and have them on the breakfast tables of Egypt the next morning. Some son of Abraham, with marvelous patience, has tabulated the flowering plants growing on the hills of Palestine, and has found them to number over 2,200 species. Does not the Word of God promise all this? “ The desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose” (Isa. 35:1). Surely this is coming to pass today, at least, in antici pation of that yet further blossoming forth, when Jesus comes again! N O V E M B E R , 1 9 4 7
Increase in "The Early and Latter Rain"
THANKSGIVING 3Toim ©xettfjam For all things beautiful, and good, and true; For things that seemed not good yet turned to good; For all the sweet compulsions of Thy will That chased, and tried, and wrought us to Thy shape; For things unnumbered that we take of right, And value first when once they are with held; For light and air; sweet sense of sound and smell; For ears to hear the heavenly harmonies; For eyes to see the unseen in the seen; For vision of the Worker in the work; For hearts to apprehend Thee every where— W e thank Thee, Lord. For all life's beauties and their beaute ous growth; For nature's laws and Thy rich provi dence; For all Thy perfect processes of life; For the minute perfection of Thy work, Seen and unseen, in each remotest part; For faith and works and gentle charity; For all that makes for quiet in the world; For all that lifts man from his common rut; For all that knits the silken bond of peace; For all that lifts the fringes of the night, And lights the darkened corners of the earth; For every broken gate and sundered bar; For every wide-flung window of the soul; For that Thou bearest all that Thou hast made— W e thank Thee, Lord. For perfect childlike confidence in Thee; For childlike glimpses of the life to be; For trust akin to my child's trust in me; For hearts at rest through confidence in Thee; For hearts triumphant in perpetual hope; For hope victorious through past hopes fulfilled; For mightier hopes, born of the things we know; ' For hope of powers increased ten thou sand fold; For faith, born of the things we may not know; For that last hope of likeness to Thy self— When hope will end in glorious cer tainty, With quickened hearts, That find Thee everywhere,
In the days of Moses, God told His people that, if they would obey Him, He would give them “ the rain” of the land “ in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain,” that they might gather in their “ corn” and “wine” and “ oil” (Deut. 11:14). James, writing to Chris tian Jews many centuries later, also spoke of “ the early and latter rain” (James 5:7). For many, long years the early rains of Palestine had been insuf ficient, and the latter rains of little
The Old and the New in Jerusalem value. But a few years ago, the latter rains began to increase, with the result that in some parts of the land the soil is able to produce three crops a year. And the ancient pools of Solomon have overflowed for the first time in centuries. These pools were recently measured, and were found to have a capacity of more than sixty million gallons. When this land comes into full productiveness, it is believed that it will be without par allel in all the world. It thrills our hearts when we realize what is involved in the transformation of Palestine into a “ land flowing with milk and honey” ! It is but one of many significant “ signs” which point to one thing, that Israel is again to behold her Messiah, perhaps very soon. And this time He will come, not as the Babe in Bethlehem’s manger; He will come riding upon “ a white horse,” as “ King of Kings, and Lord of Lords” (Rev. 19:16). How earnestly we ought to pray, “ Come quickly, Lord Jesus” ! And as we pray, let us remember that these vast and tremendous changes in the land of Palestine are tokens of the “sinews” and “flesh” and “ skin” as they are appearing upon the “ dry bones.” They are a prepa ration for the coming of the One who is to be the “ Breath” of life to Israel. (In the December number of The King’s Bust- ness this discussion of present-day signs of the return of the Jews to Palestine will he continued.)
W e thank Thee, Lord. (Used by permission)
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