A Prophetic Purim
Both Washington D.C. and the media have been abuzz since the announcement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the nation. Mr. Netanyahu’s trip to the United States has created a whirlwind of controversy on Capitol Hill as House Speaker John Boehner invited the Israeli Prime Minister without involving President Obama—who has stated he will not meet with Netanyahu due to Israel’s upcoming elections. Many Democratic members of Congress did not attend Netanyahu’s address in protest of Boehner’s bypassing Obama as well.
What makes PM Netanyahu’s excursion to the country so important is the fact that he addressed Congress on the morning of Tuesday, March 3rd, testifying on behalf of the Holy Land. The United States is preparing to make a deal with the nation of Iran that would possibly allow Iran to manufacture a nuclear weapon. Netanyahu, for the security of Israel, is standing in the gap on behalf of his nation and defending the fact that any nuclear agreement with Iran would severely place the Jewish state in danger.
"Iran envelops the entire world with its tentacles of terror,” he stated in a speech on Monday to The American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington while revealing the connection between Iran and many terrorist groups. “We must not let that happen.”
While Netanyahu continuously states that any possibility of Iran’s ability to possess nuclear weapons would threaten the existence of Israel, many critics have outcried that Netanyahu’s attempt to block the nation’s agreement with Iran is damaging U.S.-Israeli relations and that he has no business interfering. However, on the other side of the aisle, many are also supporting Netanyahu’s actions and planting their political feet on the foundation of a longstanding diplomatic relationship that the United States has had with Israel since its conception.
Prophetic Ties
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to Congress, although controversial, is even more prophetic in nature. Netanyahu will go before congress the day before the beginning of the Jewish holiday, Purim, which will be held on March 4th and 5th.
Purim is celebrated by Jews worldwide, commemorating the Jewish heroine Esther who went before the king to save her people. Found in the book of Esther, the Jewish people’s existence was threatened when Haman, a royal who was faithful to the powerful King Ahasuerus, began to manipulate the king to give him the authority to annihilate the Jews.
Upon hearing the mandate released by the authority of Haman to destroy the Jews, Esther, who had been made queen to King Ahasuerus, boldly went before him save her people. Through weeping and pleading, she exposed Haman’s plan and convinced the king to show mercy and grant the Jews life. In what is considered to be a political miracle of the day, King Ahasuerus favored Queen Esther, granted her request and, instead, executed Haman.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress draws incredibly prophetic parallels. He testified on behalf of the Jewish nation before one of the most powerful governing authorities in the world, exposing the volatility of a nuclear deal with Iran that signifies great dangers to Israel.
Another important factor to note is that the only foreign leaders to ever address congress three times are Benjamin Netanyahu and, in the 1940s, Winston Churchill who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II. Churchill also stood in the gap for the defense of his nation as he urged the United States to join with the UK and other allied nations to bring an end to the rule of the Nazis across Europe.
Many are saying that this is the most important speech given to Congress since that time.
Prayer Points
It’s important that we intercede on behalf of the Israeli Prime Minister and the Jewish state. Please pray:
That Congress would clearly understand the severity of Benjamin Netanyahu’s plea and act justly in response to it.
Pray that U.S.-Israeli relations would not be damaged as a result of Netanyahu’s speech and what is perceived to be the Obama administration not showing support for his attempts to protect Israel.
Iran, which has repeatedly promised the annihilation of Israel, would be an even greater threat to the Jewish state if it possessed nuclear weapons. Pray that any diplomatic deal on the table between Iran and the United States would fall through and that leaders in our nation would ensure that Iran does not receive any support from our nation in this way.
Pray for the salvation of Jews worldwide, that they would come to know the truth of Yeshua, the Messiah.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and the protection of Israel.
