The Truth About the Harbinger: Addressing the Controversy and Discovering the Facts About This Prophetic Message by Jose Bernal

Author:Jose Bernal [Bernal, Jose]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion, Christian Life, General, ebook, book
ISBN: 9781621365709
Google: d3QOAwAAQBAJ
Amazon: B00E78FU9C
Publisher: Charisma House
Published: 2013-09-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

The TRUE AMERICA-

ISRAEL CONNECTION

THE PRAYERS OF America’s founders, including those of George Washington as general of the Colonial Army and later as the new nation’s president (which all of those who were in attendance also concurred in silent consent), are criticized by some because Washington was a Gentile praying for a nation with whom God had not covenanted. However, these prayers of America’s founders stand as examples of the prayers of Gentiles throughout history, including biblical prayers by Gentiles who called upon the name of almighty God in their time of need, fully anticipating that not only would God hear their prayers, but He would answer them as well.

Prayers of Gentile People

We will consider some of these prayers from Gentiles, beginning with the prayer and supplication of a biblical people who were not in covenant relationship with God and who were not Israelites—the ancient Assyrian people of the city of Nineveh.

The Assyrians of Nineveh

In the Book of Jonah, we see God calling Jonah (His Hebrew prophet) to prophesy to a non-Jewish city (Nineveh) with a population that neither has a covenant relationship with God nor established God as its god. Yet when everyone in it heeds Jonah’s message, repents before the God of heaven, and prays to Him as a people, He relents and does not destroy them. Repentance requires prayer, and Scripture substantiates that God heard the prayers of repentance offered to Him by these Gentile pagans.

Ironically, if the letter of the Law was applied, Jonah—who prophesied of impending judgment and destruction for Nineveh—would have been stoned under that Law for prophesying something that didn’t come to pass: the city’s destruction in three days. This serves as a good example that the letter kills, as the apostle Paul has made clear, but the Spirit imparts life (2 Cor. 3:6).1

The critics forget the myriad prayers of people who predated Abram who called upon the name of the Lord (Gen. 4:26); also, we know that before the Flood, people like Enoch and Noah “walked with God” (Gen. 5:24; 6:9); lastly, a good many who postdated Abraham and prayed to the God of heaven were heard and answered by God, such as Ruth the Moabitess, whom the Hebrew Bible honors with Israel, the people of God (Ruth 1:14–18; 3:1–18; 4:7–21).

Ebed-Melech, the Ethiopian

Nebuchadnezzar went up against Jerusalem to take it by storm, taking the city and all of the rulers of Judah captive and slaying them, including the killing of King Hezekiah’s sons right before his eyes.

But God protected Ebed-Melech, the Ethiopian, and spared his life while the armies of the Chaldeans captured and plundered Jerusalem and killed its people. Even the ones whose lives were spared were exiled to Babylon. However, God delivered this foreigner on that day, saying, “‘Because you have trusted in Me,’ declares the LORD” (Jer. 39:18). This example reveals the critical importance of remembering God’s point of view: “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Sam.

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