The Mountains of Israel - Softcover

Norma Parrish Archbold

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9659010001 ISBN 13: 9789659010004

Publisher: Phoebe's Song, 1993

Synopsis

Acclaimed on five continents as the book about the Arab-Iraeli conflict that every believer should read, some 60,000 copies of The Mountains of Israel have been sold in English, Norwegian, Spanish, and Telagu. German and Hebrew translations are yet to be printed.

About this title

About the Author:

Norma Archbold, MA, former Director of Religious Education, served the Lord in Jerusalem and the West Bank where she researched and wrote The Mountains of Israel, provided free Bibles for Arabs, arranged for emergency aid to Christians, and fought for a high standard of truth in the media and for the release of new believers jailed and tortured by the PA.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

PREFACE

For everyone who loves the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the events unfolding in the Middle East are important.

It is difficult, however, to form a clear picture of what is happening. The news in the West about the Arab-Israeli conflict is incomplete and often inaccurate and is interpreted by people, who do not necessarily believe in the Bible, or have a clear overall picture of the 4,000-year-old conflict.

Without an overall picture of the conflict the events mentioned in the news are meaningless. Years of historical research is necessary to find the missing pieces. To match history with the Word of God one must also be a serious student of the Bible.

For many people understanding the Arab-Israeli conflict is so difficult that they have given up.

In studying the Middle East conflict I was struck by the similarity of Middle East events and chapters 35 and 36 of Ezekiel.

These chapters are two halves of a whole. Chapter 35 is a prophecy "against" a mountain (Mount Seir) and chapter 36 is a prophecy "to" mountains (the mountains of Israel). Mount Seir and the mountains of Israel are the homelands of twin brothers Esau and Jacob, ancestors of today's Arabs and Jews.

Although chapter 35 contains warnings and chapter 36 contains promises, the purpose is the same. Both chapters end with the same words, "Then they shall know that I am the Lord."

By revealing the similarity between these chapters and historical and current events The Mountains of Israel provides a context for the bits and pieces we pick up in the news.

The Bible has much to say about the Arab-Israeli conflict. But without knowing the identity of Edom and the location of Mount Seir and of the mountains of Israel, one can read right past some startling information without understanding that it affects the Middle East, the world and important decisions being made today.

The Mountains of Israel provides important missing pieces which point out the truth of the Bible, revealing God's great power, wisdom, and faithfulness.

This is not a chatty book. I use just enough words to help you to see the picture without getting lost in complicated side issues. Simple maps and other illustrations make a point with few words.

To help you to feel the desolation of Israel before the return of the Jewish people, I have included quotes from eyewitnesses—Gentiles who traveled here in the 18th and 19th centuries. You will see that Israel was a treeless, barren wasteland.

The population a century and a half ago was less than 4% of today's population. As you read the eyewitness reports, imagine what Israel must have been like without 96% of its population.

In the19th century those who visited the Holy Land testified of its condition. "A desolate country," "wretched desolation and neglect," "almost abandoned now," "unoccupied," "uninhabited," "Thinly populated" is how they described the land.

The Reverend Samuel Manning said about the coastal plain, "This fertile plain, which might support an immense population, is almost a solitude...Day by day we were to learn afresh the lesson now forced upon us, that the denunciations of ancient prophecy have been fulfilled to the very letter—'the land is left void and desolate and without inhabitants.'"

Jews were among the sparse population—as prophesied more than 2,500 years ago. "...the forsaken places are many in the ...Land...but yet a tenth will be in it...as an oak whose stump remains when it is cut down so the holy seed shall be its stump." (Isaiah 6:12-13)

An official report in 1864 reveals that the largest group living in Jerusalem was Jewish.

God is keeping his promise to bring the children of Israel back to their land. Jewish people have been returning to Israel for more than 120 years. For a glimpse inside their hearts I have included the story of an Ethiopian girl, who walked through a desert, to fulfill her desire to be in Jerusalem.

What is happening today was foreseen and is working out according to the promises of God.

When the Bible and the events in the Middle East are understood one cannot reasonably deny the existence of God. Properly understood, the events of today are earth shaking.

I took information from many sources and named them so you can study the subject as thoroughly as you wish. Bible references are given. The authority for this work rests firmly on the Bible—the Word of the Lord.

Those who do not accept God's Word will not accept the conclusions in The Mountains of Israel. But those who do accept the Bible as God's Word and who love Him, will find reason to rejoice. The Lord is keeping His promises in our day, proving that the Bible is true.

If you are one of the small group who have a good basic understanding of the Middle East situation, you already know how difficult it is to explain to others. The Mountains of Israel can give your family and friends the overview they need to understand the issues. Teachers and others who speak about the Arab-Israeli situation will find this book helpful. You may want to use it as a text.

About this edition

• Publisher: Phoebe's Song
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 9659010001
• ISBN 13: 9789659010004
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 120
• Illustrator: Marita Brokenshaw