Plucking the Eagle's Wings

Hebrew Parallels Associated with Early American History

colonies because of a 400-year-old law that forbade Jews from settling in English lands. Rabbi Manasseh Ben Israel of Amsterdam addressed Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, with a fervent messianic argument. It stated: "England must allow Jews to live on its soil, or else the D-day of judgment day will never come for the Christians or the Jew ... Before all (prophecies) be fulfilled the people of God must first be dispersed into all places and countries of the world." The ban on Jews was lifted and Jews were eventually allowed to "But the angel said unto him, fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife, Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (Luke 1:13-17) Let's look at the meaning of John's parents' names—Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah means God remembers and Elizabeth means God's oath . What was the oath? God promised as far back as the Garden of Eden that He would send a deliverer who would reconcile Himself with man so God could once again commune with mankind (Genesis 3:15). The fruit of Zechariah and Elizabeth's union was John the Baptist Jesus' forerunner. Jesus the Messiah was born of a young virgin named Mary. By dying on the cross, Jesus fulfilled God's promise of reconciliation to mankind. Today our faith in Jesus' blood sacrifice as payment for our sins reconciles us to God. One day we will see the complete fulfillment of His promise when we literally see Him face to face! This will be the soon corning Messianic kingdom! America seems to fit into God's plan to establish the Messianic settle in the new colonies. Elizabeth and Raleigh—More Unusual Parallels

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