Born Again

Buchenwald released Palestine bound.¹

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

I arrived at my LAX gate after almost two hours in El Al security just in time to be evacuated to the corridors. Female counter attendants were quickly reaching under every seat – others hurriedly but cautiously removed every trash container from the immediate area. Then out of nowhere, a striking young woman. She resembled another young LAX ticket agent who was the first to die in a terrorist attack three years before. 

She analyzed each passport while asking a dozen different questions in a dozen different ways, but always punctuating each question with a smile. Some were readmitted. Others scanned for nitrogen-based residues. And some were sent to disrobe; those deviating from single file quickly recognized the IDF connections of this twenty-something unit. Then as I handed her my passport, I noticed her eyes, beautiful eyes, Rachel’s eyes – but in them, the weariness of four thousand years.

Today is the anniversary of the First Zionist Congress, held in 1898 Basel, Switzerland, consummate in the establishment of the State of Israel. 

 "Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." (Isaiah 66:8) 

 Although many believe 14 May 1948 (5 Iyar 5708) was was the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, Israel as a nation has yet to be "born again" "of the Spirit" (cf. John 3:3, 3:8), but that day is ever nearer!

"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn..." (cf. Zechariah 12:12).

"And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God" (Zechariah 13:8-9)!

¹By US Army Signal Corps [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ABuchenwald-released-palestine-bound.gif https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Buchenwald-released-palestine-bound.gif