The Crying Wall — What Herb Thinks

In 70 AD Roman soldiers besieged Jerusalem. In the course of the battle over one million Jews lost their lives. When the battle was over, the destruction done to the Jewish temple was so complete not one stone was left standing on top of another — just like Jesus said (Matt. 24:2).

For the second time in their history, the Jewish people were driven from their God-given land and scattered among the nations. And Jerusalem, the beloved city of God’s chosen people, was trampled under the feet of the Gentiles for almost 2000 years — just like Jesus said (Luke 21:24).

Then, in one day in 1948, the nation Israel was reborn. Immediately the surrounding Arab nations attacked the new Jewish state. But, according to the Bible, the second time God gathered His people back to their land it would be the last until the Messiah came.(Isaiah chapter 11). So the Arab assault failed.

On a June day in 1967, the Six Day war began. When it was over, Israel had captured the Golan Heights, the West Bank, Gaza and, at long last, East Jerusalem and the temple mount.

The entire world took notice. The prophetic implications were obvious even to unbelievers. Hollywood also got caught up with the excitement generated by the events in the Middle East and decided to make a major motion picture about he Jewish people — The Exodus.

Yes, at long last the Jewish people had regained control of the place where their temple had once stood — the temple mount. But soon cold political realities began to replace their euphoria.

The United Nations began passing resolutions demanding that Israel trade the land they had captured in the Six Day war for peace. In other words, they were supposed to give up East Jerusalem and the temple mount. Naturally, this was something they didn’t want to do.

Yet, under such huge pressure from the international community, compromises had to be made. So Israel decided to allow the temple mount to stay under the control of the Wakf, the Arab religious leaders who had it before the war. The only part of the old temple that would be available to the Jewish people would be a small section of old retaining wall. This small section is known today as the Wailing Wall.

Devout Jews still go to the Wailing Wall to pray every day. During the winter months the wall would sometimes leak a little water and nobody would think anything about it. But recently something strange began to happen. Water began flowing from the wall in the summer time. This has never happened before.

Now hundreds of Israelis are flocking to see the water flow from the wall. Some are even seeing it as a sign of Israel’s imminent redemption. Unfortunately, it isn’t. You see, Israel has already been redeemed. It happened a long time ago when Jesus was crucified on a cross. Remember? Jesus was pierced by a Roman spear and water flowed from His side.

So, if the water flowing from the wall is not a sign of Israel’s imminent redemption, what kind of sign is it? If in fact the water is a sign, according to Bible prophecy, it would be a sign of Israel’s imminent betrayal to her enemies.

In other words, while the Jewish people are praying for peace, the old wall is crying.

— Herb Peters
7/5/02