10/18/2025

GEORGE WASHINGTON AND EARLY AMERICA RECOGNIZED ONE KING

The "No Kings" Protestors Are Ignorant of America's History

Today, there are “No Kings” protests across America led by anti-Trump activists who are trying to connect their protest to early America’s rejection of monarchy. The truth is, however, that George Washington and the entire founding generation wanted America to have a king.

In fact, during the Revolutionary War, there was a cry that resounded throughout the American colonies, “We recognize no Sovereign but God and no king but Jesus!” This cry came forth when the War erupted at Lexington, MA on April 18, 1775.

King George III had sent six regiments of British troops, commanded by General Thomas Gage, to bring the “rebellious” colonists under subjection. British troops occupied the city of Boston, locked down its port, and were housed by force in private homes.

Hearing there was rebellion stirring about 30 miles from Boston in Lexington, Gage sent troops led by Major Pitcairn to Lexington to put down the rebellion. Pitcairn arrived in Lexington and shouted to an assembled group of minutemen volunteers, "Disperse, ye villains, lay down your arms in the name of George the Sovereign King of England."

Rev. Jonas Clarke, pastor of the Church of Christ in Lexington, was standing with the minutemen and shouted back, “We recognize no Sovereign but God and no king but Jesus!” That cry caught the imagination of American patriots everywhere and soon rang throughout the colonies.

This cry became so prominent throughout the colonies that a British-appointed governor, Jonathan Trumbull, wrote back to England, “If you ask an American who is his master, he will tell you he has none, nor any governor but Jesus Christ” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 81).

This Christ-centered mindset was the fruit of the Great Awakening (1726-70) that transformed colonial America. The major preachers of the Awakening, such as George Whitefield (Anglican), Jonathan Edwards (Congregational), and Gilbert Tennant (Presbyterian) emphasized that only faith in Jesus Christ would make one a true Christian.

This emphasis on faith in Jesus Christ, rather than church membership, as the central issue of Christianity gave the colonists a point of convergence in their various expressions of faith. This emphasis on the centrality of Christ broke down doctrinal and denominational dividing walls so that the people began to see themselves as a single people with one Divine destiny—one nation under God..

That this statement was no passing fad but was deeply ingrained in the mindset and culture of the founding generation, is obvious from the following quotes.

“Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind, and let the world be filled with the knowledge of Thee and Thy Son, Jesus Christ.”

From a prayer journal belonging to George Washington, often called “the Father of the Country” and the nation’s first president.

“Pray that the peaceful and glorious reign of our Divine Redeemer may be known throughout the whole family of mankind.”

Samuel Adams, Founding Father and Governor of Massachusetts. This call to prayer was part of a proclamation for a Day of Prayer that he issued as Governor of MA in 1795.

“Pray that all nations may bow to the scepter of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and that the whole earth may be filled with his glory.”

John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress and Governor of Massachusetts. This statement was part of a call for prayer he issued while Governor.

“Might it not greatly facilitate the introduction of pure religion among the heathen, if we could, by such a colony, show them a better sample of Christians than they commonly see.”

Benjamin Franklin in a 1756 letter to George Whitefield, the most famous preacher of the Great Awakening, in which Franklin proposed that they partner together in founding a Christian colony on the Ohio frontier.

“The policy of the bill is adverse to the diffusion of the light of Christianity. The first wish of those who enjoy this precious gift ought to be that it may be imparted to the whole race of mankind.”

James Madison, chief architect of the Constitution and America’s fourth president, in 1785 voicing his opposition to a bill that he perceived would have the unintended consequence of hindering the spread of the Gospel.

“The philosophy of Jesus is the most sublime and benevolent code of morals ever offered man. A more beautiful or precious morsel of ethics I have never seen.”.

Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of Independence and America’s third president, who took money from the federal treasury to send missionaries to an American Indian tribe and to build them a chapel in which to worship.

In 1783, after defeating the British and making independence from King George a reality, George Washington wrote a letter to the governors of the various states in which he admonished them to make Jesus Christ their example and role model for life. In short, he wanted Jesus Christ to be their king. He wrote,

I now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection; that he would incline the hearts of the citizens . . . to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion [Jesus Christ], and without an humble imitation of His example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation (Hyatt, 1726: TheYear that Defined America, 120).

Yes, George Washington and early America recognized a king. His name is Jesus!
This is what made America great, for as Psalm 33:12 says, Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD!

This article is derived from books by Eddie Hyatt, particularly 1726: The Year that Defined America and America's Revival Heritage, both available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

10/14/2025

HOW GOD USED AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT AND AN ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER TO BRING PEACE TO THE MIDDLE EAST

God's Providential Workings are Obvious

When I first read the Hamas Charter it was clear to me that their hatred for Israel exceeded any concern they may have had for their own people, and this is the root cause of the sufferings of the Gazan people. Hamas saw Gaza as a base from which to launch rockets and attacks into Israel, which they did for years, and with Israel responding with restraint.

However, on Oct. 7, 2023 they went too far and poked the bear in the eye by slaughtering 1200 innocent Israeli citizens. Israel responded with force and went after Hamas with a vengeance, but always alerted the Gazans when they were coming into an area to root out Hamas, which embedded its soldiers and armaments among the people. Israel sacrificed their own troops to save Gazans because by alerting the Gazan citizens of their movements, the Hamas fighters always knew when and where the IDF was coming after them.

At the same time, Iran, a designated State Sponsor of Terrorism that has vowed to destroy Israel, was on the verge of having a nuclear weapon. With Israel's existence at stake, Donald Trump gave Benjamin Netanyahu the green light to do what he had to do.

With Iran being the major financier of both Hamas and Hezbollah, Israel knew they had to cut off the head of the snake. They, therefore, began bombing Iran's military apparatus. At the same time Trump sent B-2 Stealth bombers to take out Iran's nuclear sites. This show of force captivated the attention of the entire region.

During this same time, the Trump administration was carrying out intense diplomatic discussions between Israel, Hamas, and the nations of the Middle East. With the show of force and the intense diplomatic pursuit of peace, the Israeli hostages have been released and a peace plan is in place supported by the U.S., Israel, and the Arab and Muslim nations of the Middle East.

Many "experts" thought it could never happen. The Jewish-American political activist, Elizabeth Pipko, called it "a God Miracle." Only heaven knows how many millions of lives will be saved because of this historic turn of events.

President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu are to be commended but none of this would have happened apart from prayer and the Providential workings of Almighty God who is able to make all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). NEVER STOP TRUSTING. NEVER STOP BELIEVING.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is a Bible teacher, church historian and ordained minister. His numerous books are available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com. Also, check out his article on Israel's Divine right to the land wherein they now dwell by clicking this link. https://biblicalawakening.blogspot.com/2025/09/modern-israels-title-deed-to-land-of.html

10/06/2025

OUR MESSAGE TO THIS AWAKENING GENERATION

An Important Lesson from the Great Awakening

National news reports indicate that many young people are being awakened and returning to church in the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination. This is an encouraging sign but there must be a realization that God is calling this generation to more than church membership. Church can be the means to the goal, but "church" itself is never the goal. 

The goal is a living, dynamic relationship with Almighty God through faith in Jesus Christ. Listen to the testimony of John Wesley.

After a failed mission trip to Georgia to convert the American Indians, Wesley wrote, "I who went to America to convert the Indians had never been converted myself." Despite having been baptized, confirmed, and ordained in the Anglican Church, he came to the startling conclusion that he had never been truly converted to Jesus Christ. 

He came to realize that he had put his faith in the “externals” of Christianity—church membership, baptism, receiving communion, good deeds, etc.—rather than in Christ Himself. It wasn’t that these things were useless, but he came to realize that of themselves they can never make one a true Christian.

Only a genuine faith in Christ will bring the new birth and Wesley experienced this shortly after his failed mission to America. As he sat in a Moravian meeting listening to someone read the words of Martin Luther in which Luther described what happens when someone puts their faith in Christ and Him alone, something happened. He later wrote,

I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for my salvation and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sin, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.

Wesley always considered this to be the time when he became a true Christian. A fire was ignited in his heart and he, along with his brother, Charles, and George Whitefield, ignited a fire of revival that transformed the British Isles and jumped the Atlantic Ocean and impacted colonial America.

George Whitefield came to America in 1739 and became the firebrand of the Great Awakening. He too was an ordained Anglican minister and like the Wesley’s he had experienced a dynamic conversion that alerted him to the fact that adhering to the mere “externals” of Christianity does not make one a true Christian.

Dressed in his traditional, clerical Anglican garb, Whitefield challenged the masses in America to overturn the faulty foundations on which they had built their faith and put their faith in Christ alone. In one of his sermons, preached to several thousand gathered in the open air, Whitefield mimicked a conversation with Father Abraham whom he pictured as looking over the banister of heaven at the gathered multitude consisting of many sects and denominations.

Whitefield cried out, “Father Abraham, are there any Anglicans in heaven?” The answer came back, “No, there are no Anglicans in heaven.” “Father Abraham, are there any Catholics in heaven?” “No, there are no Catholics in heaven.” Are there any Presbyterians in heaven?” “No, there are no Presbyterians here either.” “What about Baptists or Quakers?”  “No, there are none of those here either.” “Father Abraham,” cried Whitefield, “what kind of people are in heaven?” The answer came back, “There are only Christians in heaven; only those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb.” Whitefield then cried out, “Oh, is that the case? Then God help me, God help us all, to forget having names and labels and become Christians in deed and in truth” (Hyatt, America's Revival Heritage, Second Edition, 60-61)!

In America, Whitfield became friends with the Presbyterian pastor and revivalist from New Brunswick, New Jersey, Gilbert Tennant. Tennant, whom many called a “son of thunder” because of his excoriating preaching, published a sermon entitled “The Dangers of an Unconverted Ministry” In it, he compared many colonial church leaders to the Pharisees of Jesus’ day—pious and proud in their own righteousness but having never experienced a true conversion to Jesus Christ.

Most people in colonial America considered themselves to be Christians, but under the searching preaching of Whitefield, Tennant, Jonathan Edwards and others, they came to the conclusion that they were Christians in name only.  Many were like Nathan Cole of Middletown, Connecticut who attended one of Whitefield’s outdoor meetings. After hearing Whitefield preach, he wrote, “By God’s blessings, my old foundation was broken up, and I saw that my righteousness would not save me.”

The Christ-centered preaching of Whitefield, Tennant, Edwards, and others broke down racial, cultural, and denominational barriers. Colonial America was transformed. The people began to see themselves as Christians—followers of Jesus Christ--before anything else. So great was the impact that a British-appointed governor wrote to his superiors in England,

If you ask an American who is his master, he will tell you he has none, nor any governor but Jesus Christ (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 81).

As many young people today are returning to church, pastors and Christian leaders must have the humility and dexterity to avoid drawing these seekers to themselves and their church institution but pointing them, instead, to Jesus Christ. We must remember, not only the words of the revivalists of the Great Awakening, but also the words of C.S. Lewis who wrote,

The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men to Christ, to make them little christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.

The First Great Awakening had a direct bearing on the founding of America, which means that such Christ-centered revival is in our national DNA. This is why we could witness such a Christ-honoring event as the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service, in which President Trump declared, "This is like an old-time revival." 

I thank God for all the good churches in America, but we must offer this generation more than our church. We must offer them a living, dynamic relationship with our Creator through Jesus Christ. It is time to stand up and proclaim Jesus Christ to this generation!

This article by Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt was derived from his books, 1726: The Year that Defined America and America's Revival Heritage, Second Edition, available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com

 

9/23/2025

THE MORAL PARAMETERS OF FREE SPEECH ACCORDING TO THE FOUNDERS

Why Jimmie Kimmel's Slanderous Statements Were Not Protected Speech

Jimmie Kimmel, who has since been reinstated, was suspended for making false and disparaging remarks about Charlie Kirk after his assassination,  Kimmel falsely claimed that the "Maga gang" was "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them" and of trying to "score political points from it." He also said that Trump’s grief at Kirk’s death is “how a four year old mourns a goldfish.”


Many on the left came to his defense declaring that it was a matter of “free speech” protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Does, however, the First Amendment protect such malicious, false, egregious speech? Is it possible that the Constitution is being morally dumbed down to accommodate a morally degenerate culture and the worst in our society? 

The Founders Assumed Moral Parameters

That the Founders assumed moral parameters for “free speech” is obvious from their words and actions. Take George Washington, for example. When he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Colonial Army, one of his first acts was to put parameters on the speech of the troops.

He issued an order forbidding profanity and swearing and ordered each day to begin with prayer led by the commander of each unit. He explained that they could not expect the blessing of Heaven on their fight for liberty if they insulted Heaven with their speech.

He also forbade gambling and drunkenness and expressed his desire that, “Every officer and man will endeavor so as to live and act as becomes a Christian soldier” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 114).

The Founders, without exception, believed morality and religion to be the basis of freedom. Without a national morality to guide the populace they knew that freedom would be turned into avarice and anarchy, and this would destroy the free Republic they had formed.

Virtue and Freedom are Twins

This is why John Dickinson, Founding Father and chairman of the committee that produced the Articles of Confederation, warned that “when states lose their liberty, this calamity is generally owing to a decay of virtue.”

Virtue is defined as “moral excellence” and the Founders agreed that only a virtuous people could enjoy the liberties they were enshrining in the founding documents. Virtue (moral excellence) is glaringly missing in American culture. Jimmie Kimmel demonstrated that fact. Yet, the Founders insist that virtue is the "only foundation of a free Constitution."

Two weeks before he signed the Declaration of Independence, John Adams wrote to his cousin, Zabdiel Adams, and said,

Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue (Hyatt, 1726: The Year thatDefined America, 164-65).

When the Founders speak of “religion” they are referring to Christianity as it was the only religion they knew. Without exception, they saw Christianity as offering the only moral and philosophical system that would undergird the nation they had formed.

This was clearly spelled out by John Adams in a 1798 presidential address to the officers of the Massachusetts Militia. Adams made clear his belief in a national Christian morality as the only hope for the survival of the American Republic. He declared,

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . .  Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious [Christian] people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 168).

In his Farewell Address after serving two terms as the nation’s first president, George Washington made the same point by exhorting the new nation to cling to “morality and religion” which he described as “indispensable supports” for human happiness and national prosperity.

Thomas Jefferson made Washington’s Farewell Address required reading at the University of Virginia, which he had founded. He too believed that only a virtuous people could enjoy liberty and made clear the source of such virtue, saying, “Of all the systems of morality that have come under my observation none appear to me so pure as that of Jesus.” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 149-50).

Benjamin Rush, a Philadelphia physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence, made the same point as Washington, Adams, and Jefferson, declaring,

The only foundation for a Republic is to be laid in Religion [Christianity]. Without this there can be no liberty, and liberty is the life and object of all republican governments (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 163).

The Conclusion of the Matter

The Founders believed a vibrant Christianity to be necessary for the ongoing success of the Republic they had formed. They were right and this is why we must ask God to send another Great Awakening across this land, for as the Catholic scholar, the late Dr. Michael Novak, said,

Far from having a hostility toward religion, the founders counted on religion for the underlying philosophy of the republic, its supporting ethic, and its reliable source of rejuvenation (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 171).

So, the Founders implemented the First Amendment guarantee of free speech for a virtuous society that was seeking after truth. They implemented it for "a moral and religious people." Kimmel's false and slanderous statements about Charlie Kirk and President Trump obviously do not meet those standards, so we are compelled to conclude that they are not protected speech.  

This article was derived from the book 1726: The Year that Defined America by Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt who received a supernatural call from God to reconnect America to the severed roots of her Christian origins in the First Great Awakening. His numerous books are available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

9/21/2025

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? REFLECTIONS ON CHARLIE KIRK'S MEMORAL SERVICE AND THE FUTURE OF AMERICA

Charlie Kirk is with Jesus whom he boldly and consistently confessed as his Lord. I am sure that as he entered that heavenly realm, he heard those words of Jesus, "Well done good and faithful servant . . . enter into the joy of your Lord" (Matthew 25:21).

I did not watch the entire Memorial Service, but what I saw profoundly impressed me. Jesus was exalted and honored. Several said it was like a revival meeting. Invitations were given for people to receive Christ as Lord and Savior.

Even President Donald Trump said, "This is like an old-time revival." Erika Kirk exalted Jesus and through tears forgave the assassin of her husband, quoting the words of Jesus on the cross. Even liberal outlets like CNN were impressed.

The biggest surprise for me was Donald Trump, Jr., whom I have never really liked. But he gave a heartfelt, Christ-centered presentation filled with quotations from Scripture that would put many modern pastors to shame.

I have never seen so many political leaders, including the president, vice-president, and members of his cabinet together in one place honoring Jesus and calling the nation back to Him. Probably not since the early days of the American Republic and Abraham Lincoln's Call to Prayer in the midst of the Civil War has there been such a gathering (see my books America's Revival Heritage and The Great Prayer Awaking of 1857-58).

I believe this could be the beginnings of the Great Awakening for which so many, myself included, have been praying.  Interestingly, on September10, shortly before Charlie was assassinated, an old hymn came to mind that I remembered singing as a child. The chorus goes,

Stand up, stand up for Jesus;
Ye soldiers of the Cross.
Lift high the royal banner;
It must not suffer loss.

In this Memorial Service, we saw people standing up for Jesus. Vice-President J.D. Vance told how he has been reluctant about publicly sharing his faith, and then said, "But in the past two weeks I have talked more about Jesus Christ than in all the rest of my political career." The Holy Spirit is stirring hearts everywhere to "stand up for Jesus!"

With at least 100,000 on site in Glendale, AZ and many millions watching on TV and live streams, there is no telling how many accepted Christ or renewed their faith in Him. This is wonderful, but after the crowds are gone and the excitement has subsided then comes the task of fulfilling the Great Commission, which is not to get converts but to "make disciples" (Matthew 28:18-20).

A disciple is a "committed follower and learner," and here at Hyatt Int'l Ministries and God's Word to Women, Inc., we have created a tool that will enable us to do our small part in carrying out this Great Commission. The Hyatt Institute is an online, Bible-based educational site that exists to "Disciple, Mentor, and Train a Generation of World-Changers for Christ."

There are presently three diploma-granting programs: Women Studies Program, Revival Studies Program, and Biblical Studies Program. However, anyone will be able to go to the site and purchase a course for their own personal enjoyment without committing to a program.

The launch date is set for October 2, which is also Yom Kippur on the Jewish calendar. If you would like to be put on an email list to receive updates about the Institute, send an email with your name and contact information to the director, Rhonda Klug at hyattinstitute.director@outlook.com.

In closing, I will leave you with the words of Jesus in the Scripture alluded to above. Just before ascending back into heaven, He said to His disciples, 

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is committed to restoring America's founding principles and ideals of Faith and Freedom. He has founded the "1726 Project" and has authored numerous books on the topic, including 1726:The Year that Defined America and The Book that Made America Great, all available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.


9/18/2025

MODERN ISRAEL'S TITLE DEED FROM GOD TO THE LAND IN WHICH THEY NOW DWELL


During the past several days I experienced a stirring in my spirit to write an article showing the Biblical basis for Israel's right to the land, wherein they now dwell. With the upheaval in the Middle East and the rise of antisemitism in America, this article is both strategic and timely. I pray that it will have its intended purpose.

The Call of Abraham

Four thousand years ago God spoke to a lone individual named Abram in the land of Haran, which was present day Iraq. God called Abram to go into a land that He would show him and promised,

I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those you bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:3).

The Promise with an Oath

After arriving in what was known as Canaan, God said to Abram, To your descendants I will give this land (Genesis 12:7). God would reaffirm this promise to Abram on several occasions, such as Genessis 13:14 where He said to Abram, Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.

Being childless, advanced in years, and with many tribal groups in the land, Abram asked God for confirmation, saying, Sovereign Lord, how shall I know that I will gain possession of it? God responded by putting Himself under oath and making a covenant with Abram concerning the land. After describing the oath ritual, Genesis 15:18-21 says,

On that say the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—the land Kenites, Kenezzites,  Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.

Why would God put Himself under oath since it was impossible for Him to lie? He did this for Abraham and succeeding generations to make clear the surety of the promise. God put Himself under oath and made a covenant with Abram to give the land to him and his descendants.

The Promise Affirmed Again

When Abram was 99, God changed his name from Abram, meaning “exalted father,” to Abraham, meaning “father of a multitude.” God then reaffirmed his covenant promise concerning the land, saying,

And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also, I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger; all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God – Genesis 17:7-8

During this same visitation, God told Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in a land not their own for 400 years and afterward would return to this land with great possessions. This was fulfilled when Abraham’s great grandson, Joseph, became the prime minister of Egypt during a great famine and Abraham’s offspring moved to Egypt where they were sustained by Joseph.

However, after Joseph died, the Egyptians enslaved the Hebrews, as they were called. However, when the time of their deliverance came through Moses, there was no question as to where they would go. They would return to the land that had been promised them by God to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They would return to the Land of Promise.

Led by Moses and then Joshua, the descendants of Abraham possessed the land that had been promised to them. Later, under the reigns of David and Solomon Israel flourished and became the dominant force in the Middle East. However, succeeding generations turned away from God and worshipped false gods, which brought on them the consequences that God had warned would happen.

The Scattering of Israel

Shortly after departing Egypt, God spoke through Moses of the blessings that would be theirs if they loved and obeyed Him, and the curses that would come if they turned away from Him and worshipped other gods. He warned that if they turned to other gods, Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other (Deuteronomy 28:64).

This warning has been literally fulfilled at least twice. The first time was when the Assyrians and Babylonians conquered Israel, destroyed the temple in Jersualem, slaughtered many of her citizens, and carried many away as captives.

God restored them to their land through Nehemiah and Ezra, and the temple was finally rebuilt through Herod the Great. At the time of the Gospels, Israel was flourishing, although under the thumb of the Romans who allowed them much autonomy and freedom.

The leaders of Israel, however, rejected Jesus as the Messiah and turned Him over to the Romans for crucifixion. Then, in a.d. 70, the Jews rebelled against Rome. The Roman General Titus then came with a large Roman army and besieged Jerusalem. They broke through the walls, razed the city, destroyed the temple, and enslaved thousands.

The Romans left a remnant of Jews in the area and 70 years later, in a.d. 135, another rebellion, led Simon bar Kokhba, erupted. This time, the Romans were even more brutal in their response.

They completely destroyed the villages that remained and pursued the people who tried to escape and slaughtered them wherever they were found. Thousands were enslaved. Although a smattering of Jews survived and remained in the land, Israel as a nation was no more.

The Origin of the Name “Palestine”

The nation was gone and to add insult to injury, the Romans called the land that had once been Israel, “Palestine.” This name was derived from Israel’s ancient enemy, the Philistines. The Philistines had disappeared centuries before, but the Romans concocted the name as an insult and slur to surviving Jews.

So, Palestine was originally neither a nation or a people. It was a name that applied to the land itself. And after this final revolt, the people who lived on this land were Arabs and a smattering of Jews. The use of “Palestinian” to refer to a people group did not emerge until the 20th century, and especially after the establishment of the modern state of Israel.

The Regathering of Israel

Along with the warnings of being scattered to the ends of the earth if they broke covenant with Him, were the many promises of God that He would gather them from the places where they had been scattered, I have no doubt that the establishment of the modern state of Israel is a fulfillment of those promises from God. The following are mere samples of the many promises concerning the regathering of Israel.

After warning the people through Moses that He would scatter them among the nations if they turned from Him to idolatry, God also promised,

The LORD your God will bring you back from captivity and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD you God has scattered you (Deuteronomy 30:3).

Isaiah also spoke of God regathering Israel from throughout the earth. In Isaiah 11:11-12 he proclaimed, saying,

In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.

More than once, Jeremiah prophesied of the regathering of Israel from the nations where they had been scattered. In Jeremiah 16:15b, God says plainly, For I will restore them to the land I gave their ancestors. Then in Jeremiah 31:8-9, God speaks again, declaring,

 Behold I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the ends of the earth . . . Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.”

Ezekiel also prophesied of Israel’s regathering. In Ezekiel 37:24, God says, For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.

There is no question in my mind that the Zionist movement that began in the late 19th century in which Jews all over the world began to desire to return to the land of their ancestors, was an act of God. Then, the restoration of Israel as a nation in 1948 fulfilled, at least in part, the many promises from God that he would regather the descendants of Abraham back to their land.

Modern Israelis Are the Descendants of Abraham

Some try to claim that the people occupying the modern state of Israel are not true Jews, but there is no reason for thinking this. God gave Abraham and later Moses certain distinctive rituals and traditions that were to be passed along from generation to generation. These include keeping the Sabbath, circumcision, keeping certain feasts such as Passover, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

These traditions have been kept by Jews down through the centuries making them easy to identify. Those who have persecuted the Jews through the centuries have had no problem identifying them. These include the Crusaders of the Middle Ages who murdered thousands of Jews, the Catholics in Spain who massacred thousands of Jews in 1391, Spain’s rulers who expelled all Jews in 1492, massacres in Russia in the 19th century, and Hitler and the Nazis in the 20th century.

These evil people have had no problem identifying who were the real Jews, and there is no reason to believe that those in the modern state of Israel, speaking Hebrew as their national language, are not the true descendants of Abraham.

I have heard some seek to apply the words of Jesus in Revelation 2:9b to the modern state of Israel. Jesus said to His followers in the city Smyrna, I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

To apply this to modern Israel requires a flight from logic and an ignoring of sound principles of interpretation. This statement was made by Jesus 2000 years ago to a particular congregation in the ancient city of Smyrna in present day Turkey. To arbitrarily apply it to Israel today, cannot be justified.

The World Needs Jesus

Israel has never been perfect, which is why in the OT God continually raised up prophets to confront her about her sins and idolatry. She can be criticized for misguided policies but one cannot oppose Israel’s right to the land wherein they now dwell and be on the right side of God and history.

Yes, we care about the sufferings of the people in Gaza and pray for their salvation. We cannot forget, however, that they chose a terrorist organization, Hamas, to be their governing authority. May this be a time when their hearts are softened and they truly desire peace with their Jewish neighbors.

The bottom line is that both Jew and Palestinian needs Jesus. I heard a Jewish rabbi, who had embraced Jesus as the Messiah, say that what would do Gaza more good than anything would be some Billy Graham type crusades calling the masses to Jesus.

Paul would agree. Speaking of the great gulf between Jew and Gentile, Paul said of Jesus, He Himself is our Peace who has made both one . . . that He might reconcile them both to God (Ephesians 2:14-18).

Let us pray for a great Jesus awakening throughout the Middle East, for that is the only hope for true peace in that region and in all the world. And in the meantime, we must not forget that Israel has a title deed from God--in writing--to the land wherein they now dwell.

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is a Bible teacher, revivalist, historian and ordained minister. His numerous books on America's Christian heritage and other Biblical and theological topics are available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.

 

9/11/2025

Remembering 911, Charlie Kirk and Our National Christian Origins

As we today remember the tragic events of 911 and mourn yesterday's assassination of Charlie Kirk, let us also remember where we came from as a nation. This is vital for as the noted historian Carl Sandburg said, "When a nation goes down or a society perishes, one condition may always be found; they forgot where they came from."

No one is better qualified to remind us of where we came from than the famous senator from Massachusetts, Daniel Webster (1782–1852), who was born when the nation was still in her infancy. Speaking in 1820 at the 200-year anniversary celebration of the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Webster said,

Finally, let us not forget the religious character of our origin. Our fathers were brought hither by their high veneration for the Christian religion. They journeyed by its light and labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate its principles with the elements of their society, and to diffuse its influence through all their institutions, civil, political, or literary. Let us cherish these sentiments and extend this influence still more widely; in the full conviction, that that is the happiest society which partakes in the highest degree of the mild peaceful spirit of Christianity (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 43).

Webster made it plain where the principles and ideals for the founding of America originated. They did not come Marxism, secularism, or Islamism.  It was Bible-believing Christians who founded America and made her into the freest and most prosperous nation in history. May we prayerfully reflect on this reality and pray for another Great Awakening that will return the nation to her roots of Faith and Freedom.

During an interview on Newsmax about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Dana Loesch said, "America needs Jesus!" She is so right! He is our only hope. Yesterday, just before I heard the news of his assassination, an old hymn came to mind that I remembered singing as a child. The chorus says,

Stand up, stand up for Jesus;
Ye soldiers of the Cross.
Lift high the royal banner;
It must not suffer loss.

Eddie Hyatt's many books, including 1726:The Year that Defined America and The Book that Made America Great, are available from Amazon and his website at http://www.eddiehyatt.com.