Transcript [00:00] So Steve Bannon's podcast had a very [00:02] very large audience back then and he [00:04] never talked about Israel very much. I [00:06] didn't even really know so much what his [00:08] views of Israel were. And on October 7th [00:10] after Shabbat was over, I turned on his [00:12] show that day and I was not happy with [00:14] what I was hearing. He was talking about [00:16] how how could it be that the Israelis [00:18] missed this? And he was being very [00:19] negative about Israel. And then the [00:21] worst thing about what he was saying is [00:23] that he was saying what we need now is [00:25] for this not to turn into a full-scale [00:27] war. We need this to be deescalated. The [00:29] last thing America needs is another war [00:31] going on. So, we need deescalation. Now, [00:33] from an Israeli perspective, the last [00:35] thing in the world we wanted was [00:36] deescalation. Welcome to this episode of [00:38] Shouldertoshoulder, a podcast where a [00:40] pastor and a rabbi get to the heart of [00:42] issues that matter to people of faith. [00:43] I'm Pastor Doug Reed here with my friend [00:45] Rabbi Pesaki. And on this episode, we're [00:48] going to have a conversation on the 3rd [00:50] anniversary of October 7th. Who stood [00:53] with Israel? Who didn't? But before we [00:55] jump into our conversation, please like [00:57] our Facebook page and join our Facebook [00:59] group, the Shoulder-TS Shoulder [01:00] Community, where you can interact with [01:01] Peso and me all week long. The best way [01:04] to support this podcast is to go on over [01:06] to Patreon, subscribe to [01:07] Shouldertoshoulder. For just $10 a [01:09] month, you're going to help us bring [01:11] this message of Shouldertoshoulder to [01:12] more and more people all around the [01:14] world. As a thank you for your $10 [01:16] subscription, you get exclusive access [01:17] to chapterby chapter Bible study [01:19] beginning in Genesis chapter 1 from [01:21] Rabbi Pesak and myself. So, go on over [01:23] to Patreon, subscribe to [01:24] Shouldertoshoulder for just $10 a month. [01:27] We're grateful for our sponsor, Israel [01:29] 365 News, which is the place for you to [01:31] go and get your news and information [01:32] before going to anyone else. Go on over [01:34] to israel365news.com. [01:37] Check out some of our articles and be [01:39] sure to read Rabbi Pesak and my columns. [01:42] Peso, each and every week, Israel 365 [01:44] has some incredible products and [01:46] initiatives going on. What are we [01:48] supporting today? Well, what we're [01:50] supporting today is a YouTube channel. [01:53] Uh, Israel 365 launched the Israel Bible [01:57] YouTube channel a number of months ago. [01:59] I think I've mentioned it before, but [02:00] it's growing. It's got a few thousand [02:02] subscribers, and it's starting to get [02:03] some some serious views. And these are [02:06] This is different than the Israel 365 [02:09] News YouTube channel, which is a lot of [02:10] content with me, interviews, and things [02:12] that relate to the news, relate to [02:14] what's going on in Israel. This is much [02:16] more about Bible and prophecy, Bible [02:18] teachings. [02:19] interviews with important uh important [02:22] rabbis and scholars, but also Christian [02:25] scholars as well. The Israel Bible [02:27] YouTube channel, really incredible [02:29] content they're rolling out there every [02:30] day. Uh and uh and you don't want to [02:33] miss this. So, go over to the Israel [02:35] Bible on YouTube. Just type that in and [02:37] you'll find that channel. If you're [02:38] subscribed, if you're watching this on [02:40] YouTube, on my channel, make sure you're [02:42] also subscribed to the Israel Bible [02:44] YouTube channel for spiritual content to [02:46] go along with all of the political [02:48] conversations we have here. The Israel [02:50] Bible, super important. Go on over and [02:54] subscribe today. Well, Pesak, how was [02:57] the conclusion of Sukkot and Simhatur? [03:00] How was your holiday? How did it all end [03:03] for you? [03:04] >> Well, it was it was wonderful. I mean I [03:06] I mean I was uh I was with the Eagles [03:07] Wings group. We'll talk about that a [03:09] little bit more later, but it was uh it [03:11] was wonderful. It was very [03:12] contemplative, you know, in relates to [03:14] the conversation we're about to have [03:15] because [03:17] the the final day of Sukkot, what's [03:19] called Simatra or the 8th day festival [03:22] as it's called in the in the in [03:25] Leviticus 23 when it's first introduced. [03:28] That festival [03:30] does not always come out on Shabbat. It [03:32] comes out on whatever day of the week it [03:33] falls out on. But this year it did fall [03:35] out on Shabbat, which is the same as the [03:39] year of October 7th, 2023. And that that [03:44] kind of brought it back for me in a big [03:46] way. And there was a lot of I think [03:47] everyone in the country was thinking [03:49] about October 7th, that day. I think [03:51] it'll always be that way on on simra on [03:54] the final day of the feast of [03:55] tabernacles that we'll be thinking about [03:57] October 7th. So it was a pretty [03:59] contemplative day. Uh and uh but it was [04:02] enjoyable. It was relaxing. I'm ready to [04:03] go, ready to start working again. And on [04:05] that day, we also make a change in our [04:08] liturgy and we start including a prayer [04:10] for rain because the winter season is [04:12] coming and Israel needs rain and we ask [04:15] for rain only during the winter time. [04:18] And so we start adding that into our [04:20] liturgy. So that started and that's also [04:22] that brings with it a kind of [04:24] psychological change like okay, now it's [04:25] winter time. Now it's after the [04:27] holidays, the summer season is over and [04:29] it's time to focus in on getting things [04:31] done. So, that's where I'm at. That's my [04:33] That's how things are with me. How are [04:35] your travels? How is the Reed family [04:37] America tour going? [04:39] >> We We just started. We are in Ohio and [04:42] we go from Ohio to uh New Jersey to New [04:45] York City to Boston, back to Ohio. We [04:48] are on the road for the next seven weeks [04:50] and we are so far nobody's killed [04:54] anybody. Uh we were all in all six of us [04:57] in one hotel room Saturday night. And [04:59] the next couple Yeah, the next couple [05:01] days we're with my brother's uh family [05:02] so we can spread out and be with family [05:04] a little bit here in the Cleveland area. [05:06] But uh we're on the road and uh [05:09] recording videos, getting ready to post [05:11] some more stuff here coming up on our [05:13] YouTube channel now that we're really [05:14] hitting the road full time. [05:15] >> It's another YouTube channel you should [05:16] all be checking out. The reads are here. [05:18] >> Yes, we we are excited about that. The [05:21] kids uh have been shooting stuff and now [05:23] we just got to get them I really want [05:25] them to own it. That's part of the [05:26] reason why it's been a little slow. It's [05:27] a fun project for them. So, they're [05:29] doing the video shooting. They're doing [05:31] the editing. And so, I'm trying to let [05:33] them uh enjoy and learn and and all of [05:35] that. So, uh but it's it's fun. We're [05:38] really excited. [05:39] >> I I want to say something about your [05:41] about your travels because obviously [05:43] what you're doing now is you're [05:44] traveling around. You're getting ready [05:45] for the big move to Israel. You're [05:47] drumming up support from various [05:48] churches for the work that you're going [05:50] to be doing while you're here in Israel. [05:52] And that's all fine and good. But I got [05:54] to tell you from my perspective when I [05:55] tell people that I meet who are [05:57] listeners or viewers to [05:58] Shouldertoshoulder and they're excited [06:00] about the Reeds moving to Israel. When I [06:02] bump into them and I say to them, you [06:06] know what Doug is doing now? And they [06:08] say, "Yeah, we hear that he's traveling [06:09] around America talking about Israel or [06:12] or or this week when people ask me, is [06:15] Doug in Israel?" Because you're usually [06:16] here at this time of year. You're [06:18] usually here for the big eagles wings. [06:19] Several people reach out that were just [06:22] ask me why you're not here or are you [06:24] here? I say no. What he's actually doing [06:26] now is touring America, speaking in [06:29] churches all across America about [06:31] Israel. And I just have to tell you the [06:33] reactions I get are unbelievable. People [06:35] are like, "Wow, like here's this, you [06:38] know, you know, here's this pastor who's [06:41] not Jewish who's running around America [06:43] just talking about Israel and churches [06:45] and they're very moved by it. And I just [06:47] want to thank you on behalf of the [06:49] Jewish people. You know, thank you for [06:50] everything that you're doing [06:51] >> and it's really exciting. And you should [06:52] also tell your kids that [06:55] >> it's not just about owning the YouTube [06:57] channel now, but all of this is really [06:59] preparation for the main event for them [07:01] because once you move to Israel, then [07:03] that YouTube channel is going to get [07:04] even more interesting. Correct. [07:07] Absolutely. I can't wait to see how God [07:10] weaves this all together for them. And I [07:12] I'm I'm excited for what I get to do, [07:14] but I'm really excited to see what he [07:16] kind of percolates in their hearts [07:18] through this experience and uh does in [07:20] their lives. The the sky's is the limit. [07:22] And God's really he's always preparing [07:24] you for what he has prepared for you. [07:26] And I'm excited for what he's preparing [07:27] my kids for cuz I hope that my ceiling [07:30] is their floor and they get to do uh [07:32] even more things for the kingdom of God [07:33] and for all that he's doing on the [07:35] earth. [07:36] >> Amen. Amen. And I mean, look, it's going [07:38] to be they're having an experience that [07:40] is so far from what most kids have that, [07:42] you know, from their backgrounds. [07:44] They're going to be spending much of [07:46] their lives in in the land of Israel, in [07:49] the state of Israel. They're going to be [07:50] and their experiences are going to be [07:52] quite unique and uh I I think that they [07:54] they all have very bright futures ahead [07:56] of them. I've met your children and they [07:58] are they're shooting stars, each one. [08:01] >> Thank you. And you I said to my wife the [08:03] other day, it took me back to an episode [08:05] we did with uh the Wallers and their red [08:08] bus driving around America. And I go, [08:11] you know, it's kind of kind of like [08:12] that. And I might reach out to them and [08:14] just say, "Hey, I know it was a few [08:15] years ago that you guys all piled in [08:17] that red bust across uh America and make [08:20] your way to Israel, but any tips or uh [08:22] any thoughts?" Because they they have [08:23] done so much for uh the state of Israel, [08:26] for all that God's doing, what they're [08:27] doing in Judea and Samaria is really [08:29] special. [08:32] So Doug, it's been three years since [08:33] October 7th. [08:35] >> Yeah, it's been. And I've seen so many [08:37] videos and I wish I was in Israel with [08:40] the crew right now. Everybody's the tour [08:42] looks incredible. Wake Jerusalem looked [08:44] amazing. The Day to Pray event, all of [08:46] it. But I've seen so many wonderful [08:49] videos of Israelis saying, you know, we [08:51] said we would dance again and they're [08:53] and they're showing celebrations uh as [08:55] part of that. I saw some really uh [08:58] beautiful vibrant uh celebrations at the [09:00] Western Wall and other places uh which I [09:03] know are are typical as part of uh [09:05] Sukkot is a very joyful holiday but it [09:08] seemed a little different with as you [09:10] mentioned that anniversary of October [09:12] 7th is always going to kind of fall and [09:14] it's always going to frame and shape how [09:16] the Jewish people celebrate that [09:18] holiday. But I felt like overall the the [09:21] videos, the online impression of what uh [09:24] everybody seems to be going through is [09:26] yes, there's contemplation, there's [09:27] reflection, but it's also forging ahead [09:30] in joy and that we we are going to [09:32] continue to press forward and we're [09:33] still here. And I felt very encouraged [09:36] honestly by the stuff that I'm seeing [09:38] and the celebrations that are taking [09:39] place. [09:40] >> Yeah. And a lot of that is also, you [09:43] know, that positive feeling is also [09:44] driven by the fact that there are no [09:45] more hostages. You know, even in in the [09:48] in the past years since once the war [09:51] started, the hostages came home right [09:53] before [09:55] literally the day before Simatra last [09:58] year and that was just a tremendous [10:01] celebration. [10:03] >> Absolutely. [10:03] >> But there's a real feeling that as you [10:05] said that, you know, we've been [10:06] resilient. We got through it. What comes [10:08] next for Israel? We're all in this [10:10] together. But there's also a sense of [10:12] unfinished business. you know, we still [10:14] have we still don't know how things are [10:16] going to wind up in Gaza. We still don't [10:17] know how things are going to wind up in [10:19] Iran. We still don't know how things are [10:20] going to wind up uh in in Lebanon. So, [10:23] there's still a lot of unanswered [10:24] questions. We've also been through a lot [10:26] of a lot of loss over these few years. [10:30] Uh but yeah, you're absolutely right to [10:32] identify it that way. The the nation of [10:34] Israel is a joyous people. We are and [10:37] and and there's a sense that we have [10:39] that we have come through the worst of [10:40] this. [10:42] Well, and to just go back, Pesak, and [10:45] and reflect, I know we've talked about [10:47] it a lot. We covered the the war pretty [10:51] regularly, [10:52] what what for you do you go back and [10:55] when you think about that day, October [10:57] 7th, um you put yourself back in that [11:00] place in in that moment when when you [11:03] first found out what was happening, uh [11:05] what what was going through through kind [11:07] of your mind? Obviously, we've [11:08] formulated [11:10] strategies and political stances and [11:12] there have been wars and all of that, [11:13] but the rawness of that moment because I [11:15] for me and I and I've said this on on [11:17] the show in brief, but I was sitting on [11:19] the tarmac at Bengorian airport was one [11:21] of the last flights out before they [11:23] closed the airport at 6 something in the [11:25] morning. I think I have a picture of me [11:27] on the airplane uh at like 6:52 or 6, [11:32] you know, it's timestamped on your on [11:33] your photo before we took off. And we [11:36] didn't even realize fully what was [11:37] happening, but we were getting the red [11:38] alerts on our phone and all of that as [11:41] we were taking off. And about half of [11:43] our group that day ended up in uh the [11:46] bomb shelters there at Bengorian airport [11:48] and uh the Eagles Wings group that was [11:50] there. It took about 2 days, I believe, [11:51] to get everybody um out of the country. [11:54] Um it was quite challenging, you know, [11:56] all the logistics with that and [11:58] everything that was happening. There was [11:59] so much that was just in flux in that [12:01] moment. Uh and that was kind of our [12:03] perspective. And then I land back in the [12:05] states and immediately I the Buffalo [12:08] News called and wanted to talk to me [12:10] because I had been there and we had this [12:11] tour going. Bishop Sterns was in Israel [12:14] cuz he had planned to stay longer and I [12:17] ended up speaking at the Jewish [12:19] Community Center there in uh Buffalo [12:21] where you and I uh had lunch with Rabbi [12:23] Shakar. They had a a massive vigil I [12:26] think on the maybe the 8th or the 9th. [12:29] um 500 people came out in the rain, the [12:31] news media and I had the privilege of [12:34] standing there and letting the the [12:35] Jewish community know that they weren't [12:36] alone and um to light the yellow candles [12:39] and we stood in that moment and in [12:41] solidarity together and we did some [12:43] stuff at the tabernacle and then we [12:45] marched on the UB campus with the Jewish [12:47] community. There was a number of things [12:48] that transpired in those early days, but [12:51] I was outside of the country. You were [12:53] inside. And I know you and I had several [12:56] private conversations as four of uh your [12:59] your children uh ended up on the front [13:02] lines in various capacities uh serving [13:04] in in the military. So, talk about as as [13:07] an Israeli, as a parent, where were you [13:10] at and what were you thinking if you [13:12] take yourself back to that moment? [13:15] >> Sure. Well, I remember it play by play. [13:18] When the when the sirens began, which [13:20] was early in the morning, I was in the [13:22] synagogue. I go to an early service, uh, [13:26] you know, much earlier than most. You [13:28] know, there's there's always a lot of [13:30] synagogues have an option for a very [13:31] early service both on on Shabbats and on [13:34] holidays. I always go to a very early [13:35] service. So, even though a lot of people [13:36] were just waking up, we were uh getting [13:39] near the end of our of our prayers and [13:44] the siren started going [13:46] and I was actually leading the service [13:49] at that moment and it was uh it was very [13:51] jarring. We didn't know what was going [13:53] on. But there's there's even though our [13:54] phones are off, there's always one [13:56] person for security reasons in the [13:58] community who or often there's more than [14:00] one for various reasons. people who work [14:01] in emergency services or uh you know for [14:04] security reasons pe people shouldn't [14:06] think that in Orthodox Jewish [14:07] communities nobody knows what's going on [14:09] there's always someone for security [14:10] reasons who is plugged in to the [14:12] authorities so we did get some word [14:15] about what was happening the magnitude [14:17] of it obviously we did not know we [14:18] didn't even know that for the you know [14:20] for the first day or two we didn't know [14:21] the you know the numbers like when we [14:23] started hearing things like that this [14:25] wrote police station was under attack [14:27] and we started hearing numbers like [14:29] dozens killed and then later hundreds [14:32] killed. That was inconceivable to us. [14:34] These were numbers that we'd never heard [14:35] before from any attack. A terrible [14:38] terrorist attack in Israel before [14:39] October 7th would be two people killed [14:41] or four people killed or 10 people [14:43] killed. I mean, this this was uh this [14:45] was a magnitude that was very hard to [14:47] digest when the numbers first started [14:49] coming in. And even those initial [14:50] numbers, which we had a hard time [14:52] believing, were were far less than what [14:56] the real numbers were. But the [14:57] experience for me uh after you know we [15:00] finished up services being interrupted a [15:02] few times by air raid sirens. Everyone [15:05] quickly went home. Um when I got home, [15:09] those members of my family who had not [15:10] attended the synagogue uh were everyone [15:14] was obviously [15:16] you know um kind of emotional [15:21] and one by one my children my son-in-law [15:24] started getting called up and at one [15:27] point in the afternoon I drove my son I [15:31] drove one of my sons to a pickup to a [15:34] pickup spot where he was going to be [15:36] picked up to go right down to start [15:38] fighting the terrorists who had [15:40] infiltrated those towns down south. [15:42] It's the first time I ever drove my car [15:44] uh on Shabbat [15:47] and uh but there's you know and under [15:49] circumstances like this that's [15:50] permissible [15:52] and when I when I dropped him off and he [15:54] was already checking his phone he had [15:55] messages from his commanders telling him [15:57] a little bit more about what was going [15:58] on. So that was really where I started [15:59] understanding some of the magnitude of [16:00] what was happening, some of what I [16:02] mentioned to you before. When I dropped [16:04] him off, you know, I said goodbye to [16:05] him, gave him a hug. I didn't realize I [16:07] wouldn't see him for a few months. [16:09] Um, but I dropped him off and I I turned [16:14] the car off when I stopped the car to [16:16] drop him off and then realized as soon [16:18] as I finished dropping him off that [16:20] there was no [16:23] there was no uh justification under [16:26] Jewish law for me to turn the car back [16:27] on to drive home because while dropping [16:30] my son off is something that is a [16:31] necessity, driving myself home is not. [16:35] So I actually sat I was in the middle I [16:37] was not in a residential area. I was you [16:41] know in the town of Beamesh. I was down [16:42] for those people. We do have listeners [16:44] in Beamesh. I was down near the train [16:46] station. No one lives down there. It was [16:48] it was really dead. There were some [16:50] other people dropping their kids off at [16:52] the same dropoff spot to go into, you [16:54] know, to go to war. [16:57] But I just stayed there for a few hours [17:00] by myself [17:02] until Shabbat was over. And it was uh it [17:04] was quite some time. It was about 3 four [17:06] hours. And I was just thinking I was [17:08] just deep in thought. I had no way of [17:09] knowing anything. [17:11] And where my mind went to was the [17:14] Christian world because of the work that [17:15] I do. I've spent many years. That's my [17:17] career. That's my life building bridges [17:19] with Christians. So I immediately was [17:21] like, "Okay, what's my responsibility at [17:23] this time? I have to reach out to my [17:25] Christian friends and see where they're [17:26] at." So, I made a, you know, as soon as [17:29] I I made a I I made a decision that as [17:31] soon as Shabbat was over, I would uh I [17:34] would start calling some of my some of [17:35] my u my friends who are Christian [17:37] leaders and see where, you know, where [17:40] they're at and what and what and what [17:41] they're planning to do. [17:44] And my mind also went to the American [17:48] conservative right politically. Not that [17:51] I was involved with that movement really [17:53] yet, but I definitely politically [17:54] identified with it. [17:56] And I was very concerned because I was a [18:00] consumer of politically conservative [18:03] media from America and I was very much [18:05] aware of what's going on in the MAGA [18:06] movement and you know the Trump movement [18:08] and that whole part of America and of [18:11] course this is the middle of the Biden [18:12] administration but I I very much had my [18:14] finger on the pulse of that of that part [18:16] of America and I was very worried that [18:19] the Israeli leadership did not really [18:21] understand how to communicate with these [18:23] people about Israel and that they still [18:25] had this kind old-fashioned view of [18:27] things uh that if they just send a [18:30] spokesman onto Fox News, they've got it [18:32] covered or something like that, which [18:33] you know, the world has changed and it [18:34] doesn't work like that anymore. So, that [18:36] was also on my mind. So, as soon as [18:38] Shabbat ended, I called Michelle [18:40] Bachmann. I'm sure many of our viewers [18:42] know who she is. You know, a very [18:44] prominent [18:45] >> uh Christian leader, one of the most [18:47] prominent [18:48] >> I mean, she's she's one of the most [18:49] prominent prominent political figures [18:51] who's an evangelical Christian in [18:52] America. So, I called Michelle and she [18:56] immediately picked up the phone and she [18:57] was like, "Rabbi, we're having a, you [18:59] know, we're gathered in prayer here at [19:01] Regent University. You know, what's [19:03] going on? What can I do for you?" And we [19:06] just started talking about different [19:07] media outlets and how we could how I [19:10] could, you know, can get my voice on [19:12] there and and what she's planning to do [19:14] at at Regent and and other Christian [19:16] leaders and what we could do to [19:17] mobilize. That was my October 7th [19:19] meeting. As much as it was traumatic and [19:22] people were and and I was I was I had [19:25] intermittent crying going on throughout [19:27] this, I was very it was extremely [19:28] emotional and my children are going off [19:30] to war. But for me, it was all about [19:34] what what do I need to do next? Like if [19:37] my kids are picking up their guns and [19:38] they're going to war, I'm also going to [19:40] war. I got to figure out what I need to [19:41] do and and and and what access do I have [19:45] to people who can help us at this time. [19:47] And that was really what my October 7th [19:49] was like. And frankly, I have to tell [19:51] you, Doug, it was a change in my life [19:53] that's never really I've never really [19:55] gone back to what was before. Because [19:57] for everyone who knows who I am now and [19:59] everyone who listens to me now, you [20:01] watch this channel or wherever, all of [20:03] the messaging that I do, educating [20:06] people about the politics in Israel and [20:09] and going on on shows in media and [20:11] talking about Israel and and defending [20:14] Israel and explaining what's really [20:15] going on here. That all really began on [20:18] October 7th and it's a major change in [20:20] my life. Before that, my focus was [20:23] really on Jewish Christian relations in [20:25] a kind of in in the classic sense and [20:28] building spiritual bonds around studying [20:31] the Bible together, you know, [20:32] theological dialogue, speaking at [20:35] seminaries and churches. That was really [20:36] my career and that was my life and I was [20:38] perfectly fine doing that. I was very [20:40] much I was a very politically aware [20:42] person, but it wasn't really a part of [20:44] uh a part of my career and it only and [20:46] that that shift happened on October 7th. [20:49] So that's a major change for me. And uh [20:52] yeah, and you know that you know those [20:55] open those first few weeks especially, I [20:57] don't think I slept very much. [20:59] >> No, I I remember I was at uh Home Depot. [21:02] I remember this very clearly. I was at [21:04] Home Depot [clears throat] um with my [21:06] wife. We were picking something up um [21:08] because we uh had only been in Buffalo [21:11] about uh a year, but when I got back [21:13] from that trip, we actually made a move [21:15] into a bigger house. And so we were [21:17] picking up something for the house and [21:19] uh you had given me a call. You called a [21:22] few times uh in the middle of the night [21:24] when you were having trouble sleeping [21:26] those early days and we had some [21:27] personal conversations about just what [21:30] was going on and you just needed you [21:32] needed an outlet. you needed somebody to [21:34] talk to and I was super grateful to be [21:36] uh a trusted friend in in that moment [21:39] and be able to uh identify and listen [21:41] and and and gave me the ability to be [21:44] able to pray uh clearly and correctly uh [21:47] for you for the Jewish people. [21:50] It shifted our podcast. You know, we [21:52] were doing uh really nice, you know, [21:55] spiritual pieces about various [21:57] organizations. It was a lot of fun and [21:59] we did Bible study and that was great. [22:02] But all of a sudden there became a an [22:04] urgency. It became a like a almost honed [22:07] in our purpose. It gave a a clarity to [22:11] wow, this is this is a moment. This [22:13] isn't just about coming together and [22:15] singing Kumbaya, as great as that is. [22:17] It's not just about having a tour to [22:19] Israel, but the the earth is shifting. [22:22] And you could feel the prophetic moment. [22:25] You could feel that this there not just [22:28] lives attached to it, but the the [22:29] seriousness of it all. And so for us to [22:32] be able to be a clarifying voice uh in a [22:36] very muddy, [22:38] cloudy swamp of media and all of that [22:41] was a real privilege. And I didn't [22:43] realize fully the weight of what God was [22:46] doing both in my life and in the [22:48] podcast. But looking back, you know, the [22:50] people that we had on, the IDF [22:52] spokesperson's office, the fact that [22:54] they were coming on and they were giving [22:55] updates and we were able to keep our [22:58] audience informed and we were able to [22:59] have generals and colonels and [23:02] politicians and all kinds of people and [23:05] ask them uh the questions and give them [23:07] a place to share truth with our audience [23:10] was uh an incredible privilege. But it [23:12] definitely shifted the purpose of this [23:15] podcast from just being a a pastor and a [23:17] rabbi talking about scripture and [23:19] spiritual things which is very [23:21] important. Uh but to really diving into [23:24] what's going on on the earth and how [23:25] that scripture is impacting the lives of [23:29] people in Israel and around the world. [23:31] >> Yeah. You know, you just put your finger [23:33] on it. You know, I remember in the early [23:35] months uh of the war where we were we [23:37] had really shifted to giving war updates [23:40] and we were having Elliot Chaf on a lot [23:42] and and other other experts and like you [23:45] said the IDF spokesman's office, you [23:47] know, uh they were sending people to [23:49] give us updates and I almost felt like, [23:51] well, we're getting away from what this [23:53] podcast is supposed to be. Initially, I [23:55] almost felt bad about it. Like, wait, [23:57] we're not having the theological [23:58] conversations anymore. We're not talking [24:00] about the Bible anymore. This isn't [24:01] Jewish Christian relations. because now [24:03] it's turning into politics. But when I [24:05] when I really reflect on all that, I [24:07] think back and say, "Wait a second, what [24:11] happened on October 7th?" Really, what [24:14] happened was something a process was put [24:16] in motion and everything that's happened [24:19] on social media since the rise in [24:21] anti-semitism that we've seen, [24:24] everything that's happened in the world [24:26] about Israel. And we talked about this [24:29] uh in our last episode, I think it was, [24:31] or a recent episode where we were [24:32] talking about the feast of tabernacles [24:35] and the test that has been put before [24:38] the world. How do you see the Jewish [24:39] people's return to the land of Israel? [24:41] How do you see the Jewish people? That [24:44] is a test for not for the Jews. It's a [24:46] test for everyone else. And so much of [24:49] the world has failed that test. And all [24:52] of that was set in motion on October [24:54] 7th. So in amidst all of the fighting [24:57] and all of the politics, there's [25:00] something very biblical and very [25:01] spiritual that that even in that [25:04] politics and in that in all the military [25:06] stuff that we're living through because [25:09] look in Genesis 12 when God speaks to [25:12] Abraham and he says, "I will bless those [25:14] who bless you and those who will curse [25:16] you I will curse." [25:19] Think about that. Why are there some [25:21] people who want to bless you and some [25:22] people want to curse you? Why? [25:25] I mean, there's a lot of people in the [25:26] world that no one really cares to bless [25:27] or curse. Like, I like I've never [25:29] thought twice about, I don't know, the [25:31] people of Denmark. Like, I don't want to [25:32] bless them. I don't want to curse them. [25:33] I don't I have no opinion whatsoever, [25:35] >> for example. No offense to people in [25:37] Denmark. I just have no opinion. [25:39] >> Right? I mean, as an example, and God [25:42] was telling Abraham that there's going [25:44] to be this this litmus test that people [25:47] are going to look at you, your people, [25:50] your family, this nation, and everyone's [25:53] going to have an opinion about you. [25:55] >> Yeah. [laughter] [25:56] >> Everyone's going to have an opinion. And [25:58] everyone's got an opinion about the [25:59] Jewish people. We're less than half of [26:00] 1% of the world's population. [26:02] Everybody's got an opinion about us. And [26:05] they're all looking at the same thing. [26:07] They're all looking at the same [26:08] successes. They're all looking at the [26:10] same failures. But the question is, how [26:12] do you see them? And that [26:16] that test, [26:18] we could talk about it as a as a [26:20] theoretical theological concept before [26:22] October 7th, but since October 7th, it's [26:24] been a very real test every day on [26:27] social media, every day in the world. [26:29] How do you see this? Do you see the [26:31] Jewish people as these nefarious bad [26:33] actors or do you see them as the most [26:37] moral army in the world and returning to [26:39] their land in fulfillment of biblical [26:41] prophecy? Is there's the positive way to [26:43] view us, there's the negative way to [26:44] view us and people fall into their [26:45] camps. You know, it's [26:49] as much as the rise in anti-semitism has [26:52] been disturbing and it it's it's it's a [26:55] bad thing, I want to be very honest, [26:59] it's not a Jewish issue. [27:02] I it's not a Jewish [27:05] >> and when Jews, and here's I think I've [27:08] mentioned this on the podcast, but I [27:09] want to be very blunt. I think that [27:12] fighting anti-semitism like Jewish [27:13] organizations that invest lots of money [27:15] in fighting anti-semitism. I think most [27:17] of that is wasted money. I I'm not [27:19] saying that it's a grift. That is not [27:21] what I'm saying. I'm not saying there's [27:22] anything wrong with these organizations [27:24] in terms of their motives and I [27:25] understand why people give money to it [27:27] because you want to because you want to [27:28] fight anti-semitism. [27:30] >> But I think it's all I don't think it [27:32] works and I don't think it's something [27:34] for Jews to do. [27:37] >> We are the target of it. But it's not [27:39] really about us. It's about the people [27:41] themselves. The question is what is [27:44] motivating you when you see the nation [27:46] of Israel? Are you filled with jealousy? [27:49] Are you are you resentful of what God of [27:52] God's choices? Are you in denial of [27:55] fulfillment of prophecy? There's all [27:57] kinds of different motives, spiritual [27:59] motives for people to look negatively at [28:02] the nation of Israel. and they have no [28:04] and there's nothing a Jew can do [28:07] to influence that and it's not our [28:10] responsibility to so I'm speaking to my [28:13] you know to the Jewish audience here [28:14] guys anti-semitism is not our issue it [28:18] targets us you want to be safe from it [28:20] okay sure make sure you're safe but in [28:24] the end of the day it's not really our [28:25] issue it's a test for everyone else [28:28] interesting you know I wonder and I look [28:31] back you know Having been in Israel on [28:35] October 7th, and I'm just thinking this [28:37] now, this thought popped in my head. I I [28:39] wonder if I hadn't been there at that [28:42] moment, I wonder if I hadn't been so [28:44] personally connected with it. If I would [28:47] have been able to make the shift that [28:49] the podcast made. Like, I was in the [28:51] pro-Israel space and I love the [28:54] theological debates and dialogue, but I [28:56] wasn't necessarily politically active. I [28:58] wasn't giving speeches uh at the Jewish [29:01] Community Center. I wasn't going on the [29:02] Buffalo News to talk about uh politics [29:06] or talk about a war in Israel. I, you [29:09] know, I was going to Celebrate Israel [29:11] events. I was talking to other Christian [29:14] nonprofits that were Israel adjacent. I [29:17] was doing nice events in our church. But [29:20] it I I really think I mean God obviously [29:24] in his providence and in his wisdom [29:26] allowed me to be there because it really [29:28] has changed my heart and and my thinking [29:32] on Israel and put a firmness to that [29:36] stance that I couldn't have gotten any [29:38] other way cuz I I I personally connect [29:40] even to this day when I come into [29:42] Israel. I've had issues with those [29:44] little blue cards when you come through [29:45] passport control and I've had to go over [29:48] and the twice now the gentleman when I [29:50] was there with my kids in 24 the [29:52] gentleman was, you know, scanning my [29:54] passport cuz I was having issues. My [29:56] kids were all fine. I was the one with [29:57] the problem. And he went, "Oh, you were [29:59] here on October 7th." And I said, "I [30:01] was." And he was like, "Oh." He's like, [30:02] "Thank you so much." You know, handed me [30:03] the passport back, got me all taken care [30:05] of. But every time I've had to do that, [30:07] they notice immediately that I was here [30:09] on October 7th, 2023. And I I I honestly [30:13] wonder if I would have made the the [30:15] shift if I would have been [30:18] as engaged as I've been if I hadn't been [30:21] here. It really personalized it for me [30:23] and uh the personal calls and then all [30:25] the people that we that we truly [30:26] interviewed, you know, we've done a [30:28] number of campaigns with Eagle's Wings [30:31] and several other organizations to fight [30:34] against anti-semitism. And to your [30:36] point, it's it's really I feel that it's [30:38] really the mandate of of the church. And [30:41] I feel like we drop the ball when we're [30:42] not stepping in in a greater capacity uh [30:46] to fight against anti-semitism when we [30:48] feel like that's well it's just like a [30:50] it's a secondary political issue. It's [30:52] not, you know, we stand with Israel, [30:54] we'll wave the flag, we'll throw a few [30:56] bucks towards, you know, a ministry like [30:58] Eagle's Wings or whatever, but I, you [31:00] know, I don't I don't want to be I don't [31:02] want to be politically involved. And and [31:05] I think that's really interesting. I'm [31:06] I'm having a a contemplative moment here [31:08] for myself wondering if I would be as [31:10] engaged if I hadn't had a personal kind [31:13] of place with it. [31:16] But you're also bringing up a really [31:17] important point, which is that [31:21] unfortunately, and this was a shock to a [31:23] lot of people in the Jewish Christian [31:26] relations space, in the Zionist space, [31:30] that a lot of Christians who professed [31:33] support for Israel [31:36] before October 7th [31:38] kind of vanished. [31:41] And I'm not saying that they turned [31:42] against Israel necessarily, [31:45] but they just were not so eager to take [31:48] a stand. [31:50] And I say this also about some of the, [31:53] you know, Christian Zionist [31:54] organizations. [31:55] There there was an expectation. [31:58] We didn't know that we'd get attacked on [32:00] October 7th, but there was always this [32:02] thought, this expectation, [32:04] >> the happens [32:06] >> that if God forbid anything happens, [32:07] there's millions of Christians who are [32:09] mobilized. And I would have expected to [32:11] see, I don't know, rally, you know, let [32:14] me say it this way. Our enemies took [32:16] over the streets. We saw that in all the [32:19] western cities on the college campuses, [32:21] >> London, Sydney, Chicago. [32:23] >> And the Christian world in the the [32:26] Christians of America are certainly [32:28] large enough in number that they could [32:30] have taken the streets back or they [32:32] could have done other events. They could [32:35] have had rallies out front of in front [32:37] of state houses or rallies of solidarity [32:40] in front of synagogues. There's [32:42] something that could I would have [32:43] expected that to happen nationwide [32:45] considering the millions of Christians [32:46] who have at least by words [32:50] professed their support for Israel. And [32:51] I'll be perfectly honest and blunt. In [32:53] the opening months after October 7th, [32:56] there was a lot of disappointment [32:59] in Israel with wait a second, where are [33:01] all our Christian friends? It took the [33:02] Christian world a while to wake up and [33:04] some never did. Like you said, there's a [33:07] lot of churches that would have been [33:08] comfortable having a day in their church [33:10] talking about Israel before, but now [33:12] Israel is a political issue and they're [33:14] afraid to talk about it. And this is I'm [33:16] going to say something I've said so many [33:17] times, Doug. [33:18] >> They're actually afraid of one of the [33:20] key components of the Bible because the [33:22] Bible is a very political book. We [33:26] shouldn't be afraid to say that. The [33:28] Bible is a political book. What is [33:29] politics? Politics is about how society [33:32] is properly ordered, about the [33:34] relationships between nations, about [33:36] history. That's what politics is. All [33:39] the great prophets and and luminaries of [33:42] the Bible, [33:42] >> David, all of them, [33:44] >> we're all involved in politics because [33:45] that's [33:46] >> that's our mission on this earth. We're [33:49] supposed to transform this earth and [33:51] we're supposed to make changes to how [33:52] society operates and we're supposed to [33:55] yearn for leadership so that we can [33:56] direct society in the right direction. [33:58] Of course. Of course, we're supposed to [34:00] be involved in politics. And this fear [34:03] of getting involved in politics, this [34:05] fear of touching an issue because it's a [34:07] political issue [34:09] means that when the rubber really meets [34:11] the road, and Israel really needs its [34:14] friends, because it's politics, you're [34:16] going to keep your mouth shut. It was a [34:18] very it I'm being honest as someone who [34:20] spent many many years in Jewish [34:23] Christian relations, visiting churches, [34:24] visiting seminaries, interacting with [34:26] many different Christian organizations, [34:28] I was surprised at how little activity [34:31] there was coming out of the Christian [34:33] world. Now that said, [34:37] the people of Israel, [34:40] we knew right at the outset, [34:43] we have confidence we're going to win. [34:46] And we knew that the guardian of Israel [34:49] neither slumbers nor sleeps. We'll be [34:52] okay in the end of the day with or [34:54] without our friends. But that's when I [34:57] get back to this idea of the test. [35:00] October 7th was really a test. Not for [35:03] us. It was a it was a different kind of [35:05] test for us, but it was a test for the [35:07] nations. It was a test for the Christian [35:08] world. Do you mean it? Are you really [35:12] with us? Are you willing to stand with [35:14] Israel when there's a price to pay? When [35:16] there's a political price to pay? When [35:18] the younger generation that's drifting [35:20] away looks at you and says, "What are [35:22] you why are you preaching this Christian [35:24] Zionism stuff? Are you willing to still [35:25] stick to your guns? Are you willing?" [35:27] And you know, this is it's been very [35:31] revealing, frankly, Doug. [35:33] Well, I wonder Peso, you know, the [35:36] Christian world I especially because of [35:38] your vantage point, obviously being uh, [35:41] you know, disappointed. Was there any [35:43] other organizations, people that you [35:46] were shocked that either didn't say [35:49] anything or maybe did in the opposite [35:51] direction? Uh, obviously we talked about [35:52] the conservative movement. We've dealt [35:54] with a bunch on the on the horseshoe, [35:56] right? But who who were the big [35:57] surprises for you that you thought never [36:01] in a million years would that person be [36:04] against us? And maybe there's a few [36:05] surprises that were positive. Never in a [36:07] million years. I I'll be honest, Bill [36:09] Maher has been a huge surprise for me. [36:11] Never in a million years that I think I [36:13] would be agreeing with with Bill Maher [36:15] in any capacity, but he's been pretty [36:18] solid on support for Israel. He's been [36:21] pretty levelheaded uh on the on the [36:23] whole since October 7th and and perhaps [36:26] before then. I don't know what his [36:27] positions were before then, but I've had [36:29] a few surprises like that pleasantly. Uh [36:31] but I've also been disappointed like [36:33] you've mentioned. Um who for you uh what [36:35] organizations, what thing uh has really, [36:38] you know, been frustrating and [36:39] disappointing? Well, I mean, I I don't [36:42] really feel so comfortable talking about [36:44] organizations that were disappointing to [36:45] me. I don't want to I don't want to make [36:47] any enemies on the podcast. Uh but you [36:50] know, there look [36:53] there were, let's just say there was one [36:55] very prominent Christian organization [36:57] that had always talked about that it [36:58] would stand with Israel and that [37:01] maintains that they have state directors [37:03] and city directors and every major [37:05] population center in America. And there [37:08] was not a whole lot of activity. And [37:09] there were a lot of people who were [37:10] disappointed in them. I'm sure many [37:12] people listening know who I'm talking [37:13] about. But I want to tell you actually a [37:16] really cool story about about this this [37:18] whole issue about where people stood on [37:20] Israel that I don't think I've ever told [37:24] publicly before. But why not? [37:28] So many of the people listening to this [37:30] podcast watching are probably aware that [37:34] I've had an ongoing relationship with [37:36] very controversial figure named Steve [37:38] Bannon and uh I've been a regular on his [37:42] show on and off for the last few years [37:45] and uh he has gone through phases where [37:48] he's more pro-Israel, he's gone through [37:51] phases where he's less pro- Israel. It's [37:53] been uh it's been an interesting it's [37:56] been an interesting ride having a [37:57] relationship with him. But I want to [37:58] share a story that relates to October [38:00] 7th. So Steve Bannon's podcast, The War [38:03] Room, Bannon's War Room, had a very very [38:08] large audience back then. The audience [38:09] has shrunk since. Uh but during the [38:12] Biden administration, his audience was [38:14] was quite large. And more than the size [38:18] of his audience, his audience is very [38:20] influential. A lot of important voices [38:22] on the right take their cues from [38:23] Bannon. And I was someone who liked I [38:26] always listened to his podcast, you [38:28] know, to keep my finger on the pulse of [38:29] Trump politics and and you know, the [38:31] MAGA politics on the right [38:34] and he never talked about Israel very [38:37] much. I had listened to his podcast for [38:38] a few years [38:40] and I didn't even really know so much [38:43] what his views of Israel were. I knew [38:45] that he was basically a pro-Israel [38:46] person. He had said a few pro-Israel [38:48] things here and there, but mostly he [38:50] talked about domestic issues. [38:52] And on October 7th, [38:55] he has a show on Saturdays, too. So on [38:57] October 7th, after Shabbat was over, I [39:01] logged on to see what he was saying [39:02] because I knew that whatever his [39:03] approach would be to this would also end [39:06] up being uh [39:09] potentially the approach that a lot of [39:11] people in the MAGA movement would take [39:12] because Steve's opinion is is very [39:14] influential. I turned on his show that [39:16] day [39:18] and I was not happy with what I was [39:20] hearing [39:21] because he was he was talking about how [39:23] how could it be that the Israelis missed [39:25] this? What kind you know this is this is [39:28] uh you know and he started started [39:29] bashing Netanyahu [39:32] for you know for for turning his back on [39:34] Trump because Netanyahu had [39:36] congratulated Biden on his on his on his [39:39] presidential win. and he started bashing [39:40] Netanyahu for that reason. And um he [39:46] he was just he was being very negative [39:49] about Israel [39:52] and [39:54] and then but but the the worst thing [39:55] about what he was saying is that he was [39:57] saying what we need now is for this not [40:00] to turn into a full-scale war. We need [40:02] this to be deescalated. The last thing [40:04] America needs is another war going on. [40:07] It's bad enough we have the war in the [40:08] Ukraine. and we don't need this. So, we [40:10] need deescalation. Now, from an Israeli [40:12] perspective, the last thing in the world [40:13] we wanted was deescalation. [40:16] We wanted escalation so that we could [40:17] deal with our problems. [40:20] So, when I spoke to Michelle Bachmann [40:22] that day, I brought this up because I [40:24] knew that she knew him and we were [40:26] already friends and [40:30] and I I was like, you know, I we got to [40:33] change what he's saying here because in [40:34] the past he's been pretty pro-Israel, [40:36] but now he's saying this stuff and [40:37] deescalation. And if this becomes the [40:39] attitude of the MAGA movement, we know [40:41] the Democrats are going to be against [40:42] us. If the Republicans are against [40:44] escalation, that's not going to be good. [40:47] How do we turn them around? [40:49] So, I'm going to make a very long story [40:51] short. I I spoke to her. I spoke to [40:52] Frank Gaffne, who I also knew because of [40:54] some work I had done for persecuted [40:56] Christians that Frank was involved with. [40:58] Those were the two people I knew who [40:59] knew Steve Bannon. And I wanted to [41:01] change what Steve was saying on his [41:02] show. and and then again on his show on [41:04] Monday and on a show on Tuesday he was [41:06] going on and on about deescalation [41:08] and Michelle and Frank were both talking [41:10] to Bannon during those days trying to [41:13] you know get him to change his tune and [41:14] he was not having anything of it. He was [41:16] like no this is you know we need to [41:18] deescalate and and he kept going the [41:21] same way. So on the Tuesday of that week [41:25] I made a video an 8-minute video talking [41:29] to Steve Bannon. [41:32] He had I'd never met him before at that [41:34] point. He had no idea who I was. But I [41:36] made a video where I was speaking in the [41:37] second person to him [41:41] explaining to him in his own political [41:43] terms why he was wrong. [41:47] And [41:49] neither Michelle nor Frank wanted to [41:50] show the video to Steve because they [41:52] were worried that while they're [41:54] bothering him, if they just show him a [41:56] video, it's just going to be more of [41:57] them bothering him. So, I needed to [41:59] figure out another way to get it to him. [42:02] So through a friend of mine, I found [42:04] someone else who knew Steve who went [42:06] over to Steve's house and showed him the [42:08] video that I made for him [42:13] and he told that person he's right. [42:16] And starting I think it was on the [42:18] Friday of that week which was right [42:20] after he had saw he saw my video he [42:22] start he flipped completely [42:25] and became the most pro-Israel voice for [42:29] the next until the Iran war. He was very [42:32] pro-Israel and he was in favor of Israel [42:34] completely defeating Hamas. He [42:36] completely changed his tune and shortly [42:37] after that I became a regular guest on [42:39] his show. really turned around how he [42:41] talked about the war. [42:43] >> And that video is still on the Israel [42:45] 365 news website on the YouTube channel [42:47] somewhere. If you find if you scroll all [42:49] the way back three years, you could find [42:50] that video. I think the title of it is [42:53] Steve Bannon is right and wrong on [42:55] Israel. I think that's the title we [42:56] ended up giving it. Um, but you can [42:58] watch it. It's a it was a video I made a [43:00] couple days after October 7th and it had [43:02] a tremendous effect. [43:05] That's also what led to my relationship [43:06] with Real America's Voice because they [43:08] ended up at Steve's urging sending a [43:11] reporter over here to Israel who I [43:13] showed around and we ended up and and [43:15] that uh and we really turned around the [43:17] whole messaging for that channel and for [43:20] and for Steve Bannon's show on the war [43:21] in Israel until until the 12-day war [43:23] happened where Bannon got upset at [43:25] Netanyahu again and and things have kind [43:27] of, you know, been up and down since. [43:28] But we still remain I still remain in [43:31] touch with Steve. you know, he still has [43:32] a very big audience and it's something I [43:33] take very seriously, the opportunity to [43:35] speak to his audience regardless of uh, [43:38] you know, what's coming out of his mouth [43:39] on a given day. He's someone who still [43:42] has a lot of influence. But I just [43:43] wanted to share that story because it's [43:44] a big part of that first week after [43:46] October 7th for me. [43:48] >> Yeah, we we'll have to find that video [43:50] and put it on the shoulder-to-shoulder [43:51] community and Facebook. Well, Pesak, one [43:54] of the things that is positive and is uh [43:58] exciting is there has been a uh a large [44:02] Christian support even though it took a [44:05] bit to get going. And always during the [44:08] Feast of Tabernacles, you have massive [44:11] events in Jerusalem. You have the [44:14] parade. You have I I think the [44:16] International Christian Embassy in [44:17] Jerusalem does their uh massive nations, [44:21] you know, concert, parade, and events. [44:23] Eagles Wings every year is there during [44:25] uh Feast of Tabernacles. And this year, [44:28] I know that Eagle's Wings brought its [44:30] single largest tour ever. 14 buses, over [44:33] 500 people, and I believe it's over 50 [44:36] nations were present, and you got to [44:38] spend Shabbat dinner with some of the [44:42] tour. So, talk about that. What does [44:44] that mean for the people of Israel to [44:46] see the nations come during Sukkot? Is [44:48] it annoying? Is it just, oh gosh, a [44:50] whole bunch more tourists, you know, [44:52] we're trying to do, you know, we got our [44:54] rogue and we we got our, you know, [44:56] prayers to do and all these people are [44:58] in our way. Is it is it a little bit of [45:00] both or are they really excited that the [45:02] nations are streaming up and and [45:04] prophecy being fulfilled? [45:08] >> Well, let's start with the parade that [45:09] happens every year. The international uh [45:12] Christian embassy of Jerusalem puts on a [45:14] feast of tabernacles parade where [45:16] thousands of Christians from various n [45:18] from many different nations march [45:20] through the streets of Jerusalem and [45:22] they and they march in delegations [45:24] carrying the flags of their countries. [45:27] >> It's beautiful. [45:28] >> So that that parade takes place. A lot [45:30] of people in Jerusalem watch that [45:31] parade. I think a lot of Israelis don't [45:34] fully understand it. They don't [45:35] understand why Christians are coming [45:36] here even though it's right there in the [45:37] book of Zechariah. They don't connect [45:39] that. They don't even understand that [45:40] Christians read the Tanakh. They think [45:44] that the Christian, many Jews, many [45:46] Israelis I find who know very little [45:48] about Christianity think that the [45:49] Christians only have the New Testament [45:50] and therefore they don't, you know, when [45:52] I've told, in fact, I was in the hotel [45:54] with these Christian leaders uh from the [45:57] Eagles Wings trip and some of the Jews [45:59] who were in the hotel were asking me [46:01] about them. They're like, "Who are these [46:03] people? Like, I see you're involved with [46:04] them. What's going on here?" You know, [46:05] some of them asked me if I was [46:06] Messianic. you know, they didn't they [46:08] didn't get what was really going on. And [46:09] I said I said, "Well, you know, they're [46:10] these are all Christian leaders from all [46:12] across the world, hundreds of them, and [46:14] they're all here because of the prophecy [46:16] in Zechariah chapter 14. That's why they [46:18] come every year." And they're like, [46:20] "What? Why do they care about the [46:21] prophecy of Zechariah?" And I said, [46:22] "What do you mean? Why do they care [46:24] about the prophecy of Zechariah?" So, [46:25] you see, there's a lot of [46:26] misunderstanding on both sides. [46:28] >> But once they under once they're told [46:30] what it what it's all about, it blows [46:31] their minds and they're like, "Wow, this [46:34] is unbelievable." But they need to be [46:35] educated. there's a lot of work to do [46:37] educating the Jewish community uh about [46:39] this Christian uh support and about the [46:42] and about the biblical importance of [46:43] this and that's been that's been a [46:45] mission of mine for many years of course [46:47] but let me talk a little bit about the [46:48] group you know I was in the hotel there [46:50] were over 300 Christian leaders pastors [46:54] denominational leaders uh in my hotel a [46:58] lot of them were from were from the [47:00] southern hemisphere from South America [47:02] Africa uh there were when I was speaking [47:05] There were people who were doing [47:07] simultaneous translation on the whisper [47:09] devices so that people could listen to [47:11] into multiple languages. Uh but what I [47:14] did was I led a Shabbat dinner. I [47:16] explained what Shabbat dinner is. [47:18] >> Uh I explained what Shabbat is. I talked [47:20] about the festival, led them through the [47:21] rituals of a Shabbat dinner. But it it [47:24] was a room of over 300 people. So I had [47:25] to raise my voice. We don't use [47:26] microphones on Shabbat. But then I [47:29] invited whoever was interested to come [47:31] into a separate room after dinner to [47:33] have a more intimate conversation to do [47:35] a Bible study. And there about 50 or so [47:38] of them came for that. And that was [47:41] wonderful. And that went on for hours [47:42] because besides doing a Bible study, we [47:44] then I just took questions as long as [47:46] people wanted to talk and we really [47:48] connected and we really talked, you [47:49] know, till deep into the hours of the [47:51] night about important issues. And I I'm [47:54] once again reminded about how [47:58] how fortunate we are to live in a time [48:01] when [48:02] experiences like this of Christians [48:05] coming from dozens of nations. I think [48:08] there were 50 nations represented there [48:11] are coming to Jerusalem for Sukkot, [48:15] spending time with a rabbi, studying [48:18] scripture, studying the Bible from a [48:20] rabbi in Jerusalem on Sukkot. I mean, [48:24] and then you read that chapter in [48:25] Zechariah chapter 14 and what I said [48:28] about it last time we spoke, Doug, on [48:30] this podcast about how it really it's [48:32] not just a call. It's not just an [48:34] invitation to the nations. It's a demand [48:37] and it tells them and it is a it is a [48:40] test. You will either come or you will [48:42] not come. You know the way Zechariah [48:45] puts it and it's a test of the nations. [48:47] And this comes back to the whole test of [48:48] October 7th. But yeah, it was very [48:50] moving. It was very it was uh it was [48:52] very exciting and there were like I said [48:55] there were many Jews in the hotel and I [48:56] had the opportunity to explain to a lot [48:58] of them what was going on with the [48:59] Christians there. So the the task of [49:01] educating the Jewish community about [49:03] about Christian Zionism is an ongoing [49:06] project. [49:08] >> Very important. All of this I is [49:10] important. And I hope that uh Israel and [49:13] uh the Jewish people uh understand and [49:16] that our Christian support doesn't Wayne [49:18] just because it's three years, just [49:20] because the hostages are home. Uh Israel [49:22] needs our prayers now more than ever. [49:25] And we need to continue uh to be [49:27] faithful to the word of God and to the [49:29] people of God. And so uh as October 7th [49:32] comes around, I hope you'll take a [49:34] moment, pray the Psalms. I hope you'll [49:36] uh take a moment of reflection and ask [49:38] God, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. [49:40] Psalm 122:6. And ask God to continue to [49:44] to do what he is going to establish on [49:46] the earth to rule, to reign, to protect, [49:49] and to bring peace to all of Israel. [49:51] >> Amen. [49:53] Well, thank you for listening to today's [49:55] episode. If you enjoyed this episode, [49:56] please like, rate, share this podcast, [49:58] subscribe on Patreon, come on over, [50:00] subscribe on YouTube, be there with us [50:02] as we would love to connect with more [50:04] and more of our shoulder-to-shoulder [50:05] family. and we'll see you on our next
