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Venezuelan president and dictator Hugo Chavez died on March 5, nearly two years ago, after battling cancer. What has come to light since then is that he developed the cancer that killed him after he publicly cursed Israel. Interestingly, the cancer originated in the pelvic region of his body, which he specifically referenced when cursing Israel:
“I seize this opportunity to condemn, one more time, from the bottom of my soul and of my visceras, the State of Israel. D–n you, Israel!” Hugo shouted before a staged crew of clapping spectators (see clip below). The Spanish word visceras translates “innards” or “bowels” in English. While the Venezuelan dictator sought to ensure that the specifics of his cancer were kept quiet even up until his death, the consensus of reports indicated that it was indeed this region of his body that was afflicted. Also in keeping with eating the fruit of his own lips (Proverbs 18:21), Chavez’s soul was required of him on March 5, 2013.
God promised Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). God does not change (Malachi 3:6). God is in the business of keeping His promises and upholding His covenant with Abraham’s seed, even today.
In light of what God said, we should be challenged to seek ways to bless Israel. God said that “whoever touches you, Israel, touches the apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8). By blessing Israel, we bless God’s heart, and we invoke a blessing for ourselves. We can bless Israel with our prayers and proclamations, by financially sowing into Israel, and by speaking up for Israel and God’s people, the Jews, when there is opportunity – particularly now that Antisemitism is on the rise.
We must also pray that our leaders bless and stand with Israel. Throughout scripture, God talks about executing judgments on nations that oppose Israel (Psalm 2:1, Psalm 79, Isaiah 14:2, Isaiah 60, Zechariah 2:8, etc).
How is The Lord asking you to bless Israel at this time?
VERY interesting. If this is the reason for his cancer I think we are going to see more individuals judged. It wouldn’t surprise me if Obama is judged, also, for his shunning of the nation Israel.
God doesn’t judge every single person the moment they sin. There are various specific instances, though, that may trigger God’s intervention. For instance, in 2010 England banned an Israeli advertisement on their Red Buses because it showed pictures of “Palestinian” as Israel. Within days of that occurrence a volcano erupted and paralyzed West Europe’s travel for about 3 months. Another interesting correlation of events was the 2005 Hurricane Katrina coinciding with the “Disengsgement” eviction of several Jewish families from Gaza. This was arranged in an agreement between George W. Bush and Israel’s PM, Ariel Sharon, who went into a coma months after that and died some years later. God is sensitive towards Israel since He brought them back into His Land.
Edgardo, that is very interesting about the buses and about Sharon. Since publishing this blog, I have read of several other instances in which it is very clear that Israel was a “heavy stone for all peoples, and all who lift it will be severely injured” (Zechariah 12:3). This happened with Count Bernadotte of Sweden when he tried to intervene but was assassinated.
Our administration’s stance on Israel – and this most recent snub by the two dozen or so Dems threatening to boycott Netanyahu’s speech, thereby making Israel into a partisan issue – is disturbing. My concerns especially are for what this means to us as a nation when leadership goes against Israel. Chavez was a curse to his own nation, a Venezuelan friend of mine said, bringing them down a steady economic slide and into deplorable conditions right now. Of course, being a socialist and having bad policy is as much to blame as anything, but I do wonder if the nation gets judged as well…
Well there is no doubt God blessed Abraham and his offspring for out of him came the nations of the earth numbering more than the sand. Now, it is a ridiculous notion that Chavez died because he made such utterances. It is surprising how so many ‘Christians’ can revere the modern Nation of Israel yet turn a blind eye to the atrocities it perpetuates against other children of God. The modern Israel is nothing like the Israel of Abraham and King Dave – a man after God’s own heart. Israel like the United States and Venezuela is just another country. Hugo Chavez died because it was just his time to die – the Lord saw it fit that he were to die.
And I know you won’t publish my comment…
Hello Blue,
I’m not sure what atrocities Israel committed to which you’re referring. Nowhere in scripture are Christians commanded to criticize Israel, only to bless them.
Killing women and children, such as the air strikes against civilians in Lebanon.
Refusing to treat Palestinians in Israeli hospitals while treating ISIS militants.
Stealing land and annexing land by encouraging their citizens build on land which does not even belong to Israel (with the blessing and support of the Israeli government) in places in Syria, Jordan, West Bank, etc.
Imagine if France was to annex parts of Germany and have their citizens build ans squat on German soil and station French troops on these German lands then claim it as their own!!
Killing and maiming of Palestinians who got their lands stolen, on a regular basis.
Please do not say that you are unsure of the atrocities commited by Israel towards so many of God’s other children.
Hey there Blue Hat. We typically try to avoid censoring people’s comments because everybody is entitled to their perspective, and I don’t think any of us can say we always get it right. You are always welcome to share your view on things as long it is done with a reasonable amount of politeness, and I feel you have done so. God bless.
Deutoronmy 26:5
Then you shall declare before the LORD your God: “My father(abraham) was a wandering ARAMEAN, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous.
Mt 21:43
“Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”
Read ‘H.res.47 2019-2020’ cause at some point everything I said will be considered hate speech and punishable by law. Just like Iranians cant be open Christian’s in iran.
Its overrrrrr
A word to the commentators who use this forum as a platform to vent their bitterness toward Israel:
The point of this article is not how righteous or wicked the nation of Israel is, but rather whether the God of Abraham is still honoring His word to “bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse Israel.”
That being said, since antisemitism is once again fashionable, even among professing Christians, I would like to turn your attention to a phenomenon happening right now in our world. Since 1948 there are 60 million refugees created by various conflicts in the world. Palestinian refugees represent less than 1% of that number created in the last 70 years.
Under normal circumstances, the Arab nations would have assimilated these refugees in a matter of months, particularly with the sizable land mass represented by Israel’s neighbors. Yet 70 years later, Palestinians are still living in refugee camps and their numbers are steadily increasing. The camps are located in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt.
With the exception of Jordan, the Arab countries that surround Israel have refused to give the Palestinian refugees full citizenship…these Arab nations do not want to integrate the Palestinians. They prefer to keep them in the camps as a political weapon to be used against Israel.
More incredulously, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) was created to help resettle refugees around the world. But in the case of the Palestinian refugees, the UNHCR worked with the Arab nations to turn the Palestinian refugee issue into an unending crisis by creating permanent communities of refugees at Israel’s borders. In essence, the UN is exploiting the Palestinians in compliance with the Arab nations for political chattel.
If you doubt this, please do some research. For the element of the church that genuinely cares about the Palestinian plight, wiser hearts may wish to redirect their outrage toward the foremost players in this game.
Sources: Escaping Religion (Vaughn Martin); Middle East Monitor, “Palestinians struggle under Arab world apathy” (Ray Hanania); The Tower Magazine, Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (Asaf Romirowsky)
Hugo Chavez is an example of his doom cursing Israel. Today May 19 2024 President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran died in an airplane crash because he DID curse Israel by saying “Allahu Allami Israil”. Those words took his life. The evil Prince of Persia the Ayatollah Mazarani is next to perish unless he repents and acknowledge Jehovah, the God of Israel and the Messiah Jesus Christ for salvation.