Dear friends:

This is really a bizarre view but I pass it along for your information and because it comes from a usually credible source.

In the year 2000, I had the privilege of listening to a fascinating audiotape by Dr. Jimmy DeYoung speaking to a church audience, sent to me by a friend. He has a most interesting view of the times we are in and of what he believes will soon happen in Israel.

I have always greatly respected DeYoung. He is an excellent Bible and prophecy scholar. He lived in Israel for 12 years as a Christian journalist and has many inside government and religious contacts. For several years I have heard him give weekly updated news reports and commentary live from Israel on the Moody Radio Network, and I have seen him on the Day of Discovery television program.

On the tape, DeYoung said that slain former Israeli Prime Minister Rabin came to the U.S. and in two different meetings held up a Bible and exclaimed, "This book has nothing to do with the present land of Israel."  This erroneous statement would delight many mainline, anti-Israel Christian leaders.  Shortly after making those statements and upon returning to Israel, Rabin was assassinated.

Now this is what is most unusual: He spoke of the two nations, Israel and Judah, described in Ezekiel 37:15-28. He gives reasons why he says all 12 tribes are actually already back in the land (or at least the God-intended portions of them), and that at about the time of the rapture they will again split into two nations, Israel and Judah.  He believed the rapture to be imminent in the year 2000.  We are now five years closer to the rapture and Israel is even more split over the settlements and expulsion issue.

Is this a prelude to the fulfillment of Jimmy DeYoung's expressed belief?  He says he has actually seen a Constitution for the new nation of Judah and he reportedly showed a copy to the church audience where he was speaking.

Obviously, this is really, really an unusual view and I cannot affirm it. Only time will tell if that is, indeed, God's plans for Israel.  Whichever, we are in the most unusual and fascinating times.

Jimmy DeYoung's Web site is at http://www.prophecytoday.com but I do not believe you will find this there.

Jim