I STILL REMEMBER THE....
The Six Day War of 1967!  
                                                                     By Pastor F. M. Riley
                                                                    June 5, 2020
     "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed,"  Genesis 12:3.
Introduction
     I am an old man of 86 years! My once brown hair has turned white.  My once keen eyesight is now very dim.  My once good hearing is now slowly receding. However, this is not a complaint.  Our gracious Lord God has blessed me with living much longer than I expected to live, has used me in His ministry for now 66 years, and has graciously retained for me my intellect and a fairly good MEMORY.  
     My first early memories were of my Mom holding me in her arms and rocking me to sleep in our big old rocking chair. Yes, I retain those pleasant memories, even though back then I was still an infant in diapers.
     I well remember growing up during the Great Depression.  I remember listening on our old cabinet model, tube type, radio, as President Roosevelt announced the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the Declaration of War against Japan.  I remember the dropping of the Atomic Bomb, and the end of the great war.  I well remember when Israel became a nation again, on May 14, 1948.  I could go on and on reciting memories of past events, but on this present date, I just want tp share with our readers my  memories of.....
THE SIX DAY WAR OF 1967
     The drums of war had been beating in the Middle East ever since the Suez Canal war in 1956. Gamal Nasser was the ruler of Egypt, and he made no secret of his extreme hatred for Israel and the Jewish people.  He had publicly stated over and over again that it was his intention to destroy the nation of Israel.  He often said, "We will drive the Jews into the sea, and they will have to swim back to Europe."  Oh yes he did make such statements.  I well remember him making such statements.  
      Gamal Nasser finally suceeded in putting together a military coalition to join Egypt, for the stated purpose of eradicating the nation of Israel.  As I recall the military coalition was composed of the Egyptian military, the Syrian military, and the Jordanian military. There may have been other nations also involved, but after all of these years I just don't remember.  I didn't say I have an infallible memory.
    Altogether, the military coalition were close to,  or in excess of, 100,000 soldiers, a formidable force, who were dedicated to attacking and destroying the nation and people of Israel.  
     However, the leaders of that formidable force were just a wee bit STUPID.  They just couldn't keep their mouths shut!  They were publicly gloating over their destruction of Israel, before they had even launched their planned attack.   And Israel's intelligence sources  were listening!  
     Nasser of Egypt was so STUPID that he spread the word, that the attack and invasion of Israel would begin  on the sixth day of June, 1967.  And the coalition forces began assembling on the eastern and southern borders of Israel.  The were going to have a party destroying the nation of Israel and the Jewish people.  Ho boy!  
     But the leaders in Israel were not simply sitting around waiting for the attack.  Before daylight on the morning of June 5th (exactly 53 years ago today)  Israel launched a pre-emptive strike.  At 5:30 a.m. in the morning, Israeli airplanes bombed and strafed Egypt's military air base.  Every  Egyptian plane except one was totally destroyed, leaving Egypt totally without any fighter planes.  At the same time Israel's ground forces launched at attack against both Jordan and Syria.  
   All three of these countries were Muslim nations.   The Arab (Muslim) Coalition was caught totally off guard, and Israel's army and air force were fighting furiously for their country, their homes and families, and for their right to exist as a nation on their own ancient homeland.  
     Within just a day or two,  the Israeli armies had won every battle against the opposing forces, and the coalition forces were in full retreat.  And right here I MUST share a vivid memory with my readers.  
     Since the entire Egyptian air force had been wiped out before daylight on June 5th, the Egyptians sent their tanks across the border into Israel.  Egypt had been buying fighter jets and tanks from other nations for several years in preparation for their planned war against Israel, and they had dozens of tanks.   All of their tanks were immediately sent through the Mitla Pass between Egypt and Israel, and across the desert northward towards Israel.  
     If our readers will look at a topigraphical map of that area, they will notice that there is a mountain range between Israel and Egypt.  Back in 1967 there was only one pass through the mountains to go to and from Egypt into Israel.  It was called the "Mitla Pass."  I do not know whether other mountain passes have been opened since 1967 or not, but back then Mitla Pass was the only pass through the mountains.  It was a very narrow one lane pass, allowing only one vehicle at a time to go through.  
      When the Israeli forces had defeated the Syrian and Jordanian forces in every battle, the Syrian and Jordanian forces hastily retreated, and what Egyptian tanks that had not been destroyed by Israel's military, also headed back towards Egypt just as fast as the engines in their tanks would run.  They went speeding across the desert area towards the mountain range, with Israeli planes over them in hot pursuit.  The Israeli planes continued to  drop bombs on the retreating tanks, even as they fled right towards the Mitla Pass.  Those Egyptian tank drivers were so frightened, I can imagine some of them were soiling their britches.    
     Now dear readers, what happened next is not a made up story, nor my fantasy or theory.  It is documented truth, repeatedly reported in 1967 by the  Egyptian tank drivers who survived, and made it home to Egypt.  The account of it was later published in a number of papers in various countries all over the world.    
     As those Egyptian tanks approached the Mitla Pass they had to fall into single file, tank behind tank, in order to get through the pass. The pass  was just too narrow to let more than one tank at a time pass through.  
      All of the tank drivers who had survived gave exactly  the same account.  They all reported that as they approached the pass, the giant figure of MOSES appeared in the sky above the pass.  All of the   surviving tank drivers  reported that MOSES  would raise his right arm above his head, and then suddenly bring his arm down to his side.  Each time MOSES did this, the Israeli planes flying overhead, would just tear the Egyptian tanks all to pieces, dropping bombs on them,  and strafing with their machine guns.   When the tank drivers saw what was happening some of them abandoned their tanks and fled into the surrounding desert to escape, screaming, praying, and begging "Allah" for mercy, and to spare their lives.  That old fictious false god couldn't extend mercy to them back then, and he won't be able to do so in the future.  "Allah" is a fake, invented by Mohammed to enslave his own people.  
     Now dear readers, how did those heathen Egyptian tank drivers KNOW that it was MOSES who had appeared in the sky above the Mitla Pass?  They had never seen MOSES, who had died centuries before 1967.  Yet they were all in agreement that it was MOSES whom they had seen standing in the sky above the Mitla Pass.  They had no way of knowing the identity of the figure that appeared in the sky above the pass,  unles it was impressed upon their minds by the God of Israel Himself. Oh praise the Lord!  Hallelujah!  Thank you Lord Jesus.  What a great and mighty God we Christian believers have to love, obey, serve, and worship.  Hallelujah!  
    While all this was happening, the rulers of Syria, Jordan, and Egypt were appealing to the United Nations to intervene and stop the war.   
     Russia, America, and the United Nations did intervene, asking Israel to stop the war.  And so on the sixth day of the war, June 10, 1967, the war was brought to a halt.  In SIX DAYS the little Israeli military had defeated the combined armies of all three of the Arab (Muslim) nations which had risen up against them.  Glory!
   The Six Day War resulted in Israel gaining full control over their beloved city of Jerusalem, all of the west bank of the plain of the Jordan river, the Golan Heights,  and the Gaza strip.  It was a great victory for Israel, given to them by their God (and mine).  Praise the Lord!  
    TODAY, JUNE 5TH, is the 53rd year anniversary of the beginning of that Six Day War.  
     5 plus 3 equals 8.  "5" is the Bible number signifying "grace."  "3" is the Bible number signifying "the "Trinity; or the resurrection and rapture."  "8" is the Bible number signifying "change; new birth; new beginning."  The Six Day War was indeed a change for Israel.  Now 53 years later, what will it mean for the Lord's church and believing people?
     I have just pointed out that "3" is the Bible number signifying "resurrection and rapture."  Now here we are 53 years after the beginning of the Six Day War.  We are also living in the year, 2020.  "20" is the Bible number which signifies "redemption."  This present year of 5780 on the Jewish calendar is in complete agreement. 5+7+8 adds up to "20."  I therefore, without apology to anyone, strongly believe that this is the year for our Lord to come to rescue and rapture His church and believing people out of the path of imminent danger, in and from, this present unbelieving, evil world, Galatians 1:4.  Glory to God!  
     4,000 years ago, the blood of an innocent lamb, applied to the doorposts and lintels, delivered the Jewish people out of bondage and slavery in Egypt.    Who is it today that is in bondage in this present wicked, evil world?  Who is it that is so fervently praying for our Lord to return, and take His church and believing people to Himself, John 14:1-3.  None other than every true believer living on this earth.
     Since TODAY is the day that commerates the beginning of that great victory God gave to His chosen covenanted  people of Israel in the Six Day War, so perhaps (?) before these six days are completed, the Lord God will likewise come to resurrect and rapture His believing church and people to Himself.  I do not know, and am making no claim that this will happen.  I am only setting it before our readers as a "possibiluty."  Think and pray about it  
        "Even so, come, Lord Jesus," Rev. 22:20.  
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     Pastor F. M. Riley, 14275 Co. Rd. 8120, Rolla, MO 65401
            francismriley34@gmail.com   573-202-6493
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