In a special article in The Scotsman of May 14th, on “Israel’s Successes,” the writer gives much highly interesting information about conditions in the Nation of Israel at the present time. In 1948, the Jewish population was then 625,000. To-day it is over two million. By 1970, there may be another million added to the population. From the Negev desert, sulphur, phosphates, salts and iron-ores are being drawn in increasing quantities. From a vein near King Solomon’s Mines, copper is being exported as it was formerly 3,000 years ago. From wells near Ashkelon oil has been flowing at the rate of 1,500,000 barrels a year. The waters of the river Yarkon have been diverted to irrigate the Negev, and pipes are now ready to carry the upper Jordan waters 180 miles to the arid south. From the Dead Sea large quantities of its billions of tons of chlorides of magnesium, sodium and calcium, are being extracted. The article also states: “Like some of the disciples of Jesus, many of to-day’s Galileans are fishermen, but with a difference: they now breed carp in a thriving fish-pond industry.”
Religiously, the Jews are said to be anything from rabidly orthodox Jews to openly atheistic. These are just a few of the up-to-date facts regarding the temporal restoration of the land of Palestine and the return of Jews to their own land. It is quite obvious, not only from Scripture, but from their recent sufferings and their present activities, that the Jews are indeed a remarkable people. But when they turn again to the Lord, their Messiah, in a day of the power of the Holy Spirit, then they shall enjoy unspeakable success and prosperity and especially in the blessings of Salvation through Him whom they and others despised.
Malta and the Religious Issue
During last July there was held in London, a conference regarding a new constitution for the island of Malta. Since the last War there has been much trouble within Malta as to the political and economic state of affairs prevailing there. On the 19th of July, delegates to the above conference spent a great deal of time discussing the Maltese Labour Party Amendment to the section of the Maltese Government’s draft constitution which deals with religion. Mr Mintoff, the Labour leader, wanted to insert a clause guaranteeing what he called “freedom of conscience” and freedom of worship. This, it was reported, would weaken the position of the Roman Catholic Church, which actively opposes the Labour Party. Whatever Mr Mintoff is (formerly an R.C.), as to religion, he seems determined to put a curb to the Roman Church’s influence. It was said that he particularly wants to stop Church interference in elections and he wants to allow a choice of religious instruction in schools. A report of a later meeting of the conference says that religion continues to be the chief bone of contention. Mr Mintoff is fighting hard against having the position of the R.C. Church entrenched in the Constitution. Mr Sandys, the Commonwealth Secretary, has the problem of settling this controversy, and it was stated that it is inconceivable that he should give a British colony independence while it is saddled with a Church-ridden governmental system. It will be interesting to know how these matters are finally settled for Malta.
Test-ban Treaty
The Test-ban Treaty agreed upon at Moscow in July between America, Russia and Britain has been welcomed by people among all classes as a step towards less tension between the great powers, but also as essential to the preserving of the atmosphere from further serious pollution by radio-active fall-out. However limited the character of their Treaty may be as far as evidencing real, abiding friendship between the nations is concerned, it is, as has been said by others, a step in the right direction. God in His providential government is not separate from these international undertakings, as the hearts of all kinds of men are in His hands. What will come yet in God’s appointed time is, that the Rulers of this world will be brought, with their peoples, under the powerful and saving sway of the Gospel of King Jesus. What a blessed thing if this should take place even in measure in our time!
Then increasingly the Nations would begin to turn their swords into plough-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks.