Many Christians know that the Church was born on Pentecost nearly two thousand years ago as recorded in the book of Acts. However, most are unaware that Israel had the same birthday nearly one thousand five hundred years earlier at Mount Sinai. But there was yet another miraculous occurrence on that day: Did you know that our Lord Jesus, too, was born on Pentecost? This book seeks to explore the biblical basis and implication of the common birthday of the Lord Jesus, His Church, and Israel.

But more than sharing a common birthday, all three - Israel, the Lord Jesus, and the Church - share a common destiny at the Cross. Have you ever wondered why Jesus was crucified with two others? On Passover only the Paschal lamb was sacrificed, but on that Passover about two millennia ago, Jesus the Lamb of God was crucified along with two others at Golgotha. Was this just coincidence, or is there a deeper significance?

In exploring the relationship between the Church and Israel, Christianity and Judaism, you will be surprised to find that the Menorah and the Cross (the symbol of Judaism and Christianity) are one and the same, just like the Old and the New Covenant (Testament) form one book, the Bible. Jesus is the "Servant" lamp at the centre of the Menorah uniting both the Church and Israel. Jesus is the light of the world. This light was passed to His Church. It will soon be passed back to Israel.

How close are we to the return of the Lord Jesus for His Church? What is Israel's role in the last days? Will the rapture of the Church leave Israel and the Jews behind to suffer the worst effects of the Great Tribulation, or will Israel finally arise and shine once more for God and the world? These and many such issues are answered in this book.

What leads to the rise and fall of empires? Is there a spiritual cause for this? Can we trace human kingdoms to the demonic realm? What does the Bible tell us about the role Satan's princes - powers and principalities of the dark domain - play in our world? Daniel chapter 7 may tell us more than we have been taught in the Church and Bible schools. It gives us a preview of how Satan's princes fuel the rise and fall of empires. However, God has allotted a specific time to human empires, and that time is almost at an end.

What is America's role in the "last days"? America is not mentioned in the Bible. Many leaders in the Church speculate that the EU (European Union) will be the last world empire from which the Antichrist, the last world dictator, will arise. But you will be surprised to learn that America will head the last world empire. America, the greatest nation on earth, may turn out to be Israel's and the Jews' greatest enemy in the days ahead. World empires are inspired by Satan. Will America will be any different?

I hope this book will change your understanding of the role of the Church and Israel. The Church's understanding of the Bible and of her role in the Great Commission has fallen short. Replacement theology has seeped into many churches. Israel's vital role in the end times has been ignored. A clear understanding of Israel's role in the fulfilment of biblical prophecies is crucial to developing a true and accurate assessment of our times. Israel is the key to understanding the Bible and our times.

We are as in the days of Noah. Israel will soon arise like Jonah and finish the mission that God intends for her. Insert Israel into the Bible, and books such as Job, Ruth, Esther, and Jonah take on a new dimension. It is my sincere hope that this book, Israel: A Light Unto the Nations, will light up your understanding of the Bible and the times we are living in like a million-megawatt light-bulb in your soul, and that it will spur you - and all of us who are called by Jesus' name - to reach out ever more intensely with the gospel, especially toward our Jewish brethren.