President Donald Trump is fulfilling biblical prophecy by moving the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Fox News host "Judge" Jeanine Pirro concluded on Saturday.
The embassy, which opened on Monday, has been mired in controversy since Trump announced its construction last year. During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump vowed that the United States would formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Pirro said moving the American embassy to Jerusalem is "cause for great celebration."
″[Trump], like King Cyrus before him, fulfilled the biblical prophecy of the gods worshiped by Jews, Christians and, yes, Muslims, that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish state and that the Jewish people finally deserve a righteous, free and sovereign Israel."
It should be noted that Jews, Christians, and Muslims all worship the same Abrahamic god, and not different "gods" as Pirro indicated.
Previous presidents have dabbled with the idea of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, however, they ultimately decided against doing so over fears that it would derail the peace process. In so doing, Trump has committed the United States to one side, abdicating the U.S's role as a neutral arbitrator in the quest for Israeli-Palestinian peace.
There are a number of biblical prophecies that reference Jerusalem, specifically in terms of the "end times." Which passages of the Bible Pirro was denoting, however, remain elusive. Zechariah 12:3, for example, states: "Jerusalem will be a burdensome stone for all people." Other passages that are correlated with the end times state that in the days before Armageddon, Jerusalem will be the capital of the world. Of course, there is no mention of an American embassy anywhere in the Bible.
"When our Lord returns, all nations of the world will come to Jerusalem to worship (Micah 2:3). Jerusalem will be the capital city not only of Israel but of the entire world, and the Word of the Lord shall go forth from Zion (Isaiah 2:3). Jesus will reign from Jerusalem (Luke 1:32)."
PIrro also described the move as "greatly appreciated by the people of Israel as evidenced on street corners everywhere we went." As the American envoy, which included Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump celebrated the new embassy, Israeli soldiers opened fire on Palestinian protesters, killing more than 50 and injuring thousands more. Protesters were demonstrating their frustration with Israel's ongoing occupation of Gaza, a turbulent region roughly twice the size of Washington D.C. that has been wrought with violence for decades.
Pirro then praised Trump's decision to violate the Iran nuclear deal, a move which has sparked international outrage and dinged American credibility on the world stage. Trump made the announcement last week.
Twitter erupted with responses, including posts from many people who see this as a beating of war drums.
Others pointed out that using the Bible to explain current events isn't the most rational course of action.