A survey conducted by the website found that 43 percent of its readers rate Tel Aviv as the number one vacation spot for homosexual travelers. The next highest rated city was New York City with 14 percent of the vote.
The reason being that, "The democratic tradition of Israel [ensures that] the gay community enjoys political freedom as in no other Middle Eastern country."
By comparison with cities outside the Middle East, "rarely a month goes by that Tel Aviv isn't celebrating some musical or cultural event," and "huge dance parties" are a weekly occurrence.
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai enthusiastically welcomed the survey results.
Luke 17:26-30 (KJV)
26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
How was it in the days of Noah? What does He have reference to?
They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all [Luke 17:27].
What is wrong with these things? Marriage is not wrong -- it is right. What is wrong with eating and drinking? We must do this to live. Why does Jesus mention these things? Well, the generation of Noah was living as if God did not exist when judgment was imminent. Today men and women are eating and drinking (and not even marrying though living together), and they do not recognize that the judgment of God is out there in the future -- exactly when, we do not know.
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all [Luke 17:28-29].
What a tremendous thing the Lord says at this juncture. Lot is altogether different from Noah; yet there are similarities. None in Sodom were panicking, selling out their property and getting out of town. The stock market did not collapse because Lot said that judgment was coming. They simply didn't believe it.
God would not destroy the city until Lot had been taken out of it.
Neither will He bring the Great Tribulation upon this earth (which immediately precedes the coming of Christ to the earth) until He takes His own out of the world. It is interesting that He uses Lot as an example here, which He does not do in the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24.
I believe reason is that in Matthew, He is answering their question about His coming to earth to establish His Kingdom. Here in Luke it is a wider subject.
Sodom, because of her sin, stood on the brink of destruction, and the moment Lot left town, judgment fell. I believe that the minute believers leave this earth in the Rapture, the Great Tribulation will begin.
Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed [Luke 17:30].
By far the largest percentage of Israel's yearly tourism influx is made up of Christian pilgrims. They are coming to see the Holy Land, a place many hope and believe still holds to a more conservative lifestyle than the decadent ways of their home countries.
But current numbers suggest that the promotion of Israel as a gay travel destination has not hurt pilgrimage figures, so that approach to redefining Israel as a bastion of liberal sensibilities is expected to continue.
But current numbers suggest that the promotion of Israel as a gay travel destination has not hurt pilgrimage figures, so that approach to redefining Israel as a bastion of liberal sensibilities is expected to continue.
God has a people in the world today who are just like Lot in many respects. Although they have trusted Christ as Savior, they compromise with the world. Yet as believers they will be taken out of the world before the day of judgment comes. Today the world doesn't listen to the church. As in Lot's day, they think we are mocking.
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