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Land Reclamation and Sea Defenses
T
he Netherlands has a
long tradi tion of winning
land from the North Sea. In
1919
the Dutch launched an
ambitious project lo gatn
more !han hall a million
acres in about
70
years
time. The Zuider Zee gulf
area (renamed the
ljsselmeer) was dammed up
into a freshwater lake in
1932.
Two big polders. the
W1eringermeer and
North-East. have been
diked, drained and
converted into land ideally
suitable for farming and
animal husbandry. Eastern
Flevoland became the third
polder to be diked in
1956.
Southern Flevoland finally
fell dry in
1968.
The area
town of Almere is well under
way as a major shopping
and urban center.
1t
also
serves as a shipping point
for the surrounding
agricultura! area . Recreation
and entertainment have not
been overlooked in Southern
Flevoland. Up to a quarter
of the polder area has been
zoned for woods and
natural beauty spots.
Another potential polder
area, !he Markerwaard, is
under discussion al this
time. Sorne think that a
polder in this area could
only be developed al the
loss of a unique body of
water.
Farther south, the Dutch
have been work1ng on what
is known as the Delta
Project. lts purpose is to
dam the mouths of the
Rhine River and form
Ethnic Origin of the Dutch People
T
hough the biblical
prophecies referring to
the Outch people are
relatively few. we can
understand their origins
by comparing their
modern charactenstics with
early prophetic
details.
The people of the
Netherlands fulfill !he
prophecy given about the
descendants of ancient
Zebulun, who were to lose
their ancient language,
migrate northwestward from
Palestine and finally dwell al
!he "haven of the sea"
(Gen.
49: 13).
That is what
Holland is today. The
Netherlands truly has been,
and is. a "haven of ships"
(Gen.
49: 13).
Rotterdam is
world renowned as a
Europort-a vitally importan!
shipping link in the
European Economic
Community.
A further prophecy in !he
book of Oeuteronomy
shows that Zebulun would
"rejoice"-be blessed-"in
thy going out" (Deut.
33: 18) .
Zebulun would be
blessed in vast commercial
enterprises arising through
his colonial efforts in
intimate association with the
sea.
Notice what author Luigi
Barzini says about the Dutch
peoples in his book,
The
Europeans
" This passion
for the sea drove them (the
Outchl lo conquer not
neighboring provinces ...
but to set up distan! trading
points all over the
world.... They setlled in
New Amsterdam (which
became New York Cityl . a
vast natural port, cluttered
with flat sandy islands large
and small, at the mouth of a
big river, which evidently
reminded them
of
home; in
South Africa, Japan,
Formosa, Brazil , Ceylon.
Indonesia, the West lndies
and other profitable
places." lndeed the Outch
are a great colonizing
people who have been truly
blessed in their "going
out"
Consider now another
another large freshwater
lake. Three big dams are
fully completed; the fourth is
slated l o be finished in
1985.
These dams were
designed lo preven! flooding
disasters like !he storm of
1953.
About
375,000
acres
were then temporarily
submerged. threatening !he
livelihood of sorne tour
million people
The long-term goal is lo
construct a continuous
sea defense line
extending all !he way lo the
Frisian lslands in !he
north.
statement in the same
chapter of Deuteronomy.
Zebulun was to " suck of the
abundance of the seas, and
of treasures hid in the
sand" (verse
19).
Holland
has consistently fulfilled this
ancient biblical prophecy in
more !han one way. The
obvious way is through
international commerce as a
direct consequence of her
shipping fleet. Also, the
Dutch are world famous for
building dikes and reclaiming
land for use by farming and
for animal husbandry.
Holland's tulip industry is
utterly dependen! on lands
reclaimed or "sucked from
the sea."
No other country fits the
prophetic descriptions of
Zebulun as does the
Netherlands.
degree or the other-along wi th
the rest of the modern descen–
dants of the ancient
1O
tribes of
the House of I srael residing in
Northwestern Europe, the British
l sles, the Commonwealth nations
and the United States.
But after this prophesied com–
ing period of sever e divine correc–
tion, God wi ll usher in a new er a
of unparalleled growth and devel–
opment- both spiritually and ma–
tcrially. This millennial utopía will
be marked by the restitution of all
right things (Acts
3:21)
and will
offer those wi th a proper pioneer–
ing spirit a unique opportunity to
rebuild and redevelop the surface
of this physical planet.
l t is then that the D utch peoples
will truly come into their own.
Centuries of struggling with the
sea have produced a fund of cre–
ative knowledge that is unsurpassed
in the field of Jand reclamation and
real estate development. That
knowledge will be put toa vital use
in the f u lfillment of God's master
plan.
description of the world to come.
"Thus saith the L ord God ; I n the
day that
1
shall have cleansed you
f rom all your iniquities
[first
the
punishment]
1
will also cause you
to dwell in the cities,
and the
wast es sha/1 be builded.
And the
desolate land shall be tilled.
... And they shall say, This land
that was desol ate is become like the
garden of Eden; and the waste and
desolate and ruined cities ar e
become fenced, and are inhabited"
(Ezek.
36:33-35).
Notice the prophet Ezekiel 's
God speed that day.
o
January
1984
25