Throughout the past six decades that we have seen the nation of Israel miraculously restored in their Biblical homeland we have watched them endure constant threats and conflicts attempting to wipe them out from the land that God promised to them, however, anyone that has any solid knowledge of the Bible knows that this will never happen again (Jeremiah 31:35-36).
The Israelis are back in the land to begin to prepare it for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, whether they even realize it or not. The Bible makes it very clear that when Christ returns He will set up his kingdom in Israel. (For all of the specific details see Ezekiel chapters 40-47).
Throughout the Bible God preserved Israel because the promised Savior would come through that nation and the Bible shows us that God will also use Israel as the centerpiece of His Second Coming as well. We know that heaven is wherever Jesus is, (not a fairy tale land of unicorns and various other figments of many people’s imaginations), and since we also know that Jesus will be setting up His kingdom in Israel, then our future heavenly home is also going to be in Israel! So then, do we not owe it to Israel to protect and honor her in all of the most utmost possible ways that we can?
You say that God can protect His own land? Well, this is true and He will but meanwhile we should be honoring His land just as we honor His Word and His Word says that Israel belongs to Him. When we stand by Israel we are showing that we are standing by God. Anyone that is against Israel is against God and He has made that very clear in Genesis 12: 2-3:
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you and make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
This blessing was given to Abraham and the land that God had promised to him and all of his descendants. This same blessing was also passed down to Jacob by his father Isaac, Abraham’s son. (Genesis 27:29). Jacob’s name would later be changed to Israel, (Genesis 32:28) which means he who strives with God.
We certainly have seen the nation of Israel striving with God throughout history even in modern times, but throughout all of its struggles God has preserved Israel’s existence even during the 1900 years of its dispersal. While the Jews were scattered throughout the four corners of the earth, the Lord preserved a remnant of the chosen people from the chosen land until it was ordained for them to return to the chosen land.
We watched this begin to happen with the 1917 Belfour Declaration that allowed the Jewish people to begin to migrate to their ancient homeland culminating in 1948 with the founding of the Jewish state of Israel. However, in between those two high points the Jews had to endure the horrific persecutions of the Nazi holocaust. This was another failed attempt to wipe out the Jews as a race that was also attempted by the Persian Empire in the book of Esther.
Now today, in the age of nuclear weaponry, we see yet another threat from radical Iran to wipe out the nation of Israel and its people. (Ironic how history repeats itself being that Persia was attempting to eliminate the Jews in the Book of Esther and Persia became today’s modern day Iran). We also see Russia aiding Iran with their nuclear program and most recently Turkey getting on board this anti-Israel alliance.
In other words, we see the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 and 39 about to take place. All of the chess pieces are moving into position. The real sad thing is that all of this is going unnoticed by the average citizen in the West since the media finds it more important to announce who was eliminated from “Dancing With The Stars” this week as their top story — rather than posting the war games that Iran is conducting in the Gulf or the immense amounts of weapons of mass destruction that are being passed back and forth by Iran, Russia, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey.
Even if the media did supply the proper coverage of these things going on in the Middle East most people wouldn’t even realize that it is Bible prophecy setting up to be fulfilled. What is even more frightening than this is that the administration that is in office for our nation today has given Israel a colder shoulder than almost any prior administration since Israel became a nation in 1948.
Keep in mind when Prime Minister Netanyahu was here to visit the White House and President Obama walked out on him and left him sitting there to have dinner alone. The Obama administration is pushing for a two state solution where Israel will have to give up more land to the Palestinians who could have plenty of land if they turned around and looked to the open deserts of the east, but they want to be a thorn in Israel’s side and take all of their land. That is their real plan.
They aren’t looking to live with them they are looking to live without them. Israel needs our support and if we turn our backs on them we will be cursed just as God said in Genesis 12. Since God has allowed America to become world’s strongest nation, it is our duty to protect what is His.
As Christians we owe it to Israel to support them. Why is that you ask? The answer is found in Romans 11. Because of Israel’s blindness to Christ we, (the Gentiles) have been given salvation (Romans 11:11). The apostle Paul gives us the analogy of the Gentiles being grafted in like branches on an olive tree. A real olive tree is able to re-grow a broken branch if it is transplanted back onto the tree.
Paul’s analogy is not too farfetched. The olive tree that Paul is talking about is the divine blessing from Abraham through faith in Christ. The olive tree is not Israel nor is it the church. Israel and the church have both partaken of Abraham’s blessing (the olive tree). First Israel and now currently the church but the church must be careful to not become boastful about this blessing because it began with Israel.
“…do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.” (Romans 11:18)
As this blessing began with Israel it will also end with Israel but not until the full number of Gentiles are saved.
“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” (Romans 11:25)
When the full number of Gentiles has come in then the Rapture of the church will take place and once that happens God’s attention will turn back to Israel and Israel will know Christ as the Lord, henceforth Daniel’s 70th week, (a.k.a. the 7 year tribulation), will begin. It has been part of God’s program that Israel remains blinded to Christ until the “fullness of the Gentiles has come in” which are those that are called out for Christ name. (Acts 15:14). The church are the people called out for Christ’s Name. The Greek word for church is ekklesia which literally means “a called out assembly.” Israel was the first “called out assembly.”
One of the signs that we are very close to the return of Christ is the fact that so many Jews in recent years are converting and becoming believers and recognizing Christ as the Messiah. These are known as Messianic Jews or “completed Jews”. This conversion of Jews cannot fully take place until Jesus returns and is in their sight.
“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. (Zechariah 12:10)
We should be praying for Israel and while we are praying we should pray for our nation’s current administration, that they do the right thing and stand by Israel.
As we can see Israel’s reason for existence is of a divine purpose. An examination of Israel’s beginnings all the way up to its future glory reveals a purpose that every human being has a part in providing that they have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Israel is and will be the complete fulfillment of God’s promises. Who doesn’t want to be a part of that?
I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off;
My salvation shall not linger.
And I will place salvation in Zion,
For Israel My glory
(Isaiah 46:13)