Israel The Heart of Prophecy
Through the centuries, Israel has always been at the center, the very heart, of prophecy.
Any student of the Bible understands that what happens to the Jewish people affects the world. What happens to the Jewish people is especially momentous for the church.
And in a day when we can see instantly the news that is taking place on the other side of the world, literally happening right before the cameras, we must understand the prophetic significance that these events are signaling.
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. (Ezekiel 36:22-24)
The restoration of Israel in 1948 was a significant prophetic fulfillment of His chosen people being gathered out of all countries into their own land after twenty centuries. Miraculously, Jews around the world began having the dream stirred within them to return to their homeland.
The history of those momentous times leading to 1948 are increasingly known, including the 1947 United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181, which sought to resolve the Arab-Jewish conflict by partitioning Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. After the immediate aftermath of that Partition plan, the conflict escalated that continued to spread, even as Israel declared its independence (and rebirth as a nation). The miracles that led to Israel’s defense of its independence are truly remarkable, even to the fact that they had only one plane for its entire air force and only seltzer bottles for bombs, yet they stood against the enemy in such amazing ways and began establishing themselves as an increasingly strong nation.
Isn’t it remarkable that God inspired the prophet Jeremiah to write these words around 26 centuries before 1948: “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The LORD bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness” (Jeremiah 31:23). When they left the land of Israel, they spoke Hebrew. When they returned, they still spoke Hebrew. Do you know the chances of that happening? In most cultures, people who move into a new culture discard their old language within two generations. Yet God preserved the Hebrew language, despite the fact that His chosen people were displaced throughout the world.
Another major fulfillment of prophecy came during the 1967 Six-Day War between Israel and Arab neighbors, primarily Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, but also including Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria). Against overwhelming odds, this tiny nation defeated the best armies, navies, and air forces in the Middle East. Israel annexed East Jerusalem. More and more prophecies began coming into view, soon leading to a fevered pitch for rebuilding the Temple.
So many more miracles have been told and retold about Israel’s years of survival, no matter how improbable their survival has continued to be.
It is apparent that we are living in times as momentous as 1948 and 1967.
What do these prophetic fulfillments mean for believers around the world?
Prophetically, we are eyewitnesses to one of the most amazing times in all of history, and we must be aware of the fact that this could very well be our last chance to share the Gospel!
The end of this age is quickly approaching, and while there is still time, our Lord Jesus has called you and me to go into all the world to preach His blessed Gospel and tell all nations that He is the Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world, that He is the One who takes away the sins of the world, and that He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)!
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