Israel

As a follow-up to yesterday's post, the commentary below is provided. One consistent pattern I have observed with many churches today, is denial of Israel's role in our future, and God's continuing love for and intervention for the Nation of Israel. As much denial that is required to NOT recognize the overwhelming signs that we are at the end of the age, a similar dose of denial is required to ignore the role of Israel during this age.

I actually had a conversation recently with a bible teacher who refused to recognize that Israel's miraculous regathering in 1948 was prophetic fulfillment of Ezekiel's vast prophecies which dictated that Israel would be regathered after having been dispersed throughout the nations. We know that in 70 AD, when the final remnants of Israel were destroyed, and the Nation ceased to exist, that the people of Israel were indeed scattered throughout the world. Then, on May 14, 1948, "in a day" as Isaiah predicted, Israel was formed. A miracle indeed; how often do you see an entire nation scattered throughout the world and then regathered into a nation in a single day? Answer? Only once, and that was Israel in 1948. Denial of this as prophetic fulfillment reveals to me some kind of unhealthy denial. I'll leave it at that.

The commentary below addresses these issues, as found on the RaptureAlert website link here, as written by Eric Bruni:



Israel: The X-Factor
It amazes me that so many Christians today still do not support or recognize the importance of Israel in these end times. Many good Christian writers have done some very well informed commentaries on this issue and have exposed it for the ignorance that it is. I’m going to go one step further and say this is not only ignorance but a suppression of biblical fact and is satanically driven.

Israel is so interwoven all through scripture it is impossible to discount God’s “great nation”. To do so is rebellion against what God has decreed to be true.
ISRAEL: WHAT DROVE THE BEGINNING

It was for the establishment of a people for himself that God sent man throughout the earth. The command to, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:27-29), was because God knew that man would fall and one day need a redeemer.

He sent man out to populate the earth and, when man attempted to go against God’s will and began constructing the tower of Babel, God was forced to intervene and “confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.(Genesis 11:8-10).

Why? So that God could set a people “apart from the nations.”(Leviticus 20:23-25)
ISRAEL: ESTABLISHMENT

God eventually finds what He’s looking for in a great man, Abram.

Abram wasn’t perfect. He was far from it. But God saw something in him that even Abram couldn’t see. He saw the man Abram would become. More importantly, it was something HE would do himself.

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.(Genesis 12:1-3)

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."(Genesis 12:2-4)

And so God called him Abraham and the nation of Israel had begun.

It would not be for many years after Abraham’s death that it would happen, but, eventually, through this “great nation”, God would reveal His message of truth to the people. The law.
ISRAEL: THE LAW GIVERS

“When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water."(Exodus 2:9-11)

Moses would go from a position of power to humility before God and, in doing so, would reveal the glory of God through his dealing with pharaoh. Why? Because he was a man from the “great nation” of Israel . Not because he was raised by pharaoh or was smart or was a ‘really good person’. It would be through Moses that the law of God’s heart would be revealed.

It is my experience that, in my studies of scripture, God regularly shows us a blueprint, if you will, in the past, of events that will take place in the future. One of these events was when God brought the Israelites to the Red Sea, not to lure them to destruction but to show them His glory as their only redeemer in a time of apparent total annihilation. Sound familiar? In a future situation Israel will once again be surrounded by enemies who look as if they are about to destroy them. At that moment, God will take over and by his own doing, wipe out all those who have come against her.

" 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. 11 You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. 12 I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land." 13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages [d] will say to you, "Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?" (Ezek. 38:10-13)

“18 This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel , my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD. 19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel . 20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man's sword will be against his brother. 22 I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. 23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”(Ezek.38:18-23)

Isn’t prophecy amazing? Through the Red Sea, God eventually brought His people to their promised land. There was no question who saved them and in the future there will be no question again. Israel will be forced to recognize their redeemer again.
ISRAEL: THE MESSIAH

“ But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah , Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel , Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”(Micah 5:1-3)

“Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,”(2 Timothy 2:7-9)

It was through Israel that God would bring forth His Messiah, the One that not only would cleanse His “great nation” but the whole world.

God loved Israel so much that He chose to come out of that nation in the body of His perfect Redeemer, the Christ.

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”(Matthew 1:22-24)

How incredible!

To hold a people in such high regard that He would allow a mere human woman to bear Him as her child. This is truly love beyond understanding. And then, to suffer and die for an undeserving world.

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”(Isaiah 53:4-6)

Praise God! Victory through our Lord!
ISRAEL: IMPOSSIBLE ODDS

The very fact that Israel exists today is an impossibility. Think about it.

This nation has been more relentlessly pursued by enemies, attacked more vehemently, and been more conspired against than all other nations combined. The only explanation for its existence today can be found in God’s perfect will.

Take a look at a map sometime. Israel is barely noticeable among its enemies and yet, despite the advantage of sheer numbers, Israel has repelled every attempt to destroy it.

Pharaoh couldn’t do it.

The Romans couldn’t do it.

Hitler couldn’t do it.

The whole Muslim world can’t do it.

What makes you think ANYONE can do it?

For man to come against God is pure prideful arrogance. And when we come against Israel, either militarily or politically, it is spiritual and national suicide. Our nation should take some lessons from history.

ISRAEL: COMPLETION

In the days ahead, and I believe it will be soon, God will again return to His “great nation”. The main reason for the tribulation to come is to complete Israel ’s appointed time.

Yes, it is also to test the nations, but primarily it's to bring Israel to its true role on the earth. 144,000 Jewish witnesses will travel the earth preaching the message of God, sealed and protected by the Creator during the tribulation. And when the Messiah returns, He will establish His kingdom, coming through the eastern gate and setting up His throne in Jerusalem for a thousand years.

All for the glory of God.

Don’t be fooled. God has not forgotten or cast away His chosen people. To assume so is to reject what God Himself has decreed. And that’s just not wise from anyone’s perspective.

Israel was past, is present, and will be future.

If you want to know how late the hour is, check God’s clock.

Check Israel.

God Bless You All,
Eric Bruni