Steven Collins
June 3, 2008
As readers know, the Israelis recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of their nation. I thought a few biblically-based comments might be appropriate as the Israelis are in a period of growing national trials.
The leader of Iran denies the holocaust even as he threatens a new holocaust against the Israelis. This same leader of Iran is reportedly seeking nuclear weapons so he can carry out his threat to wipe Israel off the map. Israel is also threatened by a hostile Syria which is building up its military and is allied to Iran. Iran is also active in the increased disintegration of Lebanon via its proxy forces in Hezbollah. Hezbollah poses its own threat to Israel as it has reportedly amassed thousands of missiles to use in a possible new war with Israel launched from its bases in Lebanon. Hamas seeks the end of Israel and controls Gaza. It also routinely shoots rockets at nearby Israeli cities while the weak government of Prime Minister Olmert generally responds ineffectually (which encourages more such attacks). Olmert’s government seems poised to fall due to scandal investigations and the seemingly imminent rupture of his governing coalition. Israel’s enemies clearly see weakness in the Israeli leadership.
What does the Bible reveal about the Jewish state’s right to exist in the old Promised Land and will it survive into the future? Since I periodically receive inquiries on this subject, I thought this blog would be timely.
Zephaniah 2 contains a prophecy which was fulfilled when the Jews formed an independent nation in the former Holy Land in 1948. That prophecy foretold that before the “day of the Lord’s anger” (the time of Divine intervention at the end of this age), an independent Jewish nation would again come into existence in the former Holy Land. Verse 7 specifically foretold the Jewish nation would possess “the seacoast” of the old Holy Land and the city of Ashkelon was specifically named as fated to be in this Jewish nation. If you look at a map of the “partition” that occurred in 1948, the “seacoast” portion of the Holy Land was given to the Jews and so was the city of Ashkelon. Indeed, Ashkelon is periodically in the news as it is one of the Israeli cities being targeted by the Hamas missiles fired from Gaza.
If so specific a prophecy as this were fulfilled in the writings of Nostradamus or some other ancient secular seer, there would be mass publicity about this fulfillment. However, this strikingly specific fulfillment of biblical prophecy barely gets noticed by the world in general, even though it proves that the God of the Bible is not only real, but actively fulfilling his prophecies for the nations.
Genesis 48 contains prophecies about each of the 12 tribes of Israel (yes, they are all present among the world’s modern nations) in the “latter days'” just before the time of Divine intervention. Verses 8-10 offer prophecies about the tribe of Judah (the Jews/Israelis). They will be like a “lion’s whelp” (a lion cub), and a cub is a young and small lion. The Israelis are a “young, small nation” which has manifested the nature of a “lion” in their various wars for national survival. This prophecy has also been very specifically fulfilled.
Zechariah 12:6 prophesies that “in that day” (another latter-day terminology) the leaders of “Judah” (the Jews) will be “devour” the people on the side of their nation and inhabit Jerusalem again. This has also been fulfilled in modern times in several wars and Jerusalem is now under Jewish control. Again, biblical prophecy is being fulfilled with exact specificity. Verses 2 -3 of this chapter foretells God will make Jerusalem “a cup of trembling unto all people”and a “burdensome stone for all people.” This has also come to pass as the status of Jerusalem is regularly in the news as a major sticking point in international and Mideast politics. The USA, the UN, the EU, the “quartet” of the USA, the EU, the UN and Russia, etc. all wrestle with this “burdensome stone.” However, verse 3 prophesies that God himself will “cut in pieces” those who gather themselves against [a Jewish] Jerusalem. At the end of this age, verse 7 prophesies that God will “save the tents of Judah first” when he Divinely intervenes in world affairs (he also saves the “tents” of Israel–the other tribes’ nations– as well but their story is told in Ezekiel 38-39). Zechariah 14 confirms this fact as it prophesies the Messiah will set foot on the Mount of Olives and rescue the city of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation which will be in the middle of a great and terrible war (see verses 1-4 and 9-14). The kingdom of God will be established on earth and Jerusalem will be the world capital of the Messiah (verse 16). The Bible foretells that the Jewish nation is here to stay, and that God will Divinely guarantee its survival at its moment of greatest peril in the future.
We Christians believe that Jesus Christ will be that Messiah. Acts 2:8-11 records that the first Christian disciples saw Jesus rise to heaven from the mount of Olives and that an angel told them that Jesus would “come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.” In other words, he’ll return to the exact spot from which he ascended into heaven– the mount of Olives (the exact spot where Zechariah 14:4 says the Messiah will arrive). Zechariah 12:8-10 also prophesies that the Lord will defend the people of Jerusalem against their attackers in the latter-days and that the Lord will be one who was “pierced.” It is matter of record that Jesus Christ was “pierced” in the hands, feet and side during his crucifixion (John 19:34 and 37, 20:25).
Bible prophecy is being fulfilled in modern events in great detail. Most of the world cannot see this fact because they have been duped by evolutionary fables into thinking the Bible is unscientific. This deception of the world was also prophesied (Romans 1, Revelation 12:9). However, there is no reason for anyone reading this blog to be deceived. Those who read my new research report, Is the Earth 6,000 Years Old?”, will see the evidence that the Bible and the scientific record are in complete harmony. Those who wish to examine the subject of Jewish history in greater detail are invited to read my article Four Reasons the Jews are Judah. Both are available for free at this website.
