ISRAEL CELEBRATES 60 YEARS AS A NATION

 

June 2008 article by Tim Beall

 

Last month (May) there were great celebrations in the land of Israel because 60 years before, modern Israel came into existence, with their own land, and were acknowledged by the United Nations. True Bible students were, and still are, also excited by these events. Why? Think about these words from the prophet Isaiah speaking about the people of Israel:

 

Isaiah 43:10  Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Isaiah 43:12  I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.

 

That’s telling us that if we watch the events surrounding Israel they prove that there is a God who controls the affairs of that nation and those who come into contact with her.  Jesus told his followers to watch for the return of Israel to their own land. He said that it was a special sign to all his followers.

 

Luke 21 v 24 And they (Israel) shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

28          And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

 

To emphasise the point Jesus told them a parable about Israel being likened to a fig tree.

 

 Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;   When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.  So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

 

Notice he mentioned also “all the trees”.  In the last 60 years hundreds of new nations have been formed  "have shot forth.”- surely an additional sign.  So as God’s witnesses Israel can’t be kept out of the news. Again look at some words of the Bible. This time the prophecy of Zechariah chapter 12:

 

3                    And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

 

That’s telling us that there will always be disputes over Israel, especially Jerusalem, until Jesus Christ comes back to the earth to sort it out.  The people of Israel were expelled from their land almost 2,000 years ago. That event was very clearly foretold in the Bible. It was a punishment for disobeying God as we see in various passages.

 

Deuteronomy 28 v 15  But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: v 25  The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

 

After many warnings from God, and after one 70 year exile, the Romans lost patience with the rebellious Jews and expelled them from their land.  The Romans meant this to be forever.  The wonderful thing was that God in his mercy left Israel with the promise that one day in the future He would bring them back to their own land never to be moved.

 

2 Samuel chap 7 v 10  Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,

 

Jeremiah chap 30 v10  Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.

11    For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.

 

So the nations that scattered the Jews have come to an end.  Where is the Babylonian empire? That of Persia, Media, Greece and Rome? They as God said have all disappeared BUT NOT THE JEWS. They remained as a separate people, with their own identity, despite having no land for almost 2000 years.  When a homeland was sought for, the Zionist movement were offered many homelands, in different places in the world. But according to prophecy it had to be the land of Israel and so it was. So the nation with its own land came into being 14th May 1948 when, after many violent struggles, the United Nations voted for Israel to become a recognised country. The Palestinians and surrounding nations wouldn’t accept this and decided to” Sweep Israel into the sea”. Wars followed where Israel were always hopelessly outnumbered. BUT they were always victorious. Why? Because God was on their side. Remember they are witnesses that he is God.  When the Jews came back into their land it was waste, desolate, the Jordan Valley being a swamp. Today the land produces food in abundance enough to export throughout the world. (Think of Jaffa oranges for example.) So desolation turned into a wonderful garden. Again look what God had to say thousands of years before.

 

Ezekiel chap 36 v 33  Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.

34  And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.

35  And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.

36    Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.

 

That is also a small foretaste of what the kingdom of God will be like when “the earth will blossom as a rose.” There’s so much to say, so many prophecies to look at. Remember Jesus told us to watch for the restoration of Israel. Why? Because it is a sign that Jesus himself is to return soon to this earth to establish God’s Kingdom -  notice on the earth, - based around Israel.

 

Daniel chap 2 v 44  And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

45                Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

 

According to the Bible that stone is Jesus Christ. He will return soon to this earth. The Jews at present don’t accept him as their Messiah but after much suffering they will.

 

Zechariah chap 12 v 10

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

 

Then when Jesus returns that great work of filling the earth with God’s glory will begin and what a wonderful place it will be. Each one of us could be there IF we read God’s word, IF we repent, change our ways, IF we are baptised and If we then try and live lives of service to God longing for the return of his son to restore again the kingdom to Israel. As it says in Acts 1 verses 7-11: When they (Jesus’ disciples) therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.   And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

 

We echo the last words of the Bible Revelation 22 v 20 : He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus.