Israel's Revival - Sure Sign of Christ's
Coming
Israel is more than a Jewish foothold in the Middle
East, it is a Movement destined to have world shaking consequences,
and affect the lives of every living person upon the globe.
Humanity's Choice
World news constantly focuses the spotlight on the
seething caldron of animosities, violence and bloodshed that
repeatedly erupts in the Middle East.
It reveals an ominous record of antagonism that
threatens to plunge the world into the most devastating war known to
history. From the terrifying nature of the weapons of destruction
today being stockpiled or "improved", it is obvious that a
nuclear war could completely destroy civilization, and render the
earth uninhabitable.
And the most critical point of impact is the Middle
East.
From the time the Jews commenced to return to their
ancient homeland at the invitation of the British following the
proclamation of the Balfour Declaration in 1917, to the establishment
of the state of Israel in 1948, onwards to the occupation of Jerusalem
by the Israelis in 1967, and since then, the Middle East has been in a
state of constant international ferment.
These events fulfil Bible prophecy, enlivening the
hopes of Bible students. They testify that the world is on the eve of
the most dramatic event of all time: the personal, visible return of
Christ in power and glory. At the same time, they also warn that the
nations are rapidly moving towards World War III - and Armageddon.
And this presents a challenge. We can live in the
present with hope or with fear. We can share the glory of Christ at
his coming, or the terror of World War III.
Christ set that alternative before his followers. He
told them that the last days will reveal "distress of nations
with perplexity... men's hearts failing them for fear", but he
told his followers that "when these things begin to come to pass,
then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth
nigh" (Luke 21:25-28).
Meanwhile, the world's future is inextricably bound up
with the destiny of Israel.
That is obvious whether we heed the Bible or not! It
is apparent from a consideration of present events; for they reveal
that the future of Israel is a matter of major consequence in national
policies. In addition, though Israel is a tiny nation of less than 4
million people, a mere drop in the bucket in comparison with the 4
billion people that make up the population of the globe, its future is
of supreme importance in the purpose of God, and the future of
humanity.
Israel is more than a Jewish foothold in the Middle
East; it is a movement destined to have world shaking consequences,
and to influence the future of every living person.
Why Is Israel Tolerated?
Meanwhile, the tiny nation of Israel is a bone of
contention in world politics; presenting a problem that the major
powers fear to solve. Consider the attitude of Russia. It has not
hesitated to attack and invade nations that have stood in its path to
world domination, yet it does not do so to Israel. Not yet! When
Russia invaded Hungary, and brutally smashed its way through the
cities of that unhappy nation, ruthlessly gunning down any who dared
oppose it, the Western World protested, but did nothing more! When the
Soviet ordered its forces into Afghanistan, callously bombing its
towns and citizens without thought to human rights, a vigorous protest
was made by the West, but no intervention to save it.
But the Middle East is treated differently. A
"peace keeping force" is being mooted for the Sinai as a
token of that. And whilst Russia continues to support its allies in
Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, supplying them with arms, it hesitates to
physically intervene against Israel.
Why?
Because statesmen know that whereas invasion elsewhere
might be tolerated, for the Soviet to attack Israel will mean war!
That is because of Israel's unique position, and the
political importance of the Middle East to the modem world.
But the significant fact to Bible students is that the
very conditions existing there today were predicted in the Bible 2500
years ago. Together with their outcome!
Israel Is Unique
Historically and prophetically, Israel is unique.
It is one of the oldest countries in the world - and
one of the youngest!
It is the only country to have been reborn out of
antiquity revived after a struggle as dramatic as those recorded in
the Old Testament.
The Jews are the only people to have been scattered
throughout the world, bitterly persecuted by most nations for over
2,000 years, and yet gathered together into a nation once again.
Israel's language (Hebrew) is the only speech to have
been resurrected from a dead language to a living, virile, modern
tongue.
It is one of the world's smallest nations: a strip of
land so narrow that on most maps its name must be printed outside its
borders. Yet it possesses more historic and religious sites of
significance to the world than any other country.
Compressed into those narrow borders is a microcosm of
the whole world, for the average Israeli, or his parent, have migrated
from any of seventy different lands.
To live in Israel is like living in a pressure-cooker:
it is always under tension; yet the nation continues to expand and
develop more rapidly than other, larger countries.
It is a nation where the almost miraculous becomes the
normal. When Joshua led the people of Israel into the Promised Land
3500 years ago, he had to battle against "seven nations greater
and mightier" than they (Deuteronomy 7:1). When the modem State
was formed in 1948, it also had to battle against seven nations
"greater and mightier" than Israel at the time: Syria,
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, and Lebanon! The invading
Arabs were supported by a population of 40,000,000 against 600,000
Jews in the Land. The Arabs were professional soldiers, better armed,
and with far greater financial resources than the Israelis. Yet the
latter won, and the State was formed.
Against great odds, it did so again in the Suez crisis
of 1956, the Six Days War of 1967, the Yom Kippur war of 1973 - in
spite of the most sophisticated weapons being supplied its enemies by
Soviet Russia.
There is more than Jewish brains and muscles in this
success. It was predicted by God and recorded in the Bible. Therefore,
in Israel the world witnesses a modem miracle. The nation is here to
stay, for its destiny is clearly marked out in Bible prophecy.
Israel's revival is the great sign of Christ's return. As we shall
show, it is also a prelude to Armageddon.
Apart from the Bible and the purpose of God, the
existence of Israel in the modem world would be an anachronism: it
just should not exist!
Why Israel Exists
Israel exists because God made a promise to Abraham,
the progenitor of the Jewish people, and a man of great faith.
That promise forms part of the gospel. Paul declared
(Galatians 3:8): "God preached before the gospel unto Abraham. .
." Hence, long before the first advent of the Lord, the gospel
had been preached in the form of promises to the fathers of the Jewish
race. Accordingly, Paul again wrote: "Jesus Christ was a minister
of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made
unto the fathers" (Romans 15:8).
And the Lord Jesus taught a truth that must be an
embarrassment to those religionists who claim that God has no future
for the Jews as a people, for he told one who was in that category:
"Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we
worship: for salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22).
Now among the promises made to Abraham was "I
will make of thee a great nation" (Genesis 12:2). As a reward for
his faith and obedience, God invited Abraham to survey the whole of
the Middle East, declaring: "for all the land which thou seest,
to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. . . Walk through the
land, in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it
unto thee" (Genesis 13:14-17).
This must relate to the future, for at present the
facts are: (1) Israel is not a great nation; and (2) Abraham does not
dwell in the land! A change in the status of the former, and the
resurrection of the latter, are required before the promises can be
fulfilled.
Can we be sure of such a future? Undoubtedly! God has
not only given His word to Abraham, but supplied a witness verifying
it, and guaranteeing what He has promised. The Jewish people
constitute that witness, for God declared of Israel: "Ye are My
witnesses that I am God" (Isaiah 43:12).
The Jewish people witness to the truth of God's Word
because their very preservation as a people throughout the ages, and
the current revival of the nation in the Holy Land are clearly
God-designed and God-directed. Note the evidence proclaimed through
Ezekiel the prophet:
"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, whither ye went. And I
will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the nations....
and they shall know that I am the Lord... for I will take you from
among the nations, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring
you into your own land" (Ezekiel 36:22-24).
In that declaration, God stated that though the people
of Israel would prove false to the trust imposed in them by Him, He
would honor the word that He made to Abraham by restoring Israel as a
nation in their ancient territory. The revival of Israel today is
proof positive that His word can be relied upon.
This was the theme of Apostolic preaching. When the
Lord was about to ascend into heaven, his Apostles asked him:
"Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom unto Israel?"
and he replied that it was "not for them to know the times or the
seasons, which the Father hath in His own power" (Acts 1:6-7).
He did not deny that the Kingdom would be given again
to Israel, merely that the time was not then ripe!
Shortly afterwards he ascended into heaven. And as he
did so, two angels addressed the Apostles with these thrilling words:
"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" (Acts
1:11).
The personal, visible return of Christ to reign on
earth, and the restoration of Israel as proclaimed by the prophets,
became the great theme of Apostolic preaching: basic doctrines upon
which first century Christianity was established. So Peter preached:
"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your
sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from
the presence of the Lord. And He shall send Jesus Christ which before
was preached unto you; whom the heaven must receive UNTIL THE TIMES OF
RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all
His holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:19-21).
The revival of Israel in the land today is preliminary
to the restoration of those things spoken of by the prophets.
God's Purpose In Israel
When God brought the people out of Egypt, and entered
into covenant relation with them at Sinai on the basis of His law, he
constituted the Jewish people as "a kingdom of priests, and an
holy nation" (Exodus 19:6). God Himself, was their heavenly King
(judges 8:23), and they were His subjects. When kings on earth were
appointed to reign on His behalf, they did so as His vice-regents
under His direction. They are described in the Bible as being seated
on "the throne of the Lord as king" (1 Chronicles 29:23).
Therefore, of Solomon, the son of the illustrious king David, it is
narrated:
"The Lord hath chosen Solomon... to sit upon THE
THRONE OF THE KINGDOM OF THE LORD over Israel" (1 Chronicles
28:5).
But because the people were stubborn in their refusal
to heed God's word, the enemies of Israel were permitted to gain the
ascendancy over them, the nation was broken up, and they were
scattered throughout the earth. The people had been warned:
"The Lord shall scatter thee among all people,
from the one end of the earth even unto the other ... and among them
nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot
have rest; but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart and
failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind; and thy life shall hang in doubt
before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none
assurance of thy life . . ." (Deuteronomy 28:64-66).
This prediction has had the most awful and literal
fulfillment. The history of Israel for the past 2000 years is a record
of persecution and suffering. Even today, widespread hatred of the
Jews is evident throughout the world, dramatized in the way in which
Arab terrorists and others wage unremitting warfare upon them. During
the German oppression as directed by Hitler, some 5,800,000 Jews
perished in the concentration camps of Germany. The Jews had turned
their backs on God 1900 years ago, had demanded the crucifixion of His
son declaring, "His blood be on us and on our children," and
had so denied themselves the help that God could and would have given
them had they turned to Him in truth.
In the swift procession of history, the memories of
people are short-lived, and the suffering of Jews in Germany is
largely forgotten. Consider, however, the following eye-witness
account of what happened to them throughout Europe during the Nazi
regime. Heinrich Himmler, head of Hitler's Gestapo, had a policy of
genocide, and set out to exterminate the Jewish race, openly boasting
of his intention of doing so. In a speech made at Pasha to his SS
generals in October 1940, he laid out his plans for the attempt.
During it he said:
"... The extermination of the Jewish race... is
one of those things it is easy to talk about ... Most of you must know
what it means when 100 corpses are lying side by side, or 500, or 1000
... I have issued a strict order that the wealth should be as a matter
of course, taken from them and handed over to the Reich without
reserve."
An eye-witness of what took place told how he and his
foremen heard of 1500 Jews being executed daily at Dubno. He described
his experience:
"Without screaming or weeping these people
undressed, stood around in family groups, kissed each other, said
farewells, and waited for a sign from another S.S. man who stood near
the pit, also with a whip in his hand ... At that moment the S.S. man
at the pit shouted something to his comrade. The latter counted off
about 20 persons and instructed them to get behind the earth mound.
Among them was a man and his wife with five children of about 1, 8,
10, and two grown-up daughters. I well remember a girl, slim and with
black hair, who, as she passed close to me, pointed to herself and
said, '23'. I walked around the mound and found myself confronted by a
tremendous grove. People were closely wedged together and lying on top
of each other so that only their heads were visible. Nearly all had
blood running over their shoulders from their heads. Some of the
people shot were still moving ..."
It sickens one to read such accounts, but they do help
to explain why the Jews in the Land refuse to be intimidated by
terrorism or war. They demand the right to live, and their national
independence provides the means of that. But though Israel will do all
in its power to retain its hold on the land, the Bible foretells, and
international politics today reveal that Israel will be subjected to a
crisis instigated by Russia that will be beyond its ability to counter
or overcome. It will erupt into what the prophets describe as
"the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of
it" (Jeremiah 30:7). The latter-day "Jacob" will only
be saved, as the prophet clearly shows, by divine intervention through
Christ.
The same prophet declared:
"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"
(Jeremiah 30:11).
Israel's history witnesses to the truth of that
declaration. It was stated on the eve of their overthrow in B.C. 606
by the then mighty, but now defunct, empire of Babylon. Since then,
every world power has dominated the Jew, and many nations, like
Germany, have attempted to exterminate him. But in vain. The Jew has
stood at the graveside of every persecutor. The words of God have
proved true:
"All they that devour time shall be devoured; and
all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and
they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee
will I give for a prey" (Jeremiah 30:16).
The prophet adds: "In the latter days ye shall
consider it" (v. 24).
The "latter days" are upon us, and the
things predicted relating to Israel and the world have come to pass,
thoroughly vindicating God's word.
A Three-pronged Prophecy Today Fulfilling
The return of the Jews to their ancient homeland, the
"latter day" revival of Israel, and the manner in which the
ancient lands of the Bible are springing into life, not only fulfil
Bible prophecy, but also herald the imminence of the most dramatic
event of all time: the return of Christ.
These events are inextricably bound up together. The
Bible declares: "When the Lord shall build up Zion (another name
for Jerusalem from whence is derived the title Zionist) he shall
appear in his glory" (Psalm 102:16). In context with that
statement, reference is made to "the set time to favor Zion"
(v. 13). The Apostle Paul adds this comment:
"If the casting away of them (the Jews) be the
reconciling of the world (in that Gentiles can be reconciled to God
through Christ) what shall the receiving (restoration) of them be, but
LIFE FROM THE DEAD" (Romans 11:15).
Thus both Old and New Testaments point to the revival
of Israel as the great sign of Christ's coming.
Consider the sequence supplied in the following
prophetic statement:
"Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the
children of Israel from among the heathen (Heb. nations) whither they
be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their
own land; and I will make them one nation in the land upon the
mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king to them all..."
(Ezekiel 37:21-22).
This prophecy depicts three developments:
-
The restoration of the people to their ancient
territory.
-
The revival of the nation.
-
The establishment of a monarchy: one king shall be
king to them all.
Two parts of that three-pronged prophecy have had
partial fulfilment. It first predicts the restoration of the Jewish
people to their ancient homeland. In A.D. 70 the Romans captured
Jerusalem and destroyed its Temple. In A.D. 135, the Roman Emperor
Hadrian destroyed the city itself, and changed its name to Aelia
Capitolina, at the same time issuing a law prohibiting Jews ever to
return to it!
With the fall of the Roman Empire in the East in 1453,
Palestine (as the Land of Israel was then called) came under the
control of the Moslems, and eventually was governed by Turkey. World
War 1 (1914-18) saw Turkey join the Central Powers of Europe, and
declare war on Great Britain. In 1917, under General Allenby, the
British forces attacked Turkey from Egypt, and though other points of
conflict were bitterly contested, Jerusalem fell without a shot being
fired. The Balfour Declaration was proclaimed by the British
Government in 1917, inviting the Jewish people to return, and
establish a National Home in Palestine.
Thus World War I witnessed a partial fulfilment of
this ancient prophecy.
In April 25, 1920, Britain was granted a Mandate from
the League of Nations (the equivalent of the UN of today) to govern
Palestine and implement this policy. Christadelphians rejoiced at the
news. They not only recognized the event as a fulfillment of prophecy
clearly recorded in the Bible, but a vindication of their
interpretation of the prophets. One of their number, the late John
Thomas, in a book entitled Elpis Israel, published in 1848, and still
published today, wrote:
"There is, then, a partial and primary
restoration of Jews before the manifestation of Christ, which is to
serve as the nucleus, or basis of future operations in the restoration
of the rest of the tribes after he has appeared in the kingdom. The
pre-adventual colonization of Palestine will be on purely political
principles; and the Jewish colonists will return in unbelief of the
Messiahship of Jesus, and of the truth as it is in him. The will
emigrate thither as agriculturists and traders, in the hope of
ultimately establishing their commonwealth . . . under the efficient
protection of the British power . . . but from the subjugation of the
Jews for a short time after they have been colonized, the protection
of the shadowing power (i.e. Britain) would seem to have been
inefficient . . ." (Elpis Israel, p. 441,444).
In view of this anticipation of Christadelphians, it
can he appreciated with what excitement the community viewed
developments in the Land as the Jews commenced to return and
"build up its waste places" as predicted (Amos 9:14).
World War I resulted in the first section of this
three-pronged prophecy having token fulfilment.
The Nation Revived
But between World War I and World War II, the
condition of Jews both in Palestine and in Europe worsened. In
Palestine, the Arabs hardened in their attitude against the Jews; and
in Europe, the Hitler regime proclaimed its policy of genocide against
them. The Arabs rejected the concept of the Balfour Declaration, and
waged unofficial war on the Jews and British; and the Jews retaliated
in kind. Palestine became an arena of debate, tension and terrorism.
Violence erupted on all sides, and all were guilty of foolish, and
often cruel incidents.
But the Jews had nowhere else to go.
In Europe they were persecuted by the rising power of
Nazi Germany, and they lived in uncertainty elsewhere. In spite of the
turmoil of the Middle East, it was, at least, a home. They continued
to return, until pressure was exerted on the British by the Arabs who
controlled the increasingly important oil reservoirs of the world,
until Jewish migration was reduced to a mere trickle.
So bitter became the opposition to Jews in Palestine
under the British, so great was the hatred generated against them in
other parts, so many were being executed in the gas chambers of
Germany, that a solution had to be found. When, after World War II,
Germany lay battered and bleeding through the aerial bombardment of
the allies, and its concentration camps were opened so that the
frightful atrocities experienced by the Jews were made public for the
first time, world Jewry demanded that they be granted independence in
their ancient homeland.
In 1947 their case was debated by the UN, and in a
remarkable decision in which, for the first, and almost only time in
history, the USA and USSR agreed on a common international policy, it
was agreed that the Jews be granted nationhood in Palestine.
So, after 2500 years of exile, Israel again came into
existence; and the second part of Ezekiel's prophecy had token
fulfillment: "I will make them one nation in the land upon the
mountains of Israel".
World War II had resulted in the establishment of
nationhood for the Jewish people.
Restoration Of The Monarchy
The final stage in the development predicted by the
prophet is the restoration of the monarchy. The last king to reign
upon the throne of David, described in Chronicles as the "throne
of the Lord", was Zedekiah who was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar of
Babylon. He was told by Ezekiel the prophet that the throne would be
overturned, "until he come whose right it is" (Ezekiel
21:27). Who is that? Who, but the Lord Jesus Christ concerning whom
his mother was told by the angel:
"He shall be great, and shall be called the Son
of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his
father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and
of his kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:32-33).
He is the king referred to by Ezekiel. And as two
parts of this three-pronged prophecy has had token fulfillment, surely
this is a guarantee that the third part will likewise be fulfilled:
"One king shall be king unto them all".
That King is the one whom the Jewish people dragged
before Pilate 1900 years ago, demanding "Crucify him! Crucify
him!" Pilate asked: "Shall I crucify your king?" They
replied, "We have no king but Caesar" (see John 19:12-15).
Under pressure, therefore, Pilate ordered the execution of Jesus
Christ by the Roman method of crucifixion, and over his cross was
placed the caption announcing the reason for such: JESUS OF NAZARETRH
THE KING OF THE JEWS.
It is a remarkable fact of Bible narrative, that Jesus
was both born and died as king of the Jews. At his birth there came
wise men from the east inquiring: "Where is he that is born king
of the Jews?" (Matthew 2:2), and when he died he did so because
his accusers challenged his teaching that he was appointed to rule
(John 18:37; 19:12).
But he has never yet exercised that power nor been
afforded that dignity!
Christ affirmed that he was appointed as king, and
declared that he had come into the world to bear witness unto that
truth (John 18:37). He spoke a parable unto the Apostles because they
imagined that "the Kingdom of God should immediately appear"
(Luke 19:1 1). In it he likened himself to a Nobleman who had to go
into a far country (i.e. heaven) to receive for himself a Kingdom,
"and to return" (v. 12). At his return, he would discipline
and humble those who "hated him" and would not have him
"to reign over them" (v. 14), and reward those of his
servants who faithfully fulfilled his will.
Later, he predicted the impending overthrow of
Jerusalem (fulfilled when the Romans destroyed the Temple in A.D.70),
the scattering of the Jews into all parts of the earth, and their
ultimate return to their ancient homeland.
He declared:
"They (the Jews) 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" (Luke 21:24).
Christ thus taught that the Gentile domination of
Jerusalem would be limited until the times of Gentile domination would
be on the point of collapse.
That time is now as Psalm 102:16 clearly teaches.
It is an amazing fact, that though the nation of
Israel was revived as a consequence of World War II, the UN did not
grant Jerusalem to the Jews. It was to remain an International City
belonging to neither Jews nor Arabs, but with access to both.
But in 1948, the Jordanians annexed Jerusalem, and
then denied entrance to the city by the Jewish people.
For almost twenty years, from 1948 until 1967, Jews
could not enter the old city of Jerusalem, even though it was their
holy city, the center of their worship.
However, in 1967 an event of greatest significance
occurred. Egypt invaded Israel, and the Six Day War broke out. In an
amazing manner, one of the swiftest victories in history was won by
the Jewish forces. In five days, Egyptian military might was
shattered: its army defeated and dispersed, its airforce destroyed,
and Israel was victorious. But then, Jordan, believing that Israel was
weakened through the effort, and, that its main forces were far to the
south, declared war. Israeli authorities appealed to King Hussein of
Jordan not to do so, but in vain. The Jordanian army likewise suffered
a disastrous defeat and Israel occupied the territory today described
as the West Bank, ancient Samaria and Judea, including such cities as
Nablus, Hebron, and JERUSALEM!
Christ's prophecy had been fulfilled!
The occupation of Jerusalem in 1967 indicated that
"the times of the Gentiles" were about to be fulfilled, and
that the world had entered the final stages leading to Christ's coming
and Armageddon.
Such teaching is basic to both Old and New Testament
Christianity; for the purpose of God is common to both. Accordingly,
Paul wrote:
"I would not that ye should be ignorant of this
mystery (or secret) . . . that blindness in part is happened to
Israel, UNTIL the fullness of the Gentiles be come In. And so Israel
shall be saved, as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the
Deliverer (Christ), and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for
this is My covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As
concerning the gospel, they (the Jews) are enemies for your sakes; but
as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's (Abraham
etc.) sakes" (Romans 11:23-28).
In these words, Paul predicted that the Jewish people
would be blind to the true identity of Christ until "the fullness
of the Gentiles come in", at which time, Christ will return,
discipline, humble and convert the Jewish people.
Then will be fulfilled the final development in
Ezekiel's three-pronged prophecy: "One king shall be king unto
them all". Christ will, at last, be King of the Jews.
That third stage in the prophecy will also witness
World War III Armageddon!
Observe the development: World War I witnessed the way
opened for the Jews to return to their land; World War II brought the
establishment of the State of Israel; World War III will introduce
Christ to the world as the Victor of Armageddon.
We are therefore living in very significant times.
World War III
Christ's prediction concerning Jerusalem endorses
other prophecies of the Bible. For example, the prophet Joel refers to
the time when God will "bring again the captivity of Judah (the
Jewish people) and Jerusalem (the city)", at which time He will
also "gather all nations" to Jerusalem to battle (see Joel
3:1-2; Zechariah 14:1-2).
As we have stated, 1917 saw the people begin to
return; 1967 saw the city freed from Gentile domination; and since
then there has been a greater involvement of major powers in the
future of the Middle East!
These prophecies are being remarkably vindicated.
Following the Egyptian-Israel Yom Kippur war in 1973,
when the Arabs were defeated by Israel for the fourth time, they
changed their tactics, and used oil as a weapon against the Jews. The
impact of that has been adversely felt by the whole world both
economically and commercially. As nations have become more and more
hungry for oil, so the importance of the Middle East has increased.
This has proved to be an economically good thing for
the previously impoverished Arab nations, but politically it has
become a most explosive problem.
If any one of the major powers dominated the area, it
could hold the rest of the world, and particularly Europe, to ransom!
And Bible prophecy shows that Russia will attempt to
dominate the Middle East, in order to control the world.
Russia's actions will trigger World War III: the
conflict that will introduce Christ to the world.
World statesmen are predicting that today; the Bible
did so 2500 years ago!
Ezekiel warned of an invasion of the land of Israel
"in the latter days" by a power "from the uttermost
parts of the north" (Ezekiel 38:15-16 RV) to "take a spoil
and to take a prey". This power is described as "Gog, the
land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal" (v. 2).
These are ancient territories familiar to Ezekiel but
which no longer appear on the world's atlas under those titles. Magog
is ancient Scythia, but the Scythians, according to The Pelican Atlas
of Ancient History, migrated to eastern Germany, which Russia
dominates today. The word "chief" in Hebrew is a proper
noun, and should be rendered as Ros as it is in the Revised Version of
the Bible. Ros was the ancient name for Russia. Hence the prophecy
refers to a time when Russia would dominate eastern Germany as it does
today. Meshech and Tubal can be identified with Moscow and Tobolski,
major cities of the U.S.S.R.
Ezekiel's prophecy, therefore, predicts an invasion of
the Middle East by Russia in the latter days, at a time when "the
people of Israel" occupy the land (see v. 16). That is the great
threat to world peace today.
When President Reagan appealed to the Senators of US
to agree to supply arms to Saudi Arabia, according to Time Magazine
(21/11/1981), he was mindful of such Biblical prophecies:
"Reagan tried religion. Said Democrat H.Heflin of
Alabama: 'We talked about the fact that the Middle East, according to
the Bible, would be the place where Armageddon would start. The
President interprets the Bible to mean that at Armageddon, Russia is
going to become involved in it'."
Ezekiel refers to "the people of Israel" in
"the latter days" - and prior to 1948 Israel was not a
geographical or national term! It had not been used as such for 2500
years! The prophecy therefore requires application to events
subsequent to 1948.
The prophecy further describes the condition of the
people of Israel as living in "unwalled villages" (kibbutzim
or rural settlements - v. 11), as "gathered out of many
people", and occupying lands that "have been always
waste", but to which a measure of fertility has been restored (v.
8).
The restoration of the people, revival of the nation,
transformation of the land, and increasing interest of nations in its
future have been brought about since 1917. In these things we witness
the fulfillment of Bible prophecy announcing the imminence of Christ's
return.
The Middle East Peace Keeping Force
At present, USA is proposing a peace-keeping force to
implement the Camp David Peace Accord between Israel and Egypt.
Significantly, Ezekiel 38 refers to such a force. It predicts that
"Sheba, Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young
lions thereof" shall protest at the Russian invasion of the
Middle East asking: "Art thou come to take a spoil? Hast thou
gathered thy company to take a prey?" (v. 13).
The powers referred to have been identified with Arab
nations and the English speaking world. The symbol of the Lion, and
the designation of "merchants" have long been associated
with Britain and those nations that have sprung from her.
We do not suggest that the peace-keeping force
organized by America is that which is referred to in Ezekiel, but the
current proposal certainly does show that such an attack on the part
of Russia as predicted by Ezekiel would be resisted by the English
speaking world and its allies which is what the prophet declares.
Here, again, world events conform to the predictions
of Bible prophecy.
The attack of Russia will not succeed. Not because of
the protest of the West, nor any military action that it might take,
but because Christ will intervene. Zechariah declares: "The Lord
shall go forth and fight against those nations as when he fought in
the day of battle" (Zechariah 14:3). This demands Christ's
return.
The Camp David Peace Accord
The prophecy of Daniel 11:40-45 conforms to that of
Ezekiel. He describes how that the power from the north will sweep
through the Middle East in a lightning attack against Egypt with Libya
and Ethiopia as his supporters (Daniel 11:43), and so "the land
of Egypt shall not escape".
This prophecy shows that "at the time of the
end" Russia will attack Egypt. That is the reason why, in the
days of President Nasser, when Egypt was in close alliance with
Russia, we published our conviction that Egypt's policy must change in
that regard, and turning from Russia she must tie in her lot with the
West.
That has since come to pass under the reign of the
late President Sadat.
Gradually the Middle East, and the whole world, is
politically conforming to the requirements of Bible prophecy. That is
obvious to those who clearly recognize the facts of both. Therefore,
whilst the world might be fearful and afraid of current developments,
those who understand the significance of Bible prophecy can look upon
the scene with hope. Christ declared: "When these things begin to
come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your
redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:28).
Christ's Intervention
For it will not be the West that will turn Russia back
and destroy the spirit of militarism that sweeps through the world
today, but Christ. Prior to the battle of Armageddon he will return,
to raise from the dead and to reward with eternal life, those who have
known and obeyed his will. Daniel, in predicting the events relating
to the time of the end, also speaks of the return of Christ, and
declares:
"At that time thy people shall be delivered every
one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that
sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life,
and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:1-2).
Christ will return for that purpose. The world needs
his strong, infallible, guiding hands; the signs of the times proclaim
the imminence of his coming. He will return personally and visibly to
this earth, to set up God's kingdom, and to reign from Jerusalem over
a world at peace. Consider the evidence of the following Scriptures.
Analyze them in the light of your own hope:
CHRIST'S COMING: "This same Jesus, which is taken
up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye (Apostles)
have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).
THE METROPOLIS OF HIS RULE: "At that time they
shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall
be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem; neither
shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil
heart" (Jeremiah 3:17).
THE NATURE OF THE KINGDOM HE WILL ESTABLISH ON EARTH:
"The God of heaven shall 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" (Daniel 2:44).
THE EFFECT OF HIS RULE: "It shall come to pass in
the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be
established in the top of the mountains (i.e. at Jerusalem) . . and
all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come
ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the
God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his
paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of the
Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall
rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isaiah
2:24).
Christ will intervene at Armageddon to establish his
power in the earth. He will make Jerusalem the metropolis of his rule,
and his power will extend to all nations. With almighty power he will
compel nations to submit to his authority; and with divine wisdom he
will legislate for their benefit. Instead of war there will be peace.
That is the clear purpose of God as taught in the
Bible. But will it happen? That is what many wonder. It seems so
unreal that Christ will return to this earth, and mighty nations like
Russia will be compelled to submit to his authority. As they see the
world given over to every form of wickedness today, with God and His
word rejected, they are doubtful that any such change as is suggested
in the references above is possible.
In Jeremiah 33:2-26, God issues a challenge to
humanity. He declares that if anybody can break His covenant with the
day and the night that there should not be day and night in their
season, "then they may be able to break His covenant with His
people of Israel to restore them in the land." That miracle is
happening today. And God declared that it would come to pass, not
because the Jews are deserving of any special treatment, but "for
My holy Name's sake". He made an unconditional promise to
Abraham, and will fulfil it; because His word is true and people can
trust it to the uttermost.
He will establish his Kingdom on earth, and establish
peace in the earth. Moreover, if death intervenes before his coming,
he will raise from the dead and reward with eternal life those who
have lived according to his will (Romans 2:6-8).
The restoration of Israel is a guarantee of that!
What does one have to do to inherit eternal life?
Christ commissioned his Apostles: "Go into all the world
and preach the Gospel, he that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved" (Mark 16:16).
Personal salvation requires effort on our part. We
must put ourselves in the Way of Truth, for it is the way to life
eternal (Romans 1:16). And we must obey the principles set down in the
Word. The three steps to salvation are: Belief, Baptism, Obedience.
The purpose of this booklet is to enliven you to the
times in which you are living; to bring home to you that Bible
prophecy is being fulfilled before your eyes; to assist you, if we
may, to a better understanding of God's glorious purpose.