World Spotlight Turns on Israel; Future of Israel Foreseen by Prophets
For the Jews in Israel survival as a people, their recurrent and dominant concern, once more thrusts its way to surface as the pressing issue of the day. A short but tragically costly war has focused on the delicacy of Israel’s position in the world—and left her feeling far more isolated.
The temporary political solution now imposed is no more than that. The Middle East is volatile because the tension is a spiritual tension, and neither political war nor political peace will ever resolve it.
The best way to understand the roots of this conflict is to understand why there is a state of Israel—and why there are Jews at all. The nations that existed contemporary to the entry of the Jews into the promised land under Joshua have long since passed from history’s active file. Jebusites, Girgashites, Hittites, Amalekites, Canaanites and Philistines count for little more than interesting topics in Ancient Archaeology.
But the Hebrews, a despised and persecuted people, have not only maintained their identity as a distinct people regardless of geographical location, but they once more inhabit their homeland, the land Abraham looked out upon from Beth-el.
God’s Promise to Abraham
“And the Lord said to Abram… ‘Lift up now your eyes…; for all the land which you see, to you will I give it, and to your seed forever.’”
“And the Lord said to Abram… ‘Lift up now your eyes and look from the place where you stand northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see, to you will I give it, and to your seed forever.’” (Genesis 13:14-15)
This promise was made entirely conditional upon the continued obedience to God of Abraham’s descendants.
The Jews, of course, have not dwelt in Palestine continuously. Precisely as God had revealed to Abraham that they would, the people dwelt in Egypt for 400 years from the time of Jacob (Genesis 15:13)
In all of those centuries in Egypt the promise of God was not made void, and when the prophesied span was nearing its end, God raised Moses up to lead the people out. Under Joshua they began to possess the land promised to Abraham.
Moses specifically warned the people not to forsake the Lord, nor to turn to idols, the work of men’s hands. If they did, he said, “The Lord will scatter you among the nations, and you shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you.” (Deuteronomy 4:27)
Worldwide Dispersion
In the sixth century B.C., most of the Jews were carried away to Babylon for the captivity of 70 years. And, most importantly, from the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. until the first waves of Zionists in the late 19th century, whose dreams culminated in Israel’s statehood in 1948, the period of the Diaspora has shaped Jewish life and thought.
Far from being the eternal pariahs that the Jews were often cast as, fated to wander till time’s end without hope for God’s favor, they are, save those in Russia and her satellite countries, now free to return.
Moses’ warning of the virtually worldwide dispersion of the people has been precisely fulfilled. But Moses went on to give the hope of a promise:
“When you are in tribulation, and all these things have come upon you, even in the latter days, if you turn to the Lord your God, and shall be obedient to his voice… he will not forsake you, neither destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which he swore to them.” “The Lord your God will turn your captivity, and have compassion upon you, and will return and gather you from all the nations into which the Lord your God has scattered you.” (Deuteronomy 4:30,31; 30:3)
We are living in the days about which Moses spoke.
And in these days the establishment of the state of Israel is above all a spiritual event of tremendous significance. For following the physical return of the land, the prophets also speak of a spiritual return.
Ezekiel, after telling of the regathering, describes the remarkable transformation that God will perform on the people:
“Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:25-26)
Not-Distant Restoration
The promise is available, individually, to any Jew today. God will be found by those who seek Him with all their hearts.
That promise is available, individually, to any Jew today. God will be found by those who seek Him with all their hearts, according to the promise of Moses in Deuteronomy 4:29. And the day will come when the entire remnant of Israel will be brought into this transforming experience.
The turmoil in the Middle East does not pit one “good” people against other “bad” peoples. But it is the setting for the not-distant restoration of the Jews to their rightful place as servants of the living God, and therefore it draws fierce and vehement opposition from those who hate the Jews and who hate the God of Israel.
The prophets of the Old Testament described events that would take place not only within their own span, but in our time also. The regathering of the Jews to Israel is the particular signal that prophesied events are soon to occur.
The prophets speak clearly of continued anguish for the Jews even after their restoration to the land. Zechariah writes: “And it shall come to pass that in all the land, says the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried.” (Zechariah 13:8-9)
What will it be when Israel is at last redeemed? Ezekiel portrays it as life from the dead in his vision of the valley of dry bones (chapter 37:1-14). The bones were very dry and yet, moved by the Spirit of God, he prophesied over them saying, “O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.” (verse 4)
Dry bones hear? But after Ezekiel announced that God would raise them up, place sinews and flesh upon them and put breath into them, there was a noise and a shaking and “…the bones came together, bone to his bone.” (verse 7) Then the dry bones had sinews, flesh and skin—but no breath.
Ezekiel prophesied again, and the Spirit came upon these bodies, “…and the breath entered into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Then the Lord said unto me, ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.’” (verses 10-11)
In the dark night of the Nazi holocaust, it seemed indeed that the Jews were to be cut off. Yet from that death has spring the first signs of budding life: bone has joined to bone as Jews have returned to Israel from every part of the earth. Sinews, flesh and skin are being placed on that frame, yet the Lord still must breathe upon them.
The fulfillment of this shall occur with the coming of the Messiah, with the cleansing from all sin that is promised.
“And it shall come to pass in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 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 mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn…. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” (Zech. 12:9-10; 13:1)
If you are a Jew, do not wait for tremendous events and troubles to cause your people to look up—rather than to themselves or unstable allies—to God for help.
Though He is going to breathe upon the whole house of Israel later, He is willing to breathe on you now, and to instill spiritual life and understanding in your inner man. Ask Him. Seek Him earnestly and privately. Look into the Scriptures. He will not fail you. If you seek Him, you will find that He has been seeking you.
Behold, He that keeps Israel
shall neither slumber not sleep.
Psalm 121:4