In 70 A.D., the nation of Israel was destroyed by Roman armies. For almost 2,000 years, the remnant of Israel was scattered throughout the world.
From man’s perspective, they had no prospect of ever again becoming a powerful nation in their homeland. Then God acted.
The regathering begins
On August 29, 1897, the first Zionist Congress convened in Basel, Switzerland. Theodore Herzl was the instrument of God, stirring the Congress to work for the restoration of the lost state of Israel. His efforts to influence the Sultan of Turkey failed and he died brokenhearted in 1904, at 44 years of age. While his efforts failed, God was not going to fail in His designs.
In 1917, during World War I, the Lord caused the Turks to totally withdraw from the holy land. The Lord thus opened wide the door to Jewish immigration into the land. Zionists begged and pleaded with European Jewry to escape from persecution in Europe. They refused. Hitler rose to power and slammed the door of immigration shut; the Jews were trapped. World War II was on and six million Jews were killed.
Now they wanted to return to the land. In 1948, enough had returned to enable them to declare themselves an independent state.
Divine blessing abounded
The Holy One of Israel continued His work of restoration. With the Lord on their side, Israel went from strength to strength. In 1967, the Jews seized the old city of Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, the Gaza strip and the Sinai desert. The Lord vanquished all of their enemies.
Militarily, Israel became the world’s fourth most powerful nation. In 19 years, the Lord raised them up from being poor immigrants in 1948 to their peak of glory and power in 1967. This rapid rise is totally unprecedented in the history of nations.
Israel should have repented. They should have thanked God. They did not. Other nations should have marveled at their miraculous rise seeing God’s hand in it (Ezk. 37:11-12). The nations, like Israel, did not repent.
The Lord God, after 1967, set His face against Israel. From 1967 to 1987, they experienced a devastating reversal of God’s blessing. Since 1987, which marked the uprising of the Palestinians within her borders, Israel has been in a free fall from God’s grace.
The return is near
The thrust of these unfolding events is surely leading to the return of Christ. We can expect to witness the fulfillment of the prophecy that, “When they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them” (I Thess. 5:3).
On October 22, 1992, the Lord actually put these words of the apostle Paul into the mouth of the Israeli government representative, Mr. hamar Rabinovich. In a news conference in Washington, DC, he said, for all the world to hear, “Our quest for peace and our quest for security” (Associated Press news release). This demonstrates that Israel is not only saying it, they are also seeking peace and safety.
Within a week after this pronouncement, the peace talks began to unravel. God’s word has been fulfilled regarding Israel and the nations. Now we move to the next phase of divine revelation.
Great tribulation
“For then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened…And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other…Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come…Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Mt. 24:21-44).
The time of “great tribulation” is upon us. Then the word of God will be fulfilled that reveals, “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee (Israel). For! will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle…Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations…And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives…and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee” (Zech. 14:1-5).
Israel will be overrun
God, who raised up Israel in 1948, will destroy that government in the punishing judgments that are at hand. He will also punish all the nations for their sins immediately after using them to punish Israel.
Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Syria, however, are not listed among that punishing army of God’s vengeance. Israel will destroy their ability to make war when the rising tide of Islamic fundamentalism brings these neighboring states against Israel. Israel will use tactical nuclear weapons to conquer them and, at the same time, drive out the Arabs within her borders.
Israel’s military action will trigger a United Nations’ attack upon Israel. Russia will be invited to participate in the attack and will come with all of its power. When it is evident that Russia is actually intending to stay in the Middle East after the destruction of Israel, America and Britain ask the fateful question, “Hast thou come to take a spoil…?” (Ezk. 38:13).
Worldwide nuclear war will then begin. Scripture describes the scene: “…distress of nations, with perplexity…men ‘s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth…And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh” (Lk. 21:25-28).
Christ will intervene
The Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints will intervene at the moment that Russian forces take half of Jerusalem captive. With this being true, how soon must our Lord return to save us? Obviously, the Lord is at hand.
Our Gregorian Calendar is off by three to four years. This year of 1993 is actually 1996-1997. Given all that Christ and the saints must accomplish by the year 2,000, time is rapidly running out.
Events to be fulfilled before the year 2,000 include the return of Jesus, the resurrection of the responsible, the judgment, a time of fellowship for Christ and the faithful, the saving of Israel and the crushing of the religious confederation of European nations who will oppose Christ and the saints. All of this must be done before 1997, which is 2,000 years from the birth of Christ and 100 years from the birth of Zionism.
Surely, the Lord is at hand!
A time to witness
We must study the signs of the times diligently. We can present a powerful and relevant message of fulfilling prophecy and hope to the world. We have a message that addresses the anxiety of millions who fear that life on Earth is threatened by man himself. Let us reinvigorate our public witness in these final days before Christ’s coming.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One