By StevenJ. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #304 ~
The story of Israel is a story of the purpose of God, the glory of God, and the people of God. Around 2050 BC, God promised to Abraham that he and his descendants would be blessed with a great nation of people and a glorious piece of land. For the next 2000+ years, God focused on building and blessing the nation of Israel. Because of their sin and Satan, the Jewish people had a checkered and difficult history. But God, because of His promise, power, and patience, kept them going through all those years. Nehemiah 9
Close to 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, came to Israel and His people and fulfilled the most important mission in all of history. Christ died on a cross to pay for people’s sins and satisfy God’s demands for justice. Then He was raised from the dead and, shortly after that, ascended into heaven. Since that time, Christ has been building His church, those who truly repent of their sins and truly believe that He died for them. Rom. 5:8
In the 1st century, God set aside the nation of Israel, and for a long time. Then in the 1880’s, He began bringing the Jewish people back to their land. God was restarting His plans for the Jews, for He was committed to keeping His promises to them. That the Jews are now in their land is the strongest evidence that we are living in the end-times, and that Christ will soon rapture the church and carry out His plans for the Jews. Matt. 24:3-36, Psalm 67
During these past 140 years, God has greatly blessed the Jewish people, and in 1948, they became a nation. But their many enemies have greatly persecuted them (Ps. 83). Over 6 million Jews were murdered during World War II. Then there were all these wars, one in 1948, one in 1956, one in 1967, one in 1973. Then there were two intifadas, one from 1987-1990, and another one from 2000-2005. Because of God’s purpose, power, and love, Israel prevailed in every war. Now there’s the Hamas war. So what’s going to happen? I’m sure this war will come to an end, and there will be a truce, but it won’t solve all her problems.
So what is Israel’s future? God’s word tells us, explicitly and implicitly. In Luke 21:24, Jesus predicted that “Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles.” This trampling, this persecution, this killing of Jews, this Antisemitism, began shortly after Jesus left Israel, and has continued up to the present day. It will keep going and get even worse “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled,” which is when Christ returns to earth at the end of Daniel’s 70th week to save a remnant of Jews, and begin His glorious reign over the earth. Psalms 47, 72; Zech. 14:3-
What else does God tell us will happen to the Jewish people before the end of Daniel’s 70th week?
* Matthew 4:4-8 and Luke 21:9-11a speak of birth pains occurring in various parts of the world, famines, earthquakes, plagues, and wars. Some of these will harm, will hurt the Jewish people, signs to them that Christ is coming soon.
* Israel isn’t going anywhere. She will never be defeated. And she won’t be displaced from her land, for God will protect her and keep in mind His promises to her. Ezek. 37:21-23
* Israel, as a nation, will remain sinful and unrepentant, rejecting Jesus as her Messiah until she says, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Matt. 23:37-39
* The Antichrist will be raised up in the coming years. We don’t know exactly when, but he must be a grown man by the start of Daniel’s 70th week. Dan. 9:27
* Nations around the world will be realigning, eventually resulting in a strong ten-nation kingdom controlled by the Antichrist during Daniel’s 70th week. Dan. 7:19-22
* Most nations in the world will remain strongly opposed to Israel, and this Satanic animosity will get even worse. In the near future, even the United States will betray Israel, leaving her in a very precarious position. This will result in Israel being desperate for someone or some nation to come to her aid, to protect her from her enemies. Zech. 12:3, 8, 9
What I have just written is a brief summary of things happening to Israel from now to the start of Daniel’s 70th week. I will now talk about major prophesied events that will be fulfilled during this 70th week, the most important eschatological period in the end-times.
* Daniel 9:27a – “He will make a firm covenant with the many for one week” At the start of Daniel’s 70th week, the coming Antichrist will confirm a covenant with Israel, and it will turn out to be a deal with the devil. This extremely evil person, also known as the prince, will provide Israel with the protection she needs, but only for a while. I believe a key component of this covenant is that Israel will be permitted to build a temple in Jerusalem and offer sacrifices.
* Revelation 11:1-2 talks about this important temple and that Jewish worshipers are in it. “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship in it.”
* Matthew 24:15 (“when you see the abomination of desolation”) confirms the truth of Dan. 9:27b, that this temple un Jerusalem will be desecrated by the Antichrist, resulting in all sacrifices being stopped. It is then that Christians and discerning Jews will know that this man is truly the Antichrist. 2 Thess. 2:3-4 says this about him – “the man of lawlessness is revealed, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god… he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as God.” This “abomination” occurs at the 3½ year mark, the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th week.
* Matthew 24:21-22 tells us of great tribulation, a devilish persecution against Jews beginning in Judea (Dan. 12:1, Rev. 12:13), and then spreading to Christians all over the world. “They will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” Matt. 24:9, Rev. 12:17
* Revelation 12:13-16 describes how a remnant of Jewish people will escape the devil and be kept safe during this time of great tribulation. “She could fly into the wilderness… where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time (3½ years).” Matt. 24:16-25
* Matthew 24:29 speaks of these heart-stopping heavenly disturbances – “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light…” These are signs that this evil age has come to an end. Many Jews will know that these signs are predicting the day of the Lord and that they need to turn to the Lord before it’s too late. “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered… in Jerusalem there will be those who escape.” Joel 2:30-32
* Revelation 7:1-8 informs us that God will seal 144,000 Jews, 12,000 from each tribe of Israel. This will happen sometime during the last half of Daniel’s 70th week. These godly Jews will be Christ’s bond-servants and will continually be worshiping and serving Him. “These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.” Rev. 14:4
Revelation 11:3-13 talks about two powerful Jewish witnesses in Jerusalem during the 2nd half of Daniel’s 70th week – they will be performing great signs and proclaiming God’s truth to the Jews. “I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days.” And they will be martyred, but then raised from the dead, proving to be God’s special witnesses to Israel and the whole world. “A tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.”
Romans 11:25-27 – “All Israel will be saved… this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” These amazing but true verses about the salvation of a Jewish remnant will be fulfilled at the very end of Daniel’s 70th week. Dan. 9:24 predicted this – “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people… to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness…” Is. 45:17, Jer. 31:31-34
Many people nowadays are very confused about the future of the Jewish people. Some even say they will be wiped off the face of the earth. But God wants you, the Christian, to know the truth, that God has a wonderful and eternal future for Israel and Jewish people. We know this because He told us, and because He will fulfill His promises to them. “He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of God.” Psalm 98:3
P.S. We must not close our eyes to what’s going on in this world, and some of the most important things relate to what God is doing in Israel and with the Jewish people. Keep watching God’s work with them for it relates to His work with you. What an exciting time to be alive! Do read “God’s Plans for the Jews – From Now to the Coming of Christ.”