Israel's Role before Jesus Returns

War in Israel

Israel declared war 50 years and 1 day after the last war.

Both of these last two wars happened on feast days.

In 1973 there was the Yom Kippur war

This latest war began on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Feasts- Dress rehearsals

Jesus fulfilled all of the spring feasts

Passover/Unleavened Bread/Pentecost

Still to be fulfilled are

Feast of Trumpets/Yom Kippur/Feast of Tabernacles or Booths

Yom Kippur- holiest day in Israel

Points to the day when the nation of Israel will accept Jesus as their Messiah.

Feast of Tabernacles- points to the day when God will dwell among His people and reign over us in glory.

It is interesting to me that these last two wars were tied specifically to these feasts. I believe that God is highlighting them and telling the church to be ready.

Facts about Israel:

1. Invented the cell phone

2. 137 beaches

3. Only nation to revive a dead language and use as national language.

4. Israel is roughly the size of Lake Michigan

5. You could fit 32 Israel’s inside of the state of Texas.

6. There are 300 wineries in Israel and they harvest over 60,000 tons of grapes each year.

7. Israel has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world. 83 years.

8. 12 Israelis have won Nobel Prizes in the sciences.

9. Israel has one of the very highest Nobel Prize winning rates per capita of people.

10. You can cross the entire nation in 5 hours.

11. #2 in the world in book publishing.

12. Highest number of academics per capita in the world.

13. Invented technology to chat in apps (Whatsapp/Facebook messenger/etc.)

14. Only country where the number of trees increase each year.

15. 60 percent dessert

16. 1,000,000 notes/prayers placed in the western wall each year.

17. 11th on Happiness index scale.

Deuteronomy 32:9–10 “For the Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance. “He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.”

Isaiah 49:14–16 “But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.”

Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.””

Israel’s disobedience led to severe consequences.

Deuteronomy 4:27 “And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you.”

The Jewish people have been the most hated group of people (followed by Christians) in all of the world.

God’s hand has supernaturally been upon them though!

Pharoah couldn’t hold them.

The Red Sea couldn’t drown them!

Haman couldn’t destroy them!

Antiochus Ephiphanes couldn’t defile them!

The Babylonians, Greeks and Romans couldn’t remove them!

Alexander the Great/Nero and even Hitler persecuted, burned, gassed, killed and tried to eradicate them, but they failed!

Hamas and many other terror groups and nations have freely spoken of wiping the nation of Israel off of the map…but yet it stands!

It stands, because God’s hand is on it. It stands, because God isn’t finished with them yet.

How do I know this?

Romans 11:1–2 “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.

Romans 11:11–23 NKJV

I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

Romans 11:25–26 “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;”

Regathering Prophecies

Isaiah 43:5–6 “Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth—”

Amos 9:14–15 “I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them,” Says the Lord your God.”

1917- Balfour Declaration allowed the Jewish people to return to their land.

May 14th 1948 Israel became a nation suddenly…fulfilling Isaiah 66:8 “Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children.”

Matthew 24:32–35 ““Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

The Fig Tree represents Israel

Hosea 9:10 ““I found Israel Like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers As the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal Peor, And separated themselves to that shame; They became an abomination like the thing they loved.”

Micah 7:1–2 “Woe is me! For I am like those who gather summer fruits, Like those who glean vintage grapes; There is no cluster to eat Of the first-ripe fruit (Literally FIG) which my soul desires. The faithful man has perished from the earth, And there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; Every man hunts his brother with a net.”

The fig tree= People committed to God.

Mark 11:12–14 “Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.”

Mark 11:14–19 “In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it. So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. When evening had come, He went out of the city.”

Luke 19:41–44 “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.””

Luke 19:45–48 “Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.”

Woman who refused to believe that Jesus would curse His own people.

Have you read Deuteronomy 28-30?

Blessings/Curses

Back to Matthew 24:32–35 ““Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

The generation that sees these things will not pass away.

There will be people alive when Jesus came back who saw Israel become a nation in 1948.

There were a small number of Christians in Israel back in 1948, but that number is growing rapidly.

The fig tree is budding. There is righteous fruit coming forth!

Future:

Zechariah 12:2–3 ““Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.”

Luke 21:20–24 ““But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

Luke 21:25–38 NKJV

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.

Pray for Israel!

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Pray for the parents whose children are in the Israeli Defense Force. Joshua Aaron Facebook post.

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