The Middle East - War in Israel and the return of Christ to the earth (cont)

In my last post I indicated that the Bible foretells a catastrophic turn of events for the nation of Israel still to come. I believe that this turn of events is shortly to unfold and that the trigger will have been the brutal actions of Hamas provoking a response from Israel that will eventually set the Middle East alight. 

Israel has possession of the land for now but it is as temporary a possession as was the possession under the return of Cyrus. Israel of today is in a state of unbelief in the eyes of God just as it was in the days before the first captivity and in the days of the first coming of Christ to the earth.  

Their possession of the land was conditional upon their continued obedience to God's will. Their disobedience resulted in their removal twice from the land of their fathers, a fulfilment of God's promise to them in Leviticus 26 v 27-33, an excerpt of which is below 

And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me... then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.... And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. 

It is very common in traditional strands of Christianity to look down upon the Jews and to write them off as a result of their culpability in the death of Jesus. However, such attitudes overlook the fact that they are still God's chosen race although in unbelief. They have served many periods of exile and trouble as a result of this unbelief and one more is to befall them.

Ezekiel 21 v 25-27 foretells a threefold overturning of the nation, starting with the captivity under Nebuchadnezzar.  

And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.  

This state of the Jewish nation is, however temporary. It is overturned three times until he comes who has the right to the throne of Israel. That person is Jesus, thus providing another connection between OT prophecy and the Christian hope and showing that the gospel message preached is essentially Jewish in nature, even if many Christians today would prefer to minimise or disregard this aspect entirely.  

Paul and all the first century apostles knew that the gospel message they preached was essentially a Jewish hope. When he was a captive in Rome, Paul sent for and made a declaration to the Jews who were there present as follows:  

"I requested to see you and to speak with you, since I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel." (Acts 28 v 20) 

Paul knew that the fulfilment of the Christian hope was intimately connected with the hope of Israel. So did the disciples of Jesus because they asked him about it after his resurrection.   So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1 v 6).  

Jesus didn't tell them that their aspiration was wrong. He told them that they were premature in their expectation and that they were not to know the time at which this would happen.   For centuries, the divine promises made vested in the Jewish nation. In the apostolic era, eligibility was expanded to include believe Gentiles. The unbelief of the Jews paved the way for the opening of the door of faith to the Gentiles. Belief in the gospel message entitles believing Gentiles and Jews both to heirship of the promises made to Abraham.  

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3 v 26-29) 

So, despite the fact that the Jews will once again be removed from their land and be trampled underfoot of their enemies, their survival is guaranteed and their redemption sure.

As a nation, they will inherit the promises made to Abraham once they acknowledge Christ as their saviour and the one to fulfil God's purpose with the nation.  

Zecharaiah 12 v 10 shows us the state of the nation at the moment they realise who Christ is and what he has done for them.  

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 mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 

Paul wrote to the Romans that through the fall of the Jews, salvation was come to the Gentiles. He shows how this is possible.

"If the casting away of them (the Jews) be the reconciling of the world (the Gentiles), what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead?" Romans 11 v 15.  

We will delve into these matters more later but this post should help to anchor you all in the fact that everything that is to happen in the land of Israel at the return of Christ will work towards the restoration of the Jewish people in eyes of their God in fulfilment of the many promises made to the fathers of old.