SLIDES

The History and Future of Israel and the Middle East

Part 8

Introduction

To review, the five major events that are causing Israel and the Middle East to be in turmoil are:

1.  God put enmity between Satan and Israel.
(Genesis 3:15)

2.  Ishmaels’ descendants, the Ishmaelites, were prophesied to constantly cause Israel problems, do not exist today as a nation or people. However, their descendants continue to cause problems as they were absorbed into the Arab nations.

3.  Israel’s title deed to the land promised by God to Abraham and His descendants forever is found in Genesis 15 continues to demonstrate that the land belongs exclusively to Isarel and the Jewish people. In the Old Testament God reiterated to Isarel at least 18 times that In the Old Testament that He gave the land to them as an everlasting possession.

4.  Jacob received the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant instead of Esau. The descendants of Esau, the Edomites, have constantly caused Israel problems along with the Ishmaelites. In Psalm 83:5-8 we find that the Ishmaelites and the Edomites made a covenant with other peoples and nations at that time to destroy Isarel.

5.  God changing Jacob’s name to Israel. From him, the first Jew, came the 12 tribes and the nation of Israel.

II. The Future of Israel and the Middle East

A. From the Rapture to the Messianic Kingdom

Remember there are four prophesied distinct periods in God’s plan for Israel during the diaspora as part of the Leviticus 26 and Land Covenant found in Deuteronomy 28 - 30. They are dispersion, preservation, restoration, and reconciliation. These distinct periods cover a period of approximately 2000 years. These periods prophesied by Moses in Deuteronomy and fleshed out in secular history contributed to Israel History and her becoming a nation after 1900 years. We have discussed the dispersion and the preservation aspect of God’s plan for Israel in the diaspora. Now, we are going to continue our discussion lesson on the restoration aspect of God’s plan for Israel in the diaspora from our last lesson.

Reconciliation

Today we will explore the last part of the diaspora found in Deut. 28-30 which is Reconciliation.   This reconciliation is between God and Israel. Reconciliation refers to Restoration of friendly relationships and of peace where before there had been hostility and alienation.

Since the death of the Messiah, there has been no reconciliation with God except though Him. Since Israel as a nation has never accepted God’s offer to be reconciled to Him by trusting in Jesus,  the nation is in need of reconciliation.

This study is about the history and future of Israel and the Middle East, but before we can discuss the reconciliation of Israel with God, I want to briefly mention the next major event on God’s prophetic calendar. This event is the pretribulation rapture of the church. This means that Jesus will come after His church before the Tribulation begins and take them to heaven during the Tribulation Period as seen in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. 

  16   For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

  17   Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

  18   Therefore comfort one another with these words.

During the seven years of Tribulation, two events will occur – the Judgment Seat of Christ when Jesus will give rewards for our faithfulness on the earth and the Marriage supper of the Lamb in which church, the Bride of Christ, will be married to Him. The Marriage Supper is just a picture that our relationship with Jesus has reached its final stage.

Now, let’s return to the steps that will lead to Israel’s reconciliation with God.  The first item for discussion is the Tribulation Period. Many assume that the Rapture will begin the Tribulation. However, Scripture teaches that the Tribulation begins with the signing of a seven-year covenant between the Antichrist and Israel as we see in Daniel 9:27.

And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one

week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to

sacrifice and grain offering, and on the wing of abominations

will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete

destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one

who makes desolate.

This verse speaks of an individual making a seven-year covenant with the Jewish nation. The “he” refers back to its nearest antecedent which is the prince that shall come in verse 26. This person is better known in Christian circles as the Antichrist. When the Antichrist signs a seven-year covenant with Israel, the last seven years of God’s prophetic time clock for Israel begin ticking away. This and only this is the starting point of the seven years of the Tribulation. In light of this it should be very evident that it is not Rapture which begins the Tribulation. While the Rapture will occur sometime before the Tribulation, it may come a number of years before the Tribulation begins. Therefore, the signing of the seven-year covenant between Israel and the Antichrist is the event that begins the Tribulation, and nothing else.

Israel and the Tribulation

Even though the entire world will be involved in the Tribulation, the main focus is on Israel. This is seen in the massive amount of Scripture in the Old Testament, as well as the Book of Revelation about Israel in the Tribulation. The Scripture reference that describes and sums up Isarel in the Tribulation Period is Jeremiah 30:4-7.

4   Now these are the words which the Lord spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah:

5   “For thus says the Lord,

‘I have heard a sound of terror,

Of dread, and there is no peace.

6   ‘Ask now, and see

If a male can give birth.

Why do I see every man

With his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth?

And why have all faces turned pale?

7   ‘Alas! for that day is great,

There is none like it;

And it is the time of Jacob’s distress,

But he will be saved from it.

In Jeremiah 16:16-18 we see not only the cause of the Time of Jacob’s Distress but also the severity of it.

  16   “Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks.

  17   “For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes.

  18   “I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations.”

The Tribulation will last seven years, but now let’s return to Ezekiel 37 about the dry bones to find out as Paul Harvey used to say, “the rest of the story.” Ezekiel 37:1-14 is basically an extended metaphor. A metaphor is a comparison in which one thing is, acts like, or represents another (in which the two are basically unalike). An example is Isaiah 40:6 – “All flesh is grass.” A simile is also a comparison using “as” or “like.” An example would be 1 Peter 1:24 – “All men are like grass.”  Now, let’s read verses 1-2 that we discussed several weeks ago.

1   The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.

2   He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry.

We have discussed that verses 1-2 refer to the first regathering of Israel in a state of unbelief, the condition they are in today. But what does the future hold for Israel concerning reconciliation with God and the promises that go along with that.

      3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”

4   Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’

5   “Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.

6   ‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

7   So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.

8   And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.

9   Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.” ’ ”

  10   So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

  11   Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’

  12   “Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.

  13   “Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people.

  14   “I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,” declares the Lord.’ ”

Ezekiel 36:24 “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land.

  25   “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.

  26   “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

  27   “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

  28   “You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.

Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

  6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

  7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Ezekiel 39:29 “I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares the Lord God.

Chapter 40[1]

Ryrie Study Bible   37:8 To be a restored people, God would have to breathe life into Israel just as he did with Adam ( Ge 2:7). To be a regenerated people the Holy Spirit would be involved.

37:9 Come from the four winds. I.e., from the four quarters of the globe.

37:11-14 An interpretation of the vision. The bones represent hopeless and helpless Israel. The graves speak of her political demise. The Spirit is the Holy Spirit, who will effect the regeneration of the people. The vision does not depict the physical resurrection of individuals but the political (prior to the second coming of Christ) and spiritual (at the second coming of Christ) revivals of Israel.

37:16 Judah. The principal tribe of the Southern Kingdom. his companions. I.e., Benjamin, Simeon, and Levi. The house of Joseph comprised the two powerful tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the main body of the Northern Kingdom.

37:21-28 Promises for Israel that will be fulfilled at the second coming of Christ include restoration to the land of Palestine (v. 21), unification of the two kingdoms (v. 22), purification from all idolatry (v. 23), Messiah's ruling over them (v. 24; see note on 34:23), possession of the land forever (v. 25; cf. Ge 15:18-21), and the presence of God and His sanctuary in their midst (vv. 26-

15 The word of the Lord came again to me saying,

  16   “And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.’

  17   “Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.

  18   “When the sons of your people speak to you saying, ‘Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?’

  19   say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” ’

  20   “The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.

  21   “Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;

  22   and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms.

  23   “They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.

  24   “My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them.

  25   “They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever.

  26   “I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever.

  27   “My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.

  28   “And the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.” ’ ”

38:1 And the word of the Lord came to me saying,

     2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land[2]

How odd

How odd of God/

To choose the Jews

But not so odd

As those who choose

A Jewish God

Yet spurn the Jews.

John 4:22 - Salvation is from the Jews. Baskets – The Bible and the Messiah

I have found that among many people who call themselves Christians, they love Jesus but care nothing about who God calls the Apple of His Eye, the Jewish people, the nation of Israel. They want to go to the Holy Land and walk were Jesus walked, but they care very little about the miracle in front of the own eyes – the regathering of Israel from being dispersed for 1900 years.  Leviticus 26 and Deut. 28. Ez. 37 – Them bones, them bones, them dry bones.

Theologically, Satan is the cause of anti-Semitism. Dr. Feinberg has said it well:

  What, then, is the true and only cause? In a word, it is Satan. The solution is to be found in Revelation 12. Satan hates the nation through whom has come so much blessing to the world, especially the Savior. First, the dragon is incensed against the child of the woman (Jesus Christ), then he goes to make war with the remnant of her seed, Israel. Moreover, when Satan is angry against Israel, it always culminates in defiance against the Lord Jesus Christ. The two are inseparable.

Satan’s war against the Jews between Abraham and the first coming was to try to thwart the first coming (Rev. 12:1–5). His present and future war against the Jews is to thwart the second coming (Rev. 12:12–14). It has been pointed out earlier that the basis of the second coming is Israel’s national salvation and Jesus will not come back until the Jewish people ask Him to. If Satan can ever succeed in destroying the Jews before there is a national salvation, then Satan’s career is eternally safe. For this reason he has had a perpetual, unending war against the Jew. This is why once the Tribulation comes and Satan knows his time is short, he will expend all his energies to try to destroy the Jews once and for all. The biblical cause of anti-Semitism is Satan. God permits it; and the reason it is within His permissive will is Israel’s sins. Nevertheless, Satan is the cause and the Gentile nations are the means he uses.

The profound poem I about to read is attributed to two men

William Norman Ewer, a British Journalist (1885-1975) And

Leo Rosten, An American playwright (1908 – 1997)

How odd

How odd of God/

To choose the Jews

But not so odd

As those who choose

A Jewish God

Yet spurn the Jews

John 4:22 - Salvation is from the Jews. Baskets – The Bible and the Messiah

I have found that among many people who call themselves Christians, they love Jesus but care nothing about who God calls the Apple of His Eye, the Jewish people, the nation of Israel. They want to go to the Holy Land and walk were Jesus walked, but they care very little about the miracle in front of the own eyes – the regathering of Israel from being dispersed for 1900 years.  Leviticus 26 and Deut. 28. Ez. 37 – Them bones, them bones, them dry bones.

Reconciliation

Deut 30:

       6 “Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.

     7 “The Lord your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.

     8 “And you shall again obey the Lord, and observe all His commandments which I command you today. [3]

Jeremiah 32:37-41

    37 “Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety.

    38 “They shall be My people, and I will be their God;

994), 837. Deut 30:

       6 “Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.

     7 “The Lord your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.

     8 “And you shall again obey the Lord, and observe all His commandments which I command you today.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Eze 39:29–Eze 40.

[2] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Eze 37:3–38:2.

[3] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Dt 30:6–8.