The recent, unprecedented attacks by Hamas against Israel were the deadliest since Israel became a nation, and the global conflict has now become a powder keg. Some speculate WW III is here.
Israel has always been under attack. According to Bible prophecy, events in the last days including the return of Jesus Christ, the judgment of God, and end times wars would all revolve around Jerusalem.
Christians should be reminded to have a sense of urgency, to pray, and be ready for what’s coming.
According to the Washington Examiner, Iran wants “all Arab and Islamic countries” to unite against Israel in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attack that ignited a war in Gaza.
The Bible warns about wars and rumors of wars, and since a coalition of Muslim nations forged an alliance against Israel many decades ago, the Middle East meltdown was set in motion. How this will impact America remains to be seen.
Yes, we are living in prophetic times, but this is not about Jews and Palestinians; this is about enemies of God, Jesus, and the biblical worldview. Hamas and Hezbollah, terrorist organizations have publicly vowed for years they will “wipe Israel off the map.” They will never stop trying.
Frankling Graham states:
“We just saw Hamas brutally murder 900+ Israelis, most all civilians. If you want to know what else they’re after, a Hamas Commander made it clear. He said they want to kill every Jew and every Christian—and take control of the ‘entire 510 million sq. kilometers of Planet Earth.’ If you think what is happening in Israel is limited to Israel, think again.”
In recent years it has been business as usual for much of the world, particularly in the West, but the Bible warned about a time people are talking about “Peace and safety,” when sudden destruction will come upon them “and they shall not escape (1 Thess. 5:3).”
The unexpected nature of that day will be glorious to those who have confessed their sins and believe, but tragic for unbelievers of all nations unless they know Jesus Christ and are saved. Have you repented and put your hope in Him?
His return is close, and more Bible prophecies will be fulfilled. Some suggest, for example, Psalm 83 is being played out before our eyes concerning Israel and these attacks:
O God, do not remain quiet;
Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.
For behold, Your enemies make an uproar,
And those who hate You have exalted themselves.
They make shrewd plans against Your people,
And conspire together against Your treasured ones.
They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation,
That the name of Israel be remembered no more.”
For they have conspired together with one mind;
Against You they make a covenant: Psalm 83:1-5
This is almost like reading a current news story. Isn’t the Bible amazing?
God has blessed Israel and has done miraculous things throughout the centuries. Many have tried changing or editing world history, particularly when it comes to Israel and the land, so this is a good time for a very brief refresher.
May 14, 1948, was a remarkable day when the nation Israel was born as prophesied in Isaiah 66:8. Over five million Jews returned to Israel, and as predicted, the remnant was restored (Isaiah 11:11-12; Ezekiel 37:21-22; 38:8). Never before in world history had a people been dispersed and scattered among the nations of the earth and then centuries later return to their homeland “from the north, south, east, and west (Isaiah 43:5-6).”
The Bible was proved true when Israel became a desolate wasteland for about 1,900 years, but today we see the fulfillment of several more prophecies, such as Israel will bud and blossom, and fill the whole earth with fruit (Isaiah 27:6; Isaiah 35:1-2). Israel now exports fresh produce to the world to the tune of 800 million dollars each year, including over 200 million dollars from flowers and plants.
According to the prophets Amos and Joel, the mountains of Israel would one day flow with sweet wine, and God would restore the people so they could rebuild ruined cities (Amos 9:13-15; Joel 3:18). They would plant vineyards and gardens, enjoy the land, and God promised they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them. Amos and Joel are among the first biblically prophetic books written sometime between 750 BC and 835 BC.
Nearly uninhabited and desolate a century ago, this little nation exports well over 40 billion dollars’ worth of goods. Tourism is one of Israel’s major sources of income and economic growth, attracting a record 3.54 million foreign tourists last year.
The prophet Isaiah also describes forests of trees filling the formerly barren land and specifically mentions the cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, juniper, pine, and cypress trees (Isaiah 41:18-20). God fulfilled His promise to open up rivers, springs, and fountains of waters so people would know the hand of the Lord has done this. In the last hundred years, approximately one billion trees have been planted in Israel.
This is all part of Bible prophecy! The city of Jerusalem had been destroyed, trampled underfoot by the Gentiles (Luke 21:24) around AD 70. The land was a desert and uninhabited. According to prophecies, the city of Jerusalem would be – and was – rebuilt on its own ruins (Jeremiah 30:18; Zechariah 12:6) and reestablished in 1948.
Then Jewish people finally regained full control of the city during the Six-Day War in 1967. On June 7 of that year, the Israeli army broke through and returned Jerusalem to the Jewish people for the first time in 1,897 years! Israel has been attacked many times and often outnumbered, and yet somehow this tiny nation has both survived and thrived.
They did it because of God, and at times with the help of allies including the Unites States.
It was Truman who helped in 1948, but few recall what Richard Nixon did in 1973. Israel was vastly outnumbered in manpower and weaponry during the fourth Arab-Israeli war when Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan carried out a surprise attack on Israel while Jews were observing Yom Kippur.
There was talk of surrender days into the war as Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir faced insurmountable odds. In desperation, she called the White House at 3 AM on October 6, 1973, and the Nixon administration acted decisively sending 22,000 tons of jets, tanks, and ammunition by air and by sea to Israel. Shortly afterward, Israel overcame its enemies once again and the war came to an end.
What about President Trump? Between Nikki Haley standing up to the United Nations, the Trump White House reestablishing a strong relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu, and moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, Trump had the most pro-Israel administration in decades.
Few would deny God had blessed America in the past, but we have turned our backs on Him as a nation. The Bible teaches that those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3), and He will curse those who curse Israel. It must be noted the Obama and Biden administrations have been the most anti-Israel in our history and have provided billions of dollars to Iran, a sworn enemy of Israel.
About the size of New Jersey, Israel is not just the center of the universe, but the center of attention politically, spiritually, and geographically.
So how can we respond to recent events? Certainly not in silence. Believers can stand with Israel and ask God for her protection. The people there need to hear the gospel and be saved. The Bible tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 22:6), which seems almost impossible at the moment.
No matter what happens, no matter what man does, no matter the wars or catastrophic events, and no matter what this temporary world can throw at us, God is sovereign over all things. As we know from Scripture, this includes all nations, and especially Israel.
It’s not over, friends, but time is running out. Make sure you’re right with the Lord.
