GNITN - Special Edition

Israel In Prophecy

Part 3

Future Prophecies

Jews Are Important Now

I know there are people who teach what is called Replacement Theology where they maintain that nation promised to Abraham, Israel is no longer the one the Bible says will exist in the End Times. It’s hard to see how that is true, but that’s the not the purpose for this lesson. If you want to watch my series on that, you can find the link for it in this description of this video. The assumption now is that you already believe that Israel plays a big part in the last of the last days heading into the Tribulation and even beyond. As the late Bible teacher and author of the Left Behind books and movies Tim LaHaye said, Israel is the super sign and when one wonders where we are on the prophetic timeline just look at the news and see what’s happening there and with Jews in general. It’s not rocket science or brain surgery, either. Once you are familiar with the prophecies made by Daniel, Ezekiel, and others and yes, that Jew named Jesus you can figure it out. However, in this last part of our series I’ll briefly help you connect the dots.

Starting The Timer

Who has heard or seen anything as strange as this? For in one day, suddenly, a nation, Israel, shall be born, even before the birth pains come. In a moment, just as Israel’s anguish starts, the baby is born; the nation begins. (Isa 66:7-8, TLB)

On May 14th of 1948, this prophecy was fulfilled. And when you pair that with a prophecy uttered by Jesus in Matthew 24:34 who told His Jewish disciples that the generation that sees Israel become a nation again will be the one that will see His second coming. Again, I’m not getting into the minutia of what a generation means, suffice it to say that if Israel isn’t a nation now a whole lot of last days events make no sense at all. Let me also say that the timer for the Rapture, the Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus at the war of Armageddon could start any time now. And the nation of Israel is smack dab in the middle of it all. Allow me to continue to connect those dots by actually describing them. When Israel was declared a nation again in 1948, the prophetic chapter of Ezekiel 37 was also fulfilled:

The power of the Lord was upon me and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley full of old, dry bones that were scattered everywhere across the ground. He led me around among them, 3 and then he said to me:

“Son of dust, can these bones become people again?”

I replied, “Lord, you alone know the answer to that.”

4 Then he told me to speak to the bones and say: “O dry bones, listen to the words of God, 5 for the Lord God says, ‘See! I am going to make you live and breathe again! 6 I will replace the flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you shall live and know I am the Lord.’”

7 So I spoke these words from God, just as he told me to; and suddenly there was a rattling noise from all across the valley, and the bones of each body came together and attached to each other as they used to be. 8 Then, as I watched, the muscles and flesh formed over the bones, and skin covered them, but the bodies had no breath. 9 Then he told me to call to the wind and say: “The Lord God says: Come from the four winds, O Spirit, and breathe upon these slain bodies, that they may live again.” 10 So I spoke to the winds as he commanded me, and the bodies began breathing; they lived and stood up—a very great army.

11 Then he told me what the vision meant: “These bones,” he said, “represent all the people of Israel. They say: ‘We have become a heap of dried-out bones—all hope is gone.’ 12 But tell them, ‘The Lord God says: My people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again and return to the land of Israel. 13 And, then at last, O my people, you will know I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit into you, and you shall live and return home again to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have done just what I promised you.’” (Ezekiel 37:1-14, TLB)

Adding to this is the miracle that the Jews, who were scattered around the globe came back and are still coming back to Israel. No other nation is the history of the world has done that.

A Covenant Is Made

This king will make a seven-year treaty with the people, but after half that time, he will break his pledge and stop the Jews from all their sacrifices and their offerings; then, as a climax to all his terrible deeds, the Enemy shall utterly defile the sanctuary of God. But in God’s time and plan, his judgment will be poured out upon this Evil One.” (Dan 9:27, TLB)

This ruler is the Antichrist and this covenant or treaty is thought to keep Israel safe from him as he consolidates his power around the world in the Tribulation. It is this treaty that actually starts the seven-year Tribulation according to this verse as it mentioned that it is broken half way through or 3 ½ years in. So you have to have three things for this to happen and all of them involve Israel. Israel must exist as a nation, Israel will have a temple to sacrifice in, and that temple will be taken over by the Antichrist. So it’s difficult to see how Jews and the nation of Israel aren’t important to these turbulent times.

Israel Will Recognize Jesus As Messiah

"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. (Zech 12:10, ESV)

Israel will finally recognize Jesus as their Messiah. They will also be regenerated, restored, and regathered (Jeremiah 33:8; Ezekiel 11:17; Romans 11:26). Again, if Israel isn’t important, then to whom are all these things meant to be talking about. This will happen throughout the Tribulation, but will definitely occur in Israel in the valley of Megiddo as Jesus Himself descends and puts His feet on the Mount of Olives. Trust me, this event will have killer ratings as it will be broadcast on every media platform most likely because those who aren’t Christians will think that God will finally be taken down by the Antichrist. Since you probably read the end of the book like me, you know how that will play out. If you were betting on the Antichrist, you will loose big time and that guy and the False Prophet are going to be a tad toasty for eternity. I’m only skimming the surface supporting why Israel is the super sign and still has its place in God’s prophetic plans. Hopefully, you’ll be intrigued enough to search more evidence on your own. There are a lot more reasons for why Tim LaHaye said that Israel if the super sign. Happy hunting!