The scoffers tell us that the miraculous reappearing of Israel as a nation in 1948 has nothing to do with the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. In spite of God’s supernatural protection of the nation through many wars, the naysayers tell us there’s nothing to see here and insist that the church is now the recipient of God’s kingdom promises.
On May 14, 1948, Israel again became a nation “in a day,” which was precisely what the prophet Isaiah predicted would happen (Is. 66:9). However, there are many more reasons to regard today’s Israel as occupying a key role in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
Its Current State of Unbelief
Some say that the current state of Israel cannot be the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies because of its unbelief and waywardness. However, they fail to recognize that this is precisely how the book of Ezekiel pictured the initial reemergence of the nation (Ezekiel 37:1-14).
The Lord took the prophet to a “valley” that “was full of dry bones.” Later, He told Ezekiel, “These bones are the whole house of Israel” (Ezekiel 37:11). Throughout the passage, there’s a progression from dry skeletal remains to that of resurrected people filled with the Holy Spirit.
The prophet first heard a “rattling of the bones” and watched as they gained the appearance of human beings with flesh covering the previously bare bones, but yet with “no breath in them.” The last stage was “an exceedingly great army” fully alive and invigorated by the Holy Spirit.
What the prophet witnessed in that brief time was the full restoration of Israel, which would take place over many years. What we see today is Israel standing on its feet, but not yet a fully restored nation such as will happen at Jesus’ return to the earth.
The Preoccupation of the World with Jerusalem
Another Old Testament prophet accurately predicted the world’s current fixation on Israel and, in particular, Jerusalem.
“The oracle of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus declares the Lord, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him: ‘Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it’” (Zechariah 12:2-3).
Do we not see this prophecy playing out in real time today? The nations all around Israel are attacking and threatening to destroy Israel. World powers have become fixated on Jerusalem as they seek to resolve the crisis or join in the battle should the crisis become an all-out war. The U.S. has one-third of its naval forces in the Middle East.
Is it possible that what we see today could lead to the time when “all the nations of the earth will gather against” the tiny nation? This is a certain outcome given the hostility of the world toward Israel and the Jewish people.
The Never-Ending Quest to Bring Peace to the Middle East
God’s Word predicts that the antichrist will someday make a covenant with Israel, which he will break at its midpoint (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:4-5). Isaiah also refers to it as “a covenant with death,” which the nation will regard as one of protection, or of peace (Isaiah 28:14-18).
Although this prophecy will not reach fulfillment until after the Rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8), the groundwork for it has been building for many years. The last seven U.S. presidents have, at some point during their term of office, sought to bring peace to the Middle East. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has also expressed great interest in bringing peace to Israel. Vladimir Putin of Russia has stated that a two-state solution is the only road to settling the crisis.
Is this not what one would expect before the appearance of someone on the world stage who has the charisma and power to guarantee peace for Israel? He will succeed where others have failed.
The nonstop battles with enemies amid constant threats of a much larger attack are even now preparing the leaders of Israel to accept what the antichrist will someday propose. His betrayal will become a factor in many Israelites turning to Christ at the end of the Tribulation.
The Passion for the Third Temple
The current passion within Israel to build a third temple is a precursor to the fulfillment of another prophecy regarding Israel. It’s another definitive sign that the modern-day reappearance of Israel is not some fluke as many would have us believe, but it’s rather God’s doing and a sign that we live in the last moments of human history.
As I wrote in a previous article, The Biblical Necessity of a Third Jewish Temple, the nation of Israel must reappear in history, construct a third temple, and watch as the “man of lawlessness” defiles it and claims to be the God of Israel. Based on the words of Scripture, we know this has not yet happened.
It’s for these reasons and more that we see modern-day Israel, even in its current wayward state, as the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
Why do so many pastors and teachers tell us that Israel’s existence today has no significance for Bible prophecy? They see the same words in Scripture that we do but tell us they cannot refer to Israel.
