Israel is right at the center of the news these days. Student protests in our universities that sometimes turn violent, anti-semitism as we have not seen in America in past times. How does all this fit in with prophecy. May 14th is the Independence Day for Israel. In the midst of all this there are questions regarding ‘what is this all about anyway.’ So, let us look at Israel in terms of the ‘bad’ and the ‘good.’

ISRAEL: THE BAD NEWS

Well, there is plenty of “bad” news, but let us look at just a few of them.

  • NATIONS AROUND & AGAINST ISRAEL – Stop for a moment and consider how the nation of Israel measures up with other nations in the Middle East. Israel is the only democracy in the area where there are some 22 mostly hostile Arab nations. These nations are 640 times bigger than Israel, and consequently, they are 60 times bigger than Israel in regard to their populations. Add to all this the attitude of people and nations all over the world towards Israel. It is truly like a modern version of David and Goliath.
  • HAMAS – The Neighbor Next Door – What started the present battle in Gaza? Now, I realize that the enmity against Israel goes back a long time, probably at least two thousand years. But as far as this present situation is concerned, it all began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas unleashed a devastating attack on Israel that resulted in 1200+ people being killed, more taken as hostages, women being raped, and children being killed in unbelievable ways. See the video ‘Screams and the Silence.’ No wonder Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization. If this happened in America in terms of population figures, it would have meant the death of approximately 40,000 people. Recently, I viewed a Jonathan Cahn video that explored the origins of Hamas and its links going back to Adolf Hitler.
  • ANTISEMITISM – The ingredient in this present conflict is the evidence of so much hatred of Jews. The intensity of this hatred is especially seen in the universities here in America. It reminds me of the events in Europe in the 1930s prior to World War 2 and the Holocaust that led to a million Jews dying in internment camps. My grandchildren in Germany, when they were in school, were taken to the sites of some of the Holocaust as part of their education. Maybe some of the protesters should be taken to view these Holocaust prisons.
  • WIPING OUT ISRAEL – One of the cries you will often hear is the cry “From the River to the Sea,” which speaks of the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. To put it bluntly, it is a call to wipe out Israel altogether so that the nation of Israel no longer exists. This is the call to a national Holocaust. Just remember, it is not simply anti-Israel. It is removing Israel altogether.
  • REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY – Replacement Theology is basically the theological position that believes the church replaced Israel in God’s plan in the world today. Thus, they hold to the view that Israel is no longer God’s chosen people and thus does not have a place in God’s future plans. So this is the belief that God is finished with Israel as a nation and also that all the promises He made to Israel now belong to the church. Whenever I have been met with this viewpoint, I simply suggest that they read Romans 9, 10, and 11, which is the ultimate answer to Replacement Theology.

Enough of the bad news. Let’s look at some of the good news about Israel.

ISRAEL: THE GOOD NEWS

  • ISRAEL – CHOSEN BY GOD – The history of the nation of Israel goes back to the call of Abraham in Genesis chapter 12. The Jewish people look back to the patriarch Abraham as the Father of Faith. God’s word to Abraham still applies today:

“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 

– Genesis 12:1-3 ESV

The foundational viewpoint is that God chose both a land and a people. Both of them belong to God. God chose both the land and the people. God chose Israel to be His chosen people. After all Israel is such a small country. I remember a doggerel concerning Israel – “How odd of God to choose the Jews.” Well, no matter how you feel about it. The Bible is clear. God chose the Jews all the way back to Abraham and Jesus was born of that line.

One last thought. If you hate the Jews, you actively hate Jesus because Jesus, humanly speaking, is a Jew.

  • ISRAEL AND THE NATIONS – God has always had the world of nations in mind, so even if Israel is God’s chosen people, God is the God for all people. Even the most popular verse of the Bible makes that clear. John 3:16 (ESV) declares, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” It goes back to Genesis chapter 12 and the covenant God had with Abraham. The promise was that through Abraham, He would bless the nations of the world.
  • ISRAEL AND PROPHECY – There are many people, including Bible Teachers, who believe we are moving into the end times. As I have often mentioned, the return of Israel to the Promised Land is, for me, one of the strongest evidence for a soon-to-be-seen rapture and 2nd coming. Luke 21 declares, “They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (vs.24 ESV) This has all happened almost 2000 years ago. The Jews were dispersed into nations of the world until Israel was reestablished as a nation once again in 1948 and Jerusalem in 1967.
  • ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM – In 1971, I visited Israel for the first time (I have been there a number of times). While I was there, I was, of course, delighted to visit the various locations from the Bible. To walk where Jesus walked and to see sites of His birth, death, and resurrection. Indeed, the Garden scene of the resurrection was truly awe-inspiring. My thoughts, however, were directed towards the future with the promise by the angels that Jesus would come back to the Mountain of Olives. The re-establishment of Israel as a nation after 20 centuries dispersed over the nations of the world prior to the return of Christ.
  • ISRAEL WILL WIN – In spite of the opposition that Israel faces, I believe she will win out in the end. As I noted previously, it is like David and Goliath. Like David, Israel is a relatively small nation, but like David, it will overcome the enemies that come against it. Satan hates Israel and will do everything he can to annihilate her. By the hand of the living God, this will not happen. You only have to look at the battles that Israel has faced, starting with the founding of the nation back in 1948. Probably the most spectacular example of all this was the victory of Israel in the war of 1967, commonly called “The Six Day War.” Israel will win.

Well that is some of the Bad News and also the Good News concerning Israel. Let’s finish with a final question.

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

Let us stand up for Israel. Pastors should preach on this subject or, at the very least, speak to their congregation about praying for Israel. At the church that some of my family attends, the Pastor set aside the series he has been doing on the book of Revelation to preach a fine sermon about Israel.

Pray that America will not cease from supporting Israel. I know what I am about to say will upset some of my friends, but when Britain/the United Kingdom ceased to support Israel, it, in turn, ceased to be a major power in the world as it had been in previous generations. Pray that America will continue to fully support Israel.

Pray for all the people caught up in this present situation in the Middle East. This includes:

  • The enemies of Israel, including Hamas
  • The university students throughout the world, but especially in the United States who, are so deceived.
  • The Palestinians both in Israel itself and also those in Gaza.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for the people of the Land. It is hard to imagine what it must be like to be living in the Land of Israel at this time.

Pray for wisdom for the leaders of Israel and other nations, especially America as they seek to find a solution to this present circumstance. That the leadership in Washington will be united in the support of Israel.