Resurrection and Bible Prophecy pt4
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Resurrection of Israel
The resurrection of Israel, being brought back from the dead or a non-functioning nation to a viable one. This has now happened twice. This time Israel has become a nation that all other nations will have to contend with either for or against. This is fulfilling Bible prophecy once again.
There are many Scriptures telling about the restoration of Israel to their own land. There have been three times that Israel has been a viable (self-sustaining) nation.  The first time when Joshua led the children into the promised land, secondly after the return from the Babylonian captivity, and thirdly when the Jews became a nation in 1948.
The first restoration was when Israel returned from the Babylonian captivity. (When Joshua led the people into the promised land was the original inhabitation of the land as a nation and not a restoration.) The first restoration account can be read in Nehemiah and in Ezra. When Artaxerxes gave Nehemiah permission and means to rebuild the city Jerusalem, in 445 B.C. Over a period of several years they rebuilt the temple, found in Ezra. The rebuilding of their homes and the walls of the city is found in Nehemiah. Most of these had been demolished during the Babylonian siege and while they were in captivity.
Israel was brought home a second time to rebuild their homeland and nation in 1948. Scripture tells us about this time when God restored His people in Isa. 11:11-12. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, who shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” Which roughly covered a radius of 1800 to 2000 miles. S to Somalia, E to Iran, W for the Islands of the Mediterranean Sea and N toward the Black Sea. This was the geographic region then.   Today some Jews have migrated back from Russia, Africa, United States and all these regions will  encompss the “four corners of the earth”.
Notice that this is the second time for the restoration or resurrection of Israel. This is from all points of the compass, not like the return from Babylon which was just from the East. This second resurrection started in 1948 and will continue through the Millennial Kingdom and beyond. Now, for the second time Israel is brought back to life through a remnant of the Jews that have not forgotten God. Israel a country that was dead to the world for around 1900 years has once again emerged as a viable nation. Not only emerged as a viable this time, but as a “thorn” (burdensome stone, Zech. 12:2-3) in the sides of the other nations of the world.
God is setting up an “ensign”, which is a flag or a symbol for all other nations to see. When you consider the rank of Israel in size with its 8,000 square miles with the surrounding 22 Arab countries which is about 6 million square miles. The Arab countries are about 750 times larger. Then consider the rank in military might which is estimated by Global Fire Power, Israel is ranked 26th and Iran 16th, Egypt next, Saudi Arabia 22nd and Iraq 34th, and that still leaves 18 more. Now think about this question. Why if these 22 Arab countries have all this land mass and military might do they not squash Israel like a size twelve stomps a tiny insect? I will give you a few seconds to ponder this, and by now it should become very evident that this tiny country has something that others do not.
What does Israel have that the Arab countries do not. The covenant that God made with Abraham. It was and is everlasting. Gen 12:1-2. “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” This is a covenant that has never been and never will be withdrawn, altered or changed. Not only did God make this covenant with Abram, but it is repeated after God changes Abram’s name to Abraham in Gen. 17: 7-8.
And the covenant is repeated to Isaac in Gen 26:3. “Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham thy father.”Â
Also in Jacob’s vision in Gen. 28:10-14. “And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”Another covenant is made with David. Called the Davidic Covenant and is found in 2 Sam. 6: 7-16, but the last verse here is very important. This verse tells us that Israel will last forever. In Ezek. 16:60-63 God says He will fulfill His covenants. God said that He would remain faithful to Israel even if they were unfaithful.
The Jews did not remain in God’s favor at all times. It is true that Israel has been chastised by God several times. She has been liked to the “harlot” wife of Hosea. The Jews have been in some sort of bondage many times. Many have been slaughtered. But when things got really bad they cried out to God, He brought them once again to freedom. Out of Egypt and into the land God promised Abraham. Then again from out of Babylonian captivity they traveled east back to Jerusalem. Finally out of the Nazi massacres to reunite and start Israel again.
Now that the Jews have been restored to a nation the second time, another prophecy about the Jews is surfacing. The prophecy about the Jews to be a problem for all the world.
Zech. 12:2-3. “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the peoples round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, and through all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”Earlier I mentioned about Israel having many troubles. Many times Jews had their population dwindled to just a few. Many, many years ago God’s people were dwindled to eight, Noah and his family. Elijah tells about a time of only 7,000 left (1 Kings 19:18). The Bible calls this small number, “the remnant”. Isa. 1:9; Rom. 11:4-5 and in Ezek. 6:8 we read. “Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.” There is no question whether Israel will last forever, God said so. He has always maintained a remnant who remembers His name. A remnant will remain through the Great Tribulation and into the new world.
Scriptures prove that the remnant will continue. Read in Isa. 10:20-23. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob shall no more again stay upon him who smote them, but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.”Isa. 66:22. “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.” More Scriptures in Isa. 43: 5-7; Ezek. 20: 34-38, chapter 36 :14 to the end of chapter 37; Jer. 16: 14-15, 24: 6, 30:10-11; Amos 9: 14-15.
Even though they will have a remnant forever, there will be many troubles. There was trouble between the Jews and Arabs before either was born. In Gen. 16:4-6 when Haggar was pregnant with Ishmael, she started fussing with Sari. These two women had major trouble years before Isaac was ever conceived. Remember that out of Ishmael came a great nation (the Arabic nations). And out of Isaac came the Jews. God chose Isaac not Ishmael Gen. 17:19. The trouble has continued ever since. But here is a warning for any nation that has trouble with the Jews, beware God has foretold their fortune in Zech. 14:12 “And this shall be the plague which the LORD will smite all the peoples that have fought against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.” Perhaps nuclear?? Discuss this at another time.
The Jews have returned home. They will never be totally put out of their country again. Israel will have many more trials and even a “great tribulation” and will even be partially run out of some territory in the future, but the remnant will survive forever, and that remnant will have a ruler called the “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”.
Many of the subjects presented in this article will be covered more in more detail in later writings. Check in later, but until then have a great day and remember that we are not “Children of darkness” we are “Children of the light”. Watch and you will see prophecy being fulfilled at an ever increasing rate.
