ISRAEL
God continues to use Israel and the Jewish people to reveal Himself to us. From Genesis 3:15, God first mentioned Israel as the woman who would bring forth her Seed – Jesus. Nearly two thousand years later, God called Abram (Abraham) to begin the nation of Israel. It is clear that He chose this rather small and specific people group to reveal His nature, His law and His plan of salvation to the rest of the world.
However, Israel’s history reveals almost constant disobedience, much like humanity as a whole. From the time Moses led them out of Egypt and slavery, they rebelled against God. Because of their unbelief, He disciplined them, resulting in forty years of wandering in the wilderness before entering the land of Canaan (the Promised Land).
After arriving in Canaan, Israel continued to disobey God. This rebellion brought severe consequences that led to the Exile into Babylon for 70 years. Yet, God not only disciplined Israel but He also judged and punished the nations that persecuted and attacked them. It’s like He said,”I will discipline My children but you cannot.”
Israel’s Dispersion and Promised Restoration to their land
God finally dispersed the Jewish people throughout the world – the Diaspora – following the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Since then, the Jews were continually persecuted, most notably during Hitler’s Holocaust. Yet God promised that He would return them to their land – not because they deserved it – but for His name’s sake.
The British Mandate began in 1920 after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire. The Balfour Declaration aided the Jewish state but promises made to Arabs split “Palestine” – a derivative of Philistine – into Israel and Jordan.
God also prophesied that the land itself would be restored as God prepared it for their return. In 1867, Mark Twain observed the condition of the land, stating:
“Of all the lands there are for dismal scenery, I think Palestine [Israel] must be the prince …” 17 He said this before leaving.
Isaiah 11:11–12
“It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time (He had done it once after the Exile) to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from Assyria and Egypt, from Pathros and Cush, from Elam and Shinar, from Hamath and the islands of the sea. He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
Isaiah 43:5–13
“Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth – everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
The Restoration of the Land of Israel
Ezekiel 36:8–10
“But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.”
Ezekiel 36:33–35
“… I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt. The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. So, they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’”
False "Replacement" Theology and God’s Unbroken Covenant
Replacement Theology claims that God abandoned the disobedient Hebrews and replaced them with the Church of born-again Christians. Scripture clearly shows this is not true. The Apostle Paul explained that Gentile believers were “grafted into” Israel’s blessings — not replacing them – and he clearly states that God’s covenant with Israel remains intact. Gentiles share in the blessings, but Israel remains the root of God’s redemptive plan.
Romans 11:17
“And if some of the branches (unbelieving Jews) were broken off, and you (Gentile believers), being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.”
boundaries and overwhelming odds
The image above shows Israel after the 1967 war and the “controlled” – some call “occupied” – territories. They returned the Sinai territory back to Egypt with restrictions.
With all of this Muslim-controlled land, the question must be asked: Why do they need all of “Palestine”?
It is not about the land. It is about eliminating the Jews, and the world is increasingly supporting that idea, just as the Bible declared centuries ago.
Why Israel Is Hated by the World
Why does the only democratically run nation in the Middle East receive so much hostility from “the world?” The answer is not political, it is spiritual. It is really about rebellion against Israel’s God – the God who consistently shows Himself when the odds are overwhelming. He has repeatedly protected His people against overwhelming odds as indicated by:
Passover after slavery in Egypt just before the Exodus
Moses parting the Red Sea and God then destroying Egypt’s army
Samson killing 1,000 Philistines in one night
An angel destroying 185,000 Assyrians in one night
David killing the heavily armored giant Goliath with a simple stone
Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego surviving the fiery furnace
Daniel surviving in the lion’s den
Queen Esther surviving after questioning Xerxes about Haman trying to eliminate the Jews
God will do it again during the coming war of Gog and Magog and again at the end of the Tribulation.
Scripture tells us that all nations will come against Israel, but God will prevail over them.
God’s Promise to Protect Israel
Despite the world’s hatred – especially by the Muslim nations – God will do exactly what He has always said He would do: protect Israel for His name’s sake. “Forever” clearly does not allow for Replacement Theology.
Genesis 12:3
Psalms 121:4
Psalms 125:2
“As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.”
CONSTANT CONFLICTS IN ISRAEL
The Bible foretells a time when all nations will turn against Israel, yet God Himself will intervene. Since its rebirth in 1948, Israel has been almost constantly at war with its Muslim neighbors who strive to reoccupy Jerusalem and exterminate the Jews.
Zechariah 12:1–3
“The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: ‘Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.’”
The War of Gog and Magog
Despite the 2026 war against Iran, the next major regional conflict is likely to be the Gog and Magog war which will include enemies from southern Russia, Turkey, Iran (Persia) and some of Iran’s proxies. It would be the perfect situation for the Antichrist to step in and make peace as the seven-year tribulation begins.
Ezekiel 39:1–5
“ …‘Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; and I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand. You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken,’ says the Lord God.
God’s Judgment Over Divided Land
God warns that dividing Israel’s land will bring judgment. This likely refers to the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation as it includes “all the nations.”
Joel 3:1–2
“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of My people and My heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up My land.”