Prophecy Update: Wars and Rumors of War: Israel 7/16/20
The Bible is very clear. God always intended to bring Israel back to her land in the end times. History teaches us that some churches and most governments oppose Jews. This update will focus on the biblical teaching regarding the reestablishment of Israel, those who oppose it, and the current threat to Israel. I will contrast teaching from Bible teachers who either eliminate Israel from the text or celebrate God’s plan for Israel.
First up is John Calvin and C.H. Spurgeon and their view of Jeremiah 32:41.
“I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.” Jeremiah 32:41
The Lord promised to bring Israel back to the Promised Land and plant them there. Notice how Calvin allegorized the text while Spurgeon taught it as spoken to us clearly by God.
John Calvin: “When Christians explain this passage and the like, they leave out the liberation of the people from Babylonish exile, as though these prophecies did not belong at all to that time; in this they are mistaken. And the Jews, who reject Christ, stop in that earthly deliverance. But the Prophets, as I have said, begin with the return of the people, but they set Christ also in the middle, that the faithful might know that that return was but a slight taste of the full grace, which was alone to be expected from Christ; for it was then, indeed, that God really planted his people.”
Spurgeon: “We cannot help looking for the restoration of the scattered Israelites to the land which God has given to them by a covenant of salt.”
Calvin never looked for the restoration of the Jews because he did not believe that God would ever do that. He read the New Testament back into the Old Testament until the promises of God towards His nation Israel were eliminated. Spurgeon, on the other hand, exulted in the national seed of Abraham and all of the promises that would someday be fulfilled. Calvin: “Calvin taught that there would be no land given to Jews fulfilling the divine promise. Like Augustine, Calvin taught that the Christian church had become the new spiritual Israel, the amalgam of Jew and Gentile, whereby past ethnic identity had become null and void.”
The current crisis in Israel reveals once again the split among Christian churches. Churches that think like Calvin oppose Israel being in the land. Churches that read the Scriptures like Spurgeon celebrate sovereign covenantal grace covering Israel through the promises of God. Those promises include:
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; when the mountains will drip sweet wine and all the hills will be dissolved. Also, I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; they will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit. I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them, Says the LORD your God.” Amos 9:13-15
“For behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah. The LORD says, I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.” Jeremiah 30:3
“But you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come.” Ezekiel 36:8
Horatius Bonar believed in the Scriptures and the importance of Israel. In 1847 he wrote eloquently of the importance of Israel to the end times.
Bonar. “I am one of those who believe in Israel’s restoration and conversion; who receive it as a future certainty, that all Israel shall be gathered, and that all Israel shall be saved. As I believe in Israel’s present degradation, so do I believe in Israel’s coming glory and preeminence. I believe that God’s purpose regarding our world can only be understood by understanding God’s purpose as to Israel. I believe that all human calculations as to the earth’s future, whether political or scientific, or philosophical or religious, must be failures, if not taking for their data or basis God’s great purpose regarding the latter-day standing of Israel.”
Notice the phrase: ‘God’s purpose regarding our world can only be understood by understanding God’s purpose as to Israel.’ It cannot be overstated that the world is on a collision course with Israel. All of Scripture testifies that the nations will unite in opposition of Israel. This is the case today!
Israel annexation plan. “The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned Israel on Monday not to proceed along the “dangerous path” of annexing a swathe of occupied Palestinian territory, urging the Government to listen to its own former senior officials along with the “multitude of voices around the world.””
European ministers seek to stop Israel annexation. “Foreign ministers from 11 European countries have demanded the EU quickly provide them with a list of possible actions to stop Israel annexing large parts of the occupied West Bank. “The possible annexation by Israel of parts of the occupied Palestinian territory remains a matter of grave concern for the EU and its member states,” the letter said.”
There are threatening letters promising legal action against Israel and then there are threats of war. Recently Jordan, Turkey, and the Palestinian Authority threatened to go to war over annexation.
How Jordan responded to Israeli’s annexation plans. “Israel is considering annexation of parts of the West Bank, potentially reversing decades of its own policy that called for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The discussion over annexation—which was ramped up after US
President Donald Trump rolled out a peace plan in January—has been overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic and instability in Israel’s unity government. Missing from much of the discussion is Israel’s neighbor to the East, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Jordan is home to millions of Palestinians, mostly descendants of refugees, and asserts itself as a protector of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, giving it unique say over status quo issues in Jerusalem and concerns about threats to Palestinian rights. On July 7, Jordan, Egypt, France and Germany issued a historic joint statement opposing Israel’s annexation plans. This could lead to conflict and also strain Israel-Jordan relations, which are rooted in a 1994 peace agreement that the United States helped broker. Israel has appeared to climb down from maximalist annexation plans and will forego annexing the Jordan valley, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims any annexation will advance peace. The Palestinian Authority has condemned Israel’s plans and Jordanian media is paying close attention to Washington’s next moves.”
Most Jordanians see annexation as a declaration of war. “In May, King Abdullah II of Jordan had warned in an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel that annexation of the West Bank would lead to a “massive conflict” with his kingdom.”
Turkey is increasingly becoming a threat to Israel. “Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Ankara will “liberate” Al-Aqsa. The rising chorus of anti-Israel statements from Turkey, particularly when it comes to the toxic blending of religious and extreme nationalist rhetoric from the ruling party, is becoming an increasing threat to Israel and regional stability. After Turkey announced that it would turn the museum of Hagia Sophia back into a mosque, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara would next “liberate” Al-Aqsa. In recent months, Turkey’s religious affairs ministry and other voices in the government have repeatedly pushed a message claiming they want to “unite the Islamic community” against the State of Israel. For both Iran and Turkey’s current leaders, the rise in religious extremism points toward a desire to mobilize the region against Israel.”
Ankara condemns burning of Turkish flag in Jerusalem. “A group of nine Israelis on Monday burned the Turkish flag in front of Turkey’s Consulate in the occupied east Jerusalem to protest Turkey’s decision to turn Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia back into a mosque. We strongly condemn the burning of our flag during a demonstration held near the Consulate General of Turkey in Jerusalem on July 13, 2020,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “No one has the right to desecrate our glorious flag. We demand the perpetrators of this heinous act be brought to justice as soon as possible and held accountable,” the statement added.”
Long time rivals unite against Israel. “Jibril Rajoub, senior official from the Palestinian ruling Fatah faction said last week that they will work together with Hamas to achieve an independent Palestinian state and foil Israel-American “conspiracies” against the Palestinians. “We will lead our battle together under the flag of Palestine to achieve an independent sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 borders and solving the issue of the refugees on the basis of international resolutions,” Rajoub said. Arouri said that Hamas would resort to “all forms of struggle and resistance against the annexation plan” and that Israel should not “disregard the Palestinian determination” to oppose the annexation at all costs, according to YNet News.
Tracking churches response to annexation. “The Lutheran World Federation with World Council of Churches (WCC), the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) and the Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alliance issued a statement on 29 June calling for an end to the occupation and for a resumption of dialogue to build lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis. (June 29, 2020)
Churches and charities oppose annexation. “Church leaders from the United Reformed Church (URC), Church of Scotland, Quakers in Britain, Methodist Church, Church of England and Catholic Church have called on the UK government to help deter annexation of the West Bank.”
Three wars are imminent. These wars are related in Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38-39.
Psalm 83 describes for us a continuous war with the neighbors of Israel. These neighbors have an everlasting hatred of Jews. Since 1948 they have planned, purposed, and executed wars against Israel.
Ezekiel 35:5-6 describes God’s attitude towards these people:
“Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of the punishment of the end, therefore as I live,” declares the Lord GOD, I will give you over to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you; since you have not hated bloodshed, therefore bloodshed will pursue you.”
The Arab world has shed innocent Jewish blood and they have not repented. God is very clear that He hates the shedding of innocent blood. The Arab states now exist in a state of war with Israel. They fund terrorist organizations. They sanction the murder of Jewish families. The Lord will punish their murderous ways.
Isaiah 17 describes the conflict with Syria in the destruction of Damascus. The war with Syria is ongoing, almost daily some fighting occurs between Israel and Iran in Syria. Forces are gathering even now as Russia, Turkey, and Iran seek for ways to stop Israel and steal her land and resources. This will lead to the Gog Magog war of Ezekiel 38-39. After Israel defeats Fatah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, Israel will face the combined forces of many nations led by Russia, Turkey, and Iran. God will deliver Israel in another great demonstration to the world that He alone is God and that He alone can save people. The Egyptians will also see the judgment of God for their part in hating on Israel. Isaiah 19 describes for us a time when God will judge Israel severely for her idolatry!
My final thoughts about Israel:
America is connected to Israel in many ways. The world wants to bring down America for the sin of supporting Israel, treating Jews with respect and love, and protecting the Jewish state. America is at the center of Satan’s desire to destroy. America has protected Jews and Christians, sent out countless missionaries, and prayed for the worldwide fulfillment of the Great Commission. Satan mistakenly believes if he can bring down America that he can destroy Israel. This will NOT happen! God will show Himself mighty when He establishes Israel and saves her by the blood of the Lamb! God promises that all of Israel will be saved. Pray for America that we would repent and turn to the Lord as a nation. Pray for Israel that she turns to the Lord in the time of the tribulation, the time of Jacob’s trouble. What a great time to be alive!
