Israel Today

Israel has just suffered a “9-11” type of event, which at this hour is not fully tallied.  In the early hours of the Jews’ weekly Sabbath (10/7), at the end their annual Feast of Sukkot, and on the day marking 50 years since their victory in the 1973 Yom Kippur War; thousands of Hamas warriors entered Israel through holes blast in the defense wall, invading by sea and entering on motorized gliders. The invasion was accompanied by the launching of hundreds of missiles which overwhelmed the Patriot defense systems and Iron Dome defense.  The invaders killed soldiers in their beds, civilians young and old and took many hostages.  It was a devastating event with ramifications to come in vast ways for years to come.  WOW!

It reminds me that we are living in both tumultuous days AND last days!

Tumultuous days for the world and for the US considering our southern border, the stock market, the “firing” of the Speaker of the House, the rise of COVID and threat of masks and distancing ideas, inflation, workers on strike, the inability of our government to create a budget and live within it, the deterioration of our President’s mental capacity, the armed forces inability to meet recruitment targets, the rise of gender confusion, the declining education reports, fears of “climate change”, the weakening place of Christianity and the church, the proposed changes coming in the Catholic church these very days and…

I do think that we are in the last of the last days (the entire church age – from Jesus leaving to Jesus returning are the Last Days).  We are at the end of this era of time.  What is happening in Israel is not the cusp of Armageddon nor even a fulfillment of Ezekiel 38, BUT a wakeup call to one and to all that worldwide evil and chaos is on the doorstep and with that, the return of Jesus to smash His enemies and usher in a 1,000-year glorious reign on earth.

What is happening in Israel is terrible – the continuation of the conflict began between the son of an Egyptian and the son of Sarah – Ishmael and Isaac. There is no solution without the gun.  Israel will continue to need to be heavily armed and fully ready to fight and die to survive – and they will.

Jesus declared just a couple of days before His death that due to the Jews’ rejection their beloved city would be left desolate UNTIL they repented (Matthew 23:38-39).  Ezekiel 38 reports on the restoration of the Jews to the land AFTER a long period of desolation (vv. 8, 12).  God is NOT done with Israel!  The last seven-year period of God’s dealing with Israel foretold in Daniel 9:24-27 is yet to happen and it is close!!

Fifty-three days after God announced His end to His blessings on Jerusalem and the land (God rent the veil of the temple), the Holy Spirit came on Jesus’ followers and the church was born (Acts 2). Just prior to the commencement of God’s renewed work in and on Israel that will end in their repentance and acceptance of Him (Zechariah 12 and Isaiah 66:8); the church will be removed thus again putting Israel at the center of God’s work.

The rapture of the church – the snatching up of those in love with Jesus – is the Groom coming to receive to Himself His bride to take her to the place He has prepared for her (John 14:1-3).  The removal of God’s salt and light, the calling home of the ambassadors of God and the taking away of a voice of peace and good-will (Merry Christmas) will allow the hearts and ways of man to be vastly more evil.  It will be real, real bad – like really bad – first by man’s doings and then by God’s responses.

What is happening right now in Israel is a preview of the great Gog invasion that comes about two years into the Tribulation (the last seven years Daniel reported on).  In that prophecy in Ezekiel 38, the Jews are in the land, constituted and doing well AND at peace.  This has never been true since King David!  Then they will be invaded by enemies from all around (including Persia/Iran with Hamas, Hezbollah and others) with three close neighbors, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Lebanon or Syria not helping yet not invading.  God’s response will be with a devastating earthquake both killing masses and driving the invaders home.  That event will be followed by a great leader standing in Jerusalem and declaring himself to be god and alone to be worshiped (II Thessalonians 2).  That will initiate the time of Jacob’s trouble, the great tribulation and the unleashing of great destruction by God (Revelation 8-9, 16) and then Jesus will return to the Mt of Olives and remove all non-believers from the earth.

What is happening today has a flavor of what is to come. Ahead will be continued attempts by Ishmaelites to destroy the sons of Isaac, thus attacks and death.  Coming to both Israel and the world is decay, defeat, destruction, disasters and death!  So, TODAY is the time to submit to God.  TODAY is the time to agree with God and love Jesus.  TODAY is the time to seek God with all your heart!