by By Dr David Reagan
On Friday morning, September 27, I saw Bible prophecy being fulfilled before my very eyes as I watched Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on television address the General Assembly of the United Nations. It happened as he approached the podium to deliver his address. As he walked forward, two-thirds of the delegates got up from their seats and walked out. Netanyahu was left with an almost empty auditorium to speak to.
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The specific Bible prophecy this event reminded me of was written by the Hebrew prophet Zechariah 2,500 years ago. Speaking of the end times, he prophesied that God will “make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.” (Zechariah 12: 3)
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Although the United States delegation to the UN was one of the few that remained in their seats, it has become obvious that America’s support of Israel is severely waning. For example, when Netanyahu spoke to Congress in March of 2015, 58 Democrats boycotted the session. When he returned to speak to Congress in July of this year, 128 Democrats refused to attend (100 House members and 28 Senators).
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Also, even though President Biden has spoken out strongly in support of Israel, his lack of action has spoken louder than his words. He has refused to send military aid that Congress has approved. And he keeps demanding a cease-fire instead of encouraging Israel to finish off both Hamas and Hezbollah. Israel is determined to defeat its monstrous enemies. Biden wants to appease them.
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For over 40 years, I have been teaching that in the end times — in accordance with Bible prophecy — all the nations of the world will turn against Israel. In response, American Christians have reacted in disbelief, arguing that our nation would never turn against Israel. But today, the streets of our largest cities and the campuses of our major universities are filled with violent anti-Semitic protestors demanding that our nation abandon Israel in support of two of the world’s most vicious terrorist organizations.
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How can this be explained?
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A Spiritual Anomaly
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In natural terms, it cannot be explained, and that is because it is a supernatural phenomenon. The Bible makes it very clear that Satan knows Bible prophecy (Revelation 12:12). Satan can read the signs of the times, and he therefore realizes that the time he has left before Jesus returns is running out fast. He has, therefore, shifted his evil actions against the Jewish people into high gear because he is determined to annihilate them before the return of Jesus. Why? Because the Bible says that a great remnant of the Jews will be saved when Jesus returns (Zechariah 12:10 and Romans 9:27), and Satan is determined to keep that prophecy from being fulfilled.
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The reason, of course, is that Satan hates the Jewish people with a passion because:
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God chose them to be His witnesses to the world.
Through them God gave the world the Bible.
Through them God gave the world the Messiah.
God has promised that He will save a great remnant of them.
God has promised that through that remnant, He will bless all the nations of the world during the Millennium.
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It should be noted that Satan has had considerable success thus far in his attempts to annihilate the Jewish people. Just think: the Jews and Arabs were established at the same time. The Jews came through Abraham’s son, Isaac; the Arabs, through Abraham’s son, Ishmael. Today, there are 460 million Arabs and only 17 million Jews! Those numbers clearly reflect the degree of persecution the Jews have experienced worldwide during the last 2,000 years.
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Benjamin Netanyahu has summed it up well in his often quoted statement: “If the Arabs would disarm, we would have peace; if Israel were to disarm, Israel would cease to exist.”
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Fulfilled Prophecies During the 20th Century
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During the 20th Century, God fulfilled seven end time prophecies regarding the Jews and their nation:
Regathering of the people — The Jewish people would be regathered from the four corners of the earth in unbelief (Isaiah 11:11-12).
Re-establishment of the state — The Jewish state would come into existence once again (Isaiah 66:7-8).
Reclamation of the land — The desolate land would become like the garden of Eden (Ezekiel 36:33-35).
Revival of the language — The Hebrew language would be revived from the dead (Zephaniah 3:9 & Jeremiah 31:23).
Resurgence of the military — The Israeli military would become a regional powerhouse devouring its enemies (Zechariah 12:8-9).
Re-occupation of Jerusalem — The Jewish people would once again occupy their capital city of Jerusalem (Zechariah 8:7-8).
Re-focusing of world politics — The nation of Israel would become the focal point of international relations (Zechariah 12:2-3).
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Jewish Prophecies Yet to Be Fulfilled
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This brings us to the prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled for the Jewish people. As you will see, there is one horrible one followed by several glorious ones.
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1) Another Holocaust
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The first is a Second Holocaust. This will occur during the second half of the Tribulation. The Jews will become the focus of the Antichrist’s wrath. He will seek to annihilate them and will succeed in killing two-thirds of them:
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Zechariah 13:8-9 KJV – “And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.”
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2) Repentance
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The second prophecy yet to be fulfilled is Repentance. The suffering of the Tribulation will bring the Jewish people to the end of themselves, and they will repent before the Lord:
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Deuteronomy 4:30 KJV – “When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice.”
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3) Salvation
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The third future prophecy yet to be fulfilled is Salvation. As a result of their repentance, at the end of the Tribulation, a great remnant of the Jews will accept Yeshua as their Messiah and will be saved. Zechariah speaks of this glorious event:
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Zechariah 12:10 KJV – “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”
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Jesus Himself stated that He would not return to this earth until a remnant of the Jews were ready to receive Him as their Messiah by crying out: “Baruch Haba Bashem Adonai!” (“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” — Matthew 23:39).
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4) Regathering in Belief
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The fourth prophecy yet to be fulfilled is the regathering of the Jewish people in belief. They are being regathered now in unbelief. But there is another regathering in their future.
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When Jesus returns, He is going to regather all the Jews on planet earth who have put their faith in Him. This regathering is mentioned in several places in the Hebrew Scriptures. Here’s one from the time of Moses:
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Deuteronomy 30 1-4 KJV – “And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:”
5) Primacy
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The fifth and final prophecy the Lord will fulfill when He begins His millennial reign will be the establishment of Israel as the prime nation of the world.
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The fifth and final prophecy the Lord will fulfill when He begins His millennial reign will be the establishment of Israel as the prime nation of the world.
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Jesus will reign from Jerusalem as King of the World. David, in his glorified body, will reign as the King of Israel. We, in our glorified bodies will be scattered across the earth to reign with Jesus over the Gentile nations.
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Isaiah devotes three full chapters (60-63) to a description of the blessings that God will pour out on the Jewish people during the Millennium. He proclaims that God will “make Jerusalem a praise in the earth” (Isaiah 62:7). Zechariah describes the glory of the Jews with these words:
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Zechariah 8:22-23 KJV – “Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.”
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The Messages
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Let’s conclude by considering the messages we can draw from the Bible concerning Israel in End Time Prophecy.
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God’s Word is true and reliable.
God is on His throne and in control.
God is faithful to keep all His promises.
God still loves the Jewish people and has a great purpose for them.
We are living on borrowed time because the fulfillment of these prophecies proves that Jesus is returning soon.
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Conclusion
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One final thing: What is the message of Israel in Prophecy for you and me? What is its meaning for the Church?
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I would contend that it proves that God is faithful to keep all His promises, and that is a very important message for the Church, for God has made a lot of promises to us.
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He has promised that at any moment, Jesus is going to appear in the heavens to take His Church — both the living and the dead — out of this world. Then, while He pours out His wrath on an evil and unbelieving world in the Tribulation, believers in Heaven will receive rewards for how they used their spiritual gifts to advance the Lord’s kingdom. After all the rewards have been distributed, we will enjoy the greatest feast in the history of the cosmos — the wedding feast of the Lamb, when the Bride of Christ (His Church) celebrates its union with the Bridegroom (Jesus).
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When that feast is concluded, we will return to earth with Jesus and will witness His destruction of the Antichrist and his forces, after which we will celebrate His coronation as King of kings and Lord of lords. Believing Jews will serve in his government in Jerusalem. Glorified Gentiles will be distributed worldwide to reign over those in the flesh (those saved during the Tribulation and who live to the end of it). We will have the privilege of witnessing the world enveloped in peace, righteousness, and justice as the waters cover the sea.
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And at the end of the Lord’s thousand-year reign, we will live forever in our new, eternal bodies in a New Jerusalem on and New Earth in the presence of our Creator and Jesus. Maranatha! (1 Corinthians 16:22).
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Article edited for length