Israel. They are forever it seems the center of the news. Israel is the center of biblical history and prophecy and as we can see quite clearly, current events. I believe there is a reason for this.
Our Pastor asked a question on Sunday. How can we show that God's word is true? Many answers could be heard from the congregation but not the one he wanted. The answer? Israel. He said Israel's survival is the best testimony of the word of God. From the beginning of the OT history Israel's future was prewritten. The prophets prediicted not only Israel's possession of the land but also her unparalleled suffering and dispersion throughout the whole earth, her eventual repentance and then finally her last days restoration...which has not totally happened yet.
"Thus says the Lord, which gives the sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night.....if those ordinances depart from before me then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever. If heven above can be measured and the foundastions of the earth searched out beneath I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the Lord." Jeremaih 31:35
This was written in 500-600 BC and as we can see still true. Israel is still here. Even tho they were scattered for the better part of 2000 years not coming into their own until 1948 when Israel was declared a homeland for the Jewish nation. And they came. From all over the globe as it said they would in Ezek 37 as dry bones that have come back to life. It says there
Come from the four winds ...and breathe upon the slain that they may live....and the breath came into them and they lived and stood up upon their feet so exceeding great army. ....I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord....and I shall place you in our own land and then you shall know that I am the Lord have spoken it and performed it. .
This is prophecy that we've all seen in our lifetime. It hasn't been easy but for Israel to be in this land is nothing more than miraculous. It's an awesome time for any that believe in the promises of God. This goes all the way back to Abraham where God said...I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed. Gen 12
Israel is a fossil civilization. Where are all the other peoples of the OT? Gone. They have been assimilated into other cultures long forgotten. The Jewish people comprise about 1/4 of 1% of the world's population. In other words one out of every 370 people presently living is Jewish. In the US the population of Jews comes to about 2%.
The astounding influence of this relatively small group of people in politics, law, science, medicine, journalism, economics, labor, the arts, the media, etc cannot be overstated. This can be quickly illustrated by the fact that as an identifible group they have won more Nobel prizes thn any other people group.
Mark Twain wrote of the Jew:
He could be vain of himself and not be ashamed of it. Yes he could be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian and the Persian arose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff, and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed and made a vast noise and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held the torch high for a time; but it burned out and they sit in twilight or have vanished.
The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his engeries, no dulling of his alert, agressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?
I believe the secret to his immortality can be traced to that unconditional covenant God made with Abraham, the father of the Jewish people. It's not a secret that the Jews are pall bearers in their enemies' funerals. They are receiving special protection and will continue to do so as we understand the prophecy written for them.
This is exciting times for the Jews and all those that are believers in the promises he made not only to the Jews but those that are supporting them. Whoever blesses Israel God will bless. He said so, and we here in the US are a testimony of that. God has indeed blessed us beyond measure. I am very thankful that others are trying to get into this country not out of it. What do they see? I believe they see God's blessing and hand upon us.