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The importance of Israel in biblical prophecy

The reestablishment of Israel on May 14, 1948, should not be overlooked.

In his work, The End, Mark Hitchcock states the following:

There are many different views of end time prophesy…Nonetheless, it is critical to remember that there are three great nonnegotiables in Bible prophesy-three events that all Christians believe will happen: 1) the literal, physical, visible return of Jesus Christ to the earth; 2) the bodily resurrection of the dead; 3) the final judgment of all people. These three truths are crystal clear in Scripture and have been consistently affirmed by God's people throughout history. Although we may disagree and debate other details of the end times scenario, these are the three immovable pillars in our eschatology" (p. xiv).

While Hitchcock is certainly correct on his point, there is another indomitable truth that must be recognized to rightly understand the Bible's explanation of the end times ‒ the ancient nation of Israel must exist as a national entity prior to the return of Jesus Christ. In fact, we can rightly say that both the historic dissolution of Israel and the reconstitution of the nation of Israel was predicted in Scripture. We can add to this the rather clear perspective that Israel's reestablishment as a nation is inexorably tied to the end of the age we live and the return of Jesus Christ.

This is no small matter. This reconstitution of Israel is an event with far-reaching ramifications. Why the importance? Because the nation ceased as a unified and corporate nation at the conclusion of the war with Rome led by Vespasian and his son Titus. The battle for Jerusalem was among the most savage in recorded history. A good video explaining the three-year war and its tumultuous culmination and Rome's dissolution of the Israelite nation can be viewed here.

Israel reestablished as a nation

Remarkably, as foretold and indicated in Scripture, Israel was revived in a miraculous fashion as a result of the two 20th century World Wars which laid a geopolitical groundwork that ultimately resulted in the revival of a nation dead for early 1,900 years. Their national identity was revived, their ancient Judaic religion was embraced, and their ancient Hebrew language, previously nonexistent, was resurrected and has become their national language once again. These and other remarkable biblical prophesies were fulfilled with the reinstitution of the Israeli nation. A short explanatory video can be viewed here.

Jeff Kinley and Mark Hitchcock rightly summarize the nearly unbelievable reconstitution of the nation of Israel and write:

First, the fact that Israel even exists as a modern nation is a miracle. The gathering of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland and the forming of the nation in 1948 has been accurately called the "Miracle on the Mediterranean." After 1,900 years of dispersion to more than seventy nations, and the death of the Hebrew language, a nation was reborn. No event since the first century is more prophetically significant. Israel's existence is the beginning point and necessary precondition for all end-time biblical prophecy. May 1948 was the watershed for prophetic fulfillment (Global Reset, p. 137-138).

Why Israel must exist in the end times

The overarching reason Israel must exist at the time of the end is because biblical prophecy adamantly and undeniably includes Israel and Jerusalem to be at the very centerpiece of events during the Tribulation period and the subsequent return of Jesus Christ to the earth. In other words, it is not extreme to state that the "three great nonnegotiables in Bible prophesy" (as provided by Mark Hitchcock) are contingent upon the existence of Israel.

In fact, failure to recognize the existence of Israel as a key in Scripture's description of the closing of the age is to misinterpret the Bible's end-time claims, making such an explanation biblically unviable. Many fail to recognize this point and their views are significantly skewed, to the point that their eschatological perspective is myopic. Why would this be the case? Why would there be such a misconstrued perspective about Israel? Why would there be so much opposition to Israel by so many people and governments? The reason is simply due to the very nature of Israel's existence in the world. Just a brief glimpse into this matter would include a revealing biblical passage that indicates the relationship between Israel and God.

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life" (Isaiah 43:1-4 ESV italics added).

God repeatedly promises in Scripture that God would reconstitute and bring the nation together again in the latter days. This was fulfilled on May 14, 1948, much to the displeasure of the surrounding Arab nations and to the world as a whole.

Nevertheless, God kept his promise and Israel was reestablished as a nation as indicated in the following passage:

Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, give up, and to the south, do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears! All the nations gather together, and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right, and let them hear, and say, it is true. You are my witnesses, declares the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior (Isaiah 43:5-11 ESV italics added).

And this very thing has occurred. The actual movement of the Israelite people back to their reestablished homeland is referred to as Aliya. For anyone interested in viewing a timeline of Israeli history, just go here.

There are two primary points I would like to make here (though much more could be said). First, is the statement that God himself would bring Israel together again. And the reason for this is due to God's love and overall purposes for Israel in the world. And based solely upon God's guiding efforts, the Jewish people would be brought back from the four corners of the earth and reunited in their historic homeland.

Secondly, and of grave importance, God states that He would "give men in return for you [Israel], peoples in exchange for your life" (Isaiah 43:1-4 ESV). This is precisely what occurred. The reestablishment of Israel as a nation was the result of the aftermath of two world wars ‒ the wars are what propelled the reestablishment of Israel ‒ just as the Scripture appears to indicate. This is, of course, often not the prevailing view. The typical perspective can be viewed through the lens of a World War 1 and WW2 documentary, that while explaining the prevailing view of the wars, states, "...most British came to see it [WW2] as a war that had no clear cause, no moral justification, and achieved nothing at all." The video can be viewed here.

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. It was morally right to fight the tyranny of the German aggression; furthermore, God used both wars as the prelude for allowing the national reestablishment of Israel. If viewed through such a lens, the biblical declaration becomes accurate: "I will give peoples for you."

Another good explanatory video on the history of the reestablishment of Israel can be found here.

Regardless of personal views on the matter, Israel was reestablished as a nation. The overwhelming odds of such a thing occurring leaves little question but that Hinley's quote is an accurate assessment of the development when he says, "...the fact that Israel even exists as a modern nation is a miracle."

6 Reasons why Israel must exist at the end of the age:

While this subject should be discussed at far greater length, here are just 6 reasons why Israel must be an autonomous nation at the return of Jesus Christ:

1. Jesus clearly indicates that at the end of the age, just prior to his return, Israel would exist as a nation.

2. Multiple prophetic passages written by Old Testament prophets, clearly indicate Israel will exist at the end of the age.

3. Daniel's prophetic writing is paramount (in conjunction with the Book of Revelation and other prophetic writings) in understanding the end times scenario. Daniel clearly indicates that Israel would exist during the end times and would be the focal point of the Tribulation period. Jesus also made direct correlation with Daniel's predictions.

4. Jesus' prediction of the beginning of the Tribulation period is the entry of the Antichrist into the Jewish temple in Jerusalem (the 3rd temple in preparation to soon be built).

5. The final scene of the closing of the age involves what is termed as The Battle of Armageddon. The battle is in fact a war of the surrounding nations against Israel.

6. The explanation of Scripture is that Israel will have a central act during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ and Jerusalem (occupied by Jews), will be in Jewish hands. Christ is clearly pictured as reigning over the nations of the world from Jerusalem.

This is but a snippet of reasons to accept the biblical testimony that Israel would exist and have their own national identity at the close of the age.

Let us end this section with passages from Zechariah as he describes the concluding scene of the age with Jerusalem and Israel present.

Zec 12:2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
Zec 12:3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
Zec 12:4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
Zec 12:5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
Zec 12:6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.
Zec 12:7 The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.
Zec 12:8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
Zec 12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem" (Zechariah 12:2-9 ESV).

Joe 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, Joe 3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

As we conclude this short discussion on Israel and their place in the end times, I would highly recommend Dave Hunt's book, A Cup of Trembling: Jerusalem and Bible Prophesy. Hunt makes an a strong and clear argument that the end-time claims made in the Bible concerning Israel are being fulfilled.

I have provided numerous sources for further reading and information in the next section.

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