In Defense of Israel

It seems I run into anti-Israel, anti-Jewish types every so often...and I am some what angered by them, because they call themselves Christians. So in responding to some of them, this is what I wrote:

Seek of the Lord mercy for others in a gentle spirit, and consider yourself too, so that you are not ensnared by the wicked one. God has a purpose for the nation of Israel today, not to replace His spiritual Israel which is His church, but to graft back into the Branch the unbelieving Jew, back into their own Branch...and I believe this time will come during the Great Tribulation which is before us, even as the prophet Jeremiah has said: Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.

The nation of Israel is as a sign of the end of this age, and the Lord Jesus is about to return. (the full number of the gentiles is almost come in). There will be a great falling away of Adam's race and many in what is now called the church, but from the ruins of what was once a [b]"Grand Old Mansion"[/b] will arise a new one much more glorious then the former, even as the Prophet Haggai has said: The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Antichrist will come first before the rebuilding of the "Grand Old Mansion" and deceive many, but not all. A great revival will occur on earth such as not have been since time began, so great will be this move of the Spirit of God. Time is so short now, and it is time for those who are sitting on the fence with their Christianity to sit up and take notice to what is coming, because of day of judgement is approaching...time to get ready. The days of the Great Tribulation will soon be upon us.

I believe there is a biblical purpose for (national Israel) today, and that is the direct fulfillment of Ezekiel 36-37
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel%2036-37&version=NKJV

The full restoration national Israel is still pending, and will be completed AFTER the first resurrection and AFTER the battle of Armageddon. Israel as a nation today is a sign of the end of the age of the time also known as "the time of the gentiles".

The Lord Jesus has said this and also reaffirmed by the Apostle Paul.

The time of the Gentiles is almost complete...that is to say "the fulness of the Gentiles is almost come in"

Did not our Lord Jesus even say:

"Jerusalem shall be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." (Luke 21:24)

This is why Israel is a nation today, because the prophecy is fulfilled and this time has now come...we are at the gateway to the time known as the Great Tribulation and the day of the Lord...and time is running out.

The existence of the nation of Israel in this last hour, is a prophecy marker about the [b]imminent return of the Lord Jesus the Messiah of Israel.[/b]

As the Apostle Paul has written:

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel (the Jews) until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

Do you not get that? Until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in....and then what?

Here's what:

“ The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
Romans 11:25-27

(so the Jew [b]will be[/b] grafted back into their own Branch as a nation)

There is a remnant of Israel that will be saved:

1 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”?[a] 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Rom 11:1-5

One day ALL Israel will say: "blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord"! How do I know this? This is how:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’” Luke 13:34-35

See, they will say this, even the Lord Jesus has said this, and then they will seek Him and shall mourn for Him in anguish and deep repentance as a nation. God forgives them for all their sins and for their backsliding, and remembers them no more; He washes them in the Blood of the Lamb so that they will be clean. God allows the foundation of repentance, and allows a broken and contrite and humble spirit within them...so that they may repent, so that they may return to the God of their salvation fully, with a pure heart, and with clean and undefiled and holy hands - for the Lord 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 Him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one who mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Is this not written in Zechariah the prophet?

So it is written, so it shall come to pass.

Israel the Fig Tree generation...

Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Matthew 24:34

Zechariah 12

2 “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 3 And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.

[b]U.N. chief says Israel must stop settlements[/b]

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Israeli settlement building anywhere on occupied land is illegal and must be stopped, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said Saturday, after getting a closer look at some of the Israeli enclaves scattered across Palestinian-claimed territories.

The brief geography lesson came a day after Ban, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other major Mideast mediators — known as the Quartet — met in Moscow to try to find a way to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

The mediators urged Israel to halt all settlement construction, which has emerged as a key obstacle to renewing talks. Israel has agreed to curb settlement construction in the West Bank, but not in east Jerusalem, claiming the entire city as Israel's eternal capital.

On Saturday, Ban rejected Israel's distinction between east Jerusalem and the West Bank, noting that both are occupied lands.

"The world has condemned Israel's settlement plans in east Jerusalem," Ban told a news conference after his brief tour. "Let us be clear. All settlement activity is illegal anywhere in occupied territory and must be stopped."

The U.N. chief reassured his Palestinian hosts that the international community supports the establishment of a Palestinian state, and also expressed concern about what he said was a worsening humanitarian situation in blockaded Hamas-ruled Gaza.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2010-03-20-israel-palestinians_N.htm

[b]Prophecies Concerning The Nation of Israel[/b]

By far, the greatest number of prophecies in the Bible concern the nation of Israel. In fact, many have said that if you want to know what time it is on God's clock, then look at the nation of Israel, for she shall be the center of attention in the fulfillment of Bible prophecies in these last days.

Today we live in an age when the entire focus of the world is upon a tiny strip of land in the Middle East called Israel.

So lets have a look at what Bible prophecy says about this nation.

[b]1.[/b] Disobedience would lead to the nation of Israel being scattered amongst all nations.
Deut 28:64 'Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other.'
See also Lev 26:33, Jer 9:16, Ezek 12:15. In all, 6 different books of the Bible predict the scattering of Israel amongst all the nations of the earth. History records this being fulfilled in 70 AD when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman Empire and the remaining Jews were scattered amongst the nations.

[b]2.[/b] No rest for their souls while in exile amongst the nations.

Deut 28:65-66 Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life.

For nearly 2000 years following the destruction (of the Temple) in 70AD, the 'wandering Jew' has lived without a homeland, subject to the strongest racial prejudice and torment suffered by any people group. From the day they were scattered to the day Hitler devised his 'final solution to the Jewish problem', this prophecy spoken by Moses has sadly been fulfilled.

[b]3.[/b] God himself would restore the Jews to the land of Israel from all the nations

Jer 16:14-16 However, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when men will no longer say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ but they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ For I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers.

In all, 13 books of the Bible speak of the nation of Israel being restored in their land from the nations in which they were scattered. This prophecy became history in 1948 when the United Nations granted a homeland to the Jewish people and the nation of Israel was reborn! See also Jer 3:14, 31:8-9, Isa 60:8-9, Deut 30:3, Amos 9:15.

[b]4.[/b] The desolate land of Israel would again blossom and be fruitful in the last days.

Zech 7:14 I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land was left so desolate behind them that no one could come or go. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.

History records that while the Jewish people were exiled amongst many nations, the land of Israel was a barren desert. See also Lev 26:14, Ezek 15:8, Jer 9:12-13, 23:10, 44:22, Isa 32:13

Isa 27:6 In the days to come, Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill the world with fruit.

This is exactly the case today! Not only has God bought the Jewish people back into their land like He said He would in the last days, but He has also blessed the land so that they now export flowers and fruit around the world! Satellite photos show the green pastures of the nation of Israel, in sharp contrast with the surrounding desert lands of the Arab nations. See also Isa 35:1, Ezek 36:35.

[b]5.[/b] God Himself would defend Israel and cause Israel to be mighty in battle.

Zech 12:8 On that day the LORD will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the LORD going before them.

Taken in context, this verse speaks about God defending Israel in a battle to come in the last days. Have we not seen this miraculously occur several times since Israel became a nation again in 1948. They have been greatly outnumbered in key Arab-Israeli wars in 1948, 1967, and 1973. Yet Israel exists! God has seen to that!

[b]6.[/b] In the last days, Jerusalem would be a burden to the entire world.

Zech 12:2-3 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about... 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.

Turn on your TV and watch the news. What nation and what city would you most likely expect to see? Israel and Jerusalem!

Today, Jerusalem is a burden that causes trembling for all the nations just as God foretold. What makes this prophecy even more remarkable is that when the prophet Zechariah spoke these words around 520BC, Jerusalem lay in ruins.

But God said it would become the focus of the world's attention! Today, Israel has 0.01% of the worlds population, yet 33% of the United Nations resolutions have been passed concerning her!

[b]7.[/b] In the end, all nations shall come against Israel.
Zech 14:2 I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped.

Apart from the USA, Israel has few allies. In a recent conference on racism in South Africa, the Israeli and United States delegates were forced to walk out as the other participating nations vented their anger towards Israel and tried to declare it a racist state.

One day, the Bible predicts, she will have no allies, and all nations shall be gathered against her. The TV news will show you that we are on the road towards that battle. But if the odds seem a little uneven, please read the next prophecy that the Bible predicts...

[b]8.[/b] God Himself, Jesus Christ, will return and fight for Israel against the attacking nations.

Zech 14:3-4 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.

You may have heard of this battle to come. It's called the battle of Armageddon because of the location where the nations assemble themselves before attacking. The book of Revelation puts it like this...

Rev 16:14-16 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty... Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

Revelation also prophecies the return of Jesus Christ on this day saying...
Rev 19:11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.

[b]9.[/b] The nation of Israel will finally recognize that Jesus was their Messiah, whom they crucified!

Zech 12:9-10 On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

What a day that will be! Even though the Bible predicted that the Messiah would die, and have His feet and hands pierced, the nation of Israel has, for the last 2000 years, hardened their heart and not believed that Jesus was their Messiah. At the time of the end, they will again look to the one whom they pierced and oh how great the mourning and sadness will be on that day for what they did! Yet Jesus will pour out His grace upon Israel!

[b]10.[/b] God will judge the nations depending upon their treatment of the Jewish people.

Joel 1:1-2 In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.

Today we live in an age where we hear all the time about a 'Middle-East peace process'. It essentially comes down to 'Israel give up more of your land and we won't send as many suicide bombers into your cities...' It seems everyone wants a slice of Jerusalem for themselves. For this, and the world's repeated and continual abysmal treatment of the Jewish people, the judgment of God will come.

These prophecies are not vague like Nostradamus or modern day 'so-called' psychics. They are detailed and specific in their application. Time and space does not permit us to go into the many other prophecies concerning the nation of Israel. Yet such things as a false peace, the rebuilding of the third Jewish temple, and a coming great persecution of the Jewish people under a world leader have all been prophesied. It will all take place because God has said it.

[url=http://all-things-new.net/topic/6688733/1/]Source[/url]

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The day is coming when Israel will be grafted back into their own Branch, and will cast off unbelief, and will be grafted back into God's spiritual Israel. Isaiah 17 is the next prophetic marker that will take place in the Middle East...

Unbelief will be cut off soon enough...a great and a terrible day.

Zechariah 13:8-9 (New King James Version)

8 And it shall come to pass in all the land,”
Says the LORD,

“ That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
But one-third shall be left in it:
9 I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”