What Will Happen to Israel?
by Richard Hardy, Pastor at - Birkdale Bible Fellowship
Romans 10:1:
‘BRETHREN, My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved’.
The Bible is the word of God. Its message is one of love and forgiveness, a message of the need for repentance and faith. God speaks to us through His creation, through His holy word. The events of the Bible are actual historic events that have taken place and prophetic events that are currently taking place or will take place soon.
This is what Biblical prophecy means, a forth telling of future events on God's timetable. He alone sets the times and the dates, but we see things unfolding now in the last days. These events further proving that God is sovereign, the Bible is up to date and that God has not forgotten His promises to Israel and the Jewish people. He still has a plan and a purpose for His people, they have not been forgotten! God in His mercy, tells us ahead of time some of the things that will happen that affect Israel, that affect the Church and those that reject Christ. God's desire being that all should come to repentance and accept Christ. This is His offer of mercy and forgiveness. But sadly many reject and will not repent.
Throughout the centuries there is one main nation of people that God deals with through the Bible. If you know and have read your Bible then you realise that this is the nation of Israel. Many times they have been in rebellion and disobedience to Him and His commandments. However, as in our initial reading, the apostles heart was that Israel might be saved. God puts before them blessings and curses. They are a people that were chosen by God- not because they were the greatest:
Deuteronomy 7:6-9 (KJV) For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
But throughout everything He loves them and still has a will and purpose for them.
Many in the churches today preach what is called a replacement theology doctrine. Which basically teaches that God has forgotten them, because of sin and rebellion and that the Church has replaced Israel with regard to blessing and God's prophetic plan. That somehow the new covenant nullifies the Biblical promises made to Israel. But this is way off the mark. The Jewish nation is still at the forefront of end time events and there will come a time when all Israel will be saved. (Romans 11:26).
So, why should we pray for them and the peace of Jerusalem? Why should we bless them? The following scriptures will help:
Psalm 122:6 (KJV) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Isaiah 62:6-7 (KJV) I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
Jeremiah 31:1-4 (KJV) At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. Thus saith the Lord, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.
Zechariah 2:8 (KJV) For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
Without the Jewish people there would be no Bible and there would be no Saviour. Salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22). God chose the nation of Israel to be the one through whom the Messiah, Jesus Christ would come (The Lion of the Tribe of Judah). Through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, then the Davidic line. We are blessed by Israel so much. When we consider Jesus, He came to His own and His own received Him not! That led the way for the gospel being preached to the Gentiles and aren't we glad that the gospel came to Gentiles.
Therefore, we have been blessed spiritually through the Jews, through the Saviour, the Bible and the prophets and teachers. But also in many other areas. For example, they are at the forefront of many things gaining 129 Nobel prizes from just 0.2% of the world’s population. In areas such as medicine, technology, agriculture and science.
God said to Abram that all nations would be blessed through them! (Genesis 12:1-7)
They have given us so much! We have been blessed because and through them, just as God had said. Through the prophets and teachers who taught about God. But the most important thing is Jesus our Saviour and the precious Word of God. The Lion of the tribe of Judah. (Rev 5:5).
The Bible says that the Jews have been blinded in part (Roman's 11), but their spiritual eyes will be opened when the Messiah returns and they will mourn for Him. (Zechariah 12:10). God still has a plan and a purpose for His people, the Jewish nation. We know from scripture that Israel would be scattered and would be gathered back to the land. This, if proof be needed, proves the Bible to be true! (Jeremiah 30:11 and 31:10).
Israel will never cease from being a nation. (Jeremiah 31:35-37). Israel will survive, so when we see events on the news, we must understand them in line with God's prophetic plan and purpose for His people. He has not abandoned His covenant people, but they too need to cry out to God in repentance and acceptance of Jesus, just the same as Gentiles do. Confessing our sins to God and accepting Christ as personal Saviour.
This is an extensive subject where we could go much deeper. However, I have tried to give you a concise overview backed up by the scriptures. God bless you!
