“For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done (To Israel), it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head” (Obadiah 1:15).
Modern Israel is completely unique among all the nations on earth. Israel cannot be viewed as a nation such a Great Britain or France, nor Jerusalem just as any other city. Both Israel and Jerusalem are rooted in Bible prophecy that gives them a spiritual dimension, making them so different.
The rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948, after being dead for 1,900 years, is without parallel in history. The entire nation was destroyed not once, but twice. Amazingly, after each devastation, Israel came back into existence. Not only was the nation destroyed twice, but each time, the vast majority of the people were taken captive into foreign countries. Yet the Jewish people always returned to the land. All this points to the uniqueness of Israel; this nation is not like other nations.
In 586 BC, the Babylonians totally destroyed Israel, Jerusalem, and the temple. This destruction resulted in nearly all the Jews being taken captive to Babylon. In ancient times, when a people were taken captive, as the Jews were, they usually were lost to history. The Jewish people were different because they were not absorbed into Babylon. They remained in Babylon for seventy years, then returned to rebuild Jerusalem and their destroyed temple. The exile resulted in the elimination of Israel’s kingdom. This occurred 2,540 years ago!
The Romans, some 650 years later, in 70 AD, again destroyed the nation, Jerusalem, and the temple. In 136 AD, the Jews once more revolted against Rome. They were totally defeated and suffered their final dispersion into the entire world. Very few Jews remained on the land after this war with Rome. The temple, which was at the center of the Jewish religion, was never rebuilt.
Israel should have ceased to exist as a nation—and probably as a people—in 586 BC, but it survived. Israel definitely should have ceased to be a nation in 70 AD, but just as the ancient Bible prophets wrote, the nation was literally reborn nearly 1,900 years later on May 14, 1948. In June 1967, Jerusalem once again became the unified capital of Israel. The Hebrew language was almost extinct, yet it was revived and today the Israelis speak Hebrew. They speak the same language as their ancient ancestors! Even without the temple, they kept the same religion while in exile. After two dispersions and losing the kingdom and base for their religion, Israel survived and once again is a nation. There is simply no other nation like Israel.
The Everlasting Covenant
The explanation for the uniqueness of Israel is found in the everlasting covenant God made with Abraham, the father of the Jewish people some 4,000 years ago. The everlasting covenant is the reason the Jews and the nation of Israel exist today. This is why the Jewish people were able to survive two dispersions over 2,600 years; and yet the nation of Israel came back into existence in 1948. The invisible hand of God, through this covenant, enabled the Jewish people to survive in the face of tremendous odds.
The covenant included the land of Canaan becoming an everlasting possession for the Jewish people. Today, the area of Canaan includes Jerusalem, Israel, Gaza, West Bank (Judea and Samaria in the Bible), Golan Heights, southern Lebanon, and a part of the nation of Jordan. The everlasting covenant God made with Abraham follows:
“And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God” (Genesis 17:7, 8).
“He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance” (Psalm 105:8-11).
This covenant focused on the land now called the nation of Israel. God deals with nations according to this covenant. God’s covenant relationship with the descendants of Abraham is still in effect. God has never cancelled the everlasting covenant concerning the land of Israel.
Moses and the prophets warned the Jewish people not to turn from God to worship pagan gods. Unfortunately, they rebelled against God. According to the law of Moses, one penalty for this rebellion was removal from the land and dispersion into all nations. This was literally fulfilled by the Babylonians and the Romans.
The prophet Ezekiel explained why the Jews were driven from the land and dispersed throughout the nations: “Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them” (Ezekiel 36:18, 19).
The Bible is very clear that the dispersions were not permanent, but because of the everlasting covenant God made with Abraham, and later with Isaac and Jacob, Israel would once again become a nation. God promised that one day He would bring the Jews back into the land of Israel: “Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land” (Leviticus 26:42).
Prior to dying on the cross, the Lord Jesus also warned of the coming destruction of Israel. He said that Jerusalem would be destroyed and the people scattered into all the nations, but like the Old Testament prophets, He also stated one day the Jews would return. He identified the return of the Jews to Israel, to the time just prior to His Second Coming:
— “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24).
— “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27).
We are now living in the time that the Lord Jesus and the ancient Jewish prophets spoke about. The nation of Israel has been reborn and Jerusalem is once again its capital. The reality of God and the authority of the Bible can be validated through the fulfillment of what the Bible states about the nation of Israel. What a time we live in, as Bible prophecy is alive before our very eyes! God warned the nations that the land of Israel is not to be divided; God will judge the nation that attempts to divide Israel: “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 (divided) my land” (Joel 3:2).
Throughout its history, the United States has been a blessing to the Jewish people and was directly used by God to help in the rebirth of Israel. President George Washington set the stage for America to be a blessing to the Jewish people. In 1790, he wrote letters to the Jewish communities in America. He made amazing statements in these letters, but in his letter to the Hebrews in Savannah, Georgia, he linked the creation of the United States to the Holy God of Israel and actually made a direct reference to Psalm 144:15. A section of this letter follows: “May the same wonder-working Deity, who long since delivered the Hebrews from their Egyptian oppressors, planted them in a promised land, whose providential agency has lately been conspicuous in establishing these United States as an independent nation, still continue to water them with the dews of heaven and make the inhabitants of every denomination participate in the temporal and spiritual blessings of that people whose God is Jehovah.”[i]
The benevolence toward the Jewish people that started with George Washington continued throughout American history. President Harry Truman was a major player in the rebirth of Israel in 1948, and without his help, it is doubtful that Israel would exist today. The great blessings the American people enjoyed were a result of obeying God’s Word regarding the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.
Unfortunately, starting with President George H.W. Bush, America began to interfere with God’s prophetic plan by pressuring Israel to divide the covenant land and create a Palestinian state. This started in 1991 with the Madrid Peace Process and continues to this day through the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
On the very day the U.S. government pressured Israel to divide the land, awesome disasters hit the nation. These disasters included hurricanes, earthquakes, massive tornado outbreaks, record flooding, and forest fires, along with the terrible stock market crashes. Since 1991, there have been over fifty such correlations. The greatest natural disasters to ever hit America occurred within twenty-four hours of the United States pressuring Israel to divide the land; these disasters include Hurricanes Katrina and Andrew, along with the Northridge Earthquake.
The following are a few examples of what happened when the United States pressured Israel to divide the covenant land.
October 30, 1991 – President Bush initiates the Madrid Peace Process. On the very day the president is speaking in Spain, what became known as “the Perfect Storm” sends 30-foot waves against his home in Kennebunkport, Maine, destroying the house.
August 24, 1992 – The Madrid Peace Process transfers to Washington and meets for the first time in America. On this day, Hurricane Andrew destroys southern Florida with category 5 winds. At this time, it is the greatest disaster in U.S. history.
January 17, 1994 – A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake centered in Northridge, California, rocks the Los Angeles area. The result is widespread destruction and $25 billion in damages. This is the day after President Clinton met with Syrian dictator Hafez al-Assad and pressured Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights.
March 1, 1997 – Yasser Arafat arrives in the United States to discuss Jerusalem with President Clinton. On the very day Arafat lands, powerful tornadoes devastate huge sections of the nation. It is one of the worst tornado storms in the nation’s history. The states of Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio suffer tremendous damage.
May 3, 1999 – The most powerful tornado storms ever to hit the United States fall on Oklahoma and Kansas. The meteorologists officially measure the winds at 316 miles per hour, making it the fastest ever recorded. On this same day, President Clinton sent a letter to Arafat telling him to be patient for a Palestinian state and saying the Palestinians had a right to “determine their own future on their own land,” and deserved “to live free, today, tomorrow and forever.”[ii]
August 27, 2005 – On this day, Israel removes the last of the Jewish settlers from Gaza. This is done under pressure from President George W. Bush. On this day, Hurricane Katrina is named for the first time. Two days later, the massive hurricane slams into New Orleans, creating the greatest disaster in U.S. history.
January 9, 2008 – President George W. Bush goes to Israel to assist in the implementation of dividing Israel with his two-state plan. On this day, a path of deadly tornadoes stretches from Alabama to Wisconsin. It is the worst January tornado storm in history. The stock market plunges at this time, causing the president to create a $165 billion economic stimulus to save the economy.
June 3, 2008 – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speak in Washington, DC. Once again, Rice promotes the creation of a Palestinian state by dividing the covenant land of Israel. While Olmert is in the U.S. about dividing Israel, the economy is melting down; plus, there are torrential rains in the Midwest that will result in one of the worst floods in U.S. history. A few of the news headlines include: “DOW Falls Nearly 400 on Oil Surge”; “Oil Surges $11 to Record 138”; “Foreclosures Reach Record High in First Quarter”; “Unemployment Rate Jumps Highest in 22 Years”; and “Dangerous Storms and Tornadoes Rake the Plains This Week.”
September 2008 – The economic situation becomes critical during this month. All during 2007 and 2008, the major downturns in the economy occur on the days America is involved in attempting to divide Israel. In September, the U.S. Consul General to Israel admits that the United States is directly involved in attempting to divide Jerusalem. At the height of the economic crisis, President George W. Bush invites Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinians, to Washington. On September 30, the biblical feast of Passover, the stock market falls 777 points for the greatest one-day fall. Then on October 9, Yom Kippur (the Bible’s day of judgment for sin), the market falls 679 for the third greatest one-day fall, and on October 15, the biblical feast called Tabernacles, the market falls 737 points for the second greatest one-day fall. The greatest stock market crash in history occurs on the three fall feasts of the Bible!
And now comes Zeitgeist 2025 and the Biden administration is standing against Israel possessing the covenant land.
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The Day of the Lord
A very large percent of Bible prophecy is about the Day of The Lord. The Day of the Lord is an expression referring to a long period that begins with God’s judgment on the world for rejecting both Him and the everlasting covenant with Abraham, and continues through the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ. It is the time when God interferes directly in the affairs of man. This is God’s last attempt to reach man before the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus and the judgment of the nations.
Israel and Jerusalem play a key role in the Day of the Lord. The key to the Day of the Lord is when Israel is once again a nation with Jerusalem its capital. These indicators are now in place and the world is racing towards the prophetic events with all the terrible judgments described in the Bible. The main judgment revolves around three terrible wars that focus against Israel and result in total destruction of entire nations. The wars get progressively greater, culminating in the final battle called Armageddon. The wars are so awesome that the book of Revelation reports that one-third of mankind will be killed in one war. With today’s population, that would amount to two billion people.
“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle …” (Zechariah 14:1).
The prophet Obadiah is one of the keys to understanding the Day of the Lord and the future of America. The first war involves the United States’ policy toward Israel since 1991. The warnings God has given to America starting in 1991, and the Madrid Peace Plan, culminates in the war described by Obadiah.
Obadiah states that God is going to bless or curse nations directly as they deal with Israel. The prophet is very clear that what a nation does to Israel will in turn happen to that nation. If a nation tries to divide Israel or Jerusalem, that nation will suffer greatly. This is clearly shown in the Scriptures, but few believe and respect the authority of the Bible. Nevertheless, the warnings are there: “For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done (To Israel), it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head” (Obadiah 1:15).
Obadiah states that there will be intense warfare between the Jews, the house of Jacob, and the Palestinians, the house of Esau. The warfare results in the total destruction of the Palestinians as they are driven from the land. The Palestinians refuse to accept the Jews and the nation of Israel. They do not want two states with one for Israel and the other Palestine. They want the destruction of Israel and only the Muslim state of Palestine. The United States’ policy of the two-state solution is a complete failure, and directly interferes with God’s prophetic plan for Israel: “And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it” (Obadiah 1:18).
When this war is over, Israel will possess Gaza, the plain of the Philistines, and all of the West Bank (Samaria). There will be no Palestinian areas. The war is not limited to the Palestinians, as it spreads into Lebanon and Jordan. The prophet writes that Israel will move north into Lebanon and take over the area that is controlled by Hezbullah. Israel will also extend into Jordan and control the area called Gilead. This area stretches from the top of the Dead Sea to the Sea of Galilee and about twenty miles eastward.
“And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines [Gaza]: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria [West Bank]: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead [Part of Jordan]. And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath [Lebanon] …” (Obadiah 1:19-20).
This war described by Obadiah could explode at any moment. Israel is surrounded by enemies who exist to destroy the Jewish state. This includes Hamas, Hezbullah, and several other organizations. Syria and Iran are linked together in the destruction of Israel, while Iran is very close to building a nuclear weapon. Iran already has the missile capability to reach Israel, and its leaders have boasted that, when they obtain a nuclear weapon, they will use it against Israel.
Israel, on numerous occasions, has stated it will not let Iran obtain a nuclear weapon. The Jewish state has one of the finest armies in the world along with perhaps the best air force. If needed, Israel will attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. This act could very easily trigger the war described by Obadiah and, through a domino effect, lead to the other wars described in the Bible.
The Bible is clear that entire nations will disappear during these wars. The world is going to be in convulsions. The Middle East is now on the verge of a horrific war that is going to shake the world to its core. It is highly likely that nuclear weapons will be used. A war of this nature would accelerate the meltdown of the world economy.
It appears that the confrontation between Israel and the Islamic nations cannot be stopped. Iran with its allies is committed to destroying Israel just as the Nazis were committed to World War II and the destruction of the Jews. The questions now are: What happens to the United States? And what does an individual do in face of these events?
What Happens to the United States?
From studying the Scriptures about the Day of the Lord, it is evident that the United States is not involved. Russia and Islamic nations are identified, along with a unified Asia (most likely under the control of China) as major players. When the wars take place, the United States cannot be a world power.
God has warned America through the many disasters that have occurred on the very days U.S. leaders were pressuring Israel to divide the covenant land. It appears that God will remove America from its position as a world power. The economic meltdown that started in 2007 might directly lead to the downfall of America as a world power.
What Does an Individual Do in the Face of These Events?
“Now is the accepted time; behold, Now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). The authority of God’s Word can be seen today through the rebirth of Israel and all the events that are transpiring. Israel exists because of the everlasting covenant God made with Abraham 4,000 years ago. God now wants to make a covenant with you for your eternal life with Him.
The very foundation of a person’s relationship with God is assurance of the eternal life. A person can live now with the assurance of eternal life. This assurance is based upon knowing that God loves you and wants you to have eternal life through Jesus Christ. This is a promise from God directly to you: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
The way of believing in Jesus Christ as your Savior is to repent of sin and trust Him completely as your Lord and Savior. When you trust Jesus Christ in your heart as your Savior, all your sin is forgiven by God, because Jesus shed His blood and paid the penalty on the cross for you. Without repentance of sin and the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, it is impossible to have eternal life with God.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9.10). When you confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are to live with the expectation of His Second Coming in your heart. This is called “the blessed hope”—the expectation of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus and the privilege of being with Him forever. Your confession of Jesus Christ and your expectation of His Second Coming are the evidence that you will be with the Lord Jesus forever: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
The Lord Jesus has paid the penalty for your sin by His shed blood on the cross. God has provided His way for you to have eternal life with Him. Right now, you can turn to God by prayer through faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Please do not put this off, because now is the day of salvation.
The Blessed Hope
God has not hidden His prophetic plan. It appears on page after page in the Bible. God is not hiding the coming Day of the Lord. It is visible to all who focus on the Second Coming and understand God’s covenant nation Israel. To focus on Jesus’ Second Coming is called the Blessed Hope. This hope is a living hope. It is not a theory, but a living reality in a person’s life. The message of the hour is for the church to focus on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and to live with the blessed hope: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
The blessed hope is an anchor for our souls. This is the hope that God has set before us. He requires that we keep the blessed hope with full assurance until He returns, or until we pass away. This hope steadies us during the storms of life. We are to hold onto this hope and let no one or anything take it from us.
The Bible also tells us to establish our hearts about His coming. When we establish the blessed hope in our hearts, holiness naturally flows. The Bible leaves no doubt that we are to focus on the blessed hope and live every day as if the Lord could return for His church. We are to live with patience, looking for His coming for the church: “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:7, 8).
“I Will Bless Them That Bless Thee”
God told Abraham that He would bless the people who blessed Abraham and the Jewish people. It is most important to line our lives up with God’s prophetic plan for Israel and the Jewish people. We are living in a time of prophecy.
God’s prophetic plan is all laid out in the Bible. Events in the Middle East are now accelerating toward the Day of the Lord and Christ’s return. Are you ready to face Jesus Christ? The nation of Israel was reborn just as the prophets predicted thousands of years ago. Jerusalem is once again its capital. More and more, Jerusalem is the focus of world attention. The prophecies about Israel and Jerusalem confirm that the Bible is truly the Word of God!
Now is the time to bless and support Israel. Now is the time to stand with the Jewish people as they are coming under attack all over the world. As time goes on, the attacks will become more vicious. America might even turn against Israel and the Jewish people. No matter what happens, as individuals we can stand and bless Israel and the Jewish people, and trust that God will bless us according to His Word. “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).
As the Day of The Lord approaches, God needs people who will not flinch, but who will stand strong in His word. He needs people who are a true witness to Israel and the Jewish people of the love of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Please realize the hour we are now living in and the world events that are now accelerating towards the Day of the Lord. If you are not anchored in faith, you could be crushed by fear because the events are so earth-shaking. Those who are anchored in the Lord will not be shaken, but will do mighty exploits in the name of the Lord Jesus: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).
UP NEXT: The Coming Reign of Antichrist
[i]George Washington’s Letters: From the Ends of the Earth-Judaic Treasures of the Library of Congress, pages 231-239.
[ii] “Clinton Encourages Arafat,”Associated Press (May 4, 1999).
Epilogue
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