THE RAPTURE

END TIME PROPHECY—THE RAPTURE

2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-10, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,² That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.³ Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;⁴ Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.⁵ Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?⁶ And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.⁷ For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.⁸ And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:⁹ Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,¹⁰ And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

INTRODUCTION:  There are at least four major doctrines revealed within the initial 10 verses of 2 Th. 2:  first, there is the doctrine of Christ’s coming and the rising of the saints to meet Him; next, the doctrine of the day of Christ; third, the doctrine of the church as the hinderer of the Antichrist’s revelation; and finally, the doctrine of the Antichrist. 

To understand the “Rapture” of the church we must understand the meaning of the term “day of Christ.”  This term, as well as “the day of the Lord” refers to the day that the Lord will return to vindicate His holy name, exact vengeance upon the heathen for their treatment of His people, and to cast down all earthly powers.  The Apostle Paul sought to assure the Thessalonians that the Second Coming would not take place until the Rapture and the revelation of the Antichrist.  First, he told them that Christ would come, and we would be gathered to Him (the Rapture), and then he said that not until we were removed could the Antichrist be revealed.  Identifying who the Antichrist might be is hardly worth speculating about since we believe that the Church will not be here once he begins his reign of sacrilege.

That there shall be a catching away of the saints before the end comes is clear from not only the above text, but Paul mentions in this text that he had taught them about the Rapture in a previous visit (verse 5, “Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?”), and in his first letter to their church he explained how it would unfold:  “¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Th. 4:15-17).    It is true that the English word "rapture" is not in the Bible, but it comes to us through the writings of William Shakespeare from the Latin "raptus", meaning to seize or transport. According to W.W. Skeat’s "Etymology of the English Language, 1879", the word "rapture" was coined by William Shakespeare. The English word "rapture" that he coined means "to be transported by a lofty emotion or ecstasy".   In 1 Thess 4:17, the Church is said to be "caught up" to meet Christ in the air, at the last trump. The Greek word there is "harpadzo" meaning to remove, seize, or take away. So, to me, the English "caught up" and Latin "rapture", as well as the Greek word "removal" in the Bible text are all three good descriptions of the removal of the Church from earth by Jesus in 1 Thess 4:17.

So, if there is an event known as “the Rapture,” who will be affected by it, when will it take place, and what are signs of its occurrence?

 

1.  THE RAPTURE IS FOR THE SAINTS ONLY.  In His messages to the seven churches of Asia (Revelation 2-3), Jesus addressed the church of Philadelphia, telling them: “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Re. 3:10).  Added with Paul’s encouragement to the church in 1 Th. 5:9-10, “⁹ For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,¹⁰ Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” a clear promise is made that the church will not go through the time of great tribulation that will precede Christ’s Second Coming. 

Also, as the hinderer of the revealing of the Antichrist (2 Th. 2:7), it will be necessary for the Church to be removed before he can appear on the scene:  “he who now letteth (Gr. hinders) will let (hinder) until he be taken out of the way”.  In our text Paul stated that the day of Christ and “our gathering together unto Him” are two separate events.  “The day of Christ” as stated before is when He returns at Armageddon, and “our gathering together unto Him” is when He comes to meet us in the air at some previous time.  However, this is not obvious to all.  Some theologians believe that the restraining force which keeps the Antichrist from being revealed is the Holy Spirit alone.  They conclude therefore that He shall be “taken out of the way” to allow for the Antichrist to make his true intentions known.  The problem with this assumption is that Jesus promised the Church that the Spirit shall never be taken from us.  It is also the Spirit that draws people to God.  His removal would mean that no one can be saved during the Great Tribulation.  Additionally, doctrines of this magnitude must be confirmed in the mouth of two or more witnesses.  No other Scripture implies that the Holy Spirit will be removed.  Yet, several do state that believers will be removed.  The question remains:  when shall that time be?

 

2.  THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE.  In Daniel 9:24-27 the angel Gabriel gave Daniel a time frame for the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity, for the crucifixion of the Messiah, and for the consummation of the ages.  In this vision of seventy weeks 490 years were determined for these things to take place.  Described in three stages:  7 weeks (49 years), 62 weeks (434 years), and 1 week (7 years), these weeks of years detailed the three events just mentioned.  The first two took place as described, but the final week of 7 years has not yet been fulfilled.  Between the crucifixion of the Messiah and the final seven years of this age is the time known as the Church Age.  We believe the Church Age will end at the Rapture, and that the Rapture will signal the beginning of the 70^th week of Daniel, at which time the Antichrist will rise to power, confirming a covenant with Israel.  The whole world, since the rebirth of Israel have been focused upon securing a treaty of peace in the Middle East between Israel and her Arab neighbors.  Many people have attempted through many means to broker this treaty.  It seems evident that no one will be successful until the Antichrist does so.  It was in reference to this peace treaty that Gabriel informed Daniel “he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease” (Da. 9:27).  Forty two months shall expire, and then the Antichrist will renege on his covenant.  The remaining 42 months according to Scripture are known as the time of Jacob’s trouble, or the Great Tribulation (Da. 9:27 “in the midst of the week”, Re. 13:5 “power was given unto him to continue forty two months”, Re. 11:2 “the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.”, Re. 12:7 “it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people…”  All these passages describe the final 3 ½ years of this age.

There are three theories concerning the time of the Rapture; (1) that it will take place seven years before Armageddon, (2) that it will take place in the middle of the last seven years, and (3) that it will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation.  This final theory we will discount altogether for too many reasons to go into at this time.  However, there are logical reasons for accepting either of the other two.

I believe that the Rapture will take place to begin the 70^th week of Daniel.  Otherwise, there is no indicator of the beginning of that period as with the other two periods in Daniel’s Vision of Seventy Weeks.  However, the promise to the Church is that we are not appointed to wrath, and that our catching away will allow for the revelation of the Antichrist.  As stated before, the wrath of God (the Great Tribulation) does not take place until the middle of the week, and the nature of the Antichrist is not revealed until then.  Ergo, it is possible that the Rapture will not occur until the final 42 months commence.  What we all agree upon is that the Rapture will occur, and that it will precede the Millennial Reign of Christ.

 

3.  THE SIGNS OF THE RAPTURE ARE THOSE THAT ALSO SIGNAL THE SECOND COMING.  We believe that the Rapture is imminent (it can happen at any time).  However, there are certain signs that must take place before the Second Coming.  As we begin to see these signs materialize we should expect that the Rapture is upon us.  Prophecies that point to the Second Coming do not have to be fulfilled before the Rapture; however, we may observe the preliminary events that will lead to the fulfillment of these prophecies.  For instance: 

    A.  The Temple must be rebuilt before the Second Coming.  Numerous sources report that the building materials for the Temple, the utensils for the resuming of the sacrifices and oblations, and the training and supplying of the Levitical priesthood have all been secured.  In a matter of months the Temple can be built, and all aspects of worship can be resumed.

    B.  The nations of the earth will attack Jerusalem.  The European Union, the United Nations, most, if not all, Islamic nations, and even the United States are actively working to coerce Israel to give up land for peace.  Even the ancient nations spoken of by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezk. 38-39) are in current treaty agreement for mutual protection and trade.  Ezekiel said that Turkey, Libya, ancient Ethiopia (modern Sudan), ancient Persia (modern Iran) and the region of southern Russia (Magog) would invade Israel in the last days.  Conspicuously absent in this alliance are Saudi Arabia and Egypt.  At present, both Saudi Arabia and Egypt are opposed to the political extremism of the Muslim Brotherhood in their nations.  Also, notable about this invasion, and subsequent destruction of this confederation, is that Israel will take the spoil of them, using their weapons as fuel for the next seven years (Ezk. 39:9, “And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years”).  Seven years is significant, of course, because it is the exact length of time of Daniel’s 70^th week.  This invasion could well then be the event that will signal the Rapture of the Church.

    C.  There are many signs that point toward the end.  Here are a few of the most prominent:

           (1) Mt. 24:7, “…there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”
            (2)  Mt. 24:14. “…this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
          (3)  2 Th. 2:3, “that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first”; Mt 24:12, “…the love of many shall wax cold.”

 

CONCLUSION:  Jesus is coming!  Be ready.  Repent, be baptized, and sanctify your lives.  He is coming for a glorious church, adorned for her bridegroom.

ARE YOU TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS?

ARE YOU TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS?

LUKE 19:11-27, “¹¹ And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. ¹² He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. ¹³ And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. ¹⁴ But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. ¹⁵ And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. ¹⁶ Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. ¹⁷ And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. ¹⁸ And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. ¹⁹ And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. ²⁰ And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: ²¹ for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. ²² And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: ²³ wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? ²⁴ And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. ²⁵ (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) ²⁶ For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. ²⁷ But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”

 

INTRODUCTION:  Most Sunday School students have heard the parable of the ten pounds, but perhaps many of you do not remember the context under which Jesus spoke this parable.  He and His disciples had just left the house of Zacchaeus where the little tax collector had just given his heart to the Lord.  It was on their way to Jerusalem that they happened to find themselves at Zacchaeus’ table.  Knowing that something momentous was going to happen when they concluded their trip to Jerusalem and knowing that the Messiah was going to claim the throne of David and rule the nations they thought Jesus was on His way to overthrowing Rome, and setting up His kingdom.  They were looking well beyond the prophecies of a suffering messiah, who would be wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and by whose stripes we would be healed.  They did not bear in mind that David prophesied that He would be pierced through His hands and feet (Ps. 22:16).  They considered only Christ’s glory, and not His humiliation.  Jesus spoke this parable to set them and us straight about what we should be doing until He does come to set up His kingdom. 

 

1.  OCCUPY UNTIL I COME.  Over the years we have lost the true meaning of the word occupy; using it only in reference to taking up space:  “He occupies this apartment,” or “She occupies a place in my heart.”  It has been linked to the word “occupant”, but the original Greek meaning is “do business.” What business, you may ask?  Well, I’ll tell you.  It is God’s business.  A brother in the Lord used to like to say “Do God’s business, and He will do yours.”  That’s more than a fair deal, don’t you think?

Now, you may ask, “What about the other seven servants?”  He gave a talent each to ten servants, yet we only have an accounting of three out of the ten.  What about the other seven servants.  I think that is possible that Jesus purposely did not mention them to infer that we might be the other seven servants.  You do know that the number seven has a special meaning when used in the Bible, don’t you?  Seven is the number of perfection, or completion.  Every generation has been called to “occupy until I come.”  Once business has been taken care of the Lord will return.  It has been said by some that when the number of saved people reaches a certain amount that the Lord will return.  The Bible does not make this claim; however, I do believe that the Lord will not return until His business on earth has been completed.  If I can hasten the day of the coming of the Lord by doing His business, I want to be doing business!

 

 2.  SOME CHRISTIANS WILL LABOR MORE DILIGENTLY THAN OTHERS.  All ten servants received one pound each.  Giving them orders to “take care of business”, he left.  One of His servants either was very gifted, or they just worked more diligently.  Whatever the case, that servant gained ten pounds for His master.  I don’t suggest that the servant with ten pounds had to be a Peter, Paul, or Billy Graham.  It could have been an unknown prayer warrior, minister to the down and out on skid row, or tireless saint whose life is spent doing for others. 

Let me ask you, “Where do you think that you will stand when the accounts are audited?”  Have you been taking care of business?

 

3.  EVEN THE SERVANT THAT GAINED FIVE POUNDS WAS REWARDED.  Now, not all of us will handle God’s business on the same level.  Some will become world traveled missionaries.  Others will spend every ounce of energy and their very lives ministering to the poor and needy.  While others will teach a Sunday School class, or mow the church yard, or they might even drive kids to and from Kids’ Church.  Still others may only attend the House of God a couple times a month, struggling to keep the faith; discouraged by the stress of the trials of their lives.  We can’t all be Billy Grahams, but there is something that we all can do for the kingdom of God.  It has been said, “Don’t judge until you have walked a mile in the other man’s shoes.”   Let’s consider the pound that has been entrusted to our care:

The Bible says that we are stewards of the blessings of the Lord, and that “it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.”  The pound is the measure of faith that God has given to all men.  Some put their faith to work, and others deny the faith.  Some are up and down in faith; being faithful this week, and faithless next.  The best counsel that I can give is just be faithful.    

 

4.  IT WAS NOT GOOD FOR THE ONE WHO DID NOT TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS.  It was clear that the disciples did not get the impact of this parable because they still did not expect that Jesus was going to Jerusalem to die without putting up a fight.  Later, they would realize that the Lord was saying to them and to us that He would return to His Father’s house, returning at some undisclosed day in the distant future.  His orders were that they “occupy until I come.”  Matthew’s record of this parable includes the chastisement “Thou wicked and slouthful servant” and a command to cast him into outer darkness, or hell.

    A.  The wicked and slouthful servant could be those who denied the tug in their hearts all their lives, never coming to Jesus Christ.

    B.  The wicked and slouthful servant could also be those who prayed the sinner’s prayer in hopes of escaping hell, but had no intentions of living right.  How many confessing Christians do you know that live no differently that the unsaved? 

Failure to “take care of business” is very serious; having eternal consequences.  You may ask, what does God want me to do?  First, let’s just do what we know to do:  clean up our lives, give to His work, attend worship, pray, and represent Him well.  Anything beyond that, and He will tell you.

 

CONCLUSION:  Are you secure about facing Him at His coming?  Have you been busy about the Master’s business?  If not, it is not too late to start. 

ISRAEL, AND THE END TIMES--HER PROPERITY FORETOLD

PROPHECIES OF ISRAEL’S PROSPERITY IN THE LAST DAYS

“Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isaiah 66:8).  Yet, that is exactly what happened.  On May 14, 1948 by UN decree the nation of Israel was born in a day.  No nation that has ever ceased to be a nation ever came back from the dead.  The prophet Ezekiel was shown a vision of a valley of dry bones (Ezk. 37). God commanded him to prophesy unto the bones and to the wind.  When he did the bones rose up, flesh began to cover them, and the wind began to blow, and the bones became a living breathing army.  Then, the Lord explained to the prophet:  “¹¹ Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. ¹² Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.” God, obviously fulfilling His promises to the Jews, began the process of not only bringing the Jews back into their land, and granting them national status once more, He also began to prosper them, to secure them, and to restore them to national unity.  This lesson will examine those ancient prophecies that speak to these things, and how they came about.  So, let’s first look at what the prophets had to say about the future prosperity of Israel.

THE DESERT WILL BLOSSOM AS THE ROSE.  Isaiah prophesied at a time when his nation was falling deeper into sin, and rebelling more and more against the Lord.  However, he was given by the Spirit a hopeful glimpse into the future of his nation.  In Isaiah 35 he prophesied that in the last days the waste land that had been Palestine would someday be fruitful and vibrant again:  verse 1, “the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.”  Though the Jews were cast out of the Holy Land over 1900 years ago interest in Israel remained constant.  Christians from the earliest times made pilgrimages to Jerusalem and the land where Jesus lived.  Written notes from some of those pilgrims described the land as a wasteland, arid and dry; possessing none of the aspects of a land “flowing with milk and honey.”  As early as the late 1800s and early 1900s when many Jewish repatriates began to return to the land they found it a harsh environment.  However, hard work, lots of ingenuity, and certainly the help of Providence brought about the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.

The development of modern agriculture was closely tied to the Zionist movement and Jewish immigration to Palestine in the late nineteenth century. Jews who immigrated purchased land that was mostly semi-arid, although much had been rendered untillable by deforestation, soil erosion and neglect. They set about clearing rocky fields, constructing terraces, draining swampland, reforesting, counteracting soil erosion, and washing salty land. Since independence in 1948, the total area under cultivation has increased from 408,000 acres to 1,070,000 acres, while the number of agricultural communities has increased from 400 to 725. Agricultural production has expanded 16 times, three times more than population growth.  What this means is that not until the Jews returned to the land did it experience any real productive value.  Isaiah saw the desert blossoming as the rose, and that is exactly what has taken place!

Today, the land of Israel is one of the most productive nations in the world:  producing 95% of the nation’s food.  Israel is one of the world's leading fresh citrus producers and exporters.  Israel produces vast quantities of flowers for export. Flower exports in 2000 exceeded $50 million. In addition to flowers favored in the West such as lilies, roses and tulips, Israel exports desert varieties. It has become a major player in the global floral industry, especially as a supplier of traditional European flowers during the winter months.

Local cows produce the highest amounts of milk per animal in the world, with an average of 10,208 kilograms of dairy in 2009, according to data published in 2011 by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics.  By contrast cows in the US produced 9,331 kg. per cow, in Japan 7,497 kg., the European Union 6.139 kg., and Australia 5,601 kg..  A total of 1,304 million liters of milk was produced by Israeli cows in 2010.  Interestingly, and another prophecy fulfillment was the influx of young people coming into Israel to work on her communal farms (kibbutzim).  According to Isaiah 61:4-5 ancient cities will be rebuilt (Ashkelon, Eilat, Beersheba, Jerusalem, etc.), and foreigners will do work on their farms:  “And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations,and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.⁵ And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.”  Several ancient cities now stand as glowing examples of modern architecture and commerce; teeming with life, culture, and enterprise.  Also, beginning in the 1960s European and American college students began to descend upon Israel to work on her kibbutzim for experience, and because it was the “cool” thing to do. From an advertisement for kibbutzim volunteer program by the Kibbutz Program Center in Israel:  “Volunteering on a kibbutz is a time-honored tradition that visitors from all over the world have experienced for more than six decades. Today, it is an ideal choice for anyone looking to spend some time away from home to become part of a type of community that only exists in Israel.” Without even realizing that they were fulfilling prophecy these young people helped to make Israel the agricultural success that she became.

YOU WILL NO MORE BE PUT OUT OF YOUR LAND.  Israel has not only prospered materially, she has been greatly prospered in her national defense.  Over 2500 years ago the prophet Amos wrote:  “And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. ¹⁵ And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God” (Amos 9:14-15).  Don’t think that it is only the military prowess of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) that is to be credited for Israel’s amazing; if not miraculous, military victories against the overwhelming forces of her Arab neighbors. 

(Quoted from Chabad.org, MIRACLES OF THE SIX DAY WAR): Israel was celebrating its Independence Day when the Israeli government received word that Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser was moving heavy artillery into the Sinai Desert. Additionally, large numbers of Egyptian forces were crossing the Suez Canal into the Sinai Desert. The Egyptian government had put its army on alert for an upcoming war. Syria and Jordan, too, moved into a state of alert and announced that they would not sit by idly if Israel attacked Egypt. On the next day, the Egyptians instructed the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF), whose stated role was to serve as a buffer between Israel and Egypt, to leave the Sinai Desert. UNEF complied with this directive. A week later, Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran to Israeli vessels and any ships that transported military equipment to Israel. Israel considered this move an act of war… 

On June 5, 1967, the first day of the war, by 7:30 AM, two hundred Israeli Air Force (IAF) planes were in the air, heading towards Egyptian airbases. Though flying very low, so as not to be detected by the scores of Arab radar sites, a Jordanian radar facility detected an unusually large number of aircraft heading towards the sea. The officer on duty immediately sent a message, “Inab,” the codeword for war, to Jordan military headquarters in Amman. The message was encoded and passed on to Egypt’s defense minister in Cairo. Miraculously, however, the Egyptian coding frequencies had been changed the previous day, and the Jordanians had not been updated. That morning, with the element of surprise in their favor, the IAF obliterated six Egyptian airfields—two in Egypt proper and four in the Sinai Desert—destroying 204 Egyptian planes, half of their air force. Though Egypt had sufficient anti-aircraft ammunition to destroy all the attacking Israeli planes, miraculously, no order was given for these missiles to be launched. The Israelis accomplished their mission with practically no resistance…

IAF planes and pilots had now been involved in almost constant battle for twenty-four hours. The pilots were weary, and the aircraft low on ammunition and fuel. Inexplicably, the enemy did not take advantage of this weakness. Though in control of extensive forces in the Sinai Desert, and certainly capable of mounting a ferocious counterattack, Egyptian leaders were reduced to giving incoherent and disorganized instructions to their troops. Israeli troops pressed on in the Sinai front. After capturing the Egyptian eastern outpost Abu-Ageila the day earlier, they now approached the heavily defended Kusseima outpost. As the Israelis drew near, they heard massive explosions. When they arrived they saw that the Egyptians, for no apparent reason, had destroyed their equipment and abandoned the base! As the day continued, it became clear that the Egyptians were hastily abandoning many of their outposts, some with all their supplies left behind…

After suffering significant casualties in the offensive to overtake the Golan Heights, Commander Musa Klein’s platoon had only twenty-five men at his disposal. But they continued upwards. When they reached Tel Fakhr, Klein ordered his men to charge the position, unaware that it was one of the most heavily fortified Syrian positions. It had bunkers, trenches and a double row of wire, along with an arsenal of antitank guns, machine guns and 82mm mortars. The handful of IDF soldiers were worse off than sitting ducks . . .Syrian Captain Ahmad Ibrahim Khalili gave his men instructions not to fire until the Israelis reached the wire. In no time at all, however, it was too late. In the Syrians’ own words: “The Jews are already inside, and we’ve taken heavy casualties.” Commander Klein and his men were victorious, and continued up the Heights…

The Israelis were originally reluctant to invade the Golan Heights. It would be an uphill battle against a well-entrenched and fortified position, protected by an army of 75,000 Syrian troops. The Syrian troops and munitions were entrenched in deep bunkers which were immune to air attack. One noted Israeli general estimated that such a battle would cost the Israelis 30,000 lives. Incredibly, though, after only seven hours of heavy fighting on June 9th, IDF commanders established strongholds in the northern and central sectors of the Golan. The next morning dawned with the Israeli forces apprehensively awaiting another day of fierce fighting. The Syrians, however, had other plans. In a sudden panic, before the Israelis even approached their positions, they pulled out of the Golan and fled in total chaos, leaving most of their weaponry behind. The moutaintops that were strategically utilized to murder Jews in the Holy Land were now in the hands of the Israelis. The final offensive was completed and, on that day, a ceasefire was signed. God said that His people would no longer be put out of their land.  His hand is can clearly be seen.

In the most recent hostilities in Israel more interventions by the Lord have been related.  According to the Jewish newspaper, the Inquisitr, a Hamas terrorist when asked why they didn’t aim their missiles more accurately, complained, “Their God changes the paths of our rockets in mid-air!” 

From World Net Daily:  “Israel Today translated a report from a Hebrew-language news site, which noted the Iron Dome battery failed three times to intercept an incoming rocket headed toward Tel Aviv last week. The commander recalled: “A missile was fired from Gaza. Iron Dome precisely calculated [its trajectory]. We know where these missiles are going to land down to a radius of 200 meters. This particular missile was going to hit either the Azrieli Towers, the Kirya (Israel’s equivalent of the Pentagon) or [a central Tel Aviv railway station]. Hundreds could have died. We fired the first [interceptor]. It missed. Second [interceptor]. It missed. This is very rare. I was in shock. At this point we had just four seconds until the missile lands. We had already notified emergency services to converge on the target location and had warned of a mass-casualty incident.  Suddenly, Iron Dome (which calculates wind speeds, among other things) shows a major wind coming from the east, a strong wind that … sends the missile into the sea. We were all stunned. I stood up and shouted, ‘There is a God!’”

A DEAD LANGUAGE IS REVIVED.  “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him with one accord” (Zephaniah 3:9).  Up until a century ago Hebrew was not a spoken language. Ashkenazi Jewish communities generally spoke Yiddish (a combination of Hebrew and German), while Sephardic Jews spoke Ladino (a combination of Hebrew and Spanish). Of course, Jewish communities also spoke the native language of whatever countries they were living in. Jews still used Hebrew (and Aramaic) during prayer services, but Hebrew was not used in everyday conversation. That all changed when a man named Eliezer Ben-Yehuda made it his personal mission to revive Hebrew as a spoken language. He believed it was important for the Jewish people to have their own language if they were to have their own land. In 1880 he said: “in order to have our own land and political life… we must have a Hebrew language in which we can conduct the business of life.”  From the Jerusalem Post, Oct. 15, 2010:  “The process of the Hebrew language revival began on October 13th 1881, as Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and his friends agreed to exclusively speak Hebrew in their conversations. As a result, the language, which had not been spoken as a mother tongue since the second century CE, once again became the national language of Israel…As part of his vision of reviving Hebrew, Ben-Yehuda raised his son, Ben-Zion Ben-Yehuda (the first name meaning "son of Zion") speaking entirely in Hebrew. He refused to let his son be exposed to other languages during childhood. It is said he once reprimanded his wife for singing a Russian lullaby to the child. As a result, his son Ben-Zion became the first native speaker of Modern Hebrew.  Ben-Yehuda was a major figure in the establishment of the Committee of the Hebrew Language (Va'ad HaLaschon), later the Academy of the Hebrew Language, an organization that still exists today. He wrote the first Modern Hebrew dictionary and became known as the "reviver" of the Hebrew language…Cecil Roth summed up Ben-Yehuda's contribution to the Hebrew language: "Before Ben-Yehuda, Jews could speak Hebrew; after him, they did." Ultimately, the process of Hebrew's return to regular usage was unique; there are no other examples of a sacred language becoming a national language with millions of first language speakers.”  This is just another example of prophecy being fulfilled in Israel. 

As we continue to watch Israel, prepare yourselves for the soon appearing of Jesus Christ for the Church.  Future prophecies concerning Israel may not actually happen until the Rapture. 

Next time we will examine prophecies concerning Israel’s future.

ISRAEL, AND THE END TIMES--JERUSALEM, A BURDENSOME STONE

Preface

 

In the previous lesson we drew from Joel’s prophecy of the return of the Jews to their ancient homeland.  Also, Joel prophesied that God would judge the nations for parting His land (Joel 3:2).   In a brief history, explaining how the nation came into being in our generation, the hand of God was plainly seen.  From its rebirth Israel has been a center of conflict.  In efforts to secure peace in the Middle East the nations of the world have intervened, pressuring the Jews to surrender land to appease her neighbors.  In this lesson we will focus our attention on the city of Jerusalem, Israel’s ancient capital.

ZECHARIAH 12:2-3, “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. 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.”  The context of this passage concerns the time when the nations under the leadership of the Antichrist will enter into the land of Israel to exact the final annihilation of the Jews.  It will be at Jerusalem where the conflict will culminate.  We will study more about that later.  This lesson will explore the events leading up to this final battle—Armageddon.

 

1. JERUSALEM IS INDEED A BURDENSOME STONE TO THE WORLD.  (Quote from an essay by Thomas S. McCall, Th.D., the Levitt Letter, April 1996) “The Jews say it (Jerusalem) belongs to Israel. It was the political capital and Temple worship center of the ancient Commonwealth for over 1,000 years, has been the spiritual home of the Jewish people ever since, and is understood to be the future capital of the Messiah. The Arabs say it belongs to Islam. It is the third most sacred place to Moslem believers, next to Mecca and Medina. The city was under Moslem control from the seventh century until World War I, with the one-century exception during the Crusades. The Papacy says it belongs to Christendom. Jerusalem is sacred to Christians because of both Old and New Testament associations, and is the site of the death and resurrection of Christ. The holy sites are of great concern, of which the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is supreme. (The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the traditional site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial.) The United Nations says it belongs to the world. Jerusalem is revered by the world’s three great monotheistic religions, and is critical as a hot spot that could well endanger world peace. Therefore, the U.N. wants to “internationalize” the city, so that no one ethnic or religious group would have control.”

Though the repatriated Jews were given parts of their ancient homeland for their new nation, the old city of Jerusalem was not a part of their territory.  Jerusalem was a part of Jordan until the Six Day War in 1967.  In brief, here is a synopsis of the events leading to the war, the war itself, and the outcome (excerpts taken from the JEWISH VIRTUAL LIBRARY):  “Israel consistently expressed a desire to negotiate with its neighbors. In an address to the UN General Assembly on October 10, 1960, Foreign Minister Golda Meir challenged Arab leaders to meet with Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion to negotiate a peace settlement. (President of Egypt) Nasser answered on October 15, saying that Israel was trying to deceive world opinion, and reiterating that his country would never recognize the Jewish State… Syria’s attacks on Israeli kibbutzim (farming communes) from the Golan Heights finally provoked a retaliatory strike on April 7, 1967. During the attack, Israeli planes shot down six Syrian fighter planes — MiGs supplied by the Soviet Union. Shortly thereafter, the Soviets — who had been providing military and economic assistance to both Syria and Egypt — gave Damascus false information alleging a massive Israeli military buildup in preparation for an attack. Despite Israeli denials, Syria decided to invoke its defense treaty with Egypt and asked Nasser to come to its aid… On May 15, Israel's Independence Day, Egyptian troops began moving into the Sinai and massing near the Israeli border. By May 18, Syrian troops were prepared for battle along the Golan Heights. Nasser ordered the UN Emergency Force (UNEF), stationed in the Sinai since 1956 as a buffer between Israeli and Egyptian forces after Israel’s withdrawal following the Sinai Campaign, to withdraw on May 16. Without bringing the matter to the attention of the General Assembly (as his predecessor had promised), Secretary-General U Thant complied with the demand. After the withdrawal of the UNEF, the Voice of the Arabs radio station proclaimed on May 18, 1967: As of today, there no longer exists an international emergency force to protect Israel. We shall exercise patience no more. We shall not complain any more to the UN about Israel. The sole method we shall apply against Israel is total war, which will result in the extermination of Zionist existence.  An enthusiastic echo was heard May 20 from Syrian Defense Minister Hafez Assad: Our forces are now entirely ready not only to repulse the aggression, but to initiate the act of liberation itself, and to explode the Zionist presence in the Arab homeland. The Syrian army, with its finger on the trigger, is united....I, as a military man, believe that the time has come to enter into a battle of annihilation.’ On May 22, Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran to all Israeli shipping and all ships bound for Eilat. This blockade cut off Israel's only supply route with Asia and stopped the flow of oil from its main supplier, Iran… King Hussein of Jordan signed a defense pact with Egypt on May 30. Nasser then announced: The armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon are poised on the borders of Israel...to face the challenge, while standing behind us are the armies of Iraq, Algeria, Kuwait, Sudan and the whole Arab nation. This act will astound the world. Today they will know that the Arabs are arranged for battle, the critical hour has arrived. We have reached the stage of serious action and not declarations.  President Abdur Rahman Aref of Iraq joined in the war of words: "The existence of Israel is an error which must be rectified. This is our opportunity to wipe out the ignominy which has been with us since 1948. Our goal is clear -- to wipe Israel off the map."  On June 4, Iraq joined the military alliance with Egypt, Jordan and Syria. The Arab rhetoric was matched by the mobilization of Arab forces. Approximately 465,000 troops, more than 2,800 tanks, and 800 aircraft ringed Israel…. The United States tried to prevent the war through negotiations, but it was not able to persuade Nasser or the other Arab states to cease their belligerent statements and actions. Still, right before the war, Johnson warned: "Israel will not be alone unless it decides to go alone." Then, when the war began, the State Department announced: "Our position is neutral in thought, word and deed."

On June 5, 1967, Israel was indeed alone, but its military commanders had conceived a brilliant war strategy. The entire Israeli Air Force, with the exception of just 12 fighters assigned to defend Israeli air space, took off at 7:14 a.m. with the intent of bombing Egyptian airfields while the Egyptian pilots were eating breakfast. In less than 2 hours, roughly 300 Egyptian aircraft were destroyed. A few hours later, Israeli fighters attacked the Jordanian and Syrian air forces, as well as one airfield in Iraq. By the end of the first day, nearly the entire Egyptian and Jordanian air forces, and half the Syrians’, had been destroyed on the ground… Prime Minister Levi Eshkol sent a message to King Hussein on June 5 saying Israel would not attack Jordan unless he initiated hostilities. When Jordanian radar picked up a cluster of planes flying from Egypt to Israel, and the Egyptians convinced Hussein the planes were theirs, he ordered the shelling of West Jerusalem. It turned out that the planes were Israel’s and were returning from destroying the Egyptian air force on the ground.  It took only three days for Israeli forces to defeat the Jordanian legion. On the morning of June 7, the order was given to recapture the Old City. Israeli paratroopers stormed the city and secured it. Defense Minister Moshe Dayan arrived with Chief of Staff Yitzhak Rabin to formally mark the Jews’ return to their historic capital and their holiest site… After just six days of fighting, Israeli forces were in a position to march on Cairo, Damascus, and Amman. By this time, the principal objectives of capturing the Sinai and the Golan Heights had been accomplished, and Israeli political leaders had no desire to fight in the Arab capitals. Furthermore, the Soviet Union had become increasingly alarmed by the Israeli advances and was threatening to intervene. At this point, U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk advised the Israelis “in the strongest possible terms” to accept a cease-fire. On June 10, Israel did just that.”

Jerusalem is indeed a “burdensome stone” for the nations.  Israel designated Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, yet most countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv due to ongoing political debate with the Palestinians. This has given rise to an unprecedented situation whereby a sovereign state – Israel – is denied the diplomatic right to choose the location of its capital city. The U.S. Congress sought to reverse this travesty with the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, passed by overwhelming bipartisan majority in both the House and Senate. The act states that “Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel and the United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999.” Since then, a parade of U.S. presidents have promised to uphold this pledge. But since the congressional act allows the President to implement a waiver at six-month intervals, that’s exactly what has happened every six months since 1995.

 

2.  THE BURDEN CONTINUES.  In a May, 2011 speech President Obama revealed that Jerusalem is still a “burdensome stone” to the world:  "The United States believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine…We believe the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states.”  In essence he believes that Israel should give up East Jerusalem, the old city; bequeathing it to the Palestinians, to become their capitol.  In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected this proposal as indefensible; “leaving many cities of Israel under Palestinian control, and putting Hamas at Israel’s borders.”

The international community is increasingly antagonistic of every thing Israeli.  Recently the smartphone app BUYCOTT began to be used to identify products that have an Israel connection.  To date over 220,000 consumers have used the app to avoid buying products that benefit Israel.  Quoted from Press TV:  “Israel, which is facing isolation over its aggressive policies against Palestinians, is mainly under fire over its ongoing illegal settlement projects. The European Union has also blocked all grants and funding to any Israeli entity based in the illegal settlements. The American Studies Association and several European education institutes have also announced a decision to boycott Israeli institutions and academics over discriminatory treatment of Palestinians.  The international boycott of Israeli products, or the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), has cost the Israeli regime 30 million dollars so far. The BDS campaign is part of international efforts to pressure Tel Aviv to stop illegal constructions in the occupied Palestinian territories.  Over half a million Israelis live in more than 120 settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank including East Jerusalem al-Quds in 1967.  Israel is reportedly pushing ahead with plans for more than 2,000 new illegal settler units in six settlements in the occupied West Bank.”  The international community does not recognize Israel’s right to settle any territory that they claimed after victory in the Six Day War.  The “right of conquest” evidently does not apply to Israel.  Even in peace negotiations in which Israel agreed to give up land for peace, Jerusalem remains the sticking point.  Israel refuses to give up Jerusalem, and the Palestinians refuse any treaty in which they do not gain Jerusalem.  The international community sides with the Palestinians in this regard; thus, establishing the lines for any future conflict in which the nations of the world become involved.  It will be Israel against the world, with Jerusalem as the prize.

3.  PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.  Psalm 122:6 says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.”  Jerusalem, itself, has experienced relative peace in our lifetimes.  Due to the presence of the Dome of the Rock the Arabs have refrained from firing missiles into the city.  Holy sites revered by Christians and Jews have also contributed to Jerusalem enjoying peace and quiet though the rest of the nation suffers bombings, and missiles being fired into cities.  Until recently (July 2014) no missiles had been fired at Jerusalem.  Thanks to Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system they were intercepted.  The fact that they have now fired at Jerusalem may indicate that terrorists are becoming desperate; willing to risk destruction of their own holy sites in order to harm Israel.  As hostilities increase Jerusalem may only continue in peace under the terms of a peace pact insinuated in Daniel 9:27, “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”  In Daniel’s vision of seventy weeks this verse addresses the seventieth and final week.  Interpreted as a week of years this verse suggests that “the prince that shall come” (the Antichrist) will initiate a peace treaty in the Middle East that will be violated by him after three and half years, or forty two months.  Evidently, if this interpretation is correct, the third Jewish temple will be built, temple worship will resume, and the Antichrist will break the peace pact.  Jesus prophesied of this possible scenario when in Matthew 24:15-16 he said, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) ¹⁶ then let them which be in Judæa flee into the mountains…”  The common understanding is that the Antichrist will set up his headquarters in Jerusalem, and that an image of him will be placed in the holy place in the Temple, with orders that the world shall worship it (Revelation 13:15).  Thus, Jerusalem will never really have true peace until the Prince of Peace comes to fight for Jerusalem in the last days (Zechariah 12-14).  Praying for the peace of Jerusalem will be a cry for Christ to return:  Re. 22:20, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

Next week:  PROPHECIES OF ISRAEL’S PROSPERITY IN THE LAST DAYS.