Good morning,
The forgotten gift of His land!
One of God’s gifts that he gave thousands of years ago, that is still in place, and will become even more important in the near future, is the land that God gave to Abraham. The Lord said to Abraham, "Look as far as you can see in every direction–north and south, east and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession.(Gen.13:14,15) At first it was just a promise and then it became a reality when they left Egypt for that same land over a million strong. Over the next thousand years, God’s special people lived in the land, but often forgot their God and found themselves under God’s judgement for their rebellion. Finally God drove all his people out for seventy years. When the Jews were allowed to go back, it was still where they lived, but under the powerful control of other governments. When Jesus came to live and die in Israel, he did so when the Roman’s were in control of their land. About 30 years after Jesus went back to Heaven and salvation by faith, and the church, had became God’s earthly family for everyone on earth, the Jews were driven out and scattered from their land for about 2,000 years. The Jewish people kept their identity, but sadly they were often hated and attacked by people who called themselves Christians as well as people who had no respect for God. The New Testament is clear in telling us that God loves the Jews as well as all the other people on the earth.
Sadly, what most Bible believing individuals have decided is that the church is the key to the rest of God’s timeline before the end of time on our earth. What we have overlooked is that Israel is now a country. As of May 14th, 1948 they became a country, hated by all their neighbors, but who keep getting stronger all the time. In Isaiah 66, the prophet wrote, Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day?(v.7) The other thing is that Ezekiel 38 and 39 tell us what God is going to do to make His country a place for the Jews to live in peace for a short time. In these two chapters we are told that almost all the nations around them as well as some a long way north of them will come storming down on them to completely wipe them out. God says that I will punish you and your armies with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur!(38:22) The outcome to that war is that all of these armies will be completely destroyed. God has two main purposes in doing this. First, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the LORD.(38:23) Then, I will make known my holy name among my people of Israel.(39:7) and also And from that time on the people of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God. (39:22) The book of Revelation makes it clear that much of the hate and wickedness during the Tribulation will include the Jewish nation and all the people who have trusted in God during that time. Then the Bible tells us that in the final 1,000 years that, In that day Jerusalem will be known as 'The Throne of the LORD.' All nations will come there to honor the LORD. They will no longer stubbornly follow their own evil desires.(Jer.3:17) He also tells us the Jews will, return to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance forever.(v.18) God will not forget the gift of his land to his people!
Ezekiel 39: 8 That day of judgment will come, says the Sovereign LORD. Everything will happen just as I have declared it.
Roy Wisner
