The Christ in Prophecy Journal

Resurgence of the Israeli Military: Prophecies Concerning Israel

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Israel is the focus of end time Bible prophecy. That’s the reason that the re-establishment of the nation on May 14, 1948 is so important. That event signaled the fact that we are now living in the end of the end times.

During the 20th Century, we were privileged to witness God beginning to fulfill in whole or in part seven prophecies regarding the Jewish people:

1) The regathering of the Jews from the four corners of the earth (Isaiah 11:10-12). This was prompted by Theodor Herzl’s book, The Jewish State, which was published in 1896. There were 40,000 Jews in Palestine in 1900. Today, there are slightly more than 6 million in the land of Israel.

2) The re-establishment of the state of Israel (Ezekiel 37:21-22). This prophecy was fulfilled on May 14, 1948 when the Israeli declaration of independence was proclaimed in Tel Aviv.

3) The reclamation of the land (Ezekiel 36:34-35). When the Jews started returning to the land in the early 20th Century, it was a malaria-infested swampland that had been denuded of all its forests. Today, it is the bread basket of the Middle East, and the forests have been replanted.

4) The revival of the Hebrew language (Zephaniah 3:9 and Jeremiah 31:23). When the Jews were scattered worldwide, they stopped speaking Hebrew. But in the 19th Century, God raised up a man in Lithuania named Eliezer Ben-Yehuda who devoted his life to resurrecting the language from the dead. In 1922, the British declared biblical Hebrew to be one of the three official languages of Palestine, together with English and Arabic. Ben-Yehuda died one month later.

5) The re-occupation of the city of Jerusalem (Zechariah 8:4-8). When the Israeli War of Independence ended in 1949, the Old City of Jerusalem was under Jordanian occupation. The Israelis conquered the city on June 7, 1967 during the Six Day War.

6) The resurgence of the Israeli military (Zechariah 12:6). Despite the fact that Israel is one of the smallest nations in the world, its military is regularly ranked among the top ten to fifteen in the world.

7) The re-focusing of world politics on the nation of Israel and its city of Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:2-3). Today the whole world is focused on trying to force Israel to surrender all or part of Jerusalem.

Military Power in Prophecy

Let’s take an in-depth look at how one of these prophecies was fulfilled in the 20th Century and continues to be fulfilled to this day — the resurgence of the Israeli military.

The prophet Ezekiel referred to the revival of Israel in the last days as producing “an exceedingly great army” (Ezekiel 37:10). Zechariah was more specific. He prophesied that God would make “the clans of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves,” enabling them to “consume on the right hand and on the left” all their enemies (Zechariah 12:6). He proceeded to state that in the end times, the nation will be so strong that the “feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them” (Zechariah 12:8).

In the second segment of this series on the resurgence of the Israeli military as a sign of the end times, we will look at the evidence of the fulfillment of this prophecy through Israel’s War of Independence.

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Dr. David Reagan

Dr. David Reagan is the Founder and Evangelist Emeritus of Lamb & Lion Ministries. He is a life-long Bible student, teacher, and preacher and he led over 45 pilgrimages to Israel. Dr. Reagan was the host of the radio then television program Christ in Prophecy for nearly 40 years.

12 CommentsLeave a Comment

  • The changes in all the nations surrounding Israel is very telling about end times,also these nations have weakness in light of these changes. will time need to oass before they become strong again and come against Israel or is it other countries like Russia etc. I am very confused about what is,happening. It doesn't seem to follow anyone's scripture quotes on any sites.

  • Confused,

    I'm with you! The nations around Israel are in turmoil and in NO position to attack Israel in a unified way.

    The Psalm 83 scenario touted here at L&L doesn't fit into the reality of the situation in the Middle East.

    I see an attack on Israel led by Russia and it's powerful allies, not the weak Arabs in turmoil.

  • The Middle East is in too much turmoil to conclude anything explicitly. Who would have expected Morsi to get overthrown after just one year. Will Assad attack Israel to refocus Islamic interests? So person can know. That's why it's never good to conclude that "so and so prophecy" is "about" to happen. Indicate, yes, but not definitely will.

    Concerning Psalm 83, it is beyond logic to say that an outer ring of Islamic nations would march their armies through other nations bordering Israel that just want to sit out the invasion of their most hated enemy. For the Psalm 83 detractors, you need to give us a reason for why that would be.

  • You say "…it is beyond logic to say that an outer ring of Islamic nations would march their armies through other nations bordering Israel that just want to sit out the invasion of their most hated enemy".

    That is YOUR logic, not those of a Psalm 83 "detractor".

    1. Perhaps they may not "want" to sit out but have no choice but to sit out.

    2. Rather, I'd say who says they "will" set it out? Some of us may believe Psalm 83 in part of or in near conjunction with Gog/Magog and see them more as more or less a single event rather than separate. It is more logical that the Arabs would join such an attack. That to me is more logical than the weaker border nations getting trounced in a lame invasion while Russia and the others sit out. How can YOU say Russia would sit it out while the Arabs make their move? Yeah, right. Especially sit out and let Israel become a United Sates type superpower in the region. YEAH, RIGHT!!!

    3. What would STOP Russian, Turkey, Iran, etc. from going right through these weak Arab nations? We defeated Iraq in the blink of an eye. TWICE! Your logic didn't keep Russia from invading Afghanistan.

    4. Most importantly…are you right/wrong or me? I don't know and in the end I don't really care. But it is…(I don't want to say fun)…interesting to have such discussion/disagreement. It's in that spirt in which I "argue" my points (right or wrong). So no hard feelings, just engaging in some friendly jousting.

  • Reagan's July 10th post seemed to suggest the Psalm 83 prophecy happened in 1948. What do you all think he meant. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…. I for one have no clue just reading the experts.

  • Anon,

    That could be. It seems to fit the prophecy better than any argument I've heard for a future fullfilment.

  • My biggest problem with the Salus (and I think L&L scenario) is this whole idea of an "Israelistine"…an Israel in the role of world superpower crushing it's neighbors and expanding it's borders in an imperialistic conquest.

    I don't think the mind set of Israel is imperialism. I think it is peace. They truly want peace. So much that they foolishly give up land for it. I don't think they want to conquer the region.

  • No, Bill Salus and Lamb & Lion see Psalm 83 as future, not 1948.

    There's no imperialistic motives behind Israel finally having to crush their persecutors. We've seen that in Gaza and Lebanon again and again.

    Ezekiel 38-39 will make Israel a superpower in the future anyway, as the nations become terrified of God's protection of it. And, of course, Israel will be the prime nation and Christ's capital during the Millennial Kingdom. That's why Satan's so desperate to destroy it now.

  • L&L has bought into Salus' opinions and views of Psalm 83. NO ONE can say Salus IS right. L&L can have the same view, or buy into Salus' view, which is more accurate as L&L NEVER (to my knowledge) NEVER used to talk about Psalm 83 the way they do now. Not until after Salus' book.

    L&L also bought into the Wilkerson (I believe that was his name) "prophecies" of riots and fires and killings (if I remember correctly) on a mass scale in New York (and other cities?). Still waiting for THAT to come to pass.

  • Okay thanks for all your answers… Looks like some of these events and prophecies will unfold after the church is raptured. So what seeing now just a set up for the future 'unveiling' . Anon

  • Okay, Billy, enough. You're starting to sound like that "other guy" that used to be able to post here.

    🙂

  • Billy said…
    "Okay, Billy, enough. You're starting to sound like that "other guy" that used to be able to post here."

    LOL, That's a good one Billy! I'll save that one for future ref when you start to go out on the fringe again…

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