The Christ in Prophecy Journal

Experts Panel on the Future of Israel (Part 2 of 3)


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What does the Bible say about the future of Israel?

It appears today that Israel has no hope. It is a tiny nation the size of New Jersey with only six million Jews, and it is trying to exist in an area where it is surrounded by 22 Arab nations with over 300 million people who are determined to destroy it. Does Israel really have any hope? Or, is it doomed to annihilation as a nation and extinction as a people?

A panel of 17 Bible prophecy experts answers those very questions! To find out, read or watch below.

Nathan Jones, Lamb & Lion Ministries

Israel, since they were exiled out of the land, has been living in kind of a crucible as the Lord continues to refine the people to bring a believing remnant of Jews to Him. And so, to achieve this, Israel is going to get hit by the worst time in all of their history, Jeremiah 30:7 calls it the “time of Jacob’s trouble.”

Israel is going to have to deal with a number of wars, like possibly a Psalm 83 War where they will have to deal with the nations bordering them. They are going to have to deal with Iran and Russia and Turkey and other Islamic nations coming up against them. The Lord Himself personally steps in on that one according to Ezekiel 38-39.

Israel will then have to endure seven years of Tribulation, where God is going to make life so difficult for the people on this world that they will have no choice but turn to the Lord in repentance. The decision will be so easy: either choose the Lord, or choose the Antichrist. When Jesus comes back, prophecy tells us that a third or remnant of the Jews will come to know Jesus as their Savior.

The blessings come for Israel as the believing remnant lives on into Jesus’ thousand year Millennial Kingdom. The believing remnant will be a priestly people serving under Jesus and receiving all the promises that the Lord has promised them.

So, Israel has a terrible time ahead, but they also have a great and wonderful future ahead as well.

Don McGee, Crown and Sickle Ministries

Several things are going to happen to the nation of Israel. They are going to continue to nationally reject Jesus as their Messiah. One day they are going to accept Him, but that’s going to be awhile down the road.

I also look for a growing estrangement between the nations of the world and Israel. It’s most unfortunate that our own country is going to grow in its estrangement from Israel. We have policies going back several administrations that have forced Israel to do things that they don’t want to do, things such as the giving up of land that God has directly said that no one is to force them to relinquish. So, there’s an estrangement that’s going to continue to grow.

Also, after the taking out of the Church at the Rapture, Israel is going to undergo persecutions during the Tribulation period. That is going to happen. When that is over towards the end of that time, Israel nationally is going to recognize that Jesus (the one that they call “that man” in the derogatory way today), they are going to accept Him. They are going to recognize Jesus and they are going to say that, yes, He was and He is the Messiah.

Michael Norten, Author of “Unlocking the Secrets of the Feasts”

The way I understand the scripture of Zechariah 12:2 is that the nations that share a border with Israel will attack her. Indications say that it will be very soon. These border nations will attack Israel in unison, but Israel and the IDF will have a great victory.

According to Isaiah, Israel will expand their borders. That’s why the Jews like to call that prophecy the Battle of Restoration. In fact, it even says that the people will be speaking Hebrew in the streets of Egypt. Also Syria will be out of the picture as a threat.

Not long after that Psalm 83 War, it looks to be that Ezekiel 38 & 39’s Gog-Magog War will take place. Israel will not be prepared as well for this one, and so God will take on the victory Himself.

Then, after some time, according to Zechariah 12:3 all the nations will attack Israel. In fact, the United States has been found in Bible prophecy to be between the “A” and the “LL” of “all nations.” Can you imagine the United States attacking Israel? Jesus will come Himself in person to administer His victory over the nations. We who are saved will be coming back with Jesus. That will be our Second Advent as well, and we will witness this victory of Christ. Jesus will administer this victory and the Jews will recognize Him as the one they have pierced, and all of Israel will be saved. It will be an incredible time!

Terry James, Rapture Ready

Bible prophecy does tell us exactly what is going to happen in the future to Israel. We don’t have to wonder about it for those of us who study Bible prophecy.

From a pre-Rapture view in particular, Israel is going to become more and more hated, and we see that happening in the news today. The nation will become more and more hated, and more and more isolated. Zechariah 12:1-3 says Jerusalem will become a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone to the whole world, and certainly we see that developing as well.

From a post-Rapture perspective, Israel is not going to have any friends left at all. Israel is going to be finally at peace when a covenant is made with the Antichrist to ensure their security, but it’s going to be a covenant made with death and hell by the Antichrist system. The Antichrist himself will sign that covenant.

From that point on, Israel becomes even more and more hated by the people of the world. Israel will become the most hated nation in world history. The persecution they’ll have to endure will be worse than anything Hitler ever devised against the Jews.

Israel will escape into the wilderness 3.5 years into the treaty, where a remnant who likely are believers I believe will be protected. Some people think the location is Petra in Jordan, though I’m not sure, but that is what the thought is. From there they will be protected for basically the last 3.5 years of the Tribulation.

The remnant of Israel will see their Messiah returning, as we see in Revelation 19:11, when Christ comes through the black clouds of the apocalypse of Armageddon. All Israel, that is all believing Israel, will be saved. A remnant will be saved to live into the Millennium.

That’s basically Israel’s future as I see it from a biblical viewpoint.

Randall Price, World of the Bible Ministries

The nation of Israel because it’s living in the “times of the Gentiles” is going to be climaxed by the “time of Jacob’s trouble,” which is the time of Israel’s trouble. We are going to see increasing problems. Israel as I understand is under divine discipline. That’s what the “time of the Gentiles” is. It’s an imposition of judicial judgment and a hardening of the Jewish nation as a whole. The same time Daniel 8 calls it the “time of Israel’s indignation.” It’s a time in which God has Israel under discipline for the purpose of provoking faith ultimately in the Messiah.

At the same time, I’m going to say the trials Israel is facing will bring them to the place where they are going to fulfill their divine role and destiny. In the past that’s been done by surrounding Israel with enemies which causes them to come to a place where in repentance and desperation they cry out for their Messiah. As we come to Zechariah, we see again Jerusalem surrounded by armies. The focal point of that attack is to provoke Israel to mourn and to cry out for the Messiah to come and save them and to rescue them. Isaiah 25:6-9 is a passage that reads in part, “This is the Lord for whom we have waited that He might save us.”

Part of the discipline that was imposed on Israel because of their violation of God’s covenant was that He would bring these foreign armies and He would put Israel under foreign domination. They would be cast out into other lands and serve other gods, as it were, because those are the gods of those lands. But, in those distant places the Jews would seek Him, and they would find Him, and they would be regathered and restored as a people and nation.

That’s what’s going on even today. Everything is done with a purpose, even though it seems to be moving towards a terrible climax. The trials are all for the purpose of ultimately bringing in the wonderful day of Christ’s restoration and redemption.

Brian Thomas, Blessings to Israel Ministries

Zechariah 13:8 tells us that during the seven-year Tribulation two-thirds of the Jewish nation will be killed. It’s going to look as though the Jewish nation is going to be annihilated. But, Zechariah goes on to say that a third, a remnant, will look toward Jesus Christ and they will call upon Him as Lord. That is the day when we go into the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ in which ten men from every nation will grab the sleeve of a Jewish man and say, “Let us go with you because we have heard that God is with you,” as recorded in Zechariah 8.

For Israel, the worst time is ahead. That time is going to even surpass the Nazi Holocaust during the Tribulation. But, the best days are also ahead for Israel, in which we will see the nation of Israel as the supreme nation during the thousand year reign of Christ.

In the third and last segment concerning the future of Israel, the remaining members of our panel of Bible prophecy experts will share what the Bible has foretold.

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Dr. Nathan E. Jones

As the Internet Evangelist at Lamb & Lion Ministries, Nathan reaches out to the over 4.5 billion people accessible over the Internet with the Good News of Jesus Christ. He also co-hosts the ministry's television program Christ in Prophecy and podcast The Truth Will Set You Free.

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