In Part 1, we reviewed the prophecies concerning the regathering of the Jewish people back to their Promised Land. Now we will explore the prophetic events that happened in Israel in our modern day and reveal how they point to the soon return of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Abraham’s Anticipation
Abraham stands as a great exemplar of faith. Not because he was faultless or unwavering in his faithfulness, but because he believed God—and trusted in His slow-motion promises.
The great debates of our day (evolution vs. creation, secularism vs. Christian faith, LGBTQ agenda vs. God’s ordained order) come down to the same simple question: Do you believe God? He was present at the beginning and has offered an eyewitness testimony. Do you believe Him? He bore testimony from Heaven that Jesus is His beloved Son, and then inspired multiple Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry—as well as His death, burial, and resurrection. Do you believe Him? He provided clear and unequivocal guidelines regarding man and woman, the gift of marriage they share, and the blessing of children given by God for His own glory. Do you believe Him?
“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). Consider what Abraham believed. God said:
- “Go to a land I will show you, and I will make you a great nation and I will bless you.” (Genesis 12:2)
- “I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse. In you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)
- “Look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them; so shall your descendants be.” (Genesis 15:5)
- “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.” (Genesis 15:18)
- “You will be the father of a multitude of nations.” (Genesis 17:4)
In all these things, Abraham believed God and the promises He had given (Genesis 15:6). But most of God’s promises were unfulfilled within his life. Clearly, God did bless him. He was “very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold” (Genesis 13:2). The blessing or the curse also fell upon those who honored or dishonored this chosen man of God—as Pharoah and Abimelech king of Gerar learned personally (Genesis 12:17 and 20:3).
But the promised son was painfully long in coming. Even by the end of his life, Abraham only had one son of promise and one grandson who would share in the Covenant—far from descendants so numerous that they could not be counted. Additionally, throughout his lifetime, Abraham wandered throughout Canaan as a sojourner living in a tent—not in full possession of the Land promised to him.
Abraham demonstrates that the promises of God—while absolute and trustworthy—come to pass according to God’s timing. The great nation, let alone the multitude of nations, would emerge long after Abraham’s death. His descendant’s possession of the Promised Land would not come to pass until they had been enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. Amazingly, God told His friend Abraham (referenced in Isaiah 41:8) that the promises would be fulfilled in slow motion, but then sealed the covenant Himself while Abraham slept (Genesis 15:13-21).
In hindsight, we recognize that God’s vow to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham was a Messianic promise. The Promised Son of Abraham, who fulfilled the role of Sacrificial Lamb (the role which Isaac avoided) enabled what John called “a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues” (Revelation 7:9) to be counted as friends of God.
And even now, we are still awaiting the final culmination of God’s promises—to the Jews and to the Gentiles. All of God’s promises to Abraham and his descendants are on the cusp of being fulfilled in their entirety, because Jesus is coming again soon.
Living in the Messianic Age
While America was enduring the “long hot summer” of 1967, with racial unrest in multiple cities, rising tension over the war in Vietnam, and a sense that difficult days lay ahead, cataclysmic prophetic events were taking place half a world away.
Throughout early 1967, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser was consolidating his power over the newly formed United Arab Republic and ratcheting up his vitriol toward Israel. When he massed the forces of Egypt and Syria on Israel’s south and north—threatening to squeeze the Jewish state out of existence in a violent vice, Israel was faced with an existential threat. The United States counseled restraint—even after Nasser cut off the supply of oil and goods to Israel’s southern port on the Red Sea (an indisputable “casus belli”—act of war).
Rather than be slaughtered without resisting, Israel decided to launch a preemptive strike. The air attack known as Operation Moked (“Focus”) that began the Six-Day War stands as the quintessential example of the role of air power. The air forces of Egypt and Syria were destroyed before they could enter the fight, and then the IAF turned its attention to the massed armor and infantry of the Arab army.
Very quickly, it became apparent that Israel was going to decimate Nasser’s forces. But in keeping with Arab belligerence, pride, and deception, Nasser refused to admit his losses. He insisted that Jordan enter the fray to join in the great victory and seize spoil (territory and assets) from Israel. Despite clear Israeli warnings to stay out of the fight, Jordan’s King Abdullah simply feared losing face among his hotheaded Arab friends. So, he launched a half-hearted attack from the east.
As Israel turned its attention to Jordan, it quickly realized that the Old City could be wrested from the Jordanians. Moshe Dayan, who had initially insisted that no military operation be planned to seize Israel’s ancient capital, quickly realized that the winds of war had blown in favor of just such an effort.
With a hastily-organized outline of attack, Israeli paratroopers were told to take the Old City. At first, the Jordanians entrenched in the Old City put up a valiant fight. They had the upper hand in a city surrounded by difficult-to-breach walls. When the Israelis found it painfully difficult to enter the city by any of the usual gates, one unit suggested blowing open the sealed Eastern Gate that led right onto the Temple Mount complex.
Only when an Orthodox Jew decried that option as blasphemous (for according to prophetic Scriptures, that gate will only be opened when the Messiah enters the city once again) did the paratroopers decide to force their way in through the “Lion’s Gate.” Overcoming stiff resistance there, they swept into the city. Unfamiliar with the narrow streets and alleyways, they asked Arab shop owners for directions to the Western Wall. “Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:2).
A famous photo captures the raw emotion of three battle-hardened Israeli troops as they regained possession of their ancient capital city and its treasured sacred sites. The magnitude of that moment was overlooked by Christians worldwide—as many who lived through that era have personally testified to me. Most churches were disinterested in the prophetic significance of the Jews taking Jerusalem. They did not understand that Jesus’ prophecy concerning Jerusalem being trampled underfoot by the Gentiles was coming to pass.
The “times of the Gentiles” were over.
One man who did understand the prophetic significance of that moment was Shlomo Goren, the chief rabbi of the Israeli Defense Force. Upon learning that the city had been taken, he rushed to the Western Wall, blew a shofar, and said, “I proclaim to you the beginning of the Messianic Age.”
With all the Signs of the Times converging around us—and the greatest sign manifesting before our eyes in Israel—we can be assured that Jesus is at the gates of Heaven, waiting for His Father to tell Him to collect His Bride and bring her to the place He is preparing.
We who are longing for Him to return are ready for Him to call us to Himself. We long for His appearing every day, waiting with eager anticipation.
Waiting is the Hardest Part
A timeless children’s game involves one child counting while the others go and hide. When the count is complete, the seeker announces, “Ready or not, here I come!”
The other children snicker excitedly in the dark and hope their hiding place will stymie the seeker long enough to admit defeat. Truthfully, great fun is had whether a child is found or remains secreted away at the end of the game.
This game is a favorite pastime for my own grandchildren, who have learned that Saba is a good hider and a good seeker. But the game offers several theological insights—for those willing to discern the parable it represents.
The Bible tells us that Jesus will leave the flock to find a single lost sheep. It also tells us that His sheep know His voice and respond to Him. Since Jesus is an omniscient seeker of sheep, the only way a sheep can remain lost is if it does not want to be found—or refuses to heed the Shepherd’s call. All of us know people who fall into one of those categories. We urge them to wake up and come to their senses, but then we can only pray that their heart will be softened instead of hardened.
But another reality looms over the world and over each individual who has refused to come to our Good Shepherd. At some point, God the Father will tell His Son to “go and get your Bride.” Then, it will be as if Jesus says, “Ready or not, here I come.” Those of us who have been longing for our Blessed Hope to burst from the heavens will rise to meet Him in the twinkling of an eye. But some who merely gave lip service to following Jesus will be like the five foolish virgins: when the time comes they will be unprepared and excluded from the joy of the Rapture.
The choice of whether to be “ready or not” lies with you.
