Israel Hated (Part 2 of 3)
Israel was recognized as an independent nation on May 14, 1948. The Arabian nations promised to “drench the soil with Jewish blood” if this recognition were to be acknowledged by the world. The day after recognition, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq invaded Israel with all their fury. Against insurmountable odds, a nation less than a week old was able to regroup and defend itself. Not only did they drive these nations out of their territories, but they also gained new territory including Jerusalem. After utterly defeating the invaders, the Israeli army isolated the Egyptian army and were in route to the capitol of Egypt to overthrow it. Under the pressure of the Soviet Union, the UN declared a cease-fire in order to end the conflict and protect the 5 attacking nations. Though costly, Israel gained much of its ancient territory by victory over the invading countries.
Under another attack, Syria launched an attack and sent 1000 planes into Israeli airspace. None returned and Israel regained Jerusalem and more of its ancient territories. Each time Israel has been attacked, it has benefited territorially.
This is Israel after the 1967 war cease-fire. If history does not persuade us that God has a plan for Israel, the scriptures should. Hatred against the reborn Israel has been prophesied long ago.
The World’s date with destiny
After Israel’s gathering in Ezekiel 37, the Bible says that a powerful coalition of nations will assault Israel in the latter days. Look at Ezekiel 38:
3 "and say, ’Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.
4 "I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.
5 "Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
6 "Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops -- many people are with you.
Rosh is the region of Russia. It is unknown where Russia gained its name. Many theories exist about how they received their name. One is that they were named after a river called ‘Ros’; another says they were named after the Swedish name Ruotsi; and some claim that when the hordes were attacking southward, they had no name so certain scholars stated that these must be the ‘Rosh’ spoken of in the Bible. However, during the time of barbarian hordes, the land of Russia was called Muscovy.
Meshech, and Tubal are easily identified by history. Meshech settled in western Russia. The name of the region became known as Moskva and later changed to the modern name, ‘Moscow’. Tubal settled in Siberia and the region was called Tobol. The modern day name of Tobol is the city of Tubolsk. Iraq and Iran are the modern inhabitants of Persia. Ethiopia, and Libya are the same. Gomer is the region surrounding Germany and Togarmah is modern day Turkey.
Identifying the exact names is not essential to understanding this prophecy. The focus of this prophecy is that the nations surrounding Israel will all attack. If you look at a map and locate these ancient settlements, you will see that Israel is attacked from the north, south, east and west. They are at the center of the entire world, just as the Bible states. Look at Ezekiel 38 again:
11 and you will say, ’I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates,
12 to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.’
I used the NASB because I believe the wording of verse 12 clearly describes what is going on – Israel will be at the center of the world. In the Bible God says to Israel’s enemies, “I will put hooks in your jaws…to draw you out”. It may be that these nations are financially desperate. The Bible says that they are coming to plunder Israel because they have acquired wealth.
I realize that some balk at this prophecy in Ezekiel. Some also claim that this has been fulfilled. However, if we read the passages we see clearly that it has never been fulfilled. For one, Israel has returned from being scattered across the whole earth. During their first captivity, they were in bondage but not scattered. When Israel returned the first time, they were not attacked on all sides. Some claim Ezekiel refers to the Greek invasion or that it was Rome who occupied Israel. However, Greece did not attack from four directions. Rome did not conquer Israel from four directions. Even more important, God did not defend Israel during any of these invasions in the past. God states the purpose for the invasion – “I am against you”. The nations are drawn out so God can judge them at the height of their might and pride. In the future invasion, God will defend Israel, destroy the kingdoms of the world and then will present Himself as their eternal King. This final conflict is for the purpose of judging the nations. Look at Zephaniah 3
8 " Therefore wait for Me," says the LORD, "Until the day I rise up for plunder; My determination is to gather the nations To My assembly of kingdoms, To pour on them My indignation, All my fierce anger; All the earth shall be devoured With the fire of My jealousy.
Israel is Defended
At the beginning of the battle Israel will be on the verge of annihilation. As they are being defeated and all seems hopeless, Jesus Himself will defend them and wipe out their enemies. Look at Zechariah 14:
1 Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle.
4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.
5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come, and all the saints with You.
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12 And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.
13 It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the LORD will be among them.
This is the final battle before the Millennial Kingdom. Verses 9-11 tells us that the LORD shall be King over the earth and the people will safely inhabit Jerusalem. Before this battle is over, Israel find God’s protection in the valley that He will open through the middle of the Mt of Olives. Compare Zechariah’s prophecy to Revelation 14
18 Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe."
19 So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God.
20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.
Jesus descends and divides the Mount of Olives. An angel gathers the nations into God’s winepress as a reaper drawing the harvest with a sickle. God then sends an angel ‘who has the power over fire’ to plague the nations by consuming them with the fire of God’s fury. If we follow the sequence of events we can see that Israel’s defeat will precede God’s victory. The invading armies will swarm down on Israel from every side. They will plunder the Israelites and spoil their possession while the Jews watch helplessly. Half of the survivors will be taken captive and half will be preserved and will be given a way to flee. The enemies of Israel will overrun Israel and even succeed in taking the city of Jerusalem. When all hope appears to be lost, God will intervene.
The Mt of Olives will be divided by a great earthquake just in time to make a way of escape. It is interesting to note that the largest fault line in Israel goes right through the middle of the Mount of Olives and runs east to west. The people will flee to safety through this valley opened by the great earthquake. The invaders will then pursue Israel into the valley not knowing that God has now entered the battle and has prepared a plague that will destroy all of them. A vivid and horrible description of judgment will rain down on the enemies of Israel in the mountain valley. The valley that is deliverance to Israel is now the winepress of the enemies of God.
Revelation 9:16 describes a 200 million man army that will invade Israel from the east. Today China lies to the east and boasts of a 200 million man army. What was an impossibility in the 1st century is very much a ready for action today.
Zechariah’s description of the flesh dissolving off their bodies before they can fall to the ground sounds very much like a nuclear blast. However, God is not limited to man-made devices. This very well could be nuclear warfare or a natural event such as the Great Siberian Explosion in Tunguska which occurred in 1908. Before man discovered how to split the atom, an unexplained fireball streaked across the sky and exploded just before hitting the ground. Based on the damage, it is estimated to have been 40 kilotons. This is 2,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War 2. The radius destroyed by the blast was roughly half the size of Rhode Island. Trees just below the explosion were stripped and scorched. The trees in a 1300 square mile radius were scorched, stripped and knocked flat. The description in Zechariah could be a nuclear blast, a meteorite or the power of God unveiled without natural explanation.
This is a 1908 photo of the scorched earth from this unexplained explosion.
Also notice the significance of the Mount of Olives. Look at Luke 19
35 Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.
36 And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.
37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen,
38 saying: " ’Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Jesus came to Jerusalem, lowly and riding on the colt of a donkey at His first visitation. Jesus descended from the Mount of Olives to present Himself as King, but Israel did not recognize Him. He descended to bring redemption to the world and was received by the church. Once again we see that Jesus will again descend from the Mount of Olives and present Himself in Jerusalem as King. This time there will be no donkey and the veil of His glory will be removed. The first visitation He established His kingdom in the hearts of His people. The church recognized Him on His first descent from the Mount of Olives, the next time He descends it will be in power and every knee will bow including His enemies.
Israel Repents
Not only will the enemies be dissolved in that day, but so will the veil that has blinded Israel since the crucifixion. Look again at Romans 11
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins."
There is a specific time of the Gentiles and then God will turn His people back to Himself. Without repentance the gift of God’s is never received. As long as Israel’s back is to God, they cannot see the grace He has for them. After God has judged the sin of Israel, He has promised to remove the sins of the remnant. Look at Zephaniah 3
11 In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds In which you transgress against Me; For then I will take away from your midst Those who rejoice in your pride, And you shall no longer be haughty In My holy mountain.
12 I will leave in your midst A meek and humble people, And they shall trust in the name of the LORD.
13 The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness And speak no lies, Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; For they shall feed their flocks and lie down, And no one shall make them afraid."
14 Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more.
There is only one way to remove sin and that is through the blood of Jesus Christ. God does not deal with the sin of Israel any different than He deals with sin for the Gentile church. The Bible says that the Cross of Jesus Christ is the only provision for sin. Verse 12 says that they will trust in the name of the LORD. The LORD is Jesus Christ. Look at Isaiah 45
21 Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me.
22 "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.
24 He shall say, ’Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him.
25 In the LORD all the descendants of Israel Shall be justified, and shall glory.’ "
God called Israel to come to Him for salvation and said, “To Me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall take an oath”. This same declaration is identified as Jesus Christ in Philippians 2:10
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Israel will see the scars and will find out that Jesus received these wounds in the house of His friend. Israel will recognize that they were the friend who wounded Him. They will turn to Him, confess Him as LORD and trust in His name. Just like the church, they will be made righteous because God has justified them by His blood and they are accounted as righteous by faith in Christ. In Zephaniah 3, God said that He would purge out of Israel the unrighteous and the remnant will inherit the promise. The unrighteous are those who reject grace by rejecting Jesus Christ and the righteous are and always have been those who put their trust in Him. The only way Israel can be saved is through the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. They will repent and confess Jesus as Lord. This is made absolutely clear in Zechariah 12:
9 "It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10 " And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
11 "In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
The Bible makes it clear that Israel will see Jesus, who was pierced for their transgressions, and then know that they have rejected Him all those years. The sorrow for their sins will be so overwhelming that it will be as the morning of someone who lost their first son. The moment they repent, they will inherit the grace of God that has been equally poured out on them as it has on the church. Once they are walking in the grace of God, they will receive the plan God has set apart for them since the beginning. This same prophecy is repeated in Revelation 1:
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
The tribes of the earth are the tribes of Israel who have returned from throughout the earth. The people of the earth don’t mourn over the scars of Jesus; they are found in Revelation 6 crying for the rocks to fall on them so they don’t have to see Him and throughout Revelation shaking their fist at God while refusing to repent. Today and in the future, when people see Christ they are either broken over sin or they try to flee from His presence.
