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Photo from “My Jewish Learning”

How Can it be That Such a Tiny Spec of Land Could be the Center of so Much Controversy?

The nation of Israel, which is smaller than the State of New Jersey, garners much more attention than most other nations around the world! What is it about Israel that causes so much excitement?

There is one sure thing that makes Israel unique, Israel is the only nation that was given its land by the Creator of the Universe; in Number 34:1-13 the land given to Israel is described to Moses by God, maps of this area are available online.

It was God’s sovereign decision to select the Jews to be his chosen people and to give them this particular parcel of land, and, as a very small part of God’s creation, I, in no way, dispute God’s right to do this. The Jews are God’s people and Israel is their land! This is God’s will and I am completely at peace with that will!

Satan, as might be expected, takes exception to God’s plan and God’s people and has attempted to persecute them during this age of God’s judgment on his people. At the First Advent, Israel rejected their Messiah’s offer of a kingdom and had him killed, instead of crowned. As a results of this rejection, Israel was temporarily set aside as God’s instrument of choice and replaced by a new dispensation, the Age of Grace, the Church Age.

This was all prophesized by the Old Testament prophets where, in addition, the time of Israel’s restoration is described. A time is coming when Israel will again be the center of God’s plans for mankind. God had promised Israel a future time when they could accomplish God’s will for them. In Daniel 9:24 it is written:

“²⁴ Seventy weeks are appointed for your people and for your holy city to complete the rebellion, to end sins, to cover over wrongdoing, to bring eternal righteousness, to seal up prophetic vision, and to anoint the most holy place.”

The Seventy Weeks would be divided into two parts, a period of 69 weeks and the 70th week; the Messiah’s entry into Jerusalem would close the 69-week period during which Israel would be set aside and judged by God for their rejection of their Messiah.

The final 70th week would resume in the last days of the Times of the Gentiles shortly before the return of the Messiah at his Second Advent. I believe we are getting very close to those days!

A Glorious Future for Israel!

Israel’s last 7 years, also known as the Tribulation, will be a terrible time of world-wide judgment. The Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah, will bring that time of terror to a close. This will be followed by a time of restoration and begin the Millennial Reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jerusalem will be the capitol from which the Lord rules for 1,000 years. This will be followed by the Great White Throne judgment where those whose names are not found in the Scroll of Life, will be cast into the Lake of Fire to burn forever. This is described in Revelation 20:11-15 where it is written:

“¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and the one who is seated on it. Before his face both earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. ¹² I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. Another scroll was opened too; this is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged on the basis of what was written in the scrolls about what they had done. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and the Grave gave up the dead that were in them, and people were judged by what they had done. ¹⁴ Then Death and the Grave were thrown into the fiery lake. This, the fiery lake, is the second death. ¹⁵ Then anyone whose name wasn’t found written in the scroll of life was thrown into the fiery lake.”

The Eternal State

In Revelation 21-22, we are told of the New Heaven and the New Earth and the New Jerusalem which will descend down from heaven. I’m confident there are no words in any human language that could do justice to the wonders we will behold for a timeless eternity!

There’s Still Time to Open the Door!

Eternal judgment is certain for all whose names are not written in the Scroll of Life; the good news is there is still time to know one’s name is in that scroll. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and your God and your name will appear in the scroll of life. In Revelation 3:20-22 it is written:

“²⁰ Look! I’m standing at the door and knocking. If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to be with them, and will have dinner with them, and they will have dinner with me. ²¹ As for those who emerge victorious, I will allow them to sit with me on my throne, just as I emerged victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² If you can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

I urge you, OPEN THE DOOR, Emerge Victorious!