Kindgo
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By Charles Pack
"He (God) showeth His word unto Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances unto Israel". "He liath not dealt so WITH ANY NATION" (Psa. 147:19-20).
What nation is the "key" to understanding Bible Prophecy? Is it America, Russia, England, France, China, Japan or Africa? Absolutely none of these! Bible prophecy revolves primarily around one nation - and that nation is ISRAEL. This nation has come back from "the valley of dry bones", (Ezekiel 37), from the graveyard of the nations, The parable explains: "These bones are the whole house of Israel" (Ezekiel 37:11).
America is symbolized by an eagle; Russia has the bear for its symbol. ISRAEL is pictured in the Bible by a grape vine, fig tree, olive tree and bramble bush. "Thou liast brought a VINE out of Egypt Psalms 80:8. "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel." Isa. 5:7. Hosea 10:1. "ISRAEL is an empty vine, lie bringeth forth fruit unto himself . Israel is also pictured in the Bible by a FIG TREE. Places that use this figure are Jeremiah 24; Hosea 9:10; Mt. 21:18-20; Mark 11:12-14; Luke 13:6-9; and Mt. 24:32-34. When Jesus cursed the fig tree, lie was typifying the curse that would be put upon Israel for rejecting Him as their Messiah.
When Christ was asked in Matthew 24:3 "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age?", He answered: "Now learn a parable of the FIG TREE: When its branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
"So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it (He) is near, even at the doors. "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled" (Matt. 24:32-34).
A parable is a simple story told to illustrate a Spiritual truth. in Matthew 24:33 when Jesus said, "So likewise," there follows the spiritual illustration of the parable of the fig tree. What is its meaning? "He (margin) is near - even at the doors". When will this be? When the fig tree, or Israel, begins to "put forth leaves" or reawakens nationally.
In my lifetime Israel, once again, became a nation. On May 14, 1948 she became "reckoned among the nations". This was the first time since Titus drove the Jews from Jerusalem in A.D. 70. God's prophetic clock was ticking again. Many years have now ticked by.
ISRAEL'S PAST
Let's review the history of Israel. Abraham was the father of this nation. Genesis 12:1-3 says: "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great NATION. and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed".
Note that God said "I will make of thee A GREAT NATION". In this Abrahamic Covenant, the descendants of Abraham became heirs of certain promises. God promised to bless them as long as they lived in their own land and were obedient to Himself. However, if they went into Egypt or other countries and turned from their God, they would lose their blessings and promises. if they turned from God, the covenant would still be in effect, but they would have to repent before God would bless them once again. They broke the agreement many times and God forgave them when they repented.
This Covenant was "everlasting" and it contained a certain piece of land: " And I will establish my covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their -generations for an EVERLASTING COVENANT" (Genesis 17:7).
"In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, 'Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates" (Genesis 15: 18).
Note that this covenant was "everlasting" and the land stretched from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates in Iraq.
GOD WOULD NEVER FORGET HIS COVENANT
During the years of Israel's dispersion God promised he would not forget His covenant with them: "Thus saith the LORD, who giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who divideth the sea when its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: if those ordinances depart from before Me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me for ever" (Jererniah 31:35-36).
Paul cries out in Romans 11:1 concerning their dispersion: "I say then, Hath God cast away His people? God forbid! " Verse 2 says "God hath not cast away His people whom He foreknew". During the past 1,900 years God has not forgotten His agreement with Abraham.
DISPERSIONS AND RESTORATIONS
There have been two major dispersions of Israel. One was the Assyrian-Babylonian dispersion; the other was when Titus drove out the Jews from Jerusalem, who had returned from this Babylonian captivity under Ezra and Nehemiah. They
had crucified their Messiah, God's Son. Josephus, the Jewish historian said that over 1,000,000 perished in the siege, while 97,000 survived as captives. This last dispersion lasted nearly 1,900 years. The prophets predicted that God would bring them back AGAIN, THE SECOND TIME. And He has and is doing it even today!
Isaiah said: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand AGAIN THE SECOND TIME to recover the remnant of His people, who shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea".
"And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah, FROM THE FOUR CORNERS (quarters) of the earth" (Isaiah 11:11-12 - B.C.713).
Ezekiel said: "And say, unto them, Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations to which they are gone, and will gather them on every side, AND bring them INTO THEIR OWN LAND" (Ezekiel 37:21 - B.C. 587).
I want to submit to you, dear friends, that I have seen this happen in my lifetime. Teddy Kollek, mayor of Jerusalem, said "Jerusalem's citizens today come from about one hundred and four different countries. They speak eighty different languages".. The aforementioned verses in Isaiah and Ezekiel have been literally fulfilled.
OTHER PROPHECIES ABOUT THEIR DISPERSION
Notice the different prophets who indicated that Israel would no longer be recognized among the nations, would be scattered over the entire world, yet would come back to their own land given to Abraham. "Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the cast, and gather thee from the west" (Isa. 43:5 - B.C. 712).
"Behold, I will gather them out of ALL COUNTRIES to which I have driven them in Mine anger, and in My fury, and in great wrath, and I will bring them AGAIN unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely" (Jer. 32:37 - B.C. 590).
"For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of ALL COUNTRIES, and will bring you into your own land" (Ezekiel 36:24 - B.C. 587).
"For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall NOT BE RECKONED AMONG THE NATIONS" (Numbers 23:9 - B.C. 1452).
"For the children of Israel shall abide MANY DAYS without a king, and without a prince and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim" (Hosea 3:4 - B.C. 785).
Have these five prophecies been fulfilled? Life Magazine said that Israel is "The only nation in the world that is governing itself in the same territory, under the same name, and with the same religion and same language as it did 3,000 years ago . It is conscious of fulfilling destiny". Why? Because it is God's vine, God's Fig Tree - God's Peculiar Nation - the national key to Bible Prophecy. Beloved, we are very near the end of the age. Seventy percent of Israel's population are immigrants, most of them have returned from over a hundred countries to the land of their fathers during the past 52 years. This has never HAPPENED BEFORE IN HUMAN HISTORY.
THE END IS VERY NEAR
With prophecies fulfilled before our very eyes, written two and three thousand years ago, we can see that Christ's return for the church is at hand. "When the Lord shall build up Zion Jerusalem), He shall appear in His glory" (Psalms102:16).
A nation has been reborn in my lifetime. This is a miracle! A nation out of existence for 1,900 years with its people scattered all over the earth has come back to life. This has never happened before in world history! Think of it! The descendants of Abraham, the people of the weary feet, the "wandering Jew" now has a homeland again, though countries tried to annihilate them as did Germany during World War 11. Hitler and Eichmann slaughtered over six million Jews. Nevertheless they have never been destroyed or absorbed.
Christ is near! How near? "Even at the doors" Jesus said: "Verily I say unto you THIS GENERATION shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled" (Mt. 24:34). The generation that saw the rebirth of Israel May 14, 1948 will not pass (or give birth to another generation) until Jesus comes.
How long is a generation? I challenge you to study carefully Matthew 1: 1-17; Isaiah 53:8; job 42:16; and Psalms 9 5: 10 for the length of time of one generation. The generation born beginning May 14, 1948 and thereafter will not pass until Christ returns. Re may come today - this very day. Are you ready?
If you are not a Christian, one of "Christ's ones" you ought to trust Him this day. He has already died on the cruel cross of Calvary to pay the penalty for your sins. "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "The wicked shall be turned into Hell" (Psalms 9:17). But, "Christ died for our sins" (1 Cor. 15:3). The Bible says: "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1: 12). May the Holy Spirit help you to put your faith in Christ now!
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God bless,
Kindgo
Inside the will of God there is no failure. Outside the will of God there is no success.
Posts: 4320 | From: Sunny Florida | Registered: Jun 2002
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