Splendor for Israel

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Splendor for Israel

by Eddie Turner

In your studies, you may have noticed how Israel tends to be the center of attention in prophetic Scripture. If you did, you likely detected this in nonprophetic Scripture as well. From Genesis to Revelation, Israel never ceases to be God’s chosen people. They will always be His beloved sheep despite their history of wandering off. In the Old Testament, we read how God answered the Israelites’ call for help by delivering them out of bondage and into a new land that He set aside for them. They had to fight for this land, of course, but God handed their enemies over to them with the assurance that they would conquer for as long as they obeyed Him.

Unfortunately, with each new generation, the Israelites became increasingly disobedient, causing God’s patience to wear thin. When the last straw was pulled, God uprooted them from their promised land and scattered them among the nations with a promise to one day bring them back. While a portion of Israel was re-established in 1948, the remainder of the Promised Land was finally taken back by their rightful owners in 1967. You can read the stories of how God once again handed Israel’s enemies over to them during this Six-Day War.

Now that the Israelites are back in business, the many prophecies associated with their return are being fulfilled. As we watch God at work, we are commanded to ready ourselves for the end of our days on earth and for the new lives that await us in His presence. “When these things begin to happen, look up and lift your heads, for the day of redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28).

So, what’s next for Israel? Continued trials and tribulation are what’s next. This, of course, is by God’s design. Why else would a people suffer such scorn for doing what other countries are praised for? Israel gets attacked, they retaliate, and somehow, the Jewish state becomes the big bad wolf of the Middle East. Similar circumstances are what is keeping Israel from rebuilding their temple of worship. In 2010, after being tipped off about a ship full of terrorists that crashed through the trade barriers of the Mediterranean Sea, Israeli soldiers boarded the vessel. And when they did, a deadly gunfight broke out between the two forces.

When it was all said and done, Israel was blamed for the deaths of nine Palestinian sympathizers, who the media chose to call “activists” rather than terrorists. Israel’s claims to have been fired upon first were met with opposing

stories of a premeditated bloodbath. While Israel never backed away from its motive of self-defense, pressure from the United Nations forced the Jewish state to accept responsibility for its actions publicly. This coerced apology required the management of the Temple Mount to be handed over to Islam as a good-faith gesture. In a return of thanks, Jewish men and women were barred from all acts of worship while visiting the Temple Mount Plaza.

“You will be hated by everyone because of my name” (Matthew 10:22).

As God’s chosen people continue to experience turmoil in a hostile Middle Eastern territory, we are to take advantage of every opportunity to pray for Israel. How can we pray for them? We can ask God to lead as many who occupy the Promised Land to Him as possible. And we can ask that God’s will be done in the lives of those that He loves without limits.34 // February 2022