In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 NIV NLT BSB CSB ASV CEV)
The heavens and the earth have a beginning and will also have an ending. But the Word of God will never pass away.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. (Revelation 21:1 ESV)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Matthew 24:35 CSB NIV)
Then there will be a fourth kingdom, one strong like iron. Just like iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything, and as iron breaks in pieces all these metals, so it will break in pieces and crush the others. In that you were seeing feet and toes partly of wet clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom. Some of the strength of iron will be in it, for you saw iron mixed with wet clay. In that the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, the latter stages of this kingdom will be partly strong and partly fragile. And in that you saw iron mixed with wet clay, so people will be mixed with one another without adhering to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. In the days of those kings the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever. (Daniel 2:40-44 NET)
"Thus says the Lord God: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme and say, 'I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates,' to seize spoil and carry off plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and the people who were gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth. (Ezekiel 38:10-12 ESV)
From Trump: 'God spared my life for a reason -- to save our country and restore America to greatness' | The Times of Israel:
QUOTE
"God spared my life for a reason," Donald Trump says in his victory speech, referring to the two assassination attempts he survived on the US campaign trail.
"And that reason was to save our country and restore America to greatness. And now we're going to fulfill that mission together," he says.
UNQUOTE
I think God spared Donald Trump to do two tasks:
The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive ruling authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These kings have a single intent, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. (Revelation 17:12-13 NET)
Therefore prophesy, son of man, and tell Gog that this is what the Lord GOD says: On that day when My people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not take notice of this? (Ezekiel 38:14 BSB)
In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. (Daniel 7:13 BSB)
And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:62 ESV)
Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and one like the Son of Man was seated on the cloud, with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. (Revelation 14:14 CSB)
Unlike many religious leaders and founders of religions who popped into history without warning, the coming of Jesus was predicted in advance in the Old Testament. He came to fulfil the prophecies in the Old Testament (Psalm 40:7-8, Hebrews 10:7). He came to be King, as prophesied by Daniel. Jesus Himself also quoted Daniel's prophecy.
He is the Son of Man, who will be seated on the cloud when He comes again.
Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with justice he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and many crowns were on his head. He had a name written that no one knows except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. The armies that were in heaven followed him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. A sharp sword came from his mouth, so that he might strike the nations with it. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty. And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:11-16 CSB)
You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. For truly I tell you, you will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10:22-23 CSB)
And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel. (Matthew 10:22-23 NLT)
The listeners thought that this will happened during their lifetime. It turned out that before Jesus can return, He was crucified, resurrected and ascended to heaven. Israel was dispersed and returned after nearly 2000 years. And after 2000 years, Christian missionaries still have not reached all the towns of Israel and not all the Jews believe (but Jews have heard of Jesus during their diaspora). But when Jesus returns, they will all believe in a single day (Isaiah 66:8).
The gospel goes west from Israel to Macedonia (Acts 16:9) and Europe, go one round the earth and comes back to Israel from the east. So the Arabs and Iranians will believe in Christ first before the Jews.
For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 24:27 NLT)
Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city to stop their transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. Know and understand this: From the issuance of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until the Messiah, the Prince (מָשִׁ֣יחַ נָגִ֔יד mā-šî-aḥ nā-ḡîḏ), there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeksh the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing. Then the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood, and until the end there will be war; desolations have been decreed. And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him." (Daniel 9:24-27 BSB)
Bible prophecy is very focused. It is about Yeshua Hamashiach and Israel. The theme of the Bible is about God and what He do for Israel. The seventy weeks of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27) gave a broad outline of what will happen to Israel and its King, Yeshua Hamashiach. It is foundational to our understanding of the sequence of events that will happen to Israel.
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9 CSB)
Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6 BSB)
What did Abram believe? He believed that God would make a great nation out of him. He believed and he became the father of all who believe.
Then the LORD said to Abram, "Leave your country, your kindred, and your father's household, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:1-3 BSB)
Do we have something to believe like Abraham? Yes. God wants us to believe that we will reign with Him for a thousand years. Do we believe in this? Or do we believe in climate change and artificial intelligence and the end of the world? Things will get worse, but the world will not end. Ultimately, Jesus will come and rule.
Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6 BSB)
Be like Abraham. Believe in Him who is faithful.
He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24 ESV)
As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist. (Romans 4:17 BSB)
Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT)
And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. (Mark 13:10 NIV)
This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14 CSB)
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Mark 13:32 BSB)
For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2 BSB)
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NIV)
Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 CSB)
This website Is there anything that must happen before the Rapture? - AskBible.org says rapture can happen anytime without warning.
QUOTE
The answer is - nothing. There is nothing that must happen before the rapture - the rapture is imminent. We at AskBible.org believe this is what the Bible teaches. Let us see why.
UNQUOTE
The rapture is imminent. But something will precede the rapture. The gospel must first be preached to all nations. If Christians are raptured before that happened, who is going to preach? So, the rapture will only occur near the end.
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him: We ask you, brothers and sisters, not to be easily upset or troubled, either by a prophecy or by a message or by a letter supposedly from us, alleging that the day of the Lord has come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God's temple, proclaiming that he himself is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 CSB)
Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. (2 Thessalonians 2:3 CSB)"Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. I will show how holy my great name is - the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land. (Ezekiel 36:22-24 NLT)
He began by saying to them, "Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled." (Luke 4:21 CSB)
Is Israel's existence today in the land of Canaan a fulfilment of God's prophesy? The Zionist Christians said yes, the Anti-Zionist Christians said no.
So how do we know who is right? Let us look into the past to see the future.
Is Jesus the fulfilment of God's prophesy on the Messiah? The Christians said yes, the Jews said no.
Why did the Jews object to Jesus as a fulfilment of God's prophesy on the Messiah? The Jews believe that the Messiah will come to rule Israel as the King. But Jesus came and partially fulfilled God's prophesy on the Messiah and then declare that He will fulfil the rest (becoming King) in a second coming. The Jews objected to the fulfilment God's prophesy on the Messiah by instalments. The Messiah must fulfil all prophecies in one go.
Why did the Anti-Zionist Christians object to Israel's existence today in the land of Canaan as a fulfilment of God's prophesy on the restoration of Israel? Anti-Zionist Christians believe that the Jews must fulfil the conditions given in Deuteronomy 30:2, that is, to obey God completely in one go before they can come back to the land of Israel. The Anti-Zionist Christians objected to the fulfilment God's prophesy on the restoration of Israel by a gradual process. It is obvious that today's Jews in the land of Canaan reject Jesus as the Messiah. They are not Christians and may even be anti-Christians since they were persecuted by European Christians for about 1000 years.
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 NLT)
We must always believe that God is good to us. This is fundamental in our relationship with God.
Whether it is Adam and Eve in a newly created, perfect and sinless world, or we in the current imperfect sinful world, or our descendants in a future restored sinless world in the coming millennium rule of Christ, we have to believe that God always has our good in His mind.
Past
But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:4-5 ESV)
Adam and Eve could not believe that God had their good in His mind. They chose to believe in the serpent who told them that God wanted to prevent them from becoming like God. Thus their unbelief caused sin to enter the world.
Present
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 CSB)
Today we live in an imperfect world, where there is good in bad and bad in good. We have to believe by faith that all the things that happened to us, whether good or bad, is for our good.
Future
When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. (Revelation 20:7-8 NASB)
In the near future, the Anointed One will return to earth to rule for a thousand years in a restored perfect and sinless world with Satan locked in the bottomless pit and a whole generation will grow up without knowing what sin is. Then Satan will be released after a thousand years. It will then be the turn of the generation who know not sin to decide if God has their good in His mind.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 BSB)
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" (Luke 11:13 CSB)
I don't want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited: A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Romans 11:25 CSB)
Gentile Christians do not replace Israel. Rather, they are grafted into Israel. Replacement Theology is a false teaching by conceited Christians.
"In that day I will restore the fallen house of David. I will repair its damaged walls. From the ruins I will rebuild it and restore its former glory. And Israel will possess what is left of Edom and all the nations I have called to be mine." The Lord has spoken, and he will do these things. (Amos 9:11-12 NLT)
"Shout for joy and be glad, O Daughter of Zion, for I am coming to dwell among you," declares the LORD. "On that day many nations will join themselves to the LORD, and they will become My people. I will dwell among you, and you will know that the LORD of Hosts has sent Me to you. And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His portion in the Holy Land, and He will once again choose Jerusalem. Be silent before the LORD, all people, for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling." ((Zechariah 2:10-13 BSB)
I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy - just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. But some of these branches from Abraham's tree - some of the people of Israel - have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God's special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. "Well," you may say, "those branches were broken off to make room for me." Yes, but remember - those branches were broken off because they didn't believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don't think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won't spare you either. Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong. (Romans 11:13-24 NLT)
"And I will make a vast graveyard for Gog and his hordes in the Valley of the Travelers, east of the Dead Sea. It will block the way of those who travel there, and they will change the name of the place to the Valley of Gog's Hordes. It will take seven months for the people of Israel to bury the bodies and cleanse the land. Everyone in Israel will help, for it will be a glorious victory for Israel when I demonstrate my glory on that day, says the Sovereign Lord. (Ezekiel 39:11-13 NIV)
Sometime in the future, a group of people will invade Israel from the north. They will have allies in the east and the west. No one will help Israel. United States and Europe seems to be neutral, unable or unwilling to help.
But God will intervene and caused a great earthquake in Israel. The invaders will kill each other in confusion. There will pestilence, torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulphur. The invaders will be defeated. So many invaders will be killed that Israel will take seven months to bury the dead.
It is God's mercy to the Palestinians that they are facing a human enemy call Israel. While God will not leave Israel unpunished for their sin, neither is God kind to those who want to erase Israel from the map.
Remember that the God of Israel is the God who drown the whole earth except for those in the Ark, killed all the first born in Egypt and made death the wages of sin. If God has not declared that death is the wages of sin, nobody will die. Everyone will live forever.
For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD; I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished. (Jeremiah 30:11 ESV)
I will first repay them double for their iniquity and sin because they have polluted my land. They have filled my inheritance with the carcasses of their abhorrent and detestable idols." (Jeremiah 16:18 CSB)
And in all the land, declares the LORD, two-thirds will be cut off and perish, but a third will be left in it. This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are My people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'" (Zechariah 13:8-9 BSB)
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. (Isaiah 40:2 NIV)
Comment by Joseph Ng on his Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/berzerkistan/):
Curiously, when Stalin persecuted and killed Christians along with other religionists, the Evangelicals stood with the Christians.
When Mao did that, they stood with their brethren.
When Pol Pot did the same, they did likewise.
But in Gaza, 10,000 deaths and 1 million displacemens on, they cheered the oppressors on.
They can't seem to get to base 1 in James' Epistle and say, "Be warmed and filled."
My response 1:
Bro, you do not need to worry. The males among the 10,000 dead are probably enjoying their virgins now. As for the female, I am not too sure. And the million displaced? Believe me, they are in good hands. Just listen to this twit. (https://twitter.com/insharifain/status/1720520794995093890)
Joseph Ng:
there's beligerents on both sides, but check out the pleas from Bethlehem Bible College and other brethren
My response 2:
I have checked the Bethlehem Bible College website (https://bethbc.edu/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BethlehemBibleCollege/).
I see no evidence that Bethlehem Bible College has been persecuted like the churches in China during the cultural revolution. You can check how the Chinese Christians are persecuted in this YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rowbpSPv98c).
Communist China set up a state church, the three-self church, and forced all Christians to join. I do not see the Israeli government setting up a state church, forcing all Christians in Israel to join. I did not see any Jewish or Palestinian Christians going to jail for their belief. I did not see the Israeli government closing down churches.
There is this Israeli Christian Amir Tsarfati (t.me/beholdisraelchannel) running around the world preaching Christ. He has not been persecuted or imprisoned by the Israeli government. His church has not been closed down by the government.
So I cannot understand your comparison of Israel with Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot.
I stand with all Christians persecuted in the Middle East by Islamic and Arab governments. Those with virgin hope are persecuting the Christians. Those who deny virgin birth did not.
Joseph Ng:
I've attended their zoom meetings
Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side. Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing." (Ezekiel 47:1-12 ESV)
A fountain will flow out of the LORD's house and will water the valley of acacias. (Joel 3:18b NIV)
On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. (Zechariah 14:8 ESV)
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:1 ESV)
Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them. (Hosea 14:9 NIV)
The Jews knew from the scriptures that the Anointed One would come 69 weeks or 483 years (Daniel 9:25-26) after the command to rebuild Jerusalem was given. Some Jews identified Jesus as the Anointed One that fulfils the prophecy. Others failed to do so. Not only did the Anointed One not come, but their temple was destroyed, and the daily sacrifice ceased. But they dared not to call God a liar. Instead, they created a new religion that replace the temple sacrifice.
Today all Christians know that the Anointed One will come again (Acts 1:11) after His ascension at the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:12). Since He ascended from the Mount of Olives, will He come back to the Mount of Olives as predicted by the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 14:4)? What will the circumstances be around the Mount of Olives? Will there be a city of Jerusalem? Will there be a temple at Jerusalem? Is the state of Israel in existence when the Anointed One return?
As the Jews at the first coming of the Anointed One were, so are the Christians at the second coming of the Anointed One today. We read the same scriptures, and we know that He will come. But when, where and how will He come? Are the prophecies clear on this? Do we even know if we have been enlightened or stumbled by the prophecies of the second coming of the Anointed One?
For this reason God sends them a strong delusion so that they will believe the lie, so that all will be condemned - those who did not believe the truth but delighted in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 CSB)
Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water." (Revelation 14:6-7 ESV)
Has it ever occurred to you why is God using an angel to preach the gospel to men directly? I remembered that someone ever said to me, "Do you know why God does not use angels to preach the gospel? Because angels never experience redemption and cannot witness the joy of the gospel to us."
Then why is this angel preaching the eternal gospel to every nation? Is it because after the seventh and last trumpet, all the believers are raptured and there are no believers on earth?
It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. (1 Corinthians 15:52 NLT)
The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 11:15 CSB)
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24 BSB)
Jesus said that Jerusalem will be trodden down by Gentiles and the age of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Therefore, when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, Jerusalem will be restored to Israel. The conquest of west Jerusalem in 1948 and east Jerusalem in 1967 were just part of the process. Jerusalem will continue to be a problem until the end of the tribulation the times of the Gentiles end.
"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples. Judah will be besieged, as well as Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:2 BSB)
And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him." (Daniel 9:27 BSB)
This will be fulfilled when Jesus comes again at the end of the great tribulation, when the Jews will say to Him, "Blessed are You who comes in the name of the Lord."
Look, your house is left to you desolate. And I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'" Luke 13:35 BSB)
If at that time you and your children return to the LORD your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all your soul all the commands I have given you today, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you and gather you back from all the nations where he has scattered you. (Deuteronomy 30:2-3 NLT)
This article "A Biblical Response to Christian Zionism - Christian Research Institute" argues that "Modern Israel fails to meet the biblical requirement for return to the land." Below is the quotation in context:
QUOTE
While Christian Zionists see the fact that Jerusalem is now completely in the hands of the Jews as validation for the Bible, nothing could be further from the truth. Even if one ignores the typological fulfillment of Jerusalem in Jesus, the Old Covenant promise of return to the land is inviolately conditioned on belief and faithfulness. Modern Israel fails to meet the biblical requirement for return to the land. As Moses unambiguously warned the children of Israel, disobedience against the Lord would result in dispersion (Deut. 28:58–64; 29:23–28), while return to the land requires repentance (Deut. 30:2–3).
There is therefore no warrant for the Christian Zionists' claims that the recapturing of Jerusalem by modern Israel signifies the preliminary fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham. While one might well defend the right of the secular state of Israel to exist, the contention that the modern state of Israel is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy is indefensible. In truth, since coming under the exclusive control of modern Israel, Jerusalem has demonstrated a far greater resemblance to the harlot city spoken of by the prophets than to the holy city spoken of by the psalmists.
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This reminded me of the reason why the Jews reject Jesus as Messiah. Jesus only fulfilled part of the prophecies required for the Messiah. He will come back again to fulfil the remaining prophecies. To the Jews, this is not acceptable. The Messiah must fulfil all the prophecies in one go or He is not the Messiah.
Now the Anti-Zionist Christians require the Jews to repent completely in one go before they can come back to the land of Israel to fulfil the condition given in Deuteronomy 30:2-3. They reject the idea that the Jews can come back first as unbelieves, have a gradual restoration as predicted in Ezekiel 37 and then repent on the day when Jesus lands on Mount Olive as predicted in Zechariah 14:4 and 12:10 as a nation born in one day (Isaiah 66:8). That will also fulfil Deuteronomy 30:2-3.
If the Jews missed the first coming of the Messiah because they interpreted the prophecies wrongly, will the anti-Zionists missed the seconding coming of the Messiah too?
Then he said to me, "Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, 'Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.'" (Ezekiel 37:4-6 NLT)
On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. (Zechariah 14:4 BSB)
Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son. (Zechariah 12:10 BSB)
Who has heard of such as this? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children. (Isaiah 66:8 BSB)
On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. (Isaiah 11:11 BSB)
Astounded and amazed, they asked, "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? How is it then that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism; Cretans and Arabs - we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" (Acts 2:7-11 BSB)
I always thought it was quite clear when prophet Isaiah refer to the Lord as bringing back His people for the second time (first time was after 70 years of Babylonian captivity), it was referring to the 1948 birth of the nation of Israel. But anti-Zionist claim that Act 2:7-11 is the fulfilment because they apply prophecies of Israel to Christians.
This website article "Pre-tribulation Rapture Refuted: 1948 Israeli nationhood did not fulfill prophecy" gave many Bible verses to refute the rapture and that the 1948 Statehood of Israel does not fulfil Bible prophecy. It came to the following conclusion:
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I always notice that anti-Zionist will always insist that those who believe in rapture and the founding of Israel as prophetic fulfilment are Dispensationalist.
For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land. (Ezekiel 36:24 BSB)
"Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they shall no longer say, 'As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' but 'As the LORD lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.' Then they shall dwell in their own land." (Jeremiah 23:7 ESV)
In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people - those who remain in Assyria and northern Egypt; in southern Egypt, Ethiopia, and Elam; in Babylonia, Hamath, and all the distant coastlands. (Isaiah 11:11 NLT)
Who are these who fly like a cloud, like doves to their shelters? Yes, the coasts and islands will wait for me with the ships of Tarshish in the lead, to bring your children from far away, their silver and gold with them, for the honor of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you. (Isaiah 60:8-9 CSB)
Is Israel's existence today in the land of Canaan a fulfilment of God's prophesy? There are those like Albert Barnes (died 1870) and Robert Anderson (died1918) who predicted the Jewish nation's restoration well before 1948.
Then there are Christians who think that it is not because they believe that the promises to Israel are to be fulfilled by the Elect, that is, the Church and true Israel. There should be no segregation of prophecy fulfilment by Church and Israel separately. They believed that Zionism, the belief that Jews will go back to the land of Canaan, is a misinterpretation of the Bible. They think that Zionists are selectively literal in their interpretation of Bible prophecies to achieve the belief that Jews have to go back to the land of Canaan. They think that many prophecies, like those in Revelation, should be interpreted allegorically.
Can we actually know whose interpretation is right, the Zionist or Anti-Zionist?
We can do the following to find out:
Then we can check whether the Zionist or Anti-Zionist is correct in their interpretation.
Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say "and to seeds," as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Christ. (Galatians 3:16 CSB)
Below is taken from the website, "Why I'm Not a Christian Zionist | The Banner", which kind of summarized the anti-Zionist position:
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God's Promises to Abraham
Christian Zionism takes the land promises of God in Genesis 12, 15, and 17 and applies them to the modern state of Israel. To Christian Zionists, this promise of land inheritance is permanent and unconditional. Therefore, despite Israel's own declared intention of being a secular state (and despite Israelis' low religious participation), modern Israel still benefits from a 4,000-year-old promise. For Zionists, the Abrahamic covenant is still active regardless of whether Israelis believe in God or not. In the Christian Zionist view - and this is key - the covenant of Christ does not replace or supplant the Jewish covenants.
Reformed theologians believe something decisive happened in Christ. His covenant affected not simply the covenant of Moses, making a new and timeless form of salvation, but also every other Jewish covenant, including Abraham's covenant. Christ fulfills the expectations of Jewish covenant life and renews the people of God rooted in the Old Testament and Judaism. Thus, Jesus is the new temple, the new Israel.
In Galatians 3:16, the apostle Paul writes, "Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring; it does not say 'And to offsprings,' as of many; but it says, 'And to your offspring,' that is, to one person, who is Christ" (NRSV). Paul argues from the singular noun in Genesis to show that the promises to Abraham point to Christ. Christ is the locus of the promise of land! The promises to Abraham have been realized in Christ. He holds everything Judaism desired, and knowing him gains access to such promises.
Jesus' homily in John 15 says the same. The Old Testament image of Israel is that of a vineyard filled with vines rooted in the soil of the Holy Land. You can see this outlined beautifully in Isaiah 5. But Jesus upends this. We see a vineyard again, but now we learn that there is one vine - Christ - and the only concern is not on gaining access to the land but being attached to him.
To think Christianly about land and promise is to think differently than Judaism. The New Testament changes the spiritual geography of God's people. The kingdom of God is tied to neither an ethnicity nor a place. Because the early Christians understood this, they carried their missionary efforts to the entire world. God loves Ephesus just as much as he loves Jerusalem. Indeed, God loves the entire world and all its people equally.
Reformed theologians are not convinced the promises to Abraham can be used politically today. The work of Christ is definitive. There is one covenant, and it is with Christ. In the zeal to promote and protect modern Israel, has Jesus been demoted?
Still, some might ask if emphasizing the centrality of Christ's covenant leads to the dismissal of Judaism and its covenants. Would this lead to anti-Judaism in the church?
No. Christ and his church are deeply rooted in Judaism. As Gentiles, we are grafted into the Jewish tree of Abraham (Rom. 11:13-24). Jesus was Jewish, and it is through the Hebrew covenants that we understand our own covenant.
Christ does not replace these covenants; rather, he fulfills them and enables the birth of God's kingdom, which includes both Jews and Gentiles. Reformed theology does not split Israel and the church; it finds rich continuity between them. Paul did not "become" a Christian; he realized the deepest meaning of his Jewishness when he chose to follow Jesus. This new, category-changing event at the heart of Christ's work cannot be diminished. It is central to New Testament faith. Some have misused this teaching and promoted a dreadful anti-Semitism. But this misuse does not mean we dismiss what the Scriptures teach. Judaism deserves our respect, and anti-Semitism should be rejected outright as an utter corruption of the gospel.
Israel, Prophecy, and Nationhood
In Christian Zionism, 1948 is not simply a political marker in history. It is a theological marker. Israel has been restored to the land in fulfillment of prophecy, Zionists say. Therefore, the establishment of modern Israel is a theologically ordained event deserving of profound Christian respect and awe.
Reformed theologians also affirm Israel's right to exist, but they are skeptical about Israel's theological claim to own the Holy Land. They point to countless times when Christians used ancient prophetic texts to interpret contemporary times with bad results. They also note that any biblical claim to nationhood must also incorporate biblical expectations of nation-building - expectations that aren't now being met.
The promise of land always comes with covenant expectations for religious life and for justice, themes echoed regularly by the prophets. Modern Israel began as a secular state. It does not reflect ancient Israel's religious or moral national aspirations as described in Scripture, and it has made choices regarding the Palestinians living within its borders that would inspire harsh criticism from Old Testament prophets such as Amos or Isaiah.
For all these reasons, Reformed theologians do not see commitment to Israel as a spiritual imperative. They are moved more by ethics than eschatology when considering any country, because no one country now enjoys a preferential place in God's economy.
History Is Coming to Its Close
Christian Zionists think Israel's national birth is the key prophetic fulfillment in counting down the end of history. They believe Israel's return fits with what else is happening in the world: moral values are in decline, an ecological crisis is looming with our oil-based economy in peril, and most importantly, there is war in the Middle East, all leading to widespread agreement among Zionists that history is reaching its end. All of this, they claim, was prophesied in Scripture.
Reformed theologians are not so catastrophic, not so sure these pronouncements are true, and they have always called for sober judgment. They worry Christian Zionists have let their zeal for prophecy and history's end drown out other, more primary Christian values.
Our chief complaint is how a desire for the end times has shaped the ethics of Christian Zionists. Building the kingdom of God has become secondary to building the kingdom of Israel. Passion for seeing Christ's second coming now comes before a passion for justice and fairness. When presented with the remarkable suffering of 4 million Palestinians living under harsh military occupation, Zionists typically stand unmoved. Negotiations that might return land to Palestinian owners are deemed to be against God's will. Some Zionist pastors have even written that natural disasters hitting the United States and killing thousands are God's punishment for political pressure put on Israel. It is this sort of theological confusion that stuns Reformed theologians.
Fidelity to Israel
For Christian Zionists, the first obligation of Christians is to study end-times prophecies and to monitor each nation's political decisions. One conviction is always held aloft: God blesses those who bless Israel and curses those who curse Israel. Nations will stand or fall based on this one creed.
Reformed theologians hear this and wonder if the message of the gospel has been lost. My first call is fidelity to Christ and his kingdom. And yet this commitment should inspire in me a deep love for Israel and a desire for its people to become what their Scriptures call them to become: a nation of priests, a light to the nations, a people in whom there is such goodness that the nations will see the glory of God and rejoice.
Jesus' Second Coming
This is the crown jewel of Christian Zionism. The birth of Israel has set the stage for the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Zionists claim, any national agenda that would impede God's plan, any peace plan that weakens Israel's hold on the land, or any decision that stands in the way of this dramatic stage-setting is not a plan blessed by God.
Reformed theologians believe in the second coming too. But the chief difference is that Reformed theologians make profound investments in the world. We are not sectarian. We devote ourselves to promoting Christ's commitments here and now. We do not despair about the course of the world, and we refuse to abandon it. We still build schools and hospitals and speak to injustice and poverty.
Dwight Moody, the founder of the dispensational Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, once asked why you'd want to polish the brass on a sinking ship. Reformed theologians are not convinced the ship is sinking, and we continue to polish the brass, navigate a course, and make passengers comfortable until we are surprised by Christ's return - just as the Bible tells us we should be.
This is my ultimate concern: Christian Zionists believe in Jesus, but I wonder if they have lost the gospel. They have uncritically wed our faith to the politics of one nation, and this, as the church has learned so many times, is a prescription for disaster.
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