The Miraculous Regathering of Israel

The Miraculous Regathering of Israel

For the past 2000 years, in general the nation of Israel as a whole has historically rejected Jesus as their Messiah. The main reason for this is their willful ignorance of the hundreds of prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah as a suffering sacrifice for their sins.

(Luke 24:25-27), Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

So, why is Israel important for us today?

Concerning end-time Bible prophecy, Israel is the key to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Matthew 23:37-39), O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  …for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

End-time Bible prophecy has made it clear that the nation of Israel must be a recognized state, with her people residing in the land that was promised to them, just prior to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is where a number of false religions greatly erred. There has been a number of predictions in the later 1800s and early 1900s, that claimed that Jesus would return back then. According to end time prophecy, it was impossible because Israel was not a recognized state, nor her people back in the land yet.

This recent generation has witnessed an historical phenomenon that many have believed it to be impossible. After almost 2,600 years (since ~ 600 BC), Israel once again has become a state. In fact, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem still defines it as a “miracle”.

Because of this, we now have a huge piece of God’s prophetical plan in place to usher in the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s start from the beginning to grasp this more deeply.

The whole history of the nation of Israel is nothing short of one of the world’s greatest wonders of all time, and one that we cannot afford to ignore.

• The Miraculous Birth of a Nation Began with just one man and one woman – Abraham and Sarah
• Their Miraculous Safe Journey through a Wicked Land The journey Abraham and Sarah had to make in order to reach the promised land was deadly.  Their success in reaching their destination can only be defined as God’s divine power protecting them all the way.
• The Miraculous Growth of Their Numbers In Slavery!!!  While in Egyptian bondage, they grew to approximately three million in numbers.
• Their Miraculous Release from Egypt after Becoming the Backbone of Egypt’s Economy! What could have possibly convinced Pharaoh and all of Egypt to free about three million Hebrew slaves knowing it would be the end of their workforce, greatness, and might?!  It is among history’s greatest phenomenon. 

If one doubts that this exodus ever happened, ask them this; “Why have the Israelites celebrated Passover EVERY YEAR, for the past 3,500 YEARS?!!!!!”

• Their Miraculous Wandering in the Desert and Wilderness for 40 Years! –

Can you even imagine three million people wandering together in a wilderness for 40 years? 

On top of that, where did they get enough food to feed three million people each day? Do you realize how much food it would take on a daily basis to accomplish such a task?

On top of that, they were in a dry desert area where there was nowhere near enough water to keep alive such a large multitude.

God had to rain manna from Heaven, and miraculously gush water out of a rock.

• Their Civil, Ceremonial, Priesthood and Temple Laws – It is impossible to imagine that a nation of people could come up with such strict, peculiar, complex, detailed and numerous laws just for the sake of it. The creation of all these laws had to come from a source that the people of Israel greatly feared and highly respected. Even the numerous symbolic representations found in all these laws are far beyond the creation ability of mere human reasoning. From the priesthood garments to the Temple construction and furniture pieces, it makes no sense for a nation of people to comply with all these if it were not given by God Himself for a very specific purpose!

Their Dispersion and Their Miraculous Return!

In the remaining of this lesson, we want to focus on the dispersion of Israel, their miraculous return, and what that means to end-time Bible prophecy.

When God settled the children of Israel into the land He gave them, He promise He would care, protect, and provide all their needs, as long as they continued to love Him and have faith in Him and His Word.

(Deuteronomy 28:1), Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.

The Lord then went on to say, that if they refuse to obey and love Him, they will become cursed and will be taken out of the land and scattered throughout the world.

(Deuteronomy 28:15-64), But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you… Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other

And so, for a while, Israel enjoyed remaining in their own land. But as time went on, they refused to obey the Lord, and their hearts turned away from Him. At that time, God’s warning to them came to pass.

(Jeremiah 9:13-16), And the Lord said, “Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, nor walked according to it, but they have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts and after the Baals, which their fathers taught them,”… I will scatter them also among the Gentiles, whom neither they nor their fathers have known

This dispersion began around 700 BC. God raised up the Assyrians which came upon the 10 northern tribes of Israel, brought them into captivity, and scattered them to surrounding states. It was then around 600 BC, that God raised up king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who brought the remaining two tribes of Israel into captivity and scattered them across the world.

So, beginning around 600 BC, Israel ceased to be a state. What a sad and devastated outcome for these people.

And so, year after year, century after century, millennium after millennium, the children of Israel remained scattered throughout the known world without a state of their own.

But God in His mercy, promised that one day, He would bring them back to the land He promised them, and allow them to become a state once again.

(Jeremiah 30:3), For behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.

Who would ever think that this prophecy could ever be fulfilled.  The people of Israel were;

• Scattered worldwide
• Weak with no political, economic, or military power
• The most hated and persecuted people across the known world

And yet with all this, in 1948 AD the impossible happened. After 2,600 long years, Israel became a state once again, JUST AS THE BIBLE PREDICTED WOULD HAPPEN!!!!  

Israel is now back in the land bringing about a key piece of God’s plan to the fulfillment of end-time prophecy! There have been generations before us that were only able to dream what we are witnessing today concerning this nation of people. And so, let us all be watching and waiting as we believe our Lord’s coming to be ever drawing so near!