A waning support of Israel
According to a headliner in the online Edition of “Kehila News Israel” on 28.1.2018 it stated; “Survey shows waning support of Israel among millennial evangelicals” The article went on to say…”Though evangelical Christians in America are a known bloc of spiritual, political and financial support for Israel, a new study has shown that the younger generation of Christians are somewhat more ambivalent toward the Jewish State— a trend that concerns pro-Israel Christian leaders as well as policy makers. The survey shows that of millennial evangelicals (those 18 to 35) 41 percent have “no strong views about the State of Israel,” compared to only 22 percent of those over 65. “Older American evangelicals love Israel — but many younger evangelicals simply don’t care,” according to the study, released last month by LifeWay Research, an evangelical research firm based in Nashville, Tenn. As KNI reported in December, the same trend holds for Jewish millennials in America who are showing less support of the Jewish state and a waning connection to Israel as well.”
A developing and disturbing trend
As I read the whole article I was stirred in my spirit to write about this developing and disturbing trend concerning Israel and its Biblical connection to eschatology among many young evangelicals of the next upcoming generation. Even in my generation there are ministers who are no longer teaching Biblical eschatology and are robbing God’s people of what they need to know in these spiritually perilous times in which we are living. In the book of judges we read what happened in Israel after Joshua and his generation had passed away. “All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel. Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.” (Judges 2:10-11) This younger generation of Israelites had no revelation of what God could do or what He was doing and consequently went after the idols of the nations and adopted their ways. As it is written; “Where there is no vision the people perish.” The “vision” the Bible mentions is not having some kind of dream or revelation of a coming spiritual utopia or receiving ‘personal prophecies’ of one sort or another but it has everything to do with seeing and understanding what God is actually doing in the world according to what is revealed in His Word the Bible.
Is Bible prophecy “none of our business?”
In these last days understanding what God is doing through Israel is the key factor in understanding Biblical Eschatology and what is happening in the Middle-east and how it will ultimately affect the nations. Today there is an increasing trend in many so called ‘evangelical’ churches to avoid end-time prophecy in favour of the ‘theology’ of seeker friendly, kingdom now and word of faith prosperity teaching. Ultimately this kind of teaching that includes having it good in this world leads to covetousness and idolatry. One leading ‘luminary’ RW as supposed evangelical known all around the world, said this about Biblical prophecy; “When the disciples wanted to talk about prophecy, Jesus quickly switched the conversation to evangelism. He wanted them to concentrate on their mission in the world. He said in essence, “The details of my return are none of your business. What is your business is the mission I have given you. Focus on that!” (PDL, p. 285) RW ends this section of his book by stating that Satan would have you “side-tracked from your mission” and by quoting Jesus out of context, saying, “Anyone who lets himself be distracted [by studying Bible prophecy] from the work I plan for him is not fit for the kingdom of God” (Living Bible). But Jesus was not referring to His return when He made that statement, which in the King James Version says: “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). The Purpose Driven kingdom of God leaves no room for Bible prophecy, and in fact, condemns those who study it.
What the Apostle Peter said
The apostle Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, had a different view. He writes: “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. (II Peter 1:19) (KJV), are you going to believe RW and the Purpose Driven agenda or the Bible? You cannot have it both ways! If you look at the Biblical admonitions to live holy lives separated to the LORD many of them are directly connected to Biblical Prophecy and given in light of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus the Messiah.
What kind of people ought you to be?
Most of the mega-churches today are filled to the brim with young impressionable people who are believers but all they are being served up is a smorgasboard of feel-good, have it good in this world type sermons of one sort or another that have no Biblical nourishment in them whatsoever. As for Biblical Prophecy many of their teachers know little or nothing about it themselves. This may seem a harsh thing to say but we are living in harsh times spiritually and it is the truth! The apostle Peter also writes; “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be dissolved in the fire, and the earth and its works will not be found. Since everything will be dissolved in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be dissolved by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.” (2 Peter 3:10-12) More so, is the waning interest among many young believers in what is happening to Israel and how it is related to the end-times as prophesied in the Bible.
The prophets were right!
When an increasing number of ‘evangelical’ ministers are supporting the so called ‘Palestinian’ State in deference to Israel and promoting replacement theology, it creates the impression on those whom they are teaching that God has finished with Israel and is now favouring the Church. Furthermore, those who are into replacement theology and teach Eschatology from that view point have a problem with many of the whole passages of scripture in the Old Testament that clearly and directly prophesy the national and spiritual restoration of Israel in the last days. Many actually believe that in 1948 when Israel became a nation again after almost 2,000 years of exile that the whole thing was engineered by man and had nothing to do with what the prophets wrote about. Ezekiel the prophet clearly reveals that Israel were to be back in the land in unbelief and that the nation would be purified through the Time of Jacob’s trouble and through their encounter with their Messiah on His return a believing remnant would come forth to reign with their Messiah from Jerusalem. It’s all there in Ezekiel Chapter 37. In fact most of the Old Testament prophets write liberally about this national and spiritual restoration of Israel in the last days that will be fully completed at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. The prophets were right!
Confusion and ignorance
Many young people even in many ‘evangelical’ churches are confused at what is happening in the world and especially in the Middle-East and they are not being taught what the Bible says about Israel and the last days just before the Lord Jesus comes back. Sadly many of those who are teaching them do not see the Biblical connection and significance between Israel and the last days that is clearly written in the Bible. Satan wants God’s people ignorant of Biblical Eschatology. Satan knows that the promise of the return of the Lord Jesus the Messiah depends on God’s promises to Israel as a nation. He is coming back for His Body the faithful Church but also to restore Israel as a nation! God is going to restore Israel, make no mistake about that! not because they have earned it or merited it but because of His covenant promises to them. He dispersed them in righteous anger because of their sin and idolatry and unbelief but in His mercy and faithfulness He will gather them again to their long lost and rejected Messiah our Lord Jesus! Amen and Amen! (Ezekiel Chapter 36)
The Apple of God’s Eye
Israel is still the apple of God’s eye as the prophet Zechariah writes; “…for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.” (Zechariah 2:8b) and He has put His name in Jerusalem forever. (2 Chronicles 6:6) The city of Jerusalem is ever before His eyes as the prophet Isaiah records what God said; “Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.” (Isaiah 49:16) He is the divine potter and Israel is the clay in His hands. As Jeremiah the prophet writes; “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.” (Jeremiah 18:6) Isaiah the prophet also writes; “But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.”(Isaiah 64:8)
The Mountain of the House of the LORD
In the Millennial Kingdom of the Messiah Israel will become what God has called them to be. They will be the light to the nations because the light of the world their Messiah will be shining through them to the surviving nations. Israel will be “the head and not the tail” and the Mountain of the Lord’s House will be lifted up higher than all of the other mountains (kingdoms)” and Jerusalem will be the capital of the world and as the prophet Isaiah writes; “Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law (Torah) will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:2-3) As the prophet Obadiah writes; “But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape, And it will be holy. And the house of Jacob will possess their possessions.” According to God’s Word the nation of Israel is going to be completely restored in every way at the end of this age and inherit the Millennial Kingdom. As the saying goes…”You can take that to the bank!”
