Why Is Israel Such a Big Deal?

God said that in the Last Days He would regather the Jews to the Holy Land of Israel.  Never in the history of the world has such a thing happened....where a people group had been gone for 2000 years and were miraculously brought back and even resurrected their long forgotten language of Hebrew!!

Pastor Greg Laurie had this to say today in his daily devotional;

"I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves"
—Zechariah 12:2–3

Why is Jerusalem such a big deal in world news? Why aren't we talking about Los Angeles, Paris, Rome, or some other major capital in another part of the world? Why this little city?

I will tell you why. Because God said that in the last days, Jerusalem would play a key role: "I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves" (Zechariah 12:2–3 NLT).

Scripture also foretold in Ezekiel 37 that the Jews would be regathered in their land, and this prophecy was fulfilled when Israel became a nation on May 14, 1948. After Ezekiel 37 comes Ezekiel 38, which speaks of an attack against Israel by a large nation to the north of the Jewish homeland, accompanied by a number of allies invading Israel from every direction. Scripture emphasizes multiple times that this will happen in the last days. This is still in the future.

In speaking of Israel's enemies, Ezekiel 38:8–11 offers an interesting detail:

"A long time from now you will be called into action. In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be enjoying peace after recovering from war and after its people have returned from many lands to the mountains of Israel.

"You and all your allies—a vast and awesome army—will roll down on them like a storm and cover the land like a cloud.

"This is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'At that time evil thoughts will come to your mind, and you will devise a wicked scheme. You will say, "Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence!"'" (NLT).

These people who live in such confidence? Can you imagine that statement being made right after the Holocaust? Hardly. Can you imagine that statement being made after Israel was established as a nation, or even after the 1967 war? Not really. But today Israel has one of the most powerful and effective military forces on the face of the earth. They are not the largest, but they are known for their military prowess and for their military intelligence. And for quite a long time now, they have had nuclear weaponry. That is why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stood before the United Nations and made it very clear that, if necessary, Israel will exercise a military option to protect herself. So I think Israel does live within a certain degree of confidence today that they have never known historically.

In an address to the United Nations, Prime Minister Netanyahu said, "Iran's apocalyptic leaders believe that a medieval holy man will reappear in the wake of a devastating Holy War, thereby ensuring that their brand of radical Islam will rule the earth. That's not just what they believe. That's what is actually guiding their policies and their actions."

And that is true. Because in his address to the United Nations, Iran's former leader Ahmadinejad stated, "God Almighty has promised us a man of kindness, a man who loves people and loves absolute justice, a man who is a perfect human being and is named Imam A1-Mahdi, a man who will come in the company of Jesus Christ. Peace be upon him and the righteous."

This Islamic messiah, this 12th Imam, according to their beliefs, will bring about an Islamic kingdom. But also according to their beliefs, the Judeo-Christian civilization must be destroyed first. For this 12th Imam to come, they believe, there must first be chaos.

Could this be what brings about the scenario predicted in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel (see chapters 38 and 39)? No one can say with certainty. But this much we must acknowledge: It certainly could be. We see how things are lining up.

Up to this point, the United States has been a staunch ally of Israel's. And I believe that one of the reasons God has blessed our nation is because of our continued support for Israel. But it would appear these days that we are backing away from her. And according to Bible prophecy, one day, there will be no great ally behind Israel. She will stand alone when she is attacked by an enemy from the north and its allies.

The Bible also predicts that a national revival will come to Israel, when God will once again pour out his Spirit upon the nation. But this will happen after the rapture of the church. Romans 11:25 predicts, "Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ."

I have met people who can quote chapter and verse and give a good overview of the proper chronology of events of the end times, yet they are not living godly lives. And they are missing the point. If knowing what the Bible predicts about the last days doesn't impact us in the way that we live, then we have missed what God is trying to say. Jesus didn't say, "When these things begin to happen, argue about it." Rather, he said, "When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near" (Luke 21:28 NKJV).

Friends, there are MANY Bible-teaching pastors who are seeing the same things we are.  God is doing amazing things in preparation of sending His Son, Jesus, back to earth to claim His Bride. One day, maybe soon, a loud trumpet will sound and the dead in Christ will rise from their graves to be given their glorified bodies and then will fly to the clouds to meet Jesus in the clouds.  Then those of us who are still alive will also snap out of our current flesh-costumes and be given our glorified bodies...all in the twinkling of an eye!!

Certainly we don't know the day or the hour that this amazing thing will happen, BUT with all the happenings going on around us we shouldn't be surprised if it were to happen at any time.

"But you, brothers, are not in darkness that this day should surprise you...."