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Israel and Jerusalem: The Road To Armageddon
"I (God) will bless those who bless you (Israel) and will curse those who curse you" (Gen 12:3)
The Bible warns the destiny of the World is inseparable from Israel and Jerusalem. The Bible says God would one day re-gather the children of Israel back into their land from among many nations around the world ... the Bible says they would be re-gathered in unbelief ... God warns He is not re-gathering them into their Land because they deserve it, but because His Name and His word are at stake (see Ezekiel 36:17-23) ... the Bible warns God would then make Jerusalem a world trouble spot ... the Bible says all nations of the world will turn against Israel ... the Bible warns that during this time 'Gaza will be forsaken' ... the Bible warns a coming world leader (the 'Antichrist') will rise out of 10 nations which once formed the Roman Empire and will enforce a peace plan (a covenant or treaty) upon Israel ('upon the many' - for many in Israel will be against it) ... and then, after a 3½ year false peace, God warns He will send the children of Israel (and all the nations of the world) through a fiery trial unlike anything in the history of the world, to separate the unfaithful unbelievers from the faithful believers (the coming 'Apocalypse') ... the Bible warns two-thirds of the people of Israel will be 'cut off and die' for their unbelief ... then, one day when the armies of the world will gather in and around nation Israel (the coming battle of Armageddon) and when all seems lost for the children of Israel, the Bible says a believing remnant will recognize their Messiah from Scripture (Messiah) and will call upon His Name (Messiah's return). The Bible then tells us 'after these things' the little nation of Israel and the children of Israel will rule over all nations on Earth under her King and Messiah Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha'Mashiach in Hebrew). The Bible says all of the covenants, promises, curses, prophecies, and blessings God has made to the children and nation of Israel will be fulfilled . . .
First ...
"Thus says the Lord God: ' Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land." (Ezekiel 37:21) ['Nations' plural ... this is not their return from Babylon]
The Bible warns a series of events (which will change the world forever) would begin after Israel would once again become a sovereign Nation (after almost 2,500 years) . . . This remarkable event took place on May 14, 1948! How has the world reacted to such a profound fulfillment of Bible prophecy? A miracle that can be documented by simply looking at the Bible and a map. It has ignored it! Just as God warned most of the world will ignore the signs of the coming 'Apocalypse' (also called 'the time of Jacob's trouble', the 'Great Tribulation,' and 'the Day of the Lord.'). Remember, God uses prophecy to prove He is who He says His is, and to authenticate all the warnings and the promises found in the Bible . . .
Then, after Israel has become a Nation once again, God warns . . .
"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling [anger, fear] unto all the people [nations] round about . . ." (Zech 12:2 KJV)
"And in that day [the 'Day of the Lord' ... the coming 'Apocalypse'] I [God] will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people" (Zech 12:3)
Don’t miss this . . . God says He is the One stirring things up!
Then, the struggle for 'Peace' and 'Security' . . . Beware of 'Peace Plans' or 'Roadmaps to Peace'!
"For when they say 'Peace' and 'Safety' sudden destruction will come upon them" (1 Thess 5:3 . . . Also see Jeremiah 6:14)
A terrible warning: 'Gaza Will Be Forsaken' . . .
Recently the world watched as all the Jews in Gaza were forcibly removed from their homes and their land ... even the dead Jews were forcibly dug up from their graves and removed from Gaza. This 'uprooting' of the Jews from Gaza which the whole world watched on the news may be a much more 'significant' prophetic event than most realize, and the Bible warns there is more to come . . .
In the book of Zephaniah, God warns Gaza would one day 'be forsaken' (yes, that same Gaza you have now been watching on the world news). Gaza is in the land which was given to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:1-12), and one of Messiah's titles is "The Lion of the Tribe of Judah." The Bible links the forsaking of Gaza to the coming 'Apocalypse,' which is also called 'The Day of Wrath' and the 'Day of the Lord's Anger." From these following passages (Zephaniah 2:1-7), God wants the children of Israel and all people on Earth to learn and know at least three (3) things . . .
1. First, God has issued a terrible warning and a 'plea' to both the children of Israel and to all people on Earth . . .
"Gather yourselves together, Yes, gather together O undesirable nation (the nation who would willingly try to give God's land to her enemies) Before the decree is issued, Before the day passes like chaff, Before the Lord's fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the Lord's anger comes upon you! Seek the Lord, all you meek of the Earth who have upheld His justice (meaning ... this warning is also for everybody on Earth!) Seek righteousness, Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the Lord's anger." (The coming 'Apocalypse' ... the 'Day of the Lord's Wrath')
2. God wants all in Israel and on Earth to know what will help trigger this fierce and terrible anger: Gaza!! He warns, 'Gaza will be forsaken'... her inhabitants (the children of Israel) 'uprooted' and 'driven out' . . .
"For Gaza shall be forsaken, And Ashkelon desolate; They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, And Ekron shall be uprooted. Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, The nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines (Palestinians): "I [God] will destroy you So there shall be no inhabitant." (All 'Palestinians' and their allies should take note ...)
3. God also wants all to know there is Hope. He promises hope for all those who will wait in faith and trust in Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha'Mashiach in Hebrew) ... for one-day in the future, after the coming 'Apocalypse' ... the 'Day of God's Wrath' ... the terrible coming 'Day of the Lord' a remnant of the tribe of Judah will once again peacefully inhabit and prosper in that precious land God promised and gave to them ... and then, and only then, will there be 'peace on Earth.' For at that time, our Messiah and God will restore all the Earth in peace and beauty ... as promised.
"The seacoast shall be pastures, With shelters for shepherds and folds for flocks. The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; They (the remnant of the house of Judah) shall feed there flocks there (coastlands of Gaza); In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. The the Lord their God will intervene for them, And return their captives." (Zephaniah 2:1-7)
Yet, as noted above, the Bible warns prior to 'the remnant of the house of Judah' returning to their land in peace, Israel (and the world) will go through a 'time of tribulation' and 'testing' sometimes called in the Bible the 'Day of God's Wrath' (the coming 'Apocalypse') when 2/3 in the land of Israel will be "cut-off" for their unbelief . . .
"And it shall come to pass in all the Land (Israel), says the Lord, That two-thirds of it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: (only one-third in Israel will survive ... even fewer in the world) I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as gold is tested. They will call on my Name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; and each one will say, 'the LORD is my God.'" (Zech 13:8-9)
The following numbers may just be 'coincidental,' but they are
worth noting . . .
Remember, there was no 'Palestine' in the days of Jesus ... the Romans still called it 'Judea' (Judah) ... just look at their maps and their coins ... it wasn't until after the second Jewish revolt against the Romans (over 100 years after Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) was Crucified and Resurrected) the Romans changed the name from Judea (Judah) to 'Palestinia' (Palestine). The Roman rulers re-named it after Israel's ancient enemy the Philistines in order to try to break the Jews away from their relationship and bond to their Land of Israel. The Bible has much to say about the land of Judah and it has a lot to say about the terrible time we are now moving into . . .
More from the Bible describing the coming 'Time of Israel's (Jacob's) Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7) ... the coming 'Apocalypse' ... the 'Great Tribulation' ... whick culminate in the coming battle of Armageddon.
Jesus (Yeshua) the Messiah warns . . . . "For then there will be great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh (on Earth) would be saved." (Matt 24:21-22)
Jesus (Yeshua) warns us that never in the history of Mankind has there been anything as terrible on Earth as the coming 'Apocalypse,' the 'Great Tribulation' - and only a small remnant of the world will survive. (See the prophecies of the 'Apocalypse')
"For I [God] will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem, [This is remarkable...since we are now seeing all nations turning against Israel.] the city [Jerusalem] shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished [brutally raped]. Half of the city [Jerusalem] shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city." (Zech 14:2)
"And it shall come to pass in all the Land (Israel), says the Lord, That two-thirds of it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: (only one-third in Israel will survive ... even fewer in the world) I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as gold is tested. They will call on my Name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; and each one will say, 'the LORD is my God.'" (Zechariah 13:8-9)
"At that time Michael [the Archangel] shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people [the Jews]; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation" (Dan 12:1) [Only 1/3 in Israel will survive the coming wars ... and even fewer in the world]
"Cursed be everyone who curses you [Israel], and blessed be those who bless you [Israel]." (Gen 27:29) [This is a clear warning to all people/nations who curse the nation or people of Israel]
"Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about these [ungodly] men, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord [Jesus-Yeshua, the Messiah] comes with ten thousands [millions] of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’" (Jude 1:14-15)
"All that burden themselves with it [Jerusalem] shall be cut in pieces, though all the people [nations] of the earth be gathered together against it." (Zech 12:3 KJV) [We need to support Israel ...God gave Israel and Jerusalem to the Jews ... It’s theirs!]
"Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand [safely] before the Son of Man [Jesus (Yeshua)]." (Luke 21:36) [None of us are worthy ... Jesus is ... believe in Him and you will be counted worthy.]
"When you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!" (Matt 24:33 NKJ)
"And what I say to you, I say to all 'Watch!'" (Mark 13:37 NKJ)
The Bible clearly warns there will be no peace in Israel...or the world...until Messiah returns.
God warns none of His prophecies shall fail . . .
"For
I am God, and there is no other.
"Search from the book of the LORD, and read: not one of these [prophecies] shall fail; not one shall lack her mate. For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them." (Isaiah 34:16)
"Indeed I [God] have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it. Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, who are far from righteousness . . ." (Isaiah 46:11-12)
"Before the decree is issued, before day passes like chaff, before the LORD'S fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger comes upon you! Seek the LORD, all you meek of the Earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD'S anger." (Zephaniah 2:2-3)
Israel Back As a Nation ... May 14, 1948 A Remarkable Mathematical Prophecy!
The Prophecy ... (Ezekiel 4:4-6)
"Then God said to Ezekiel, 'Now lie on your left side for 390 days to show Israel will be punished for 390 years by captivity and doom. Each day you lie there represents a year of punishment ahead for Israel. Afterwards, turn over and lay on your right side for 40 days, to signify the years of Judah's punishment. Each day will represent one year . . .'" (Ezekiel 4:4-6)
A Mathematical Bible Prophecy . . .
Although a little obscure (and sophisticated) this is one of the most fascinating prophecies found in the Bible.
Here, we find God telling Ezekiel that each day he (Ezekiel) lies on his side will represent one year of punishment for the nation Israel (Israel + Judah) because of their iniquities (sins) against God . . .
So, we have:
390 days Judgment against the 10 northern tribes 'Israel' + 40 days Judgment against the 2 southern tribes 'Judah' = 430 years Judgment against the nation of Israel
The Fulfillment of the Prophetic Judgment Begins . . .
In 606 B.C. Israel (Judah) was taken into captivity by Babylon for exactly 70 years ...
430 years of judgment determined against nation Israel - 70 years fulfilled during the captivity in Babylon = 360 years remaining in judgment against the nation of Israel
The Mystery of 360 Years . . .
There should have been a total of 360 years left in judgment against Israel after their release from Babylonian captivity by the Persian general Cyrus, exactly 70 years after the Babylonian captivity began (just as the prophet Jeremiah had prophesied before the captivity) ... but where was the remaining 360 year judgment in Israel's history??!!
The '7X' Factor of God's Judgment . . .
Bible scholars could not find any specific captivity or dispersion that fulfilled these 360 years left in the judgment until a close look in the book of Leviticus revealed a startling prophetic warning ...
"And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I (God) will punish you seven times more for your sins." (Leviticus 26:18)
"Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I (God) will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins." (Leviticus 26:21)
"And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I (God) also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I, even I will chastise you seven times for your sins.: (Leviticus 26:27-28)
"I (God) will scatter you among the nations and draw a sword after you; your Land shall be desolate and your cities waste." (Leviticus 26:33)
The 7X factor of God's judgment against nation Israel. God warned Israel if they continued in their disobedience He would multiply their judgment by seven times! Remember, as noted throughout these prophetic studies, God says what He means and He means what He says!
Prophecy Fulfilled . . .
Now, let's apply the 7X factor to the remaining 360 years of judgment against nation Israel in this remarkable mathematical prophecy . . .
360 Remaining years of judgment x 7 The prophetic '7X' factor = 2,520 Years of judgment remained against nation Israel
God gave the Jews the most sophisticated calendar on Earth. It is both a Lunar and a Solar calendar. The Jewish calendar uses a 360 day lunar (and prophetic) year and then adds a 'Leap Month' on specific years to accurately coincide with the Solar cycle we use on our 'Julian' calendar ...
The Bible uses 360 day years for prophecies and expects us to add the appropriate 'leap months' on schedule. So, the easiest way to unravel this prophecy is to first convert this prophecy into days ...
2,520 years x 360 days = 907,200 days of judgment remained against nation Israel after the Babylonian captivity
Now, convert the 907,200 days found in this prophecy into our 365.25 day solar years (the .25 adjusts for leap years) . . .
907,200 days ÷ 365.25 days = 2,483.78 years of judgment remained against nation Israel
With this information, let's look at this remarkable prophecy again . . .
606 B.C Israel taken into Babylonian captivity - 70 Years for 70 years = 536 B.C. End of first 70 years of judgment + 2483 Years Now add the 2,483 years remaining in this judgment + 1 Year Add 1 year because there is no "0" B.C. or A.D. = 1948 AD! End of judgment against nation Israel
Israel Back in Her Land as a Nation . . . in 1948!
Judah (Israel) was taken into captivity by the Babylonians in 606 B.C. They were released from captivity 70 years later by the Persians in 536 A.D., exactly as the prophet Jeremiah had prophesied, but their land was still under the control of the Persians. The Persians were later conquered by the Greeks, and the land of Israel remained under Greek control. The Greeks were then conquered by Rome and the land of Israel remained under Roman control. After failed rebellions against Rome around 70 A.D. and another around 100 years later, the Romans removed the Jews from the land of Israel, dispersed them around the world, and renamed the land 'Palestine' after the enemies of Israel. Then, after 2,500 years, for the first time since the Babylonian captivity in 606 B.C., the world watched as Israel once again appeared on the world map as a sovereign nation, on May 14, 1948 ... exactly when the Bible said it would!
"Thus says the Lord God: 'Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land." (Ezekiel 37:21) ['Nations' (plural)...this is not their return from Babylon]
A Future Warning For Israel and the World . . .
How has the world reacted to such a profound fulfillment of Bible prophecy? A miracle that can be proven and documented by simply looking at the Bible and a map. It has ignored it! Just as God has warned most of the world will ignore the Bible warnings of the coming 'Apocalypse,' also called 'the time of Jacob's trouble', the 'Great Tribulation,' and 'the Day of the Lord.' The Bible warns the prophetic clock would once again start ticking after Israel would become a nation once more. The Bible says more about the period of time which will follow Israel becoming a nation once more than about any other time in history . . . that's why this news page is here.
Remember, God uses prophecy to prove He is who He says His is, and to authenticate all the warnings and the promises found in the Bible . . . The Bible warns a series of prophetic events which will change the world forever would begin to unfold after Israel would once again become a sovereign Nation (after 2,500 years) which was fulfilled on May 14, 1948!
God has a covenant with Israel that will never be broken. He has revealed a destiny for the nation Israel which will soon be completed.
God has declared a new covenant (see Jeremiah 31:31) and destiny for a people to be drawn from the whole world, through His Messiah, including any and all of the children of Israel who recognize and come to know their Messiah from Scripture. This new covenant is a promise for all who believe in Him (Jesus-Yeshua, the Messiah ... also sent forth as 'a light unto the Gentiles') and will accept Him as their Lord and Savior (saving us from our sins and from the darkness and torment of Hell.)
Have a hard time believing in God? The above verses are clear . . .
Why? God is warning us . . .
Please remember, the Kingdom of Heaven is available to every man, woman, boy, and girl in this world, no matter who they are, where they live, or what they have done. It is freely offered to any and all who will receive it. Simply learn of Jesus (Yeshua), the promised Messiah, invite Him into your life as Lord, believe He died on the Cross for all of your sins and rose from the grave (proving there is a Kingdom of Heaven ... and a Hell). Learn of Him and believe in Him . . . for He was the only one who has ever loved you enough to substitute Himself for you on the Cross. He shed His blood, suffered, and died on the Cross to save you from your sins and from the utter darkness and torment of Hell, if you will accept it, believe it, and trust in it. That is why Jesus is called Savior. He now lovingly and graciously offers you life in Heaven (and we are warned it is a "take it or leave it" proposition.) We have to consciously receive it and accept it in faith. If you sincerely admit you have sinned (which means you will need a Savior to get into Heaven) and ask Jesus to come into your life and honestly try to stop doing (and saying) those things God says are wrong, you will go to Heaven ... and with open arms and tears of joy He will welcome and receive all who will come to Him in faith and in love ... It's God's Promise!!!
The only unpardonable sin is to reject God's love and His free offer of life in the Kingdom of Heaven by rejecting Jesus (Yeshua), the Messiah, who stepped forth from Heaven (as promised) ... not to condemn the sinner, but to save the sinner (from the torment of Hell) and who willingly and lovingly shed His blood on the Cross so we can be washed clean of all our sins. The Bible warns there will be no peace in our lives until we make peace with God through His Son, Jesus (Yeshua), the promised Messiah. The Bible also says there will be no peace in Israel or on Earth until Jesus (Yeshua), the Messiah returns . . .
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