COMPASSION

 

As the very first consideration of this article, we want to convey with as much sincerity as possible our heart-felt compassion for ALL of the peoples who suffer from this conflict. There are many! ALL are beloved of our God who sent His only-begotten Son to die for ALL of humanity -- an act the benefits of which will SOON be manifest -- even though the peoples on both sides of the conflict do not currently acknowledge this source of the grace to come! (John 3:16) HE CARES!

 

But this battle is NOT about people -- even though it affects people so dramatically; it is about preparations for things to come. Understanding this helps us better deal with what is transpiring. The suffering is NOT the point! Nor are international "rules of war." Neither is our perception of "fairness." Nor are the horrors. The fulfilling of prophecy IS the point. The news broadcasts do not and cannot comprehend this. Nevertheless, we "weep with those who weep" -- regardless of who they are. (Romans 12:15) And, while God has nothing but love for the race of mankind, He knows that there is NO WAY that man will listen to Him until man's way of doing things has destroyed itself from its own weight of selfishness. The trouble is inescapable. But God takes no delight in it. (Matthew 24:21; Daniel 12:1) THE

 

PROPHETIC PHILOSOPHY

 

It is possible "to take sides" in this or any other conflict. But, usually, "taking sides" becomes our personal expression of political, social, moral, or ethnic preferences. If we are trying to any extent to be the disciples of Jesus, we cannot do this! We must, instead, find the Biblical REASONS behind the conflict and then rejoice in how it is all working to accomplish God's plans and purposes for the blessing of "ALL the families of the earth" as was promised to and through Abraham. (Genesis 12:3) We cannot rejoice in the sufferings; but we CAN rejoice in the coming results.

 

Strangely, most Arabs, Jews, and others have little or no idea of what has been and is now transpiring in Middle-Eastern events. Perhaps Israel (because of its old covenant-relationship to God) comes closer to an understanding than do others; but, according to Romans 11:25-27, Israel yet suffers "blindness" (KJV) regarding the details until the Lord has selected from among the Gentiles those who will constitute the "body of Christ" -- the Church of 144,000 individuals who will reign over the Kingdom of God on earth for which Christians have (mostly ignorantly) prayed for two thousand years. (Acts 15:13-18; Revelation 14:1; 5:9,10; Matthew 6:10) 

 

Ignorance of the modern history of Israel and its Arab neighbors places most of us in positions of being critical -- criticism based on false information. For instance, the often-touted "two-state solution" was actually legislated. But the Arabs rejected it. The "League of Nations" -- predecessor to the the more modern "United Nations" -- liberally divided the region into two states, one for the Arab population, the other for the Jews. When the United Nations replaced the League of Nations, it was understood that this partition would be honored by the new UN. It wasn't. Hence the "two-state solution" is gone. But something BETTER will happen! God HAS DECIDED who gets what -- and NO ONE will be disappointed in the end.

 

Unfortunately the whole 20th-Century history of events in the Holy Land has been obscured by the fostering of lies from one generation to another. But that matters not! What does matter is what Scripture foretells. THAT WILL HAPPEN -- no matter how many people lie or get hurt in the process. Fortunately, all WILL in the end be so blessed that the current pain will be functionally forgotten. (Isaiah 14:7)

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Seeming tragedies do not reflect future outcomes! Even Sodom, which God totally destroyed, is promised a "more tolerable" time in the Kingdom than is the former Jewish city of Capernaum -- because Capernaum acted against greater knowledge. (Matthew 11:23, 24) It, therefore, had more vulnerability and responsibility -- less tolerance in the judgment time. (There is a refreshing justice about that.) Capernaum was also totally destroyed as Jesus predicted. But, in the end, both cities, will come out with the blessings of eternal perfect life. We must not mis-judge tragic events -- which we WILL DO if we don't understand God and His prophecies, all of which have only wonderful objectives in the end.

 

AN OUTLINE OF THINGS TO COME

 

We are nearing the place in time when the prophecy of Zechariah 8:20-23 takes place. It is written,"Many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

 

Meditate on that for a while! The scenario seems today impossible. But it WILL come to pass. There is, however, no way that it will come to pass until a great many things change in the Holy Land. One of those things is that Israel will have been finally delivered from its enemies in a miraculous way so that "all nations" will believe the place that Israel has as the visible center of a new Divine government on earth.

 

It is important to realize that this future honored position of Israel will not be the Israeli government of today. That will pass away along with the animosities of other nations. But, it is also important to realize that there WILL be an earthly visible seat of the new heavenly government in Jerusalem -- and it WILL BE comprised of Jews (including 2 returned great Hebrews like Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, etc.). These Jews will then be under a "New Covenant" which the Lord will have made with them by that time. (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 11:39, 40)

 

With this prophetic prospect in mind, it becomes so clear that the current hostilities between Israel and Hamas is a necessary horror in order to prepare the way for what will be only a blessing to all peoples. The LORD God, Himself, is directing so that a multitude of prophetic promises are being fulfilled in order to prepare the way for His "Kingdom (to) come, (His) will to be done in earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10)

 

It is not yet time for mankind to see or to appreciate what is happening and will happen. Consequently, all kinds of positions are being taken, all kinds of demonstrations are being made, all kinds of fears, prejudices, hatreds, and suppositions are manifesting themselves. And they are all wrong! The Israel-Hamas conflict cannot be understood without the knowledge and appreciation and acceptance of prophecy. But that matters not! God has a plan and a purpose; and anyone in the way of its progress WILL GET HURT! But, in the end, the hurt will be for their benefit, not for their harm.

 

GOD IS AN EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY GOD

 

If we now "feel sorry for" those in Gaza, it will be helpful for us to look at a piece of ancient history to see that God allowed Israel an even worse fate. He doesn't discriminate or show partiality. He lets NO ONE get in the way of His purposes.

 

About 2000 years ago, God was arranging a NEW STEP in the details of His plans. He was dismissing the Jewish Law Covenant after its more than 1800 years of functioning, abandoning Israel as a nation for a while, and turning to the Gentiles "to take out of THEM a people for His name." (Acts 15:14) In other words, God was, at Jesus' first advent, beginning the selection of the 144,000 who would constitute His Church (Revelation 14:1) -- those who would ultimately be changed into Divine spirit beings, be a part of God's intimate personal family, and rule over the earth for its restoration (Acts 3:20, 21) and for the blessing of ALL the families of the earth. Thus the last 2000 years have been actively preparing the answer to the prayer, "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done IN EARTH as it is done in heaven." But it has all been being done in secret (as a "mystery") because that method serves God's purposes the best.

 

Since restored Israel will be the center of the new Kingdom on earth, the Jews have, since the late 1800s, been regathering to their land as prophecy has promised. Nothing will get in the way of that project. (II Samuel 7:10, 11; I Chronicles 17:9; Jeremiah 24:6, 7; 32:36-44; Amos 9:13-15; Romans 11:25-29)

 

But, as we look at the terrible sufferings now in Gaza which are a part of the preparation of the land of Israel for its future place in God's plan, we could simply say, "How horrible! Even women and children are victims." It IS horrible! But, as we have pointed out, this trouble is not about people! It is about the progress of the plan of God. When Israel was cast off (Matthew 23:37-39) because it had become a barrier to the progress of the Divine plan, the JEWS SUFFERED FAR WORSE than those in Gaza.

 

Even though the Jews were "God's people," God permitted their forceful expulsion from the Holy Land because they refused to get out of the way of the progress of the Divine plan. Jesus wept over the prospect. (Luke 19:41-44) Among the horrors of THAT time was the siege of Jerusalem (A.D. 70). Under that Roman army siege, conditions in Jerusalem were so bad that parents ate their own children just to stay alive. By THAT comparison, Gaza is receiving mercy!

 

God is not against peoples. He is against anything in the way of His incoming Kingdom for the blessing of those very peoples. If the Gaza people attack Israel (whatever their reasons), they are in the way of the incoming Kingdom. They can expect trouble.

 

Thus the fact is, this is not at all about people -- Arabs OR Jews! It is about prophecy. And NOTHING will stand in the way of God's chariot!

 

That brings us to the prophecies of our day. We will look primarily at two of them. One will be the 83rd Psalm. The other will be Ezekiel 38 and 39.

 

THE RECENT PAST AND THE NEAR FUTURE

 

In the distant past, God promised the Holy Land to Abraham and his descendants through Isaac. (Genesis 12:7; 15:18-21; Deuteronomy 34:4; Isaiah 60:21) That promise is only now coming to fruition. In the late 19th Century and following, various persecutions of Jews led to the "Zionist Movement" -- a plan to allow Jews to have their homeland returned to them. Actually, Napoleon Bonaparte had begun a plan to accomplish that very thing. But according to the timing of God's prophecies, Napoleon was too early for his plan to succeed. But in 1878, the first Jewish settlement of transplanted Jews was established in the Holy Land. It is yet there and functioning. It is named "Petah Tikvah" -- Door of Hope. (The date is actually prophesied in the time symbolisms of Scripture.)

 

But the Holy Land was under the domination of gigantic Gentile empires -- as it had been for 2520 years since the days of Israel's Babylonian captivity. But Jesus (Luke 21:24) prophesied that the Gentile "times" for domination of Jerusalem had an expiration date! And true to that prophesied date (A.D. 1914), the First World War began the removal of Gentile rule over the Holy Land. It will never be re-established. Israel has since that date not lost a battle! Can any nation on the face of the earth make that claim? And all of those victories came about despite Israel's being greatly outnumbered by its enemies. That will not stop! Israel will never lose nor be expelled from the land that God, Himself, promised to Abraham and to them. Anyone who defies that truth will be in the way and will be subject to harm. Even the "Holocaust" could not stop the progress. Hitler was destined to lose. The Holocaust eventually functioned to drive more and more Jews to the Holy Land and to statehood. THAT too, by the way, was far more horrific for the Jews than is Gaza's plight!

 

Eventually (1948) Israel became an independent state. This was prophesied by the parable of the Fig Tree in Matthew 24:32. Israel is the Fig Tree of the parable. The putting forth of leaves represents their covering of statehood. But it has not been easy for them. They, too, are learning valuable lessons to prepare them for their part in the glories that are soon to come.

 

The very final battle will end when God declares, "BE STILL! And know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10) That battle is called (in Revelation 16:14), "The war of the great day of God, the Almighty." That final battle is detailed in Ezekiel, the 38th and 39th chapters. The event (like all prophecy) is shrouded in multiple symbolisms. But, in short, it is an invasion which has the support (incredibly!) of "all nations" (Zechariah 14:2, 3) even though the actual invaders are named by the symbolic names of "Gog and Magog." That will be the culmination of ALL the world's ills. God will intervene. Following it, we will be in the peaceable Kingdom for which people have so long prayed. It is THEN that the Zechariah 8 prophecy will come to pass. People of ALL NATIONS will implore Jews to lead them to the Lord who will have miraculously delivered Israel.

 

The Gog & Magog invasion account, however, gives us some clues about what conditions must prevail at the time of that invasion -- conditions which are NOT NOW existent. But those conditions will come about BECAUSE OF events like and including the present Gaza war. One of those conditions is that Israel will be living in peace -- "without walls." (Ezekiel 38:11) Its immediate neighbors will, unlike now, no longer be a threat. How will this happen?

 

Preparation for that event of seeming Israeli security is what is currently transpiring. And these preparatory steps are summarized in Psalm 83. We can learn much from its contents.

 

PSALM 83

 

This prophetic Psalm is viewed by some scholars to be a single event. By others, it is viewed as a summary of a period of events. It seems to be a collective prayer by Israel for God's deliverance from those who wish to exterminate Israel altogether. The prayer WILL, indeed, be answered.

 

It seems more likely than not that this Psalm represents a series of events over a period of time. The reason for thinking so is found in verses 9-12. Even though there are many words in these verses, they refer to only two instances of the Lord's fighting for Israel in ancient times. But these two instances are very different. They both didn't happen at the same time. (1) When the Lord dealt with Midian (Judges 7), He used Gideon's little band of men to trick the enemy into destroying himself from within his own ranks. (2) When the Lord dealt with the Kishon incident (Judges 4), He used Israel's vast army to destroy the enemy. The thought seems to be that God will make Israel "safe" from its threatening neighbors in two ways -- (1) by forcefully conquering some, and (2) by so confusing some that they destroy themselves from within.

 

The history of Israel's battles, since their statehood began, shows BOTH things having happened and continuing to happen. For instance, the dictator of Syria has virtually destroyed his own nation. Then, the Hamas' foolish attacks upon Israel have made Gaza nearly desolated under the invading armies of Israel. There are numerous other examples. But these suffice to suggest that verse 11 of this Psalm represents NOT one battle, but a series of two kinds of battles over time.

 

When genealogical studies are made of the peoples in verses 6-8, it is clear that these enemies are those which literally surround the nation of Israel -- not her enemies from more distant lands like Russia. However, verse 8 suggests that one distant enemy (probably Iran) helps and encourages the closer neighbors -- as is now evident. But, in any case, the objectives of these terroristic enemies is so clearly stated that we hear it in nearly identical words from all of Israel's Arab neighbors: "Drive Israel into the sea!" Just read verse 4! And, in verse 12, these "neighbors" mimic the sentiments of those more-ancient enemies which the LORD destroyed. But notice with care the objective of the Lord's battling for Israel (verse 16). While the enemies at first have their faces filled with dishonor, the prayer is that ultimately their defeat will be SO "THAT they may seek Thy name, O LORD." The Lord WILL bring good out of it all!

 

EZEKIEL 38 & 39

 

Consequently, once the battles of Psalm 83 are all accomplished, we will see Israel prepared for the FINAL trouble within its borders which will introduce the Peaceable Kingdom so long prayed for. Notice a few elements from the Ezekiel 38 & 39 prophecy:

 

Verses 38: 2, 5, 6 show by genealogy that these invaders are NOT the Arab nations which are Israel's neighbors. THEY will have been subdued by the Psalm 83 events. These invaders in Ezekiel 38 are from a distance. Verse 6 shows that the battle will not only be won IN Israel against the invaders, but that the lessons and effects of it will all be felt "back home" from whence the invaders came.

 

Verses 38:8, 11, 14 show that, (as a result of Psalm 83), Israel, just before the invasion, is described as "restored from the sword," "living securely," having "unwalled villages," "at rest," etc. Sounds impossible! But it WILL happen! The current Israel-Hamas war is helping to prepare these circumstances.

 

Verse 38:17 shows that this final battle was prophesied by prophets (in different words) who wrote long before Ezekiel wrote of it.

 

Verse 38:18 shows us that THIS TIME the LORD pours out the fullness of His anger on the invader. The TIME HAS COME to put a full end to all of the foibles of man's ways of doing things. THIS BATTLE will inaugurate the Peaceful Kingdom of Christ and of God.

 

Verses 38:23 & 39:6, 7, 21, 22, 27 all show how THIS BATTLE will make ALL the nations of the earth (including Israel) KNOW that God has taken over, and that He will not any longer be unknown or misunderstood -- nor will He tolerate any more man's attempts at maintaining the old ways of doing things. (Hebrews 12:25-29)

 

In short, the Ezekiel prophecy tells about the last war that will ever be waged! In it, all opposition to the incoming Kingdom will have been subdued; after it, death will begin to cease, the dead will return, and "all the families of the earth" will begin to find the blessings promised to them. (Isaiah 2:1-4)

 

We must not fret over the terrible things that are happening. They are happening in order to bring good. Unless we comprehend the prophetic progress of things, we will only get upset and find ourselves concluding things which we will later regret. There is ultimate peace in understanding God's ways and conforming ourselves to them. As Paul tells us in Hebrews 4:11, we must work hard to "enter into His rest." But once we have done so, we do, indeed, REST in the fullest sense of the word. May you find the peace that is offered.