Edition 409: March 20^th 2018

Amazing changes coming in Israel

Introduction:

The prophecies of the Bible reveal much of the future. Israel in particular is at the centre. There are some huge changes coming in Israel according to numerous prophecies. Most will occur in the seven-year tribulation period. The changes are glorious.

God’s purpose for Israel:

Regular readers should know this backwards by now, so here is just a brief summary:

God’s overall plan is to use the largely Gentile church to be His instrument of blessing, bringing salvation to the lost. To do this He has made us pure and holy. That’s right! In spirit we are perfect and holy through the new-birth. It is the soul area which is not yet perfected, upon which we work.

The Bible suddenly – in one day, reveals a great dramatic switch, in which God now uses the Jews to be His instrument of blessing and salvation to the world.

Why, what happened? How can this be? Where is the church, whose job is evangelism? There is only one logical answer and that is that the church is nowhere to be found. It was taken in rapture.

So, if the church, as an instrument of God is holy, what will be the state of Israel as God’s instrument? Yes you guessed it – holy and pure!

That’s surprising, because today, they are anything but holy.

Israel’s tragic choice:

Here we see their terrible choice which was caused by the rejection of the Messiah.

Hosea 8:1-3 “Set the trumpet to your mouth! He shall come like an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law. Israel will cry to Me, “My God, we know You!” Israel has cast off good; the enemy will pursue him.”

Israel was commanded, long ago to drive out the nations that eventually became the Arabs, and Palestinians. (Listed in the verse below) God had previously made an everlasting covenant with her.

Exodus 34:11-14 “Observe what I command you this day. Behold I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. You shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars and cut down their wooden images, for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous is a jealous God.”

Israel did not complete the job of cleansing the land as commanded by God, and now the Palestinians haunt and harass them. They are “irritants and thorns” to Israel.

Numbers 33:50-55 “Moses, speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their moulded images and demolish all their high places...but if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those who you let remain, shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell.

The tragedy continues: Israel will accept a new covenant made between them, the Palestinians and the nations, under the auspices of the antichrist. It will break the existing covenant at least from their side. God will still keep His side, but it will open the door for much upheaval, wars and the like.

Here, in the verse below, we see the tragedy of Israel’s disobedience and the effects:

Ezekiel 15:6-7 “Like the wood of the vine, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will set My face against them. They will go out from one fire, but another fire will devour them. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them...”

The verse above applies partially to the Holocaust, but it is also prophetic for the last days. It will not last for long though. Israel will repent.

The coming holiness:

Something dramatic will happen that will cause Israel to repent fast. Many, not all Jews, will recognise their Lord, who is our Lord, in one day. They will subsequently change their attitudes in a flash. Technically speaking, they will not be born-again as the church is, but their repentance will still lead them to an outward form of holiness.

The Bible says that Abraham had righteousness “imputed to him.” (Romans 4:22) He was not born again in the same way that the church is. This is likely to be the same pattern for the Jews in the dispensation of the tribulation period.

It will have to be something huge to produce this almost national repentance.

There is only one event that will happen suddenly and quickly, in one day, in a “twinkling of an eye”, that will cause this reaction. It is the rapture of the church. Because the Jews are the people chosen by God (and they know it), the rapture will be devastating for them, being left behind.

They will be jealous and angry at the same time. (Deuteronomy 32:21, Romans 10:19)

In case you were wondering, the rapture will only be for the true church. It will not include unrepentant, professing Christians, - those who profess to be Christians without the fruits.

The big wars, in which Israel will soon be involved, may also be a catalyst.

The completion of the Isaiah 17 war in which Israel will be a key player, destroying Damascus, and is still to come, will occur in one day. Other dramatic world events may also cause, or add to the reason for this national repentance.

Now, consider this staggering verse below:

Zechariah 3:9 “...I will remove the iniquity of that land (Israel) in one day.”

Isaiah 66:7-8 “Before she (Israel) travailed (tribulation), she gave birth; before her pain came, she delivered a male child. Who has heard of such a thing? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Shall a nation be born in a day?” (Isaiah 26:17-18)

In the verse above we see a glorious prophecy of the birth of Israel as a nation, in one day, but it has a double reference to their spiritual birth as well, which will come in one day. (I reject with contempt the satanically inspired use of this verse to describe the church, by the dispensation-denying Revelation 12-sign teachers and others!)

At the same time, a supernatural removal of the veil of blindness upon the Jews will occur, as they repent en-masse.

Isaiah 59:20-21 “The redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression (repent) in Jacob (Israel), says the Lord.”

If you saw the Lord of glory in full majesty in front of you, you would be shattered, falling to the ground in surrender and repentance in the light of His holiness.

Zephaniah 3:12-13 “I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth...”

This coming holiness, revealed in these verses above, and there are dozens more, will be in sharp contrast to the world and its growing, intensifying sin, wickedness and evil.

Surprisingly, many people hate biblical holiness, and the reason is because they love sin.

Ezekiel 37:21-23 “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; and I will make them one nation in the land and on the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king over them all. They shall no longer be two nations nor shall they ever be divided again. They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor their detestable things...”

Israel now and then:

●Here is the present position of Israel:

Isaiah 29:13 “The Lord said, ‘Inasmuch as these people draw near to Me with their mouths and honour Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear towards Me is taught by the commandment of men...”

Isaiah 29:9-10 “Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine...for the Lord has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep and has closed your eyes...”

●Here is the coming position of Israel:

Isaiah 29:18 “In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out the obscurity of darkness...”

Romans 11:11“If their fall is riches for the world, and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness?”

Thanks to the works of Satan in the Catholic church, and many others of replacement theology, the church has spurned the Jews. But, as regular readers know the soon coming rapture of the true church will be the single, one day event to turn things around.

Romans 11:2 “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew...”

Romans 11:23 “They also (Israel), if they do not continue in unbelief will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.”

Romans 11:25 “...Hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Come into the fullness of life.) And so all Israel will be saved.”

The words “come in” in the verse above could be referring to the rapture. It is Strong’s G1525.

Romans 11:15 “If their (Jews) being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be, but life from the dead.”

Matthew 23:39 “I say to you (Israel) you shall see Me no more until you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Paul tried to provoke the Jews to jealousy and did so only partially. (Romans 11:13) The job given to the church is to provoke the Jews to jealousy and they too have largely failed. But the church will soon provoke the Jews to jealousy in the form of the rapture.

Interestingly, the Catholic church who have stood against Israel since their foundation, believing that they are superior, will be left behind and cast into the tribulation. (Revelation 2:22) Most analysts believe that this church at Thyatira, refers to the orthodox churches, specifically the Catholics.

Zechariah 8:22-23 “Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. In those days, ten men of every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”

The Jews in the tribulation period will go though many nightmares. Many Jews will not repent at first but will come to the Lord at various times in the tribulation.

Zechariah 12:8-10 “In that day (tribulation) the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem...they shall be like David and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them. It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look upon Me whom they have pierced and mourn for Him...”

Powerful Jewish evangelists in tribulation:

Isaiah 66:19 “I will set a sign among them (Jews)...they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles.”

The verse above says much more than what we might think! It is a “sign” that causes them to become a “light to the Gentiles”. What is the sign? It doesn’t say, but logic and probability says that it is the rapture of the church.

Isaiah 42:6 “I the Lord have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles.”

What a powerful and comforting verse this is above for Jews in the tribulation!

Zechariah 8:13 “It shall come to pass that just as you (Israel) were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear and let your hands be strong.”

Isaiah 60:2-3 “Behold the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you (Jews), and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”

Exodus 19:5-6 “If you (Israel) will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation...”

Ezekiel 20:41-42 “I will accept you (Jews) as a sweet smelling aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I lifted My hand in an oath to your fathers.”

Psalm 125:3 “The sceptre of wickedness will not rest on the land allotted to the righteous.”

Do not resist God’s plans for Israel:

Jeremiah 12:14-17 “Against all My evil neighbours who touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit. Behold, I will pluck them out of their land and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. Then it shall be after I have plucked them out that I will return and have compassion on them...and bring them back to their land.”

Isaiah 62:2-4 “The Gentiles shall see your righteousness and all kings your glory. And you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name...You shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord...You shall no longer be termed forsaken...You shall be called Hephzibath and your land Beulah, for the Lord delights in you.” (The name “Hephzibath” is an ancient Hebrew name meaning: “My delight is in her.”. The name “Beulah” means: “The land shall be married.”)

Isaiah 43:12 “I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you; therefore you are My witnesses, says the Lord.”

Israel at war in the tribulation:

Deuteronomy 23:14 “The Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore, your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you and turn away from you.”

Numerous other prophecies speak of Israel at war in the tribulation. Israel will suffer many setbacks, but she will always be ultimately victorious and invincible. The verse above shows one of the reasons for her victory. It is because Israel at war will be holy!

Job 17:9 “The righteous will hold onto his ways, and he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger.”

Wake up:

Today, much of the church is asleep, especially relating to these issues. It’s largely the fault of dead meat behind pulpits. You must be careful what you feed on.

In the natural world there are two types of birds of prey. One is a scavenger, feeding on rotten dead meat. The other feeds on live meat. The scavengers are all pretty ugly looking birds, while the others like eagles are beautiful. My point is that you can decide what to feed on – life or death!

The vulture, a scavenger is a type of God’s judgement of shame upon the spiritually diseased. (Matthew 24:28, Revelation 18:2, Revelation 19:17-21)

Branches come from and carry the DNA of the root. You will pick up many traits of the spiritual root of your teacher. There is a transfer of spirits!

We are on the verge of extremely dramatic times, even in the months ahead. Wake up and be ready!

Finally

Isaiah 62:10-12 “Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway! Take out the stones; lift up a banner for the peoples...And they shall call them (Jews) The Holy People, the redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, a City not Forsaken.”

The verse above is so powerful, especially in light of the present situation today! Israel will be a banner for the peoples, redeemed, sought out and not forsaken!

There are many verses in this edition. Please take careful note of them. For the studious, it’s always good to list them yourself and study them in your Bible, and do read the surrounding context as well.

It is also very good practice to write out important verses and pray over them, making them your own confession and proclamation. Saying them out loud is also good practice.

Many times (when I was younger), I used to lead groups of people up to the top of the nearby Drakensberg mountains, 11,000ft high, where we would pray and shout proclamations into the rare air. Some of those proclamations were the verses in this edition.

The major theme of this edition, (holiness) is just as applicable to the true church today.

I took the picture below from a chopper flying over Cleft Peak, looking towards the Cathedral range in the Drakensberg Mountains.

Shalom and grow in His Grace!