Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Israel is celebrating 75 years as a nation since its rebirth in May of 1948. God has been very good to the Jews over the centuries. Sadly, they do not recognize His goodness to them as a nation. There are saved Jews today and they are seeking to help other Jews to know the Lord as well. Israel is celebrated as the only democracy in the Middle East. That is not a blessing. Israel has not had a stable government since it was brought back to its homeland in 1948. God has blessed them with the ability to survive humanly impossible obstacles. Other nations have backed away from her in her early years as a revived nation in her homeland. God miraculously protected them from sure defeat and even from annihilation on several occasions. You would think that the leadership of that nation would recognize this miraculous hand of God upon them. Yet to this day, for many, their existence is just as a secular nation. God’s design for Israel has always been that she should be a Theocracy. God was to be the King of that nation and their human kings were to be chosen by Him and governed by Him. King David was the closest thing they had to being a righteous nation. God often referred back to king David when He spoke of other kings of Judah. Israel will acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah at the end of the Tribulation.
Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; 14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.
It is sad that they must suffer so much yet. God is not forcing this suffering upon them. He would gladly forgive them if they would turn to Him in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. God knows how hard-hearted they are. In Ezekiel 2:4 God referred to them as a “stiffhearted” people. Nine times God referred to Israel as a “stiffnecked” people. That is not God’s design for them, but it is the course they have chosen for themselves. It is important for Gentile and Jewish Christians to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. God promised Abraham that:
Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
God is true to His promises. It is not for us to punish Israel. God is doing that. It is for us to love Israel and to desire to see them saved. Antisemitism is on the rise again across the world. Iran is of the opinion that soon Israel will be destroyed. Iran obviously does not believe the Bible. Iran will be destroyed but Israel will remain. During the Tribulation time, God will raise up 144,000 saved virgin Jewish men to proclaim His holiness and His goodness to the the inhabitants of the Tribulation time. They will preach the Gospel to the Jews and to the Gentiles. The antichrist will hate them and they will be killed and will be in heaven during the second half of the Tribulation time. The Jews that will be saved in recognition of Jesus Christ as their Saviour at the end of the Tribulation, will enter the Millennium and will be blessed by the Lord Jesus Christ at that time. Those Jews will understand why so many of their people had to suffer and die in the past. They will understand it was due to their own sins. As Israel marks their 75th year back in their homeland, particularly in the month of May of this year, let those of us that are saved, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Let us encourage both Jews and Gentiles to be saved in these last days. That is the hope of man. God wants to bless man with His peace. He does not cast His pearls to the swine. Lost people do not appreciate the love and mercy of God. They want health and material prosperity, but they fail to accept that true blessings come from knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. Pastor Bartel
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