Israel - Land of Promise
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For centuries, the people of Abraham's seed have experienced more persecution, bloodshed, sorrow and displacement than any other nation.
If you were to walk along the famous "Via Dolorosa", the road Messiah traveled on the day of His crucifixion, you would actually be walking 30 to 50 feet OVER the original path. With each destruction and re-building of the city, twice in it's history, the new city was built on top of the old. Yet, it remains a monument to God's Grace and love for a "chosen" people. The city as a whole lies approximately 30 feet on top of the original.
Twice were the Jews led into captivity. Twice they have been exiled, and until May 14, 1948, had no home to call their own.
One wonders why, if they are in fact the "chosen" of God, He would allow such suffering and wandering. The answer, quite simply, is disobedience. By their turning again and again to idol worship, God destined this land and people to experience this punishment. While they remained obedient to God, followed His laws and rules, they were greatly blessed. As soon as they turned from Jehovah God, the curses began. God states the same thing will happen to nations: "I will bless those that bless you, and curse those that curse you." (Look familiar?...it's on the Home Page).
The History
Nebuchadnezzar was King of Babylon from 605 - 562 B.C. In 605 he brought both Syria and Judah, including Jerusalem under his rule. In 587, Jerusalem was sacked, and during these times, Jews were being deported to Babylon. Later, Nebuchadnezzar was to invaded Egypt. Under his rule, Babylon became one of the great cities of its era.
When Nebuchadnezzar and his armies captured Jerusalem in 586 B.C., the Temple was destroyed and the monarchy done away with. The exiles were not to return to Jerusalem for another seventy years, under the rule of the Persians and Cyrus. Although they were allowed to rebuild the Temple and install a new high priest, there was still no hope of placing an ancestor of David on the throne to restore Israel to her rightful place of honor and glory. This was the hope and dreams of every Israelite.
About 170 years later, Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire and Israel once again came under the rule of new leadership. When Alexander died in 323 B.C., his vast empire was divided among three of his generals. Macedonia, which is part of Greece today, came under Antigonid rule. The Seleucid kingdom was the largest part, and extended across much of present-day Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The Seleucid capital was in Syrian Antioch near the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. The third party, the Ptolemaic, was established in Alexandria, Egypt, and from there ruled Libya, the southern islands of the Aegean Sea, Lycia in southwestern Turkey, Cyprus, and Palestine.
About one hundred years later, the Seleucid king, Antiochus III captured Palestine and set the stage for further developments.
During the tree centuries between the return of he exiles from Babylon, around 538 B.C., and the conquest of Antiochus III, between 201 and 198 B.C., the high priests were the most important and influential members of Jewish society in Jerusalem. Even though many Jews were still scattered around the world, they still paid homage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Offerings poured into it, and even non-Jewish rulers gave valuable gifts, and granted tax exemptions to its priests.
Consequently, the high priest had both wealth and prestige. Many coveted the office of Preisthood, but it was a hereditary position, passing down from father to son, until the conquest of Antiochus III brought this practice to a halt. After this, the high priesthood became a prize to be seized by intrigue or violence, or sold to the highest bidder.
Under Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), the Seleucid government took an active and profitable part in those proceedings. The rightful high priest was forced to flee to Egypt. Afterwards, the office was filled by a succession of men who seemed to have been more concerned with winning and keeping the favor of the Seleucid king than with looking after the interests of their own people.
The Greeks
A serious conflict developed between Jewish religion and Greek ideals, due to the "hellenizing" influence of the high priests. One of the main ways to gain royal favor of Antiochus IV was to promote the spread of Greek culture and civilization. The idea was to torn Jerusalem into a patterned after the likes of Athens or Sparta. Although the process of hellenization had been going on all over the Near East ever since the conquests of Alexander, its progress had been slow among the Israelis. Why this was so is understandable. Ever since their beginning, the Jews have suffered much displacement and persecution. The single "constant" they held on to was their religion. They worshiped a God who claimed to be the sole Creator and Lord of the entire Universe. He was not some local deity. Above all else, it was His grace and power that held the Jews together over the years, against all odds.
Consequently, there was great interest in the recorded history of God's dealings with Israel. The canon of Jewish Scriptures had been gradually determined since the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (C. 450 B.C.) as the laws, histories, prophetic and other sacred writings were brought together in one collection.
Also, Judaism was progressing with the emergence of local synagogues as places to worship in addition to the Temple. Synagogues began to be established everywhere around the Mediterranean as places where a devout Jew could gather with others to offer praises and prayers, and to hear the Scriptures read and explained.
The Jews experienced an unusual unity among themselves. It was more than just and feeling of loyalty and patriotism for their nation; it went back to a sense of God and His calling of them to be His chosen people.
The above mentioned conflict culminated in 167 B.C. when Antiochus Epiphanes instituted a program to fully hellenize the Jewish religion. He decreed that the God of the Jews would hereafter be regarded as a local manifestation of Zeus, the supreme Greek Deity, later known as Jupiter to the Romans. The rites of the Temple and the services of the synagogue would be greatly altered. To observe the Jewish law or any custom that went against this new police was punishable by death. Many Jews did in fact, choose martyrdom rather than bow down to this heathen god. The ultimate insult was the sacrificing of a pig by Antiochus on the alter of the Temple, thus desecrating it and showing his great contempt for the Jews and their God.
Public outrage was soon transformed into a all-out revolt, headed up by and aging priest name Mattathias. His three sons, Simon, Judah and Jonathan, the Maccabees, continued on with the revolt with considerable success. Politics distracted the Seleucids from giving too much attention to the Jewish uprising. The Temple was liberated by the Maccabees and rededicated in December, 164 B.C., the even that is celebrated today as Hanukkah. From the next Seleucid ruler, Alexander Balas, Jonathan was able to gain recognition for himself as high priest. Upon Jonathan's death, his brother, Simon assumed his place and by the spring of 142, the Jewish state was relatively independent under his rule. Simon assumed civil as well as spiritual leadership, a position to which his descendants were to become heir. Simon's grandson, Alexander Jannaeus, took the title of king, as well as high priest. Thus was established the Maccabean or Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled rather precariously from 152 until 37 B. C., when Herod the Great took over.
During its heyday, some of the people under Hasmonean rule started to believe that a Messiah had come in the person of this reigning dynasty.
Unfortunately, disillusionment came quickly. The descendants of Simon Maccabee became so hung up with the pursuit of power that they betrayed the original ideals of the Maccabean revolt. Their quarrels, incompetence, and misgovernment lead the way for a Roman rule, which had been steadily spreading eastward for some time. Finally, the weakened Hasmoneans called on the Roman general Pompey for help. He entered Jerusalem and occupied it in 63 B.C. No independent Jewish state was to exist again for 2,011 years.
During this Maccabean rule, two notable groups of religious leaders came in to being. They were to play an important part in the formation of Rabbinic Judaism. These were the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
The Sadducees were a small group of wealthy and influential men who occupied the highest religious and civil offices in Israel under the leadership of the high priest. They were harsh in judgment, rough in manner, and fanatically opposed to any political, social, or theological change. They were particularly opposed to some of the new doctrines brought about by the Pharisees, namely, that the evils of the world could be explained by the conflict between God and Satan, or that the dead would be raised to live in a future life, and that all would be rewarded or punished in that life according to their works and behavior in this life.
The Pharisees were a relative smaller group, but their power did not depend on wealth, numbers or position, but rather their strong standards of faith and conduct. Though they were small in number, their impact on the general population was strong. They saw a divine purpose in all that God was doing and they believed God had revealed His purpose in Scripture and in the traditions of Israel. They attributed the delays in the fulfilling of God's plan to the evil spiritual forces at work, and that these forces would eventually be defeated. At this time, Israel would be vindicated, and the heathen empires would be replaced by a Kingdom ruled by God's Messiah. Jews at this time were, for the most part, eagerly watching for any signs of this happening.
But the signs they observed didn't do much to help matters. Herod the Great came to power under Rome once the Hasmonean line subsided. His reign bore no resemblance to what the Jews were expecting in the way of a Messiah. Herod ruled from 37 until 4 B. C.. The Gospel of Matthew states that Christ was born shortly before Herod's death.
Herod's rule was divided up by his three sons after his death. Archelaus inherited Judea and Samaria, which today is middle and southern Israel. Antipas (known as "Herod" in the New Testament", received Galilee and Peraea, or what amounts to modern northern Israel and the westernmost regions of modern Jordan. Philip was allotted territories lying northeast of the sea of Galilee, part of modern-day Syria. The rule of Archelaus was so oppressive that the Roman Emperor deposed him in 6 A.D. and put his territory under roman governor who worked in cooperation with the high priest and the Sanhedrin. Philip died in 34 A.D., and Antipas was deposed in 39 A.D.
From the years shortly after Archelaus was deposed, there came a Jewish writing titled The Assumption of Moses. It told of how disillusioned the Jews had been under the later Maccabean rulers, and how the hated the rule of Herod and his sons. They resented Roman domination, and how they hoped for the day when God would overthrow their oppressors and establish His chosen people in a Kingdom ruled by Messiah.
In the minds of the Jews, their Messiah was a figure who embodied the hopes of the godly, patriotic Jew of the time. He would be a descendant of David and Solomon. He would be wise, knowledgeable, upright, courageous, and patriotic, loyally devoted to God. God's power would be in Him and back Him, and God's wisdom would guide Him so He would throw off the rule of Israel's enemies and establish God's Kingdom.
They certainly wasn't expecting a man to come along who, in there eyes, was nothing like what they expected. They certainly didn't expect Him to die…at least not before rescuing Israel from her enemies.
God chose and destined Israel to bring the blessings and salvation of Messiah to the world. This has in fact, happened. While in exile, the nations in which the Jews resided, for the most part, persecuted and oppressed them greatly.
With the creation of "Eretz Yisrael", the Land of Israel in 1948, the land and it's people have been under great distress. With the Arab nations wanting to destroy Israel, and most of the rest of the world either not caring, or siding with the countries that can most benefit them, i.e. the oil producing countries, Israel has few friends in the world today, America being one of the few.... And America is dangerously close to turning against Israel, especially in the area of giving their land away.
Jerusalem is Israel's capital, yet is not recognized as such by most nations of the world. Most embassies are in Tel Aviv. What other country in the world is dictated to regarding where their capitol should be? Obviously, there aren't any.
Jerusalem is to be the city of Christ's return, to establish His reign on earth. This is the real reason the rest of the nations oppose her. The Jewish state has been, and is today, the greatest offense to God's enemies. It should be obvious to even the most casual observer, that Satan has been, and continues today, to be behind the persecution and hatred of the Jews, and Israel.
4000 years ago, God told Abraham to leave his land, and travel to a land He (God) would show him. He was promised that God would make him a great nation, and that this nation would be a blessing to the rest of the world.
At 75 years of age, Abraham left, with his nephew Lot, not knowing where God was leading him, but trusting in God to get him there. (Genesis 12: 1-4)
It was the land of Canaan where Abraham would accomplish God's plan. Thus the reason for it all, it was necessary for God's great plan of salvation.
Abraham's son, Isaac, and grandson, Jacob were both to receive the same blessing, that of creating the blood line to bring in Messiah for the world's salvation, and developing the land from which He would come
Out of Jacob (Israel) came the 12 tribes, then the prophets and kings and finally, the capturing of Jerusalem by David, King of Israel at that time. It is this calling out of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to bring in Messiah that Satan has tried so hard, and in vain, to destroy Israel, thereby preventing the coming of Messiah.
The Jews were actually persecuted more violently and ruthlessly by the so-called "Church" after the first couple of centuries, than they ever were by the Romans. The Papacy, which not only persecuted the Jews, but any "religion" which did not proclaim the lies of Catholicism did it's best to wipe out the nation. Through such contrivances as the Inquisition, the Crusades, and other means, the Jews were hated and literally "burned in their synagogues" over and over by these false Christians, as were true believing Christians of the same era.
Even Martin Luther, the great "reformer", was anti-Semitic, stating that the Jews should be "exiled or killed".
It was the late 1930's that Adolph Hitler came to power, and tried to take over where the Catholic Church left off. With his "final solution", total annihilation of the Jews was the goal. Read a quote from Hitler made regarding the Jews in 1938: "They are germs, they spread the plague. They are well-water poisoners. When they came to Germany, they had nothing else to offer than their infectious diseases."
In Hitler's eyes, the Jew had to be exterminated. Only in this way could the world be made "healthy" again. Hitler was a Catholic, attended services all through the Holocaust and the war, and most of his henchmen were Catholics also. The Catholic Church neither criticized nor spoke out against the atrocities taking place under it's nose.
Very few nations helped the Jews during the time of this oppression.
Follows is a brief run-down of highlights of Jewish persecutions:
October 5th, 1938: The passports of all German Jews were to be stamped with the letter "J". At whose Request? "Neutral" Switzerland.
May 17th, 1939: The British "White Paper" placed a limit of 5,000 Jews per year who could apply for immigration to Palestine.
April 5th, 1941:The Swiss Police Minister gave this command: "All Jews are to be rejected as refugees. The boat is full."
November 28th, 1941: the Mufti ("expounder of religious law") of Jerusalem asked Hitler, the "protector of Islam", to exterminate the Jews.
March 22nd, 1945: The Arab League was founded as a union against Israel in Cairo.
Satan, it seems, almost knew that Israel was due to become a nation, and be in a position to welcome in Messiah, and did everything in his power to prevent it.
A Little History
It was 1896. A Jew by the name of Theodor Herzl, sometimes called the "modern Moses", published a book, The Jewish State. One year later, the Zionist Congress convened in Switzerland. Satan saw the handwriting on the wall. All out war was to begin to prevent Israel from being reborn from the ashes of desolation and dispersion. The Nazi Holocaust was to be the fruition of the plan.
The prediction in Genesis 12:3: "....and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" refers to the second creation of the Israeli State, which is to usher in Christ when He returns to establish His millennial reign.
We are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel; we are to pray for the salvation of the Jew. But we know that real peace will not come until Messiah makes His appearance on the Mount of Olives. Then He will arrive with His Church (the Raptured Saints), and the angels in all His glory and power to save His people from Antichrist. Only at this time will God's prophecy to Abraham be fulfilled.
Obviously, by praying for the peace of Israel and Jerusalem, we are at the same time, praying for the quick return of Messiah for His Church, (The Rapture). Israel and the nations must go through the Tribulation before Jesus returns in person to set up His Kingdom. The last two verses of the Book of Revelation states: "He who testifies to these things says 'Surely I am coming quickly." Amen! Even so come, Lord Jesus" Rev. 22:20 - 21.
Then ALL nations and peoples, rulers, presidents, et al, will be blessed, and travel from the four corners of the world to Jerusalem to be blessed by, and to worship, Messiah the King.
The British, after the Second World War, prevented many Jews from entering into Palestine. They blocked the immigration ship "Exodus" on July 18th, 1947, preventing the 4,000 Jews fleeing from Europe to disembark at Palestine. Most of the world just didn't care about the Jews. Satan's plan of attack had but one goal...Israel must not become a Nation!
On May 14, 1948, the Nation of Israel did become a reality, at which time David Ben Gurion, Israel's first president stated: "This is the state of Israel....for 2,000 years we have waited for this hour and now it has happened. When the time is fulfilled, nothing can withstand God."
Immediately, within 24 hours, Six Arab states attacked the newly formed Nation...and lost. The Arab's have been losing ever since. Even though the Jews returned to Israel, most of them in "unbelief", God still protects her, and her people.
What about the Palestinian situation? Should Israel give back huge chunks of it's land to create a Palestinian State? Here are the facts: More Palestinians have been killed since 1950 by other Arabs than by Israelis. The Kuwaitis, Jordanians, and Syrians have killed thousands of Palestinians.
It is ironic that Jordan should insist that Israel give back the West Bank for a Palestinian State. When the United Nations laid out the "Partition Plan" prior to 1948, the West Bank was designated and set aside to provide a homeland for the displaced Palestinian people. This is what most people do not know. The U.N. mapped out that area of Palestine, part of which was to be a new Jewish State, and part of it was to be designated an Arab State. This was the West Bank of the Jordan River. The surrounding Arab nations totally rejected this plan; they did not want ANY Israeli state. The Arabs wanted the whole land, and "promised" to give the Jews rights as a minority.
As stated above, in less the 24 hours after Israel was declared a State, they were attacked by Egypt and Jordan. Even though Israel won the war, Jordan had control of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Old City, which was to be set aside for the Palestinians. During the war, it was occupied by the Jordanians. In 1950, This area was annexed by Jordan, and they controlled the West Bank from 1950 until the 6-Day War in 1967....17 years. The question that comes to mind is...if the West Bank belonged to the Palestinians according to the U.N. Partition plan, Why didn't the Jordanians give it to them? During this 17 years of control, no member of the Arab League bothered to question Jordan regarding this fact. But once Israel takes control of this area, for the first time in over 2,500 years, the Palestinian dilemma becomes an issue, a rather hypocritical issue at that. The sad fact is, the Palestinians are the ones suffering the most. They are unwanted by the Jordanians, the Saudis, and the Syrians.
It's a matter of common knowledge that Assad of Syria killed 20,000 Palestinians in 1982 at Hama, wiping out the whole settlement.
Five wars have come and gone, Still Israel survives. Terrorist attacks, suicide bombings, killing of innocent people, including school children; yet, she still stands, a monument to God's Glory and Will.
And where does the "church" stand in all of this? At the World Missions conference in 1989, an appeal was made to "all churches to give full support to the intifada (open rebellion) against Israel. Again and again, the United Nations has handed out many resolutions AGAINST Israel and the Jews, and very few, if any, to the nations out to destroy her.
It goes on and on; terror attacks from Lebanon caused many children in northern Israel to have to sleep underground in shelters. Recently, hostilities have flared up again, with northern settlements being fired upon with missiles by the Hizbollah, or "party of God". Islam teaches that violence and war are the main two devices given to them "by God" to destroy their enemy, and to win converts over to their "religion". They believe that if one dies in battle against any enemy, but especially Israel, they will automatically "go to Paradise". (See article on Islam).
The European Union (E.U.) boycotted the celebrations and festivities connected with the 3,000 year anniversary of Jerusalem which ended in January, 1997. Their reasoning, they accept the rule of East Jerusalem by Israel, but reject the rule of West Jerusalem, land which Israel won back after being attacked by the Arabs in the 1967 war. Get the picture? Israel' s attacked, wins the war, retrieves their land, and is criticized and is being called on to "return" it. What other country or nation in the history of the world has had this happen to them?
However, we should not be surprised. Jerusalem is destined to be the city where Messiah returns. Satan and the world's nations who are under his control totally reject this idea, and Jerusalem has indeed become the "burdensome stone" Zechariah predicted it would be. (Zechariah 12:3)
The Bible also prophecies an attack by "Gog, in the land of Magog", which most Bible scholars believe is Russia. Don't be fooled by the breakdown of the Soviet Union. They are still a powerful nation, and there are still enough Nuclear weapons aimed at free nations to completely destroy life. In fact, since the breakup of the USSR, many of the nations that once were part of the USSR, now are independent, Islamic, and have control of Nuclear Weapons. Pretty Scary stuff.
Many believe the attack on Israel by Russia will be the next major event.
Anti-Semitism is growing, and will continue to grow until Messiah returns. This is why true Christians, True Born-again believers, must pray for this nation. Pray for Jerusalem and the Jews. Pray that Messiah returns quickly to bring His Kingdom and peace to the world. And pray the America will remain a friend of Israel. If America ever turns against her, God will surely bring His curse upon us.
Many have asked: "Why?" Why did God choose Israel as a favored nation?
The answer is found in Deut. 7:7 - 8: "The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people; but because the Lord loved you...."
This same love is expounded upon for the Church in Romans 5>8: "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us".
Who can know and understand the Love of God?
Over and over God calls Israel "my people". (See Isaiah 52:4; Isaiah 52:6; Jeremiah 30:3; Jeremiah 31:14; Ezekiel 37:12 -13. He also calls Israel the "apple of His eye", Zechariah 2:8.
Why pray for Israel? The Lord Jesus declared that "salvation comes from the Jews", John 4:22. What more reason do we need?
Why pray for Israel? If we don't, who will. The Palestinians will jump at the chance to fight the Israelis at the drop of a Yarmulke. Here is an example of Arab logic when it comes to finding a reason to fight Israel:
Recently a tunnel was opened that runs from the Wailing Wall to the Via Dolorosa. The tunnel more or less runs parallel to the Dome of the Rock, which sets on the original site (though this has recently come into question), of the Temple. The tunnel has been open for years, and is about 488 meters long. Only the last two meters were opened, to enable tourists easier access, and in no way affected the Dome of The Rock.
Because of this, riots broke out in September of last year, and caused much bloodshed which almost caused a war between the Israelis and the Arab Palestinians.
More recently, a housing development was planned for an area known as "Har Homa", land owned by Israel. This land is part of Jerusalem, and the Arabs claim it as "theirs", even though it was lost to them in a war that they started. Most of the American media didn't mention that plans were also in the works for housing for the Palestinians in the same development. Riots, rock throwing and demonstrations have been brought about because the Israelis want to develop property that they own, and most countries, included America, believe they should not do it. Why? To maintain peace, they say. But at what price? God gave this land to Israel, and will condemn Israel if She tries to give it away, no matter what the reason.
And on it goes.
Now don't misunderstand. Israel has made Her share of mistakes. She is not perfect, but realize this; She is fighting for Her existence. With the treat of suicide bombings, terrorists attacks on innocent school children, buses being blown up, it's amazing that everyday life continues on as it does.
There is much more to be said concerning Israel, the Jews, and Jerusalem. We have only touched on the basics in this article. For more information, and insight into what is happening, the following publications are highly recommended:
Monthly Publication News From Israel, PO Box 280008, Columbia SC, 29228.This is an excellent resource for keeping abreast with developments in Israel, and other nations related to Israel.
Another excellent resource regarding Bible Prophecy as a whole, is Midnight Call Ministries, Same address as above. Many publications, tapes, videos, etc. are available through this fine organization. They are also on the Internet at:
An excellent tape series is available: Israel: A Nation Is Born, narrated by Abba Eban. This set contains five, 55 minute videos showing the history of Israel from World War One up to the Gulf War. Contact above address for more information.
An excellent book by Dave Hunt, A Cup of Trembling goes into great detail regarding the history, and persecutions of the Jew. "Must" reading for understanding more fully the plight of Israel and the Jews.
It is the hope of Maranatha Ministries that this article, and others, will help develop a love for Israel and the Jews...along with a better understanding of God's plan for them. Many mainline denominations have decided that the Church has "replaced" Israel regarding God's promises and prophecies. Nothing could be further from the truth. God still has His great plan in the works...and Israel is STILL His chosen people.
Shalom!