Messianic Perspectives

Liz Aiello: On May 14, 1948, the Jewish National Council proclaimed the birth of the modern state of Israel. Was this unprecedented event foretold by the ancient prophets, or was it merely an accident of history? We'll find out today, right here on Messianic Perspectives.

Shalom, and welcome to Messianic Perspectives, a daily program where we look into the scriptures from a distinctive first-century Jewish point of view. I'm Liz Aiello. Today, Gary Hedrick is leading our discussion about whether or not the modern state of Israel is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

I'll be back at the close of the program to tell you about our special offer. And now, with today's installment, here's Gary Hedrick.

Dr. Gary Hedrick: Thank you. And welcome, listening friend, to another edition of the program. It's great to have you with us today as we begin a series of studies dealing with the question of whether or not the rebirth of national Israel in 1948 was a fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

You might say, well, it should go without saying that the modern state of Israel is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy, but there are people today who say it's not. Unfortunately, some people today are oblivious to the prophetic trends that are developing all around us. They're like the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who had heard about this Jesus, the miracle-working Nazarene who was believed by many to be the Messiah.

So those Jewish religious leaders came to Jesus on one occasion and they demanded that he provide some miraculous proof of his identity. Now, he could have worked some spectacular miracle to prove who he was, but he didn't. Instead, he turned to the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and this is what he said. This is Matthew 16, verse 2: "When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, he said, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"

What a stinging indictment. These proud, pompous religious leaders were demanding a sign when the proof was all around them. They could examine the meteorological evidence and predict what the weather would be, but they couldn't discern the equally obvious signs of their times. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were oblivious to the dozens and dozens of Messianic prophecies that were being fulfilled right before their very eyes.

Think about it. The Old Testament prophets had said that the Messiah would be born a son of Abraham through the line of Isaac and Jacob. And Yeshua was a son of Abraham through the line of Isaac and his son Jacob. The Old Testament said that Mashiach would come from the tribe of Judah, and Yeshua of Nazareth came from the tribe of Judah. The Old Testament prophets said that Messiah would be heir to the throne of David. And even before Yeshua was born, the angel said, "He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David."

The prophet Micah said the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, and Yeshua was born in Bethlehem. Isaiah said he would be born of a virgin, and Yeshua was born of a virgin. Hosea said he would be found in Egypt as a child, and Yeshua was taken to Egypt to escape the slaughter that was ordered by King Herod. And we could go on and on enumerating the Messianic prophecies that were being fulfilled right before their very eyes.

Yet the Pharisees and the Sadducees were oblivious to what was happening. They couldn't see it, mainly because they didn't want to see it. That's why the Lord said, "O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" And I believe this same principle can be applied to our generation, my friend, because we're living in days of unprecedented change, rapid change.

Things are happening so quickly, it's almost like watching a video on fast-forward. Changes in Europe, changes in Russia, changes in the Middle East, deteriorating conditions in our own country, for that matter. All sorts of changes. The stage is being set for the fulfillment of end-time prophecies, but many of us are totally oblivious to these remarkable trends that are developing all around us. And the Lord says, "Can ye not discern the signs of the times?"

And that's what we're going to be talking about in this series of studies. Our focus will be on the question of whether or not the establishment of the nation Israel in 1948 was a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. But that question is linked to the larger question of whether or not we are seeing the fulfillment of prophecy at all in our generation. You see, when it comes to the study of prophecy, there are two extremes.

The first extreme is what I call prophetic wizardry. The prophetic wizards are the ones who specialize in conjuring up spine-tingling fulfillments of prophecy. If scriptural evidence for one of their prophetic discoveries is lacking, these wizards will wave their magic wand and come up with the proof they need by twisting or misinterpreting a scriptural text. The wizards are the ones who search for a fulfillment of Bible prophecy in virtually every major news development.

Every couple of years, a self-proclaimed expert emerges from the ranks of prophetic wizardry who claims to have calculated the precise time of the rapture or to have discovered the identity of the Antichrist. But this is the sort of thing we've come to expect from the prophetic wizards. With no concern for the testimony of the body of Christ, no concern for the credibility of the church, they let fly with these crazy speculations. And when the date passes, then the world looks at us like we're a bunch of kooks. It's a disgrace and a reproach to the cause of Christ.

Now, let me give you just one example of something in this article that's completely and entirely unscriptural. It says we need to know the time of the rapture so we can be ready for it when it happens. But the Bible doesn't say anything like that. Listen, Jesus never said, "Okay, you guys, I'll let you know ahead of time when I'm coming back so you can get ready." He never said anything like that.

You know what he did say? He said as an incentive to help you stay ready all the time, the precise date of the rapture will not be revealed. And there's a big difference between getting ready, my friend, and staying ready. We're to be watching every day, all the time. Jesus said in Mark 13 that we're to keep watch because we don't know when he'll come back, whether in the evening or at midnight or when the rooster crows or at dawn.

But this is an example of how the prophetic wizards handle scripture. They make it say what they want it to say, whether or not it's what it really says. That's one extreme, prophetic wizardry. Then at the opposite end from the spectrum from the prophetic wizards, there are what I call the prophetic skeptics. They're the ones who claim that a fulfillment of prophecy cannot be detected until after it actually happens.

Those who espouse this viewpoint teach that the Bible provides no prophetic indicators for the church age. Since passages like Matthew chapter 24 describe events that happen during the tribulation period, the skeptics say that these passages are not relevant to us today in the church age. The skeptics insist that no signs are given in scripture to enable the church to detect the approach of the second coming.

They vigorously criticize those of us who point to the modern-day state of Israel as a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. As a matter of fact, they vigorously criticize those of us who point to anything during the church age as a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. They say the rapture is a signless event. So those are the two extreme views, the prophetic wizards and the prophetic skeptics, and both are wrong. What we need, my friend, is a biblical balance between the recklessness of the wizards and the reluctance of the skeptics. And we'll find that balance as we progress through this series of studies and we're going to answer the question of whether or not the establishment of Israel in 1948 was a legitimate fulfillment of prophecy. I hope you'll stay with us for the entire series. Well, that's all we have time for today. Be sure to join us next time, won't you? We'll be dealing with the issue of whether or not prophetic signs are for the church age. I'll see you then.

Liz Aiello: Thank you, Gary. And thank you, listening friend, for tuning in today. It's always good to have you with us as we look into God's Word together. With everything that's been happening recently in the Middle East, it's vital that Christians understand what the Bible says about this important piece of real estate.

Has God given up on his people Israel like the replacement theologians would have us believe? Is God finished with the Jewish people as some people claim? Absolutely not. In fact, nearly 2,000 years after the destruction of the temple, God is now beginning to deal with his people Israel in a very specific way.

If you would like to have your own copy of this series, or perhaps you'd like to share it with a friend, you'll be glad to know that it's available on convenient compact disc. Just ask for series number GT12. The title is simply, The Rebirth of Israel in 1948 - Was it a Fulfillment of Prophecy? It's available for your gift of just $6 or more to help us keep this program here on your station.

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I'm Liz Aiello. Join us next time, won't you, as Dr. Gary Hedrick continues our series of studies on The Rebirth of Israel in 1948 - Was it a Fulfillment of Prophecy? Right here on Messianic Perspectives. Messianic Perspectives is sponsored by CJF Ministries of San Antonio, Texas, and is made possible on this station by the free-will contributions of our listeners in this area.