Messianic Perspectives

Liz Aiello: On May 14th, 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 distinct first-century Jewish point of view. This is 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 a little later with information about a special offer, so have your pencil and paper ready. And now, with today's installment, here's Gary.

Dr. Gary Hedrick: Welcome, listening friend, to another edition of the program. It's good to have you on board again today as we continue our series of studies dealing with the question of whether or not the rebirth of Israel in 1948 was a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. And we've said that the issue of whether or not the establishing of the state of Israel in 1948 was a fulfillment of Bible prophecy is really part of the larger issue of whether or not prophetic signs apply to the Church Age at all.

Some people say they don't. They say there are no signs until after the rapture. So we've been talking about this remarkable passage in Matthew chapter 24, where Jesus Christ outlines a series of prophetic trends that will signal the approaching end of the age. We said the first of those prophetic trends is that of latter-day religious deception: false messiahs and false prophets. "For many shall come in my name, saying, 'I am Christ,' and shall deceive many." Matthew 24:5.

Then the second prophetic trend enumerated here in Matthew chapter 24 is that of global warfare. Look at verses six and seven. He says, "And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." Nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, he says. Global warfare on an unprecedented scale.

And again, there have been wars and rumors of wars since the beginning of time. But remember what we've said about the interpretation of these prophetic trends in Matthew 24. I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I want you to get this. A prophetic trend becomes a sign of the end when two things happen. First, there's a convergence of all the signs—that is, they're all happening simultaneously. And secondly, there's an increase in frequency and intensity, like birth pangs.

Now, with the dismantling of the former Soviet Union, a lot of people think our worries are over militarily. For a while there, the politicians were telling us that a new era of international peace had dawned. But we don't hear too much of that anymore. We're beginning to realize that this is a very unstable world. There's a great deal of potential for wars and rumors of wars.

In fact, here's a memo from the Pentagon that came over the news wires. It starts out, "US Defense Department remains at the ready for war." Then it says, "The Pentagon, in its first specific outline for the post-Cold War era, envisions seven scenarios for potential foreign conflicts that could pull the US into combat," the New York Times reports.

The Times says internal Pentagon documents estimate that maintaining forces able to win any of the scenarios would require a healthy level of defense spending into the 21st century. The Times says the seven scenarios will serve as a foundation for the long-range budget planning and determining the number and kind of troops and weapons the US should maintain. That's from the Pentagon as reported in the New York Times.

And there's something else that none of these seven scenarios even takes into account. And that is the possibility that democracy in the former Soviet Union may be short-lived. In fact, there was a Gallup poll recently that was done in Europe, Eastern Europe, and the results indicate that many Europeans are unhappy with democracy.

Here's a report from the Associated Press. It says after the collapse of communism, a majority of people in East and Central Europe are dissatisfied with democracy, a 10-country poll indicates. Most deeply disillusioned are Russians and those who have been free the longest: the Poles, Hungarians, and Czechoslovaks, according to the poll.

A thousand people, from intellectuals in the capitals to rural peasants, were questioned in each country: Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, the western part of the Russian Republic, Romania, and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. You see what's happening is a lot of these people are deciding that this democratic revolution may not be all it's cracked up to be.

And do you know why they feel that way? Because democracy hasn't lived up to their expectations. Do you know what they were expecting? After bankrupting themselves under communism for almost half a century, these people thought they could throw off their communist oppressors and almost overnight enjoy a prosperous Western lifestyle. But it hasn't turned out that way.

The cold, hard facts are that it's going to take the Russian people many years of long, hard work before they'll be able to enjoy anything even close to a Western lifestyle. And the question is whether or not they're willing to stick with democracy long enough and whether or not they're willing to work hard enough to give it a chance. If they're not, there could be another coup, and the next one might succeed.

What am I saying? Simply this: we live in a very unstable world, my friend. The prophetic scriptures teach that as we approach the end of the age, one of the trends that will develop is that of global warfare and conflict on an unprecedented scale. There will be wars and rumors of wars: nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom.

And as a matter of fact, the Bible teaches that the most devastating, destructive battle in the history of mankind is yet future. It's known as Armageddon. According to the prophetic scriptures, the armies of the earth will descend on Palestine during the tribulation to destroy the Jews in Israel. During the conflict, the Gentile armies will ravage Jerusalem and destroy two-thirds of Israel's Jewish population.

One thing we hear a lot from our Jewish friends is that they'll say, "Wait a minute. The Tanakh (that's the Jewish Bible; we call it the Old Testament) doesn't say anything about the Messiah coming twice. He was supposed to fulfill all the prophecies by coming once." But there's a fascinating prophecy in Zechariah chapter 13. Let's turn over there. It's a prophecy that distinguishes between the two advents of the Messiah.

And if you draw a line here between verses seven and eight, that separates the two comings of Christ. Verse seven says, "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd (that's the crucifixion), smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones." That was Messiah's first coming.

Now look at verse eight: "And it shall come to pass (there's the passage of time between the two advents), now it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein." Verse nine: "And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, 'It is my people:' and they shall say, 'The LORD is my God.'"

It says they will call on his name, and he will hear them. When the Antichrist and his armies surround Jerusalem and they're about to destroy the Jewish people, they'll look up and they'll say, "Save us now!" Do you know how you say that in the Hebrew language? Yeshua. Salvation now. Yeshua.

When they look up and they say, "Save us now," they will actually be calling on the name of Yeshua, Jesus. "They shall call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say, 'It is my people,' and they shall say, 'The LORD is my God.'" Don't you know that it will be music to Yeshua's ears when he hears his beloved people Israel calling him by name for the first time in 2,000 years?

And he'll respond in a big way. The armies of heaven descend and the armies of the Antichrist are utterly decimated. The carnage will extend over a battlefield 200 miles long: the most destructive single battle in the history of the world. That's the wrath of Yeshua HaMashiach on the enemies of his people Israel. Well, we'll have to continue next time. I'll see you then. Take care. Bye-bye.

Liz Aiello: Thank you, Gary. And thank you, listening friend, for tuning in today. You know, 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. All the information you need on this timely subject is right here on one convenient CD. It's available for a gift of just $6 or more to the ministry of Messianic Perspectives. Just ask for series number GT12. The title is simply "The Rebirth of Israel in 1948: Was It a Fulfillment of Prophecy?"

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Once again, our web address is simply cjfm.org. And as always, when you're in touch with us, please mention the call letters of this station. If you're listening to our webcast or podcast, we need to know that too. This is Liz Aiello. Join us next time, won't you, as Dr. Gary Hedrick continues our series on "The Rebirth of Israel in 1948: Was It a Fulfillment of Prophecy?" right here on Messianic Perspectives.