Living and Breathing Proof

Last week in my commentary, I talked about the “Signs of the Times” and how they were accelerating at an ever-increasing pace - How the “birth pains” were becoming more intense and much closer together.

I then listed several categories of events pertaining to this prophetic phenomenon and closed with some comments on Israel - How she was God’s prophetic time clock. An example of that was when Jesus prophesied (Luke 21:24) that the Jews would be dispersed from Jerusalem and be led captive among the nations. But then He added that one day they would return to re-occupy Jerusalem, and when this happens, the end-time events would occur that will lead to His return.

Of course, we know now that this has taken place - but I wonder how many of you know the real story of how this came about - How they were given this opportunity to “return home”.

The following is a brief history of a series of events that propelled this prophecy to the forefront.

Just 93 years ago, there was not one single, tangible, measurable sign that indicated we were living in the season of the Lord’s return. The first to appear was the Balfour Declaration which was issued by the British government on November 2, 1917.

This declaration was prompted by the fact that during World War I the Turks sided with the Germans. Thus, when Germany lost the war, so did the Turks, and the victorious Allies decided to divide up both the German and Turkish empires.

The Turkish territories, called the Ottoman Empire, contained the Ancient homeland of the Jewish people - an area the Romans had named Palestine after the last Jewish revolt in 132-135 A.D.

In 1917 Palestine included all modern day Israel and Jordan. In the scheme the Allies concocted for dividing up the German and Turkish territories, Britain was allotted Palestine, and this is what prompted the Balfour Declaration. In that document, Lord Balfour, the British foreign secretary, declared that it was the intention of the British government to establish in Palestine “a national home for the Jewish people”.

The leading evangelical in England at the time was F.B. Meyer. He immediately recognized the prophetic significance of the Declaration, for he was well aware that the scriptures prophesy that the Jewish people will be regathered to their homeland in unbelief right before the return of the Messiah (Isaiah 11:11-12)

Meyer sent out a letter to the evangelical leaders of England asking them to gather in London in December to discuss the prophetic implications of the Balfour Declaration. In that letter, he stated, “The signs of the times point toward the close of the time of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24)...and the return of Jesus can be expected any moment.”

Before Meyer’s meeting could be convened, another momentous event occurred. On December 11, 1917 General Edmund Allenby liberated the City of Jerusalem from 400 years of Turkish rule.

There is no doubt that these events in 1917 marked the beginning of the end times because they led to the worldwide regathering of the Jewish people to their homeland and the re-establishment of their state.

Since 1917, we have witnessed throughout the 20th - 21st century the appearance of sign after sign pointing to the Lord’s soon return. There are so many of these signs today, in fact, that one would have to be either Biblically illiterate or spiritually blind not to realize that we are living on borrowed time.

For just a brief moment, consider this -- How is it that when you view today’s headlines, this tiny nation, one out of some 200 world-wide, dominates much of the attention of the world? -- It is one of the tiniest; inhabits only 6 million of the nearly 7 billion people world-wide; has no major natural resources or economic interest; has no major seaport -- Why?

Simply, it’s because scripture said that this is how it would be just prior to our Savior’s return. To me, just this one point of prophecy - Israel - is enough to convince almost anyone of the validity of God’s word.

Prophecy, in of itself, is a great tool for bringing people to Christ. It was and is the major force behind my own personal salvation.

Know a skeptic? -- One that can’t or won’t accept the teachings of scripture? -- Show them the prophecies surrounding Israel. Anyone will be hard-pressed to dispel the amazing history of this tiny nation and its people - the Jews - God’s chosen people.

This should and, in many cases, will be proof for even the worst of “doubting Thomases”.

Until next time,

Red