Someone asked me a question Sunday after the service, “Why is God taking just the Jewish people to Israel? Why not all of us?” Good question! The answer is simple; prophecy states that He will specifically return the Jewish people to their home land. During the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ, we will all be visiting Jerusalem, but for now the Lord is actively drawing just the Jews home. It’s all part of His prophetic plan for the RETURN OF THE KING.
Jeremiah 32:37 (NLT)
37 I will certainly bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. 41 I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.
Ezekiel 11:17 (NLT)
17 I, the Sovereign Lord, will gather you back from the nations where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again.’
Amos 9:14–15 (NLT)
14 I will bring my exiled people of Israel back from distant lands, and they will rebuild their ruined cities and live in them again. They will plant vineyards and gardens; they will eat their crops and drink their wine. 15 I will firmly plant them there in their own land. They will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.
What does it mean to take these prophecies at face value? Look again at the last phrase in the prophecy of Amos above: “They will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God. This could not apply to any of the Jews’ repossessions of their land in ancient history. It could not apply to Joshua crossing the Jordan and taking the land after the Canaanites had settled it following Jacob’s migration to Egypt, because the Jews were “uprooted from the land” later by the Babylonian conquests. Also, this prophecy was written long after Joshua’s generation had come and gone. Nor could the restoration to the land apply to the Jews returning to their homeland after the Babylonian captivity because after this “return” they were again “uprooted from the land” by the Romans in AD 70 when they were dispersed into many nations.
NOTE: From the time of the Roman uprooting, the dispersed Jews had no homeland until 1948. They were scattered to all the “distant lands” (see Amos 9:14) when the United Nations recognized them as a sovereign nation. On May 14th, of this year, they will celebrate their 70th anniversary! This is a fulfillment of Bible prophesy and key to the RETURN OF THE KING.
This land has been called the most contested real estate on the planet! It’s true, and this doesn’t go unnoticed by God:
Deuteronomy 11:12 (NASB95)
12 a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning even to the end of the year.
God is the “caretaker” of the LAND, always keeping watch over it. The question is “why?” Here is the simple answer. It’s the LAND to which the King of kings and LORD of lords will soon return.
MY ENCOURAGEMENT FOR 2018: On Sunday, January 14th we will begin a 10-week study of the Book of Revelation called “The Return of the King.” This study is church wide, from the youngest to the oldest. We will all be walking through this amazing book and learning together how God is watching over the LAND to which the King will return. So prepare yourself for 2018 and for God’s eternal gift for you…THE RETURN OF THE KING!
- Luke 12:38 (NLT) 38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.
Small group signups have begun. Make sure you participate in one of the 10 groups we have listed. This will deepen your understanding of what God is doing in this hour and what He plans to do in the near future. Set aside the time and make the effort. You will be blessed because of this.
- Revelation 1:3 (NLT) 3 God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and He blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.
Blessings this new year!
Pastor Pat
