“And it shall happen in that day that I will make JERUSALEM a very HEAVY STONE for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though ALL NATIONS OF THE EARTH ARE GATHERED AGAINST IT.” (Zechariah 12:3) Just listen to the news today…Since 2015, the United Nations General Assembly has adopted 140 resolutions criticizing Israel, mainly over its relationships with neighboring countries and other alleged wrongdoings. Over the same period, it has passed 68 resolutions against all other countries combined!
What about Jerusalem, do you know that that city is mentioned over 800 times in the Bible? “If I forget you, O JERUSALEM, let my right hand forget its skill! If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth—If I do not exalt JERUSALEM Above my chief joy.” (Psalms 137:5-6) The Lord said, “For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and JERUSALEM, I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up MY LAND.” (Joel 3:1-2)
When many of these prophecies were written 2600 years ago, Jerusalem had been destroyed by Babylon. God spoke through Ezekiel. “But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall SHOOT FORTH YOUR BRANCHES AND YIELD YOUR FRUIT to My people Israel…For indeed I am for you…you shall be TILLED AND SOWN. I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited, and the ruins rebuilt.” (Ezekiel 36:8-10) This was prophesied because when Mark Twain visited Israel he wrote, “Renowned Jerusalem itself, the stateliest name in history, has LOST ALL ITS ANCIENT GRANDEUR, and is become a pauper village; the riches of Solomon are no longer there …the wonderful temple, which was the pride and the glory of Israel, is gone… PALESTINE IS DESOLATE AND UNLOVELY. He mentioned all the dusty land and LACK OF WATER and no GRASS GROWING in the land.” Around May 14th, 1948, God turned the 8 WATER SPRINGS BACK ON, Israel NOW exports $2.2 billion annually in water related TechKnowledge and know-how.
God speaks of His New Covenant with Israel, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27) Then He gives a prophecy about the opening of the WWII death camps, “Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves (the Nazi prison death camps) and cause you to come up from your graves and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I AM THE LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.” (Ezekiel 37:12-13) These Jewish prisoners looked like skeletons coming up out of their graves.
In Ezekiel 39 God mentions all the Muslim nations all around Israel and Russia, coming to destroy her and God intervenes destroying these enemies and says, “Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and THEY WILL MAKE FIRES WITH THEM FOR SEVEN YEARS…It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a BURIAL PLACE there in Israel… there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore, they will call it the Valley of Hamon Gog. For SEVEN MONTHS the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land.” (Ezekiel 39:9, 11-12)
Jesus says, “Watch therefore, and PRAY ALWAYS that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham