The LORD had said to Abraham: in 1921BC, “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I WILL SHOW YOU. I will make you a great nation…I will bless those who bless you, And I will CURSE (‘ârar: scarcity, isolation, and death) HIM WHO CURSES YOU; And IN YOU all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)
In 550BC God, thru Nathan the Prophet, had this conversation with King David, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over MY PEOPLE, ISRAEL…Moreover I will APPOINT A PLACE FOR MY PEOPLE ISRAEL, and will PLANT THEM, that THEY MAY DWELL IN A PLACE OF THEIR OWN AND MOVE NO MORE…When your days are fulfilled…I will set up your seed (Solomon) after you…and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house FOR MY NAME, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom FOREVER.” (2 Samuel 7:8-10, 12-13) 3,945 years ago God promised THE LAND OF ISRAEL to Abraham, then He affirmed that promise to David 2,574 years ago.
Under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem and took them into captivity. Then King Cyrus, 70 years later, freed Israel and gave them support to rebuild the temple. Then in 70AD, Roman General Titus came and broke through the walls around Jerusalem and stone by stone tore down the Temple of God, killed thousands and thousands of Jews and scattered the remaining Jews all over the World.
Then Roman Emperor Hadrian, in 134BC, changed the name of Judea to Syria Palaestina. This new name emphasized the connection to the ancient PHILISTINES (an enemy of Israel) and MINIMIZED the association with JEWISH IDENTITY.
About God’s promise to Abraham, “…when God made a promise to Abraham, (3,945 years ago) since He had no one greater by whom to swear, He swore BY HIMSELF, saying, “Surely, I will 1. BLESS YOU and 2. MULTIPLY YOU.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. So when God…GUARANTEED IT (His promise) with an oath, so that by TWO UNCHANGEABLE THINGS, (1. bless you 2. multiply you) in which IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE, we might have strong encouragement to HOLD FAST to the hope set before us.” (Hebrews 6:13-18)
So, Israel was out of their Land for 2018 years, then on May 14th, 1948, Israel was reinstated back to their land, and it has been restored as God promised and Jesus told us that when we see this happen to LOOK UP because our redemption is drawing near, “Truly, I say to you, THIS GENERATION WILL NOT PASS AWAY until ALL THESE THINGS take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Matthew 24:34-35)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham