This
last June 2007 forty year ago, the wonderful city of Jerusalem, as a direct
result of the now world celebrated Six Day War, was finally united after
nineteen long years of separation.
For
those who were present in the city at that time, the events of that very
prophetic moment would be very hard to ever forget.
Imagine
the expressions of joy and triumphant jubilant scenes as the Israelis people
moving about through the Old City of Jerusalem and gathering in amazement,
awe and wonder at the Western Wall for the very first time in such a long
time.
This
remarkable victory in the jaws of devastated opposition for the
unification of Jerusalem must and should be discerned as nothing less than
the intervention of the God of Israel's influencing force to act on behalf
of the people that He has a covenant with.
We
truly are living in amazing and exciting times.
But the real meaning
often obscured of the June 1967 war and the unification of Jerusalem after
being divided for so long is nothing less than the expression of this very
significant event that opens the arguments to several important but very
critical biblical truths.
Firstly:
To begin with
the first and most important but very critical biblical truth is that this
is a sign of the end of "the times of the gentiles."
It would be
very helpful to note that the Lord Yeshua, (Jesus) predicted the
destruction of Jerusalem, the Temple and the worldwide dispersion of the
Jewish people in Luke 21:24 where He says. . .
"And
they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive
into all nations:"
"and Jerusalem
shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the
Gentiles be fulfilled."
Luke
21:24 KJV
These events were
fulfilled in the year 70 A.D when the Roman army destroyed the city of
Jerusalem and the Jewish people were dispersed throughout the entire earth.
The
Lord then went on to say that these awful and very tragic but significant
occurrences would take a contrary position and direction when the Jewish
people would finally return to their ancient homeland and capital which
is and always will be, Jerusalem.
This exclusive
but very bizarre event, would usher the end of "the times of the gentiles."
The
Great Difference Between. . .
"The
Fullness Of The Gentiles" And
"The Times Of The Gentiles"
This term cannot
and should not be mistaken with the biblical term "the fullness of the
gentiles" found in Romans 11, which refers exclusively to the
full number of gentiles who will be redeemed by the sacrificial death
of the Lord on the cross. (Please read entire chapter of Romans 11)
Once
this particular number has been accomplished or met, Messiah will rapture
the Church. In other words, He will return for His bride.
In the other hand,
the "times of the gentiles" refers to the period that the Gentiles
will dominate over the land of Israel and over the Jewish people.
Because
of the very fact that the Jewish people have returned to the to the Holy
city of Jerusalem in the year 1967 marks and it is a biblical milestone
indicating that, the divine focus will be upon Israel and in particular
Jerusalem itself.
Jerusalem has
been the focus of attention and will continue to be until The Fullness
Of The Gentiles time is over. This attention will increase as we get
closer to the time when the Lord returns for His Bride.
The focus of
attention becomes the city of David, which is the city of God.
The Body of
Messiah can, therefore, expect this awesome Holy City to become the world's
object of attention in the decades even the days to come.
Without
going any further, this is already the case as you well know by reading
the daily newspapers headlines of the world.
The same Hebrew
Scriptures that predicted the return of the Jewish people to the Old City
of Jerusalem, declare that this major event arises anger and hatred
on behalf of the gentile nations who will continue to try to separate
and divide Jerusalem.
In
fact this is already the case.
Again, the same
Bible that predicted the return of the Jewish people to the Old City also
states that this event itself will arise the anger of the gentile nations
who will seek and try to eliminate Jerusalem from being Israel's capital.
We
are witnesses of this very fact that as the world leaders gathered in Annapolis
last year, a city that I know all too well, discussed the division of God's
city Jerusalem.
The book of
Zechariah chapter 12 explains it for us clearly.
Please read
the entire chapter of Zechariah 12.
We the church
as well as the Jewish people alike are seeing this clearly today with our
very own eyes. Bible prophesy is being fulfilled even as you read this
very article.
Secondly:
The reunification
of Jerusalem in the year 1967 teaches a lesson that one generation after
the next prefers to forget.
This lesson
is that the Lord God Hashem, the God of Israel, the God of history and
of the national and international relations of men will continue throughout
eternity to operate under the same standards as He always has in times
past.
He
will remain to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob because He is the
God of the Bible.
While
man, in the other hand, will remain in his aloof halls of governance,
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest towards God as well
as in others and continuing to seek in different ways, to exclude God,
the Creator of Heaven and earth more and more from the affairs of his life,
government, state and even at times church;
The God of
the Bible, the Creator of Heaven and earth will continue to confine him,
(by him I mean man,) by demonstrating His sovereignty over all the
nations of the earth.
This
He will do whether man likes it or not.
Written over three
thousand years ago, the second Psalm bears witness to this very fact.
The Psalm affirms
a glorious future for Jerusalem and also expresses positively God's sovereignty
over the nations as well.
This Psalm
conceives an image and paints a very clear picture of a definite Jewish
presence and God's Messiah in the city of Jerusalem in the very near future.
Thirdly:
This wonderful
Exodus of the Jewish people to the ancient city of Jerusalem that is taking
place even as we speak is a warning.
Yes, this is
a warning to the nations of the world. All who sin against the Lord God
almighty pays the price.
The Jews as
well as any other gentile nations, have paid the price for their sin and
rebellion against God, but God has an everlasting covenant with the Jewish
people and He has not forgotten them.
He
has returned them to Zion and any nation, any country, those who dare challenge
this heavenly plan put themselves in direct conflict with the God of Heaven.
History is filled
with an accumulation of rubbled nations who once stood high and mighty,
arrogant and powerful and with this might sought to completely destroy
the Jewish people.
Yes, at one
time they sought to devastate them of their divine bequest.
In modern times
today we are still hearing the same voices. They are like a great violent
and noisy commotion and disturbance of the nations of the world.
They
are calling for the removal of the Jews from their homeland and capital
the city of Jerusalem. We know that they will fail not because their arguments
are bold, arrogant and sometimes even plausible, but because God says so!!
They are ignorant
of Scripture.
This is not
in their favor, it is to their peril.
And
Finally:
The return of
Israel forty years ago to the undivided eternal city of David, the city
of God Jerusalem, means that today, in this very moment, humanity finds
itself trapped in an awesome time of transition.
Yes,
finally the times of transitions are upon us.
You see, it has
been that in Scripture the number forty always point to times of
change.
The life of
Moses was strikingly noticeable by three periods of forty years:
One
as a prince of Egypt.
Two as a shepherd
of Midian.
And three
as a prophet of God.
King David ruled
for forty years in Jerusalem, so did his son Solomon.
The Lord Yeshua,
Jesus, spent forty days in the wilderness in preparation for His public
ministry.
We
cannot say what times are upon us now as we approach forty years of restored
Jewish presence and control over the Holy City but we can strongly affirm,
as Jesus did, that these are Messianic times.
In the year 1967
the Chief Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Goren blew a shofar at the Western Wall.
It was at that time that time in 1967, that he declared that Messianic
times had arrived.
Under the inspiration
of the Ruach-Ha-Kodesh, (the Holy Wind [Spirit] of God) He was right.
Regardless
of how these days unfold, we know that in times of transition God is always
present and working.
It is not in vain
that the inspired Word of God calls upon us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
"Pray
for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee"
Psalm
122:6 KJV
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