Following on from part 1, I will outline the journey of the Israelites, based on the scriptures in Deuteronomy 28 throughout centuries, and the evil that they endured, the very thing that God wanted to save them from. However, because they wanted to do their own thing, they walked into the hands of Satan, the enemy, which used nations after nations to destroy the Israelites.
The Israelites did not follow the instructions that were given to them, which was to invade the land that was promised to their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Since the Israelites were sharing the land with those who were occupying, they became swayed into the things that the people before were doing, and started to worship other gods. They subjected themselves to things that were not right in the sight of the Lord. It was only until decades later King David came along, where we start to see the removal of those the Lord commanded to be removed. However, when King David died, there were some kings who were devoted to the Lord, and others who were following their own fleshly desires, thus participating in pagan practices - such as following false gods, sacrificing their children, using divination and omen, selling themselves to do evil in the sight of God. Despite warning after warning, we start to see the rise of those nations that were allowed to seep in, form empires and go against Israel. The first, is the Assyrian Empire who capture the Northern part of Israel 2 Kings 17:15-18. As we read in 2 Chronicles 32:20-22 we see they try to besiege Jerusalem but the Lord blocked this from happening.
After the Assyrian Empire then we see the rise of the Babylonian Empire. The Israelites were led by wavering kings who thought about their own needs rather than seeking the Lord’s ways. Due to this we see the split of Israel into two parts; Israel and it’s capital city being Samaria and Judah with it’s capital city being Jerusalem. Because of the Israelites rebellious, stiff necked and stubborn nature - in 2 Chronicles 36:15-21 we read “And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy. Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand. And all the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these he took to Babylon. Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions. And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfil seventy years.”
Jeremiah advised them that they will be taken into captivity (Jeremiah 25:11) as predicted in Deuteronomy chapters 4 and 28. Due to their rebellious behaviours, they did not heed the warnings of Jeremiah, thus were taken into captivity for 70 years under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and burned down the temple which was once a place of worship to God, built by King Solomon.
As we read in Jeremiah 29:10 we see the Lord has informed the Israelites that they will return to Jerusalem after their 70 year captivity. We see that this return happened under the reign of Cyrus, King of the Medo-Persia Empire, 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up!” The Temple was eventually built as we read in the book of Nehemiah, after we see the exiles have returned back to Jerusalem (Book of Ezra). However, they were still under the rule of the Medo-Persian empire. Reminds me in the scripture of Deuteronomy, where God told the Israelites “they will be the tail and not the head,” we see this happening throughout the centuries before the Lord allows them to return to their land.
During the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, there was a young prophet boy named Daniel, who was brought to Nebuchadnezzar to interpret his dream - one of the dreams he interpreted was of the coming Greco-Macedonian Empire - Alexander the Great, which we see eventually rules over Jerusalem after the exiles return under the Medo-Persian rule. After Alexander the Great’s death, we see several rules within this empire over Jerusalem, one being the Seleucid empire under the Greco-Macedonia rule. They did not care for God or the Jews and wanted to eliminate all Jewish traditions and enforce Greek religion.
Over time we see the demise of the Greco-Macedonian empire, conquered by the Roman Empire. They capitalise Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and demolished the second Temple which was built by the exiles, that returned under the Medo-Persian rule. Jerusalem is then built as a Roman city.
Eventually, we see a change of hands, thus the start of the Byzantine Period, within this time Persians capture Jerusalem, but then the Byzantine Christians recapture Jerusalem from the Persians. Not long after, Jerusalem are then introduced to the First Muslim Period, in this time Caliph Omar enters Jerusalem. Jerusalem is then ruled by the Umayyad Dynasty, where we see the Dome of the Rock is built on top of where the destroyed Jewish temple was built.
Jerusalem then enters into the Crusaders period, where we see Jerusalem is captured from the Umayyad dynasty. Eventually, Jerusalem is captured from the Crusaders by Saladin under the Ayyubid Dynasty. We then see the Crusaders capture Jerusalem back twice.
During the Mamluk Period, we see Caliph dismantle the walls of Jerusalem and the population start to decline. The Ottoman Empire then war with the Mamluk and capture Jerusalem. Under the Ottoman Empire we see Suleiman the Magnificent rebuild the walls for Jerusalem - this is not for the Jewish sake, but as we know, the Lord aligns all things for his glory.
The British Mandate came into effect where we see they captured Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire during WW1 it is during this time of the British Mandate, the Holocaust took place. The start of the marginalisation of Jews happened in 1933, but we see the execution of them from 1941 to 1945 - killing a total of 6 million Jewish people.
Going back to the scriptures in Deuteronomy, we see that God predicted all that would happen to the Israelites/Jews if they did not heed the words of God Almighty. However, in Deuteronomy 30 as outlined above He confirms that the Israelites will return to their land. In Ezekiel 36, where the Lord goes into further details about Israel being restored as a nation ““And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: “Because the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,’ ” ’ therefore prophesy, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because they made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you are taken up by the lips of talkers and slandered by the people”— therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, the valleys, the desolate wastes, and the cities that have been forsaken, which became plunder and mockery to the rest of the nations all around— therefore thus says the Lord God: “Surely I have spoken in My burning jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who gave My land to themselves as a possession, with wholehearted joy and spiteful minds, in order to plunder its open country.” ’ “Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, and the valleys, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and My fury, because you have borne the shame of the nations.” Therefore thus says the Lord God: “I have raised My hand in an oath that surely the nations that are around you shall bear their own shame. But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and 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. I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, My people Israel; they shall take possession of you, and you shall be their inheritance; no more shall you bereave them of children.” ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because they say to you, ‘You devour men and bereave your nation of children,’ therefore you shall devour men no more, nor bereave your nation anymore,” says the Lord God. “Nor will I let you hear the taunts of the nations anymore, nor bear the reproach of the peoples anymore, nor shall you cause your nation to stumble anymore,” says the Lord God.’ ” Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to Me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity. Therefore I poured out My fury on them for the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had defiled it. So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds. When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name—when they said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and yet they have gone out of His land.’ But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went. “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 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. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!” ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt. The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it.” ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them: I will increase their men like a flock. Like a flock offered as holy sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem on its feast days, so shall the ruined cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.”
In 1948 we see the state of Israel established as a nation - with Jerusalem being divided. Israel then captures old city Jerusalem and the Eastern part in 1967. We have seen since then, a constant physical and spiritual war over Jerusalem. Our Saviour Jesus Christ was crucified and rose again in Jerusalem. This city is extremely special to God and His people Jews and Christians.
We saw when Trump was President of the United States he formally recognised Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel and ordered the U.S. Embassy to move there. Do you think that was a coincidence? Only God could have put that on Trump’s heart. Whatever, you think of Trump, whether you like him or not, God used Trump to do something spiritually impactful that day.
We must remember in Deuteronomy 7:6 ““For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.”
Joel 3:1-3 warns the nations of the judgement that will be upon them “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. They have cast lots for My people, Have given a boy as payment for a harlot, And sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.”
Everything happens in God’s timing, not ours!
Last year we saw the attack on Israel on the 7th October 2023, since then we have seen this war escalate and escalate - all eyes are on Israel! In Psalms 83:1-8 I believe it discussed the very thing that we see happening before our very eyes “Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot. Selah” Today, these same nations are those surrounding Israel today, and are enemies against Israel - Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Morocco, Tunisia etc.
As Israel continues to defend itself whether you agree with their tactics or not, this is a small state that has been consistently targeted, and yet, even today the majority of the world is against them. The bible says in Zechariah 12:2-3 “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 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.” Verse 9 “It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” There is a coming time, where Israel will stand alone and all nations will see the hand of God over the nation of Israel.
God keeps his promises, and it doesn’t matter how many centuries has gone by, since the beginning of the world, the Land was always promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as I said in part 1, I believe this was Eden, the Lord's land.
He will bless those that will bless Israel and curse those that will curse Israel (Genesis 12:3). Israel is very crucial to the last days, you may not see it now but I pray you will soon. I mentioned in Part 1 that the enemy will use deception to convince the masses, he did it throughout centuries and is doing it now, and will continue to do so as the world goes into the tribulation period.
God created this world and everything in it (Genesis 1:1). He breathed his breath into Adam (Genesis 2:7), giving us (as we are descendants of Adam) air in our lungs and giving us a spirit - a soul. We belong to the Almighty God, the Creator of Heavens and Earth (Genesis 1:1), we don’t belong to ourselves, and we certainly do not belong to the enemy. Unfortunately, people don’t see that, however, if you have made the decision you are not for Jesus Christ, then you are against Him and serve his enemy, the devil, Luke 11:23 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”
I thank the Lord that through the sacrifice of His son, Jesus Christ we can be reconciled back to Him (Romans 5:10-11), so that there is no enmity between us and God (Ephesians 2:16), that we may have life and our days will be lengthened through eternity in Him (John 10:28).
Judgement is coming, the very judgement Egypt went through as described in the book of Exodus, and what Israel went through when they were taken into captivity as described in Deuteronomy 28,29 - this will be is the same judgement that will come upon the Earth. This is discussed in the book of Revelations, Zechariah, Daniel and other prophetic books.
Look at what is happening in our world right now, not just with Israel, but all around the world, Jesus Christ calls this “beginning of sorrows” (Mark 13:8). I’ll coin the phrase my mum uses “this world is a pressure cooker” and God is coming back for his elect to save us from what will happen. Please give your life today, tomorrow is not promised to no one (James 4:14).
Pray this prayer with me ‘Lord Jesus, I recognise that I am a sinner, I recognise that you died on the cross for my sins, that you raised from the dead on the third day conquering sin and the grave that I may have everlasting life. I repent of my sins, and I thank you that you have made it possible to live and abide in you and your safety. Thank you for this gift of salvation - I turn from my ways and follow you. Amen x