During my 58 years, I have seen direct evidence of God's actions many times. And in my lifetime I have witnessed numerous developments regarding the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
But there are two related events which stand out as the most striking direct fulfillments of Bible prophecy in my lifetime.
The first was the outcome of 1967 Six Day War, with Israel regaining control of Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. But immediately, the world powers began clamoring for Israel to relinquish those Divinely granted lands. Ignoring four thousand years of history, they branded Israel's ownership as "illegitimate". Malicious efforts to wrest that land from Israel through political roguery and cruel violence have been unrelenting.
The second event was this week, in the aftermath of the United Nations Security Council vote to effectively expel 400,000 Jews from Judea, Samaria, and much of Jerusalem. In a treacherous reversal of decades of U.S. foreign policy, Obama allowed Resolution 2334 to be enacted. This has convinced the Palestinians their "Nation of Palestine" is imminent.
Their spiteful glee in the days since has been palpable, issuing one menacing pronouncement after another. They are certain the long-standing contention for ownership of that land has finally been decided in their favor.
Though the U.N. vote this week was shocking and appalling, it has not caught the Lord by surprise. He spoke about these events in advance, through the prophets. It is very exciting to see the Bible play out before our eyes, with the declared resolution to the crisis which God Himself will enact.
The verses in the Bible which address this situation very precisely are found in Ezekiel chapter 36. They describe a nation which has been restored to their land after a very long exile, but are still dealing with this severe controversy: the Biblical heartland, the "mountains of Israel" (Judea and Samaria), are being contested by scornful, savage enemies.
Verse 2:
This is what the Lord God says, ' The enemies have taunted you, declaring, "Aha! Now the ancient heights have become ours to possess!"'
God Almighty Himself has assessed the current situation, and in verses 2 and 3 provides His summary of the crisis, which will be the basis for His resolute response in verses 4-15. The malicious enemies believe they have won, aided by the efforts of the "rest of the nations" (as detailed in subsequent verses).
It is not only the taunts which have greatly irked God, but the relentless, ferocious, ruthless efforts to seize the Holy Land, which He calls "My land." Biblical commentators note the extreme emotional intensity expressed in the Hebrew wording of these verses.
Verse 3:
Because! Yes, because they ravaged and greedily seized you (Judea and Samaria) from every direction, so that you were regarded as the property of the nations, and become the topic of those nations' disparaging, malicious deliberations and slander...
What gall! Those United Nations suppose they can contest the declaration of the Almighty and demonize the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria! Those United Nations suppose they can pronounce a resolution deeding the property to whom they wish, defying the Word of God!
The verses following detail God's response, the resolution He will enact in His "red hot fury" in response to the enemy's "utter contempt for me by gleefully taking my land for themselves as plunder." (v. 5 NLT) The cities of Judea and Samaria will be ultimately rebuilt and populated with Jews, prosperous and happy. There will be no Palestinian state. Instead, that land will be the integral and thriving core of the Jewish nation. Precisely when this will happen, we do not know. But happen it will, by the Word of the Lord.
The prior chapter, Ezekiel 35, dovetails with chapter 36 in a vivid description of how God will deal with those bloodthirsty enemies. Continually spewing out "loathsome, reviling" invective against Israel in their violent land grab, their hatred is dealt with appropriately by the God of Israel.
But, you may wonder, how could it be these verses written so long ago are talking about today? This is how we know: chapter 36, verses 16-38, contains a rare big-picture commentary by God Himself on the history of Israel. He describes His dealings with them over a long period, culminating in a scene that is yet future. It is a fascinating glimpse into His mind. He personally explains His overall purposes in regathering the Jewish nation back to their own covenant land.
We who live during these days are greatly privileged to see these prophesied events occurring. Yet so few people have the desire to comprehend what God is doing. I daresay you have never heard your pastor or rabbi speak on these verses. And though we know what will happen, this does not mean we are to just sit back and watch it all happen. We must be active advocates for Israel, speaking out, and praying, as partners in the fulfillment of God's purposes.
For more information, here is a detailed commentary on Ezkeiel 36, written in 2002
