End Times Berean Watchman Report - Fulfilled Prophecies Regarding Israel - Part 4

Happy Passover and Good Friday! Today we remember the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. I think the crucifixion itself would have actually been on a Thursday afternoon before the eve of the Friday Passover that started Thursday night, but I still recognize Good Friday as our traditional day of celebration.

In keeping with that theme, we’ll look at the news in Israel, and continue with Part 4 of Fulfilled Prophecies Regarding Israel.

In 1948, on the day Israel declared its independence, they were invaded by Egypt from the South, Jordan on the East, and both Syria and Lebanon in the North. This began Israel’s War of Independence (or the 1948 Arab Israeli War). When Israel’s neighbors invaded her, their stated intention was to put an immediate end to the newly declared Jewish state. Although the Israelis had no standing army and were greatly outnumbered, they were victorious against all odds. 

However, arguably the fiercest battle in the war was fought with Jordan over Jerusalem. At the end of it, the armistice line divided the city in half between the Old City and the New City. When the Jewish Quarter in the Old City fell, many were killed, others were taken into Jordanian captivity, and the rest were deported to the New City. Their homes were pillaged and set ablaze, and the synagogues were destroyed. And as one might expect, some of the women taken captive were also ravaged. When peace was finally made under the 1949 Armistice Agreement, Jerusalem was divided in half for the first time in its four-thousand-year history. 

The modern fulfillment of this prophecy is often overlooked. This verse clearly speaks of dividing Jerusalem in half prior to the return of Jesus Christ to the earth in power and glory. Many view this as a yet-future event, but the events described in verse 2 literally happened in 1948–49! The devastation of that time can be seen in this photo taken near the Tower of David after the armistice. Thus, we can compare historical events directly with the biblical account. And when we do, it’s very difficult to ignore the precision of the prediction. The fact that events that match Zechariah’s description have already occurred in recent history should not escape our attention. 

Furthermore, verse 3 accurately describes the military victories that Israel has had since that time. The miraculous victories Israel has experienced make a very strong argument that God has truly been fighting for them. This has been evidenced by Israel’s survival in the War of Independence and in all its wars since that time. Most remarkably, Israel unequivocally won both the Six-Day War in 1967 and the Yom Kippur War in 1973, where the odds were certainly not in their favor.

Therefore, we should consider that these events may have already been fulfilled in modern history and that we are now living in the days between verses 3 and 4. In verses 4 and 5 we see a picture of Jesus standing on the Mount of Olives that is split in two, so we know that those events are obviously still to come.

The phrase “in that day,” at the start of verse 4, can sound as though it is talking about the very same day as verses 2 and 3; however, the reference could easily apply to only the final battle of a series of wars, which are the subject of verse 3. In other words, if we understand that verse 3 is a long series of battles, where God delivers Israel victoriously from every one of them, then the events of verse 2 (Jerusalem being divided) don’t have to happen at the same time as verses 4 and 5. In fact, I doubt that even the future events described in the last two verses will happen at the same time (Jesus standing on the Mount of Olives, Jews fleeing into the wilderness, and Jesus returning with his holy ones to defeat the Antichrist). When you analyze it closely, there are too many disparate details to imagine that everything could happen in such rapid succession. Therefore, it is best understood as a picture of the last days, not a statement that everything will take place in twenty-four hours. Since the city really was divided in half, for the first time in Jerusalem’s four-thousand-year history, I think it is reasonable to conclude that 1948–49 already saw the fulfillment of that portion of the prophecy, and we can confidently affirm that verse 2 has been fulfilled and that verse 3 is still in progress.

Israel’s neighbors have a long history of being at odds with her; but who would have thought that 2,500 years later, the situation would be unchanged? For most of Israel’s history, the nations that have surrounded Israel have generally been her outright enemies. For short periods of time, there have periodically been peaceful relations with some of the nations; but down through the ages in the Middle East, there have perpetually been wars between Jews and Arabs. The prophet Jeremiah gave an exhaustive list of Israel’s enemies, prophesying that in the last days God was going to make the surrounding nations drink the cup of his wrath. We know from ancient history that this list includes virtually every ancient nation that surrounded Israel in the sixth century BC when Jeremiah was prophesying. But Jeremiah also says the kings of “the coastlands across the sea” will be there, the kings of the north “near and far,” and indeed “all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.”

The rebirth of Israel as a nation immediately reignited that saga, and it has been an issue ever since. Just looking at the nations in the Arab League, there are a total of sixteen Arab league members that have refused to normalize ties with Israel or even acknowledge its existence. It is expected that more Arab nations will make peace with Israel and join the Abraham Accords, but it is unlikely that they all will. Furthermore, nations Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have similarly refused to recognize Israel and are not showing any signs that they will be ready to make a peace deal with Israel anytime soon, either. There are, however, some countries that have thankfully made peace with Israel. The first Arab nation to sign a peace treaty with Israel was Egypt in 1973. This was followed by Jordan in 1994. Both nations were bitter enemies prior to the treaties and had both participated in unprovoked attacks against Israel. Then remarkably, beginning in 2020, more nations began making peace with Israel under the Abraham Accords. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were the first to move forward, followed by Morocco and Sudan. And while that was an amazing step toward a new era of peace in the Middle East, the decades that followed the creation of Israel simply proved that nothing much had changed in the Middle East between Jews and Arabs—except for the nation names and the technologies available. 

Then, when we look beyond the surrounding nations, we also see that most of the world has turned against Israel. From the United Nations (UN), there have been consistently more resolutions condemning Israel than any other country in the world, three times more in 2020.

 And although they are clearly one-sided against Israel, they are generally approved by about 80 percent of the 193 member nations (member states, as they are called by the UN) when they go up for vote. After two thousand years, Jeremiah’s prophecy was not only correct about Israel’s neighbors, but also about how the nations of the world would react to her. The United States has consistently been the only country standing in the way to veto these corrupt resolutions, and I think America has been blessed for it (Genesis 12:3).

ATTACKS FROM GAZA AND LEBANON 

There is another prophecy that I believe foresaw the attacks on Israel in modern times from Gaza and Lebanon. Again, it’s the ancient names that are used, but the events in our present day are following the scenario described by Joel.

At first glance, this prophecy may not seem related to today, but a quick look at a map (above) can shed some light on what is being described. Tyre and Sidon are in modern-day Lebanon, from where Hezbollah has been attacking Israel. Philistia was the area that the Gaza Strip mostly occupies today, from where Hamas has been attacking Israel. Furthermore, the Sabeans were from Arabia, which could then be understood to mean that Arabs would take over the areas of Gaza and Lebanon and use them as bases for attacking Israel. Although Hamas and Hezbollah have continued their periodic assaults on the state of Israel for decades, they have been repelled and subdued time after time. Each time, the destruction they planned is turned back “on their own heads,” as Joel declared. In many cases, rockets they have fired have even fallen back into their own territory. When you consider how closely this 2800-year-old prophecy matches the present situation, it sure looks like a fulfilled prophecy. 

Did the Bible also foretell the modern-day attacks of Jordan on the country of Israel? I believe it did. Obadiah wrote a prophecy concerning Edom, an ancient kingdom that was mostly contained within the area of present-day Jordan. I think it proved to be amazingly accurate at predicting the Jordanian invasion of Israel in 1948 and their continued conflicts with Israel through 1967, and even beyond—to the present day under a cold peace. 

While some may feel that the above passage is as clear as mud, there are several key statements that I think connect this passage with modern events. It describes the people of Edom: 1) doing violence against their brother Jacob, 2) conspiring with other nations to attack Israel, 3) gloating over Israel’s misfortune, 4) marching through their gates [Jerusalem], 5) ambushing the Israelites on the roadways, and 6) drinking on [occupying] God’s holy hill. 

To better understand how this passage reflects modern events, it is helpful to review the history of the conflict between Jordan and Israel from 1948 to 1967, and their relationship post-1967. First, Jordan played a key role in the first Invasion of Israel in 1948. They were joined by Egypt, Syria, and Iraq, along with volunteers from another three Arab nations. Following that war, Jordan remained an enemy of Israel from 1948 to 1967. They have also controlled God’s “holy hill” (the Temple Mount) since 1948, with only a short interruption of about ten days following the Six-Day War. 

Not only that, but while Jordan and Israel have had a peace treaty between them since 1994, it has remained for most of the time a cold peace. Jordan remains critical of Israel on almost all issues related to the Temple Mount and their politics regarding the Palestinians. The thrust of God’s message to Edom is that he is not pleased with what they have done to his people Israel. I think Obadiah’s words remain a potent warning to the Kingdom of Jordan today. God has again promised to return the evil deeds of Israel’s enemies back onto their own heads. 

And interestingly, the next line of the prophecy (Obadiah 1:17) could also be read to mean that Israel would get back the Temple Mount, because it says that Mount Zion would be delivered and made holy, and “Jacob will possess his inheritance.” Perhaps, this too, came to pass (at least in part) on June 7, 1967, when Israel retook East Jerusalem, the Old City, and the Temple Mount. After about nineteen years, East and West Jerusalem were reunited. Jacob once again possessed his inheritance. Arguably though, this verse still partially looks forward to a future time, since Mount Zion (presumably God’s holy hill and the Temple Mount) has not yet been made holy and is still under the control of the Muslim Waqf; but we know that someday it will be. We also read that the lands of Moab and Ammon will be together in the last days. Both of those ancient lands are contained within present-day Jordan. Zephaniah prophesied that they would be hurling insults at the people of Israel, and that as a result their land would be made a wasteland. Jordan has remained in a general state of peace with Israel since 1967, and diplomatically since 1994, but they haven’t ceased their rhetoric against Israel, or their condemnations of her actions at every opportunity. 

Joel also prophesied that Egypt would be attacking Israel again in the last days. And Egypt’s participation with Jordan is also implied in the prophecy because they are listed together. Also in the prophecy, we are told that their punishment will be observed in the days when “a spring will issue from the Lord’s house.” This means that the attacks from both Egypt and Jordan had happened before this time, which we know refers to the millennium. Thus, we understand that these judgments against Egypt and Jordan will be for sins against God and Israel that were committed in the days of tribulation or earlier.

We also read about attacks from Damascus (Syria) in the last days. Amos prophesied that they would thresh Gilead “with sledges having iron teeth.” On Yom Kippur in 1973, Syria invaded the Golan Heights. They brought a force of 1,400 tanks and 1,000 artillery pieces. When you consider Amos’ description, it’s not hard to see the potential similarities with a Syrian T62 tank (photo below). In ancient times, the areas of their invasion into Israel through the Golan Heights would have included Bashan on the north side and Gilead on the southern end.

Syria has been hard pressed and a weakened nation since their defeat by Israel—even more so following the Syrian Civil War in 2011. Over six million Syrians fled their country as refugees and another nearly seven million were displaced within Syria. According to some sources, by 2021 there were over thirteen million Syrians in dire need of humanitarian aid. President Bashar al-Assad has also had difficulties maintaining full control over his nation, and while in 2021 he began showing signs that he may be able to reassert control over his country, his rule is still in jeopardy. Much larger players (like Russia, Iran, and Turkey) are all vying for some measure of control over Syria; so in its present state, the threat that the scepter could soon pass from the Assad dynasty remains real. This means that while we have certainly seen the fulfillment of most of this passage, there may yet remain some judgments to come.

Zechariah also prophesied that Jerusalem would be the center of attention (in a bad way) in the last days and gives a strong warning to anyone who would go against God’s people or his city Jerusalem. Who would believe that over 2500 years after those words were written, in this modern technological world of eight billion people, that Jerusalem would still be the city that the whole world was watching? I mean seriously! Is that something likely to be predicted without divine revelation?

Some might associate this verse with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, but one major detail doesn’t fit. God says, “I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations.” Because it was not “immovable” when the Roman armies besieged it, this must be about the last days. And if this verse is about the protection of Jerusalem in the last days, then it should make you wonder, “Will the Antichrist ever be able to truly conquer Jerusalem, even in the tribulation?” [I don’t have an answer for that one, it’s just a question to think about.] It is often assumed that it will be, but there are verses about judgment and salvation for Israel and Jerusalem throughout the Scriptures. Understanding the full meaning and timing of every one of them before they happen is not something we can know with certainty—but at least we know what to watch for.

The only sacrifice that the Jews are allowed in the Torah (first five books of the law written by Moses) to make without full ritual purity is the Passover sacrifice. Full ritual purity requires the ashes of the red heifer, which is actively being sought and prepared for as well. But, interestingly, that sacrifice should be offered across the Kidron Valley on the Mount of Olives, but all other sacrifices must be performed on the Temple Mount, because after Solomon built the temple there, it became God’s designated place for sacrifices to be offered. Well, the Jews have not given up on the idea of renewing the sacrificial service, as evidenced by an offered a reward of 10,000 shekels to any Jew who succeeded in offering a pascal lamb on the Temple Mount. No one did, but some were arrested for trying, or even planning to try.

And even though nothing happened, the Palestinians used it as an excuse to start a riot on the Temple Mount early Friday morning. The action of the police to stop the riot and arrest the instigators was then called oppression by the Arab Israelis and has caused some of the Arab MKs to threaten to leave the present Israeli government. I think that might actually be a good thing, because it would either throw Israel back to elections, or create the opportunity for a conservative coalition for reform around Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu.

And while it appears that the peace was eventually restored for Friday afternoon prayers, I’ll be surprised if the calm lasts for the rest of Ramadan.

And while all that is going on, we still have the problem of Iran’s nuclear ambitions to deal with. Some think that the window to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program again may have already closed, but I doubt that. I can’t see Iran successfully pulling off a nuclear attack on the State of Israel, so I’m guessing that Israel will still somehow find a way to frustrate their plans, or God will intervene supernaturally on their behalf.

Lastly, Russia’s state-run media has begun declaring that World War III has begun with NATO. That could still be just talk, but I don’t think so. Especially since Russia also issued an official warning to Finland and Sweden to stay out of NATO.

I thought I was going to have my book uploaded and ready for pre-order today for hardback and paperback versions, but I ran into some snags on the typesetting formatting for Amazon, so I’ll be hopefully finishing up reformatting the book this weekend or early next week. The planned release date is still June 5th.

Thanks for checking in another week of the End Times Berean Watchman Report!

Blessings,

Christian