I
am rapidly reaching the conclusion that the Church is now facing the greatest
challenge in its entire history. That challenge is nothing less than to
understand how vitally integral Israel is to the prophetic future, and how to
actively align ourselves with God’s calendar and what He is purposing to do in
the very near future. The immediate prophetic future particularly and
inevitably, vitally involves Israel and the Church.
Bible
prophecies that previously always seemed to belong to the dim and distant future, are now happening
on the world stage before our eyes.
Radical Islam is fervently and defiantly preparing to ignite the war
that will bring back the Mahdi and plunge the whole world into a Muslim ruled
generation.
Israel
is currently living under a very real, often repeated threat of total
annihilation, by a nation and alliance that is frantically gaining sufficient
missiles and warheads to achieve its threatened purpose. Israel is under the
worst threat of its entire existence. In the natural if God does not directly
intervene, Israel faces the possibility of total eradication.
Psalms
83:4"Come," they say, "let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We
will destroy the very memory of its existence." NLT
In
the past several months, numerous leading Islamic voices have made public
mention of their confident belief that a new caliphate will soon arise, with
Jerusalem as its capital city. This confident statement is at the heart of all
the current uprisings and protests in the Middle East. If I might be bold to
declare what is inherent in this statement, I might interpret it thus: “Israel is about to be eliminated and wiped
off the map and disappear from even our memories.” This is what Islam is aspiring towards and
what they believe will happen in the foreseeable near future. This is an extremely provocative and dramatic
statement and it will require an extremely deliberate and confident
response. Let me ask you a very confrontational
question. What would be your response if the international headlines tomorrow
morning announced, “Israel has been completely destroyed and wiped off the
map.” If all this seems to be overly
dramatic, let me assure you that the opposite is true. I cannot even begin to
describe how serious and awesome is the present situation and its possible
repercussions that will affect the whole world. I truly believe that it is not
possible to over dramatize what is about to happen. It will be apocalyptic.
Since
the Churches around the world generally appear to show little active interest
in Israel’s present predicament, where does our own church and you personally
stand on this important matter?
Should
we ignore the situation and hope it will go away?
Should
we believe that it does not directly affect us and therefore do nothing?
Should we not inform our churches that this threat
is against all “infidels” i.e. all Jews, Christians and Christianity, planning
to ultimately annihilate them all?
It is an extremely serious and imminent matter that
demands our immediate interest and attention. It could happen in the very near
future (Psalm 83 and Zechariah 12).
What
should be our solemn wholehearted response to this volatile threat?
Can
we imagine that a situation of this magnitude, that will not only affect Israel,
but also have dramatic implications for the whole world, would have no mention in
the Bible? What does the Bible predict about the future of Israel and the
Church in the immediate and ultimate
future? How should we alert our churches to the serious challenge that
currently faces Israel, the Church, and the whole free world?
Will We Be Silent And Unresponsive?
Esther
4:14
14 For if you remain completely silent
at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another
place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether
you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" NKJV
Israel
is in a similar position now to what prevailed in the days of Haman who
threatened to eliminate the entire Jewish population of the then known world.
It is also like the situation that prevailed in the late 1930’s when
Hitler conceived his diabolical
plan to eradicate the Jews. At that traumatic time the Church was
virtually and treacherously silent. The challenge to stand with Israel now
faces us as it did Ruth. What is our response to that challenge? To take no action will ultimately be
inexcusable.
Whose Side Are We On?
Exodus
32:25-26
26 then Moses stood in the entrance of
the camp, and said, "Whoever is on the LORD's side — come to me!"
And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. NKJV
The
Bible clearly declares that God’s love for Israel is everlasting - without end
(Isaiah 54:8, Jeremiah 31:3). God is definitely on Israel’s side. The nations that presently threaten Israel
with annihilation have within them the spirit of the anti Christ. The predicted
confrontation between God and the anti Christ, is already engaged.
Matthew 12:30 Anyone who isn't helping me opposes
me and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me. NLT
Matthew 25:45
45 And He will answer, 'I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.' NLT
45 And He will answer, 'I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.' NLT
His
statement of Jesus obviously referred to His Jewish brethren. Those who make a
positive stand with Israel are on the Lord’s side. Those who are not definitely
with Him are evidently against Him. The lines are clearly drawn. There is no
neutral ground. The predicted time is arriving right now. We should therefore affirm our support for
the prophetic purposes of God as they relate to the future of Israel and
Jerusalem and indeed the Church. We
should actively believe that God will protect Jerusalem and deliver His ancient
covenant people, purposing to bless them in the Kingdom that God will
ultimately establish on this planet, over which the Messiah will be sovereign
King. We must earnestly and fervently seek God as to what He expects and
requires of us at this ultra critical time. To fail to do this is to forfeit
God’s intended purpose for us.
If
it was possible for Iran to achieve her evil ambition to totally eradicate
Israel, what would the world look like without Israel? What would be the value
of divine promises to Israel in the
Bible? In a spiritual sense Israel is the most important nation in the world
and Jerusalem is the most important city.
Israel is the people and nation that God personally brought into being.
It is the nation among whom the Messiah will eventually live. In God’s eyes Israel is placed at the centre
of the world (Ezekiel 5:5). Jerusalem is the only city on earth that God has
called “His city.” The importance of
Jerusalem to God is clearly seen in that it is mentioned more than 1,027 times
in the NLT Bible.
This
great battle which is currently taking place in the heavenlies, will soon be
fully enacted on the earth. The attack that is launched on Israel will have
serious adverse repercussions universally. No nation or individual will be
exempt from the aftermath. The future fate
of even the most powerful nations on earth will be ultimately determined by the
position they take concerning Israel (Genesis 12:1-3). The Messiah will no
longer be “Gentle Jesus meek and mild.” He will suddenly appear as the
triumphant Lion of Judah. Now is the crucial moment to take a stand on the side
of God, Israel and righteousness. The prophetic future is invading this present
hour. The outcome of this imminent hour will have eternal effects. The decision
that this current situation demands is the most important matter that all
Christians currently face. Nothing on our current Christian agenda is more
important than our attitude and actions regarding the tremendous threats that
Israel currently faces. The challenge
to stand with and pray passionately for Israel, has never been greater than at
this present moment. The battle lines are currently drawn between Yaweh and the
satanic anti-Christ. There is no middle neutral ground. If we are not openly,
fervently and practically standing with Israel and the Holy One of Israel, then
we are standing in opposition to God Himself (Matthew 12:30). Today is our day of challenge and
opportunity
Gerald
Rowlands
www.israelspropheticfuture.org
