On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, a key founder and Israel’s first Prime Minister, announced the establishment of the State of Israel. This marked the end of nearly 2,000 years of exile, dispersion, and persistent persecution, including the inquisitions, pogroms in Russia and Eastern Europe, and the Holocaust.
The return of the Jewish people to the land promised them by God is not merely a political development or a historical milestone—it’s the unfolding of divine prophecy.
This movement marks the fulfillment of ancient promises spoken by God Himself, revealing His unwavering covenant and laying the groundwork for the return of the Messiah and the coming of God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
- Let’s consider some of the promises of Israel’s regathering and restoration.
Ezekiel 36:24–28: For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from 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 be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.
The return of the Jewish people to Israel marks a physical restoration, preparing the way for their spiritual awakening. The rebirth of Israel is not a mere historical accident; it is the visible unfolding of God’s divine plan, fulfilling His ancient promises before our very eyes.
2700 years ago, Isaiah asked the prophetic question: “Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?” The answer is yes, and that day was May 14, 1948, when Israel was reborn as a nation and
President Harry S. Truman granted recognition of the State of Israel just 11 minutes after that declaration by David Ben Gurion. That made the U.S. the first country to recognize Israel. The second country, believe it or not was The Soviet Union three days later on May 17, 1948. They too began full diplomatic relations.
Other countries followed suit in subsequent weeks and months, including France, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and South Africa. So, on May 14th Israel will be 77 years old. Fulfilling the prophecy uttered 2,700 years earlier by Isaiah.
- God Has Preserved Israel Through the Ages as Jeremiah said in 31:35–37:
Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: “If this fixed order departs From before Me,” declares the LORD, “Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever.”
This means that God has bound the survival of Israel and the Jewish people to the fabric of creation itself. Despite centuries of dispersion and relentless persecution, He has faithfully preserved His people.
A song we Jews sing beautifully captures this enduring truth: “Od Avinu Chai; Am Yisrael Chai”—“Our Father lives; therefore, Israel lives.”
Israel and the Jewish people remain a living testimony that God exists and that His Word can be trusted. That God is sovereign over His creation and that no weapon formed against Israel shall stand. Proving God’s Promises are credible and faithful.
Since the day chronicled in Genesis 3 where the actions of the enemy of God, ha Satan, first appears, he has been devoted to undermining and defying God’s Will for His world and His children.
In Gen. 3:15 we read “And I will put enmity Between you (the serpent) and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
Antisemitism is at its root demonic, and this includes attacks against Christians which are motivated and orchestrated by the evil one. Scripture teaches that whom God loves the God of this world hates.
Another amazing reality of modern Israel is that The Hebrew language has been revived, Jewish culture has been kept, and national identity continues despite all attacks against it – past, present, and future.
Paul The Jewish apostle to the Gentiles, educated as an ultra-orthodox Jewish Rabbi writes in Romans 11:1–2 “Has God rejected His people? Certainly not! … God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.” God Forbid!
Paul affirms that God’s covenant with Israel remains intact. Israel’s survival is not merely ethnic—it’s also theological. That is it’s a Biblical teaching that demonstrates to Believers that God will never forsake His firstborn sons.
- We also learn of Israel’s Rebirth in the Fig Tree Prophecy spoken in Luke 21:24 “Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
As I understand this prophecy the fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles will end at the rapture of the church. We are living in the times of the Gentiles where Gentiles lead the true church of Messiah. The true church is invisible and consists of both Jews and Gentiles made one in Messiah.
It is the Gentiles Christians that Paul is addressing in Romans 9-11. We also learn the rebirth of Israel is described in one the parables of Yeshua in Matthew.
Matthew 24:32–34. “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
The fig tree often symbolized Israel in Scripture we see this in Hosea 9:10: I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season.
And also in Jeremiah 24:5: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans. For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land; and I will build them up and not overthrow them, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.
The re-establishment of Israel signals the dawn of significant prophetic fulfillment— the rapture of the church, the rise of antichrist and then Messiah’s return. This is what is meant by the fig tree blossoming. Yeshua urged us to watch the signs—and Israel is a central aspect of the “last days”.
- The Purpose of Israel in God’s Redemptive Plan Genesis 12:3 “In you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Israel was and still remains chosen for a mission: to bring light to the nations Isaiah 49:6: He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations.
Through Israel came the Messiah, and when He returns to rule and reign in Jerusalem there will come the restoration of all things Acts 3:19-21:
Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Messiah appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
The times of refreshing began with the God’s Spirit indwelling God’s people which is still going on today. But then at the appointed time the events of the Last Days will unfold leading to the return of the King.
Romans 11:15 “If their rejection (of Jesus as Messiah) brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?”
We need to make clear the distinction between personal salvation and national salivation. Personal salvation occurs when a Jewish or Gentile person confesses their sin and believes that Yeshua paid the penalty due them by His sacrifice on the cross.
As God’s Word teaches there is none righteous Ecc. 7:20 “Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.”
Faith in His atoning blood brings personal salvation but Scripture speaks of Israel’s national salvation described by the prophet Zechariah. It will be a day when all the nations of the world gather against Israel to bring about the final solution of the “Jewish problem” once and for all. This was Hitlers demonic mission but according to both Old and New Testaments someone more evil than Hitler is coming, antichrist.
He will lead a force of United Nations that will wage war against Israel. This battle will lead to the return of the Messiah and bring will the Millennial kingdom. Zechariah 12 gives us insight into how God will set the stage for Israel’s national salvation and restoration.
Zechariah 12 prophecies the conflict, deliverance, and repentance of Israel and the Jewish peoplewhen they recognize that Jesus is their Messiah. In a world where Israel stands increasingly isolated, this chapter reminds us that God’s hand remains sovereign over His people and His promises.
In v. 1 we read “The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him…”
Zechariah begins by emphasizing God’s credentials: He is the Maker of heaven, earth, and humanity.
In v 2 Zechariah describes Jerusalem as both a Cup and Stone:
- A “cup of reeling” — causing the nations that try to control or destroy her to stagger and fall (v. 2).
- A “heavy stone” — those who try to lift her will injure themselves (v. 3).
He describes how all nations will be drawn against Jerusalem, but their efforts will end in their destruction.
This reminds us that Israel’s survival is not based on political alliances but on God’s unbreakable promises. As David wrote in Ps. 20:7 “Some trust in horses some in chariots but we will trust in God.
Jerusalem’s troubles are not signs of abandonment but point to her central place in God’s unfolding plan for the world and the nations as we read in Deut. 32:8-9:
“When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, When He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the sons of Israel. “For the LORD’S portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.
In Zechariah 12:4–9 he describes God’s defense of Israel against these united nations attacking Israel, V 4:
“In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness…” God will sow confusion Among the Enemy and supernaturally confuse and scatter Israel’s foes.
In v 8 the Lord will Strengthen Judah “The feeblest among God’s people will be like David—a warrior king. Those of you familiar with the battle chronicled by Moses when Israel was in the wilderness on their journey to the Promised Land.
In Exodus 17 When the Amalekites attacked Israel, we read that when Moses held his arms up Israel prevailed. Similarly, the Lord will hold His hands up and Israel will prevail and be strengthened.
The “house of David” will be like God, empowered by His Spirit and God will strengthen His people giving them victory over those who would try to annihilate them.
In Zechariah 12:9 we learn that God Himself will destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
God’s deliverance will be unmistakable and supernatural. This is instructional for us today reminding us not to put our trust not in human strength but in the mighty arm of God to defend and fulfill His purposes in our life.
Finally, we see in 12:10-14 the entire nation of Israel will understand and see that it was not their army that brings victory against this overwhelming force of the nations of antichrist but their Messiah.
In v 10 we read “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and supplication…”
God will pour out His Spirit: God Himself initiates their repentance by pouring out His Holy Spirit of grace and supplication. Just as Christians come to faith and life through the very same Spirit of God they too will experience his grace. Eph 2:8-9:
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. When God’s Spirit comes upon Israel they will recognize the one they pierced:
12:10 “so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.”
Israel will recognize the one “they have pierced”—a direct reference to Messiah Yeshua. They will mourn deeply, as one mourns for a firstborn son, symbolizing true repentance.
There will be Individual and Corporate Mourning: Mourning that is both national and personal(families and individuals named).
True revival is corporate but also must penetrate the heart of everyone. Salvation always involves the Trinity: Father God-initiated, Messiah-centered, and involves The Holy Spirit convicting and leading to heartfelt repentance.
This is exactly what Paul was speaking of when he rebuked Gentile Christians regarding their pride and arrogance toward the Jewish people who rejected their Messiah in the first century. Sadly, that arrogance and pride still prevail in the church to this very day as Paul writes in Romans 9-11.
The summation of Paul’s teaching on God’s faithfulness to Israel and the Jewish people can is seen in Rom. 11:25-27:
For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written “the deliverer will come from Zion, he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” “this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”
God’s faithfulness to Jerusalem, the nation of Israel and the Jewish people is a testimony of God’s faithfulness to all His promises.
The piercing, rejection, and killing of the Messiah for which we are all responsible, will be forgiven in one day. Israel Nationally will be moved by God’s Spirit to mourn and repent which will lead to their individual and national salvation.
As we watch events in the Middle East unfold today, we are reminded: God’s hand is still on Jerusalem, and the final chapters of His redemptive plan for the world is swiftly approaching.
Christians are called to understand God’s Purposes in light of these events happening in our world today.
As Paul writes in Romans 11:17–18, 25–29 the Church and Gentile believers are grafted into Israel and have not replaced Israel but instead are grafted into Israel’s Olive Tree. By God’s grace Israel will experience God’s covenantal blessings that are now found through Israel’s Messiah.
God’s gifts and calling to Israel are irrevocable. The Church must resist arrogance and instead provoke Israel to jealousy through godly living, prayer, and loving witness to them. We can do that by learning that Christianity is Jewish.
Yom HaAtzmaut is more than a national holiday for Israel; it is a prophetic signpost that God’s Word is true and unfolding before our very eyes. As believers in Messiah Yeshua, we should rejoice in the physical restoration of Israel and anticipate that their spiritual restoration will come.
In response Let us: Give thanks for God’s faithfulness. Stand in prayer for Israel’s salvation (Romans 10:1). Share the Good News that the same God who restored the nation can restore hearts and minds today through the Good News we proclaim that Yeshua is the promised Messiah of Israel and the Nations.
Psalm 126:1–3 “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream… The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”
