Many eschatologists believe the re-instatement of Israel as a nation propelled us into the end times. There are six specific prophecies about Israel that Scripture says will be fulfilled before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Before the nation of Israel was reformed, none of these could have been fulfilled. Today we will explore what those six prophecies are. If you missed the introductory post Prophecies That Must Be Fulfilled Before the Second Coming, I suggest that you go back and read that to get the framework for this blog.
Israel will be repopulated
Many verses predict the repopulation of Israel before the coming of their Messiah to reign as King. For example, Hosea 3:4-5 says,
For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.
And Isaiah 11:11-12 says,
In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
This prophecy is being fulfilled in our lifetime! In 1950, the population of Israel was 1.2 million. In 2022 it is just shy of 9 million and is still steadily growing. To put it another way, the population is 709% of what it was just 72 years ago. In comparison, the US population is 210% of what it was 72 years ago. (Statistics from U.S. Population Growth Rate 1950-2022 | MacroTrends.) The Jerusalem Post has a page for the headlines about this return. Here is one of the recent headlines. Israel absorbs 15,000 new olim since the outbreak of the Ukraine war – The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)
Israel will be blessed
A second prophecy about Israel to be fulfilled is God’s blessing on this nation. Again, there are quite a few verses that record this prophecy. One of them is Malachi 3:11-12, which says,
I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.
Jeremiah 31:23 also declares God’s end times blessing of Israel.
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I restore their fortunes: “‘The Lord bless you, O habitation of righteousness, O holy hill!’
God is also fulfilling this prophecy in our lifetime! God has blessed the land itself so that the deserts have become lush agricultural lands (Turning sand into land. Desert farms in Israel grow lush crops from sand and salty water – CSMonitor.com). Israel exports many important products all around the world. The people of this tiny country have invented many important medical and technological advances. Furthermore, the Jewish people have a heart of compassion that responds with generosity when other countries suffer disasters. (https://www.jpost.com/Christian-News/Israels-blessing-to-the-world-460920)
Israel will be hated
In spite of the blessing that Israel is to the world, and maybe because some people are jealous of Israel’s blessings, the Bible says that Israel will be hated in the last days. The last days are described as the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7). In Revelation 12 we find that the final beast kingdom will pursue the Jews in an effort to annihilate them. Unfortunately, the Jews have been hated ever since God first blessed Abraham. Christ followers need to join God in blessing Israel, because He blesses those who bless Israel (Genesis 12:3 and Psalm 122:6-7). We don’t have to look far to find headlines that show the fulfillment of this prophecy. An article published on April 30, 2022, drives this point home. Reports of Antisemitism on the rise last year | NL Times .
God will supernaturally protect Israel
Even though antisemitism is on the rise, the Lord continues to supernaturally protect Israel in fulfillment of several biblical prophecies.The antichrist will confirm the covenant with Israel
The Temple will be rebuilt
Lisa Gallington has been studying the Word since she was 12 years old, with a special interest in end times prophecy. She has a passion for preparing the Church and everyone she comes in contact with for the return of Christ. She leads women’s ministry at her church and teaches a Bible study, often connecting the studies to end times prophecies and prophetic headlines. She has authored several books including End Times Preppers Devotionals and the accompanying End Times Preppers Bible Study and Foundation of Faith: Hebrews 11.
