Israel, the True Oppressor in the Middle East, Really?

     The world seems to be turning against Israel more and more every day.  I keep seeing different statistics regarding anti-Semitism being on the rise all over the world.  Even in America, the recent outrageousness that came from long time White House reporter Helen Thomas, proves that people are becoming more bold in their opinions that Israel is the true oppressor in the Middle East.

     Watch the ridiculous statements from Helen Thomas here:

     What these opinions reveal to me is that the world is not only rejecting Israel, but God Himself.  I'm not saying that we need to bow down and obey to everything Israel wishes, but we do need to bow down before our God and give Him our love and respect.  One of the ways in which we honor God is simply by believing His word.

     Here are just a couple of passages that deal with who really owns the land, and how we are to treat Israel:

I will make you a great nation;

     I will bless you
     And make your name great;
     And you shall be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,
     And I will curse him who curses you;
     And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Genesis 12:2, 3 (NKJV).

On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying:

“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.”

Genesis 15:18 (NKJV).

     Therefore say to the house of Israel, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.’”  

Ezekiel 36:22—26 (NKJV).

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

          “Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east
     And from the land of the west;
          I will bring them back,
     And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
     They shall be My people
     And I will be their God,
     In truth and righteousness.”

Zechariah 8:7, 8 (NKJV).

     The bottom line is that from the very beginning of human history, we rejected God. God then created the nation of Israel so that His word and plan for salvation would be known to the entire world. However, because that nation rejected God and His Messiah, who Himself was God in human flesh, God turned His back on Israel for a time.  

     Regardless of Israel’s disobedience, the above passages from Ezekiel and Zechariah guaranteed that God would one day bring the Jews back into their land. They also guarantee that God will one day restore Israel as a Holy nation. See also Zechariah 12:10.

     This brings us back to the question of who owns the land of Israel. God made it clear to Abraham in the passage from Genesis 15 above. It belongs to Israel. Israel’s neighbors however, hate Israel. Our nation in fact seems to be joining them. We can’t do much about what our nation’s policies are, but we can control what our individual beliefs are.

     Let me urge you to bless the nation of Israel, and pray for their salvation. The fact of what God had said to the Prophet Ezekiel over 2,500 years ago should make you speechless! This is the only nation in the history of the world that has been completely dispersed and destroyed, partially regathered almost 100 hundred years later, dispersed and completely destroyed again 400 more years later, and then regathered again nearly 2,000 years after that!

     It just doesn't happen! But the fact that a man named Ezekiel said this would happen, and that God Himself had told him, we have no choice but to recognize that God’s hand is at work in Israel.

     Take a look at the following video, and if you really believe that Israel is the oppressor, please be open to the fact that you just might be wrong.

     Heed the warning that God gave to Abraham in Genesis 12 above. God keeps His promises. Do not doubt that He will in fact curse those who curse Israel. Know also that the day is coming when much of the world will be cursing Israel to the point of seeking another Holocaust of the Jews, and all those who have rejected God will join in, “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem.” Zechariah 12:2 (NKJV).

     The existence of Israel, and the hatred of Israel should convince you that the Bible is true. There is no other explanation for their continued existence. Believe that God is real and is actively at work in our world. Moreover, believe that He sent His Messiah, Jesus Christ, to save all those who would repent from sin and put their trust for salvation in Him alone. So most importantly, heed the command Jesus gave when He said, “Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15b (NKJV). 

Could This Happen Again?

     Have you ever studied what happened during the Holocaust? Most people really don’t want to see pictures or hear stories from that time. The problem is that without remembering what Hitler did, and what the world ignored, it will happen over and over and over again.

     One thing that most people don’t quite understand is that what Hitler did wasn’t that original. There has been a spiritual battle between Satan and the people whom God loves ever since the inception of mankind. Following the Fall of Adam and Eve, God promised to send a Redeemer, who would crush Satan. See Genesis 3:15. From that moment, Satan has been trying to destroy the people of God for two reasons. First, Satan hates God. Secondly, Satan wants to thwart God’s plan for our salvation.

     I’m sure there are more Holocaust examples, but here are just a few. The wickedness that led up to Noah’s Flood was climaxed by Satan trying to saturate mankind with demon possession so that the Savior could not be born. See Genesis 6. Nearly 1,000 years before Christ, the Psalmist Asaph described the conspiracy of the nations surrounding Israel, “They have said, ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, [t]hat the name of Israel may be remembered no more.’” Psalm 83:4 (NKJV). About 400 to 500 years before Christ, the infamous villain Haman from The Book of Esther, “sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.” Esther 3:6b (NKJV). Then from the times of the Romans all the way up until Hitler, Europe has repeatedly marginalized, persecuted, and committed genocide against the Jews.

     So Hitler’s actions were not new, but I imagine they were likely the most heinous. Nevertheless, the Bible teaches us that the worst Holocaust is still yet to come. The Book of Revelation tells us that during the last seven years of this stage of our history, the persecution of both secular Jews, and those who have returned to the Lord, will outnumber any genocide the world has ever seen.

     Jesus described that Great Tribulation like this, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” Matthew 24:9 (NKJV). The Apostle John wrote regarding that time, “And the dragon was enraged with the woman [which represents Israel], and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17 (NKJV).

     Please watch the following videos, and take into consideration that although we cannot see it, the spiritual battle is so very, very real. We cannot stop what God has preordained to happen at the end of our history, but I believe we have a duty before God to do our best to prevent such a horrific thing from occurring on our watch. By the way, if you are a Christian, don’t think that you are safe. Satan hates you too.

     As Christians, I think it’s important to be aware that despite the fact that Jews have generally rejected Christ as the Messiah (religious Jews are still waiting for Him), and being the primary object of Satan’s hatred, God still has miraculous plans for Israel. Through the Prophet Zechariah, God promised to reveal Himself to them during the Great Tribulation, once their hearts have been sufficiently humbled, “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced.” Zechariah 12:10a (NKJV).

     Now that the nation of Israel has been reestablished after 2,000 years of dispersion, I think God’s plans for this are getting close. If you have ever thought what it would be like to live during Biblical times, you can stop thinking about it. We are!