Monday 1 September 2014

Bible Prophecies: Israel and the second coming of Jesus Christ

Bible prophecies are very interesting and accurate. It's interesting to note what the Bible says about Israel and how is it related to the second coming of Jesus Christ and end-time events. This small nation, Israel, plays an important role during the end times.

1. Prophecy concerning the return of Jewish people and the prosperity of the land

As we know, the Israelites were scattered throughout the earth in AD 70. They were driven out of their homeland(Palestine) by Romans at the end of AD 73. The Romans then destroyed Jerusalem and annexed Judaea as a Roman province.
Bible prophecies say that the scattered Jewish nation will come back to their homeland and the land of Israel will flourish.

Ezekiel 36:8  "But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home."
Ezekiel 36:10 - "and I will multiply the number of people upon you, even the whole house of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt..."
Ezekiel 36:24 - "For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land."

We see the fulfillment of prophecy in 1948 when Israel was announced as a nation and they were given land in their own place. We see the land also flourished and produced many fruits after the return of Jewish people.

2. Return and rebuilding of Israel will initiate the second coming of Christ


Psalm 102:13-16 - "You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come. For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity. The nations will fear the name of the Lord, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory. For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory."

Matthew 24: 32- 34 - "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

We can see some hints from the other passages in the Bible that the fig tree refers to the Jewish nation.

Joel 1:6,7 -  A nation has invaded my land, a mighty army without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness. It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white. 

Jer 24:8-10, 29:17-19, Hosea 9:10 - In all these verses we can see the Jewish nation has been compared to the fig tree.

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