Final stages of prophecy in Israel and Judah

Israel is one of the most interesting nations on the earth. The interest in Israel is not only due to the past and present conditions of Israel, but also the future of the nation. The place of Israel in prophecy has been closely examined for centuries. The purpose of this discussion is to examine the final stages of prophecy in Israel, concerns of the final prophecies and the events or situations replacing prophecy.

The final stages of prophecy in Israel/Judah

One aspect of the final stages of prophecy involving Israel is tied to the tumultuous past and present of the nations. Israel has been the scene of wars and calamity for decades and at the current time it is at the center of the Middle East crisis. What does all this turmoil have to do with the final stages of prophecy as it pertains to Israel? Certain prophecies concerning Israel came to pass during the 20th century. For instance, Israel became a nation in 1948.This came following a time of war. The prophecy concerning Israel becoming a nation can be found in Ezekiel 36 and 37. Indeed this was the first stage of Israeli prophecy and it has been fulfilled. All of the prophecies concerning Israel have to do with the restoration of Israel. According to Walvoord

"Scriptures also indicate that the second phase of Israel's restoration will be a peace treaty between Israel and her neighbors. Peace has been the great problem for Israel since 1948 and according to Scripture will have its temporary solution when a new leader arises in the Middle East who will take control of the situation politically and attempt to put to rest the conflicts by entering into a treaty with Israel, as prophesied in Daniel 9:27."

According to the aforementioned scripture in Daniel, "Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate." (Daniel)." This scripture indicates that a time will come when Israel will create a covenant with the powers that be (the antichrist). This treaty or covenant will supposedly secure the peace of Israel or the Middle East. However, the antichrist will break this covenant within one weeks time.

In addition there are prophecies throughout the Old Testament that assert that the people of the nation of Israel will be regathered to the land and will be an instrumental part of end time struggles. The fact that Israel is now a nation is just one of the in addition, according to the theologian John F. Walvoord, the events occurring in the Middle East at the current time have everything to do with stages of prophecy in Israel. According to Matthew 24:15-20,

"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand: Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day (Matthew 24:15-20).

This prophecy given by Christ warns Israel of an impending situation that would cause Israel to flee into the mountains of Judea. Many theologians believe that this situation is the Great Tribulation and the breking of the previously mentioned treaty with the antichrist. Isael will make this treaty because it will be desperate to live in peace. This time is often refered to as Jacob's Trouble and it is the third stage of the restoration prophecy.

The final prophecy involves the total and complete restoration of Israel. The fulfillment of this aspect of prophecy will be seen in the second coming of Christ. At this time it is believed that the nation of Israel or Jewish people will be brought back to Israel form the four corners of the earth. This is an important aspect of prophecy because it will be at this time that God will give Israel back the land that he promised Israel. This is important because the current struggles in the Middle East are over this land. Palestinians believe it is their land, while Israelis believe that it belongs to them as a result of the covenant that God made with Abraham. This promise can be found in Genesis 15:18 and it states "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" According to Coogan (2006) this promise is the foundation of Israel's political existence. The author explains that this promise is the single most important thread that runs through prophecy involving Israel (Coogan, 2006). That is, this promise is the reason for all of the events and circumstances that have occurred in Israel over the years.

In any case the final stage of prophecy is to completely restore Israel by giving her back the land. According to Walvoord "This final and fourth stage of Israel's restoration will be fulfilled when Christ returns to deliver Israel from her enemies and to inaugurate His millennial kingdom of righteousness and peace on earth (Walvoord)." So then the final stage in the prophecy involves the coming of the Kingdom of Christ. It is also important to not that Christ is the Messiah. Many Jewish people have not yet accepted him as such. However, when he comes to rescue Israel once and for all, he will be accepted by Israel as the Messiah or savior. This is also an aspect of the final stage of the prophecy involving Israel.

Concerns of the Final prophecies

Over the years theologians have debated the essence of the prophecies concerning Israel. Some believe that the land is not promised to Israel and that it should be divided so that peace can be had in Israel. Others contend that the prophecies are literal and they will be fulfilled in the manner presented in the bible. Still others assert that the land promised to Israel is not as large as Israelis believe. There are also those who believe that the entire Christian church is Israel and that Israel is not just composed of Jewish people. These theologians assert that when Israel rebelled against God she lost her place as God chosen. Subsequently, any person who has accepted Christ as Messiah is now representative of Israel.

In any case there are concerns about prophecies regarding Israel and the role of Israel in the end time. The most prominent belief seems to be that the bible has no place in dictating political policies. for, instance for many years there has been discussion concerning whether or not Israel should be divided to appease Palestine and to promote peace in the region. Israel has been vehemently against this policy because it believes that God promised a certain amount of land and this land is contained within in the parameters already discussed. In other words Israel is not willing to abandon promises from God based on politics or even peace.