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Is Modern Israel Fulfilling Prophecy?
by Thomas Ice
@Davidwestmusic
Is the current state of Israel a work of God as predicted in Bible prophecy or is it merely
an accident of history? I believe that modern Israel is a Divine work and is in the process of
fulfilling Bible prophecy. I believe that Israel, as she is constituted today, is a work of God
in progress preparing the nation for the tribulation, which will lead to her national conversion,
the second coming of Christ and His millennial reign.
CHRISTIAN SUPPORT FOR IS R A E L
On the one hand, there is great support for Israel generally among the Evangelical
Christian Community. This is likely the main reason that opinion polls in the United States
show great support for the modern state of Israel, in contrast with Europe, which tends to
overwhelmingly support the Arabs. It is not the Jewish lobby that is so effective in
America, while they struggle across the Atlantic. The reason there is such great support for
Israel in the U. S. A. is because biblical Christianity resonates more here than in the Old
World. There are not many Bible-believing Christians in Europe compared to this country.
Further, there is a greater number of Muslims in Europe than in North America. Their
influence is driving opinions in Europe in much the same way that Evangelicals tip the scales
in this country.
While the larger majority of Evangelicals have always supported Israel, the Jewish
community is only recently becoming convinced of this support.National Review’s Rod Dreher says evangelicals who hold a “divine right”
viewpoint support Israel with an “uncritical fervor that exceeds that of even some
American Jews.” Orthodox Rabbi Daniel Lapin, in an article posted May 7 on
National Review Online, says American Jews are “waking up” to Christian
support.
For many Evangelicals, the modern state of Israel is such an important item, that it will be the
central issue by which they will determine who to vote for in this year’s election. For
Christians like myself, we believe that it is still a dictum of history that God will bless those
who bless Israel and curse the one who curses Israel (Gen. 12:3).
FIGHTING GOD
Yet, even within the Christian community in America, there are those who do not
believe that the modern state of Israel is related to God’s Sovereign plan for history.
Preterist Gary North has boasted that he has a book already in his computer for when
“Israel gets pushed into the sea, or converted to Christ.”2 Lutheran Don Matzat has said,
The present-day nation of Israel is no more involved in God’s plans for the future
than is France, England, Germany, the United States, etc. The teaching of the
New Testament is very clear—Jesus fulfilled everything pertaining to Israel and
formed the New Israel.
Even a number of dispensationalists today say that there is a restored nation of Israel in
God’s plan for the future, but there is no reason to think that the current nation of Israel is
necessarily prophetically significant. Current president of Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr.
Mark Bailey said,
Is that what is happening today? I can’t say for sure. It is the first time in
2,500 years, though, that you have this kind of constitution of people in the land,
but I don’t know what that means. This may be the prelude to end-time events,
www.pre-trib.org 2 but I think we’re presumptuous if we try to give it meaning beyond that. It
maybe, that’s all we can say. It is not surprising, in light of his view of the present state of Israel, that Dr. Bailey
recommends Christians not support Israel politically.
Modern Israel IS a Work of God
There are many reasons why we can say that the modern state of Israel is prophetically
significant and of stage-setting significance for the tribulation. I will list a few here, but will do
a more thorough job in a forthcoming book. First of all, Israel is not going to get pushed into
the sea. Second, France, England, Germany and the United States are not mentioned
hundreds of times throughout the Bible as is the case with Israel. The Bible says many
times that Israel is not done in history, but many Christians act as if that were not true. Paul
said in Romans, “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!”
(Rom. 11:1a).
There are dozens of biblical passages that predict an end-time regathering of Israel back
to her land. However, it is a common mistake to lump all of these passages into one
fulfillment time frame, especially in relation to the modern state of Israel. Modern Israel is
prophetically significant and is fulfilling Bible prophecy. But readers of God’s Word need to
be careful to distinguish which verses are being fulfilled in our day and which references
await future fulfillment. In short there will be two end-time regatherings: One before the
tribulation and one after the tribulation.
Hebrew Christian scholar Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum—a graduate of Dallas
Seminary—explains the biblical basis for the current state of Israel as follows:
The re-establishment of the Jewish state in 1948 has not only thrown a
wrench in amillennial thinking, but it has also thrown a chink in much of premillennial
thinking. Amazingly, some premillennialists have concluded that the present
state of Israel has nothing to do with the fulfillment of prophecy. For some reason
the present state some how does not fit their scheme of things, and so the
present state becomes merely an accident of history. On what grounds is the
present state of Israel so dismissed? The issue that bothers so many
premillennialists is the fact that not only have the Jews returned in unbelief with
regard to the person of Jesus, but the majority of the ones who have returned
are not even Orthodox Jews. In fact the majority are atheists or agnostics.
Certainly, then, Israel does not fit in with all those biblical passages dealing with
the return. For it is a regenerated nation that the Bible speaks of, and the present
state of Israel hardly fits that picture. So on these grounds, the present state is
dismissed as not being a fulfillment of prophecy.
However, the real problem is the failure to see that the prophets spoke of
two international returns. First, there was to be a regathering in unbelief in
preparation for judgment, namely the judgment of the tribulation. This was to be
followed by a second world-wide regathering in faith in preparation for blessing,
namely the blessings of the messianic age. Once it is recognized that the Bible
speaks of two such regatherings, it is easy to see how the present state of Israel
fits into prophecy.
First World-Wide Gathering in Unbelief
In 1948 when the modern state of Israel was born, it not only became an important
stage setting development but began an actual fulfillment of specific Bible prophecies
about an international regathering of the Jews in unbelief before the judgment of the
tribulation. Such a prediction is found in the following Old Testament passages: Ezek.
www.pre-trib.org 3
20:33-38; 22:17-22; 36:22-24; 37:1–14; Isa. 11:11-12; Zeph. 2:1-2 and Ezek. 38–39
presupposes such a setting.
Zephaniah 1:14-18 is one of the most colorful descriptions of “The Day of the LORD,”
which we commonly call the tribulation period. Zephaniah 2:1-2 says that there will be a
world-wide regathering of Israel before the day of the LORD. “Gather yourselves together,
yes, gather, O nation without shame, before the decree takes effect—the day passes like
the chaff—before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the
LORD’s anger comes upon you.”
Ezekiel 20:33–38 speaks of a regathering, which must take place before the tribulation.
The passage speaks of bringing the nation of Israel back “from the peoples and gather you
from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm
and with wrath poured out” (Ezek. 20:34). “With wrath poured out” is a descriptive
reference to the tribulation. Thus, in order this to occur in history, Israel must be back in the
land before the tribulation. This passage clearly says that it is the Lord who is bringing them
back. The current nation of Israel is in the process of fulfilling this passage.
In a similar vein, two chapters later, Ezekiel receives another revelation about a future
regathering of national Israel (Ezek. 22:17–22). This time, the Lord is “going to gather you
into the midst of Jerusalem” (Ezek. 22:19). Like the metallurgist, the Lord will use the fire of
the tribulation to purge out the unfaithful. The Lord is going to “gather you [Israel] and blow
on you with the fire of My wrath, and you will be melted in the midst of it” (Ezek. 22:21).
Once again, “My wrath” depicts the time of the tribulation. It also follows here that the nation
must be regathered before that event can take place. The outcome of this event will be
that the nation “will know that I, the LORD, have poured out My wrath on you” (Ezek. 22:22).
For this to occur, there must be a regathering by the Lord of Israel to the land, just like we
see happening with the modern state of Israel. God is at work through the current state of
Israel.
Surely, anyone who claims to believe in a national future for Israel would have to say
that the valley of dry bones prophecy in some way, shape, or form relates to modern Israel
(Ezek. 37:1–14). The prophet describes a future process through which the nation of Israel
will come to be reconstituted and (when the process is complete) enter into a faithful spiritual
relationship with the Lord. This multi stage process must surely include the current nation of
Israel, in unbelief, that is being prepared to go through a time that will lead to her conversion
to Jesus as their Messiah. This is said by Ezekiel to be a work of the Lord (Ezek. 37:14).
Thus, the modern state of Israel is a work of God and biblically significant.
Second World-Wide Gathering in Belief
Many passages in the Bible speak of Israel’s regathering, in belief, at the end of the
tribulation, in conjunction with Christ’s second coming, in preparation for commencement of
the millennium. These references are not being fulfilled by the modern state of Israel.
Some of the citations include: Deut. 4:29-31; 30:1-10; Isa. 27:12-13; 43:5-7; Jer. 16:14-
15; 31:7-10; Ezek. 11:14-18; Amos 9:14-15; Zech. 10:8-12; Matt. 24:31 and many more.
I think that this regathering will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets (
Rosh Hashanah) for the nation of Israel.
Matthew 24:31, records a future regathering of Israel, this time in belief. “And He will
send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the
four winds, from one end of the sky to the other” (Matt. 24:31). This is said to take place
after the tribulation (Matt. 24:29), which would be the second coming.
CONCLUSION
The fact that the last fifty years has seen a world-wide regathering and reestablishment
of the nation of Israel, which is now poised in just the setting required for the revealing of the
Antichrist and the start of the tribulation, is God’s grand indicator that all of the other areas of
world development are prophetically significant. Dr. Walvoord says,
www.pre-trib.org 4
Of the many peculiar phenomena which characterize the present generation, few
events can claim equal significance as far as Biblical prophecy is concerned with
that of the return of Israel to their land. It constitutes a preparation for the end of
the age, the setting for the coming of the Lord for His church, and the fulfillment of
Israel's prophetic destiny.
It is true that the Bible predicts a future time when Israel will be regathered in belief and
will then enter into the kingdom for a thousand years. However, as I have demonstrated
above, the same Scriptures also tell us of a time when Israel will be regathered in unbelief,
before the tribulation in order that God may complete His plan for national Israel. The
current nation of Israel is the beginning of fulfillment of just such prophecy. Modern Israel is
the result of God’s direct intervention in history. I believe that those who speak contrary to
this will be found to be fighting God. Maranatha!
by Thomas Ice
@Davidwestmusic
Is the current state of Israel a work of God as predicted in Bible prophecy or is it merely
an accident of history? I believe that modern Israel is a Divine work and is in the process of
fulfilling Bible prophecy. I believe that Israel, as she is constituted today, is a work of God
in progress preparing the nation for the tribulation, which will lead to her national conversion,
the second coming of Christ and His millennial reign.
CHRISTIAN SUPPORT FOR IS R A E L
On the one hand, there is great support for Israel generally among the Evangelical
Christian Community. This is likely the main reason that opinion polls in the United States
show great support for the modern state of Israel, in contrast with Europe, which tends to
overwhelmingly support the Arabs. It is not the Jewish lobby that is so effective in
America, while they struggle across the Atlantic. The reason there is such great support for
Israel in the U. S. A. is because biblical Christianity resonates more here than in the Old
World. There are not many Bible-believing Christians in Europe compared to this country.
Further, there is a greater number of Muslims in Europe than in North America. Their
influence is driving opinions in Europe in much the same way that Evangelicals tip the scales
in this country.
While the larger majority of Evangelicals have always supported Israel, the Jewish
community is only recently becoming convinced of this support.National Review’s Rod Dreher says evangelicals who hold a “divine right”
viewpoint support Israel with an “uncritical fervor that exceeds that of even some
American Jews.” Orthodox Rabbi Daniel Lapin, in an article posted May 7 on
National Review Online, says American Jews are “waking up” to Christian
support.
For many Evangelicals, the modern state of Israel is such an important item, that it will be the
central issue by which they will determine who to vote for in this year’s election. For
Christians like myself, we believe that it is still a dictum of history that God will bless those
who bless Israel and curse the one who curses Israel (Gen. 12:3).
FIGHTING GOD
Yet, even within the Christian community in America, there are those who do not
believe that the modern state of Israel is related to God’s Sovereign plan for history.
Preterist Gary North has boasted that he has a book already in his computer for when
“Israel gets pushed into the sea, or converted to Christ.”2 Lutheran Don Matzat has said,
The present-day nation of Israel is no more involved in God’s plans for the future
than is France, England, Germany, the United States, etc. The teaching of the
New Testament is very clear—Jesus fulfilled everything pertaining to Israel and
formed the New Israel.
Even a number of dispensationalists today say that there is a restored nation of Israel in
God’s plan for the future, but there is no reason to think that the current nation of Israel is
necessarily prophetically significant. Current president of Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr.
Mark Bailey said,
Is that what is happening today? I can’t say for sure. It is the first time in
2,500 years, though, that you have this kind of constitution of people in the land,
but I don’t know what that means. This may be the prelude to end-time events,
www.pre-trib.org 2 but I think we’re presumptuous if we try to give it meaning beyond that. It
maybe, that’s all we can say. It is not surprising, in light of his view of the present state of Israel, that Dr. Bailey
recommends Christians not support Israel politically.
Modern Israel IS a Work of God
There are many reasons why we can say that the modern state of Israel is prophetically
significant and of stage-setting significance for the tribulation. I will list a few here, but will do
a more thorough job in a forthcoming book. First of all, Israel is not going to get pushed into
the sea. Second, France, England, Germany and the United States are not mentioned
hundreds of times throughout the Bible as is the case with Israel. The Bible says many
times that Israel is not done in history, but many Christians act as if that were not true. Paul
said in Romans, “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!”
(Rom. 11:1a).
There are dozens of biblical passages that predict an end-time regathering of Israel back
to her land. However, it is a common mistake to lump all of these passages into one
fulfillment time frame, especially in relation to the modern state of Israel. Modern Israel is
prophetically significant and is fulfilling Bible prophecy. But readers of God’s Word need to
be careful to distinguish which verses are being fulfilled in our day and which references
await future fulfillment. In short there will be two end-time regatherings: One before the
tribulation and one after the tribulation.
Hebrew Christian scholar Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum—a graduate of Dallas
Seminary—explains the biblical basis for the current state of Israel as follows:
The re-establishment of the Jewish state in 1948 has not only thrown a
wrench in amillennial thinking, but it has also thrown a chink in much of premillennial
thinking. Amazingly, some premillennialists have concluded that the present
state of Israel has nothing to do with the fulfillment of prophecy. For some reason
the present state some how does not fit their scheme of things, and so the
present state becomes merely an accident of history. On what grounds is the
present state of Israel so dismissed? The issue that bothers so many
premillennialists is the fact that not only have the Jews returned in unbelief with
regard to the person of Jesus, but the majority of the ones who have returned
are not even Orthodox Jews. In fact the majority are atheists or agnostics.
Certainly, then, Israel does not fit in with all those biblical passages dealing with
the return. For it is a regenerated nation that the Bible speaks of, and the present
state of Israel hardly fits that picture. So on these grounds, the present state is
dismissed as not being a fulfillment of prophecy.
However, the real problem is the failure to see that the prophets spoke of
two international returns. First, there was to be a regathering in unbelief in
preparation for judgment, namely the judgment of the tribulation. This was to be
followed by a second world-wide regathering in faith in preparation for blessing,
namely the blessings of the messianic age. Once it is recognized that the Bible
speaks of two such regatherings, it is easy to see how the present state of Israel
fits into prophecy.
First World-Wide Gathering in Unbelief
In 1948 when the modern state of Israel was born, it not only became an important
stage setting development but began an actual fulfillment of specific Bible prophecies
about an international regathering of the Jews in unbelief before the judgment of the
tribulation. Such a prediction is found in the following Old Testament passages: Ezek.
www.pre-trib.org 3
20:33-38; 22:17-22; 36:22-24; 37:1–14; Isa. 11:11-12; Zeph. 2:1-2 and Ezek. 38–39
presupposes such a setting.
Zephaniah 1:14-18 is one of the most colorful descriptions of “The Day of the LORD,”
which we commonly call the tribulation period. Zephaniah 2:1-2 says that there will be a
world-wide regathering of Israel before the day of the LORD. “Gather yourselves together,
yes, gather, O nation without shame, before the decree takes effect—the day passes like
the chaff—before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the
LORD’s anger comes upon you.”
Ezekiel 20:33–38 speaks of a regathering, which must take place before the tribulation.
The passage speaks of bringing the nation of Israel back “from the peoples and gather you
from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm
and with wrath poured out” (Ezek. 20:34). “With wrath poured out” is a descriptive
reference to the tribulation. Thus, in order this to occur in history, Israel must be back in the
land before the tribulation. This passage clearly says that it is the Lord who is bringing them
back. The current nation of Israel is in the process of fulfilling this passage.
In a similar vein, two chapters later, Ezekiel receives another revelation about a future
regathering of national Israel (Ezek. 22:17–22). This time, the Lord is “going to gather you
into the midst of Jerusalem” (Ezek. 22:19). Like the metallurgist, the Lord will use the fire of
the tribulation to purge out the unfaithful. The Lord is going to “gather you [Israel] and blow
on you with the fire of My wrath, and you will be melted in the midst of it” (Ezek. 22:21).
Once again, “My wrath” depicts the time of the tribulation. It also follows here that the nation
must be regathered before that event can take place. The outcome of this event will be
that the nation “will know that I, the LORD, have poured out My wrath on you” (Ezek. 22:22).
For this to occur, there must be a regathering by the Lord of Israel to the land, just like we
see happening with the modern state of Israel. God is at work through the current state of
Israel.
Surely, anyone who claims to believe in a national future for Israel would have to say
that the valley of dry bones prophecy in some way, shape, or form relates to modern Israel
(Ezek. 37:1–14). The prophet describes a future process through which the nation of Israel
will come to be reconstituted and (when the process is complete) enter into a faithful spiritual
relationship with the Lord. This multi stage process must surely include the current nation of
Israel, in unbelief, that is being prepared to go through a time that will lead to her conversion
to Jesus as their Messiah. This is said by Ezekiel to be a work of the Lord (Ezek. 37:14).
Thus, the modern state of Israel is a work of God and biblically significant.
Second World-Wide Gathering in Belief
Many passages in the Bible speak of Israel’s regathering, in belief, at the end of the
tribulation, in conjunction with Christ’s second coming, in preparation for commencement of
the millennium. These references are not being fulfilled by the modern state of Israel.
Some of the citations include: Deut. 4:29-31; 30:1-10; Isa. 27:12-13; 43:5-7; Jer. 16:14-
15; 31:7-10; Ezek. 11:14-18; Amos 9:14-15; Zech. 10:8-12; Matt. 24:31 and many more.
I think that this regathering will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets (
Rosh Hashanah) for the nation of Israel.
Matthew 24:31, records a future regathering of Israel, this time in belief. “And He will
send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the
four winds, from one end of the sky to the other” (Matt. 24:31). This is said to take place
after the tribulation (Matt. 24:29), which would be the second coming.
CONCLUSION
The fact that the last fifty years has seen a world-wide regathering and reestablishment
of the nation of Israel, which is now poised in just the setting required for the revealing of the
Antichrist and the start of the tribulation, is God’s grand indicator that all of the other areas of
world development are prophetically significant. Dr. Walvoord says,
www.pre-trib.org 4
Of the many peculiar phenomena which characterize the present generation, few
events can claim equal significance as far as Biblical prophecy is concerned with
that of the return of Israel to their land. It constitutes a preparation for the end of
the age, the setting for the coming of the Lord for His church, and the fulfillment of
Israel's prophetic destiny.
It is true that the Bible predicts a future time when Israel will be regathered in belief and
will then enter into the kingdom for a thousand years. However, as I have demonstrated
above, the same Scriptures also tell us of a time when Israel will be regathered in unbelief,
before the tribulation in order that God may complete His plan for national Israel. The
current nation of Israel is the beginning of fulfillment of just such prophecy. Modern Israel is
the result of God’s direct intervention in history. I believe that those who speak contrary to
this will be found to be fighting God. Maranatha!
