Why Israel and the Jews matter (Updated)

Questions to ponder:

Why are Jews so hated and vilified? Why have they been one of the most persecuted people in history? Why is the world so hyper-focused on such a tiny ethnic minority?

Why is Israel so hated and vilified? Why is the world so hyper-focused on this tiny strip of land the size of New Jersey?

Connecting the right prophetic dots and having a proper eschatological framework will answer these questions and explain why the Jews and Israel still matter, regardless of what anyone else thinks. To do so, we must first start at the beginning.

Ancient Israel

After the Tower of Babel incident, God disinherited the nations and chose a people for His own through Abraham (Gen 12:1–3). He made an "everlasting" covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Gen 17:7-8). He later made a series of additional covenants with them. Some of those covenants were unconditional while others were conditional and came with blessings and cursings. Unfortunately, Israel fell into a pattern of disobedience.

Israel in the Bible was often compared to the unfaithful wife who cheated on her husband, in their case, God (Yahweh). Time and time again, God called on Israel to repent and promised that if they did, they would be forgiven:

Zec 1:3 Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.’

Other scriptural support: Jer 3:12-14, Jer 31:34, Eze 18:21-22, Isa 43:25, Isaiah 44:22, Joel 2:12-13, 2 Ch 7:14, Hos 14:1-2

Well, ancient Israel did not repent, and several things happened as a result of their disobedience:

1) They were besieged by their enemies and defeated.

2) They lost possession of the land and it became desolate.

3) They were scattered from one end of the earth to the other and often faced persecution.

These were all the consequences that God forewarned them would happen (Deu 28:15-68). Subsequently, the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrian empire. The ten northern tribes were scattered across the Assyrian empire. The southern kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonian empire. Later, they were ruled by the Persians and Romans. After the destruction of the second temple in 70 AD and the end of the Bar Kokhba revolt in 136 AD, most, but not all, of the southern two tribes were scattered across the nations, leading to the Jewish diaspora. That, however, is not the end of the story. Not only did God say that He could forgive them, but also that He would forgive and restore them if they returned to Him:

Deu 30:1 In the future, when you experience all these blessings and curses I have listed for you, and when you are living among the nations to which the LORD your God has exiled you, take to heart all these instructions.

Deu 30:2 If at that time you and your children return to the LORD your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all your soul all the commands I have given you today,

Deu 30:3 then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you and gather you back from all the nations where he has scattered you.

Other scriptural support: Jer 3:22, Jer 50:4-5, Eze 11:17-20, Eze 36:24-28, Eze 16:60–62, Isa10:21, Isa 11:11–12, Isa 54:7, Hos 3:5, Hos 6:1-3, Hos 14:4–7

If there are any doubts, Romans 11 makes it clear. Paul plainly says that God is not done with Israel. Their hearts are being hardened and blinded for a time to allow for the full number of Gentiles to come to Christ. But ultimately, God will take away their sins, and in the end, all Israel will be saved. It will be shown that that process has already begun.

*Note: Paul makes a distinction between the church and Israel. He also speaks of Israel as a whole despite ten of the tribes being displaced at that time.

The Physical Restoration of Israel

In the early 20th century, several prophetic events transpired:

-The state of Israel was born in a single day. The prophet Isaiah asked a rhetorical question: "Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once?" (Isa 66:8). The answer was yes.

-Israel has not only survived but thrived in spite of wars and adversities. The prophet Amos declared: "I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them," says the Lord your God. (Amos 9:15)”.

 -The Jews began to return to Israel. Jeremiah had prophesied: "Hear the word of the Lord, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: `He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.' (Jer 31:10). Likewise, Ezekiel prophesied: "Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel."' (Eze 11:17)

-The land began to flourish again. When Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) visited the Holy Land in 1867, he said, "Jerusalem is mournful, and dreary, and lifeless." Deuteronomy foretold that the land would become desolate because of Israel's idolatry (Deu 29:23).  However, Ezekiel 36:35 says, "So they will say, 'This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities [are now] fortified [and] inhabited." Likewise, Isaiah 35:1 prophesied, "The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." (Isa 35:1)

-The Hebrew language, once dead, was revived. Zephaniah 3:9 prophesied, "For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one accord." (Zep 3:9).

It cannot be denied that those prophesies have been fulfilled literally, to the letter. But why a state? Well, for starters, for them to be regathered, they needed a place to be regathered to. It’s also important because it sets the stage for two significant end-time events:

1) Zechariah 12:3 talks about Jerusalem becoming a burdensome stone. Likewise, Revelation 16:12-16 talks about all the armies of the whole world gathering for the battle of Armageddon (in present Megiddo, Israel). Neither Jerusalem nor what is now Israel became relevant or a focal point until Israel became a nation and captured Jerusalem.

2) The physical restoration is laying the groundwork for something far greater: the spiritual restoration of Israel. The nation-state of Israel is merely a means to that end. But there has to be a physical restoration before there is a spiritual restoration.

The Spiritual Restoration of Israel

Zechariah is a very prophetic book. Chapters 9-14, in particular, deal with the end times and the return of Christ. In the latter days, all the nations of the world will come to battle against Jerusalem. Half the population is exiled (taken captive) while the other half will remain in the city, but the Lord will go forth to fight against those nations (Zec 14:2-3). 

Zechariah 13:8-9 adds additional details. Two-thirds will be cut off from the land, but one-third will remain and go through the fire (i.e., the Great Tribulation, aka Jacob's Trouble) and come out refined. They will call on the Lord, and He will hear them.

When Jesus returns, He will fight against those nations attacking Israel (Zec 14:3). He will set his foot on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, but that's not where He goes first. His first stop is Bozrah. How do we know this? Because Micah 2:12 says: "I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men."

Why Bozrah? Bozrah, which means "sheepfold" or "fortress," but most people today know it by its Greek name, Petra, which is located in modern-day Jordan. In Bozrah (Petra) there is an ancient city called the “Rose City” that is built entirely out of rock and surrounded by mountains and cliffs. The primary entrance is a very narrow gorge only accessible by foot or horseback, making it easy to defend. Water  is not a problem because it has hundreds of underground cisterns and aqueducts. This combination makes Rose City the perfect place of refuge for the woman (Jewish remnant) to flee to the wilderness (desert) for one thousand two hundred and sixty days, or three and a half years (Rev 12:6), during the Great Tribulation.

There is another clue in Daniel that tells us this is the right location. Daniel 11:14 says there are three ancient nations that will escape the Antichrist’s grasp: Edom, Moab, and Ammon. Those ancient nations no longer exist, but the geographical locations they once occupied do. Those three nations encompass the territory of what is today modern-day Jordan, exactly where the Rose City is located. Aside from being a good hiding place and easy to defend, it also appears to be supernaturally protected during that period.

Jeremiah 49:13-14 suggests the Antichrist forces will prepare to invade Bozrah (Petra), likely near the end of the three and a half years: "For I have sworn by Myself,” says the Lord, “that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse. And all its cities shall be perpetual wastes. I have heard a message from the Lord, and an ambassador has been sent to the nations: 'Gather together, come against her, and rise up to battle!'"

It will be a Red Sea moment for the Jewish remnant. They will be surrounded by their enemies with nowhere to run. And just like the Hebrews in Egypt, God will allow them to be put into a position where they have no other recourse but to turn to Him and call on Him. In fact, this appears to be a prerequisite for Jesus’ return:

Mat 23:39 “for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ ”

Hos 5:15 I will return again to My place Till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”

The “offense” mentioned by Hosea is outlined in the Book of Daniel 9:24: “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy." Daniel says the purpose of the Great Tribulation, among other things, is to “finish the transgression." What has been the Jews primary transgression as a people? It's their corporate rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. Once they acknowledge their offense and accept Jesus as the Messiah, their transgression will be finished, and that’s when Jesus will intervene to save them:

Zec 12:10 “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. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

Rev 19:13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God.

Rev 19:14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses.

Why is Jesus’ robe dipped in blood? Because he had just come from destroying the Antichrist forces at Bozrah. Isaiah expounds on this:

Isa 63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, with his clothing stained red? Who is this in royal robes, marching in his great strength? “It is I, the LORD, announcing your salvation! It is I, the LORD, who has the power to save!”

Isa 63:2 Why are your clothes so red, as if you have been treading out grapes?

Isa 63:3 “I have been treading the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury I have trampled my foes. Their blood has stained my clothes.

Isa 63:4 For the time has come for me to avenge my people, to ransom them from their oppressors.

At the very end of the Great Tribulation, Israel is finally restored. Just as the prodigal son returned to his father, acknowledged his transgressions, and was welcomed back, the Jews will return to the Father, acknowledge their transgressions, and be welcomed back into the fold.

Conclusion

It is not that they are more important or deserving than anyone else. It’s that God made an everlasting covenant with them, and in His great mercy and namesake, He will keep those promises. They may have broken covenant and have borne the consequences, but God still desires redemption and reconciliation. That is what the Book of Hosea is all about. It's also what Scripture says will happen, and what fulfilled prophecy is proving is happening.

It doesn’t matter how or why Israel came into being in the natural; disregard the conspiracies. What matters is that Israel is prophetically important, and that God is using it for His purposes. In the end, Israel exists to gather God’s enemies together to defeat them, and gather His people together to save them.

Satan also knows this, and he wants to stop it. He was unable to stop Jesus' first coming, so he's trying to thwart Jesus' second coming. This answers the questions posed at the start. Satan hates the Jews because not only did the Messiah come out of them, but the Messiah's return is dependent on them. And because Satan is the god of this world (2Co 4:4), the world also hates them. At its core, it has always been a spiritual battle. We are merely seeing the physical manifestation of it.

*Note: When I refer to the Jews, I’m also including the other tribes of Israel. Prior to the fall of the Kingdom of Israel and the dispersion of the northern tribes throughout the Assyrian empire, it is expected that some would have migrated south to the Kingdom of Judah, whether it was to escape war or due to religious reasons (2 Ch 11:13-17). Even after the fall of the Kingdom of Israel, many of the rural population, the poor, and the old remained. They would have later assimilated and identified as Jews. Regardless, God knows who the "lost" tribes are today.