What is Israel's role in the end times? Does what is happening in Israel today mean the end times are quickly approaching?

Many enthusiastic Bible readers exclaimed when they saw the Balfour declaration, "Surely prophecy is fulfilling fast." Similar words were frequently heard during the years of the great world-war. Here caution is needed. The Church is not yet complete. It is still in testimony upon the earth. Its translation to heaven has not yet taken place. This being so, it is scarcely correct to speak of prophecy being fulfilled. Prophecy has to do with the earth, and it finds its centre in the people of Israel. God's present dealings are not with Israel, but with the Church! Heavenly things, not earthly, are before the divine mind during this period. God's King is not yet sitting upon the throne in Zion. He is in heaven, and the Holy Spirit is here gathering out of the nations those who are to share His bliss on high. Not until the Church has been removed to the Father's house will prophecy begin to be fulfilled.

Prophecy has to do with this earth in God's counsel from the foundation of the world and with Israel, which is the centre of God's ways with the earth and with the nations (Deut. 32:8). The calling and rapture of the church is in itself not part of prophecy: the last trumpet of 1 Cor. 15:52 has nothing to do with the last trumpet in Rev. 11. Likewise the Lord's day in Rev. 1 has not much in common with the prophetic day of Jehovah. Our understanding of prophetic events will be greatly stimulated once we see the difference in position between Israel and the church. The church is rather related to God's eternal purpose. What we see happening today could be compared with the pieces being put together on the chess board. The "game" itself will be "played" after the rapture (compare Rev. 4-6) and under God's full control (Dan. 10, Rev. 13).

Like them, we are waiting for the Lord Jesus to come to take us to be with Himself (John 14:1–3; 1 Thess. 1:10; 4:16–17), knowing that when this happens the prophetic clock will start ticking again for this earth, and Israel in particular. But there is this difference: in their day — until the early 20th century — the land was a desolate backwater but for most, if not all, of our lives, a vibrant, advanced and prosperous Jewish state has been located there. We are so familiar with this reality that we hardly give a thought to the fact that it took little more than half a century for this tumultuous change to occur. Evidently God allowed it, but is it the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies that Israel would be restored to its land, as some seem to think?

Such are the signs to be read on the surface, but what does Scripture prophesy as to the last times? We have seen that Scripture does not directly prophesy this present war; but we have seen that the great events to be looked for in the near future after the Church is caught up are even now being shaped and hastened by this great war, so that we can justly conclude that these events, directly prophesied by Scripture, are at hand. What then are the signs of these times? Are they to be peace, disarmament, the nations living in accord one with the other; or is it to be the opposite? Let the Lord’s own words furnish the answer:

This fact is very important! The only thing that stands between us Christians and being instantly caught up to meet the Lord in the air is that the Lord hasn't given the summoning "shout." Why then are we even interested in world events? It is because there are things that need to be fulfilled before the Lord "appears" back on earth, back to the Mount of Olives from where He ascended almost 2000 years ago. When we are permitted to see these things happening even in seed form, that apparently will lead to the fulfillment of post-rapture prophecies such as: # Israel since 1948 being once again (after over 2500 years) a sovereign nation in the Promised Land of Palestine (Matt. 24:32-35), # the northern powers becoming stronger with a deep-seated hatred of Israel, # the forming of a united Europe, # world-wide turmoil increasing, # the giving up of much of biblical Christianity for an ecumenical pseudo-Christianity filled with human ideas, # lawlessness on the rise (Matt. 24:12; 2 Thess. 2:3-7), # vast increases in travel, knowledge, energy use, etc. (Dan. 12:4), # apostasy—a massive falling away from the truth of God (2 Thess. 2:3; Matt. 24:11-12), # the Ecumenical Movement leading to the World-Church of Revelation 17-18. An Ecumenical Movement is an attempt to bring large numbers of different denominations together, often by compromising or ignoring the truth and often with very little attention given on the part of the masses involved, then we can say how near the Rapture must be because we are seeing the foreshadowing of things that will only be fulfilled after the Rapture! Of course, God can interfere with what Satan and man would like to do to slow up or speed up events to fulfill His perfect timetable, so we should not attempt to set dates.

"But learn the parable from the fig tree: When already its branch becomes tender and produces leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh. Thus also ye, when ye see all these things, know that it is near, at the doors" (verses 32, 33). The fig tree is the picture of Israel. The parable of the fig tree in Luke 13 is well known, and its application is Israel, to whom the Lord came, looking for fruit, and did not find it. Luke 21, the record there of this discourse, mentions likewise the fig tree and all the trees; these are the Gentiles, the nations. In Matthew 21, we see in the withered fig tree a type of Israel 's spiritual and national death. But that withered tree is to be vitalized. The fig tree will bud again. However, the characteristic of the fig tree is that fruit and leaves are there together. As soon as the branch becomes tender the fruit is found. It is a rapid development. This is the lesson here. Israel 's blessing, new life, fruit and glory will quickly be realized in those end days. When in these last seven years, and especially the last 1,260 days, all these things come to pass, they will know that all which is promised to Israel will be at hand. The other application, that now we behold Israel like a budding fig tree, signs of new national life and in this a sign of the times, is certainly not wrong. It tells us of the nearness of the end.

Interesting Note: Arno C. Gaebelein wrote this article in 1925, before Israel was even a nation. Many religious leaders thought that Gaebelein was "way off" when he stated that God would regather the Jews back and Israel would once again become a nation before the end times. Many in his day felt that the Church replaced Israel but as we know, this is not the case. Many who held to the erroneous "replacement theology" had to rethink their beliefs when Israel became a nation in 1948. Israel, the nation, will take center stage during the Tribulation, when the Church is raptured. It is already the focus of much of the news in our times. The Bible says in Zechariah 12:3 that Jerusalem will be "a burdensome stone for all people" and this is already being fulfilled in front of our eyes. God will never forsake Israel though the whole world will come in against them... Jesus in the end will rescue them and they shall look upon Him whom they have pierced . Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Jesus said to Jerusalem in Luke 13:35 "Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Jesus comes the first time for His Church-- the Saints. The Second Coming is when He comes back with His saints and rescues Israel. This teaching agrees completely with what the Old and New Testament says concerning the Messiah and the End Times. If one sticks to the literal interpretation of Scriptures, one is never wrong for the Bible is always correct and current with the times.

Our Lord prophesied the capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, and the dispersal of the Jews among the Gentile nations (Luke 21:24). All this has happened, and is happening, as far as the scattering of the Jews is concerned, before our very eyes today. But now a remarkable change has taken place. The Jews finding themselves without a mandate, and in sufficient numbers, felt competent to set up a Jewish Republic. Our Lord prophesied, “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). No longer is Jerusalem fully under the power of the Gentiles. The Jews have asserted their independence, as far as a large part of the land is concerned, and refuse to share it with the Arabs, and none can say them nay. The Gentiles, which have dominated Israel ever since the time of Nebudchadnezzar, King of Babylon, to this present time, are releasing their grasp. It looks as if the times of the Gentiles are nearly over.

Recent events evince how close to us this state of things may be, for Israel has just re-possessed the old city of Jerusalem where the temple stood, and before long the rebuilding of the temple may commence, the temple where antichrist, the man of sin, shall sit.

Many prophecies tell of Israel's restoration to their land, and speak of the time of peace and prosperity that will come to this poor, troubled earth in those days. Servants of the Lord have long called attention to these prophecies, and have also shown from the Scriptures that Israel would be restored to the land as a nation before those days. The Lord Jesus gives instructions to the disciples in Matthew 10, when he sends them forth to preach; but it is evident from His words that He contemplates not only the mission that was immediately before them, but also the movements of His servants in the time of the end. In that chapter He foretells the persecutions that awaited His servants, and added: "Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of Man be come" (verses 16-23). This testimony goes on till the coming of the Lord.

Before the Lord comes, Jerusalem is surrounded by the armies of the nations, and broken into; antichrist is the king in the land, and sets up the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet; many of those who have returned to the land come under divine judgment at the Lord's coming; and when the Lord comes, it is as the Deliverer of the godly remnant that He forewarns to flee. All these things show that Israel must be nationally restored in Palestine before Christ returns. What servants of the Lord in earlier years said would come, has come in our days.