Welcome back shipmates!  Our vessel is about to head in a new direction and the excitement builds from here!  So far in our study together we’ve looked at:

• Importance of studying prophecy
• Plan of the End
• God’s covenant promises with Israel
• Israel’s miraculous war history

 

Now we’ll look to the future through a Biblical lens and focus on an invasion of Israel from the north.  The Bible “names names and sets the stage”…we simply have to know where to look!  The place to look is Ezekiel 38-39 and this week’s study will take you there!  You’ll learn who, what, when, where and how Israel is invaded. 

 

To set the stage, let’s get the lay of the land:

 

Israel (about the size of New Jersey) is situated in a tough neighborhood!  Many of these nations will be named in Ezekiel 38, so keep this map in mind as we study this week.

 

What have some of Israel’s neighbors had to say over the years about the Jewish state?  Let’s examine some quotes:

 

Gamel Abdul Nasser (Egyptian President, 1965): “We aim at the destruction of the State of Israel.  The immediate aim: perfection of Arab military might.  The national aim: the eradication of Israel.”

 

Abdur Rahman Aref (Iraqi President, 1967): “The existence of Israel is an error which must be rectified.  This is our opportunity to wipe out the ignominy, which has been with us since 1948.  Our goal is clear – to wipe Israel off the map.”

 

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah (Hezbollah Leader, 2000, 2003): “That [destruction of Israel] is the principle objective of Hezbollah, and it is no less sacred than our [ultimate] goal……If they [Jews] all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide.”

 

Ahmad Abu Halabiya (Muslim cleric, 2000): “Have no mercy on the Jews, no matter where they are, in any country…kill them.  Wherever you are, kill those Jews and those Americans who are like them.”

 

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Iranian Supreme Leader, 2001): “It is the mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to erase Israel from the map of the region.”  (Iranian Ayatollah’s follow Shia Muslim doctrine and believe that Allah has called them specifically to bring about the return of the Islamic messiah by eradicating “infidels.”)

 

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Former Iranian President, 2005, 2006, 2008): “Israel must be wiped off the map…..Like it or not, the Zionist regime is heading toward annihilation…..I must announce that the Zionist regime…is about to die and will soon be erased from the geographical scene.”

 

Fairly adamant words, aren’t they!  But perhaps even more disturbing is a speech made by US President Barrack Obama on June 4, 2009 in Cairo, Egypt when he stated:

 

“All of us have a responsibility to work for the day…when the Holy Land of three great faiths is a place of peace that God intended it to be: when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together as in the story of Isra, when Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, peace be upon them, joined in prayer.”

 

What is the issue with that statement?  First, Moses and Mohammad are equated with Jesus.  Jesus said, “I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”  (Revelation 22:13)  The Bible also teaches that the God of the Bible is the only God, there is no one like Him, and there is no other.  (Deuteronomy 4:39; Isaiah 45:5, 14, 21, 22; Isaiah 46:9)

 

Secondly, the doctrines of Islam are diametrically opposed to Christianity and Judaism.  So, though we are to love our enemies, the principle taught in 1 Corinthians 6:14-18 is that light and darkness have no fellowship with one another.  Yes, we are to love those who follow the teachings of Islam, but we are not to partner with them.

 

Thirdly, the story of Isra is part of Islamic doctrine, not Christianity.  Why would a man professing to be a Christian elevate Islamic doctrine over that of Jesus Christ?  Dear Christian friends, our feet must be planted on solid ground and we must always peer through the lens of Scripture, not through the lens of political correctness.

 

As we study this week, let’s remember these two things:

• Israel is God’s chosen land and the Jews are God’s chosen people.  (Ezekiel 20:5-7, Zechariah 2:8-9)
• God’s covenant with Israel is FOREVER!  (Psalm 105:8-15, Isaiah 59:21, Ezekiel 37:26-28)

 

In the end, the great hope of Israel is not in what world leaders say or do.  Nor is it in the strength of her allies.  The great hope of Israel is the Blessed Hope Himself!  God will stand and defend His chosen land and His chosen people forever! 

 

Stick with us this week as we dive into the events of Ezekiel  38-39!  It’s an exciting adventure!