Based on Jeremiah 16:14-15 (New King James Version)
“‘Therefore behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that it shall no more be said, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.”
The Word of God should be of utmost importance to every Christian. What we have written in the Holy Bible—from Genesis to Revelation—is not merely words and letters on sheets of paper, or, as is seen today, data within a system made visible through a screen; rather, it is the Word of God, and as such, it is God Himself, for His Word is the foundation of all things. God would not be God were it not for His Word. And as the Apostle John wrote, inspired by the Holy Spirit: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” John 1:1-3. Thus, the Word of God—that which makes the entire deity of God possible—is Christ.
Now, what we read today is a prophecy that was fulfilled hundreds of years ago, and God used a Gentile king to fulfill His promise: King Cyrus. King Cyrus—or Cyrus the Great of Persia—was the one who brought an end to Israel's 70 years of captivity and allowed the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem in 538 BC. And not only that, but he also authorized and financed the reconstruction of the Second Temple and returned everything that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple. His decree enabled the restoration of Jewish religious life and the sovereignty of Israel.
Having said this, we must ask ourselves: Are the prophecies in the Word of God fulfilled only once, or applicable to only a single instance? And the answer—as history itself teaches us—is that this is not the case. In the year 70 AD, the people of Israel suffered another destruction—though this time, it would come at the hands of the Roman Empire. The Lord Himself foretold their fall and destruction—even the very manner in which they would be destroyed—just as it was written: “Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!’ And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.’” Mark 13:1-2. This was fulfilled exactly, and the reason why not a single stone of the temple was left standing was that the Romans dismantled the walls to extract the gold and precious stones embedded within them. And why did God allow this? The Lord said: “For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Luke 19:43-44. Nothing good comes of it when the Lord grants the opportunity to know Him, yet He is rejected.
But would this mark the end of Israel—because they rejected the Messiah back then? Absolutely not. The world has witnessed one of the most significant miracles—not only for Israel, but for the entire world as well—serving as a sign that we are living in the end times. After centuries of Israel’s destruction and the literal dispersion of its people across the globe, God would fulfill this prophecy: “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.’” Ezekiel 37:21-22. This came to pass on May 14, 1948, and the United States immediately recognized it as an independent state and nation—on that very same day. This would mark the fulfillment of God's favor toward His people, while also starting the countdown to the end for the entire world.
What can we glean from all of this? That Israel remains God's chosen people, even though many of them have not yet recognized the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah—though this began to change some years ago, wherein we witness the fulfillment of this prophecy: “Then He spoke to them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.’” Luke 21:29-31. The fig tree is Israel, and there have already been many converts—Jews who have indeed accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and God—things that did not happen before. The fig tree is indeed blossoming. The Apostle Paul also stated this: “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, ‘Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life’? But what does the divine response say to him? ‘I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” Romans 11:1-5. Therefore—beholding the faithfulness of God Himself, performing miracles for His people Israel centuries later and even to this day—those of us who truly desire to honor God must be able to understand that we must continue to support Israel, for this promise endures: “Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3. Therefore, anyone who desires God's blessing upon their life must bless Israel—no matter what they do or what may come to pass—for whoever curses them brings God's curse upon themselves. That is why the matter of taking away from Israel what God Himself gave them (their lands) is entirely contrary to God's will. This is not politics; this is the Word of God. And upon anyone who chooses to defy God, God's own wrath will fall—by their own choice (for we all have free will).
And so, regardless of whether a Jew believes in the Lord or not yet, it is not for anyone to judge them—and certainly not to harm them—on account of their unbelief. For one's own personal well-being, one must respect God's Word and allow Him to act as He sees fit, as the God and Lord that He is. This is what the Word says: “…‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.’” 1 Samuel 15:22. So, will you obey the Lord for your own good, or will you disobey Him and face consequences that are entirely avoidable? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!