We're Watching A Miracle

"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." Jeremiah 16:14-15 This prophecy is being fulfilled right before our eyes. Every year the Jewish people celebrate Passover in remembrance of the time when the Lord delivered them from bondage in the land of Egypt, and parted the sea before them so they could cross on dry land - then when they had crossed, the Egyptian armies came in pursuit and the waters came back upon them and drowned those armies. It's the story of deliverance - and judgment on their enemies who sought to destroy them. But the Lord is saying in this passage in Jeremiah that instead of celebrating that, the time will come when they will celebrate how the Lord brought them back to the land of their fathers after 2,000 years of having been dispersed to every nation on the earth. In the natural that would have been impossible. How can a people be brought back who had been dispersed to every nation on earth -- after 2,000 years??? If it were any other group of people, after two or three generations they would have been assimilated into the countries they were taken to. Any other nation, that is, except Israel. The Jewish people have not been assimilated, but have remained a distinct people in every country on earth. And now they are being brought back to the land of their forefathers. The miracle of the Israel story is that God kept them intact as a people during this incredibly long time. And now they're back! After 2,000 years! Even a hundred years ago, teachers of the Bible tried to explain away these passages, believing it couldn't be literal because they realized the impossibility of the prophesied return of the Jewish people to the land of their forefathers. But in our generation, the world witnessed the impossible take place. In May of 1948 - after 2,000 years of wandering throughout the earth -- the nation of Israel was reestablished. They are back in the land of their fathers, speaking the same language as their ancient fathers, a language that had only been used in religious rites but now is the daily language of Israel. In just one generation they have become a modern nation - as modern as America - and the blessings of God have come upon them as they continue to bring in more and more Jewish people from all over the world. We have witnessed a miracle. And there are going to be more miracles as God brings to fulfillment all that he has promised to Israel. The final fulfillment will be the coming of their Messiah, who will come to Jerusalem and take up his place on the Throne of David. He will reign in total righteousness. He will bring victory to Israel and will fully restore them. They will once again become the most exalted nation on the face of the earth, a nation living in peace and blessing and joy – under their Messiah, who will be King over all the earth - as prophesied more than 2,500 years ago. Israel will be humbled first, though. The coming Tribulation will be the final judgment, preparing them to receive the Messiah when he comes. The Book of Revelation shows the awful judgments that will come upon the whole earth during that last 7-year period of time - but it will culminate in the coming of the Messiah, and Israel will finally recognize him, the One they rejected at his first coming. How blessed we are to witness this process! How blessed are those who understand it and can appreciate it. MORE: God's Covenant With Israel