On May 8 this year 2008 the modern state of Israel turned sixty. Nevertheless, even having been in existence for the majority of a century, the very legitimacy of the nation is often called into question.

Zionism is the recognition of a Jewish homeland, an organized return of the Jewish people to Zion. The word 'Zion' represents Israel, though biblically it originally referred to Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:1; Psalm 51:18).

It's no secret that Israel's neighbors resent this right which the Jewish people have. In fact, the Muslim world has never acknowledged Israel's right to exist, hence the continuation of war and terrorism with which we are becoming all too familiar.

Zionism: God’s Idea
Yet God is a Zionist. On the basis of His promises, He is committed to the return of the Jewish people to Zion (both Jerusalem and the land of Israel). Consider these scriptures:

"Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths'" (Isaiah 2:2).

"Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, They shout joyfully together; For they will see with their own eyes when the LORD restores Zion" (Is. 52:8).

"Again, proclaim, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem."'" (Zech. 1:17, see also Is. 14:32, 35:10, Jer. 31:6)

No Second Thoughts
In light of all the troubles that Israel has endured, including the many hundreds of years the Jewish people had gone without a state, one might think that perhaps God has changed His mind and has forsaken Israel as a nation. Not so. The Scripture is clear that even if the Jewish people would think this, it is never the case that God could let go of Zion.

"But Zion said, 'The LORD has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.' Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you ... Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me" (Isaiah 49:14, 16).

"'For I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'Because they have called you an outcast, saying: "It is Zion; no one cares for her"'" (Jer. 30:17).

God actually chose Zion (not Mecca, Rome, or Salt Lake City) as the place where He would dwell with His people.

"For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation." (Psalm 132:13) "Blessed be the LORD from Zion, Who dwells in Jerusalem." (Ps. 135:21).

And He never changed His mind on the matter (see Romans 11:1,2). In fact, the Lord's future headquarters will again be Zion.

"'Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,' declares the LORD" (Zech. 2:10).

When Yeshua returns, it is to Zion: "Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives" (Zech. 14:3,4). Therefore He will dwell there in the Kingdom age.

"Thus says the LORD, 'I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain'" (Zech. 8:3).

What is Yet To Come...
The hostility we see across the globe, along with the shanannigans by the United Nations, Iran, and "the Quartet,"  is a portent of what will in the not too distant future, develop into an all out attack on Israel. “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.” (Zech. 14:2)

All the nations coming against Jerusalem would actually be impossible without an “United Nations”! The area around Jerusalem, particularly the north side which is most vulnerable to attack, could never contain "all nations." Only an army representative of all the nations can fulfill this Scripture. As you read this God is giving over the nations to their own evil desires and wicked ways (Rom. 1:24-28), and is bringing them to where they will be seen for the anti-God communities that they are, for Anti-Semitism is anti-God! “For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, and those who hate You have exalted themselves. They make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire together against Your treasured ones. They have said, 'Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.' For they have conspired together with one mind; against You they make a covenant” (Ps. 83:2-5).

This attack will bring our people to call upon Yeshua/Jesus (Zech. 12:10), then He will return to defeat the Anti-Messiah (Anti-Christ) and his anti-Semitic hordes (Zech. 14:3,4), and stand upon Zion in ultimate, eternal victory. “Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.” (Rev. 14:1)

Thus Messiah's return to planet Earth is linked to Israel’s repentance and faith in Him as Savior and Lord/Adonai (see Matt. 23:39, Zech. 12:10, Acts 3:19-21). When Israel collectively turns to the Lord in truth, then He will return, (Hosea 5:15,16, 6:1, Rev. 19:11-21), and Satan, our adversary who presently “prowls as a lion seeking whom he might devour” (1 Peter 5:8), will be bound for a 1000 years (Rev. 20:1-3), ending in his ultimate demise (Rev. 20:10). Hence Satan's desperate strategy to destroy the Jews before they recognize Yeshua as their Messiah. 

Understand, all of this pictures the spiritual battle in which we are all called to ‘fight the good fight’: “For we battle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces…” (Eph. 6:11). Right now, Satan would want us to be “neutral” in this spiritual warfare for Zion. Why? Because it is God Who allows all these things to take place, (i.e., the nations coming against Jerusalem), so that my people Israel will turn to Yeshua.

Yom Haatzmaut! Happy Israel Independence Day!
Part of Satan's strategy is to prevent believers from "praying for the peace of Jerusalem" (Ps.122:6). He does this by obscuring...

1 - Israel's biblical right to Israel and Jerusalem;

2 - the only means of obtaining peace: the Prince of Peace, as opposed to political solutions, and...

3 - God's provision for Israel's spiritual need: forgiveness of sins through Messiah Yeshua.

As we celebrate Israel's 60th anniversary, let us never forget the reality of spiritual warfare.

Let us study to show ourselves approved and understanding these issues. It is important. Also, let us not only rejoice that God has sustained Israel for these sixty years, but proclaim Good News to Israel and all people while we can! Y