End Times: Israel the Centerpiece

“On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:” (Gen 15:18, NASB)

Today we are going to look at the centerpiece of God’s end time plans, the nation of Israel.

A. Significance of the Nation of Israel

1. More prophecies about the nation of Israel than any other nation
2. Israel is a chosen nation by God.

B. History of the Nation of Israel

1. First 11 chapters of the Bible are devoted to 2,000 years of human history.
2. God devotes the next 12 chapters on the life of one man, Abraham.

C. Abraham

1. Father of the physical people of God, the Jews and father of the spiritual people of God, the church. (Genesis 12:1-3)

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." (Gen 12:1-3 NASB)

1. Abraham was called Abram until God changed his name.
2. Abraham was called to go to the Promised Land – the nation of Israel.
3. I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse (Genesis 12:3)

2. God gave Abraham two promises.

1. The promise of the Promised Land (Genesis 15:17-18)
   On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: (Gen 15:18 NASB)
2. The promise of the promised seed (Genesis 17:19)
   But God said, "No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.(Gen 17:19 NASB)
   1. Fulfilled with birth of Isaac

3. God tests the loyalty and faithfulness of Abraham. (Genesis 22:1-2)

Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."(Gen 22:1-2 NASB)

1. God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac, the long-awaited promise.
2. God led Abraham to Mount Moriah. (First Temple - Temple Mount today)
3. Abraham built the altar and placed Isaac on the altar. (Genesis 22:12-13)
   
   He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.(Gen 22:12-13 NASB)
   
   
4. The word “seed” is singular, and the promise refers to Jesus Christ. (Genesis 22:18, Galatians 3:16)
   
   "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."(Gen 22:18 NASB)
   
   Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ.  (Gal 3:16 NASB) 
   
   
5. God provided Himself as a sacrifice and wants to know if we love Him more than anything else and will obey Him.

D. The dual covenant promise of God to Abraham of the promised seed which includes all Believers and the covenant with the Land ensures that God’s eternal purposes will be fulfilled in Israel. A critical part of this is the Melchizedek relationship which is tied to Jerusalem.

1. Let’s dive into this a bit. Abraham wins a battle to rescue Lot and then on his return he meets with Melchizedek who is identified as the King of Salem, Jerusalem.
   
   And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." He gave him a tenth of all. (Gen 14:18-20 NASB)
   
   
2. Most would not see this critical action but by tithing to Melchizedek Abraham is delivering His covenant loyalty to him. When Abram tithed he declared His provision to be under the Lord. Our tithing is a statement of loyalty. As Yeshua told us:
   
   for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Mat 6:21 NASB)
   
   As a revelation, the book of Hebrews tells us:
   For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU." And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.(Heb 6:13-20 NASB)
   
   
3. The order of Melchizedek. His name means king of righteousness. He defined as being the hope or promise that enters the veil. This is a description of covenant. A bride wears a veil. Within the veil is a word picture of oneness. The promise of God, His covenant oath, which He is said to have sworn on Himself, because there is none greater. This is the first foundation stone of the promise of God, to give a seed and to ensure a land inheritance.

Ok. Let’s come full circle to the end times and the role of Israel as a prophetic timeclock. I wrote a book entitled: Why Israel, Why Now? We are going to dive deep into that question.

A. Prophecy With a Date on It

1.  Daniel prophesies the Confirmation of the Covenant

Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate." (Dan 9:27 NKJV)

1. When this event occurs, it will be seven years until the Battle of Armageddon and Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
2. Without this prophecy, we cannot perceive God’s time clock for the time in which we now live
3. the “peace treaty which will be forced on Israel by the world government will break the covenant of God and usher in the government of the antichrist.

Let’s look at some events that have pushed us in this direction:

B. Six-Day War

1. Israel defeated her enemies in six days.

2. Israel captured the following areas which were part of the biblical Promised Land:

1. Sinai Desert - Egypt
2. Golan Heights - Syria
3. Biblical areas of Judea and Samaria
4. City of Jerusalem and Temple Mount – fulfillment of God’s promise

3. Israel disobeyed God by not removing the pagan houses of worship.

1. Israel invited the Muslim Waqf back and placed the Temple Mount under their control.
2. They feared the International Community if they destroyed the Muslim holy places.
3. Israel did not drive the inhabitants from the Promised Land. (Numbers 33:50-55)

C. Yom Kippur – Day of Judgment

1. Israel’s enemies plotted to destroy the nation of Israel.

1. In 1973 the Arab armies launched a surprise attack against Israel on Yom Kippur.
2. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, the holiest day in Israel.
3. God in His anger sent the judgment of the Yom Kippur War.

2. God instructed Israel to avoid agreements with their enemies. (Exodus 23:32)

1. Israel has failed to live by His Word and instruction

D. Treaties with Israel’s Arab Neighbors

1. Israel has sought to make treaties with her Arab neighbors.

1. 1979 – Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty at Camp David Accords
2. 1993 – Oslo Peace Accords on White House lawn
3. 1994 – Israeli-Jordanian peace agreement
4. Bill Clinton attempted peace to the Middle East at Camp David in 2000.
   1) Yasser Arafat refused to give up Temple Mount.
   2) Clinton offered the solution - share the Temple Mount.
   3) Coming peace agreement - Temple Mount placed under sharing arrangement. (Revelation 11:1-2)
5. 2002 – Road Map for Peace proposed by Quartet – Russia, the European Union, the United States and the United Nations.
6. 2007 – Annapolis Peace Conference – George W. Bush g. 2009 – Barack Obama – wanted peace in the Middle East
   1) Appointed George Mitchell – special envoy - unsuccessful
   2) Appointed John Kerry - unsuccessful 2014 - Palestinian-Israeli negotiations unsuccessful

2. Resolution 2334 - U.N. Security Council - Dec. 23, 2016

1. Israel’s presence in all territories east of 1967 borders - violation of international law
2. Israel could be placed under economic sanctions and military invasion by International Community

3. President Donald Trump attempted to do the “deal that can’t be done.”

1. Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt - proposed “Peace to Prosperity.”
2. Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel – Dec. 6, 2017.
   1) Moved U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem
   2) Recognized Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights
3. Trump and Netanyahu unveiled “the deal of the century” for a two-state peace plan – Jan. 28, 2020. d. Washington, D.C. - Abraham Accords signed between Israel, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – Sept. 15, 2020.

4. hamas and Iran. Pushing the envelope further to the isolation of Israel and the US. Next week we’ll look at part 2 and look at the specific events to come.