If one understands the biblical account, the middle east makes perfect sense though the violence has always been senseless. It is an ancient battle between sons of Abraham (Isaac & Ishmael) and then between Isaac's sons, Jacob & Esau, that has raged on predictably since forever. To me, the fact that no other nation has existed in that land since Israel was kicked out by the Romans in the year 70 AD is proof that it is still theirs.
Here is why: It was prophesied by almost every ancient Prophet, centuries in advance, that the Jews would be dispersed into all nations and, at the "end of days", they would come back to their land.
Isaiah says (chapter 66) it would happen in a single day and it did, May 14, 1948 and THEN the birth pains of birthing a nation began even as he said they would.
Over the last 2,000 years the land has been controlled by Romans, then by Crusaders, then by Ottoman Turks...but it never became another nation. Can you think of any real estate in the world that was not part of a nation over a time span of 2,000 years?
The Palestinians are Arabs who claimed to be a nation ONLY after they were defeated in 1967. Before that they were Jordanians. They tried a 2-state solution in 1948 and it ended with a war where Israel defeated 4 nations who attacked them by surprise from every side. It took them only 6 days for victory, and then Israel rested on the Sabbath.
5,000 years ago the land was promised to Abraham (Gen 15) and within that promise, he was told that they would become slaves (Egypt) but would return to their land afterwards.
13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
That prophecy came true about 1,500 years later and they were delivered from Egypt by Moses (3,500 BC) and told that if they defiled themselves in the land as the Canaanites had done before them, the land itself would reject them.
Lev 18: 28 that the land vomit not you out also, when ye defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
They enjoyed supernatural protection from world super-powers for hundreds of years before being warned many times about impending Judgement. Their response to this warning is given in Isaiah 9
8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in pride and in stoutness of heart, The bricks are fallen, but we will build with hewn stone; the sycomores are cut down, but we will put cedars in their place. Therefore Jehovah will set up on high against him the adversaries of Rezin, and will stir up his enemies, the Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. Yet the people have not turned unto him that smote them, neither have they sought Jehovah of hosts. Therefore Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day.
Do you recognize the bolded part there? That is exactly what NY Senator Chuck Shumer said at the laying of the cornerstone of the Freedom Tower, which was being rebuilt at the site of the destroyed World Trade Towers. Inexplicably, that giant cornerstone cracked only a few day later. John Kerry repeated it when he was running for office too. To me, that says we are doomed in the not-too-distant future without a national repentance (which obviously isn't coming). A friend of mine has written a book explaining all of this called "The Harbinger" which has been on the NYT best-seller list for about 80 weeks now. You really ought to see all the eery "coincidences" about this.
I digress. The southern Kingdom of Israel was also warned that Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon would take them into captivity for 70 years for their disobedience...and this is exactly what happened before they were allowed to return by Cyrus of Persia, who was also prophicied BY NAME over 200 years before he was born (Isaiah 44).
You don't have to be a christian to find the accuracy of hundreds of prophetic statements about the Jews and their land fascinatingly accurate and precise. The Pentagon has hired Joel Rosenberg, a messianic jewish believer, to counsel them on these things recently.
Only in our generation have circumstances appeared to be in place for Armegeddon. It is no coincedence that all the nations prophecied to come against Israel in confederacy for the final battle have been united for the first time in history under a banner of Islam.
It's sad how almost everything about the situation is quite predictable, but most people are ignorant of the history and future of this conflict. Not a single prophecy has failed, unlike Nostrodamus or any other seer whom the world seems to inquire of.
We ignore the Word of God to our own peril.
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It is what it is until it isn't
