Sound The Trumpet : Israel Divided

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“Israel Divided”
by Art Sadlier
January 1st, 2010

When David came to the throne of Israel the nation was united under him. United, the nation experienced the blessing of God on every aspect of their national and personal lives. Solomon departed from obeying the Lord and under his son Rehoboam, the kingdom was divided. The kingdom remained divided throughout the rest of its history, with ten tribes in the north and two in the south.

When the nation was reborn in 1947 there was a different kind division. There was, and is to this day a secular - religious division.

The secular people have had, and still have a desire to be like the nations around them. They are basically atheistic and pay only lip service to God. They are willing and ready to give up the promises of God concerning the possession of the whole land. Land for peace is their basic philosophy. They like the nations around them, think they can have peace apart from obedience to God.

The religious people seek to re establish the theocratic kingdom. Though they in many ways seem to resemble the religious leaders of the days of Jesus, yet they have what I believe, is a moving of God in their hearts which will ultimately result in the redemption of the nation.

In recent days this division has grown dramatically as the gap between the secular and the religious has widened. Today there is the threat of a civil war between these two groups. The secular group, led by a majority of government members, is willing to give up Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and allow a Palestinian State to be established. The religious group, led by Orthodox Jews, have been moving into Judea and Samaria and expanding in East Jerusalem.

The division appears to be coming to some kind of a climax as the government seems prepared to uproot the Jews in Judea and Samaria by violent methods. The threat of civil war looms over the nation.

This division of the nation will continue all through the tribulation period. We read about its climax in Zechariah 13:8-9. We learn that ultimately two thirds of the nation will die during the tribulation period and that one third will be redeemed and will have the land restored to them. They will also be restored to a relationship with their God which will never again be lost.

We see two grand and glorious purposes of God in the tribulation period.

The First is the judgment of God on Israel and their ultimate and permanent restoration in the Kingdom of heaven on earth. The throne of David will be restored and all of the promises of God to Israel will be fulfilled. Included in those promises will be the restoration of the twelve tribes which begins to take place as the 144,000 witnesses are chosen in the tribulation period. There will be twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes. Only God knows who the twelve tribes are and He will separate them.

The Second is the redemption of a host of gentiles and establishing of the gentile nations in the Millennial Kingdom. A great host of Gentiles will be saved and martyred during the tribulation period, yet there will also be a great host who will be saved and survive the awful holocaust. This group will go into the Kingdom and form the gentile nations, (Some from every tribe and nation).

The tribulation is the climax of the ages long struggle between God and Satan to take control of men and nations and the earth. The Church has no part in this warfare and will be removed from the earth before it begins. Today, we are waiting for the body of Christ to be completed, when it is, when the last one chosen from the foundations of the world has been saved, Christ will call it home to be in His presence forever. Are you saved, have you been born again.

Today we watch the nation of Israel as this divisive struggle grows and we see the plan and purposes of God for Israel continue to unfold.

We are amazed as we see the prophecies given to us by God in His Word thousands of years ago actually being fulfilled before our very eyes. God is the sovereign Lord of the universe who writes history before it happens. Fulfilled prophecy proves beyond any doubt that the Bible is God`s Word. You as a child of God can claim the promises of God and by faith and know that God will keep His Word.

Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13