Was 1948 the Regathering of Israel in Bible Prophecy?
Posted by William Bell on October 30th, 2008
In seeking to answer the question, Was 1948 the Regathering of Israel in Bible Prophecy?, it is necessary to gather a bit of history of Israel.
Israel, the ancient nation of the Bible apostatized during the days of Jeroboam. After King Solomon's death, God tore Israel (the 10 northern tribes) from the house of David.
Their crimes were are follows:
*Leaving the commandments of God,
*Making a molded image and two calves
*Making a wooden image
*Worshiping all the host of heaven (sun, moon, stars, etc)
*Serving Baal
*Child sacrifices
*Practicing witchcraft and soothsaying
*Selling themselves to do evil provoking God to anger
For these reasons, God was very angry with Israel and removed them from his sight until none of them were left but the tribe of Judah alone, (2 Kings 17:15-18).
In 722 BC, God delivered Israel into Assyrian captivity. At that time, the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel. (2 Kings 17:24)
Samaria was the capital of Northern tribes. Israel was scattered among the Gentiles. Hosea prophesies that God would no longer have mercy upon Israel, (1:6), saying they were no longer his people, (1:9).
Yet, in fulfillment of the promise to Abraham, (Gen. 22:17; 32:12), God would make Israel as the sand of the sea and once again call them his people. He would again gather the nation together under one head with Judah and form them into one nation. (Hos. 1:10, 11).
Was 1948 the regathering of Israel in Bible prophecy? A recent article published in the front page of The Fiji Time Online titled "Divine Intervention" (Oct. 26, 2008), called the 1948 settlement fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Consider 7 Bible reasons 1948 cannot be the restoration of Israel in fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
1.The prophecies of Israel's regathering are quoted in the New Testament by the apostles and are said to be fulfilled in Christ through the gospel.Compare: Hosea 1:9, 10; 2:23; with Romans 9:25, 26; 1 Peter 2:9 Isaiah 10:20-23 with Romans 9:27, 28
2.The majority of the Jews who are settled in the land of Israel are not the descendants of Abraham.Consider:
The Ashkenazi Jews, (comprising the world's largest population of Jews are of European German descent.
Ashkenazi, means German and German speaking. Ashenaz was the great grandson of Noah, through Japheth. (Gen. 10:3)
The indigenous or ethnic population of Jews in Israel is comparatively small.
The line of Jews who were descended from Abraham were the descendants of Noah through Shem. Thus, the Ashkenazi Jews are not genetically related to Shem, hence are not the seed of Abraham. (Gen. 11:10-27).
3.Sitivina Rabuka cites Jeremiah 31:10, as proof that God would protect Israel from those who would attack them and seek to destroy them.However, he overlooks the fact that God promised that Israel would never be attacked or have their land threatened on any of the three annual feast days. (Exod. 34:23)
Yet, Israel was attacked on Yom Kippur, 1973. In the Bible, each time ancient Israel was attacked on a feast day, it was proof that Israel had broken the covenant.
Don K. Preston of Preterist Research Institute in Israel 1948, Countdown to Nowhere, argues that Josephus (first century Jewish Historian and other Jewish sources) cite that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem during the feast of Pentecost in 586 BC., (p. 26)
Preston also points out that according to Josephus, an eyewitness of the A.D. 70 destruction of Jerusalem took place during Pentecost, one of Israel's three special feast days for disobedience to the covenant, Matthew 23-24).
Modern Israel was attacked on the Passover on 3/27/2002. Each time in the past Biblical History, Israel is attacked on the feast days for disobedience to to the covenant.
Thus, rather than proving Israel's protection, an attack on the feast days proved that God was in disfavor with Israel.
4.Through Christ, God created a new nation of Israel, i.e. descendants of Abraham through faith, not flesh, (Gal. 3:26-29).Romans 2:28-29, speaks of those who are Jews inwardly, versus according to the flesh. Later Paul says those of the flesh are not counted as the seed of Abraham, Rom. 9:5-6, but that Christians, comprised of believing Jews and Gentiles, are the new Israel of God, Gal. 6:16.
5.As a direct result of their unbelief and disobedience the Jewish nation would be cast off forever from God's presence and covenant people. (Gal. 4:26) This means that modern Israel, unless they are believers in Christ, are not the people of God.Moses prophesied that all who would not hear the Christ would be cut off from Israel, (Acts 3:22, 23).
6.All Old Testament prophecy has now been fulfilled. According to Luke 21:20-22, Jesus said the A.D. 70, destruction of Jerusalem was God's vengeance upon the nation for crucifying Christ and his followers.
7.The land promises to fleshly Israel were all fulfilled under Joshua, (21:43-45) and Solomon, 1 Kings 4:24, 25), to which Israel was allowed to return under Cyrus following the Babylonian captivity.The physical land of Canaan was never "ultimate" promise land of God's people, but merely a shadow and type of the true heavenly land promised to the Patriarchs according to Hebrews 11:13-16; 12:22-23)
1948, offers nothing in the promises of God for Israel, the new spiritual nation reborn in Christ.
