"Israel, Here We Come!"
- Rita Larson
- Oct 4, 2023
- 3 min read
I am so excited! Brian and I will be leaving this Friday and are going to Israel with our church. It is surreal to think that we will be in some of the very same places that Jesus was, visiting some of the key places we read about in the Bible. I hope to be able to share some of this journey as we go to Israel over the next week so stay tuned. Why is Israel so important to the Christian faith? Israel, also known as the Holy Land, is tied to the prophesy of the return of Jesus.
From the very beginning, God made a covenant with His chosen people, Israel, promising to make them a great nation. This covenant included the promise of a Savior who would come to rescue Israel from oppression. This Savior, Jesus, not only fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament, but also ushered in a new religion: Christianity. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus brought salvation to all people, not just the Israelites. However, this does not diminish the significance of Israel in the grand narrative of God's plan for humanity.
In the Old Testament, we see God's special relationship with Israel. He refers to them as his "treasured possession" (Deuteronomy 14:2) and promises to bless them abundantly. The land of Israel, the Holy Land, is the place where many of the events recorded in the Bible took place and where Jesus himself walked and performed miracles. The land is filled with sacred sites that hold deep meaning for Christians around the world.
In Isaiah 27:12-13 we read, “O ye children of Israel, and it shall come to pass in that day that the great trumpet shall be blown and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria and the outcasts in the land of Egypt and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount of Jerusalem.” God here was promising toward the end times that He’s going to re-gather His scattered people of Israel from many different places around the world and He will do that in conjunction with the blowing of the great trumpet. Matthew 24:31: “He shall send his angels with the sound of a great trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other.” The return of Jesus is closely tied to the fate of Israel. This gathering of His elect includes both Jews and Gentiles, emphasizing the importance of Israel in God's ultimate plan for redemption.
The ongoing existence of Israel as a nation is seen by many Christians as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. The restoration of Israel as a sovereign state in 1948 after centuries of exile is seen as a miraculous event by believers. It serves as a reminder that God remains faithful to His promises and that His plans for Israel are not yet complete.
Israel also plays a crucial role in understanding God's character and His love for His people. Throughout the Bible, we see God's interactions with Israel as a reflection of His grace, mercy, and justice. From delivering them from slavery in Egypt to leading them through the wilderness and into the Promised Land, God demonstrates His faithfulness and care for His chosen people.
Israel holds a special place in the Christian faith. While Christianity is not exclusive to Israel, it is through Israel that God's redemptive plan for humanity was set into motion. The land itself is considered sacred, with numerous biblical events taking place within its borders. The return of Jesus is closely tied to the fate of Israel, and its ongoing existence as a nation is seen as a fulfillment of prophecy. Through their history and relationship with God, Israel provides valuable insights into God's character and love for his people. As Christians, we should recognize and appreciate the importance of Israel in our understanding of God and our faith. Please pray for Brian and I and other other members of our church travelling as we embark on this trip of a lifetime! ©Rita Larson 10/4/2023
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