I recently watched the 13 episodes of Michael Greenspan’s “Against All Odds: Israel Survives.”  It aired in 2005 and explores the possibility of miracles in the survival of Israel as a nation.  In several of the episodes, there are references to prophecies concerning Israel.  We want to discuss some of these prophecies because, while there is no doubt in my mind that Israel has miraculously survived and will, in fact, one day rule over all the nations, the prophecies cited have not yet been fulfilled.

Daniel’s prophecy of 1,335 days – Dan 12:12 – you can find articles written that state Daniel’s prophecy in Dan 12:12 was fulfilled on Dec 9, 1917, when General Allenby entered the walls of the Old City through the Jaffa Gate and received the keys to the city from the Mayor of Jerusalem ending Ottoman rule.  Greenspan cited this fulfilled prophecy in his documentary.  The prophecy in Daniel was coupled with a prophecy in Hag 2:10 specifying the 24th day of the ninth month.  

Here’s how the prophecy was supposedly fulfilled.  The Islamic year 1917 was 1335, since the Muslim calendar started in 622.  And the 24th day of the ninth month on the Jewish calendar that year was Dec 9.  Of course, for the years between 622 and 1917 to equal 1,335 years, the years had to be figured using the lunar year measure.  

To make these prophecies work out Dec 9, 1917, the context of Dan 12:12 and Hag 2:10 has to be ignored.  Dan 12:11-12 are in the Tribulation, and are figured from “the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up.” There had not been a daily sacrifice in Israel since the temple was destroyed in 70AD.  Furthermore, the abomination that maketh desolate has not been set up even to this day.  It will be set up when the antichrist sets up the image of himself to be worshipped and takes away the daily sacrifice in Rev 13.  

Hag 2:10 is the day that the word of the Lord came to Haggai in the second year of Darius, when “the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid,” Hag 2:18.  It is not a prophetic date of some future event.  It is the date that the Lord gave a prophecy concerning his second coming to overthrow the throne of kingdoms, Hag 2:20-23.

You may find that some combine these two prophecies with Is 31:4-5 to indicate that airplanes were involved in securing the defeat of the Turks in Jerusalem.  Yet, again, the context of the prophecy in Is 31 is ignored.  Is 31:5 says, “as birds flying,” yet Is 31:4 specifically states, “so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.”  That’s what the Lord does at the second coming of Jesus.  Is 31:5 says, “As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.”  He hasn’t done this yet.  But he will, Zech 14:1-3.

The gathering of Israel – Ezek 36:24 – “I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.”  Is 43:5-6 “I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth.”  Because so many Jews have returned to Israel from Russia, Ethiopia, Spain, and so many other parts of the world, they consider that these prophecies have been fulfilled. 

However, what you’re seeing is a foreshadowing of the future fulfillment.  The antichrist still has yet to rule in Israel after we have gone up in the rapture.  When he sets up the abomination of desolation, the Jews in Judea are going to scatter, Matt 24:15-20.  This will be during the great tribulation, Matt 24:21.  When Jesus returns, then his angels will “gather together his elect from the four winds,” Matt 24:31.  

You see, when the gathering of the Jews that’s prophesied in these verses takes place, Israel “shall take them captives, whose captives they were,” and the Lord shall give them rest from their sorrow, Is 14:1-3.  Look at Is 60:1-12, for example.  When the Lord completes the gathering of the Jews to Israel, following the tribulation, the nation and kingdom that will not serve them shall perish.  It’s not like that today; not even close.

Notice in Ezek 36:25-27, 33, the context of Ezek 36:24, that along with the regathering of Israel is their salvation, when they get a new heart and a new spirit and they are cleansed from all their iniquities.  Then they will walk in God’s statutes and keep his judgments.  The greater part of Israel today is secular and the smaller part is orthodox.  These prophecies aren’t going to be fulfilled until Jesus saves them, Rom 11:25-27.

Conclusion: these are just two of several prophecies that we must study.  We’ll look at some more next week.  Suffice it to say that the future prophecies concerning Israel will be fulfilled when Israel finally accepts Jesus as their Messiah.  Many want to claim that these prophecies have been fulfilled already.  That hasn’t happened and they’re not going to be fulfilled till Jesus comes.