We have been studying a series on Israel. In this lesson, we will see that nations fighting against Israel is not so much a fight with them as it is war with God. In Rev 13:6 the beast “opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle”. He is in a fight against God and the truth of his words.
The United Nations’ decision to grant Israel statehood and land, as we have seen in this series, is not a fulfillment of the prophecy to Abraham that his seed would inherit the land of Canaan and beyond to the Euphrates River. Rather, the UN decision is contrary to the promise God made to Abraham and to his seed. Israel wasn’t granted all the land of their inheritance that God gave them. This decision has set the stage for the fulfillment of other prophecies concerning war with God and his saints.
The nations of the world, whether they have openly admitted it or not, do not want Israel to exist. Likewise, the devil doesn’t want Israel to exist. Ultimately, the world is at war with God and what God promised Israel. Their plans for world peace are contrary to God’s plans. They want peace without God.
Why are the nations so against Israel? Because Israel will be the world’s center for “religion”. In Zech 8:20-23, the nations of the world will go to Jerusalem to worship the God of the Bible. In Zech 14:16-19 they will worship King Jesus or suffer drought and a plague. And the nations don’t want Jesus to rule. The Roman Catholic Church and Islam don’t want Jesus to rule. The Pharisees didn’t want Jesus to rule when he was here the first time. “We have no king but Caesar”, they said in Jn 19:15.
Notice the prophecy in Ps 83:1-5. The nations are against God and his people. In v.2 thine enemies… they that hate thee. v.3 against thy people… thy hidden ones. v.5 confederate against thee. v.4 they want Israel no more in remembrance. They want to prove Jer 31:31-37 wrong, contrary to the ordinances of God. They want to prove God a liar if they can.
This is war with God, against his people, waged on the battleground that God gave to Abe and his seed, Deut 1:8, 19:1.
In Ps 2:1-12, “the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed”. They do not want him to rule. They do not want his words to be true. God’s response, He just laughs at them.
In Dan 7:23-26 the fourth beast, “shall speak great words against the most High”. In Dan 8:24-25, “he shall stand up against the Prince of princes”. In Dan 11:36 he “shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods”. This is certainly war with God.
In Rev 19:19 the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. They will fight against Jesus and us.
At the second advent Jesus will fight this war personally, Joel 3:9-17. In Jer 25:30-33 “the Lord hath a controversy with the nations… the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth”. Zech 12:8-10, 14:1-3 the Lord will fight for Israel against those nations.
The nations should be saying about right now what Gamaliel said in Acts 5:39, “if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God”.
The nations refuse to believe God’s book, thus they are destined to war with God and failure at that. In the meantime, the IDF is fighting against Hamas hoping to clear them out of Gaza. Yet, they are not looking to God to fight for them. Israel will ultimately suffer for this decision. They will eventually turn to the Lord for his help and that is when they will finally have victory and peace in the Middle East. To study the previous lesson, see Regathering of Israel. To study the next lesson, see Peace and Safety.