at the beliefs of sincere Christians, as Guyatt suggested.
Guyatt’s book, Have a Nice Doomsday: Why Millions of Americans Are Looking Forward to the End of the World , turned out to be part mockery, part incredulity that so many Americans could believe such ridiculous things. He wrote, “It’s easy to imagine Bible prophecy as a playpen for lunatics” and that “the temptation, when considering these notorious cult leaders or the avid audience for the Left Behind novels, is to dismiss End Times thinking as deranged.” [122] Yes, people have believed in Bible prophecy through the ages, he conceded, but he argued that it’s worse now because “apocalyptic Christians” are trying to persuade officials in Washington to bring about the end of the world. He warned that Christian interest in the last days, and specifically in the reconstruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, is not only “kooky” but “lethal.” [123]
Bottom Line
We are living at an extraordinary moment in human history. The Bible gives us a list of signs to be watching for that indicate when the return of Jesus Christ is increasingly close at hand. Remarkably, we have seen all of these signs come to pass over the past century or so, and we are continuing to see them come to pass in our lifetime, up to and including this present time. From this preliminary assessment, is it reasonable to conclude that we are living in what the Bible calls the last days? I believe it is. But let’s go further.
CHAPTER SIX
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE REBIRTH OF ISRAEL
The most definitive and conclusive sign that we are living in the era the Bible calls the last days was the miraculous rebirth of the State of Israel in 1948, the return of millions of Jews to the Holy Land after centuries of exile, the wars and rumors of wars that have engulfed the Jewish state for the last half century and more, the rebuilding of the ancient ruins in Israel, and the increasing international focus on the nation of Israel as the epicenter of the momentous events that are shaking our world and shaping our future. Some Bible scholars have described the rebirth of Israel as the “super sign,” and I agree.
Many people did not see the modern resurrection of the Jewish state coming. Many thought it would never happen and shouldn’t. For centuries, world leaders had cruelly scattered and persecuted the Jewish people and denied their right to return to their ancient homeland. Sadly, even many church leaders throughout history came to believe in a pernicious doctrine called “replacement theology,” which denied the veracity and legitimacy of Bible prophecies that said Israel would be reborn in the last days. Such replacement theologians, and the pastors and laypeople who read and followed their conclusions, said God had rejected the Jewish people and would no longer honor the ancient covenants to give the Jewish people the heretofore “Promised Land.” Unfortunately, many people in the United States and around the world also vigorously opposed the creation of the modern State of Israel. Indeed, most of the Arab and Islamic world was willing to use any means necessary, including war, to strangle the reborn infant nation in her cradle, as they demonstrated time and time again.
Yet those who were watching events through the third lens of Scripture knew Israel would one day be reborn. What’s more, those who believed the ancient biblical prophecies were true and valid often did much to assist the young nation of Israel. In this chapter, we will take a look back at the early days of Israel’s modern rebirth and see how the United States played a key role in the Jewish state’s resurrection. We will also take a look at some of the Bible prophecies fulfilled by Israel’s rebirth and what they might mean for the future of our own nation.
Showdown in the Oval Office
Over the past six decades, the United States has been Israel’s best friend and chief ally. That warm and strategic
Guyatt’s book, Have a Nice Doomsday: Why Millions of Americans Are Looking Forward to the End of the World , turned out to be part mockery, part incredulity that so many Americans could believe such ridiculous things. He wrote, “It’s easy to imagine Bible prophecy as a playpen for lunatics” and that “the temptation, when considering these notorious cult leaders or the avid audience for the Left Behind novels, is to dismiss End Times thinking as deranged.” [122] Yes, people have believed in Bible prophecy through the ages, he conceded, but he argued that it’s worse now because “apocalyptic Christians” are trying to persuade officials in Washington to bring about the end of the world. He warned that Christian interest in the last days, and specifically in the reconstruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, is not only “kooky” but “lethal.” [123]
Bottom Line
We are living at an extraordinary moment in human history. The Bible gives us a list of signs to be watching for that indicate when the return of Jesus Christ is increasingly close at hand. Remarkably, we have seen all of these signs come to pass over the past century or so, and we are continuing to see them come to pass in our lifetime, up to and including this present time. From this preliminary assessment, is it reasonable to conclude that we are living in what the Bible calls the last days? I believe it is. But let’s go further.
CHAPTER SIX
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE REBIRTH OF ISRAEL
The most definitive and conclusive sign that we are living in the era the Bible calls the last days was the miraculous rebirth of the State of Israel in 1948, the return of millions of Jews to the Holy Land after centuries of exile, the wars and rumors of wars that have engulfed the Jewish state for the last half century and more, the rebuilding of the ancient ruins in Israel, and the increasing international focus on the nation of Israel as the epicenter of the momentous events that are shaking our world and shaping our future. Some Bible scholars have described the rebirth of Israel as the “super sign,” and I agree.
Many people did not see the modern resurrection of the Jewish state coming. Many thought it would never happen and shouldn’t. For centuries, world leaders had cruelly scattered and persecuted the Jewish people and denied their right to return to their ancient homeland. Sadly, even many church leaders throughout history came to believe in a pernicious doctrine called “replacement theology,” which denied the veracity and legitimacy of Bible prophecies that said Israel would be reborn in the last days. Such replacement theologians, and the pastors and laypeople who read and followed their conclusions, said God had rejected the Jewish people and would no longer honor the ancient covenants to give the Jewish people the heretofore “Promised Land.” Unfortunately, many people in the United States and around the world also vigorously opposed the creation of the modern State of Israel. Indeed, most of the Arab and Islamic world was willing to use any means necessary, including war, to strangle the reborn infant nation in her cradle, as they demonstrated time and time again.
Yet those who were watching events through the third lens of Scripture knew Israel would one day be reborn. What’s more, those who believed the ancient biblical prophecies were true and valid often did much to assist the young nation of Israel. In this chapter, we will take a look back at the early days of Israel’s modern rebirth and see how the United States played a key role in the Jewish state’s resurrection. We will also take a look at some of the Bible prophecies fulfilled by Israel’s rebirth and what they might mean for the future of our own nation.
Showdown in the Oval Office
Over the past six decades, the United States has been Israel’s best friend and chief ally. That warm and strategic
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