Israel: Is their return to their land a fulfillment of prophecy?

Many people believe that Israel’s re-establishment as a sovereign nation in 1948 was a fulfillment of prophecy. They often also believe that the work being done to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem is fulfillment of prophecy.  But the broader question that needs to be asked is this one—Is there ANY prophecy being fulfilled in our time?  The apostle Paul tells us the time we’re living in now was a mystery, a secret the prophets knew and WROTE nothing about—

Ephesians 3:1-9

¹ For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

² If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

³ How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery [MUSTERION = secret]; (as I wrote afore in few words,

⁴ Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

⁵ Which in other ages was NOT made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

For more information about this principle concerning the mystery, please see my articles about it on this website. Here are links to some of them—

Mystery: What is the key to understanding the Bible?

Mystery: What is this Secret that Paul wrote about?

Mystery: What is the fellowship of the mystery?

Mystery: Why does it continue to be one for so many?

Then Paul mentions one of a number of those truths that had been kept a secret.

Ephesians 3 continued…

⁶ That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

⁷ Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

⁸ Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable [ANECHICHNIASTOS = untraceable] riches of Christ;

In this context this tells us these truths are nowhere to be found in the writings of the prophets.  These truths that had been a secret held in the mind of God were finally made known through the revelation to and subsequent writings of the apostle Paul.

⁹ And to make all men see what is the fellowship of THE MYSTERY, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: [Emphasis added]

Again, you’ll find a full explanation of this mystery in my article about it—

Mystery: What is the fellowship of the mystery?

So, are we now living in a time when certain prophecies are being fulfilled? Answer: We are not! The “prophetic program” was interrupted with the salvation of Saul of Tarsus who became known as the apostle Paul. It was then that a whole new body of truth was provided for him and now to us through his writings.

1 Timothy 2:7

⁷ Whereunto I [Paul] am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity [ALETHEIA = truth]. [Emphasis added]

There’s a lot said about this important truth revealed through the apostle Paul that unfortunately has been almost completely ignored by Christendom. The proof of that is seen in Denominationalism.

2 Timothy 1:11

¹¹ Whereunto I [Paul] am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. [Emphasis added]

What a wonderful blessing it is to come to know these things!

Romans 11:12-13

¹² Now if the fall of them [Israel] be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

¹³ For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I [Paul] am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: [Emphasis added]

Please see my article about this “magnification” of Paul’s office—

Paul: Do we make too much of him?

We now even have a different gospel from what went before our time.  Christendom tries to combine these gospels.  But they are not to be combined or somehow blended together.  That only serves to distort them.  They are two different gospels.

Galatians 2:7

7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me [Paul], as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; [Emphasis added]

You’ll find that most Bible translations mis-translate that verse.  The translators do it to make the verse conform to their beliefs.  For more information about these two different gospel massages, please see my articles about them.  Here are links to some of them—

Gospel: Where did Paul get the one he preached?

Peter & Paul: Did they proclaim the same message?

Gospel: How did the prophets know our gospel?

Gospel: Is OUR gospel in “the four gospels”?

Gospel: Which one is ours today?

At the very time in Israel’s history when what is called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” [Jeremiah 30:7] began, God interrupted and stopped the time clock on what He has planned for Israel.  He then began this period we’re a part of today with the salvation of Saul of Tarsus who is now known as the apostle Paul.

1 Timothy 1:16

¹⁶ Howbeit for this cause I [Paul] obtained mercy, that in ME FIRST Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. [Emphasis added]

How long this period will last is unknown.  But we just know that overall things aren’t going to get better in the time between now and the Rapture as well as the time of Christ’s Second Coming.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

¹ This know also, that in the last days [the time between the two advents of Christ] perilous times shall come.

² For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

³ Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

⁴ Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

All these things have gone on over the last two thousand years.

⁵ Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. [Emphasis added]

Again, God stopped the “prophetic time clock” when He completely set Israel aside at the end of the time frame of the book of Acts.

Acts 28:28

²⁸ Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. [Emphasis added]

The “time clock” will resume when this present age of grace ends with what is called The Rapture.  It is then that Israel will again be God’s focal point for evangelizing the world. That is seen clearly in Revelation 7 and other places in Scripture. It is in that period that the world will be evangelized with Israel’s gospel message, the Gospel of the Kingdom. It is important to know that the world has already been evangelized with OUR gospel, but not the one the The Twelve apostles were commissioned with. 

Acts 17:6

⁶ And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; [Emphasis added]

Romans 1:8

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the WHOLE world. [Emphasis added]

Colossians 1:6, 23

⁶ Which is come unto you, as it is in ALL the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

²³ If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to EVERY creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; [Emphasis added]

Because so many people have been misled about this, I’ll mention still another passage that speaks of how the entire world was evangelized with Paul’s gospel [and ours] in the first century.

I Thessalonians 1:8

⁸ For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in EVERY place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. [Emphasis added]

So, the entire world has been evangelized with what we would speak of as OUR gospel but not the Gospel of the Kingdom.  Christendom is so confused today that they don’t even know of these TWO different gospels.  Jesus told the disciples that when the world was evangelized with that gospel [the gospel of the kingdom which is not our gospel today], He would return.

Matthew 24:14

¹⁴ And this gospel of THE KINGDOM shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and THEN shall the end come. [Emphasis added]

Yes, the world has been evangelized many times with our gospel, the gospel of the Grace of God but it has still not been evangelized with the Gospel of the Kingdom that is also called the Gospel of the Circumcision.  For more information about the evangelization of the world with this gospel of the Kingdom, please see my article about it—

Gospel:  Which gospel did the 12 apostles preach after the ascension?

God’s work with Israel being the centerpiece of His work will not continue until His work is done with the people of our time who are spoken of as members of the church which is the Body of Christ.  Our time will formally end with what is called The Rapture which is the occasion of our resurrection. For more specific information about that event, please see my articles about it. Here are the names of some of them—

Rapture: What is the meaning of this term?

Rapture: Who was the first to reveal this?

Rapture: Does this occur before The Tribulation?

Rapture: How is this different from The Second Coming?

Rapture: Is there anything about it in The Four Gospels?

Our removal from the Earth will allow for the restarting of the prophetic time clock when God again resumes His dealings with mankind through Israel. The “blessed hope” of God’s people today is in no way affected by Israel.  That “blessed hope” of The Rapture that could occur at any moment is something every believer of our time should eagerly anticipate.

Titus 2:13-14

¹³ Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

¹⁴ Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people [PERIPOIESIS = a purchased possession], zealous of good works. [Emphasis added]

Presently Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father in the highest place of honor. 

Ephesians 4:10

¹⁰ He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) [Emphasis added]

There will come a time when Christ will stand to bring judgment upon the Earth in a time we speak of as the seven-year period called The Tribulation. Until then the nation of Israel and her prophecies are in complete abeyance. 

This appearance of Christ in the air that we speak of as The Rapture will take place when the last member of His Body of Christ believers of which He is Head is saved. The time of The Tribulation on Earth immediately follows and ends with Christ’s return to the Earth to bring judgment and to establish the long promised earthly kingdom. It was the establishment of this promised kingdom that was a pressing issue on the minds of the apostles right before Christ’s ascension into Heaven. This is a verse that counters the claim of those who tell us the kingdom Christ promised is already here.

Acts 1:6-7

⁶ When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

⁷ And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. [Emphasis added]

It is when this kingdom is provided that the prayer He asked the apostles to pray concerning this will be answered.

Matthew 6:9-10

⁹ After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

This IS NOT a prayer we’re to be praying today; it will be a prayer for Israel to be praying in this coming seven-year period called The Tribulation.

¹⁰ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. [Emphasis added]

We, of course, will then already be in Heaven ruling and reigning with Christ.

2 Timothy 2:11-13

¹¹ It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:

¹² If we suffer, we shall also reign with him [in positions of authority]: if we deny him, he also will deny us [certain rewards]:

¹³ If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself [us being members of His Body forever]. [Emphasis added]

Again, The Rapture and The Second Coming of Christ are two very different events.  For more clarity on that, please see my article about it—

Rapture: How is this different from The Second Coming?

Learning about what is called the right division of Scripture is essential for sorting these things out. Because this is so important I have many articles on this website about it—

Bible: How should one study it?

Bible: What is the Dispensation of Grace?

Dispensation: How is this defined in the Bible?

Dispensational Theology: What should everyone know about it?

Dispensations: What is this about?

Dispensations: When did ours begin?

Dispensations: Why do so few churches teach about this?

Conclusion—

We’re now not to be looking for prophesied signs on the Earth that occur before Christ’s return for us in this present Dispensation of Grace.  Those signs leading up to Christ’s return are all going to be perfectly fulfilled in the seven years leading up to what is called the Second Coming of Christ. This will occur when He returns to the Earth to establish His prophesied earthly kingdom.  Always remember that “signs” are all tied to things pertaining to Israel, not us as members of the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:22

²² For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: [Emphasis added]

There’s not even one “sign” that has to be fulfilled for Christ to come for us at The Rapture; this event has always been imminent. What a glorious time that will be for every person who has accepted the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the sole basis for their salvation. Between now and the Rapture we have only historical trends fulfilled that the apostle Paul speaks of.  These are technically not signs.

1 Timothy 4:1-3

¹ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times [a reference to the time we’ve been in since the salvation of the apostle Paul] some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

This all occurs in this time leading up to the Rapture.

² Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

³ Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. [Emphasis added]

All this is to let us know that between now and the Rapture things are not necessarily going to get better. But there will come a time after the Rapture when Christ returns to the Earth to gather His earthly people back to the land of Israel.  Any “gathering” of them back to Israel between now and then is not of Him. Instead, it will be nations or organizations like The United Nations doing it. It will be God who’ll do the regathering of them to Israel when the prophecy about this is fulfilled.  This is prophecy that’ll be fulfilled in the coming period called The Tribulation.

Nehemiah 1:9

⁹ But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. [Emphasis added]

None of that prophecy has anything to do with us today and in this period of grace.  It is all about regenerate Israel.  In the days in which all that was written there was nothing even known about us as members of the Body of Christ. We remained a mystery, a secret held by God and known only to Him. So, no, Israel’s return to their land today is not a fulfillment of prophecy because there is NO prophecy being fulfilled in this present period that was always a mystery [a secret] not known to the prophets. For more information about this, please see my article about it—

Prophecy: Is any being fulfilled today?