By Jack KinsellaThe prophet Jeremiah predicted that the Jews of the Babylonian captivity would be restored after seventy years—and the book of Daniel records that prophecy was literally fulfilled after the Babylonians fell to the Persian Empire. But there was also a second ingathering prophesied for the Jews of Israel by the Prophet Ezekiel, one specifically identified by the prophet as concerning the "latter days" (Ezekiel 38:16). At that time, said the prophet, the Jews will again inhabit the Land of Promise, which the prophet specifically identifies geographically as "the mountains of Israel." It is this second ingathering that constitutes the most overtly miraculous work of God since the First Advent. The modern State of Israel stands as a living monument to the unbreakable Word of God; vibrant and living evidence of God's existence and His continued involvement in the affairs of mankind. The manner of her restoration is both overtly miraculous and historically fortuitous. It shouldn't exist. But in order for any of the prophecies of the Bible for the Last Days to have any contemporary context, it must exist. Without the existence of a literal, politically viable Jewish State known as "Israel," none of the prophecies concerning the Last Days and the coming judgment of the nations find any historical context. Whatever is happening on the global stage would then serve no particular prophetic agenda, and we could draw no particular confidence from seeing it unfold. But, since there is such a historical entity as Israel, a nation 'born in a day' as a Jewish State, against all the odds, we can know that the events that are unfolding in our lifetimes are following a particular script. The current worldwide economic crisis has a prophetic context only because there exists a Jewish State called "Israel." Until the restoration of Israel in 1948, there was no prophetic context into which one could place the Crash of 1929. We can see the prophetic context now, thanks to historical hindsight, but the context is that the Great Depression was among the factors that caused the World War that resulted in the fulfillment of the prophecy of the restoration of Israel in the Last Days. Looking forward or backward, in terms of Bible prophecy, the temporal frame of reference that matters is May 14, 1948. Israel is at the heart of every conflict; the question of the final status of Jerusalem is as important to America or Russia or Europe as it is to Tel Aviv. The Bible records that Yeshua was asked by His disciples, "What shall be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the world?" His reply is recorded in the three Synoptic Gospels and is known collectively as the Olivet Discourse. Among the signs He gave is this one, recorded in Luke 21:24: "Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." The signs of the times mean we are now living in the times of the signs. And the biggest sign of all is the Star of David flying over Jerusalem. What a time to be alive!
Jack Kinsella is the founder and publisher of the Omega Letter (www. omegaletter.com). Jack is head writer of The Hal Lindsey Report television program and former head writer for This Week in Bible Prophecy. Jack is the author of more than two thousand columns on current events and Bible prophecy.
