ISRAEL, IRAN, AND PEACE
I want everyone to know that we are an Israel-supporting church. We boldly declare that!
We support Missionaries in Israel, specifically “Jacob’s Hope,” who are on the ground in Israel. ROL will never back down in its support of the nation of Israel. We do not believe that our position is political; rather, it is a biblical position. The most important real estate on planet Earth is not Beverly Hills, the FL coastline, Hilton Head, or Silicon Valley. It is the nation of Israel.
In the Bible, there are 16 Prophecies of Israel and the return of Christ that are linked together. The history of no other nation compares with these alignments.
You see Israel in the news every day, and on nearly every page of our Bible. The other 3 will be fulfilled at the beginning of the Tribulation Period, in the Middle of the Tribulation Period, and at the end of the Tribulation Period.
THERE ARE 3 REMAINING PROPHECIES
14. It’s predicted that all nations will be gathered against Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:2–3; 14:1–2) (Beginning of the Tribulation Period)
15. It’s also predicted that there will be a supernatural revelation of Jesus as Messiah to the people of Israel collectively. (Zechariah 12:10- 14) (Middle of the Tribulation Period)
16, It’s predicted that the Messiah will return to the Mount of Olives in power and glory to establish His kingdom on earth. (Zechariah 14:3–5) (End of the Tribulation Period)
We are witnesses to the fulfillment of Biblical Prophecy. It is happening before our eyes; it is recorded on the internet, in newspapers, and on the news. I would not be doing my job as a Pastor if I didn’t share with you what the Bible says about Israel and the prophetic significance of what is happening in the Middle East as it relates to end-time events. Matthew 10:22
As we approach the coming of the Lord, you will see the Hatred of Israel increase. Every time you see a March against Israel on a college campus, every time you see a nation threaten Israel, every time you see a Jewish man or woman killed simply because they are Jewish, you see the fulfillment of scripture
- Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Iran,
- Algeria, Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela
Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Nicaragua: These countries severed diplomatic relations with Israel due to concerns about Israeli actions in Gaza.
The UNITED NATIONS IS A COMPROMISED ENTITY: Between 2015 and 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted 154 resolutions against Israel. Compared to 71 resolutions against all other countries combined.
THERE ARE TWO ISRAELS
NATURAL ISRAEL and the Jewish people and the holy land, but the Bible also says there’s
SPIRITUAL ISRAEL, which is the church, the body of Christ, you and I, the believers who have been engrafted into the heritage tree by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Every promise, everything that you read about the nation of Israel and the Jewish people that God promises, has even greater promises and covenant for you, OUR covenant that is even greater through Jesus Christ for you and I and for your family and my family.
The Bible comes from this nation. Every writer in the Bible was Jewish. Genesis 12:2-3
God always wanted a people who would serve Him. God wanted a nation, a people, a land that would serve Him. So God made Israel.
God told Abraham, “As the stars are in heaven, and as the sands of the seashore, so shall your seed be”. The covenant that I’m making with you, Abraham, will have stars in heaven, meaning, spiritual Israel, the body of Christ, the church, of every kindred, of every tongue, of every nation, of every nationality.
The Jewish people are the sands of Abraham’s vision, and the stars are the church, you and I, the believers who have come and been engrafted through the blood of Jesus Christ, into God’s ultimate plan.
ILLUS.Israel is like no other nation because God set out to redeem it from other nations.
“Who is like your nation, Israel? The one nation God went to redeem for Himself”.
God said, “The difference between the nation of Israel and every other nation is that God set out to redeem them from other nations”. He said, “I choose this tiny nation.”
-The size of the state of New Jersey. In Exodus 19:6, God made promises to Moses.
ISRAEL IS THE ONLY NATION ON EARTH CREATED BY GOD HIMSELF.
- By the providence of God, Is. 66:8, “In 1 day, a nation shall be born.”On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was recognized by Harry Truman, and Eleanor Roosevelt played a significant role in Israel’s establishment as a nation.
- Immediately following the announcement of the independence of the state of Israel. The Arab Israeli War of 1948 broke out as five Arab nations invaded territory declared to be sovereign. (It happened the next day)
ILLUS.Israel is the most invaded piece of real estate in modern history.
A number of Nations do not exist today because they attacked Israel.
Russia recently said, “We believe Iran should be able to possess nuclear weapons.
This may be the beginning of the hook of Israel. The Bible states in Deuteronomy 7:6 that we, as individuals, have a connection to the Jewish people and to the land of Israel. Deu. 7:6
And we know that is natural Israel, but you and I, through Jesus Christ, have been engrafted in, and WE ARE SPIRITUAL ISRAEL, hear these words through that filter also. Deuteronomy 7:7
God doesn’t love us because we’re valuable; we’re valuable because God loves us, and that’s what He said to Israel. He said you were the smallest, you were the least likely to succeed, but I set my love on you, I set my favor on you, I set my grace on you, and I have raised you.
I want to talk to you today because we need to understand the importance of our connection to the nation of Israel in light of what has happened in IRAN.
- Iran wanted to destroy Israel. They could not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.
President Trump is fulfilling Prophecy with his support of Israel. No President in modern America has supported Israel the way President Trump has.
- We have a whole generation, in America particularly, being disconnected from their Jewish roots, disconnected from the fact that our Bible is a Jewish Bible, a book that came from this culture and this part of the world. Our Messiah is a Jewish Messiah.
- In fact, it was a Jewish Banker who gave George Washington’s Troops $1 million. The supplies helped us to win the Revolutionary War.
- And I want to teach you some things today, and I pray that God will make this real. A real simple teaching today, but listen, if you’ll lean in and hear what I’m saying, there’s a blessing connected to it concerning your life and your home.
1. THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL ARE A SPECIAL PEOPLE.
I want to say that Israel, meaning the people of Israel – not just the land of Israel, but the people of Israel- are special. It’s not just merely the land of Israel, but the people of Israel that God says, “I have chosen.”
God sovereignly chose Israel, and God sovereignly chose the Jewish people.
A. ISRAEL IS A NATION THAT IS GOD-CREATED, GOD-DECREED, GOD-LOVED, GOD-CALLED, GOD-ELECTED, AND LISTEN, IT’S GOD-PROTECTED.
When we understand that He said in Genesis 12:3That’s a powerful thing. Israel is a special people, and God has chosen this nation for His glory. He said, “I have chosen this nation and these people for My good.”
ILLUS.We have seen it over and over, how God will protect this nation.
B.A SPECIAL PEOPLE, WITH A SPECIAL PURPOSE.
God made one covenant with one man named Abraham, and then He said, ‘I’m going to make a better covenant, a new covenant, but it’ll be connected to that old covenant, and it’ll come through one man, Jesus Christ.’
Christians might wonder if the biblical testimony requires them to support everything the modern nation-state does. In short, the answer is, “No.”
If the ancient people and kingdoms did not obey God perfectly, we shouldn’t expect that the modern government of Israel would be infallible.
ILLUS.: The largest LGBTQ pride parade in Europe is held in Israel.
C. ISRAEL IS UNDER SPECIAL PROTECTION ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD.
The Jehovah of the armies of heaven guards this chosen nation and these chosen people. To destroy the Jews and the nation of Israel, you will have to destroy the power that regulates the sun, the moon, and the stars, according to Jeremiah 31: 35 36
You could no more destroy Israel than you could destroy the entire universe.
These are special people; it’s a special place, and it has special protection. Michael, the Archangel, is said to guard this nation. There’s no real reason why they exist, except that the hand of God has protected this nation in a mighty way.
GOD’S WORD
He said, “When you bless what God has blessed, God is going to bless you.”
- I’ve always loved the Holy Land, and loved the Jewish people.
- Why do I feel such a connection for such a time as this? That’s when the Lord gave me that little line in Genesis 12:3
When you favor what God favors, God is going to favor you. Don’t ever forget that. It’s one of the most important lessons.
POINT: If you want God’s blessing and favor on your life, bless what God has blessed, and God will bless you. Favor what God has favored, and God’s favor will come on you. Israel is a special people, it has a special purpose, it’s operating and existing under a special protection.
2. THROUGH ISRAEL, THE WORLD HAS BEEN REDEEMED.
Through the Jewish people, through the nation of Israel, the savior of the world came, which cannot be said of any other nation. There is no other race of people through which the redeemer would come.
When God, who is a spirit, put on human flesh, put on a physical body and came down to us, He said, “I will do it through the lineage of Jewish flesh and bones, I will come in that flesh suit and I will come to a place called Israel, and through a people called the Jews”. THAT’S A REVELATION RIGHT THERE.
We’ve been adopted, “The glory, the covenants,” the nation of Israel, the people of Israel, the Israelites —they’ve been adopted by God. God has put His glory upon them, and they’ve the covenants that God made. So do you and I.
A. THROUGH THE JEWISH PEOPLE, THROUGH THE NATION OF ISRAEL, THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD CAME.
That cannot be said of any other nation.
- There is no other race of people through which the redeemer would come.
- The Savior was born in Bethlehem, not Baltimore.
- The entire Old Testament is a Chronological History of the Jewish People.
When God, who is a spirit, puts on human flesh, He puts on a physical body and came down to us, He said, “I will do it through the lineage of Jewish flesh and bones, I will come in that flesh suit and I will come to a place called Israel, and through a people called the Jews”.
GOD IS SAYING: “You can’t separate Jesus from the root of David, go back into my lineage,” and this is Him speaking in Heaven. We have to understand that not only was Jesus a Jew when He was on earth, but He still is a Jew in Heaven in His resurrected position. He’s the lion of the tribe of Judah, and woe be to His enemies when He begins to roar. Because no one can fight the lion of the tribe of Judah.
It was an astounding verse that Jesus Himself taught in John 4. He was speaking to the woman at the well, the Samaritan woman, and He said, “You worship, and you don’t know who you’re worshipping”.
B. JESUS IS STILL JEWISH.
Revelation 5:4-5, there is a scene in Heaven, and it’s so important that it’s not just down here that He used the Jewish people and Jesus was Jewish, but even in Heaven, it recognizes Him as Jewish. He said,
Notice, the lion of the tribe, in Heaven, there is a Jewish redeemer, savior, and God, and He says,
“I want to be identified with the physical tribe I came from, the Israelite tribe of Judah”.
- Judah is derived from the Hebrew name Yehuda. Judah means “praise,” or “praised,” a potent reminder to lead a life of faith.
- In the Hebrew Bible, Judah is the fourth son of Jacob and Leah and the founder of the Tribe of Judah.
- Judah also refers to the namesake of the land of Judea and the word “Jew.”
Jesus says, “You can’t separate me from the root of David, go back into my lineage,” and this is Him speaking in Heaven.”
Jesus was Jewish when He was on earth, but He still is Jewish in Heaven in His resurrected position.
He’s the lion of the tribe of Judah, and woe be to His enemies when He begins to roar. Because no one can fight the lion of the tribe of Judah.
It was an astounding verse that Jesus Himself taught in John 4. He was speaking to the woman at the well, the Samaritan woman, and He said, “You worship, and you don’t know who you’re worshipping”.
And He said in the verses before, “Your fathers worshipped in this mountain, and they didn’t know who they were looking for.” And what He’s saying is, “But now, I’m here.”
John 4:22 – Five astounding words you must never forget, you should underline it in your Bible. “Salvation is from the Jews,” Jesus said that.
Jesus was saying, “I am the Messiah, and I would not be here if it were not for the Jewish people and it were not for the holy land”.
And when you understand where our salvation came from. It will change your outlook.
- No Jews, no salvation.
- No holy land, no salvation.
- Why do we make such a big deal about it? Why do we stand with Israel?
- Why do we stand not just with the land of Israel, but with the people of Israel also?
Because, “Salvation,” 5 breathtaking words, “SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS”.
- “There is no other name under heaven whereby men can be saved…”-That name, that savior, came through the Jewish people.
My whole spiritual inheritance, I owe to one nation, Israel, and one people, the Jewish people, because they gave me my Jewish Messiah.
-The Apostle Paul said, “You cannot curse those people.”
-The Bible puts it like this: Remember this verse. You can always be really spiritual and quote this verse, one, two, three, everybody says, “One, two, three”.
Genesis 12:1, 2, and verse 3, “I will bless those who bless you, Israel, and I will curse those who curse you.”
That’s why I don’t want anything to do with people out in the streets cursing Israel, speaking anti-Semitic….. They do not understand what they are doing. They have been taught wrong. It is wrong on the college campuses, it is wrong,
I will stand in the pulpit as long as I have the microphone and I will say, “You’re as wrong as you can be.”
If you curse that nation, God will curse you, God will curse your family, God will curse this nation, and if we bless that nation, God will bless you, will bless your family, and He will bless your nation.
Our President, when reporting on Iran, said: “God bless America and God bless Israel.”
Does that mean we don’t love Iran?? Absolutely not.
Does that mean God doesn’t love Palestinians? Absolutely not. Should we weep, should we cry, should we pray for the Palestinians? 100% What do we do when the whole world is trying to wipe out that nation and that race? We stand with Israel.
You see, the reason the devil hates ’em so much is because he knows Jesus is coming back, and He can’t come back if the Jews are not in that land called Israel and in a city called Jerusalem.
So, everything He’s doing is trying to get the whole world to wipe ’em out so Jesus can’t come, but he who… I feel like preaching. But he who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps and I promise you, nobody’s going to move them out of that land, I don’t care who they are, I don’t care how powerful, how rich, how much money, how much prestige, you can’t fight with God, your arms are too short to box with God.
Every hater of that nation will pass away, but His kingdom will reign forever. Without that nation, without the Jewish people, there would be no apostles, no Matthew and Mark, Luke and John, no Apostle Paul. There would be no patriarchs, there would be no Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, without that group and that nation, there would be no Bible, there would be no Ten Commandments, there would be no prophets and there would be no savior, and there would be no salvation for your soul.
Am I a little one-sided about it? Yeah, because the Bible is one-sided about it, and He said, “Don’t ever let the branches start thinking that they’re more important than the roots”.
3. PEACE COMES FROM JESUS, NOT THIS WORLD.
You are special to God. He didn’t choose you because you were great.
He didn’t choose you because He didn’t have others who were more talented, more gifted, or more qualified. He chose you because He set his love on you. Peace comes from above, not from this world.
A. THE HATRED OF ISRAEL, THE COMING OF THE LORD, AND THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD ARE ALL CONNECTED.
Hamas attacks Israel: On October 7, 2023, Hamas-led militants launched a coordinated attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. This attack involved air, land, and sea incursions into Israeli territory.
Mass casualties and hostage-taking: The attacks resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, including many civilians, making it the deadliest day in Israel’s history. Hamas and other groups also took around 250 Israeli and foreign nationals hostage.
ILLUS.: Russia, revival services.
B. JERUSALEM IS A SPECIAL PLACE.
Calvary was in Jerusalem, and I remember what Jesus did. I say to myself, “Jerusalem is a special place.” The city of Jerusalem would not be known except for Jesus.God has put His people in a special place. God took the whole earth, and He found one land out of all, one piece of real estate out of all this big old planet. He found one spot and said, ‘I choose that land and I call it ‘My Holy Land.’
And He took one city out of that land, and He said, “I call that My Holy City.” I have news for you, it isn’t New York.
Out of all of the places, God said I call that My Holy Land. That’s my nation. I call that my Holy City. And then, God took one hill – you’re looking at it. He said, I call that hill, and He uses these words scripturally, “My Holy Hill”. (Mt. Moriah) Praise God! My Holy Land, My Holy City, My Holy Hill.
THREE THINGS ABOUT THIS HOLY LAND, THIS HOLY PLACE.
- Israel will never give up Jerusalem.
- Israel will be invaded by their enemies from the north, according to Ezekiel 38, and there is coming a world leader who will negotiate a deceitful peace treaty with Israel, according to Daniel 8 – 9. Ultimately, Jesus Christ will bring victory.
- Jesus will rule and reign from Jerusalem during the Millennial Reign.
There’s coming a revival to this nation and to the nations of the world, and I believe that we’re living in one of the most incredible times in human history. And just when it looks like this nation will be overrun by its enemies, there will come the vindication of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the antichrist, upon the powers of darkness, the nations that turn their backs against God. We must stand with Israel, because God will bless those who bless what He blesses. God will favor those who favor what He favors. America must favor and bless Israel. We must ensure that our people understand that we are one body in Christ.
I want to encourage you that the Bible teaches that it’s all going to come down to the fact that God has a plan for Jerusalem and for the nation of Israel.
C. WE ARE UNDER DIVINE PROTECTION, JUST LIKE ISRAEL.
You have special protection. Isaiah 54:17. He said it will be formed, but I won’t let it go so far.
I promise you today that we serve a God who knows how to protect His own. He can protect your reputation.
He can protect you and hold things back. He can cause things that should happen not to happen, because He’s a God of protection. Angels are coming to help. Angels are protecting your babies, your family, your children, and your marriage. Just believe it today, because what God’s doing for natural Israel -Special people, special purpose, special protection – He’s doing for you.
God’s plan is centered around Jerusalem, and it’s centered around Jesus Christ being King over all the earth, and ruling and reigning from this spot called Jerusalem. What an amazing place! What an amazing day!
And listen, you’re either going to follow the Lamb, which is Jesus Christ, that takes away our sins, or you’re going to end up, according to Revelation 12, following the beast.
Which one are you going to follow, the beast, the antichrist?
All you’ve got to do is look around and see – Jesus is coming again.
You’re valuable because He loves you. You’re not valuable because of what you’ve done, or what you achieve, or what you have. You’re valuable because He set His love on you.
Ps. 91:14
You have a special purpose, just like Israel. You have a special purpose. God has His hand on your family. Your family is not like the other families in your neighborhood. You belong to God. That family belongs to God. That business that you own has a special purpose. That job that you work, that life that you have – it has purpose in it.
God will be glorified in your life. God will be glorified in your family, in your children, and in your business. The work of your hands is going to bring glory to Jesus Christ, just like this nation is bringing glory to Jesus Christ. And I still believe it. I still believe the trumpet will sound. I still believe that God has a plan, and it’s centered around Jerusalem and Jesus, and He’s coming back for His people.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever”, you, me, “who would believe in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life”.
Our heavenly Father didn’t stay HIS hand. He watched His Son bleed and die on that cross for my sins and your sins. That hill is where the temple was built. That hill is where Jesus was crucified, and God said that is My Holy Hill. That’s the most important spot on planet Earth, the Temple Mount.
Are you ready?