Part 1:The Jews: & the 144,000, Gospel of the Kingdom: In the Old Testament there are many prophecies concerning the Jews, their return to their homeland of Palestine after over 2000 years, and their many blessings to come in the future Kingdom of God. Some Christian Churches teach that the Jews are finished as a nation and replaced by the Christian Church. This is incorrect and not what the Bible tells us at all. As Paul wrote in Romans 11, “Did God reject His people? By no means … [Romans 11:1-8]. God does not promise one thing one minute and ignore it the next. What God promises he stands by, both for us; Christians, and for the Jewish people.
All God’s promises outlined in the Bible regarding the Jews will be fulfilled. Even in our day and age, we have seen the nation of Israel being born, and God’s promise that the Jews will be gathered back into their promised land being fulfilled, at the moment in unbelief, but in the future that will be changed. There will be a faithful remnant that will recognise God for who He is, and during the terrible time of the Tribulation period when the Antichrist and the False Prophet appear and rule, God will choose for himself 144,000 members of the Jewish Tribes who will be protected by the Lord as they preach the message of the Kingdom of God throughout the world. [Rev 7:1-8][Rev 14:1-5].
After the Rapture and after the Church is taken to meet the Lord in the air, there will be little or no witness in this world. The Jews will then be appointed by God to do what the Jewish people should have done years ago. To preach the Kingdom of God and His righteousness throughout the world. It does not explain too clearly how, but all we know is, that they will receive God’s Mark on their foreheads protecting them from the results of Antichrist’s regime and associated persecution of believers. This will apparently not apply to the converted followers of God in the Tribulation period as we hear of a multitude of those who were beheaded for their belief in God. [Rev 7:9-17][Rev 20:4]. The Jewish nation of Israel will suffer greatly during the period of the “Tribulation”. There are numerous incidents and happenings during the time leading up to and during the actual Tribulation. We are told of these prophesies in the Bible in many different Bible Book’s, and they are far too many to list here. However let’s cover some of them. In general we are not given the timing of the incidents but we can still refer to what happens between now, and the final coming to reign of the Lord Jesus from the Temple at Jerusalem.
It is if we are looking at a stage while preparation for a play is being set up. Even at this present time we can see the participants taking their places. The Antichrist and the False Prophet will not be revealed until after the Church has been taken. At first when the Antichrist appears, he will appear to succeed in what he does, and the world will think he is the answer to all their problems. For the first three and a half years all will go very well. He will somehow bring peace to the Middle East, and spread peace and prosperity around the world [Rev 7:27]. However after 3½ years he will break the covenant with the Jews and set himself to be worshipped in a wing of the Temple. The Jews will not like this, and although many will believe his lies, many will not. It appears he will have a secret police who will be prepared to terrorise the population of the world, and everyone will have to have his mark so they can trade. More of this in a later article.
When it will happen is unknown but it will be when Israel is at peace and they will be unsuspecting, but it will happen. Magog who we believe will be Russia and its allies, will decide it’s time to have a share of the riches of the Middle East. Many think it will be the vast reserves of oil which has been discovered in the land of Palestine, mainly on Jewish territory. In Ezekiel Chapter’s 38 and 39, we have an account of the Battle of Armageddon. It looks from the way it is written, That Russia and its allies will attack Israel. Russia is well in with the Middle Eastern Arab nations, its advisors are already in Syria, and their Mediterranean Fleet is based in a Syrian Port. At present the Russians are bombing the rebel strongholds in Iraq and Syria, to bolster the present Syrian, Assad regime. In Psalm 83 there is a prayer to destroy those who seek to destroy Israel. The nations listed in ancient names have modern equivalents. Many take this psalm as a prophecy that these nations will attack Israel and later wish they had not, when God fights for Israel and they are utterly defeated. At the moment most of these nations, with the exception of the Palestinians, are tied up fighting each other but sooner or later they will attack Israel. They are still publically making threats against Israel. Psalm 83 seems to be as their present threats and says: “For behold, your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate you have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against your people, and consulted together against your sheltered ones. They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against you: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelite’s; Moab and the Hagrites; [Psalm 83:2-6 NKJV]. Today equivalent people of Psalm 83, are: Edom and Moabites: Palestinians, Ishmaelite’s: Saudi’s, Hagrites: Egypt, Amalek: Arabs of the Sinai Area, Philistia: Hamas of the Gaza Strip, Tyre: Hezbollah and Lebanon, and Assyria: Syria and Northern Iraq. At the moment many of this group are trying to get their own house in order. But one day God will answer this Psalms prayer and these nations listed will never recover from the war they will have with Israel. When this particular battle occurs we are not told. The Bible points to there being many such battles leading up to and during the Great Tribulation time, and we can see a build up to this situation at the moment. However when and in what order these events occur we do not know. However it’s preparing for a final battle where Christ intervenes and He will set up a Kingdom that will never pass away.
Brian D. Papworth