Rev Dale Lee: Knowing God

“And to the end there shall be war.” (Daniel 9:26c, ESV)

Befogged: to be in a state of fog; to be beclouded and confused. For those who take the time to think about something other than themselves and to search the Scriptures re-garding biblical prophecy, trying to understand Israel in God’s plan may bring in a thick mist over their minds. What happened to Israel? What is going to happen? Does any of this matter? Hasn’t God replaced Israel with the Christian church because they rejected His Son Jesus? Why to the end shall there be war?Daniel 9:24-27 is a most diffi cult and remarkable prophecy given through Gabriel to the prophet. It concerns Daniel’s “people” and his “holy city” (9:24). Then comes a 6-fold revelation describing God’s amazing purposes He will accomplish through Is-rael, Jerusalem, and His Messiah Jesus Christ. This present evil age will come to an end by the second coming of Jesus Who will bring in everlasting righteousness. But for there to be a Jesus there had to be a Mary and a Bethlehem and a Jerusalem and a nation called Israel. From Jerusalem Jesus will reign over the nations. (Luke 1:32-33; Rev. 12:5) Until then there shall be war. Why?Writing in the Wall Street Journal, October 24, 2023, Jerome Marcus, lawyer and teacher at George Mason University’s Center for the Middle East and International Law states, “Hamas’ war crimes are equal in depravity to those of the Nazis…Hamas and the Nazis also shared the goal of Jewish genocide.” Genocide is defined as “the deliber-ate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.” How are we to understand such irrational blood lust against the Jews?Pastor Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) writes that “Satan has ever had a peculiar enmi-ty against the Son of God…his strife has ever been especially against the Son of God. The enmity has always been between the seed of the woman, and the serpent.” Satan seeks to destroy Israel because Jesus will return there and reign there. He will one day sit upon the throne of David in Jerusalem. But to the end there shall be war.What are Christians to do? We should be praying for Israel for God has not cast away His people (Romans 11:1). Pray Deuteronomy 4:30-31 “when thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto His voice; (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he swore unto them.