Israel Attacked- Is this the beginning of the End? And how should Christians respond?

Before we even get going here, I want to say that my heart is pained and crushed when I even begin to think of the suffering and devastation that is being experienced by those who are living in and around Israel right now. 

The violent, Islamist extremist terror group called Hamas, which operates and governs the Palestinian city of Gaza, the tiny strip of land just Southwest of Jerusalem, is wreaking havoc on the people of Israel, killing, kidnapping and doing all sorts of evil acts against them in the name of their god. In no way am I minimizing this tragedy. I say this because the subject at hand seems small right now compared to the loss of life and the way of life, for the people of Israel.

Compared to what's happening in Israel it's small, but in reality, it's an important subject that needs to be addressed. Not only to properly respond to this situation, but to properly pray and act for this situation. 

Over the past several days, I’ve been inundated with questions from church members, friends, family members and not to mention, the barrage of ‘end times’ videos and content on social media - all with the same theme and the similar questions.

If you've been a Christian even for a short period of time, chances are, when you heard the news of Israel being attacked in recent days, questions such as these popped into your mind as well...

1. Is this the beginning of the end? Doesn't the Bible speak of Israel being attacked in the last days?

2. Could this be the precursor to the seven year 'Great Tribulation' period spoken about in Daniel 9, and in Matthew 24 by Jesus Himself?

(And last but not least:)

3. Is the rapture about to happen?

To get right to the point, in my opinion, one that I believe is supported by scripture and history, my answer to all of the above would be - no, no, and no. :-)

Being groomed and shaped in what is called 'Dispensational' theology or ‘dispensationalism’, often creates tunnel vision on the subject of ‘the end’. Not until years ago, when I was able to finally study these issues from the scriptures, was I able to make sense of what is also called  'rapture theology'. 

Don't get me wrong, I love my dispensational brothers and sisters in Christ. I don’t believe they are lost. I don’t see their beliefs as heretical by any means. I do see dispensationalism flawed and inconsistent. 

I do feel a healthy conversation among Christians is needed, since prophecy talk is again being heard everywhere, especially now due to the escalating situation in Israel.

Just last evening, surprisingly, my youngest daughter began asking me questions about this topic. She then explained to me how one of her teachers (Christian school), talked about the ‘any moment’ rapture theory (as fact) that could take place even today, during class. 

She was told to go home and ask her parents their opinion. However, the question wasn’t, ‘Do you believe in a ‘rapture’ or ‘seven year tribulation period’?’ It was rather, which sort of rapture do you believe in? Meaning, are we 'pre-trib, mid-trib, pre-wrath or post-trib' rapture proponents. 

Sort of like if I told my daughter, ‘I’m not trying to dictate what you do for a career, you can be any type of doctor you want to!’

Of course, I know her teacher, and she’s a wonderful godly woman. I know she spoke these things in innocence and in love, so I'm not condemning her for it. But I wonder how many other people believe in things such as an imminent rapture, the 7 year tribulation period, the antichrist, and all the other tenets of dispensational theology, which all have very little if any scriptural support, and all hang on the context of the rebirth and attacks on Israel. And better yet, do they really understand why they believe these things?

For lack of time and space, I cannot go into detail on all the aspects of dispensationalism I disagree with, but I can give you an idea of what this relatively new view of eschatology asserts (originating with John Nelson Darby, considered by some to be the father of dispensationalism, 1800-82.) And more importantly, why I came to believe that dispensationalism is not consistent with what the scriptures teach, particularly about the 'end' or eschatologically.

I will be brief but welcome any questions and feedback. As a matter of fact, we had a Wednesday evening bible study dedicated to this subject with questions and answers. Listen here.

The first question is, 'Is this the beginning of the end? Doesn't the Bible speak of Israel being attacked in the last days?'

The notion that Israel being attacked as a sign of the end, comes from two preconceived notions. 

First, when Jesus spoke of the devastation and destruction to come in Matthew 24, He wasn't speaking about the Jews in His immediate audience, He was referring to the Jews of the future, 2000 plus years in the future, of that generation which would immediately follow Israel's re-establishment as a nation (1948).

There are two problems here with that interpretation: first, the time indicators in the text, and secondly, Jesus' intended audience and subject was not in the future, talking about and to people in the year 2023 (or whatever year). He was speaking about the destruction of Jerusalem in AD. 70 and to the people of Israel listening then and there, the ones who would reject and crucify Him as a criminal.

The time indicators of Matthew 23:36 and Matthew 24:34 (‘Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place’) do not force the context 2000 plus years into the future, but the context is plainly set to that present generation. 

Jesus speaks of 'this generation' over 15 times in the gospel, none of which speak of a future generation, all of which speak of the generation of people standing and listening to Him at the time. 

Second, Jesus was speaking of a historic event that would take place exactly at the end of the generation of those He was speaking to. A generation is 40 years.

Jesus spoke these words in 30 AD (roughly) and the destruction of Jerusalem happened exactly as Jesus explained it would (in Matthew 24 & Luke 21), in AD. 70, forty years later (within that generation).

But what about those references to Israel being brought back to their land? The scripture is clear, that the Old Testament prophecies of Israel regrouping to their land have been fulfilled in the Old Testament just as God promised. This is particularly laid out in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. 

In the New Testament, all the references to the last days, the latter days and the day of the Lord, speak of the end of the Old Testament order, not the end of the world. 

When Jesus returned in judgment of Israel through the Roman invasion in AD 70, using Israel's enemies as He did with Babylon and Assyria to destroy Jerusalem, the temple, and its polluted sacrificial system - it is at that time the old order ended and the new age officially began.

(Again, lots to say here, and of course, it's easy to spout out these things behind a computer. This is why I urge you to research these things, ask questions and even show up to our study and find out more!)

The second question is, 'Could this be the precursor to the seven year 'Great Tribulation' period spoken about in Daniel 9, and Matthew 24 by Jesus Himself?'

Unfortunately, many Christians who hold to a dispensational theology have no idea of this fact: nowhere in scripture does it speak specifically of a 'seven year' tribulation period. 

So where does this idea come from? The linchpin passage comes from a sparse interpretation of certain passages in Daniel, particularly in Daniel 9. Daniel was calculating the number of years that Israel would be in exile. He came up with 70 years, from that which was spoken to the prophet Jeremiah (25:9-13).

The angel Gabriel came to Daniel and told him that it's not 70 years, but 70 'weeks' of years. This adds up to 490 years. This was pointing to the true deliverance from exile, which would happen when Jesus came onto the scene and died for their sins. And it happened exactly like Gabriel said. 490 years later, Jesus came and started His ministry, went to the cross, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven as King.

So where does the 'seven' year tribulation period theology come from? It stands or falls on Daniel 9:24-27. In that passage, the 70 weeks of years are broken up into 7 weeks of years, 62 weeks of years, and one final week.

Dispensationalism takes that one week and projects it two thousand plus years into the future. Actually, time is frozen with that prophecy - the final week won't begin until a host of other things happens: the 'antichrist' will first rise up, the rapture will happen, the Jews will then rebuild the temple, etc. Then during the second half of the tribulation period, the Jews will get fooled and destroyed by the anti-christ, some will survive and recognize Jesus as their Savior (144 thousand to be exact), and then there will be 3 1/2 years of destruction. 

At the end of the 7 years, Christ returns with His raptured saints, defeats the antichrist then rules for 1000 years on earth in a rebuilt temple with sacrifices, etc., etc. (Another note: nowhere in the New Testament is there anything mentioned of a rebuilt temple. Search and see.) 

All of which are placed together like a puzzle, yet having pieces that seem to be forced into place rather than clicking together.

So, this forced 'gap' in the 70 weeks of years is where the 7 year tribulation period stands or falls. Coincidentally, nowhere in scripture do we see a specifically stated group of years broken up into segments. In fact, if the 70 weeks of years isn't one single unit of years, it's no longer 70 weeks - it would be the entire unit of time waited, which negates and invalidates the prophesied 70 week time period!

I say all this, not to antagonize anyone who holds this belief, only to shed light on a very confusing, convoluted way of interpreting a very important concept of Christian doctrine.

You may ask, what about the book of Revelation, doesn't Revelation chapter's 4-19 speak of the great tribulation? This requires much more space, but in a nutshell, Revelation is written to real churches, real Christians during real persecution. 

To project the content of Revelation thousands of years into the future when it describes exactly what happened in AD. 70, an immediate fulfillment - and not to mention, John mentions several times what he describes will happen 'soon' and the time is 'near', then Revelation isn't about the future tribulation, but about the tribulation that his hearers were about to go through in Ad. 70. 

Much evidence shows Revelation was written around AD 65, which puts the entire book in proper historical and theological context. 

This leads to the third question, 'Is the rapture about to happen?'

Rapture theology is everywhere. It's not an understatement to say it has consumed the mind of the church. Because Dispensational theology teaches that the 7 year tribulation period is imminent due to Israel's rebirth and return to the land, Christians must be ready to be taken up into the air at any second when Christ makes His first return back to earth for the rapture. (Dispensationalism technically teaches three returns, not one.)

Originally, when Israel became a nation again, the 'generation' of Matthew 24 was to be 'that' generation who saw Israel re-gather in 1948. That would mean 40 years from 1948. A host of dispensational scholars predicted the rapture in 1980, 1981, 1984, 1988, etc, etc., and because that never happened, there's a move now by dispensational scholars to make a generation 100 years. Hmmm.

All of this is easily solved. As I mentioned above, 'this' generation is the generation who Jesus is speaking to. 'This' is not 'that':-)  For dispensationalists, the current war in Israel is just another sign that the rapture can happen any second and the 7 year tribulation will immediately begin. (Of course there have been well over a dozen wars in Israel since their rebirth in 1948.)

A close look at 1 Thessalonians 4:12-18 tells a different story. This is the chief rapture passage, particularly, verse 17:

[1 Thessalonians 4:17 NASB95] Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

Dispensational theology teaches that this is a literal action that will happen, not realizing the literary technique that Paul is using. It’s one which was very common in his day. 'Meeting the Lord in the air' is metaphoric and symbolic language emphasizing what people of that time would do when their King was returning from battle.

They would go out and meet the returning King and escort him 'back' to His throne, ie, kingdom. Paul is saying that when Christ returns at the end of the age to judge the living and the dead, and to fully launch His new heaven and earth, we who are alive, like countrymen going out to meet their returning King, we will meet Christ and escort Him 'back' to His kingdom - not be taken away in the air going away from His throne.

Compare 1 Thessalonians with 1 Corinthians 15. Both are speaking of the same thing, the same event. There aren't two returns of Christ. When Christ returns, He is coming to establish His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, not to get us out of here and take us off into the clouds.

Jesus saved us for participation in His work on earth. He saved us to redeem the world through the power of the Holy Spirit, not ‘from the world’ which would be contradictory to all He did and is doing in His renewal project of the entire cosmos. This is why I am so critical of dispensational theology to say the least. It puts the mind of the Christian in the wrong place and contrary to the full extent of the gospel.

I believe Rapture or Dispensational Theology can thwart our focus causing us directly and indirectly to prioritize the wrong things.

I pray that you would not allow the current events, news channels or anything for that matter to take your focus off of why Christ has you here. He doesn't have you here to escape the war, but rather to forge forward and engage the war with the transforming power of the gospel.

Israel's tragedy, as well as all tragedies, wars, terrorism, devastation and suffering, are the Christians responsibility. We must be Christ to the world. We must pray. We must stand against evil in any way we can according the scriptures. We are called to build for the kingdom of God, not to hope to get out of here, waiting for the earth's demise.

If anything, hopefully this causes you to look deeper into these things! Also to know that regardless of what happens in Israel, America or anywhere else, Christ is on the throne of victory. He has won the fight, it’s our job to implement His victory.

Please feel free to send questions to pastorfefc@gmail.com or better yet, listen to the recording of our bible study on this topic with questions and answers.

Listen here or on the podcasts below.