Israel today is a paradox, and this according to Bible prophecy. The nation dwells alone among the international community—Isi Leibler’s recent column in the Jerusalem Post reveals the depth of the Jewish state’s isolation (really only supported by Canada, Australia, and a now-ambivalent America. Polling shows that Europeans believe Israel to be more of a threat to world peace than North Korea, Iran, etc.).

Yet if we hold strictly to Scripture, in the context of Bible prophecy being true, we see that the Lord not only carries the Jewish people in His heart, He promises them safety and peace in the last days. This is not a popular view.

As I often tell audiences, in the last days it isn’t Israel that’s in trouble; it’s everyone else. They are at once in more existential danger than at any time since 1967, or 1973, and yet they are safe in the Lord.

Think of that! Israel is in danger, and at the same time, safe. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants the Jews dead. The Creator of the universe intends to keep them alive.

Remarkable.

In Joel 3:2, the Lord is pretty clear about the impending judgment on the nations, for the way they have treated the Jews. Of course, liberal scholars and other skeptics scoff that all these passages mean something else. It doesn’t really matter; we’re going to find out at some point who was right and who was wrong.

In Isaiah 49:26, there is a rather macabre description of just what the Lord has in store for Israel’s enemies.

The question of course is, what is the proper interpretation of these scriptures? The liberal would say they are metaphor, or some other nothingness. The popular view today is that these passages are not referring to future realities that are on the doorstep. Many critics of the Bible do not like the concept of a vengeful God.

It doesn’t really matter.

What matters is that the safety God provides the Jews in the last days is not some esoteric nonsense. It is reality. There are unlimited practical benefits to believing Scripture.

I have a lot of Jewish and Israeli friends, along with pro Israel Christian friends, who are afraid for Israel. I am certainly concerned about the saber-rattling from rogue nations, and the international community’s decision to isolate Israel saddens me. But I am not afraid for Israel.

I admire the Jewish people. I love them. I believe they are noble, and to paraphrase Herman Wouk’s comment about Israeli hero Jonathan Netanyahu, in Israel one sees an ember of sacred fire. Their return to their ancestral land against all odds is surely the most sensational miracle of the past 2,000 years. Again, the liberals scoff at this, but read the Hebrew Scriptures—the Old Testament—and then read a history book. The simple fact is, Israel has re-entered history. If you can explain the fulfillment of these ubiquitous Old Testament prophecies in modern history—apart from the supernatural—I tip my hat to your super brain that can explain this sublime truth in secular terms.

Israel is astonishing.

In this I see the hand of God, and marvelous comfort. When I visit Israel, as I will do several times this year, I feel completely safe, physically. I feel rejuvenated spiritually.
As a practical matter, I feel safer walking down a street in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv than I do in any American city. The Israelis are both resourceful and scary innovative. Eating their superb food in a restaurant, taking pictures of glorious historical sites, or simply strolling along ancient streets makes me feel safe and happy. I trust the Israel Defense Forces to keep the peace.

I trust the Lord even more.