It has been 10 months since the brutal massacres and horrifying videos of what Hamas did to Jewish families in Israel on October 7th. Unfortunately, much of the world has already moved on. Many have all but forgotten the graphic scenes that dominated world headlines for the month of October 2023. Perhaps more shocking is how world opinion has turned against Israel in their response to defending their nation from further massacres that have been promised by Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and other Islamic terrorist organizations.
The question that many rational people are asking is, How is the world obsessed with Israel waging an unwanted defensive war, who makes up less than 1% of the world population, while ignoring openly evil regimes slaughtering and enslaving millions?
Furthermore, how has this led to a stunning worldwide rise in antisemitism and outright Jew hatred, whose levels already have exceeded what they were in World War II while international protests openly call for more massacres of the Jewish people?
If you try to rationalize this somehow, it makes no sense. If you actually read and believe the Bible, world events are becoming quite clear. The problem is that the answers to these questions are not logical ones, but ones with spiritual roots and biblical promises foretold by the prophets.
What Exactly Did Biblical Prophets Foretell?
Let’s put aside the twisted media reports, biased social media influencers and deceptively edited IG reels. What exactly does God promise in the Bible?
God has made an everlasting covenant between Himself, the Jewish people and a particular piece of land. Forever. That includes today (Genesis 15; 17).
One of the most repeated promises in the Bible is that God will return His people back to this land. It is repeated by almost every prophet in the Bible, most notably Jeremiah 31. It’s happening right now and has no historical equal in human history between an ancient people group and their historical homeland.
When the Jewish people return, it will no longer be two kingdoms but one nation (Ezekiel 37). No other sovereign nation today is called by the same name, on the same land and speaking the same language as it was 3,000 years ago.
Once considered a dead language, the Hebrew language will be revived (Zephaniah 3). No other people group in history has revived a dead language, originally spoken by their ancestors, as their common unifying tongue. Not one.
When the Jewish people return, the physical land will respond and produce in a way that it never has before (Ezekiel 36). It’s happening. I have visually and historically documented this stunning and ongoing process in my best-selling photo book Israel Rising.
The Jewish people will be multiplied on the land again (Ezekiel 36). It’s happening. At no other time in recorded history has a national population absorbed immigration that doubled its size in three years. In 1948, 650,000 Jews were in Israel. Three years later in 1951, over 700,000 more immigrants arrived, more than doubling the population. The Jewish population has multiplied many times over since then.
The waste and forgotten biblical cities will be rebuilt, most notably Jerusalem (Ezekiel 36; Zachariah 8). This is another area I have visually and historically documented of this amazing ongoing process in Jerusalem Rising.
An exceedingly great army will stand to their feet from dry bones and be called “the whole house of Israel,” (Ezekiel 37). For the first time since Ezekiel spoke this, the “house of Israel” is again an exceedingly powerful army, standing in its biblical homeland.
At some point, all nations will gather against Jerusalem and Israel (Zechariah 12; 14). Perhaps for the first time ever, right now nations are beginning to openly choose sides, either for or against Israel, in the UN, in international courts and in public opinion.
Prophetic Plotline Unfolding Before Our Eyes
While this prophetic list could continue for several pages, I’m going to stop here. These are not symbolic, metaphorical or allegorical references, but are rooted in the historical and verifiable facts. (For more of these prophecies, I’ve created an online course called 10 Prophecies Fulfilled in Your Lifetime, filmed on location in Israel where they are happening for the first time ever.
On top of this, no other ancient people group in history have any type of ancient writings foretelling this entire process of the destruction of their homeland, scattering of their people to then the regathering to the same location as a thriving strong and independent nation. Not the Romans, the Chinese, the Persians, the Greeks—no one. Proven to be true and historically accurate, this fact alone should lead us back to the biblical narrative where these prophecies are found.
Against any historical comparison, God is doing exactly as He said—the people are returning, the exiles are again one nation, the physical land is responding, Hebrew is again being spoken, the people are multiplying, biblical cities are being rebuilt, the army of Israel is again standing strong on their homeland… and the nations are starting to choose. As that is happening, there is an ancient evil intensifying who hates God, is challenging His promises and is trying to deceive as many as possible on his way to kill, steal and destroy anything connected to God and Israel as His covenant people. This is what we are seeing in the news and the root of this skyrocketing hatred of Israel and Jews.
According to the New Testament, Christians are grafted into Israel and are part of the commonwealth of Israel. You are in the family and a part of these promises. Israel are your brothers as well as the brothers of Jesus. This is His family and your family. With all this chaos, what can believers in Jesus do?
It Has Been a Spiritual War from the Beginning
I’m not suggesting this, it is verbatim fact. Hamas has been openly saying it from its beginning in December 1987. They clearly state in their charter in Article 7, “The Day of Judgment will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews.” It goes on to describe the goal of the indiscriminate killing of Jews, just as the world has witnessed. Hamas leaders have been openly saying it and praying it to their god for years, on a doctrine in fighting the Jews, their slaughter, extermination and annihilation until not one Jew is left alive, the Jews and all their supporters! Did you catch that last part, “Jews and all their supporters”? Who do you think they are referring to? Even Hamas believes that Christians and Israel are part of the same family.
For years the Islamic jihadist call in the Middle East has been “First we come for the Saturday people, then the Sunday people.” No one listened. The West disregarded this as the bluster of a radical minority. Now it has become the growing battle cry of the Islamic world and the deceived progressive masses in the West, believing they are fighting for freedom of the perceived oppressed.
The only way to truly understand this war against this blind hatred and evil is through spiritual eyes. God has made an everlasting covenant with the Jewish people, to be their God and give them a piece of land forever. After thousands of years, He is keeping that promise and bringing His people back to this same land. And the enemy hates it.
At the same time, there is a very real evil who hates God and His promises. Historically speaking, there is a direct correlation between the establishment of the state of Israel (as foretold by the prophets) and the rise of an increasingly violent form of Islam hellbent on killing Jews and destroying Israel. Even among the Islamic terrorist groups worldwide, most don’t like each other because they aren’t “Islamic” enough. Yet, only one thing unifies them—abject bloodlust driving a pure evil desire to kill Jews and destroy Israel.
But what can be done?
Hear Obadiah’s Message
While this is the shortest book in the Bible, Obadiah’s message is clear and for today. Obadiah lived during the time of Jeremiah and wrote his prophecy after the fall of Jerusalem and the exile of the people. Yet unlike Jeremiah, Obadiah’s message isn’t to Israel but to Edom.
The Edomites were descendants of Esau. In biblical times, Edom was located directly east of Israel, in present day Jordan. His name came from Genesis 25:30 (MEV) which tells us that it was after Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for “‘some of that red stew, for I am famished.’ Therefore, his name was called Edom.” So, Esau becomes Edom and later, Jacob becomes Israel. Israel and Edom are brothers.
Obadiah’s primary message to Israel’s brother Edom was judgment for violence against his brother Israel. How? This is the first charge against Edom in verses 11-12 (MEV): “On the day that you stood aside, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth, and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots on Jerusalem, you also were like one of them. But you should not have gloated on the day of your brother, on the day of his misfortune; you should not have rejoiced over the children of Judah on the day of their destruction; you should not have boasted on the day of distress.” The issue the Lord had with Edom was what they did while their brother Israel was suffering: nothing.
In Hebrew, the word for aloof is neged and means to be in someone’s presence. The original language gives the impression that Edom showed up to watch but did not get involved. He remained silent in the face of their brother’s suffering while Jerusalem was invaded and exiles were taken. They even gloated over watching Israel “get what they deserved.”
God said that because of this, He counted them as one of the Babylonian invaders. In other words, the brothers of Israel today cannot just watch these current events and do nothing. God will hold accountable those that are “aloof” as the same as the attacking invaders.
Christians Must Respond
Believers in Jesus are brothers in Israel’s family. Christians cannot remain silent in the face of Israel’s suffering from the invaders’ horrors. If you are in this family by faith, this is what you can do:
PRAY: fulfill the biblical mandate to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for peace within her walls and palaces (Ps 122). They need and are asking for it. Pray.
CARE: Check on your Jewish friends. With over 1,200 dead, 150+ taken captive, and now young soldiers dying in combat to defend their families, everyone knows someone who has lost a loved one. Ask if they are OK, weep with those who mourn and love them like your family. They are.
GIVE: Romans 15:27 (MEV) says “It has pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, they also ought to minister to them in material things.” If you have enjoyed your Bible, then you have shared in Israel’s “spiritual things.” Now you owe a debt and how you repay it is ministering to Israel in material things. If there was ever a time to find a way to give and help, it is now.
GO: Right now. In the most tangible sense in Israel, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. To learn more about how to join practical work teams to go help Israeli farmers in their harvests, that in turn feed both Jewish and Arab communities in Israel, subscribe at EzraAdventures.com. Three successful teams already have gone in 2024, three more are scheduled for this Fall, with several more forming in early 2025!
Friends, hear the message of Obadiah as you watch the news. While it may feel overwhelming and Israel seems so far away, we simply cannot just stand aloof or just show up to watch. We cannot say how awful things are, then quickly move on or even entertain questions if Israel somehow caused this.
To speak frankly, there is an entire book in your Bible, whose message is about how God feels when we do nothing when Israel is suffering, invaded and captives are taken.
This is your family. Israel needs you. We must act. According to Obadiah, God will notice your decision.
Doug Hershey is the author of the best-selling photo books Israel Rising and Jerusalem Rising that provide historical and visual documentation of biblical prophecy coming to pass in our day, and The Christian’s Biblical Guide to Understanding Israel: Insight Into God’s Heart for His People. When not in Israel, he resides in Portland, Maine. Check out more information on books, event requests and Israel tours on his website DougHershey.co., as well as his e-course to join God in his plan to fulfill his ancient promises as told in Scripture.
