Annexing Judea and Samaria has been a hot topic in the news lately and so it should be. Anyone reading Ezekiel 36 to 39 in the Old Testament Scriptures knows that God promised – thousands of years ago – that in the ‘latter years‘ the Jewish people would be regathered from all over the world. It has happened! God promised that He would make the Jewish people a nation again in their land, which happened in 1948. God promised that the mountains of Israel would become productive, their wastelands restored, cities rebuilt, and people and animals would multiply upon the hills. This is happening! And God promised that in these ‘latter years’ Israel would be dwelling safely and peacefully on these very mountains, otherwise known as ‘the West Bank’, or ‘Judea and Samaria’  (Ezekiel 38:8). This will happen, one way or another. At the moment, annexing Judea and Samaria appears to be a possible way for this state of ‘peace and safety’ to occur.

But, take a good look at the prophecy in Ezekiel 37: 21-22: “Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all…”

Who is this King? Having a King is the next step in the fulfillment of this prophecy. Will democracy be overturned? And if so, by whom?

To answer this question, we must first ask, why is it that God’s favor is being poured out upon Israel in these ‘latter years’? The answers are given in Ezekiel 36 to 39. God has a plan which He is bringing to pass and this plan will eventually include the whole world! Through the miraculous fulfillment of God’s prophetic word all nations will come to believe in Him!

God’s plan was first promised to a man named Abraham who believed and trusted God implicitly. Because of this man’s faith, God promised to give him the land of Israel to Abraham and to his SEED… forever. He promised to bless all nations through Abraham and through his SEED… forever. (Genesis 13:14-17;17:3-8; 22:12-18) But Abraham never received this land in his lifetime. We learn in the New Testament that God has not yet fulfilled His promise to Abraham because this promise was given for the future. Abraham remained a wandering pilgrim living in a tent his whole life because he trusted that this promise would be fulfilled when he rose from the dead. (See Acts 7:2-5; Hebrews 11:8-16) Abraham looked for a ‘heavenly city’ that was to come, not a city in heaven or the promise will never be fulfilled, but rather God’s Divine restoration of the Promised Land here on earth! God’s will done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

We learn from the New Testament that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is the primary descendant promised to Abraham. (Galatians 3:16) It is through the Jewish Messiah – Jesus Christ – that all nations of the world can find salvation, and be blessed through him. (Genesis 22:12-18) The Gospel message was first preached to Abraham! (Galatians 3:8-9) The Jewish Hope is the foundation of the Gospel message (Acts 28:20).

As promised, Jesus Christ will soon be returning to be the KING in Jerusalem. According to the Scriptures, Jesus must first deliver Israel from a terrible onslaught, returning to stand on the Mount of Olives, triggering a massive earthquake that will split the mount in two (Zechariah 14). According to the Scriptures, Jesus must turn the Jewish people to him when they see ‘him whom they have pierced,’ and ‘weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.’ (Zechariah 12). Jesus must receive the promised ‘throne of his father David’ in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 7:12-16 ; Luke 1:30-35). When Jesus has established himself as the King in Jerusalem, he will then call upon all nations to come up and learn of God’s ways. (Isaiah 2:2-4; Zechariah 14; Psalm 72)

With all these prophecies coming true one by one, we have every reason to believe we are living in the last days and that God is fulfilling His promises. May the Jewish people have the courage to accept God’s gift and find a way to live on the ‘mountains of Israel’ in peace and safety. May the whole world soon recognize that we are seeing incredible promises being fulfilled! God is at work!