of the Scripture story of the man whose friend came knocking at his door at midnight and the householder called out: “ Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed.” On the morning of the day we sailed from Haifa for Greece and Italy, an American lady introduced Mrs. Davis to a Jewess in her early twenties. The American friend had been dealing with the Jewess about her soul’s salvation and had given her one of our Prophecy New Testaments, and she had been reading it. Mrs. Davis brought her Bible to the veranda. The three of them gath ered around the open Word for a couple of hours, while the way of salvation was further made known to that seeking soul. The Spirit of God moved upon the young Jewess in convicting and con vincing power, and shortly before noon —about an hour before we left for our steamer—the Jewess definitely confessed her acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Saviour. It was a beau tiful and fitting climax to our stay in Israel, where we had witnessed the re turn of many Jews to their homeland and the openness of many to receive the New Testament and to hear the gospel of God’s grace in Christ. And now in this closing article let me mention the past history of the children of Israel, and then give glimpses of what the Bible reveals about their future in the land of their forefathers. The past history of the Jews can be summarized in two sen tences : When they kept God’s com mandments they enjoyed great blessing. When they failed to keep God’s laws, they suffered terrific judgments. When Israel’s long-promised Messiah appeared, multitudes of the Jews be lieved on Him, but their blind leaders rejected Him. He was crucified on Gol gotha’s hill outside the walls of old Jerusalem. There he died for the sins of all mankind, and to save all those who believe on Him. The third day He arose again and ascended into Heaven where He is interceding for us, from whence He will come again, first for His own, and then to rule in Jerusalem over Israel and all other nations. Swift and terrible judgments followed the Jews’ rejection of their Messiah. In A.D. 70 Jerusalem was destroyed, the Temple was burned, and a million Jews were slain. And for nearly 2,000 years the Jews have been wanderers among the nations, without a country, without a city, “without a king, without a prince, and without a sacrifice” (Hosea 3 :4). But God has not given up Israel! God loves the Jews with an everlast ing love. They are His chosen people. And today, even though as a nation they have not repented of their sin of reject ing their Messiah, yet in His matchless mercy and compassion, God is taking them back to their ancient homeland. I confess that at first we were puzzled to know why it was that God was leading the Jews back to their land when they have not repented of their great sin, but are continuing in unbelief. But at Page Ten
length we found the answer in the book of Ezekiel. God is bringing them back, not for their righteousness, but for His Name’s honor and glory! Here is Ezekiel’s description of what is happen ing today: “ Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, 0 house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land” (Ezek. 36:22, 24). As the Jews return to their homeland in increasing numbers and make the long-barren land to blossom as the rose, there is a certain nation that will envy Israel, both for her strategic position geographically, and for the wealth she will accumulate. More than 2,500 years ago the prophet Ezekiel predicted that this northern nation would “ think an evil thought” against the Jews and covet the land and the wealth there and de termine to take it. The name of the aggressor nation is indicated quite clearly by the prophet Ezekiel. It is “He Liveth Long Who Liveth Well” He liveth long who liveth well! All other life is short and vain; He liveth longest who can tell Of living most for heavenly gain. He liveth long who liveth well! All else is being flung away; He liveth longest who can tell Of true things truly done each day. —Horatius Bonar “the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.” Most Bible teach ers agree that these ancient names point clearly to Russia. The people of that northern confederacy will come against the land of Israel. These great hordes will descend upon Israel with their cav alry “ like a storm” and with planes, “ like a cloud to cover the land.” But let the prophet Ezekiel tell the story in his inspired words: “ Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him . . . After many days thou shalt be vis ited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee” (Ezek. 38:2,8,9). The prophet continues his prophecy against the northern confederacy: “ At the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil
thought . . . To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhab ited, and upon the people that are gath ered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee... “ and thou shalt come up against my people of Israel . . . it shall be in the lat ter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before .their eyes. And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face” (Ezek. 38:10, 12, 15, 16, 18). The prophet tells of the terrific earth quake that God will sepd upon the in vading northern armies which will come down to plunder His chosen people. The effects of the earthquake described in Ezekiel 38:19 and 20, will be more tre mendous than those of an atomic bomb. God’s Word continues: “And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflow ing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezek. 38:22,23). God will be glorified through Russia’s judgment! In the thirty-ninth chapter the proph et Ezekiel tells of the terrific slaughter of the people of the northern nation, and their allies. He declares that only a sixth part of the invading armies would be left, and that it would take the Israelites seven months to bury their bones on the eastern side of the Dead Sea. Another event in the future of "the Jews that is foretold in the Word of God is a period of great tribulation. Jeremiah calls it “ the time of Jacob’s trouble.” “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it” (Jer. 30:7). According to many Scripture pas sages, a great world ruler will arise who will be the man of sin, the anti- Christ. He will make a seven-year covenant with the Jews. He will set himself up as God in the temple in Jerusalem. Daniel, and the Lord Jesus call it “the abomination of desolation” (Dan. 9:24-27; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:3-10). The orthodox Jews and other godly Jews will doubtless refuse to worship this idol. And terrible suffer ings will be visited upon the Jews by their enemies, even worse than the ter rific sufferings they have endured under Hitler. The prophet Daniel says: “ And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even (Continued on Page ZU) T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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