Prophecy and Our Love for Israel

Today I read a book about Israel's future in end times, in which the author quotes lots of Bible Prophecies which he believes are being fulfilled in Israel right now. 

But he never explains why. I think that's what you call a bridging statement.

Maybe the author is right that some things in Bible prophecy concerning Israel could not have been fulfilled yet in earlier times. I don't rule that out. But the author didn't explain why.

In fact I found details in every single one of the Bible Prophecies he quoted which I think could only have been fulfilled in Old Covenant times. Details such as the mention of Babylon, Grecians, the restoration of Old Covenant worship - with altar, Temple, Levites, priests, and burnt offerings, for example.)

But even though those parts of the prophecies must have already been fulfilled, I guess that doesn't mean the whole prophecy must have already been fulfilled. Perhaps some statements in Bible Prophecy are not actually predictive of a single historical event but instead they show the overall yearning that God had towards Israel - they express what God is always making available to Israel any time they meet the conditions. 

Here's an example:

"Arise shine for thy light has come..." doesn't actually prophesy a single historical event. It shows God's heart towards Israel - and it is still God's spirit towards Israel. Their light has already come - but it is still here, if they perceive it. So God is still wishing for them to arise and shine. And who knows - Israel may yet arise and shine in greater ways in future.  

So that part of the prophecy may have intended applications beyond a single time in history. In that sense we could say that statement in the prophecy is still being 'fulfilled' in some way in modern Israel.

But it's also important to notice that many of the details which follow in that very same prophecy include more specific historical predictions. Details such as people being restored to the land of Israel, then coming to the altar, and beautifying the house of God, which was the Temple. These things must have had their fulfilment during Old Covenant times. But "arise shine" is always relevant.  

So if we wish to assert that there is a timeless aspect or an unfulfilled aspect to a particular Bible prophecy even though the prophecy has many already-fulfilled aspects, we ought to be ready to explain why we think so. I guess in the author's mind, the reasons are too obvious.

Anyway, here's the thing: whether I think a prophecy about Israel has already been fulfilled, or whether someone thinks a prophecy is only now being fulfilled, either way it should still cause us to wish the best for modern Israel. It need never diminish our love for Israel. As follows:

The Christians who feel that modern events in Israel were a fulfilment of Bible Prophecy, events such as:

   

The holocaust;

The recreation of the State of Israel in 1948; and

Israel's success in the Six-Day War -

and who feel that a still-greater restoration must yet take place in Israel before the second coming, in order for the prophecies to be more completely fulfilled, (such as:

 Further opposition against Israel from the nations;

Further economic and military success of Israel; 

And a large-scale revival in Israel - 

such Christians pray for the good of Israel in terms of their understanding.

Meanwhile:

Another Christian who believes that many of those Bible Prophecies have in fact largely already been fulfilled at the time when:

Israel was regathered from captivity; 

The Temple was rebuilt; and 

Christ came and died on the cross -

and who believes it was also prophesied that:

Israel would again, after that, fall short of what God had given to them in fulfilment of His promises -

this believer also prays for the good of Israel in terms of his understanding.

Therefore both groups of believers believe God wills the good of Israel, and both pray for it.

The first group of believers prays for the good of Israel, thinking it's necessary in order to fulfil prophecy. The other believer prays for the good of Israel, knowing that God is vying for Israel to attain to those blessings which were infact really already theirs, if only they can perceive it.

So actually both groups of believers cares for Israel's well-being just as much as the other!

They just use Bible Prophecy a little differently, that's all.

The first group uses Bible Prophecy in order to move Israel, by their prayers, towards the promised blessings which they think are only now being fulfilled in Israel. 

The other believer uses Bible Prophecy in order to move Israel, by his prayers, towards the blessings which he understands were in fact already theirs if only they could perceived it.

They each explain modern events in Israel from a slightly different angle, though with essentially the same result:

The first group of believers explains events in modern Israel as the direct fulfilment of specific, previously unfulfilled Bible Prophecies. The other believer understands events in modern Israel simply as the outworking - the fruit of principles - the outworking of cause and effect - of previously fulfilled prophecies.  

The one group sees Israel as now attaining to blessings never before attained. The other believer describes Israel simply in terms of how well it is experiencing the blessings that were really always theirs if only they'd perceived it.

One group describes modern Israel as people for whom a long-avertised Bank Opening Day is finally arriving. The other believer describes modern Israel as people for whom the Bank's advertised Open Day already happened a long time ago - it's just that Israel didn't always take advantage of it.  

Both perspectives of Bible Prophecy see God as still wishing the very best for modern Israel. So I think the prayers of both groups will achieve basically the same thing in Israel, since it's really the Spirit praying through them with the same unutterable yearnings for Israel, irrespective of how adequate their Scriptural explanations might be. 

In conclusion then: 

1. There are themes and statements in some Bible prophecies which still have ongoing relevance, and perhaps some which may still have to be fulfilled; but

2. Identifying the fulfilled aspects in those same prophecies does not diminish a person's love for modern Israel - it informs his love for Israel.