Study – Grow – Know

Why Does God Use Other Nations to Oppose Israel?

September 27, 2017 at 11:16 AM 4 comments

Threats against Israel are ongoing. Is God trying to get Israel’s attention?

Aside from the fact that God has played hardball with Israel repeatedly and yet the nation continues its wayward and rebellious ways, it is always interesting to learn God’s thoughts and intentions where other nations are concerned when they come against Israel. It’s one of the best ways for that nation to learn that God supports Israel.

In truth, it is extremely clear from Scripture that God’s use of other nations as an arm of His chastisement against Israel does not go unpunished, even though that nation – whether Assyria, Babylon, or some other nation in modern times – was often directed by God to attack Israel in the first place. That may seem confusing to the casual observer, but the truth is that the center of this world as far as God is concerned is Jerusalem in Israel (Ezekiel 5:5). If the world would simply stop and recognize this, it would be absolutely amazing. Of course, there will come a time when the entire world will recognize this, but it won’t be until the Lord physically returns and the Millennial Kingdom will begin, where Jesus Himself will be the Ruler. At that time, Israel will at last (through the final remnant gathered during the coming Tribulation period), take up her vaunted place among the nations. It will be an absolutely fascinating, God-glorifying time where animosity toward Israel will be vanquished. Jesus will see to that.

However, since Israel’s inception, she has been a wayward and rebellious nation. This remains so to this day. Israel’s leaders of today are not Christians. For the most part, they are “social” Jews, Jews in name only. This is not to say that at least some of them will not become Messianic Jews at some point, but for now, the majority of Jews living in Israel are social or political Jews. They are trying to get things done the exact same way their counterparts of yesteryear did, by making deals with neighboring nations, instead of relying solely on God Himself.

This was part of God’s original terms in the covenant He made with Israel when that nation was led out of Egypt toward the Promised Land by Moses (

31 And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. 32 You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you. – Exodus 23:31-33 (ESV)

Verse 32 warns that Israel was to make no covenant with any other nation in the Promised Land, yet Israel ignored this dictate, proving a lack of trust in God. It is due to this continued problem of not trusting Jehovah that Israel is in the condition it is today.

There is tremendous arrogance among many Jews today, especially those who practice orthodoxy. Like the Pharisees and other religious leaders of Jesus’ day, they believe because they claim Abraham as their father, they are safe, good to go, and on speaking terms with Yahweh (Matthew 3:9). Even a cursory reading of Scripture proves this is not true, but certainly Christians are to be thankful for the fact that God has blinded their eyes to the truth. Had it not been for that, salvation would never have been offered directly to Gentiles and Paul clearly spells this out in Romans 11. Take the time to read Romans 9 through 11. It is eye-opening.

As a group, Jews are blind to the truth, though God sees fit to open the eyes of some of them individually so they can receive the salvation that is now available in Christ. Those particular Jews who receive that salvation become part of the Church. Anyone not part of the Church when the Rapture occurs will not be taken in the Rapture and anyone not part of the Church who physically dies, does so without salvation, an absolute, irreparable, and eternal tragedy.

As I’ve noted, I believe the Bible teaches the Rapture will occur prior to the start of the Tribulation. It doesn’t say how long before the Tribulation it will occur so it could be days, weeks, or months. Nonetheless, those who are not taken will remain on earth and go through the Tribulation because of their lack of salvation. Of those, only those Jews who remain alive at the end of the Tribulation and who have received salvation by faith in Christ for His completed work on our behalf will enter the Millennial Kingdom as part of the final remnant of Israel.

But what is tragic is how often Israel has literally played the harlot by joining herself with other nations in the hopes that they will have Israel’s back when another nation attempts to attack them. By entering into treaties and agreements with other nations, God considers this a form of idolatry. Why? Simply because Israel, unlike other nations (including America), is a true Theocracy and as such, God is her KING. God created Israel from Semitic people of Abraham (Abraham to Isaac to Jacob – to the Patriarchs specifically though others were born of Abraham’s seed but were rejected). At Mt. Sinai, they entered into a serious covenant with God (Exodus 19 – 24). Certainly, God took the people seriously when they uttered the words, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient” (Exodus 24:7b ESV).

Under the conditions that existed at the time, it was easy for the people to agree to God’s terms. They were too afraid not to. They did not realize what would be required of them and quickly found out that obeying God and being true to their part of the covenantal bargain was not easy. It would have gotten easier over time had they practiced relying on God, trusting Him for His outcome. Instead, they were often overwhelmed by circumstances and gave into fear.

Does this happen to you? Do you, when faced with an unknown situation, give into the fear that tends to rise to the surface, or do you force yourself to submit to Him knowing that His way – even though you may not know the answer or are sure of His direction – is far better than anything you might come up with, in spite of how you feel about the situation? That is the difficult part of living the Christian life. Faith in God is absolutely required because without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Sometimes, we walk in faith, blindly, but not without intelligence and purpose.

But what about those nations God chooses to use as His arm of chastisement against Israel? Surely, God would not hold them accountable because He has chosen to use them for such a purpose, would He? Yes, He would and He has every right to do so. This is the remarkable part of “free will” that is exceedingly difficult for people to fully comprehend.

If you look around at the nations surrounding Israel today, you’ll note that many of these nations hate Israel. They speak of wiping Israel out of the Middle East and off the face of the earth. Their hatred for Jews is palpably real and often, they act on this hatred. Is God responsible for the hatred that these nations exhibit toward Israel? Of course not. Can God take advantage of a nation’s hatred of Israel and Jews in order to use that nation against Israel as a form of chastisement to teach Israel to rely on Him? Absolutely and in such a case, that nation so used by God is very much still accountable for its actions against Israel. This is clearly shown in Ezekiel 38 – 39; the Northern Invasion where Gog of Magog believes it is his idea to attack Israel, yet it is clear from the passage that God put the idea in Gog’s head.

Whether we’re dealing with a minor prophet like Micah, Nahum, Joel, or another, the truth is very clear. God will use whatever He chooses to use in order to purify and perfect the nation that He created and whose original leaders entered into an irrevocable covenant with Jehovah Himself. God originally dealt with Israel’s leaders who set things in motion. All who are born into that nation share the covenantal responsibility of carrying out the terms of that covenantal relationship.At some point, His promises to Israel will be completely fulfilled. All nations who seek Israel’s harm will be dealt with by God, in His way and in His time and Israel will finally enjoy the fruits of God’s promises.

Israel is alive as a nation today because of God alone. The many Jews in Israel who are merely social or political Jews fail to comprehend the truth of what God is accomplishing for that nation behind the scenes. The orthodox Jews of today also fail to understand it but for different reasons. In truth, all Jews who are not Christian reject the Messiah and Savior, Jesus. We must pray that God will open their eyes just as we pray for Gentiles.

Unfortunately, while many Jewish eyes will be opened to the truth according to the Scriptures, they will have to endure terrible things of the Tribulation before that can happen. As the world spins toward the Tribulation, Israel will continue to enter into treaties with other nations in the hopes of gaining and maintaining her safety. Remember, God considers this a form of idolatry because they are trusting in nations to save them instead of trusting in Him to save and preserve them. These nations have never helped Israel secure her safety. Never, yet Israel’s leaders continue to try.

The final straw, which will usher in the Tribulation, will be when Israel’s leaders enter into an agreement brokered by Antichrist at some point in the future.

And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator. – Daniel 9:27 (ESV)

The “he” here is the “prince who is to come” (v 26), over the people who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70 (aka Romans; Gentiles). It will be this man – Paul calls him the “man of lawlessness” who is actually mocking God by leading Israel’s leaders into idolatry through this fake covenant that he ends up breaking half way into it (9:27; see also Revelation 12). Daniel calls him the “desolator.”  Israel will be so glad to be promised peace for seven years that they will throw caution to the wind and sign on the dotted line.

God will see this idolatry and begin to pour out His wrath on this world; the start of the Tribulation. The destruction will be horrible but through it, God will purify Israel and cull the final remnant from that nation. They will never again put anyone or anything before Jehovah God and will take their place above all nations as God originally meant.

Do not gloat when Israel seems overwhelmed by other nations. God is likely using those nations for His perfecting purposes where Israel is concerned and those nations so used by God will be judged by their actions the same way that Judas – having free will – turned traitorous toward Jesus, handing Him over for crucifixion. As Jesus said of Judas, “The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” (Matthew 26:24, ESV)

God uses whomever He chooses to bring His plans to fruition, thereby glorifying Himself. We would do well to never forget that. Pray for the people of Israel. Pray daily that God’s truth would open the eyes of the blind – both Jew and Gentile – that many would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. It is their only hope in this life or the next.

Entry filed under: Agenda 21, Atheism and religion, christianity, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Cultural Marxism, Demonic, devil worship, Emotional virtue, eternity, Global Elite, israel, Judaism, Political Correctness, Politically Correct, Politics, Pretribulational Rapture, rapture, Religious - Christian - End Times, Religious - Christian - Prophecy, Religious - Christian - Theology, salvation, Satanism, second coming. Tags: antichrist, assyria, babylon, desolator, exodus, ezekiel 5, israel, man of lawlessness.