Welcome to Authorized Sword Ministries. This is Lesson 3 in our series, The End Times. Today's lesson is called Israel in Bible Prophecy.

We're so glad you're here.

If you want to understand Bible prophecy, you have to understand Israel. God made promises to Abraham and his children thousands of years ago, and He has never taken them back. Today we'll look at what God said He would do with Israel, what happened in 1948, and what the Bible says is still ahead.

Our Key Verse

Today's key verse is Ezekiel 37:21-22.

"And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:" — Ezekiel 37:21-22 (KJV)

God says He will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land. That's a promise about a real people and a real land.

God's Promise to Abraham

It all starts in Genesis 12. God called Abram out of his country and said:

"And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." — Genesis 12:2-3 (KJV)

God promised Abraham a great nation, a blessing on those who bless him, and a curse on those who curse him. Through Abraham's seed, the Lord Jesus Christ, all families of the earth would be blessed. Later God gave the land itself to Abraham's descendants as an everlasting possession (Genesis 17:8).

Scattered for Disobedience

God also warned Israel that if they turned away from Him, they would be scattered. Moses told them:

"And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone." — Deuteronomy 28:64 (KJV)

That's exactly what happened. The northern kingdom was taken by Assyria, and Judah by Babylon. After the Lord Jesus came, He warned of another scattering:

"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." — Luke 21:24 (KJV)

In A.D. 70 the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, just as Jesus said. For most of the next nineteen centuries, the Jewish people had no nation of their own. They lived scattered among the nations, often hated and persecuted.

The Valley of Dry Bones

In Ezekiel 37, God set the prophet down in a valley full of dry bones. God asked him, "Son of man, can these bones live?" Then, as Ezekiel prophesied, the bones came together, sinew and flesh came on them, and breath came into them. God explained what it meant:

"Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel." — Ezekiel 37:11-12 (KJV)

The bones are the whole house of Israel. They felt like their hope was lost. But God said He would open their graves and bring them into the land of Israel. Notice the order in the vision. First the bones come together and are covered with flesh, but there is no breath in them yet. Only after that does the breath come. Many Bible students see this as a picture of Israel being gathered back to the land first, and then later being brought to spiritual life when they turn to the Lord. That's an interpretation, but it fits the passage and the rest of Scripture well.

What Happened in 1948

Here's some history. After World War Two, and after the horror of the Holocaust, the question of a Jewish homeland came before the world. On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, announced the establishment of the State of Israel. That same day, President Harry S. Truman recognized the new nation on behalf of the United States. For the first time in nearly nineteen hundred years, there was again a Jewish nation in the land.

Then in June of 1967, in what is called the Six-Day War, Israel took control of East Jerusalem, along with other territory. For the first time since the Romans, the old city of Jerusalem was under Jewish control.

Some people point to Isaiah 66:8, which asks, shall a nation be born at once? and see May 14, 1948 in it. We should hold that loosely, because the context of Isaiah 66 also looks ahead to the final restoration. But here is what we can say plainly. God said He would gather Israel back into their own land, and in our own lifetimes, and our parents' lifetimes, the Jewish people have been gathered back from many nations. History has matched what the prophets wrote.

Has God Cast Away Israel?

Some teach that because Israel rejected Jesus, God is finished with them, and the church has taken Israel's place. Paul answers that question directly:

"I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying," — Romans 11:1-2 (KJV)

"God forbid." God has not cast away His people. Right now, Paul says, a blindness has come on part of Israel, but only for a time:

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." — Romans 11:25-27 (KJV)

Blindness "in part," and only "until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." Then all Israel shall be saved. And Paul gives the reason:

"For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." — Romans 11:29 (KJV)

God doesn't change His mind about His promises. If He could break His word to Israel, how could we trust Him to keep His word to us?

They Shall Look Upon Me

The prophet Zechariah tells us how Israel's blindness will finally end:

"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." — Zechariah 12:10 (KJV)

One day the people of Israel will look on the One they pierced, the Lord Jesus, and they will mourn and turn to Him. The pre-tribulation view places this at the end of the tribulation, when Christ returns. Then God's promise in Ezekiel 37 will be complete: breath in the bones, and one king over them all.

Why This Matters

Israel is God's timepiece. When we see the Jewish people back in their land, it reminds us that God keeps His word to the letter. That's no reason to set dates, because Jesus said no man knows the day. But it's every reason to trust Him.

It also tells us how to treat the Jewish people. God said He would bless those who bless Abraham. Christians should pray for the peace of Jerusalem, as Psalm 122 tells us to, and we should love the Jewish people and share with them the Messiah who came through their nation. Supporting Israel doesn't mean we agree with every decision any government makes. It means we take God's promises seriously.

A Simple Step for This Week

Here's our challenge for this week. Read Ezekiel 37 and Romans 11 this week. Each day, pray Psalm 122:6 for the peace of Jerusalem, and pray for the Jewish people to see that Jesus is their Messiah. Then thank God that He keeps every promise He makes.

A Prayer

Let's pray together.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You that You are a faithful God who keeps Your promises. Thank You for the promises You made to Abraham, and for the way You have kept Your word to Israel, even after so many centuries.

Lord, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Open the eyes of Israel to see the Lord Jesus, and help us remember that the God who has not cast away His people will never cast away us either.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Thank you for spending this time with us.

This is Authorized Sword Ministries. God bless you.

Study Questions

1. Read Ezekiel 37:21-22. What does God promise to do with the children of Israel?
2. What three things did God promise Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3?
3. What did Deuteronomy 28:64 warn would happen if Israel turned from God?
4. What did Jesus say would happen to Jerusalem in Luke 21:24, and when did the Romans destroy it?
5. In Ezekiel 37:11-12, what do the dry bones stand for? Why might the order of the vision matter?
6. What happened on May 14, 1948, and how did the United States respond?
7. What changed for Jerusalem in June 1967?
8. How does Paul answer the question "Hath God cast away his people?" in Romans 11:1-2?
9. According to Romans 11:25-29, how long will Israel's blindness last, and why won't God break His promises?
10. What does Zechariah 12:10 say Israel will one day do? How should this lesson change the way you pray for Israel?

Verified Scripture References (KJV)

All quotations were checked word for word against the King James Version (bible-api.com, translation=kjv) on October 26, 2026.

1. Ezekiel 37:21-22 — "And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:"
2. Genesis 12:2-3 — "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
3. Deuteronomy 28:64 — "And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone."
4. Luke 21:24 — "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."
5. Ezekiel 37:11-12 — "Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel."
6. Romans 11:1-2 — "I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,"
7. Romans 11:25-27 — "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins."
8. Romans 11:29 — "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance."
9. Zechariah 12:10 — "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."

Sources

All sources were opened and checked on October 26, 2026.

1. May 14, 1948: David Ben-Gurion, head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the State of Israel; President Truman recognized it the same day: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, "Creation of Israel, 1948." https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/creation-israel
2. June 1967: Israel took control of the Sinai, Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, "The 1967 Arab-Israeli War." https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/arab-israeli-war-1967
3. Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in A.D. 70: "Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE)," Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(70_CE)