Israel: God's Time Clock*

      Israel is a prophetic time clock. As we keep our eyes on that appointed nation, we can see the prophecies of the end times revealed through the events surrounding Israel. The prophet, Zechariah, wrote the Word of the LORD concerning Jerusalem: "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." (Zech. 12:2-3). All people will be burdened by Jerusalem and the LORD will destroy all who come against it. We see threats made against Jerusalem and all of Israel today.

     The prophet, Habakkuk, wrote about the LORD's command to write plainly the prophetic vision, and that He, the LORD, will bring it to pass. (Hab. 2:2-3). One of those prophecies, as Paul wrote, is that all Israel shall be saved as the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled. Paul also wrote that the spiritual blindness of Israel in part has happened so that the fulness of the Gentiles is accomplished. The grafting back into the olive tree of the natural branches of Israel will produce even greater results than the grafting in of the Gentiles. (see Rom. 11:25-27). God is not done with Israel but intends to accomplish what He has promised to them.

     Isaiah described the prophetic vision of the Millennial Kingdom of the reign of Messiah/Christ as it manifests in Israel and then the whole earth. In part, Isaiah wrote: "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea...And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathos, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." (Isa. 11:9-12). This time, the LORD is not just gathering His people out of Egypt, or out of Babylon, but from the four corners of the earth - from all nations. This ingathering of Jews to the land happened for the prophesied second time in 1947-48 as the LORD re-established the nation of Israel and Jews from all over the world began to come back to the land. As this is brought to pass, those people who have vexed Israel, namely the Philistines (Gaza/Palestinians) to the west of Israel, as well as the people directly to the east of Israel, will obey them. (v. 14). It will be like the day when the LORD brought His people out of the land of Egypt in the Exodus. (v. 16). These are the events that foretell the return and reign of Messiah/Christ, as Isaiah also described in this chapter.

     Ezekiel prophesied the Word of the LORD to the mountains of Israel and their fruits, and against the nations who looked at the land of Israel as prey. (Ezek. 36:1-6). The LORD said: "Therefore...I have lifted up mine hand. Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame....For behold I am for you (the mountains of Israel), and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown." (Ezek. 36:1-9). The LORD had caused His people to be driven into the lands of the heathen because of their sin. (v. 18-19). He brings them back for His holy name's sake, to sanctify His great name: "...and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD...when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land." (v. 22 - 24). 

     This miracle return of the people of Israel from all countries, as Isaiah had also prophesied above, is even surpassed in Ezekiel 36 by the spiritual miracle that Paul referred to when he wrote that all Israel shall be saved (Rom. 11:26): "Then will I sprinkle clean water on you, and ye shall be clean...A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God." (Ezek. 36:25-28). Keeping our eyes on the nation of Israel as God's timeclock, we are about to see a spiritual revival and rebirth take place among the Jewish people. The once desolate land of Israel has already seen its mountains bloom and bear fruit in abundance. Now there will also be a spiritual fruitfulness that will sanctify the name of the LORD before all nations.

     Ezekiel also prophesied that after His people are brought back from many nations to dwell in the mountains of Israel, "in the latter years" enemies will come down to attack Israel including those territories that are now identified as the modern nations of Russia and Iran/Iraq and others. (See Ezek. 38:1-9). These nations have indeed formed an alliance with one another today and have shown aggression towards other nations, especially Israel. We have never before seen in history these specific nations lining up together as we see them doing now. Again, we see that Israel has become God's time clock for end time events.

     Paul wrote that there is no difference between Jew and Greek (Gentile) regarding salvation because the Lord will hear when He is called upon by both: "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Rom. 10:12-13). The process of salvation is the same for both Jew and Gentile and involves the Word of God and the Word of faith in our hearts and mouths: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (v. 8-10). The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central theme of Christianity, but the promise of resurrection appears in the Hebrew scriptures as well, even back to the oldest book of the Bible, Job: "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and  not another; though my reins be consumed within me." (Job 19:25-27).

     The Book of Revelation speaks of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists of the Gospel of Jesus Christ from among the twelve tribes of Israel in the last days. As the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled, we will see this prophetic promise of the LORD towards Israel come to pass. This is another reason to keep our eyes on Israel - God's time clock.

     Isaiah also describes the salvation of God coming to the His people and to Jerusalem and then to all of the nations: "Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation (Yeshua - the Hebrew name of Jesus) of our God." (Isa. 52:9-10). The LORD also promises a time when no uncleanness or uncircumcision will enter into Jerusalem and Zion. (v. 1). Although the world has come against "Zionism", and has also risen up in antisemitism, the LORD's promises in regard to Zion and Jerusalem will stand.

     We can see that even though Jerusalem and the people of Israel will be in peril, the LORD will save them, and that salvation will spread to all nations. All eyes should be upon Israel in the days ahead. The Word of the LORD to Isaiah then described the Messiah/Christ who will be so very marred in face and form, but who will deeply impact kings and nations who had not known of Him: "Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle (nazah - sprinkle, spurt, the blood of expiation) many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? (Isa. 52:13-15, Isa. 53:1). This prophecy is not about the nation of Israel as some say, but is referring to a single individual who is extensively marred in appearance. Isaiah asked the question - Who will believe this?

     The Messiah/Christ came to Israel first, and then that knowledge was brought to the Gentile nations by Jewish apostles and disciples. Now is not the time to stop watching Israel - God's time clock.

     The title of my newest book is "Nazah", taken from the above scripture from Isaiah, which brings the Shroud of Turin, carrying the image of the marred Messiah/Christ, to the Jewish people and to all of the nations and people of the world. Kings and people have indeed looked upon this image and have pondered its meaning even two thousand years after the event. It is evidence left to us of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It is Isaiah's prophetic vision detailed in chapter 53 brought to life. Who will believe our report? 

     *Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 2/23/25 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on Dr. Stevenson's Facebook page. Dr. Stevenson's video messages are also found on You Tube at Kenneth Stevenson. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook.