ISRAEL'S REBIRTH IN 1948 FORETOLD BY EZEKIEL

 The Bible  prophesied Israel's rebirth on May 14, 1948. Israel's First Captivity and Return

On the 14th day of Nisan, Passover, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham for the Promised Land. God also prophesied that Abraham's descendants would be in affliction and bondage for precisely 430 years. "And he said unto Abraham, know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years" (Genesis  15:13).

This "affliction" began 30 years later with the hatred expressed to Isaac by Ishmael's mocking attitude (Genesis 21:8-10). This affliction of Abraham's seed in Canaan eventually ended in the bondage in Egypt. "Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt" (Exodus 12:40-41). On Passover, 430 years later, the captivity ended. The Apostle Paul confirmed that the captivity lasted precisely 430 years (Galatians 3:17).

Israel's Second Captivity and Return

When many of the kings of Judah began to rebel against God, numerous people turned to idol worship and pagan gods despite God's warnings through His prophets. The 10 northern tribes of Israel were conquered by the Assyrians in 721 B.C.E. (2 Kings 17:6). Then, Jeremiah prophesied that the Kingdom of Judah would also be removed for precisely 70 years from the Promised Land beginning in 606 B.C.E. because of their sins. "And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years" (Jeremiah 25:11). Precisely 70 years later on the first day of Nisan, 536 B.C.E. King Cyrus of Persia released the Jews, just as Jeremiah had prophesied. Despite the royal permission, only a small remnant of the Jews left Babylon and returned to Israel. The vast majority never returned, choosing rather to reside in the nation of their captivity.

The Third and Worldwide Captivity

The Bible contains numerous prophecies of a final return of the exiles to the Promised Land in the "last days." In light of  the precision of the prophecies about the duration of the earlier captivities, it seemed probable to me that the prophets must have revealed when the Jews would return from their final captivity to establish their nation. The prophet Ezekiel was

given a vision concerning the final return of his people. "This shall be a sign to the house of Israel. Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days,three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year" (Ezekiel 4:3-6).

Ezekiel declared that each day represents one biblical year. Israel would be punished for 430 years (390 years and 40 years). At the end of the 70 years of prophesied captivity in Babylon, in Nisan 536 B.C.E., only a small remnant of the house of Judah returned to Jerusalem to fulfill the prophecy. The vast majority of the Jews remained in the Persian Empire as colonists. Therefore, when we deduct the 70 years in Babylon that ended in Nisan 536 B.C.E. from Ezekiel's 430 years of punishment, Israel still had 360 years of further captivity due following the end of the Babylonian Captivity.

Despite the precision of Ezekiel's prophecy there was no return to the land, either 430 years or 360 years after 536 B.C.E. The solution to this mystery is found in Leviticus 26. The Lord established promises and punishments for Israel based on her obedience and her disobedience. God told Israel four times in this passage that if, after being punished for her sins, they

still would not repent, the punishments previously specified would be multiplied by seven (the number of completion). "And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins" (Leviticus 26:18; also Leviticus 26:21, 23-24, 27-28). In other words, if the Israelites did not repent, the punishment previously promised (360 years) would be multiplied seven times (360 years x 7 = 2,520 biblical years) to reach a total of 2,520 years. Therefore, as of 536 B.C.E., the final restoration to the Holy Land would occur only after 2,520 biblical years.

 The Biblical Year of 360 Days

When we refer to biblical/prophetic years we refer to the ancient Jewish year of 360 days. While our modern calendar year contains 365.25 days and the modern Hebrew calendar has 354 days, the biblical year of ancient Israel was lunar-solar and contained only 360 days. The solar calendar year of 365.25 days was not used by Israel. According to articles in the Encyclopedia Britannica and Smith's Bible Dictionary on chronology, Abraham used a year of 360 days consisting of 12 months of 30 days each. The Bible's account of the flood confirms the ancient biblical year of 360 days describing a five-month period as consisting of precisely 150 days between the 17th day of the second month to the 17th day of the seventh month (5 x 30 days = 150 days). Sir Isaac Newton declared that "all nations, before the just length of the solar year was known, reckoned months by the course of the moon, and years by the return of winter and summer, spring and autumn; and in making calendars for their festivals, they reckoned thirty days to a lunar month, and twelve lunar months to a year taking the nearest round numbers, whence came the division of the ecliptic into 360 degrees." The book of Esther (1:4) reveals this 360-day year in its description of a six-month-long feast that lasts precisely 180 days. The prophet Daniel also confirms this fact by describing one-half of the 70th week (Daniel 9:24-27) as containing exactly 1,260 days (3.5 x 360 days). Sir Robert Anderson, the brilliant head of Scotland Yard in 1895, described the 360-day year in his book The Coming

Prince.

The Calculation

The Babylonian captivity ended in the spring of 536 B.C.E., 1st Nisan. This date is the starting point for our calculations. The period of worldwide captivity would last 2,520 biblical years x 360 days = 907,200 days. Converting this figure into our calendar year we divide the 907,200 days by 365.25 to reach a total of 2,483.8 calendar years. (Remember that there is only one year between 1 B.C.E. and 1 C.E.; there was no Year Zero). The end of Israel's worldwide captivity would occur after a total of 2,483.8 years had elapsed from the end of the Babylonian Captivity in the spring of 536 B.C.E. End of Babylonian Captivity: Spring 536 B.C.E. + the duration of Worldwide Captivity: 2,483.8 Calendar Years = When the Worldwide

Captivity would end: Spring 1948.

 The Rebirth of Israel: May 14th 1948

On May 14, 1948, the Jewish people proclaimed the independence of Israel and the end of their worldwide captivity at the precise time prophesied by the prophet Ezekiel. On this very day a united Israel took its place as a sovereign, independent state among the nations.

Blow Your Mind Prophecies

  Egypt, one of the world's greatest ancient civilizations, would exist in the last days - but only as a lowly third world nation (Ezekiel 29:14-16). Today, as predicted, Egypt remains an impoverished nation. To show how amazing this prophecy is, compare modern Egypt with the tiny nation of Austria. Egypt has ten times more land area, and a population eight times greater then Austria. Yet, Epypt's Gross Domestic Product is only one-fifth of Austria's GDP.

 Mankind would be capable of destroying all life (Matthew 24:21-22). Consider that when Jesus made this prediction the armaments of His day were swords and spears. But today, with nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, it is possible to wipe out all flesh on planet earth. The use of nuclear weapons anticipated (Zechariah 14:12). The neutron bomb melts (dissolves) its victims - just as Zechariah predicted 2500 years ago.

 Global communications foreseen (Revelation 11:9-10; 17:8).
The Bible predicts that the entire world will "see" certain events unfold. The invention of the television and the deployment of global satellite networks during the 20th century allow news to travel the world at the speed of light for the first time ever. Remember that in the apostle John's day, news traveled at the speed of horseback.

  The Christian gospel would be preached as a warning to all nations (Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10). Today, portions or all of the Bible have been translated into over 2,300 languages and dialects covering over 90% of the world's population.

 There would be a move toward a global government (Daniel 2:40-44; 7:23; Revelation 13:7-8). The former Roman Empire - which encompassed present-day Europe - would revive and eventually dominate the world. The European Union has steadily moved forward in its attempt to unite Europe politically and economically. It has succeeded in creating a European parliament, a court, and a common currency.

Knowledge would increase (Daniel 12:4; Isaiah 11:9). Specifically, this is referring to an understanding of Bible prophecy, but also an increase in scientific knowledge is implied.

There would be technology capable of tracking the world's population and commerce (Revelation 13:16-17).

The nation Israel would be born in one day (Isaiah 66:8). On May 14, 1948 Israel became a nation.

The Jews would begin to regather in Israel (Jeremiah 31:7-10; Ezekiel 37:21-22; 38:8). Almost five million and counting!

The Jews would regain control of biblical Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:6; Luke 21:24). This happened in 1967!

The Eastern Gate would remain closed until the Messiah returns. At Christ's Second Coming, He will enter Jerusalem through the now sealed Eastern Gate (Ezekiel 44:1-3). Today, as predicted, the Eastern Gate remains sealed.

The nation of Israel, which had been divided into two kingdoms since the time of Solomon (950 B.C.) - Israel in the north and Judah in the south - would be one united nation in the last days (Ezekiel 37:15-17, Ezekiel 37:22). At present, as predicted, Israel is one nation.

The returning Jews would have no king in the last days (Hosea 3:4-5). Amazingly, not only is Israel no longer a theocracy, but today the Jewish state is governed by a democracy comprised of some 30 political parties.

During the diaspora (the dispersion of the Jews to the four corners of the globe), Israel would become a wasteland (Deuteronomy 29:23-28; Ezekiel 36:8-11; Ezekiel 36:33-36). During the past 1900 years Israel became a nearly uninhabited, desolate wasteland.

Israel, once a desolate desert, would blossom in the last days and export produce to the world (Isaiah 27:6; 35:1-2; Ezekiel 36:34-36). Israel's increased rainfall and world-renowned irrigation technology have caused the land to blossom. Incredibly, as predicted, they currently export 800 million dollars worth of fresh produce each year.

Homosexuality would be flaunted at the end of the age (Luke 17:28-30; Genesis 19). Ask your grandparents if there were such things as Gay Pride parades in their day.

A woman, who is an impostor, would call herself "queen" and head the global counterfeit church in the last days (Revelation 17; 18:7). Tens of millions follow the apparition of Mary, who claims that she is the Mother of the Church, the Lady of All Nations, the Co-Redemptrix, and the Queen of Heaven and Earth.

The woman would also embody a great city set on seven hills (Revelation 17:9, 18). The Queen of Heaven is considered the Mother of the Roman Catholic Church which has its headquarters (the Vatican) situated on seven hills. As the Catholic Encyclopedia states, "It is within the city of Rome, called the city of seven hills, that the entire area of Vatican State proper is now confined."

A global economic system would exist ( Revelation 13:17; 18:3, 11 , 19 , 23 ). Today, globalists in every level of government are seeking to unite the world. Connecting the world monetarily is crucial to their goal.