April 3, 2019 – Click here to listen
I was watching some guys debating God’s existence on YouTube the other day and the atheist simply would not acknowledge proof after proof laid out by the Christian. I wondered about his hard headed-hard hearted approach. And then I was reminded of so many prophecies that have occurred that are impossible to deny. One in particular stood out and I read about it again this morning while studying the book of Mark.
It was one of the amazing prophecies of Jesus concerning the temple that states: “Not one stone shall be left upon another; that shall not be thrown down.” The temple structure was one of the wonders of the ancient world. It took 46 years to complete in spite of having thousands and thousands of workers; it took 10,000 men ten years just to build the retaining walls around the Temple Mount. Some of these huge stones were comparable in weight to a modern jet airliner and were 35 feet long, 12 feet high, and 18 feet wide. It was an unbelievable statement that it would be utterly destroyed at the time Jesus made it, but it was proven to be amazingly accurate because the prediction came true in AD 70. The Romans demolished the temple and did not leave one stone standing and then they destroyed the entire city of Jerusalem and the Jews were taken captive or slaughtered. The temple had lasted 585 years and poof it was gone. I have seen the ruins and it is amazing.
During this period, it was also prophesied that the Jews that were taken captive would be scattered all over the world. Yes, that happened too. Additionally, to this day they are persecuted and reviled by almost the entire world which makes one wonder if it is a direct result of their rejection and crucifixion of the Messiah Jesus Christ.
One of the prophecies that the End Days are drawing near is that the Jews would return to the Holy Land. Miraculously after 2000 years of being scattered, in 1948 the Jewish people returned and became a nation in one day just as Isaiah predicted. Now there’s 6.5 million living in Israel. Yes, that prophecy and many others mean that the end is drawing nigh.
The Mosaic Covenant made it clear that living in the Land of Israel was a benefit for the Jews for walking in obedience with God. They were not obedient and in spite of it God made it clear that even after exile, repentance would lead to Israel’s return. However, they did not repent as a nation.
The prophets also spoke of a day when God would sovereignly gather His children back to the Land, not because of anything they had done, but to be a witness to the gentiles and to vindicate His name. That is what has been occurring now with their return. God will demonstrate His holiness and His faithfulness, whether His children are deserving or not. It reflects His love and mercy toward them as well as toward the world including you and me even though we are undeserving of it.
That old atheist will probably just chalk all of these miraculous events up to coincidence, but God loves him too, deserving or not. There is still time to repent. Jesus said that we should preach the Gospel to the nations and disciple them. Perhaps the Christian apologist can make some headway. Have you witnessed to anyone lately? Ever? Today would be a great day to begin . . .
Ezekiel 34:13
“And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them.”