Posted on 04/02/2005 5:41:14 PM PST by John Lenin
In Genesis 15:18, the Lord said that Abraham’s descendants would have their own country, and that this country would be between the river of Egypt and the Euphrates River. (People sometimes call this the Promised Land.)
Genesis also explains that this promise of land to the descendants of Abraham was inherited by Abraham’s son, Isaac, and then by Abraham’s grandson, Jacob. Jacob is the father of the 12 Tribes of Israel. (This web site uses the terms Jews, Israelites, people of Israel, and Hebrews, interchangeably.)
This prophecy of nationhood has been fulfilled more than once. About 3400 years ago, the Hebrew descendants of Abraham first established Israel. The Bible’s book of Joshua explains how Joshua led the Israelites into the land that had been promised to them, as descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and established the nation of Israel.
The nation of Israel was later divided into two kingdoms, called Judah and Israel, about 2900 years ago. The kingdom of Israel lost its independence when it was conquered by Assyria about 2700 years ago. Judah lost its independence about 2600 years ago when it was conquered by Babylon.
Then, about 2000 years ago, the Romans scattered the Jews (or Israelites, or Hebrews) throughout the Roman Empire.
But, in 1948, after many Jews from around the world had returned to the land of Israel, the Jews issued a declaration of independence.
That was the first time in 2900 years that Israel was both united and independent.
Genesis 15:18
On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates
2. Jacob saw a vision of Israel's future
Bible passage: Genesis 28:10-15
Written: perhaps 1400 BC
Fulfilled: Throughout history
In Genesis 28:10-15, the Bible says that Jacob, who lived about 4000 years ago, received a vision from God about the future of his descendants (the Israelites, who today are commonly called "Jews"). The vision accurately foretold their future. Here is our summary:
1. Jacob's descendants would have Israel as their own country. (Gen. 28:13). This was fulfilled about 3400 years ago when the Israelites first established Israel.
2. The Israelites would be like dust, spreading out to the east, west, north and south. (Gen. 28:14). Throughout history, the Jews have been scattered worldwide. They are the first and only group of people to be scattered worldwide.
3. The Israelites would have a worldwide impact. (Gen. 28:14). Jews have had a tremendous worldwide impact in science, art, literature, economics, music and theology. The worldwide spread of Christianity began 2000 years ago by Jews who were followers of Jesus.
4. Jacob’s descendants would be brought back to Israel. (Gen. 28:15). This began to be fulfilled during the late 1800s when many Jews worldwide began returning to their ancient homeland. They re-established Israel's independence in 1948.
Genesis 28:10-15
Jacob ... had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he said: "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
3. Counting Abraham's descendants would be like counting the stars
Bible passage: Genesis 15:5
Written: perhaps 1400 BC
Fulfilled: Throughout history
In Genesis 15:5, the Bible said that Abraham would have many descendants and that counting them would be like counting the stars. Today, scientists say it is impossible to count the stars because the universe is too vast. Today, we also know that counting Abraham's descendants is also impossible. There are about 20 million Jews in the world today. But, it is impossible to know how many other people today are descendants of Abraham because many of the Israelites were scattered by Assyria during ancient times and history has lost track of them.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this prophecy is that Abraham, today, is still widely revered as being the father of many descendants. That in itself is unusual. Very few, if any, other people from ancient times are still revered today by their descendants.
Genesis 15:5
He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
4. The people of Israel would be scattered worldwide
Bible passage: Deuteronomy 28:64
Written: perhaps 1400 BC
Fulfilled: 721 BC, 586 BC, 70 AD, 135 AD, modern times
In Deuteronomy 28:64, the Bible said the Jews would be scattered worldwide. This prophecy has been fulfilled in detail. Take a look at the explanation of the Jewish "Diaspora," which means "scattering," from the Columbia Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition:
by 70 A.D. Jewish communities existed in Babylonia, Syria, Egypt, Cyrene, Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome. Jews followed the Romans into Europe and from Persia and Babylonia spread as far east as China. In modern times, Jews have migrated to the Americas, South Africa, and Australia. The Jewish population of Central and Eastern Europe, until World War II the largest in the world, was decimated in the Holocaust. Despite the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, the vast majority of the Jewish people remains in the Diaspora, notably in North America, Russia, and Ukraine."
Deuteronomy 28:64
Then the Lord will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. …
5. God will never forget the children of Israel
Bible passage: Isaiah 49:13-18
Written: perhaps between 701-681 BC
Fulfilled: Throughout history
In Isaiah 49:13-18, the Lord makes it clear that even though the people of Israel are to be exiled from their land, the Lord will not forget them, and they will brought back to their land.
Isaiah lived about 2700 years ago. At about that time, the Assyrians invaded the northern part of the land of Israel and had scattered many of the people. More than a century later, the Babylonians would do the same to the people in the southern part of the land of Israel.
Many returned after the fall of Babylon, but the Romans later exiled and scattered the people again. And many remain scattered throughout the world today. Given the exile, the scattering, and the persecutions of the past 19 centuries, it is easy to understand the sentiment of Verse 14 (NIV translation): "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me."
But Verses 15 and 16 show that the Lord will never forget. In fact, it says that even if a mother could forget her child, the Lord will not forget his children, for they are "engraved" on the palms of His hands. Verses 17 and 18 show that the sons of Israel will return to Israel.
Although there has always been at least a small number of Jews living in the land of Israel, millions have returned from around the world during the past 2 centuries, allowing Israel to reclaim independence in 1948, a few thousand years since the previous time that the nation had independence.
Isaiah 49:13-18
Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me." "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. Your sons hasten back, and those who laid you waste depart from you. Lift up your eyes and look around; all your sons gather and come to you. As surely as I live," declares the LORD, "you will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride.
6. The people of Israel would have a worldwide impact
Bible passage: Genesis 12:2-3
Written: perhaps 1400 BC
Fulfilled: Throughout history
In Genesis 12:2-3, and in Genesis 28:10-15, the Bible said that the descendants of Abraham and the descendants of Abraham's grandson, Jacob, would be a blessing for people worldwide. Jacob is the father of the 12 Tribes of Israel (the Jews). In 1898, Mark Twain wrote an essay for Harper's New Monthly Magazine that discussed how the Jews have had an impact on the world:
" the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of stardust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world's list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also way out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world, in all the ages; and had done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone. Other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?"
Genesis 12:2-3
"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
7. Israel would be partitioned by other nations
Bible passage: Joel 3:2
Written: about 400 BC
Fulfilled: 1900s
In Joel 3:2, the prophet said that the nations of the world will be judged for having scattered the people of Israel and for having "divided up" (or "parted" or "partitioned") the land of Israel. Christian scholars believe that this is a prophecy that will be fulfilled during the End Times. But portions of the prophecy already have been fulfilled. The Jews have been scattered to nations throughout the world, and the nations of the world have divided up the land of Israel. On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly approved a motion to partition the land into two separate states, one for Jewish people and another for Arab people.
Joel 3:2
I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.
(NOTE: "Jehoshaphat" means "the Lord judges.")
8. Israel would be restored and repopulated
Bible passage: Ezekiel 36:8-10
Written: between 593-571 BC
Fulfilled: late 1900s
In Ezekiel 36:8-10, the prophet Ezekiel said that the people of Israel would return, rebuild and repopulate their fallen cities. Ezekiel, according to the Bible, lived about 2600 years ago during the time of the Babylonian Captivity, when many Jews, including Ezekiel, were taken as captives to Babylon. After the Babylonian Captivity ended, many Jews returned to their homeland. But about 1900 years ago, the Jews again were forced into exile, this time by the Romans. However, since the late 1800s, millions of Jews have returned to their ancient homeland. And, once again, they have been rebuilding and repopulating their ancient cities. In 1948, there were about 600,000 Jews living in Israel. Today there are about 6,000,000.
Ezekiel 36:8-10
"`But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home.
I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown,
and I will multiply the number of people upon you, even the whole house of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.
9. Jesus' life was foreshadowed by the prophet Isaiah
Bible passage: Isaiah 42:1-9
Written: perhaps between 701-681 BC
Fulfilled: About 2000 years ago
In Isaiah 42:1-9, the prophet Isaiah speaks of a servant of God who will be a light to the Gentiles (non-Jews) and bring justice to the world. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of this promise. Jesus' teachings govern the lives of Christians throughout the world. Some estimates claim that there are as many as 2 billion Christians worldwide. More people follow the teachings of Jesus than those of any other person in history.
Isaiah 42:1-9
"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. … In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. … "I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. "I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you."
10. Jesus said His words would never be forgotten
Bible passage: Luke 21:33
Written: about 30 AD
Fulfilled: At this very moment
In Luke 21:33, Jesus said that regardless of what happens to the world, His words will never be forgotten. Here we are 2000 years later and the words of Jesus are all around us: Christianity has spread to people around the world and the Bible is the world's most circulated book. Of all the people who have ever lived, can you think of a single person who could have made this claim more effectively than Jesus - that his words would never be forgotten?
Luke 21:33
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Still, you cannot turn the ancient Israelites into Irishmen. History, language and archaeology demonstrate that they are different.
And when it comes to supporting millions of people in states around the Middle East, you pretty much have to wait until Cleisthenes invented demoracy circa 500 BCE. He also invented the credit union and that made it possible for the Athenians to propagate an advanced olive tree ~ that tree made them exceedingly wealthy (which is another story) but when it was spread throughout Greece and the Middle East it allowed for a vast increase in human population.
Before Cleisthenes you are talking about city states of a few thousand people with rural areas virtually devoid of population. Empires were strings of small city states before the Greeks began colonizing the Mediterranean.
It takes a lot of technology to keep a large population together.
The Picts are continental Celts? First I heard of that. It is my understanding that the origin of the Picts, like the Basques and the Finns, is shrouded in mystery. No one really knows where they came from originally. The Basques and Finns speak a language totally alien to their neighbor races.
"Try the poster called Lenin."
Oh. My bad.
I do not believe in the Rapture. I've not seen the Rapture mentioned in the Bible even once.
Surely you believe in the rapture. I think what you mean to say is you do not believe in a particular version of it, the highly popularized version called the PRETRIBULATION rapture. Am I correct?
Though the word "rapture" is not in the Bible, yet the resurrection at the coming of Christ, and the gathering together of saved believers of Christ in the air as he descends from heaven certainly is.
"Rapture" is just a word that describes the following sequence of events: the resurrection that takes place at the coming of Christ, and the gathering together in the air as He descends.
I could read a book on brain surgery, but that won't make me a brain surgeon.
Perhaps you seek should spiritual guidance concerning what transpired between us, and I hope you will, before you again suggest that any part of the Bible is to be dismissed as unimportant.
Have a Blessed Day.
I don't apologize for things for which I was not responsible anyway.
Then, concerning how Islam spread, it wasn't all by the sword. Most of it appears to have been open, willing conversion. It gets spread the same way today.
Yeah, I bet those girls just line up to wear sacks over their head.
No you are telling lies about me. You really are a little pissant aren't you? All I said that for a first time readthrough one could skip the begats and you jumped in my sh_t likie you were my momma. Take a hike newbie.
You have to remember, wearing a sack isn't the worst thing that can happen to a woman ~ having her feet bound, which actually did happen to millions of Chinese women, is reputed to be far worse.
Your exact words:
" Skip the begats ... they only matter if you want to study geneology and attendant prophecy"
Shame on you for calling me a liar.
muawiyah, you appear to be the number one apologist for Islam on this website. What religious persuasion are you anyway, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, New Age Occultist, Mason, atheist, or what? Or none of the above, just a post stirrer.
I've never read the davinci code. Try Asimov's guide to the Bible.
First of all, I live in an incredibly mixed neighborhood. I can spit in any direction and hit anything from a Moslem to a Jain.
Secondly, I've studied the Middle and Near East extensively over the years.
You will find I am not "apologizing for Islam" but instead I'm usually correcting the record regarding ignorant claims. The Moslem world has enough problems without folks trying to solve the problems it doesn't have.
In my experience those guys are no more blood thirsty than Christians or Buddhists or Hindus have demonstrated themselves to be, nor are they less blood thirsty (as long as nobody looks at WWII). There are several other regular Free Republic posters who keep pointing this out to folks ~ to wit: these guys are human too.
In the meantime I actually belong to a mind-numbed, robot-like, knee-jerk Liberal mainline denomination called the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). They still preach ecumenicalism. I also have close relatives galore (by the hundreds), and some of them belong to the original cult, live out on mountain sides or other wilderness areas, wear sackcloth, don't see doctors, and chew peyote in between smoking doobies. I even found a couple of cousins at a two removes up at Red Lake the other day ~.
So, what would you prefer that I say about Moslems? Should I say they are all moongod worshipping crazy people? Or, maybe I should pass on my personal experience, one of which is that Abe across the way is a nice guy, and Abe two blocks down is also a nice guy, as is Mohammad, and Ahmet, and Mo, and Omar ~ I think you should get out more often. Meet the world. Find out what you have in common. Cease looking for reasons to kill your neighbors.
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