Return of Jews to their homeland foretold in advance

This information is reproduced from the Evidence - You decide website www.theevidence.org.uk

Before we look at these remarkable predictions, we must emphasise that we are in no way supporting the politics of the nation of Israel. The Bible makes it very clear that the Jews often have not behave in the best of ways. We’re not looking at the rights and wrongs of what the Jews have done or are doing. We’re looking at fulfilments of predictions and not the politics of situations.

Return of the Jews to their homeland

There are many predictions about the Jews that have been fulfilled in recent times, Some of these predictions are about the way the Jews started to return to their old homeland and eventually established themselves as a nation. You can look at predictions about earlier Jewish history on the Further information page “Jewish scattering and persecution foretold in advance”

Jews returning to their homelandIt’s been estimated that between 1882 and 1948, over 500,000 Jews went back to their original homeland.

Allenby walking into JerusalemIn 1917 the British army under General Allenby conquered Palestine. He entered Jerusalem on foot out of respect for the city on December 11 1917. The desire for a national homeland for the Jews was greatly encouraged by the British Government who in the same year issued the Balfour Declaration which said that:

“His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object.”

Jews arriving at Port HaifaDuring the period of the British rule of Palestine, the Jews flocked back to their homeland. Many were fleeing Nazi persecution. Jews arriving at reception campsThere was a regular stream of arrivals at the reception camps that were set up.

The prophet Ezekiel predicted this when he said:

Ezekiel 34 verse 13

13 I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

As if for emphasis, he repeats the prediction:

Ezekiel 37 verse 21

21 Say to them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will take the children of Israel from amongst the nations, where they have gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land.

We can see that God is making it clear the Jews will not be re-gathered just anywhere, but it will be to their ancient homeland.

Martin Gilbert’s Atlas of Jewish History shows that between 1652 and 1946 at least twenty places other than Israel round the world were considered as possible Jewish homelands.

Map showing Mau plateauFor instance, in 1905, the British Government offered 5,000 square miles of the Mau Plateau in what is today Kenya as a homeland for the Jews. But the Jews wanted Palestine. The Second World War left the surviving remnant of Jews in central Europe as displaced persons, most of whom wanted to go to their old homeland. But increasing Arab opposition to this immigration caused many problems.

United Nations agreeing to formation of both Jewish and Arab statesOn 29 November 1947 the United Nations agreed to the formation of Jewish and Arab states in Palestine. There was much opposition to this plan and tension in the region increased even further.

Ben-Gurion signing Declaration of the State of IsraelEventually on May 14 1948, David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, signed the scroll of the declaration of the State of Israel watched by Rabbi Hacohen.

Palestine Post May 14 1948The Palestine Post for the same day said the “State of Israel is born”. The Jews now had a homeland again after over 1800 years without one.

The Bible is insistent that theJews would go back to their own land. The Bible’s prediction was correct despite politicians having other ideas!

Israel to be fruitful land again

Jewish KibbutzimAs we saw earlier, the land of Palestine was desolate before the Jews started to return. Agricultural communities known as Kibbutzim were established when the Jews began to settle in the land to reclaim the barren land and make it fertile again.

Plouging with armoured tractor Because of Arab opposition, armoured tractors were used to plough the land. Soon the land became fertile again and crops such as the world famous Jaffa Orange were produced.

Harvesting datesSince the nation was reborn in 1948, Israel has become a world leader in agricultural research and development.

This has led to dramatic increases in the quantity and quality of the country's crops.

This is exactly what the prophet Ezekiel said would happen:

Ezekiel 36 verse 8

8 “ ‘ “But you, mountains of Israel, you shall shoot out your branches, and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are at hand to come.

He then repeats the prediction later:

Ezekiel 36 verses 34 - 35

34 The land that was desolate will be tilled instead of being a desolation in the sight of all who passed by. 35 They will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. The waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’

The Jews' land became fruitful again when the Jews returned just as the Bible predicted

Cities to be rebuilt

Auction of land in 1909 by founders of Tel AvivThe returning Jews had to make homes for themselves in this desolate land. In 1909 the founders of Tel Aviv met in these desolate sand dunes to parcel out land that had been purchased.

Tel AvivToday, Tel Aviv is a thriving modern city.

Many other modern cities have been built on barren land since the Nation of Israel was established in 1948.

This is yet another fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

Ezekiel 36 verses 8 - 10

8 “ ‘ “But you, mountains of Israel, you shall shoot out your branches, and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are at hand to come. 9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will come to you, and you will be tilled and sown. 10 I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, even all of it. The cities will be inhabited, and the waste places will be built.

Modern JerusalemThe ancient city of Jerusalem has also become a thriving modern city since the establishment of the state of Israel. God told the Jewish prophet Ezekiel:

Luke 21 verse 24

24  They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 

Jesus said that Jerusalem would be overrun by non-Jewish nations for a limited period. Jerusalem was under Roman rule in the time of Jesus. The city was then in the hands of various non-Jewish powers until 1967, when the Jews again regained control. Here we have another example of a precise accurate prediction.

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