We celebrate two major developments in world history this year. They both have major spiritual importance and both have huge prophetic significance!
One - Protestant Reformation in 1517. The Reformation is 500 years old now and is still on. The historic ramifications of the Reformation are huge! The Reformation was responsible for the correction of many church corruptions. In addition, the birth of many different denominational expressions of Christianity were birthed. Missionaries have been sent all over the world and millions have been saved from these resulting denominations.
Two - Balfour Declaration of 1917 - The second, and perhaps more sobering and prophetically impacting, was the Balfour Declaration. This was the document in which the British Government recognized the need to establish a Jewish homeland.
The Jewish people had been scattered all over the world beginning in 70A.D. by the Romans, who renamed the Jewish homeland "Palestine". Subsequently, the empires of the old world absorbed the area into their boundaries. The latest of these, the Ottoman Empire (Turkey), controlled "Palestine" for 400 years. Turkey had sided with Germany in WW1 and shared in Germany's defeat. This left the British Government to decide the fate of the Middle East and the territory now known as Israel. As a result of Balfour, Britain declared "Palestine", later named Israel in 1948, as a homeland for the Jewish people.
Officially, there was no Israel for Jewish people to return to until the twentieth century Balfour Declaration. Those who were students of Bible prophecy were greatly enthused by this development! Why? Scripture calls for a restoring of Israel from all over the world in the last days (Jer. 23:8, Eze.36:24). The Messiah, Jesus, promised to return to a restored Israel (Zech, 14). We are the first generation in almost 2,000 years that has seen one develop. Now that one is developing, the return of Jesus is more in view than ever! Today would be good! Are you ready? If not, follow the words recorded in Romans 10:9, "...if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". Do it today!
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Gary M. Fisher is the founder and director of Lion of Judah Ministry. The Ministry was founded in 1994. Since then, Gary has spoken in many churches, served as radio host, teacher, conference speaker, and television guest. Gary is also on the Board of Theology in Perspective, a parent corporation in Michigan which hosts Scofield Bible Institute and Theological Seminary. He holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Scofield Seminary, and serves as adjunct faculty member at the Seminary. He is the writer of the Ministry's newsletter, The Trumpeter, a newsletter that features commentary on current events and how they relate to the soon return of Jesus. Gary writes and manages the articles and information on the ministry website (www.lionofjudahministry.org - his website is temporarily down). He also serves as tour host and leader of the Ministry's sponsored tours of Israel. Find him at his Facebook page - Gary M Fisher as well as his ministry's Facebook page: Lion of Judah Ministry. Videos from his last Israel trip along with many articles and comments are available.
