CHAPTER 5
Almost 2,000 years ago, Israel let a unique opportunity slip through its grasp. Had the leaders of the Jews recognized "the day of their visitation" and accepted Jesus as Messiah, the Nation would have been restored without further delay. Unfortunately that did not happen. So, instead of embracing the New Covenant, Israel has endured nearly twenty centuries of suffering.
Was bad judgment by her religious leaders the only reason for Israel's woes? Does the Bible offer any other explanation for the trials of the Jewish people? Indeed it does. The primary reason is not political or economic. It is not even on the human level. Israel's problems stem from a long-standing conflict in the spiritual realm.
A key contribution of the Bible is its insight into the spirit world. Modern man does not like to talk about spiritual beings such as demons. Nevertheless, the Bible declares that they not only exist, but they exert considerable control on the earth. Operating behind the scenes, these powerful spiritual beings are busy throughout the world. According to the Bible, mankind is the primary target of these highly organized, wicked spirits.
For our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against the organizations and powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil (Phillips translation; Ephesians 6:12).
How did demonic forces gain control? We know that God created the world, and Adam and Eve were given dominion over all of it. However, a rebellion occurred, and since then a new sovereign has reigned on the earth. He is known by many names—Satan, the dragon, the devil. The Bible also calls him "the god of this world."
When Messiah came to earth, it marked the start of the long-awaited battle to reclaim God's Kingdom. Messiah and John the Baptist repeatedly warned Israel to be prepared, for the Kingdom of God was at hand. Jesus said, "If I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God is upon you."
Obviously the Kingdom was not fully established at that time. Does that mean God failed, and that He in now seeking other means to wrest the earth from Satan? Not at all. The record from Scripture is that (1) God knew the Jews would reject their Messiah, but (2) He was nevertheless going to establish His Kingdom through the nation of Israel.
The devil has long known of God's plan to defeat him through the Messiah. He is also aware that this Messiah would come from the descendants of Eve. From the beginning, Satan has sought to prevent that coming defeat. Abel was killed because Satan saw he was a righteous man and believed God might produce the Messiah from his line. Centuries later, Satan attempted to have Messiah murdered by King Herod. Then about thirty years after that, during the days of the Passover Feast, the chief priests and the scribes were also seeking a way to have Jesus put to death. Because of the crowds, however, they were afraid to seize Him openly. With time running short, Satan decided to take matters into his own hands. He furtively entered into one of Messiah's disciples, a man named Judas. Under Satan's control, Judas conceived the plan which delivered Messiah to the chief priests.
It is easy to see why killing Messiah was Satan's strategy. I John 3:8 says, "The Son of God [Messiah] appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil." Without question, Messiah had a great effect on men, but it is safe to say that He had even more impact on the demonic world.
And then, having drawn the sting of all the powers [demonic] ranged against us, He [Messiah] exposed them, shattered, empty and defeated, in His final glorious triumphant act (Colossians 2:15).
After Messiah was executed, Satan had precious little time to celebrate. Three days later, exactly as Messiah prophesied, God raised Him from the dead (see Matthew 16:21). Messiah's resurrection showed Satan's strategy had been fatally flawed. Then Satan shifted his attack to the nation of Israel. Satan reasoned that if he destroyed Israel, he would leave Messiah without a country, and God's Kingdom would be blocked.
In A.D. 70 the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. But even then Satan was not satisfied, for Israel still existed as a nation. Within sixty-five years, however, that would change. A new leader arose in Israel by the name of Simon Bar Kochba. Many, including the religious leaders, proclaimed this man was the promised Messiah. That episode is typical of Satan's handiwork. When the real Messiah came, he caused the Jews to reject Him. But later, when a false Messiah arose, Satan persuaded Israel to enthusiastically embrace him. The result was exactly what Satan hoped. The Romans killed over 500,000 Jewish soldiers, and on that day Israel ceased to exist as a nation.
From then on, Satan was taking no chances. For the next 1,900 years He continued his attacks on the Jewish people, always with the hope of keeping Israel off the map. Time and again Satan raised up violent anti-Semitic movements against the world's Jewish population. World War II aptly illustrates his strategy. Near the end of that War, with the German Army in desperate need of munitions, Hitler ordered that the trains carrying Jews to the gas chambers still had first priority. That makes no sense until you understand one fact: Satan (the real commander) didn't care whether Germany won the war or not! His only concern was the extermination of the Jews.
Toward that end, Satan induced Hitler, who was deeply involved in the occult, to adopt a plan known as "the Final Solution." Based entirely on myths, the "solution" was so preposterous, it is hard to believe anyone took it seriously. Nevertheless, Satan duped Hitler into believing that by exterminating the Jews, the Aryan race (the Germans) would evolve into a master race, incapable of defeat. By the way, the Aryan race supposedly traced its origin to the mythical, lost continent of Atlantis.
With Satan's past activities in mind, we begin to see what is behind today's widespread opposition toward Israel. Satan prompts otherwise decent people to an irrational hatred for Jews and for the nation of Israel. During the Persian Gulf War, the world was shocked by Iraq's unprovoked missile attacks on Israel. Many Palestinians, however, were photographed cheering at the prospect of Israeli civilian deaths. Believers can't comprehend that kind of hatred, anymore than they can comprehend the Holocaust. The explanation, of course, lies with Satan, the architect behind them both.
The Bible tells us that to the bitter end, the devil will make war against the Jews, as well as any who hold to the testimony about Messiah. As Satan's reign draws to a close, only one group will stand by Israel: Bible believing Christians. A Jew named Mordecai Noah wrote, "Christian and Jew will, together on Mount Zion, raise their voices in praise of Him whose covenant with Abraham was to endure forever and in whose seed all the nations of the earth are to be blessed."1 Sadly, everyone else will be persuaded to join the campaign against Jews and against Israel. But, you ask, does Satan really have the power to make the whole world do his dirty work? Listen to the words of Scripture.
We know that we [followers of Messiah] are of God, but the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (I John 5:19).
Jew-hating Moslems, Israel-bating politicians, and anti-Semitic Christians are tragically aligning themselves with Satan's camp. The great call of the last days will be to choose between Satan's kingdom and God's. The nations (all save parts of Egypt) will make the wrong choice.
The Bible doesn't pull any punches when describing how God will establish His Kingdom on earth—or what will happen to His enemies. Presenting the certainty of that event is called the "Gospel of the Kingdom." When that news has been preached to all the world, then the end will come (see Matthew 24:14).
Before the foundation of the world, God planned in detail how His Kingdom would be established. At Messiah's first coming, God was well aware of Satan's opposition. He also knew Israel would reject Messiah and that Satan would have Him killed. But Scripture reveals God had a surprise for the devil. What he meant for evil, God would turn to good! In fact, Satan's treachery made it possible for the curse on Israel to be lifted! (Remember, Israel was still under a curse for breaking the Sinai Covenant). As you know, Messiah was hung on a tree (crucified) to die, and the Scripture says, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." (See Deuteronomy 21:23 and Galatians 3:13).
By His death on that tree, Messiah not only eliminated the curse on Israel, He also brought the New Covenant into being. The magnificent beings around the throne of God best describe all He accomplished by hanging on the cross:
Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And Thou hast made them to be a KINGDOM and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth (Revelation 5:9-10).
Now we turn our attention to the timing of God's coming Kingdom. Has Satan's evil empire about run its course? Is the stage being set for the final battle? In the next chapter we will begin to answer those questions.