It’s fascinating that the most read article on Faithroots, even, is the one titled Israel, conflict and end times prophecy. I wonder how many people clicked on the post expecting and perhaps hoping for one of those articles which carefully sets out what how exactly current events are fulfilling Daniel and Revelation. Given that few of those who read it seem to have gone on to become regular Faithroots readers, I suspect that most did and have gone away disappointed.
I don’t believe that Revelation is meant to give us the script and schedule for the end times, if by “end times” we mean the last few years, months, weeks and days before Christ returns. Rather, my take is that in Revelation, the risen Lord Jesus invites us into the throne room of heaven to see God’s perspective on the whole of history, from the end. The purpose of this is so that we can know how to live godly lives for Christ in our present circumstances.
This means that the book of Revelation does have a lot to say about Israel and Gaza now, just not in the way that we expected. In fact, what I’d like to do is to invite you to place yourself in the shoes of believers living in the Middle East right now. What is God saying through his Word to them? This will help us think about how we apply Revelation to our own circumstances.
Revelation offers a series of visions, perspectives on history using specific imagery. After the first vision of the risen Jesus (ch 1) and letters given to seven churches in Turkey (2-3), John sees visions of God acting in judgement with imagery that involves seven seals that bind up a scroll being broken (ch4 -ch8:5), seven trumpets being sounded to herald and warn of coming terror (ch8:6-14:20) and seven bowls containing the wrath of God being poured out onto the earth (ch 15-16). The book finishes with a vision of the new creation with the bride of Christ coming out of heaven, appearing as the new city of Jerusalem.
The uniting theme of the visions is that God’s judgement comes through famine, plague, economic hardship and war. If you live in Israel or the Gaza strip right now, then this will be very real to you. For Gaza’s Palestinians, it has meant life since 2007 under a regime that shows little interest in your well-being preferring to siphon off funds and fuel for weapons. Hamas have focused on their underground network leaving relief agencies, the UN and Israel to look after the well-being of those above ground. Now, even the outside supplied electricity and water is being turned off whilst the schools and hospitals are hit by bombardment in the crossfire. Meanwhile Israelis have had their peace shattered time and time again by rocket attacks which leave them running to shelters, the atrocities of October 7th brought rape, kidnapping, torture and murder to their doorsteps. The BDS movement seeks to cut off Israel economically so that civilians suffer for the sins of their government.
In Revelation 7:1-8, there are four angels sent to bring judgement on the earth, the stand at the four corners, ready, holding back the wind of judgement, ready to unleash it. WE are of course not meant to think of this as a flat earth, the imagery is perhaps symbolic of a map. In fact, when you look at Revelation 9:14, you find the angels restrained at the Euphrates so that the focus may be less on the whole earth as on the land (the word could conceivably refer to both), aparticularly geographical context. In John’s days his readers might have thought about potential encroaching Roman legions ready to sack Jerusalem and destroy the temple in ~Ad70. They may also have later begun to be aware of gathering Barbarian hordes on the borders of the empire, ready to destroy Rome and its civilisation.
Palestinian Christians in Gaza will immediately identify with that sense of being under siege, penned in by the IDF to the north and east with Egypt controlling the border to the south of Gaza. Israeli Christians might also have sense of being hemmed in on all sides, for the past 75 years Israel has been surrounded by states and entities vowing her utter destruction. Today Israel faces conflict on at least two fronts with Hamas to the west and Hizballah to the north. Meanwhile, Iran to the east and Yeme to the south also posture.
It is important then that our brothers and sisters are able to see why the four angels have been restrained in Revelation. It’s to enable God’s people to be sealed, marked out, hidden in Christ to be kept safe. Revelation 7:1-8 points to 144000 sealed for safety. To avoid any misunderstanding, v9ff makes it clear that this sealed people of God, kept safe through to the end are from every tribe and tongue, this is not the promise of national salvation, God’s people are not an ethnic entity.
This primary point is repeated throughout the book. God’s people may feel hemmed in, they will experience persecution and suffering. The world is in constant upheaval but God’s people are kept safe. Indeed, even as we read about tribulation, we are pointed to Christ’s millennial reign with his people. This is not, as I read it, a future literal 1000 years. Rather, we are being shown that throughout the long years of history, Christ is reigning, victorious, his kingdom is increasing (Ch20:4-6).
And all of this: the suffering, tribulation, trials and tragedy as well as the victorious reign of Christ with those who overcome through him is towards one great and glorious outcome, the return of Christ to be with his bride, the church (The New Jerusalem) and to reign triumphant for ever (ch 21-22).
For Arab and Jewish Christians living in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, this is good news. In the midst of horror, atrocity and suffering, they can see the following:
- This was never a surprise to God. It is all in his plan.
- They have been sealed, marked out, hidden in Christ to be kept safe.
- Suffering and trials now are temporary.
- They have this great hope, the promised return of Christ and the vindication of his people.
This may not be the application of Revelation to Israel that many expected, were looking for or even wanted. However, I believe it offers a better and more concrete hope than many of today’s apocalyptic speculations do. It also reminds us that when we experience that sense of being hemmed in, when we suffer persecution that we have the same hope and the same motivation to godly living.
Faithroots 