Throughout the Word there are descriptions of the Promised Land, stories of men and women reaching that land, living in it, being thrust out of it, brought back in, then again being thrown out. The Word and the history books speak of this journey of God’s people to be in the land of promise. Yet, it is only the Word which speaks of the Promised Land’s—Israel’s—future beyond recent events.
While there is more than one prophecy in God’s Word which speaks of the rebirth of Israel that we witnessed in the 20th Century, Isaiah 35 speaks perhaps most eloquently of the future of Israel and the Jewish people.
The New King James Version entitles Isaiah 35, “The Future Glory of Zion.”
“The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the excellency of our God.
“Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.’
“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water…
“A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray.
No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; it shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness,and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
—Isaiah 35:1-10
Zion—also known as Israel or the Promised Land—has been restored to God’s people. Yet there is still much to be done to bring the fullness of prophecy to life. The desert—and all the land—has begun to bloom like the rose, but at the moment it is like a bud not yet blossomed. Its potential is within reach, but its fruit—its rose—is not yet ready to be harvested.
This is where we come in—you and I as Gentiles. This is where the prophecy spoken by Isaiah takes shape…
“The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
“Lift up your eyes all around, and see: they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.
The multitude of camels shall cover your land… they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord… They shall ascend with acceptance on My altar, and I will glorify the house of My glory.
“Who are these who fly like a cloud, and like doves to their roosts? Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me; and the ships of Tarshish will come first, to bring your sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them, to the name of the Lord your God,and to the Holy One of Israel, because He has glorified you.
“The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in My wrath I struck you, but in My favor I have had mercy on you. Therefore your gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day or night, that men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, and their kings in procession.
For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish,and those nations shall be utterly ruined.”
—Isaiah 60:3-12 (emphasis added)
The Gentiles—now grafted in to the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—are prophesied to restore the land of Israel, to bring wealth and prosperity to her people. This is no small thing, yet, it is what the Word says… it is what God says.
Still, what is it that we are meant to do to partner in the fulfillment of this prophecy?
Are we somehow meant to give up all we have so it can be fulfilled, wasting away in poverty and lack so God’s Word takes flight? No. We are meant to work together. We are meant to listen to God so that we can find creative solutions to bringing prophecy to life. We are meant to share the load so that we are not wasting in lack, but instead blessed as Genesis 12:3 promises to those of us who bless the sons and daughters of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…
“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” —Genesis 12:3
We are meant to be blessed just as the descendants of Abraham are, because we have been grafted into the promise of Israel. Yet, we MUST take action. In Genesis 12:3, God did not say that those who consider blessing you—Abraham and his descendants—will be blessed. No. God said that those WHO BLESS you—Abraham and his descendants—will be blessed. This blessing is ours for the taking, but we cannot sit on the sidelines and expect to receive the blessing and joy of participating.
So, how can we bless Israel and the descendants of Abraham? What can we do to not only receive our own blessing but see God’s prophecy fulfilled?
There are many options, but one way is to give a gift that keeps on giving—causing the desert to bloom in the natural just as the people of Israel blossom.
At My Olive Tree we work toward that end. We, through the generous support of people like YOU, have brought grape vines to the desert… Fruiting trees to the King’s Valley where Jesus is expected to walk on His triumphant return to Jerusalem… Olive groves in the desert for families struggling to survive against fire-bombs of all sorts and the BDS movement—boycotts, divestments, and sanctions movement, which bans Israeli products and goods being sold. On and on… YOU have and continue to bring jobs, beauty, and life, not only to the desert, but to ALL of Israel… to all God’s children residing there.
YOUR giving makes a difference in the lives of thousands upon thousands of people. It provides jobs, displays remembrance of and for hundreds of Holocaust victims, and reminds the people of Israel that God listens to them and remembers His promises. It reminds them that God is not a man that He should lie, and His Word does not come back void. Prophecy is and WILL continue to be fulfilled in the days to come!
By supporting a fruiting tree, grape vine, or other life producing plants in Israel, YOU are not only providing the tree or vine, but giving the means to support and nurture it until it is able to bring valuable jobs and produce to those in need.
If YOU would like to be a part of prophecy fulfilled—be it for the first time or hundredth—you can do so HERE! YOU can be a light to God’s children and receive the blessing of Genesis 12:3…
“I will bless those who bless you,
and I will curse him who curses you;
and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”