Question: Why doesn’t Israel have defined borders?
The borders are defined, for the future events, some of which are described below!
Hence, Numbers 34 and Ezekiel 47 define different but similar borders which include the whole of contemporary Lebanon, both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and Israel, except for the South Negev and Eilat. Small parts of Syria are also included.
It must be remembered that the so-called “occupied territories”, are the land area’s that Israel took over after being attacked from those areas, without provocation, during the attacks since 1948!
Israel agreed to relinquish Gaza to the PA, in return for a peaceful co-existence, but the PA did not honour that agreement, which has made Israel more determined to defend itself, after their experience of the Holocaust!
Google: How does Israel justify the settlements?
Israel has justified its civilian settlements by stating that a temporary use of land and buildings for various purposes appears permissible under a plea of military necessity and that the settlements fulfilled security needs.
In the case of Isaiah 66:8, the reference is without doubt that of Israel's 2nd birth! Many say that such is not possible "in one day"! However; in the context of modern Israel, it has already happened! On the 14th day of May 1948, the nation was legally born in the context of the Balfour declaration, which was Ratified by the "San Remo Conference" and Declared by the League of nations, (now called "United Nations"). Although the new nation of Israel was immediately attacked by all the Arab nations surrounding it, it prevailed; which proved the verses Isaiah 66:9-13, showing the covering Almighty God has on Israel, as His chosen People. The Scriptures of Daniel, Isaiah, Obadiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, (Joel in particular); summarised by Jesus in Matthew 24 and 25! The progress has been slowed so far by the resistances of Israel's enemies; however, Judah has yet to be reinstated with Israel, together with Samaria; which cannot be stopped; as Almighty God has declared it, (Joel 2:21;3:1,8,19,20, & Ezek. 37:16-20)! The book of Joel shows the slowing down of the full Birth of the New nation of Israel, but the 3rd Chapter shows the Final result, as also Obadiah! The summation of the matter is shown in Psalm 2!
There is to be a great shaking of Edom (Jordon), to resolve the "controversy of Zion" (Isa.34:8); which will involve other of Israel's enemies, notably Egypt, (Ezek.29-32), and many references in Scripture!
When all of the above are taken into consideration, we have a very possible timeline as to the many prophecies related to "the end times" as shown throughout the Bible. The fact that Israel has been a nation again (reborn) for now more than 70 years; (Biblical 7 and 70 Significance) and when considering the uncertain date of Christ's Birth in the context of the 2nd Temple destruction; we may well be in profoundly close proximity to the completion of the 2nd. birth of Israel; with all that implies, (Joel 3:21)!
A strong indicator of the nearness of the prophecy given by Jesus, in reiteration of Daniel in Matt. 24; is to watch the progress that will be made by Israel in the project of their next Temple in Jerusalem!
That progress can be trusted, as Jesus only ever spoke Truth, as He said a few times; “I only say what My Father in Heaven has given Me to say”!
The Future?
What is evident to even the casual observer, and the regular news broadcasts, is that Jerusalem is an unusually special place! Its geographical location is such that it sits on the cross-roads of the old land trade routes from east to west, and north and south; and has been a disputed site for millennia in the ebb and flow of local powers, as they waxed and waned. Since the Roman occupation and the dispersion of the Jews from their Land, of which Jerusalem was their Capital, various peoples have had dominion there, all of them defined as Gentiles by Biblical definition.
Since 1917 and the taking of Jerusalem by General Allenby (ably assisted and maneuvered by T.E. Lawrence, of Arabia fame) much turmoil and conflict has ensued between the various factions. Despite the WW1 victory releasing the whole area from the control of the Ottomans (some WW1 historians attribute much credit to Allenby and Lawrence, and go as far as to say that without the victory in Palestine, the Germans would not have conceded!)
The division of the land area between the Arab powers, including Israel, has been a vexed subject, and progress has been very painful and patchy. A clear winner was the Saudi family, whose oil wealth has been/is pivotal to so much Mid-East politics.
A clear starting point for seeing the Hand of The Almighty in recent events (relatively speaking), was the “Balfour Declaration” of 1917:
The Balfour Declaration (dated 2 November 1917) was a letter from the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour to Baron Rothschild (Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild), a leader of the British Jewish community, for transmission to the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland.
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, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.[1]
The text of the letter was published in the press one week later, on 9 November 1917.[2] The "Balfour Declaration" was later incorporated into the Sèvres
peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire and the Mandate for Palestine. The original document is kept at the British Library. ETC.
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