Is Today’s War in Israel Part of God’s Prophetic Plan?
Guest Commentary
Audio By Carbonatix
By Judy McEachran, Crosswalk.com
After 736 days of unimaginable suffering, a peace agreement is finally being negotiated. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust—1,200 Israelis murdered, over 250 civilians taken hostage. Hamas released videos showing hostages like Evyatar near death, emaciated, and forced to dig his own grave. Many suffered savage torture, darkness, and psychological and sexual abuse.
The war that followed has brought devastating loss to both sides. Palestinian civilians—many of whom have no love for Hamas—have endured terrible suffering, caught in the crossfire of a conflict perpetuated by a terrorist organization that uses them as human shields, stores weapons in schools and hospitals, and launches attacks from civilian areas. The tragedy is compounded because Hamas ensures maximum civilian casualties to generate international sympathy while they hide in tunnels beneath Gaza.
Thanks to negotiations led by President Trump, the first stages of a peace agreement are underway. The deal involves releasing 48 hostages (20 believed alive), partial IDF withdrawal from Gaza, and the controversial exchange of 2,000 Palestinian prisoners—including 250 serving life sentences for terrorism—for Israel's remaining hostages.
Israel's Brigadier General Amir Avivi voiced legitimate concerns: this unequal exchange could enable Hamas to rebuild its crumbling empire. Which raises the question: How did we reach this point? And why does Hamas seek Israel's annihilation?
Understanding the Land and "Palestine"
Historical illiteracy clouds the Israeli-Hamas conflict. The Hamas Charter of 1988 explicitly calls for the elimination of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state "from the river to the sea"—from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean. This phrase, now chanted at protests worldwide, literally means erasing Israel from the map. Many who use this slogan claim it's simply about Palestinian freedom, but Hamas's own documents make clear it means the complete destruction of the Jewish state. Even though Hamas released a revised document in 2017, it still refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist and continues to promote armed resistance. Their goal remains to "liberate" all of Palestine, which in their definition includes Israel itself.
But let's examine the word "Palestine" itself.
The term derives from "Philistia," a Roman designation imposed after Rome crushed the Jewish revolt in AD 135, deliberately chosen to erase Jewish identity from the land. Here's the truth: Palestine was never a sovereign Arab nation. It was a geographical region—not a country—inhabited by Canaanites, Israelites, Philistines, and later controlled by the Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Ottoman, and British empires.
After World War I, Britain administered the British Mandate of Palestine (1917–1948). In 1947, the U.N. proposed partitioning the land into Jewish and Arab states. Jews accepted. Arabs rejected it—viewing the partition as European powers dividing land their families had lived on for generations—and attacked Israel the day after independence was declared in 1948. While we can understand why Arabs felt dispossessed, the rejection of a two-state solution and the immediate resort to violence set the stage for decades of conflict.
The relentless cry is "We want our land back"—yet Arab nations collectively control over 99% of Middle Eastern territory. The Arab-Muslim world spans over 5 million square miles across 22 nations. Israel? Under 9,000 square miles—one-sixth the size of Maine, roughly the size of New Jersey. That's less than 1% of the Middle East.
It's true that over the past century, a distinct Palestinian identity has emerged among Arabs living in this region—an identity forged through displacement, conflict, and shared struggle. But this doesn't change the historical reality: there was never a sovereign Palestinian state to reclaim.
This demand for "a little more land" masks the real motive: not territory, but the total annihilation of the Jewish people, echoing Hitler's failed attempt. If land were truly the issue, why didn't the Palestinian Liberation Organization demand a state when Jordan controlled the West Bank and Egypt controlled Gaza before 1967? This antisemitism runs deeper than politics; it’s a spiritual battle.
This tiny sliver of land remains the center of global attention, exactly as Scripture foretold: "On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves" (Zechariah 12:3). And Ezekiel 5:5 describes Jerusalem as the city "which I (God) have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her."
The Truth about Jewish Claims to the Land
Jerusalem—mentioned over 1,000 times in both Testaments—was established as Israel's capital by King David around 1000 BC, more than 1,500 years before Muhammad was born. By contrast, Jerusalem never appears in the Quran.
Let me be clear: Israel's government, like any government, is imperfect. Israeli leaders make mistakes, and Israeli citizens themselves hold widely diverse political views about how to achieve peace and security. But our support isn't based on governmental perfection—it's based on God's irrevocable covenant with the Jewish people and His prophetic plan for this land.
The ongoing battle to wipe out Israel is a spiritual battle that will continue, at some degree, until Jesus returns and establishes His eternal reign. Senator Marco Rubio captured this reality powerfully at Israel's Ministerial Conference on Combating Antisemitism: "Antisemitism is the world's oldest bigotry, and given that we are all here today, it is also the world's most futile. Egyptian pharaohs, Roman emperors, Persian shahs, and Middle Eastern despots have sought to destroy the nation of Israel. Adolf Hitler dreamed of a world without Jews, an idea he shares with Hamas. Today, these regimes and empires have crumbled into dust, but Israel stands, and the Jewish people prosper."
Biblical Prophecy and Modern Israel
God repeatedly promised through the prophets that the Jews would be regathered in Israel: "I will bring back My exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them... I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted" (Amos 9:14–15).
For nearly 2,000 years, Jewish people were scattered through persecutions, exile, and relentless attempts at genocide. Yet they preserved their identity, language, and faith. In 1948, against impossible odds, Israel was reborn—unprecedented in world history and precisely aligned with prophecy (Ezekiel 36:24; Isaiah 43:5–6).
Consider Ezekiel's vision—the valley of dry bones: "These bones shall live... I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will settle you in your own land" (Ezekiel 37:11-14). The Holocaust left the Jewish people like dry bones scattered across the earth. Yet within three years, Israel was reborn.
Isaiah 54:17 declares that "no weapon forged against you will prevail"—echoing Rubio's statement that those who opposed the Jews have crumbled, yet Israel stands.
Survival Against All Odds
From 1948 to today, Israel has faced invasion by surrounding armies vastly superior in size:
-1948–49 War of Independence: Survived against five Arab nations
-1967 Six-Day War: Triumphed in under a week, reclaiming Jerusalem and the Golan Heights
-1973 Yom Kippur War: Nearly defeated, then turned the tide
-Hamas and Hezbollah Conflicts: Despite rockets and terror tunnels, Israel remains standing
Jerusalem remains the focal point of global contention—exactly as prophesied: "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding people’s reeling…all who try to move it will injure themselves” (Zechariah 12:2–3).
Israel's Chosen Status
God's choice of Israel is based not on merit but on His love and covenant faithfulness: "The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession... because the Lord loved you and kept the oath He swore to your ancestors" (Deuteronomy 7:6-8).
Israel's calling is to reveal God's holiness: "You will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:5-6).
Today, many Jewish people are discovering their Messiah. Dr. Erez Soref, president of ONE FOR ISRAEL, grew up in a synagogue yet knew nothing of Jesus. While searching for truth, he met believers who told him, “Jesus is Jewish!” Reading the New Testament alongside his Hebrew Scriptures, he saw the prophecies fulfilled. Now he passionately declares that Jesus is not only the Messiah of the Gentiles, but of the Jews as well.
The Apostle Peter, who walked with Jesus, used covenant language for both Jewish and Gentile believers: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession" (1 Peter 2:9).
God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is everlasting. Gentile believers are grafted in, sharing Israel's spiritual inheritance—not replacing it (Ephesians 2:12-14, 19).
If you've struggled with this issue or been taught replacement theology, you're not alone. Many sincere Christians wrestle with how to reconcile modern geopolitics with ancient promises. But here's what we can agree on: God keeps His promises. If He can remain faithful to Israel despite millennia of rebellion and failure, how much more will He remain faithful to you? Watching Him fulfill prophecy with Israel should ignite our confidence in every promise He's made to us.
Even in Revelation, God's covenant identity with Israel remains: "144,000 from all the tribes of Israel" (Revelation 7:4-8).
From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture consistently portrays Israel as God's chosen people—chosen for a covenant relationship and a redemptive purpose. Through Christ, that covenant expands to all who believe, but Israel's land and people remain central in God's plan.
Those who spiritualize Israel as merely a metaphor for "the church" deny both the historical reality and the biblical covenantal promises. Erasing Israel's literal identity undermines God's faithfulness to His Word.
Our Response: Faith Without Fear
As believers, we need not fear wars and rumors of wars but should "look up, for our redemption draws nigh" (Luke 21:28). God's plan has been unfolding from the beginning and will continue according to His purpose. As Psalm 59:8 reminds us, God laughs at rebellious nations—He remains supremely sovereign.
Israel will prevail, not through military might alone, but because of God's "everlasting covenant" with Abraham (Genesis 17:7-8), promising the land as a "permanent possession." Psalm 105:9-11 reiterates this promise, calling it an "everlasting covenant."
For those who support Israel, God promises blessings: "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse" (Genesis 12:3). Our stance toward Israel matters—not just politically, but eternally.
The Bible calls us to pray for Jerusalem's peace (Psalm 122:6-8)—not only for political stability, but for the deeper peace that comes from God's rule in every heart. One day, that peace will be complete when the Prince of Peace, Jesus, reigns forever, as described in Revelation 21 and 22.
Even if this present peace agreement holds, we know there will ultimately be Armageddon, the final war between God and evil (Revelation 16:16; 19:11-21). But here's the Good News: this ushers in Christ's eternal reign. "The dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them...He will wipe every tear from their eyes...there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21:3-4).
Until that day comes, we have a sacred responsibility. In this hour, when darkness presses in and nations rage, we have the unspeakable privilege of crying out to the God who hears and who never breaks His word (Numbers 23:19).
Let’s Pray for Israel
Lord of all creation,
We obey Your command to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels'" (Psalm 122:6-7).
We ask for the safe return and healing of the hostages, wisdom for Israel’s leaders, and protection for Your chosen people.
Father, You promised Abraham to bless those who bless Israel. We stand with Israel, honoring what You have blessed and trusting Your promise that through them all nations will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).
Thank you for Your peace to us, and to Israel. Now, may You, the Prince of Peace, reign in every heart, and may Your glory be revealed until every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord. In His name we pray,
Amen.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/zabelin
Judy McEachran is a passionate worshiper and seasoned pastor who brings together her love for music and ministry to inspire and uplift others. An ordained pastor and accomplished musician, she has spent years encouraging believers through her heartfelt sermons and soul-stirring music. After serving congregations in the Midwest, she and her husband, who was also a pastor, relocated to Arizona upon retirement. Deeply moved by God's unwavering love and His faithfulness through the years, Judy writes from a pastor's heart to encourage and strengthen faith in a believer's walk with Jesus. With the support of her husband, sons, and their families, Judy continues to use her gifts to glorify God. Her YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/@JudyMcEachran, features music that invites listeners to experience the Lord’s presence in a profound and personal way.
