The Key to the Middle East by Derek Prince

Author:Derek Prince
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: REL012110, REL006140, Jews—Restoration, Bible—Prophecies—Israel, Israel
ISBN: 9781441262271
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2013-10-08T16:00:00+00:00

7

Whose Is the Land?

We must now face one of the most controversial issues in modern politics. It centers on a relatively small area of the earth’s surface that, at various times in its history, has been known as the land of Canaan, the land of Israel, the Holy Land and Palestine. Part of this area is occupied currently by the modern state of Israel; the remainder is occupied by four surrounding Arab nations: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt.

These Arab nations, together with other Arab nations in the Middle East, have been generally hostile to Israel. They have rejected Israel’s claim to that part of the land it currently occupies; and, even more emphatically, they have rejected any claim to the whole area designated originally as the land of Israel.

Israel and these other nations continue to make claims and counter-claims, expressing different points of view and based on different periods of the land’s history. I doubt whether any human court in existence today could pronounce a final, authoritative settlement of all these claims, acceptable to all the parties involved.

In view of this, I will appeal to a higher authority: the Bible. For those who accept the authority of the Bible, the ownership of the land is settled clearly and unambiguously.

One verse of Scripture declares the final, inalienable ownership of this land, as well as all other lands: “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1).

By right of creation, God owns the entire earth and everything in it. The disposition God makes of any part of the earth, therefore, is sufficient to settle its ownership. Out of the whole earth, there is one particular area to which God lays special claim: the land of Israel.

In several passages of Scripture, God calls this “my land.” Let us look at just two of these passages, both of which refer to situations in which Gentile nations are planning something in relation to the land and its people that is contrary to the will of God.

First, Ezekiel’s prophecy looks toward an invasion of Israel by the northern confederacy of Gog and Magog at the close of this age. God Himself is speaking:

“You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.”

Ezekiel 38:16, emphasis added

The second passage is found in the prophet Joel. Again, God is speaking:

“I will gather all nations

and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.

There I will enter into judgment against them

concerning my inheritance, my people Israel,

for they scattered my people among the nations

and divided up my land.”

Joel 3:2, emphasis added

Three times in these passages God calls Israel “my people,” and twice He calls their land “my land.” We see, therefore, that God lays special claim to the land of Israel. He is most emphatic about this claim when the integrity of the land is challenged by Gentile nations.

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