If you’re like me, you never thought much about the Gaza Strip before October 7. I knew Hamas—the ruling organization that governs the Strip—was considered a terrorist group by the United States government, hated Israel, and launched rockets into the Jewish state every few months.

I recently learned that for years in southern Israel, many small kibbutz towns allowed Gazans to cross the border to work in their communities. The pay in Israel was more than what they would make in Gaza. Many Israelis who lived in the south believed they could achieve peace with the people of Gaza by giving them a chance to make a better life for themselves and their families by working alongside their Israeli neighbors.

We now know many of those workers were giving information about the families in the kibbutzim to Hamas, who then used the information to go systematically from home to home, killing, torturing, and kidnapping families. I still shudder in disbelief, thinking of the evil carried out on that terrible October day.

Living in a Post-October 7 World

On October 7, something forever changed. I am not Jewish, but I have visited Israel several times, and my love for the Jewish people—driven by my theology—runs deep. Israelis have a determination many of us have only read about in our history books, mirroring early American life. They are proud to be back in their homeland, working hard to make it flourish and blessing the world with their innovations.

On October 7, something forever changed.

I’ve studied how the Jewish people bought much of the land in Israel and developed the swampy mess and desert into a blooming country. People can have their own opinions on whether the modern State of Israel has done everything correctly over the last 75 years, but no one can deny its sovereignty.

What changed for many of us on October 7 and the days following? It awakened new generations to the love and defense of Israel and its right to exist, which is known as Zionism. Sadly, it also awakened a new wave of antisemitism that many have never witnessed. 

Israel and Gaza’s Hard Past and Sad Present

With renewed passion for defending Israel and the Jewish people, I knew I needed to learn more about Israel’s history with Gaza. So I looked in our Israel My Glory magazine archives. One of the first places I saw Hamas mentioned was on a timeline of modern Israel in the November/December 2003 issue of Israel My Glory. In 1994, Hamas led a Palestinian protest against the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Those who had no desire for peace in the region thwarted the path to peace in bold and destructive ways.

But this pattern was already established, according to Bruce Scott’s November/December 2001 article, “Duplicity: The PA [Palestinian Authority] Strategy to Destroy Israel.” Palestinian leadership was offered peace, land, and autonomy in the region again and again, only to respond with violence towards its neighbors. What was Israel to do? 

We have heard and read Palestinian sympathizers’ calls for Israel to “stop the occupation.” So I looked into these claims of Israeli occupation of Gaza. What I found was the opposite: Israel left Gaza completely in 2005. I assumed this was a peaceful pullout of the Israeli military from the region. It was not peaceful nor simply a withdrawal of military personnel. Thousands of Israeli civilians were forced from their homes and livelihoods in Gaza. For many reasons, Israel decided the best solution towards peace and curbing violence against its people would be leaving Gaza and closing its borders.

The cost of leaving Gaza was great. According to the September/October 2005 article “Slated for Destruction: Life in Gush Katif,”

When Israel abandons Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip, it will walk away from 21 communities that house schools, businesses, farms, and 900 acres of high-tech hothouses that yield nearly 70 percent of all Israel’s organic fruits and vegetables and 90 percent of its cherry tomato exports.

In the 20 or so years they have been there, Israelis have turned this rugged land, considered cursed by the Arabs, into a region of luscious produce, brilliant flowers, and aromatic spices. Gush Katif’s famous bug-free vegetables are shipped around the world, generating annual export revenues of $60 million. So far the Palestinians have rebuffed Israel’s efforts to help them take over these assets.

Peace has always been Israel’s desire. And the sad plight of Gaza is the result of a people who refuse peace.

Hindsight is often 20/20. We know now Israel leaving Gaza left Hamas with an opportunity to take over via election. And Israel is no closer to peace in the region than it was 20 years ago. But history does not lie. Peace has always been Israel’s desire. And the sad plight of Gaza is the result of a people who refuse peace. 

Helpful Resources for Learning More

If you have a new or renewed passion for learning more about Israel like I do, here are few recommendations:

• Read It is No Dream by Elwood McQuaid. Dr. McQuaid is a former executive director of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry and has a unique perspective of biblical knowledge coupled with a personal investment in supporting the modern State of Israel. 

• Subscribe to Israel My Glory magazine online and learn from the archives. This has been most helpful for me as I’ve strived to learn more about the history between Israel and the Palestinian people. Most importantly, it has also been a constant source of help as I gain more biblical knowledge. 

• Stay curious and seek the truth. The Bereans, to whom Paul ministered (Acts 17:10–12), taught us this principle in regards to God’s Word, and it should be our way of life. It is easy to look through the incomplete lens of our Western thinking when we evaluate Israel’s decisions. This is why I enjoy reading Jewish or Israeli news sources. There are excellent publications such as Jewish News Syndicate, Israel National News, and The Jerusalem Post that give a clear picture of situations most of our news simplifies. 

We would love to hear what has helped you as a supporter of Israel. List your suggestions in the comments below. And please, let us not stop praying for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

About the Author

“Shema Yisrael Adonai eloheinu Adonai ehad”—“Hear, O Israel, the Lᴏʀᴅ is our God, the Lᴏʀᴅ is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

To this day within Judaism, the Shema is recited as a prayer and a declaration of faith in one God. This ritual does not necessarily always stem from a devoted, submissive, faithful heart, though. Sometimes, a ritual is just a ritual. It’s just tradition. Sadly, for many, this prayer is habitually recited from lips belonging to a disengaged heart. However, those who truly love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength will obey Him and will not go after other gods when their faith in Him becomes inconvenient. 

Israel Settles for Less

When we read the Old Testament, we can grow weary of the repeated return of God’s Chosen People to idolatry. Again and again, Israel’s heart worshiped lesser things. But 1 Corinthians 10:1–22 reminds us that Israel’s spiritual adultery was recorded for our benefit. We must recognize our own heart’s inclination towards idolatry and flee that temptation (v.14). 

We must recognize our own heart’s inclination towards idolatry and flee that temptation.

Fear seems to play a key role in the human propensity to run after idols instead of bowing the knee to the Lord. For example, when the land allotments were made for the tribes of Israel, the tribe of Dan was allotted a strip of the Mediterranean coastal plain where Joppa is located. Beautiful location, but terrible neighbors… remember the Philistines? So instead of facing their fears and taking the land God had promised them, they decided to settle all the way up to the northernmost border, conquered Leshem (Laish), and renamed it “Dan” (Joshua 19:40–48; Judges 18). Real imaginative, weren’t they? In those days, “from Dan to Beersheva” became the catchphrase for the land of Israel from north to south.

Jeroboam’s Fear Leads to Idolatry

With Solomon’s Temple being built in the city of Jerusalem, the Ark of the Covenant came to rest in the holy of holies there. Unfortunately, Solomon did not remain faithful to the Lord and allowed the most heinous idolatry to be practiced in the land. In light of Solomon’s terrible leadership into idolatry, a servant who had grown up in Solomon’s palace received an amazing opportunity. His name: Jeroboam—not to be confused with Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. 

Rehoboam took the throne in Jerusalem after his father, but God tore the 10 northern tribes of Israel from Solomon’s house and gave them to Jeroboam to rule over with the potential for “a sure house, as I built for David” (1 Kings 11:38). God would still keep His covenant with David, but this was to afflict David’s descendants so that they might learn that God is a jealous God, and idolatry is never the answer. Jeroboam had so much potential for true greatness in this moment! What would he do with this great opportunity?

As He said He would, God divided the rule of His people into the northern kingdom, Israel, ruled by Jeroboam, and the southern kingdom, Judah, ruled by Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:1–24). This was it! This was Jeroboam’s chance at greatness! A true Cinderella story—from servant to king! 

As Jeroboam built Shechem and Peniel, he started thinking about how the children of Israel were commanded by God to travel to Jerusalem’s Temple for sacrifice every year. Suddenly, he got a case of the “what-ifs.” “What if the people go to Jerusalem? What if they decide they like Rehoboam better? What if they revolt against me? I can’t let that happen!”

Jeroboam’s fear motivated him to seek advice, which in and of itself, is not a bad idea. Scripture says there is safety in a multitude of counselors (Proverbs 11:14). Of course, Solomon wrote that, so maybe Jeroboam might have been privy to that piece of wisdom. The problem is that it does not appear that Jeroboam brought his fear to the Lord or asked for direction from the One who gave him this kingdom in the first place. 

Jeroboam ended up getting some terrible advice (1 Kings 12:28–30). He made two golden calves and set one in Bethel and one in Dan. “How convenient! You at the northern border don’t need to make the long trek down south! Here are the gods that delivered you from Egypt! You can worship them from the comfort of your own home. Here you go!” But when has setting up a golden calf ever boded well for the Israelites? Never! 

God Is Jealous for His People

Let us consider the ugly results of fear, idolatry, and rebellion against the Lord. Jeroboam did, in fact, become a household name, but not one of greatness. His name was forever linked to wickedness and idolatry. Check out this lineup of wicked kings who walked in his ways—Nadab (1 Kings 15:30), Baasha (v. 34), Elah (16:13), Zimri (v. 19), Omri (vv. 16:25–26), Ahab (vv. 30–33), Ahaziah (22:51–53), Jehoram (2 Kings 3:3), Jehoahaz (13:2), Joash (v. 11), Jeroboam II (14:24), Zechariah (15:9), Menahem (v. 15:18), Pekahiah (v. 24), Pekah (v. 28). This pattern continued until judgment came to Israel in the form of exile to Assyria (2 Kings 17). And these are just the northern kings who followed in the ways of Jeroboam! The southern kingdom of Judah embraced hideous acts of idolatry and eventually was judged with exile too.

When you read this historical account of wicked king after wicked king, do you also see the longsuffering, patient, merciful, and just nature of an omnipotent God who is jealous for the love of His Chosen People?

It’s not enough for us to sit here and point our fingers at ancient Israel, though. When you read this historical account of wicked king after wicked king, do you also see the longsuffering, patient, merciful, and just nature of an omnipotent God who is jealous for the love of His Chosen People? Do you see how He faithfully sent His prophets with words of His desire for His people? Do you see how He faithfully judged His people and warned them of the horrors of idolatry, including sacrificing their own children into the arms of the pagan god Molech? 

The altar of convenience always takes more than it gives. Why would anyone choose idolatry over God? Yet, if we were honest with ourselves, fear also drives us to our own brand of idolatry. I, too, am guilty of making sacrifices on the “altar of convenience.” God is indeed a jealous God, and we would do well to remember that the next time fear suggests an alternative.

About the Author

Growing up I read lots of Bible storybooks. Joshua and the battle of Jericho, David and Goliath, Jonah and the fish, Jesus and His miracles—all favorites that built my love for Scripture as a young kid. And sure, I appreciated that these stories took place in Israel. But it’s one thing to enjoy them on a page. It’s another thing entirely to stand where they actually happened.

I got my chance to visit where all four of those accounts took place plus dozens more with my wife and 23 others this past March and April. All my Israel tour veteran friends had lots of advice for me—pack lightly, wear layers, drink plenty of water, take lots of pictures, always keep your passport on you, bring a ton of spending money. But the one thing they all agreed on was that I’d never read the Bible the same way again, that it turns the black and white of Scripture into color.

Israel’s Beauty Fulfills Scripture

I couldn’t agree more! This place I’d seen depicted in flannelgraphs, picture books, movies, and TV shows all suddenly became a living, breathing entity. Israel’s land has a personality.  And it isn’t just a desert landscape. It should be, as it sits in the Middle East region dominated almost exclusively by dry, arid wasteland. Yet we were seeing a glimpse of the still-to-be-fulfilled prophecy of Isaiah 35:1 and 6 before our eyes: “The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.”

This place I’d seen depicted in flannelgraphs, picture books, movies, and TV shows all suddenly became a living, breathing entity.

We saw the desert rejoice from east to west, north to south. All kinds of colorful flowers blossomed along the roads and throughout meadows, with brilliant pops of red, yellow, and purple catching our eyes. We saw beautiful waters and streams bursting forth in many forms in Israel, bordered to the west by the magnificent Mediterranean Sea. From the bright teal of the salty Dead Sea to the calm, pure blue of the Sea of Galilee to the green-tinted Jordan River to the crystal springs in Caesarea Philippi and the Jezreel Valley, Israel’s waterways spring up throughout many corners of a land that was once wilderness and desert. 

Israel’s History Lives on Today

Beyond its beauty, the land drew me because it brought to life the biblical accounts so foundational to my faith. My first wake-up call came where one of my favorites of Scripture’s dramas took place. We’d only been in Israel a couple hours before stepping in the sandals of David, the shepherd boy from lowly Bethlehem, who would later rule over the whole nation of Israel as its great king. Our tour bus took us up a winding mountain and dropped us at the foot of a steep slope. We climbed to the top to get a good look at what lay before us: a massive stretch of land with hills, forests, plains, and highways. 

At the center lay the Valley of Elah, the site of David and Goliath’s great confrontation. Boom. Instant perspective change. It wasn’t just a Sunday School illustration of a boy slinging a stone at a giant anymore. Now it was a real event with real people, a real struggle in the Promised Land of Israel. I could see the details of the land before me, where the valley narrowed and set up the perfect place for David to challenge Goliath man to man. God chose this site to set up this battle as a demonstration of His power and deliverance of His people. 

We stopped at the brook where David gathered five smooth stones for his showdown with Goliath. That stream today is nearly dried up and runs under a road that wasn’t created until thousands of years later. Yet we were standing in the same place David did in his great display of faith. This was the first time I felt the black-and-white pages turning to color. 

Sailing on the Sea of Galilee and reaching my hand out to touch the water He once walked upon made me fall deeper in love with Him.

I enjoyed visiting many places like this where the heroes of the Bible once made their marks, and I loved the nation’s modern marvels that draw people of all backgrounds to the land today. Strolling the beaches of Tel Aviv, taking a relaxing float on the Dead Sea, and enjoying the shops along Ben Yehuda Street were exciting treats. But nothing meant as much as walking where Jesus walked. Our travels through Bethlehem, Nazareth, Capernaum, and Jerusalem touched my heart in a lasting way that made me understand my Savior more meaningfully. Sailing on the Sea of Galilee and reaching my hand out to touch the water He once walked upon made me fall deeper in love with Him.

Israel Changes My Future

Beyond the excitement of adventuring and walking in the land of the Bible, I understood this wasn’t just a sightseeing vacation; it was a pilgrimage. Sure, it felt like a vacation many times, especially with nice meals, accommodations, and activities. But it wasn’t like a getaway trip you might take to live in luxury and tune out your responsibilities. It was a place that felt like home even though I had never been before.

Having been there makes all the difference for me today. Now when I read my Bible, I don’t just see names like Caesarea, Mount Carmel, or the Mount of Olives as places too far removed to understand their significance. Now I want to say, “Hey, I’ve been there! I know where that is!” I can tell you in what regions of Israel these places are and what they look like now.

Now when I sing songs with my church, I feel the might of God’s work in Scripture more powerfully than ever before. When we sing about Christ at Calvary, I think of the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. I see a skull in a rock at Golgotha where I could visualize the torture, suffering, and death He faced before being laid to rest behind the stone. And just as powerfully, I feel the euphoria of Jesus not staying in that tomb but walking out with the stone rolled away, living again for people to see, before ascending back to the right hand of the Father on high.

Now when I sing songs with my church, I feel the might of God’s work in Scripture more powerfully than ever before.

And now I feel a burden I didn’t feel as strongly before. I can’t stand on the sidelines when I hear Israel slandered or accused of terrible crimes. I see why they need a strong military. There were three terror attacks that left 11 people dead while I was there, and I didn’t know a thing about them until I came home. Without such a well-equipped and prepared defense force, things could have been so much worse. It’s hard to even go a day without hearing in the news how Israel is an evil state bent on destroying Arabs. Yet what I saw didn’t match this claim at all. I saw Jewish and Arab Israelis working side by side, flourishing cooperatively, not at each other’s expense. 

For most of us, going to Israel is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not many people get to relive their experiences here a second time, especially not when you live 6,000 miles away. So I made sure I didn’t miss my chance to really get to know the land. I wanted to explore everything. I climbed up rocks and trees, waded into the seas, and took off down the unbeaten paths. After all, what good is it to go all the way to Israel if you don’t have some fun?

My life changed when I visited Israel. I came to know my God, His Chosen People, and the land He gave them more deeply than ever. I hope you get this same opportunity one day. I can’t wait to go back!

About the Author

The Land of Israel has been contested by many groups who have tried to wrestle control from the Jewish people throughout history. Though Israel’s government and borders are well defined, many have disputed its authority in the land. Even today, in the middle of the Land of Israel, there are places that have broken free of Israel’s influence. Gaza and the West Bank, two well-known geographic areas in Israel, remain controversial for good reason.

Setting the Stage

Let’s start with some history. The Mandate for Palestine declared the land known as Palestine (the name the Romans gave the Jewish, not Arab, Kingdom of Judea after conquering it) would become the homeland for the Jewish people in the 1920s. This is because Jewish people were the indigenous residents of this land. The Mandate also gave Israel sovereign claims to its homeland including all of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and Gaza when the Jewish state declared independence in 1948.

Immediately after Israel became an independent nation, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq attacked. But Israel survived and was mostly victorious, though Jordan did seize areas in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, which it called “the West Bank.” Jewish people were temporarily expelled from these regions, but Israel’s victory in the 1967 Six-Day War resulted in the liberation of these territories, regaining its own land which had been taken by Jordan. 

Seeking peace, the Jewish state deliberated over what to do with the West Bank and Gaza. Half of Israel’s government wanted to give the West Bank to Jordan and Gaza to Egypt to establish peace, while the other half wanted to give these territories to the Arabs, who wanted to build their own state in Israel for the Palestinians, a name they began using for themselves at this time. Israel proceeded with the second option. But Palestinian leadership refused to even recognize or negotiate with Israel.

The PA showed no interest in peace with Israel, so it rejected the two-state solution, something it has done on all five occasions Israel has offered such a solution.

Ultimately, in 1994, Israel agreed to the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Twice, first in 2000 and then in 2008, Israel offered to give nearly all of the West Bank to the PA to build a Palestinian state in return for the chance to live in peace. Still the PA showed no interest in peace with Israel, so it rejected the two-state solution, something it has done on all five occasions Israel has offered such a solution. Though Israel still is ultimately sovereign over the West Bank, it has granted the PA the freedom to govern the Palestinians in this area. 

In 2005, Israel unilaterally left Gaza, abandoning every structure it had ever created in the area. This meant 9,000 Israeli residents, most of whom had lived in Gaza for years, had to leave their homes under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s initiative. Immediately after this (and repeatedly since), the Palestinians who took control of Gaza used the land as a base for terrorism, firing thousands of rockets from the area into Israel, instead of developing it to help their own people.

Gaza: Violence and Hatred

While Gaza is located geographically in Israel, today Hamas holds the governmental authority over the region. It borders Egypt to the south and Israel to the north and east. Just under 2 million people live within Gaza’s densely populated borders. It has a youth unemployment rate of 42 percent. Along with high unemployment, it has more than 10 terrorist organizations, which become recruiting sources for launching terror attacks in Israel. 

Throughout their education Palestinian children in Gaza learn that there is no Israel, Jewish people are their enemies, Israel must be annihilated, and their highest aim is to give their lives for Allah. “It becomes their life’s goal and a national duty to become a soldier of Allah and give up their lives and that of innocent people worldwide for the preservation and conquest of Islam.”1 The UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) has fueled Palestinian resentment toward Israel by helping publish educational materials used in the schools in addition to providing funds. For example, in 2020, 20 nations, headed by Germany, provided about $500 million dollars to Gaza. 

Because of the unemployment and the indoctrination of the children on how to view Israel, violence has become synonymous with Gaza. Just in May 2021, Hamas launched 4,368 rockets into Israel from Gaza. Also, incendiary balloons have ignited acres of Israeli farms and land, becoming a new form of attacking Israel. The primary donor for the terror funding is Iran, as it provides both arms and funds to Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Because of the unemployment and the indoctrination of the children on how to view Israel, violence has become synonymous with Gaza.

Israel and Egypt monitor Hamas’s activities in Gaza, including Israel’s navy overseeing from the Mediterranean Sea. Israel allows goods and services to flow into the Gaza Strip, the only prohibition being either weapons or explosives. One of Hamas’s most blatant offenses in Gaza is its use of terror tunnels. Because its operatives can’t simply walk over the border to set up shop in Israel’s land for attacks, Hamas digs tunnels from Gaza into Israel to commit terrorist attacks, including rocket strikes. Israel remains on high alert for the construction of these tunnels, each of which costs $1 million to build. 

The West Bank: Division and Dispute

The West Bank receives its name from its geographic location, as it is situated west of the Jordan River, including East Jerusalem. Today it is home to more than 3.2 million people, both Israelis and Arabs. Palestinians make up the biggest percentage of the population, while there are also hundreds of thousands of Israelis living in West Bank communities built by the Jewish state after the 1967 war. The largest city in the area is East Jerusalem, while Ramallah is the headquarters of the PA.

The United Nations has labeled this region as “the Disputed Territories,” while government and media sources refer to it as the “Occupied Territories.” However, the Jewish residents largely call it by its correct, biblical name “Judea (Yehuda) and Samaria (Shomron),” where most Jewish history and life occurred. 

The region has three areas, designated as Areas A, B, and C, decided by the Oslo II Accords. The separation was meant to improve Israel’s security efforts over its divided population in the West Bank and help the nation better care for its Arab inhabitants. Area A is under sole Palestinian rule. The Palestinian Authority and Israel administer Area B. Israel exclusively administers Area C. These divisions have helped Israeli security in the West Bank and allowed a large portion of the area’s Palestinians to live under Palestinian rule, but there is still much contention between the West Bank’s Israelis and Palestinians.

To be a good friend of Israel, we must know its history and the ongoing struggles it faces. This includes learning about the divisive neighbors who live within its borders. It’s no wonder Psalm 122:6 urges us, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.’” 

Endnote
¹ Brigitte Gabriel, They Must be Stopped (New York, NY: St. Martin’s Griffin, January 5, 2010), 112–113.

About the Author

On October 25, shares of Tesla spiked 12.7 percent and surpassed a $1 trillion market cap, making Tesla CEO Elon Musk the richest man in the world.¹ But what if I told you that Musk’s enormous wealth of about $300 billion is just a fraction of the fortune that the richest man in the Bible possessed? That man was King Solomon, who received 25 tons of gold each year (1 Kings 10:14–29). If we add the unimaginable riches from taxes and trade to the gold, Solomon’s wealth, some estimate, was worth trillions of today’s dollars.² Solomon was so rich that he alone could finance the United States’ infrastructure bill of $1.2 trillion.

But Solomon was much more than just his wealth. The riches Solomon accumulated were only a byproduct of a great blessing he received from God. The magnificent period of Solomon’s glory is a picture of the future Messianic Kingdom realized in Jesus’ thousand-year reign in Jerusalem. 

The Challenge for the Throne

Israel’s history is part of the constant struggle between the forces of darkness and light. This struggle goes back to the origins of the Chosen People—the history of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was then that unprovoked hostility and hatred for the Jewish people first appeared, and it has been repeated in various guises over the past 4,000 years.

The victorious culmination of Israel’s history will be the moment foretold by the prophet Zechariah, when the feet of the Lord, the feet of the victorious Messiah, son of David, touch the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4). It is then that the enemy forces gathered around Jerusalem to annihilate the Jewish people will suffer destruction from the Lord. 

As a chosen descendant of King David, Solomon engaged in his own battle to inherit his father’s throne. It was not an easy beginning for Solomon, as there were several contenders for the throne. The most notable was Adonijah, the fourth son of King David. Adonijah used his influence to gather a coalition against Solomon and proclaim himself the new king of Israel in a moment of his father’s weakness. Only the alert mind of Bathsheba and the diplomacy of the prophet Nathan prompted David to give quick orders to crown Solomon as his rightful successor. 

Can you imagine the surprise and dismay of Adonijah and his followers when they heard the sound of the trumpet? The rich feast and the deceitful plan that led many people away from the truth shattered in a moment. When it looked like the forces of evil were strong and nothing could stop them, Zadok, the priest, took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon by the spring of Gihon. The sound of the trumpet was a terrifying reminder for the evil forces that God is in control and He does not slumber. When people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” Adonijah and his coalition fled because they knew there was no hope for victory (1 Kings 1).

At the sound of the great trumpet, the Son of Man will appear in the sky, proclaiming His power and great glory.

Solomon’s coronation is a beautiful picture of what will happen in the final days. Jesus warned His disciples that false prophets will proclaim themselves to be the Messiah at the end of the age. They will perform many signs and wonders to enhance their credibility, misleading multitudes to follow them. But as it was in the ancient days of Solomon, the true Messiah will dramatically reveal Himself. At the sound of the great trumpet, the Son of Man will appear in the sky, proclaiming His power and great glory. Satan, the architect of the opposition of God’s eternal plan of restoring humanity to Edenic reality, will shatter in this glorious moment of Messiah’s triumphal return to Jerusalem (Matthew 25:31–46).

The Judgment of Evil

One of the first orders of Solomon was to judge the men who had lived through the entire reign of David and had gotten away with many hideous crimes. Adonijah and those who followed him faced severe judgment for their betrayal (1 Kings 2:13–25). Some may think that Solomon was very cruel in this situation. But if we view this in the big picture, we can see some powerful symbolism. One of the first things we can expect when Jesus returns is the punishment of the unrighteous ones (Matthew 25:41). As Solomon judged the evildoers in his reign, so it will be when the true Messiah sits on the throne of David to judge the wicked. 

The Age of Wisdom

Many of us have heard the fairytales of Aladdin’s magical lamp or the golden fish that grants three wishes. Of course, there is no such thing as lamps or fish that can grant wishes, but an all-powerful God can certainly realize anything you can imagine. “At Gibeon the Lᴏʀᴅ appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask! What shall I give you?’” (1 Kings 3:5). The heroes of fairy tales usually ask for riches, power, or even love, but Solomon’s choice reveals to us that he is a proper type of the future Messiah. When Solomon chose wisdom, his decision pleased God and shaped the new king of Israel into a legendary ruler. His name became so famous that “men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon” (4:34). 

As in the days of Solomon, so the Millennial Kingdom will have a Temple where, once again, God will live among His people.

But even King Solomon cannot compare with the glorious rule of the King of kings, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the true Rabbi, a teacher who, even as a child, exhibited wisdom that astonished the most educated elite in Israel. The Sermon on the Mount is another image of the future mountain where the Lord’s Temple will stand. As we read in Isaiah 2, this mountain will rise above the hills, and all nations will stream to it for the wisdom of the Messiah. As in the days of Solomon, so the Millennial Kingdom will have a Temple where, once again, God will live among His people. 

The Age of Peace

Solomon was a man of peace and rest whom God would grant rest from all his enemies “on every side” (1 Kings 5:4). The reign of Solomon was very different from that of his father, David. David had to fight to attain dominance over his enemies, but Solomon was a talented diplomat whose rule brought peace to the region. When the Prince of Peace returns, not only Israel will enjoy lasting peace, but the whole of humanity will experience complete rest from struggle and fighting. Maranatha! “Come, our Lord!”    

This is a wonderful future that awaits us, and Solomon’s life is a wonderful picture of that future.

Endnotes

¹ Reuters 2021, accessed 1 November 2021, https://www.reuters.com.
² MarketWatch 2017, accessed 1 November 2021, https://www.marketwatch.com.

About the Author

Jewish Independence

The taste of freedom and independence was still fresh on the minds of Jewish people living in the time of Christ. It was less than 170 years earlier when Mattathias, an aged priest, single-handedly stood up against the Greek empire that was forcing the Jewish people to sacrifice their faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to assimilate into the warm bath of the pagan culture. Mattathias was the only Jewish man to stand up and say, “Over my dead body!” 

But Mattathias answered and said in a loud voice: “Even if all the nations that live under the rule of the king obey him, and have chosen to obey his commandments, everyone of them abandoning the religion of their ancestors, I and my sons and my brothers will continue to live by the covenant of our ancestors. Far be it from us to desert the law and the ordinances. We will not obey the king’s words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left” (1 Maccabees 2:19–22).

The old Jewish priest, his sons Judah, Jonathan, and Simon, and a band of pious fighters were able to turn the tide in favor of God’s chosen. The yoke of Gentile oppression was eventually chased out of the Holy Land. 

For a brief moment in Israel’s history, the Jewish people governed themselves. They held freedom and independence in their hands during what’s known as the Hasmonean period (142–63 BC). Eventually, through a series of poor leadership decisions, the independent Jewish state fell back into the hands of the pagans.    

Roman rule over the Holy Land didn’t erase the aspirations of Jewish independence. The zealous spirit of Mattathias would not be forgotten. Every year on the 25th day of Kislev (November/December), the Jewish community celebrated Hanukkah, when Mattathias’ son Judah captured Jerusalem and the Temple and rededicated it to the worship of God. Hanukkah and the Fourth of July share the same theme: independence day! The major difference between Hanukkah and the Fourth of July is America celebrates its continued independence, while Israel looked back on independence lost. 

Roman Oppression

With every passing year the situation seemed to be getting worse for Israel. When Jesus was born, Herod the Great ruled Judea and Samaria. The Jewish people had a very contentious relationship with Herod and his family. They represented everything that was wrong in the political and religious structures of the day. 

Herod the Great was an Idumean (Edomite). His people were forcibly converted by the Hasmonean ruler, John Hyrcanus, when Israel was an independent state. The tables turned over the years when Herod’s family weaseled their way into the seats of power in Jerusalem with the help of Rome. 

Herod and his kin loved the prestige and power of Roman influence. Rome used the Herodian family to impose their rule, and the Herodian family used the Jewish people to maintain their way of life.

After the death of Herod the Great, Caesar Augustus imposed a Roman governorship to rule over the area that included Jerusalem. At least in Galilee, the ruler was pretending to have some Jewish sympathy. In Judea, it was full-on Roman oppression.

The prophets promised that Israel would be re-established as in the days of old—a national resurrection of the Davidic kingdom. “In that day I will rebuild the collapsing hut of David. I will seal its gaps, repair its ruins, and restore it to what it was like in days gone by” (Amos 9:11, NET). Israel at the birth of Christ looked nothing like Amos’ promise. In fact, it seemed like it was going in the opposite direction.

In the midst of Israel’s hopelessness of restoration and liberation from oppression, Jesus was born in Bethlehem—a sign of God’s faithfulness to restore the collapsed “hut of David.”

In the midst of Israel’s hopelessness of restoration and liberation from oppression, Jesus was born in Bethlehem—a sign of God’s faithfulness to restore the collapsed “hut of David.” The prophet Micah predicted the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). 

Jesus Our King

King David was the most consequential king in Old Testament history. He was a man after God’s own heart. David, the shepherd boy from Bethlehem, had humble beginnings himself.  

God promised David a Son who would “establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:13), a prophecy of Jesus’ reign (Matthew 1:1). Christ’s birth in the “city of David”—Bethlehem—crowns Him the descendant of Israel’s most memorialized king, King David (Romans 1:1–4). 

Jesus Our Lamb

Micah prophesied that Israel’s ruler would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), specifically the “tower of the flock” (4:8). According to rabbinical texts, Bethlehem’s “tower of the flock” is an exclusive pasture where select shepherds tended to special flocks destined for Temple sacrifice. 

When Jesus was born, He was surrounded by flocks selected to be offered for Israel’s sins, setting the scene for the mission of Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

When Jesus was born, He was surrounded by flocks selected to be offered for Israel’s sins, setting the scene for the mission of Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 

Jesus Our God

Bethlehem reveals Immanuel, God with us. Micah prophesied the one born in Bethlehem, “His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity” (5:2, NASB). Micah saw that the One who would be born in Bethlehem was more than a newborn King, but one whose existence is eternal, a glimpse into the incarnation (John 1:1).

When Jesus was born, He came to bring freedom from sin’s oppression. Through His once-for-all sacrifice and resurrection, Jesus has restored the collapsed “hut of David” and promises to bring God’s Kingdom to Earth!

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