[IGotTheCottons]

I warn you now... this is LOOOOONG. I mean, VERY long. So please take your time and make sure you read everything.

For now, I will post one of the most significant signs that we're living in the end times. In scripture it is prophecied that there will be 1 final regathering of the Jews to Israel. During this time, they will regain control of their land, rebuild the temple (after the rapture, sometime during the tribulation period), and they will stay in their land forever.

There is a common scripture between this prophecy and the one of Matthew 24. In fact, some also consider this following prophecy to be linked to the 4-fold prophecy. We already covered the 4-fold prophecy given in Matthew 24, so I won't go into too much detail about that, but basically all the things given in Matthew 24:7 must happen together (Matthew 24:8), and this will signify the beginning of the generation which will be alive to see Christs' return. Later on in verse 32 we see the following scripture: "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."

Israel is often referred to as a Fig tree. So when the fig tree (Israel) is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves (is ragathering) ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things (the return of the Jews, and the 4-fold prophecy given in verses 7, 8) know that it (the end) is near, even at the doors.

Are we seeing this final regathering? I believe so. Most of the following is taken from a book called Prophecy Made Plain For Times Like These by Carl Johnson, and the Bible. I will have some of my own comments thrown in there from time to time, usually following a passage of scripture. The reason I'm using this book is because this guy's been a student of prophecy for over 50 years, and because he has many, many sources in his book. Anything with [brackets] around it (in the scripture verses that follow) are my words, and not found in the Scriptures. They are for helping keep it in context, or further elaborate on what's being said.

The Return Of The Jews to The Land Of Palestine

Perhaps the most significant sign is the return of the Jews to the land of Palestine. God promised the land of Palestine to the Jews back in the days of Abraham.

• "Now the LORD had said unto Abram [Abraham], Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:... And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land [Palestine]:..." - Genesis 12:1, 2, 7



• "For all the land which thou seest, to thee [Abram] will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I [God] will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee." - Genesis 13:15-17



• "And he [God] brought him [Abram] forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it." - Genesis 15:5-7



• "And when abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." - Genesis 17:1-8

**NOTE** This shows that God promised the land of Canaan (Palestine) to the Jews for ever. Genesis was also written BEFORE they went into the land of Canaan. We can clearly see this prophecy has come true seeing as how the Jews eventually inhabited Canaan. They were scattered twice since they first entered into Israel, and have returned again during the 1900's.

They were told if they obeyed God, He would bless them (Deuteronomy 28:1-14), and if they disobeyed God, He would chasten them (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). They disobeyed God and were taken into captivity by the Assyrians and Babylonians hundreds of years before Christ. They returned from their captivity to the land of Palestine, but again in A.D. 70 they were expelled from their land (this is why, in Matthew 24:32, it talks about a regathering of Israel. Jesus knew they would again be scattered [There is other scripture to back this up] and that they would return one last time before the end).

For almost twenty-six hundred years, Palestine has been under the control of Gentile people, since the days of Nebuchadnezzar (about 586 B.C.).

The Jews have been scattered over the entire earth for almost nineteen hundred years, but God promised many times in his Word that He would return them to their land.

• "And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, wither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers." - Deuteronomy 31:1-5.
  
  **NOTE** This was written in Moses' time BEFORE they even went into Canaan the first time as a nation. Doesn't it seem a little strange how someone wrote down that the Jews (the nation of Israel) would be scattered across the world, and that they would eventually return to their land, BEFORE they even occupied the land? Again, prophecy fulfilled.



• "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up and ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." - Isaiah 11:11, 12.
  
  **NOTE** Again, we can see that God promises to restore Israel, but we can also see a few other things of interest. In the Old Testament, whenever we see the phrase "in that day" it's usually referring to the end times. Sometimes it's referring to something else (as in the day of an attack, or something along those lines). If it's referring to something other than the end times, it's obvious by the surrounding texts. Here we see it says "in that day [in the end times] ...the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people..." I find it interesting that it says "the second time" when the people haven't even been dispursed once yet. The person writing this must have known that the Jews would be scattered twice seeing as how this was written down thousands of years ago. Shortly after it was written the Jew's were scattered the first time (they were taken into captivity by Babylon and Assyria), and then they were scattered again at about 70 A.D. (as we've already covered). So again, we have prophecy fulfilled. Not only was it prophecied that they'd be scattered once, but twice; and not only was it prophecied to happen, it actually happened. They were scattered twice, and they have returned twice (more on this latter).



• "And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; Behold, I will gather them out of all coutnries, wither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them." - Jeremiah 32:36-42.
  
  **NOTE** This isn't specifically about the end times. This is, rather, a prophecy saying that after the Babylonian/Assyrian captivity, Israel will be brought back to their land (which happened by the way, again, making it prophecy that's come true). It can also refer to the end times though, and here's how. In verse 37 it says "and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:" Israel will not dwell completely safely until the Tribulation Period where antichrist signs a 7 year peace treaty with Israel. This will eventually be broken, but for the first 3 and a half years Israel will be at peace (this is after Russia attacks), and they will rebuild their temple. So we can see that this scripture can also be referring to the end times. If it's NOT referring to the end times, it's already come true, if it IS referring to the end times, it's in the process of coming true.
  
  We can see that by how hard they're fighting for peace over there; and also by the massive regathering that has taken place during the last century (more on that later). One reason I believe it's talking about the end times is verses 39 and 40. It says: "And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me." I believe this to be talking about the end times because of it saying that Israel will have one heart. This is talked about in Revelation. During the Tribulation Period, a third of Israel will get saved. They will have 1 heart. The everlasting covenant is the new Jerusalem talked about in Revelation 21:2 and 3 "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." I think it's pretty cool how two portions of scripture written in 2 different continents, thousands of years apart from eachother, can still say essentially the same thing.



• "For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the couldy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country... Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD." - Ezekiel 34:11-13, 30, 31.
  
  **NOTE** Here we can again see prophecy being fulfilled. I'd like to point out that so far we've seen prophecy from Genesis, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel that ALL make the same claims. The land of Palestine belongs to the Jews and God will preserve them in that land. We've seen that they've been promised the occupation of Palestine, we can also see that they were prophecied to be dispersed (which they were), and regathered (which they also were). As you can see, these prophecies are specific. They mention Israel and Canaan by name. They also give specific events in history BEFORE they happen. Just thought I'd point that out. I still have one more scripture from Ezekiel, and then one from Amos that will also back this up further.



• "And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:... And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary int he midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore." - Ezekiel 37:21, 22, 25-28.
  
  **NOTE** Here we again see that It is promised to the Jews that they will be regathered into their land. This particular prophecy has more to do with the end times than with the regathering after the Babylonian/Assyrian captivity though. The following is very specific prophecy that has literally come true.
  
  If you'll notice in verse 22 it says the following: "And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:"
  
  On May 14, 1948, the British terminated their mandate over Palestine, and the new state of Israel was proclaimed that same day. As soon as Israel was officially recognized a nation by the UN, war broke out between the Jews and Arabs. When it became clear that Israel could not be crushed, the Arab nations agreed to sign armistices with Israel; however, there were continual border skirmishes. Finally, in reaction to obvious Egyptian preparation for attack, Israel invaded the sinai peninsula in 1956. A UN cease-fire was arranged, but it could only be maintained by UN police patrol. In May, 1967, these UN forces were withdrawn; and war between Israel and the Arab nations broke out on June 5, 1967. On Wednesday morning, June 7, just two days after the fighting began, Israeli soldiers broke through the gates of the Old City and began to run ecstatically through Arab sniper fire to the Western Wall... Up until the capture of the older part of Jerusalem on June 7, 1967, there were two Jerusalems - the Old City on the east, which belonged to Jordan, and the New City on the west, which had become the capital of Israel. These two parts of the city had been separated by no-man's-land for nineteen years, and they were united by the Israeli victory on June 7.
  
  We can clearly see that the prophecy given in Ezekiel 37:22 was fulfilled. Israel was two nations before the 6 day war (seeing as how Jerusalem was split in half). After this war they were again united into one nation. You'd have to be wilfully blind to argue against that event being the fulfillment of prophecy.
  
  Also, we again see how God talks about setting up his sanctuary in the midst of His people. I believe this is also talking about the Revelation scripture I posted before about the New Jerusalem.



• "And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God."
  
  **NOTE** Again, we see that God promises to give the land of Palestine to the Jews.

So now we have the foundation down for the rest of this post. We see that God promises to scatter the Jews twice. Once during the Babylonian captivity, and the other occured shortly after the crusifixion of Christ (about 70 A.D.). We also see that God promises to regather the nation to the land for ever, and that the second regathering would be the final one. We're also given scripture that shows that this final regathering will happen after something that unites Israel from two nations back to one nation again. It says that they will be one nation forever after this. So when we see Israel regather, then united into one nation, we can know that they will be there forever, and that the end is near (as previously determined from the Matthew 24 prophecy 'all these things'). So have we seen this final regathering? I think so. Here's why:

During World War I, Palestine was made ready for the Jew. At that time, Jerusalem was occupied by the Turks. Its capture by the British was accomplished in a meaningful way. Out of Egypt a long line of British soldiers marched, led by General Edmund Henry Allenby, a Christian. When Allenby was a child, he had been taught to close his prayer with a special plea for Israel: "Forget not Thine ancient people. Hasten the day when they shall be restored to Thy favor and to their land." As he and his troops approached the city of Jerusalem, he was much concerned about not destroying the city and holy places. On the night before the British were to attack Jerusalem, he spent the night in prayer and Bible study. Sometime during the night, God gave him a verse of Scripture, Isaiah 31:5, which he used at the break of day as his strategy against the city. on December 11, 1917, he sent wave after wave of his planes flying low over Jerusalem, and, as a result, the Turks fled from the city. No bombs were dropped, not a shot was fired, not a drop of blood was shed. He assembled his troops before the city and read Isaish 31:5 to them: "As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it." Then he announced, "Men, this day has this scripture been fulfilled before your very eyes."

General Allenby's name was appropriate for the occasion, too. In the Turkish language it would be pronounced "Allah-bay," which would mean to a Mohammedan, "prophet of God," or "sent of God." It has been a tradition of the Moslem priesthood for centuries that when a leader by that name comes, Jerusalem must go back to the Jews.

During World War I, England found it impossible to obtain an adequate supply of wood alcohol for the production of acetone, which was sorely needed for the manufacture of explosives. Dr. Chaim Weizmann, a Jewish professor active in the cause of the Jewish people, had engaged in research into the production of synthetic acetone from starch and, at the request of the British government, undertook the task of developing the process and building factories for large-scale production. His services to England in this respect were of such outstanding value that the government intended to bestow an honor upon him. But Mr. Weizmann declined the offer and asked instead for a home for the Jew in Palestine.

On November 2, 1917, Lord Balfour, who was then foreign secretary, wrote the following letter to a prominent and wealthy Englishman who, as a member of a distinguished Jewish family, represented the Jews of England.

"Dear Lord Rothschild: I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with jewish Zionist aspirations, which has been submitted to, and approved by the Cabinet.

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 Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.

I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation."

This letter is known as the Balfour Declaration, and "was hailed by Jews all over the world as an act of national liberation comparable to the decree of Cyrus of Persia which led to the re-establishment of the Jewish Commonwealth in Judea after the Babylonian Captivity," according to Paul Goodman. When a Jewish State was proclaimed on May 14, 1948, Dr. Chaim Weizmann became the first president of Israel.

**NOTE** the first president of Israel. This goes hand-in-hand with the Ezekiel 37 prophecy. Ezekiel 37:23 says: "And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:" How can one not see that this prophecy has been fulfilled? Shortly after Israel was again declared a nation, the Old City of Jerusalem was captured from Jordan. This made Israel one nation again. Then comes Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the "one king" who was "king to them all."

World War I prepared the land of Palestine for the Jew. World War II prepared the Jew for the land of Palestine. under Hitler's atrocities, six million jews were slaughtered, and as a result, a conviction came to the Jewish people: "No matter how well we have at first been received in the nations where we have gone, we have sooner or later become the victims of persecution and if we are going to die anyway - we will die in our own land."

In 1920 there were only 58 thousand Jews in palestine. By 1935 the population had grown to 375 thousand. But in 1946 it nearly doubled to 675 thousand, and in 1952 it reached the 1 and a half million mark. By 1967 the population was 2 million, 635 thousand. The immigrants have come from 107 countries of the world. Almost fifty thousand new immigrants came to Israel in 1970.

Still think this is a joke? Do you find it a coincidence that there's numerous scriptures that all predict a regathering of Israel from people ALL OVER THE WORLD and that they have come from over a hundred different countries at remarkable rates? Do you think it's a coincidence that there's a prophecy speaking of Israel being separated into 2 nations, and then being united back into 1; and then before the 6 day war, Israel is divided into 2 nations, and then during the 6 day war it's united back into one? Do you think it's a coincidence that all these things are all happening at the same time as WWI and the most severe famines, pestilences, and earthquakes that have ever struck the face of the planet? And finally, do you really think it's a coincidence that scripture said that these things would all be happening at the same time, AND that they'd be a sign that the end was near? I'm sorry, but there's a lot of scripture given from all different portions of scripture. They all refer to the same point in history, and give specific signs to look for. This scripture was written over vast amounts of time as well a very large span of the globe. There's no way these people could all write the same things about the same portion of time, and have the things they say will happen, not only agree with eachother, but actually happen.

Scripture says that after this final regathering they will rebuild the temple, but that won't happen until after the rapture (they have to have rest from their neighbors in order to build). Well, guess what... they've been making plans to rebuild the temple since the Old City was captured in the six day war. Even the Jews recognize that their regathering is the final regathering, and they are awaiting their Messiah to set up his covenant with them (as was mentioned in several portions of scripture).

For now, I hope you've enjoyed the read. There are other prophecies, but this is all for now. When I get some more time I'll post more.