As I was watching a program on TV the other evening entitled Earth 2100 I was intrigued by several comments made by the narrator. One of his comments was, “Our future is not yet written.” This comment implied that we as a nation are really the captain of our own fate. He firstly stated that if we take the correct actions now we can write our own future and we can do specific things as avert climate change while sustaining global prosperity indefinitely.
If one subscribes to humanism then the above statement may be accepted as true, however, the Bible portrays a different view of future world events. Thus the question, has history already been written?
Consider the following scripture passages:
“He chose us…before the foundation of the world…” Ephesians 1:4
“All who dwell on the earth will worship him (Anti-Christ), whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8
“Then the King (Christ) will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…’” Matthew 25:34
The common phrase in each of the above is ‘from/before the foundation of the world.’ Therefore, according to the Bible, the afterlife destiny of individuals was determined before the world was, the necessary death of Christ was determined before the world was, and the future kingdom for those chosen was also designed before the world was.
In fact the Bible states that all significant events were determined before the foundation of the world.
“Known to God from eternity are all His works.” Acts 15:18
“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure…Indeed I have spoken it; I will also being it to pass, I have purposed it; I will also do it.” Isaiah 46:20-11
“I have declared the former things from the beginning; they went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it…Because I knew that you were obstinate, and your neck was an iron sinew…even from the beginning I have declared it to you; before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you lest you should say, ‘my idol has done them…’” Isaiah 48:3-5
To be more specific God declared He had a master plan for Israel. They were to show the rest of the nations He was God. Israel was a stiff-necked people, however, and took God’s counsel lightly.
“Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, who are far from righteousness: I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, for Israel My glory.” Isaiah 46:12-13
God did not mince words when it came to telling Israel how they were attempting to do it ‘their way.’
“But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit…Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.” Zechariah 7:11-12
One would think we would learn from Israel’s indifference.
“Now all these things happened to them (Israel) as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” I Corinthians 10:11-12
So just what is Israel’s prewritten future?
“…Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land…Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” Ezekiel 36:21-28
Therefore, the future of Israel was foreordained before she was even a nation and God has confirmed that He will fulfill His covenant with them.
When God called Abraham to be the father of the nation which would be called Israel, He made a very succinct proclamation accompanying that promise:
“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:3
In view of the above, why would professing Christian leaders such as the present president and his recent predecessors attempt to establish their legacies around dividing Israel’s land? For those who believe the Bible the history of the future of Israel has already been written. One would think our goal as a nation would be to insure that our foreign policies relative to Israel and her enemies coincide with that history.