God’s Warning for Israel and the Church

Throughout history, God has often warned the children of Israel not to trust in the strength of other nations or kings but in Him alone. He has delivered them from their enemies on numerous occasions in supernatural ways so that any glory from the victory would be attributed only to Him and to no other. Their failure to trust in God alone, putting their trust in man, has caused them much grief and misery over the years, as evidenced throughout the scriptures.

We see this tale play out even with Abraham, the father of the Israelites, when he went down to Egypt to escape a famine in the land God had given him. Instead of trusting God to care for him and his family, Abraham ran to Egypt for safety. This mistake was evidenced by the events that transpired against him while he was there. He almost lost his wife and even his life because he did not trust in God for his protection.

We can also see God’s hand in Israel’s restoration as a nation in 1948. Many stories of miraculous events occurred during this period, but this article is not being written to address those events. This is being written to address the events currently unfolding in the Middle East, particularly concerning the nation of Israel and the Church. I believe God wants to warn Israel again not to put their trust in another country or king, but in Him alone.

This past Sunday at church, the Lord showed me something in the scripture that I believe He wants us to pray for as His children. We were going to pray for the governments of the world and their leaders in our evening prayer meeting, so I asked the Lord to show me something in the Bible to clarify how He wanted me to pray for them. I have written about Israel and the United States in the past, but this word is more relevant than ever with everything that is currently going on between Iran, Israel, and the United States. This word focuses on how we are to pray as the Church for the nation of Israel, but it also addresses our role as a nation that is allied with Israel.  

I grabbed my Bible, which fell open to the Book of Isaiah, chapters 30-31. In these two chapters, God warns Israel not to look to Egypt for their safety. As I read these two chapters, I began to see a correlation between the United States of America and the ancient nation of Egypt. Our relationship with Israel and Israel’s relationship with Egypt have had many similarities over the years. I will not attempt to prove indefinitely how the United States might be like the Egypt mentioned in the Book of Isaiah, other than to say there is considerable evidence that might lead one to at least consider the possibility.

One might consider the strong connection between our founding fathers and the Masons, who incorporated a significant amount of Egyptian symbolism into their structures. We even have a pyramid printed on the back of our paper currency and a monolith in the center of our nation’s capital. God used Egypt to supply food for the entire world when Joseph was alive, and during more recent times, our nation has provided money, food, safety, and security to most of the world's countries in one form or another. The United States was instrumental in the restoration of Israel as a nation, and Egypt was instrumental in providing wealth to the children of Israel to build their new nation when they left Egypt. There are many more ways to compare our two countries, but this is not being written with that specific comparison in mind. This is a warning for Israel and the Church.

In Isaiah 30-31, God warns Israel not to execute a plan that is not His by making an alliance with Egypt and putting their trust in the strength and might of their horses and chariots. He says it is not of His Spirit. Israel and the United States are allies; therefore, we have an alliance. Many plans have been executed over the years between Israel and the United States, but recently, the plans between our two countries regarding Iran have become more in focus. I am not saying we are not following God’s plans for our two countries today. Still, we should be cautious to ensure that we are not relying on our plans, but on God’s, because the promises made by God are not pleasant if His words are met with rebellion rather than obedience towards Him.

Before our plans against Iran manifested, I heard President Trump say numerous times that Israel would not be able to deal with Iran without our help. I also heard Prime Minister Netanyahu say that the United States needed to step up and join them in the fight against Iran’s evil regime if they were going to be successful. There is a clear understanding between our two leaders that Israel wants to execute plans based on their alliance with our nation because of the strength of our nation’s military forces. They were vocalizing their trust in our nation's military strength. Maybe you will recognize the phrase, “Peace through strength.” It has been said by both leaders many times. They are not talking about God’s strength, but man’s strength.  

In Isaiah, God says Israel's safety under Pharaoh will be their shame and their shelter in the shadow of Egypt, their humiliation. He tells them, “Everyone will be ashamed because of a people who cannot profit them, who are not for help or profit, but for shame and also for reproach.” There is a lot of money and military equipment heading to Israel from this nation. We have supported them since they became a nation again in 1948, but there has still never been real peace in Israel.

Throughout history, past and present presidents have made numerous attempts to bring peace to the Middle East through negotiations, but none have been successful. All attempts to bring peace through alliances have been in vain, as Isaiah 30:7 states, “Even Egypt, whose help is vain and empty.” If there is some momentary peace, the scripture is clear that it will collapse when all the Arab nations surrounding Israel in the end days try to annihilate them off the face of the earth.  

God warns them in Isaiah 31:1, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!” He again warns them not to put their trust in man. He says that He is only waiting for them to repent and rest in Him, and in that place of rest, they will find safety and peace. He is waiting for them to return to Him and cast off their idols of gold and silver made from their sinful hands.  

Israel is not obeying or following God as their King. As I have stated in the past, Israel is a nation whose prominent religion is atheism. This means most of their citizens do not even believe God exists at all. God allows them to fall and stumble so that they may return to Him. By placing their trust in another nation or king, they are not trusting in God for their deliverance. President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu have both made comments regarding “Peace through strength.” Still, God will not allow any substantial peace until Israel turns back to Him and repents.

When they do, God promises to deliver them. He tells them in Isaiah 31:8, “The Assyrian will fall by a sword not of man, and a sword not of man will devour him.” Any lasting peace will be from God, not man's hand. For anyone who believes that God will use the United States to be the “sword,” read that verse again: “The Assyrian will fall by a sword not of man.” The United States is not Israel’s deliverer. God is.

The ancient Assyria is not a modern-day country; however, it is often associated with modern-day Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria. We know from the scripture in Zechariah 12-14 that all the nations of the earth will fight against Jerusalem, and in that moment, God will pour out His grace upon her so that her people will mourn for the role their ancestors played in the killing of Jesus. They will cry out to God, and He will deliver them. God will judge all false prophets, and the Lord will be King over all the earth.

Knowing this will all happen, we should pray towards this end according to God’s will, not man’s plans. Again, as it says in Isaiah 30:1, “Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the Lord, “Who execute a plan, but not Mine. And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, in order to add sin to sin; Who proceed down to Egypt without consulting Me, to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt!” Israel should be wary of whom they align themselves with, with whom they pledge allegiance to, and why. If they want their independence so they might freely pursue false gods and earthly desires “in order to add sin to sin,” they will find their peace and freedom fleeting and short-lived. Any alliance or peace deal with Iran will crumble suddenly because God will not allow man to deliver Israel. Anyone fighting against God’s plan in this will be fighting against God.

We are not praying for suffering to fall upon Israel, but that they might repent, turn back to God, and trust only in Him as their King. Many people who believe in God today seek to hear His voice so they might do His will. However, many who are listening for His voice seem only to desire to hear the pleasant words from God, rather than what is true. In Isaiah 30:09-11, God told Isaiah regarding the children of Israel, “For this is a rebellious people, false sons, sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the Lord; Who say to the seers, “You must not see visions”; And to the prophets, “You must not prophesy to us what is right, speak to us pleasant words, prophesy illusions. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.” God said this because they would not listen to Him, but instead put their trust in man; their collapse would come suddenly in an instant.  

Still, He does not leave them in this state of suffering. He waits for them to call out to Him so that He might deliver them. Isaiah 31:4-5 says that the Lord of hosts will come down and wage war on Mount Zion. It says, “Like flying birds, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it; He will pass over and rescue it.” This does not describe Israel’s “Iron Dome,” which was developed with the help of the United States. This is describing the supernatural hand of God. Why would God share His glory with man? There are plenty of examples in the scripture where the Angel of the Lord flew into a camp of the enemy and slew them by Himself.

Isaiah 31:2-3 says that God will “arise against the house of evildoers and against the help of the workers of iniquity.” He is not speaking only of Iran. If this nation does not seek God and walk in His righteousness, then we can also be considered “the help of the workers of iniquity.” I have written a lot about the sin in the Church in this nation, but in general, the people of this nation are workers of iniquity. You only need to watch the news or check social media for a few minutes to see what drives people’s lives. For most people, this drive does not come from a love for God. This was once a nation founded on the principles and laws of God, but we no longer follow them as a nation.

Many believers are praying for this to change, but as of right now, if God were to describe us as a nation, would He call us “the help of the workers of iniquity” or would He see us as a righteous and holy nation? Isaiah 31:3 says, “Now the Egyptians are men and not God, And their horses are flesh and not spirit; So the Lord will stretch out His hand, And he who helps will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and all of them will come to an end together.”

When it comes to Israel, our leaders in this nation must be careful in how we offer our help, especially if we are going to try to take credit for the victory, as I have seen and heard from our President and others. I appreciate that President Trump has mentioned God in his speeches, but we should in no way take any glory from God for the victory. Our strength should not come from our military but from God, and I say that as a ten-year veteran of our armed forces.

I have had many dreams over the past few years that warn of a coming calamity to this nation. I have seen civil war, invasions from foreign militaries, bombings, and even an EMP being set off in San Fransico on Alcatraz Island, causing the internet and phone services in this nation to cease working for some time. It is a controlled event, meaning that it was expected or anticipated to happen by those in authority. I am not sure how much our government knows or how much they might be involved, but I do know that we should place our trust in God, not in man. I have written about past dreams that foretold the attempts on President Trump’s life, and I have shared about an economic collapse coming to this nation unless we turn our hearts back to God.

All of these and many other environmental catastrophes are possible outcomes if we do not repent as a nation and call upon God for His mercy and forgiveness. God is merciful, though, and as it says in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

How does all of this affect the Church in this nation? First, we are to pray. We are to pray for God’s protection over Israel, and we are to pray for their salvation as a people. We are to pray that they will call upon their Messiah, Jesus Christ, to save them from their enemies and from spending an eternity without Him. This prayer should not stop with Israel, though. It should be the same prayer we pray for our nation, so that we might also call upon our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins.

Secondly, we should be praying for Israel’s leaders, so they will make wise decisions in how they engage their enemies. We should also be praying for our nation’s leaders, so they might make wise decisions regarding how to support Israel. We should help them as God wills, according to His plans, not our own. We must recognize that our military strength is meaningless without the strength that comes from God. We must trust in God in the same way that Israel was commanded to trust in Him.

Galatians 3:28 and Galatians 6:16 describe the Church and Israel as one body in Christ; therefore, this warning applies to both the Church and the nation of Israel. The Church is one with the children of Israel, having been grafted in by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because I have already written on this subject in other articles and books, I will not address it here in detail, but as believers in Christ, we are one family with every believer, whether they be Jew or Gentile. We are children of God, and those Jews who follow Christ are also our family.

We are called to pray for them and bless them, because we are all part of the Body of Christ. Those in Israel who do not follow Christ are unbelievers and need prayer that they might come to an understanding of Jesus as the Messiah. The nation of Israel has both believers and nonbelievers living in it, as does this nation. The warning is for the nation of Israel and her leaders, as well as this nation and the Church. We must put our trust in God and give Him all the glory for the victories He has won.