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Israel's Independence Day...
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After the Jewish people had suffered for nearly 2,000 years of exile as clearly foretold by Moses (Lev. 26:38, 44; Deut. 28:64-64) and the other Hebrew prophets (Isa. 43:5-6; Jer. 30:11; Joel 3:2; Ezek. 36:8-10; Hos. 9:1-10, etc.), Israel was miraculously reborn as a nation in their ancient homeland on May 14, 1948 (Iyyar 5, 5708). Today Jews across the world celebrate Iyyar 5 as Israeli Independence Day (יום העצמאות של ישראל).
On this historic day, David ben Gurion (1886-1973) formally announced Yom Ha'atzma'ut - Independence Day - and publicly read the "Proclamation of the Establishment of the State of Israel" over the radio. Among other things, he said:
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Less than 24 hours after this announcement, however, seven neighboring Arab countries declared war on Israel. Outnumbered 100 to 1, it was a critical moment, and every one at the time thought it would be another holocaust. However, the Jewish state survived, but the bloody battle cost many soldiers in the fledgling army their lives (for this reason Yom Ha'atzmaut is immediately preceded by Yom Hazikaron - the Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers - since without the sacrifice of the soldiers who gave their lives, there would be no Israeli state to celebrate).
Yom Ha'atzmaut Customs
Today Jews across the world celebrate Iyyar 5 as Israel Independence Day (if Iyyar 5 falls on a Friday or Shabbat, it is celebrated on the preceding Thursday). For Jews living outside of Israel, celebrating Yom Ha'atzmaut is a way to express solidarity with the restored state. In Israel, it is a national holiday, so almost everyone has the day off. National celebrations occur and additional prayers are offered for the nation. There are parades, fireworks, and of course the heartfelt singing of Hatikvah, the Israeli National Anthem.
Yom Ha'atzma'ut is significant to religious Jews since they see the establishment of the State of Israel as another step in their ultimate redemption, that is, the coming of Mashiach (some Ultra-Orthodox Jews reject the holiday since they believe only the Messiah is authorized to set up the Jewish state).
The Prophetic Significance of Modern Israel
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The return of Israel to her ancient homeland is filled with significance for those who believe the Scriptures. The Torah clearly predicted both the exile of the Jewish people from the land (Deut 28:64-66) and their eventual regathering (Deut 30:4-5). When the Second Temple was destroyed in AD 70, the Jews were scattered across the earth, wandering throughout the nations and subject to horrific persecutions, culminating in the Shoah of the European Holocaust. Despite repeated attempts to eradicate them, however, the Jews survived, and recent history has witnessed the fulfillment of prophecy and the miracle of the regathering:
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But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they will soon come home. For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. And I will multiply people on you, the whole house of Israel, all of it. The cities shall be inhabited and the waste places rebuilt. And I will multiply on you man and beast, and they shall multiply and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited as in your former times, and will do more good to you than ever before. Then you will know that I am the LORD. I will let people walk on you, even my people Israel. And they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no longer bereave them of children (Ezek. 36:8-12).
For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob. And the nations will take them and bring them to their place (Isa. 14:1-2)
Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when it shall no longer be said, 'As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' but 'As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.' For I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to their fathers. (Jer. 16:14-15)
Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return. I will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria, and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, till there is no room for them (Zech. 10:9-10).
I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards ... and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them," says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15)
Why Christians Should love Israel...
But why should Christians care about ethnic Israel? After all, many Christian denominations advocate some version of "Replacement Theology" and regard the promises God made to the Jewish people as belonging exclusively to their church... The existence of the modern State of Israel therefore evokes little thanks to God from these groups, and some of their ranks even regard Israel's revived presence on the world stage as an embarrassment to their typically "liberal" theology. Hence we see the (remarkably bad) phenomena of so-called "Christian" church denominations that express anti-Israel sentiment, even asking their followers to divest investments in Israel on behalf of the "Palestinians," etc.
The title "Christ" refers to the anointed King of Israel, the Messiah (מָשִׁיחַ)... To say "Jesus Christ" is therefore to affirm that Yeshua is none other than the Messiah, the rightful King of Israel (מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל). Followers of Jesus, the One born "King of the Jews" (Matt. 2:2), should therefore care deeply about Israel because the existence of Jewish people - and of the nation of Israel in particular - demonstrates that the LORD (יהוה) is completely faithful to the covenant promises He made to our patriarchs (e.g., Gen. 15:9-21). Indeed, the Scriptures teach that the Name of God is forever designated as אלהי אברהם אלהי יצחק ואלהי יעקב - "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Exod. 3:15), just as it is also the "LORD God of Israel" (יְהוָה אֱלהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). The perpetuity of the Jewish people - despite so much satanic hatred over the millennia - is an awesome testimony of God's loyal love (Jer. 31:35-37). עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי / am Yisrael chai: "The people of Israel live!" Israel is a sign of the "sure mercies of David" (חַסְדֵי דָוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים) that are revealed in Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah (Isa. 55:1-6). Moreover, the New Covenant itself, as foretold by the prophet Jeremiah, explicitly promises the perpetuity of the Jewish people throughout the ages:
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD (יהוה), when I will make a new covenant (בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה) with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my Torah (תּוֹרָה) within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar - the LORD of hosts is his Name: "If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel (זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל) cease from being a nation before me forever." Thus says the LORD: "If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the LORD.–Jer. 31:31-37
According to this theologically critical passage, if you saw the sun shine today or the stars in the night sky, you can be assured that God's promise to preserve the "offspring of Israel" -- (i.e., zera Yisrael: זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל) -- is in effect. Indeed, in the world to come, heavenly Jerusalem will have the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved upon its gates (Rev. 21:12). Note well that this is the only occurrence in the entire Tanakh (i.e., "Old Testament") that the New Covenant (בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה) is explicitly mentioned... It is a foundational passage of Scripture for those who claim to be followers of the Jewish Messiah.
The blessings Christians enjoy come from the root of God's covenants with Israel... Yeshua our Savior was born the King of the Jews, and he plainly said הַיְשׁוּעָה מֵאֵת הַיְּהוּדִים הִיא- "salvation is from the Jews" (Matt. 2:2; 27:11; John 4:22). The Apostle Paul clearly warned those who think the church has "replaced" Israel: "Remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you" (Rom. 11:18). This doctrine is so foundational that it may be rightly said that how you think about Israel will affect every other area of your theology. Indeed, the nation of Israel is God's "super sign" that He is faithful to His covenant promises (Jer. 31:35-37). Celebrating Israel's existence acknowledges God's loyal love for us all! For more on this subject, see the article, "Is Christianity Anti-Jewish?"
In the holy Torah we read how God said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (אלהי אברהם אלהי יצחק ואלהי יעקב), has sent me to you.' This is my name forever (זֶה־שְּׁמִי לְעלָם), and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations'" (Exod. 3:15).
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"Your Name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages" (Psalm 135:13). Therefore the prophet cries: "in the east give glory to the LORD; in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel" (אֱלהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל).
יְהוָה שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם
יְהוָה זִכְרְךָ לְדר־וָדר
Adonai · sheem·kha · le'o·lahm
Adonai · zeekh·re·kha · le'dor-va·dor
"Your Name, O LORD, endures forever,
your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages"
(Psalm 135:13)
The Tragic Error of Replacement Theology
Certain theologians in the Christian church have claimed that Israel (the Jewish people and the land) has been replaced by the Christian Church in the purposes of God, or that the Church is the historic continuation of Israel to the exclusion of the former. In this view, the Jewish people are no longer the "chosen people" of God, and all the promises and covenants ascribed to Israel now belong to the Church. This faulty teaching is known as "Replacement Theology" (sometimes called "supercessionism," the view that Israel has been "superseded" in God's eyes by the Church).
Replacement theology is a dangerous doctrine that can result in anti-Semitism and false eschatological views. Just as we believe that God will keep His promises to the church, so we believe He will keep His promises to national Israel - including the future restoration of Israel as the "head of the nations" during the kingdom of God on earth.
When the LORD Yeshua comes back to earth, He is heading straight to national Israel, and to Jerusalem in particular. There He will be finally received as Israel's King and Savior and will rule during the millennial kingdom. The Fourth Temple (Ezekiel 40-48) will be built and the nations will come to Jerusalem to pay homage to the LORD God of Israel. All the nations will celebrate the feast of Sukkot, and those that refuse will be plagued with drought (see Isaiah 4:2-6; Zechariah 14:17-18).
The Church is called the "mystery of God," a called-out group of both Jews and Gentiles that are made part of the overarching plan of God to redeem the world. The Church does not exist outside of Israel (separation theology); nor does it exist instead of Israel (replacement theology); nor does the Church succeed Israel (supercessionism). Instead, the Church is made part of the remnant of Israel ("in-placement" theology).
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Note that the word Atzma'i (עַצְמָאִי) means "independent" in Hebrew. The word atzmaut (עַצְמָאוּת) means the state of indepedence, which comes from etzem, meaning"bone" (עֶצֶם). Hence the "Day of Independence" is called Yom Ha'atzmaut (יום העצמאות) in Hebrew. The name reminds us of God's promise to revive the "dry bones" (עֲצָמוֹת) of Israel by bringing the Jewish people back from their long exile:
הִנָּבֵא עַל־הָעֲצָמוֹת הָאֵלֶּה וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם
הָעֲצָמוֹת הַיְבֵשׁוֹת שִׁמְעוּ דְּבַר־יְהוָה
כּה אָמַר אֲדנָי יהוה לָעֲצָמוֹת הָאֵלֶּה
הִנֵּה אֲנִי מֵבִיא בָכֶם רוּחַ וִחְיִיתֶם
hin·na·vei · al · ha·a·tza·mot · ha·el·leh · ve·a·mar·ta · a·ley·hem:
ha·a·tza·mot · ha·ye·ve·shot · shim·u · de·var · Adonai;
ko · a·mar · Adonai · E·lo·him · la·a·tza·mot · ha·el·leh
hin·neh · a·ni · me·vi · va·khem · ru·ach · vich·yi·tem
"Prophesy over these bones, and say to them,
O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones:
Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live"
(Ezek. 37:4-5)
"So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel (כָּל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל). Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel (אַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל). And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live (וְנָתַתִּי רוּחִי בָכֶם וִחְיִיתֶם), and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD" (Ezek. 37:10-17).
עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי / am Yisrael chai: "The people of Israel live!" The nation of Israel is God's "super sign" that He is faithful to His covenant promises (Jer. 31:35-37). Celebrating Israel's independence acknowledges God's loyal love for us all...
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Hebrew Lesson:
Ezekiel 37:3a Hebrew reading (click):
The Date for Yom Ha'atzmaut
It should be noted that the date for Yom Ha'atzmaut can vary from year to year. For instance, it may be moved earlier or postponed if it conflicts with a Sabbath, or if Yom HaZikaron - which always preceeds it - occurs on a Sunday. As always, if in doubt, check a reputable Jewish calendar...
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