Israel at 50

Editors’ Journal

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.—Isaiah 11:11

Israel has been called by many names. They are the "people of the book," "the people of the land," and "the people of the covenant." No less, especially in the last 50 years, they can truthfully be called "the people of the immigrant."

From war-torn Europe, from the pogroms of czarist Russia and the latest wave of Soviet emigres, from Yemen and Ethiopia, from the far-flung enclaves of India and South America, the Jew has been returning home. The assimilation of these millions of emigrants into a newly-emerging nation has been a challenge of great magnitude. It has been met with astounding success.

Surrounded and vastly outnumbered by hostile neighboring nations, the State of Israel has come under repetitive attacks. Yet it has survived, not only repulsing the invaders but through conquest enlarging its borders to near-biblical proportions.

Its agriculturists have turned desert wasteland into productive farms. Its scientists and technicians have been in the forefront of the modern technical revolution. Its medical community has produced world-renowned physicians and specialists. It has thrived in the arts and culture. Israel has been a modern miracle.

As Christians, we rejoice in the resurgence of ancient Israel. Behind this miracle, we see the hand of God. Israel is God’s time-clock, where fulfilled prophecy portends the long-promised kingdom for which all Christians are taught to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven."

In this issue of THE HERALD, we salute Israel on its first jubilee of statehood. The articles in this issue not only trace modern developments from the word of God, but we are reprinting selected articles from the last fifty years showing the intense interest we have always had in the remarkable resurgence of the Jewish people.

The opening article, appropriately entitled Israel, paints the Bible’s portraits of the Israelites in broad strokes, outlining their past, present, and future as God’s specially called people. This is followed by The Future of Israel, dealing more in detail with the troubled days that lie ahead as a prelude to a glorious future when Jerusalem shall be the capital of the world.

The function of Israel in the long-range plans and purposes of Jehovah is highlighted in Gathering Out the Stones. This treatise gives a short summary of the peculiar experiences of the people of Israel through each of the eight eras of their history, showing how each of these ages was a training grounds for a future work for this so often besieged people.

Following this discussion five articles from past issues of this journal are reprinted—one from each decade of Israel’s history—under the general title: Israel for Fifty Years. As the opening statement of this series phrases it, "The eyes of the world are on Israel; even more so have been the eyes of the Christian." The editors of THE HERALD have always been among these observers. Scores of treatises have appeared on the pages of this magazine—including several special editions—as our writers and the Bible Student community have watched developments in the Middle East.

This series includes: The Budding Fig Tree from 1948, Israel Today from 1958, and another article by the same title in 1968, a poem entitled The Rebuilding of Zion from 1978, and One Jerusalem: The Eternal City Reunited from 1989.

Finally, with eyes fixed on the future, the verse by verse study in Acts 3 looks forward to Israel’s Grander Jubilee. "The future," it is said, "is as bright as the promises of God." In few places do those promises shine more luminously than they do for Israel. Because they shine so brightly for the Jewish people, they indicate even greater promises for the entire human race—not just for those living today but every one who has ever lived. As is the future of Israel, even so will be the future of all peoples.

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!"