Israel’s Fire, a Biblical and Prophetic Event

First, Israel has been struggling with a historical drought that many have called the worst in history, and now that drought has turned into a fire that is also being called the worst in history. Is Israel under judgment? We know we need to watch Israel carefully because it’s the window to prophecy. What happens with Israel is always prophetic and the circumstances surrounding it are signs for us to watch helping us with revealing end time events.

As you read through the Bible, droughts were always indications of a spiritual dryness or emptiness that displeases God; and with those droughts came calls to return back to God. Looking through the Bible, we can see this as an established pattern.

Deuteronomy 28:23, 24 lists droughts as one of the curses for failing to obey and follow the voice, commandments, and statues of God.

In Haggai 1:1-11, God calls for a drought because the Jews failed to focus on the Lord and build His house, and instead, they focused on their own houses and their own lives first.

The Prophet Elijah declared a 3 ½ year drought (James 5:17) because of the wickedness of Israel’s King Ahab and his refusal to obey the commands of God and for worshipping the images of Baal (1 Kings 18:18). 

Amos 4:6-7 announces a famine and drought for Israel’s failure to be corrected. Even the gradual judgments God sent failed to turn them back to Him with obedience.

Psalm 32:1-5 indicates that drought is the result of disobedience and sin.

The natural progression from a drought is a fire, and the Bible clearly illustrates that fire relates to refinement or purification; where the deadwood is destroyed and nothing but true and pure remain. Metals were purified by fire (Numbers 31:23). God uses physical illustrations to speak to Israel as He compels them to turn their hearts back to Him. I suspect that following the fire there will come a refreshing rain that further illustrates the purification process and His desire for Israel to be single-minded toward Him (Numbers 31:23).

In reading this, you can’t help but be reminded of 1 Corinthians 3:11-13 which says, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,  each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.”

We understand that in these last days, what happens to Israel physically; happens to the church spiritually. What this means is, the church is about to enter into a time of purification where the fires will remove the useless and un-praiseworthy wood, hay, and straw so that the pureness of God will remain—the pure things that please Him.

God is readying the church. Paul said it perfectly: “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27).” This is exciting! The church is going through its final preparation before the rapture.

First the land is laid waste, then the response from Israel should be a mourning not just for the land, but repentance as well where they turn their hearts back to God. Look at this from Joel 1:15-20:

Alas for the day!
      For the day of the LORD is at hand;
      It shall come as destruction from the Almighty.
       Is not the food cut off before our eyes,
      Joy and gladness from the house of our God?
       The seed shrivels under the clods,
      Storehouses are in shambles;
      Barns are broken down,
      For the grain has withered.
       How the animals groan!
      The herds of cattle are restless,
      Because they have no pasture;
      Even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment.
       O LORD, to You I cry out;
      For fire has devoured the open pastures,
      And a flame has burned all the trees of the field.
       The beasts of the field also cry out to You,
      For the water brooks are dried up,
      And fire has devoured the open pastures.

When the fire of purification hits the church, the response will be the same, deep repentance. The pet sins that have plagued the church will find their judgment in the fire of purification. There will be a separation for service to God as never seen before. Leviticus 6:13 says, “A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.” This fire, once started, won’t be stopped.

Keep Israel in your prayers. This fire and the efforts to curtail and eventually stop it are unprecedented in Israel’s history. And the fire that will “flood” the church will be unprecedented as well. Are you ready?

PD