In Rom. 11:25 we are told that a hardening of Israel has taken place "until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." The question which should arise in a person’s mind after reading this prophecy is, "Gentiles come into where?"

The Apostle Paul is prophesying of the awesome day of awakening when the nation of Israel will begin to recognize that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and that this softening of Israel’s thoughts towards God’s Son will not take place until the number of Gentile believers, which are to comprise the body of the Church, are accounted for. Only after the final Gentile believer enters the fold will God complete His promised redemption of Israel. See Msg. #221, "And so all Israel shall be Saved."

It would appear that another facet can be seen in the words of the Lord when in Matt. 19:30, He told His disciples, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first." Where the early Church was decidedly Jewish in its composition, at her full maturity Gentiles are prophesied to close her ranks.

It is with full confidence in the Scriptures that we teach that when the fullness of the tally of those destined to complete the number of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Church is reached, He will return in the clouds to gather to Himself in the heavens every dead and living born-again believer at the glorious event known as the Rapture. See I Thess. 4:13-18 & I Cor. 15:50-58.

Until that moment in time, individuals of Jewish descent have been finding Jesus as their Savior and have become children of the united family of Christ found in the unsegregated body of believers that make up His Church. The miraculous removal of the Church at the Rapture will be the wake up call of the ages and will initiate the bringing of salvation to the entire nation of Israel.

The veil over corporate Israel’s eyes spoken of in II Cor. 3:14-18 will begin to be lifted by God and the unifying enlightenment which has individually been experienced by believers of every race and nationality will one day soon begin to fill the hearts and minds of Israel.

Quoting from II Cor. 3:14-18 we read, "But their minds were hardened. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even in this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their hearts. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

It is intriguing for readers of such biblical prophecy to recognize that great messianic truths of the Old Testament remain hidden to this day from devout Jewish scholars. The lack of prophetic understanding does not end with Israel’s inability to recognize their Messiah and His blood atonement upon the cross as was prophesied in Isa. 53 & Psa. 22, but even for what would appear to be obvious recognizable current events that were foretold in great detail in the Old Testament. Endtime prophecy remains hidden and obscured from their vision for the time being.

As the world watches the Middle East prepare for all out war during this April of 2002, we can give a dramatic example of this elusive comprehension by quoting from a Dec. 1, ’00 Middle East Newsline report which headlined, "Israel Raises Prospect Of Imminent Regional War."

For those who have reviewed Rapture Watch Msg. "The Fatalities of Psalm 83" the prophetic relationship to Psa. 83 and the following article will be apparent. For those who have not had an opportunity to study Psa. 83, we will be including the ancient names of the countries mentioned in the article so that their Old Testament identification can be made.

A noteworthy point concerning identities needs to be made first. In ancient days, modern-day Iraq (then known as the land of Chaldea or Babylon) and modern-day Syria were confederates and were known as Assyria. In modern times Syria and Iraq were enemies throughout the Iran/Iraq and Persian Gulf Wars. One needs to keep in mind as we quote from the Dec. 1, Middle East Newsline report that according to the prophecy of Psa. 83 these two countries would someday once again be united in their old Assyrian alliance against Israel in an attempt to try and destroy her. Israel was restored in 1948. Assyria is also being restored and the day of its destruction is near at hand.

As of April 14, ’02 Hizbullah has been attacking Israel daily from within the borders of Lebanon while Israel is making direct threats against Syria for its complicity. Keep this in mind as we read from the year 2000 Middle East Newsline. The dangerous situation of the year 2000 is being precisely duplicated at present. We quote, "For the first time in a decade, Israel has raised the prospect of a regional war with the Arab world with the key participation of Iraq. Israeli sources said the most likely prospect is a Hizbullah attack on the northern Israeli border. Israel would then react by retaliating against Syrian military installations in Lebanon. This, in turn, would result in Iraqi … intervention. Such a prospect could take place imminently or be delayed for months, the sources said. They said this was the strongest threat of a regional war in more than a decade. The sources said Israel and the United States have relayed messages to Syria to stop Hizbullah attacks along the border. Syria has up to 30,000 troops in Lebanon and controls the Hizbullah. Syria, however, has so far rejected the warnings. Instead, President Bashar Assad has formed new links with Iraq that include military cooperation. The sources said the cooperation should include *Iraqi intervention in case of Israeli attacks on *Syria (**Assyria). A senior Israeli military source said Iraq is ready to launch missile attacks on the Jewish state to either help Syria or the *Palestinians (*Philistia). "These Iraqi’s would love to participate in either conflict," the senior source said. "Hafez Assad [Syria’s late president] was not interested in cooperating with Iraq. Bashar is interested and wants to cooperate." An Israeli war with Syria, *Lebanon (*Tyre) and Iraq could drag in such U.S. Arab allies as *Egypt (*Hagarites) and *Jordan (*Ammon), the source said."

Israel has recognized by its military intelligence reports that a confederated Arab war against them is on the horizon and has even unknowingly identified the bulk of the countries that God has prophesied in Psa. 83 will soon be involved in this invasion. But while still under the blinding veil, Israel leaders find no relevance to God and the Scriptures in their current situation, just as is revealed in the Scriptures of II Cor. Ch. 3.

Every born-again believer in Jesus Christ should be earnestly praying for Israel’s veil to be lifted in these final days. This is undeniably God’s will and the number of professing believers who join this fallen world’s call to partition, chastise, or even destroy Israel is deplorable. The day of the Church’s departure from this planet of sorrow hastens with every passing breath and those who have encouraged harm to Israel will soon surely answer to the Living God of Abraham and Jacob.

As we have watched the deadly swiftness of the developing situation in Israel we have felt the urgency to continually proclaim our conviction that the wars of Psa. 83 and Isa. 13 through 19 are almost upon the world. We are convinced that these wars will not take place during the 7 years of sorrow and tribulation, but will in fact serve as the preceding catalyst that will provoke the confirming of the Tribulation Period covenant of Dan. 9:27 by the Anti-Christ.

With unfathomable joy we proclaim our expectancy to be called up to eternal glory by our Savior Jesus Christ before the 7-year treaty of treachery and death is established and so shall we ever be found with our Lord.

How near are we to the war of Psa. 83? You judge. An April 7, 2002 Denver Post article titled, "Arab League stands with Palestinians" reported that on Apr. 6, the Arab League unanimously approved a "plan for Arab mobilization" against Israel.

If you are a person who has never made your salvation sure by putting your complete faith for the forgiveness of your sins in the atoning blood sacrifice of the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ, then we plead with you in the love of the only Savior to do so this very moment. Time is precious and fleeting, don’t waste it.

Tremendous deception will soon overshadow the minds of men during the Tribulation Period (II Thess. 2:9-12). True believers will remain rare commodities among billions that will perish (Luke 18:8). This will lead up to the day when the word of God tells us in Zech. 8:23, "In those days ten men from every language of the nations (Gentiles) shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’"

As it is written in II Cor. 3, the veil which blinds men to God’s spiritual truths can only be removed when they are in Christ. Soon Israel will begin to receive their sight when they recognize that in like manner that the Gentile Prophet Enoch of Gen. 5:24 was removed from this earth because He walked with God, so in like manner God has removed the Christians at the Rapture.

According to Jewish writings Enoch was also born on Pentecost same as the Church. Even more intriguing is the record in their writings that state Enoch was also caught up to be with God on the day of Pentecost. Only God knows how far one should go in comparing Enoch’s sojourn to the Church.

May the Lord Jesus lift the veil from your eyes this day that you might see His saving light.