Aliyah--Jewish Return to Israel a Good Plan, But Not in 2015

Summary: The book of Daniel supports Jewish Aliyah, but also offers a time-frame for it that is overlooked. This is based on the double application of Daniel, once in history and again in our time.

Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, a leading rabbi in Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, urges Jews to return to Israel this fall. Aliyah, the Hebrew verb for “going up”, refers to immigrating to Israel, as it can help herald the coming of the Messiah.

Dr. Richard Ruhling, a student of Hebrew prophecy agrees with the need for aliyah, but warns of risk in returning to Israel this year before the prophetic time specified by the prophet Daniel. How is this so?

The book of Daniel was sealed till the time of the end but it also defines the time of the end in the 8th chapter where Gabriel said “the vision is at the time of the end” Dan 8:17. Gabriel explained that the ram horns were the kings of Media and Persia and the goat represented Grecia.

History confirms the victory of the goat in the Battle of Arbela, 331 BCE, but that was not the time of the end. This suggests that the “unsealed” meaning of Daniel is a double application—once in history, and again “at the time of the end” when the Medes and Persians are Iraq, Iran/ISIS. Militant Islam will be stomped (Dan 8:8) by a goat—Global Organization Against Terrorism.

It is not safe to return to Israel now. Wisdom will wait for Scripture to be fulfilled. God says, “All nations [Arab nations? United Nations?] will be gathered against Jerusalem to battle. The city shall be taken, the houses rifled and the women ravished. Half the city will go into captivity,...Then shall the Lord go forth to fight against those nations.” Zechariah 14:2,3. How will God fight? He used Babylon, now a GOAT.

It's not difficult to see how this can develop. We should note that the timing for aliyah is specified in the next chapter which also links to the Messiah's coming--that's why aliyah will be timely: “Seventy weeks are determined on your [Daniel's] people...from the command to restore and build Jerusalem [we saw its destruction in the text above] shall be 69 weeks.” Daniel 9:24,25.

That command by the Persian king, Artaxerxes in 457 BCE was the signal for aliyah and allowed it. So it must be again after an impending destruction foretold by Zechariah (above).

The big picture that God offers us in a double application of Daniel (ram and goat again—good news to spare Israel) and while we look for Messiah soon, the first application of Daniel 9 pointed 69 weeks of years to 27 CE when Yeshua was anointed (the meaning of Messiah). The Spirit as a dove descended at His baptism by John who proclaimed Him as the “Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” as foretold by the prophet Isaiah (53:3-7).

We can't help the mistakes of our ancestors, but we don't have to bury our heads from reality now. We must see the bigger picture. The New Covenant Promise for God to write His law in our hearts has an end-time context of aliyah. We must have His law in our hearts to be ready for Messiah, but it won't happen until aliyah, Ezekiel 26:24-28.

Christians who accept the torah, and Jews who accept Messiah will be fully compatible when the two sticks, one for Israel and one for Judah, come together to make one kingdom in Ezekiel 37:16,17,22. May God bless readers with shalom as we consider the light of prophecy!