Return to the Promise Land

Aliyah (Hebrew: עֲלִיָּה aliyah, “ascent”) is the immigration of Jews from the diaspora to the Land of Israel (Eretz Israel in Hebrew). Also defined as “the act of going up”—that is, towards Jerusalem—”making Aliyah” by moving to Israel is one of the most basic tenets of Zionism. The State of Israel’s Law of Return gives Jews and their descendants automatic rights regarding residency and Israeli citizenship.

For much of Jewish history most Jews have lived in the diaspora where aliyah was developed as a national aspiration for the Jewish people, although it was not usually fulfilled until the development of the Zionist movement in the late nineteenth century. The large-scale immigration of Jews to Palestine began in 1882. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, more than 3 million Jews have moved to Israel. As of 2014, Israel and the Palestinian territories together contain 42.9% of the world’s Jewish population. 

Successive waves of Jewish settlement are an important aspect of the history of Jewish life in Israel. Eretz Yisrael (“Land of Israel”) is the Hebrew name for the region known in English as Israel. This traditional Hebrew toponym, in turn, has lent its name to the modern State of Israel.

“the last 100 years has been the greatest return to the ‘Promised Land’ in all of history”

Pre-Zionist Aliyah refers to small-scale return migration of Diaspora Jews to the Land of Israel. Since the birth of Zionism, its advocates have striven to facilitate the settlement of Jewish refugees in Ottoman Palestine, Mandatory Palestine, and the sovereign State of Israel. The following waves have been identified:

1. Aliyah to Ottoman Palestine: First Aliyah & Second Aliyah (1882-1914CE)
2. Aliyah to Mandatory Palestine: Third Aliyah, Fourth Aliyah, Fifth Aliyah & Aliyah Bet (incl. the Bericha ‘escape’ from Nazi Germany) (1919-1948CE)
3. Aliyah to the State of Israel: Aliyah from elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa (1948–—)
4. Aliyah from western & communist countries following the 6-Day War (inc. the 1968 Polish political crisis) (1967–)
5. Aliyah from post-Soviet states (1990–)

Today, most aliyah consists of voluntary migration for ideological, economic, or family reunification purposes. –Wikipedia

Jewish Immigrants during British Mandate

Each Passover Seder for most of the last two millennia, this prayer has been prayed … “Next Year in Jerusalem” by Diaspora Jews in all circumstances, both good, bad and sometimes absolutely horrific.

We are living in momentous prophetic times. During the last 100 years, there has been the greatest return to the ‘Promised Land’ in all of history, facilitated by the Zionist movement and largely due to Theodore Herzl’s endeavours and helped along significantly by ‘Christian Zionists’.

Theodore Herzl: Father of the World Zionist Movement founded at the first World Zionist Congress in 1897 in Basle Switzerland.

Those who would question political and/or Christian Zionism, may well have lost sight of the significance of numerous prophetic scriptures which foretell these events in the last days and relate them to the imminent return of Messiah.

Israel did not lose her inheritance even though she has been disobedient, but she did experience great hardship in exile (See Deuteronomy 28:37) anticipating the day when God would facilitate their return to the land.

Israel was promised, in no uncertain terms, unconditional tenure of the land since the time of the Patriarchs and assured of continuing ‘nationhood’ throughout all time (e.g Jeremiah 31:35-37)

Since 1882, successive waves of immigration have accounted for more than 3.5 million ‘Olim’ who have made ‘Aliyah’ to the land of Israel.

It is not surprising that many secular commentators have opposed the rebirth of modern day Israel as many return to resume their lives in the ‘Promised Land’ in these days.

The opposition of many, inspired by Islamic beliefs is not surprising either, as these folk do not claim to believe the Word of God nor appreciate the promises of God regarding Israel.

What is disturbing is the opposition by many in the Christian community, claiming to believe the scriptures, but disenfranchising Israel and the Jewish people on the ground of ‘Replacement Theology’, plus the deliberate misinformation that is promulgated on a daily basis through the World’s media and from Muslim sources. Terrorism is just as real whether carried out by a suicide bomber from the West Bank in Jerusalem, Israel or a Muslim truck driver in Nice, France.

God’s everlasting love for the nation of Israel is clearly stated in scripture and God has sovereignly proclaimed that He does not hold them to account for their sins as far as these eternal and unconditional promises are concerned. These are clearly national promises relating to how the father sees them in relation to the Land in these last days.

Their personal relationship with Him and His Messiah is a matter yet to be resolved in the fullness of God’s timing. Do not be fooled! The return to the Land by millions of Jewish people today in fulfilment of prophetic scripture and watched over by the God of Israel, is a clear prophetic statement that we’re living in the last days.

To deny Israel their right to all Israel is to negate the numerous promises God made regarding His people more than 2000 years ago.

“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers… And first I will repay double for their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable idols.” – Jeremiah 16:14-18