Our Jewish history is extraordinary. According to the laws of nature, the course of our nation should have been drastically different. (You’ve probably gotten an email or two about this topic with the subject line reading FW: FW:). What is even more fascinating is that this incredible story was actually predicted in advance. The prophecies in the Torah have foreseen our history, and the Jewish people’s lives have corresponded completely with these prophecies.
The foretellings of the Jewish prophets contain a detailed description of how life will unfold for our people. And without the advantage of hindsight, the statements uttered from their mouths were not just improbable or illogical, they were almost impossible.
Moses prophesied that we would be scattered (Leviticus 26:33), and yet, that we would be eternal (Malachi 3:6, Jeremiah 31:55). We are told we would be few in number (Deuteronomy 4:27), and yet, a light unto the nations (Isaiah 49:6). How can these opposing opinions both have transpired? Throughout history, all other nations who were scattered very rapidly assimilated and become merely names in history books. All other nations who are few aren’t very well known, much less influential. And on top of this, we were told that the Jewish people would also be terribly persecuted (Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28). Can one nation truly experience all the negative prophesies and survive to become a ìlight unto the nations? Difficult as it sounds, this is the story of the Jewish people.
Time after time, the Divine messages have proven true. The land of Israel, it was told, will only blossom when Jews are inhabiting it (Leviticus 26:32, Ezekiel 36:8). Isn’t soil … soil? We know of smartphones, but have you heard of a smartland? But this too, was astonishingly verified. The list goes on and can be read in detail in “Prophecy and Providence — The Fulfillment of Torah Prophecies in the Course of Jewish History” (Feldheim Publications).
There is another prophecy that has yet to unfold. A central theme in Judaism, this prophecy was mentioned more than any other. This is the description of the happy end-of-days, the messianic era (Moshiach). Moshiach includes a universal awareness and knowledge of G-d. The rebuilding of the Third Temple, the ingathering of the exiles (of which we’ve already had a miraculous foretaste in Israel recently), an end to hardships, and universal peace and harmony.
Impossible as it sounds, we know the prophets’ words to have come true. How hard was it for the Hebrews to believe Moses that they were indeed going to leave Egypt? We can trust that G-d will fulfill this last one for us, in our days.
We can actually hasten the arrival of Moshiach by doing acts of goodness and kindness. So add another mitzvah to your day to make Moshiach a reality!
Visit www.JewishOroValley.com/moshiach for references and additional readings.
