Israel: A Land of Prophecy Fulfilled

In her recent article, Laura Hollis challenges the foresight of planners, historians, and politicians in envisioning the transformation of Israel. She writes that "no one could foresee the Jews turning Israel from a desert into prime real estate." While Hollis rightly highlights the astounding development of Israel, her assertion misses an essential truth: the transformation of Israel was not merely a human achievement—it was a fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

The Land Was Always Israel

Hollis refers to the land that "became Israel in 1948," a phrasing that simplifies and arguably misrepresents the land's history. The land didn’t "become" Israel—it was always Israel. It was the Promised Land given to the Jewish people by God as an eternal inheritance. Despite conquests, exiles, and occupations, the connection of the Jewish people to the land of Israel has endured for millennia, preserved in prayers, scriptures, and traditions.

The declaration of independence in 1948 marked the political re-establishment of the Jewish state, but it did not create the identity or historical connection of the land to the Jewish people. The land was always Israel, even in the centuries when the Jewish people were scattered across the globe.

A Fertile Oasis Foretold

The transformation of Israel’s landscape from arid scrubland to a fertile oasis may have surprised European politicians and others watching history unfold, but it was entirely foreseeable to those familiar with biblical prophecy.

Isaiah 35:1 declares:
"The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus."

Ezekiel 36:35 speaks of the land becoming like the Garden of Eden:
"They will say, 'This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.'"

These ancient prophecies foretold the physical restoration of the land as part of Israel’s spiritual and national renewal. The modern achievements of irrigation, agriculture, and innovation in Israel are remarkable but align perfectly with the biblical promise that the land would flourish again under the stewardship of the Jewish people.

A Testament to Divine Providence

What Hollis describes as a “surprise” to political elites is a testament to divine providence. The Jewish return to their ancestral homeland, the revival of the Hebrew language, and the land's transformation are not random historical coincidences but evidence of God’s hand at work in history.

The Bigger Picture

Hollis's commentary highlights the complexities of geopolitics and central planning, but she overlooks the spiritual dimension of Israel’s story. The establishment of modern Israel is more than a political or economic phenomenon—it is the fulfillment of promises made thousands of years ago.

As debates about Israel and the Middle East continue, it’s essential to remember that this land is not merely another piece of territory shaped by human hands. Its destiny was written in the pages of Scripture, and its flourishing today is a visible sign of those ancient truths.

The land of Israel was never forgotten by the Jewish people or by the God who promised it to them. What some view as a surprising transformation is, in reality, the fulfillment of a divine promise.

To read Laura Hollis’s original article, visit  We Should Treat the Intellectual Elites Like Royalty, by Laura Hollis