In seeking to answer the question, Was 1948 the Regathering
of Israel in Bible Prophecy?, it is necessary to gather a bit of
history of Israel.

Israel, the ancient nation of the Bible apostatized during the
days of Jeroboam. After King Solomon’s death, God tore
Israel (the 10 northern tribes) from the house of David.

Their crimes were are follows:

  • Leaving the commandments of God,
  • Making a molded image and two calves
  • Making a wooden image
  • Worshiping all the host of heaven (sun, moon, stars, etc)
  • Serving Baal
  • Child sacrifices
  • Practicing witchcraft and soothsaying
  • Selling themselves to do evil provoking God to anger

For these reasons, God was very angry with Israel and removed
them from his sight until none of them were left but the tribe of
Judah alone, (2 Kings 17:15–18).

In 722 BC, God delivered Israel into Assyrian captivity. At that
time, the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah,
Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities
of Samaria instead of the children of Israel. (2 Kings 17:24)

Samaria was the capital of Northern tribes. Israel was scattered
among the Gentiles. Hosea prophesies that God would no longer
have mercy upon Israel, (1:6), saying they were no longer his
people, (1:9).

Yet, in fulfillment of the promise to Abraham, (Gen. 22:17; 32:12),
God would make Israel as the sand of the sea and once again call
them his people. He would again gather the nation together under
one head with Judah and form them into one nation. (Hos. 1:10, 11).

Was 1948 the regathering of Israel in Bible prophecy?
A recent article published in the front page of The Fiji Time
Online titled “Divine Intervention” (Oct. 26, 2008), called
the 1948 settlement fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Consider
7 Bible reasons 1948  cannot be the restoration of Israel
in fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

  1. The prophecies of Israel’s regathering are quoted in
    the New Testament by the apostles and are said to
    be fulfilled in Christ through the gospel.Compare:

    Hosea 1:9, 10; 2:23; with Romans 9:25, 26; 1 Peter 2:9
    Isaiah 10:20–23 with Romans 9:27, 28

  2. The majority of the Jews who are settled in the land
    of Israel are not the descendants of Abraham.Consider:

    The Ashkenazi Jews, (comprising the world’s largest
    population of Jews are of European German descent.

    Ashkenazi, means German and German speaking.
    Ashenaz was the great grandson of Noah, through
    Japheth. (Gen. 10:3)

    The indigenous or ethnic population of Jews in Israel
    is comparatively small.

    The line of Jews who were descended from Abraham
    were the descendants of Noah through Shem. Thus,
    the Ashkenazi Jews are not genetically related to
    Shem, hence are not the seed of Abraham. (Gen. 11:10–27).

  3. Sitivina Rabuka cites Jeremiah 31:10, as proof that God
    would protect Israel from those who would attack them
    and seek to destroy them.However, he overlooks the fact
    that God promised that Israel would never be attacked or
    have their land threatened on any of the three annual
    feast days. (Exod. 34:23)

    Yet, Israel was attacked on Yom Kippur, 1973. In the
    Bible, each time ancient Israel was attacked on a feast
    day, it was proof that Israel had broken the covenant.

    Don K. Preston of Preterist Research Institute in Israel
    1948, Countdown to Nowhere, argues that Josephus
    (first century Jewish Historian and other Jewish sources)
    cite that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem during the
    feast of Pentecost in 586 BC., (p. 26)

    Preston also points out that according to Josephus, an
    eyewitness of the A.D. 70 destruction of Jerusalem took
    place during Pentecost, one of Israel’s three special feast
    days for disobedience to the covenant, Matthew 23–24).

    Modern Israel was attacked on the Passover on 3/27/2002.
    Each time in the past Biblical History, Israel is attacked on
    the feast days for disobedience to to the covenant.

    Thus, rather than proving Israel’s protection, an attack on
    the feast days proved that God was in disfavor with Israel.

  4. Through Christ, God created a new nation of Israel, i.e.
    descendants of Abraham through faith, not flesh, (Gal.
    3:26–29).Romans 2:28–29, speaks of those who are Jews inwardly,
    versus according to the flesh. Later Paul says those of
    the flesh are not counted as the seed of Abraham, Rom.
    9:5–6, but that Christians, comprised of believing Jews
    and Gentiles, are the new Israel of God, Gal. 6:16.
  5. As a direct result of their unbelief and disobedience
    the Jewish nation would be cast off forever from God’s
    presence and covenant people. (Gal. 4:26)  This means
    that modern Israel, unless they are believers in Christ,
    are not the people of God.Moses prophesied that all who
    would not hear the Christ would be cut off from Israel,
    (Acts 3:22, 23).
  6. All Old Testament prophecy has now been fulfilled.
    According to Luke 21:20–22, Jesus said the A.D. 70,
    destruction of Jerusalem was God’s vengeance upon
    the nation for crucifying Christ and his followers.
  7. The land promises to fleshly Israel were all fulfilled under
    Joshua, (21:43–45) and Solomon, 1 Kings 4:24, 25), to
    which Israel was allowed to return under Cyrus following
    the Babylonian captivity.The physical land of Canaan was
    never “ultimate” promise land of God’s people, but merely
    a shadow and type of the true heavenly land promised to
    the Patriarchs according to Hebrews 11:13–16; 12:22–23)

1948, offers nothing in the promises of God for Israel, the new
spiritual nation reborn in Christ.