Early this month, Israel began pumping from the new gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea.  Twelve undersea fields have been discovered since 2008, and now they are coming into production. For many years Israel had searched for oil, and been one of the very few countries in the Middle East who could not seem to discover the elusive black gold!

The Leviathan field is by far the largest, so large that Israel sought help.  Last year, newly re-elected President Putin paid a state visit to Israel, promoting the benefit of using Russia’s Gazprom’s expertise with gas extraction.  In the end, an Australian company bought a 30% stake in the Leviathan natural gas field. 

This new situation will secure Israel a more prominent position in world trade.  Already Asian countries are offloading their export goods at Eilat to be transported across Israel to Haifa where they are shipped directly to Europe.  It is too dear to transport new cars via the Suez Canal.  China has signed an agreement to build a railway from Eilat to Haifa and Ashdod to speed up the transport process.

Bible prophecy is clear that at the time when a northern confederacy invades Israel, she will be secure, confident and economically wealthy. The invaders will aim “to take a spoil and a prey… which have gotten cattle and goods that dwell in the midst of the land” (Ezekiel 38:12).  It seems the “great spoil” of v13 includes the recently discovered oil.

Israel is a modern phenomenon. No other ancient people who were conquered (by Rome 2,000 years ago), dispersed, not only retained their identity, but have been repatriated.  (Ezekiel 37) Then in 1967, the Jews reconquered their ancient city, Jerusalem, according to the words of the Lord Jesus (Luke 21:24).

Despite being on almost constant military alert, Israel is doing well.  There are now more Jews living in Israel than outside the land. The kibbutz (communal farms) produce some 60% of the nation’s food, and technology and tourism are big money earners. The Arabs and Palestinians who live and work in Israel benefit from this environment.

There is a spirit that is working, however, to gather the nations “to the battle of the great day of God Almighty….  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”  Only since the establishment of Israel (1948) has the Hebrew tongue become, once more, the official language of a nation.  Like sheaves for threshing, God will gather the nations for judgment at Jerusalem (Joel 3).