Page 17 - TORCH #1 - Autumn 2015

The fact that Israel’s agricultural expertise is so advanced that it’s being exported
to other countries has caused some Jewish scholars to say it may well be a sign that the Messianic Age is imminent.
Famous Jewish Biblical commentator known as Rashi, (11th century), explained the connection between Israel’s agricultural successes and the Messianic Age in his comment on a passage in the Talmud. “When the Land of Israel yields fruit abundantly, then the end is near, and there is no clearer indication of the end than this.”
Why is Israel’s agricultural success in our time so significant? History shows
the Land of Israel did not produce as abundantly as it does today; indeed when Mark Twain toured Israel in 1867,
he described Israel as being almost void of vegetation, “... A desolate country whose
soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds...a silent mournful expanse...a desolation...we never saw a human being on the whole route...hardly a tree or shrub anywhere. Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.”
That is the bleak landscape Jewish immigrants faced as they first started returning
to the Land of Israel. Today, however, the Land is producing an amazing array of fruits and vegetables, despite the desert conditions.
End Times author Rabbi Pinchas Winston recently said to Breaking Israel News, “We learn from the plagues in Egypt that the signs of redemption can occur all around us and
yet be hidden enough to allow those who wish to ignore them the opportunity to do so. One
of the ways that this happens
is that an event takes place on a level that is a mixture of both miracle and nature: those who emphasise the natural element overlook the miracle while those who are brave enough to admit to the miracle see the fulfilment of prophecy.
“Even scientists
and experts in other fields marvel at the advancements in Israel in the areas of technology and agriculture, which allow for greater production of food with less effort, or in areas and ways previously not possible,”
Rabbi Winston explained.
“However, while they look for technical reasons for such miraculous success those
who appreciate the miracle know that this is, in fact, a modern-day fulfilment of ancient prophecies that identify such wonders as Divine signs that the Final Redemption is imminent.”
While Jews and Christians have different interpretations of the End Times, it is clear that both agree the flourishing Land of Israel is not a coincidence.
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