By Dr Jürgen Bühler, ICEJ President

On the night of June 13,Israel launched a sudden and powerful air campaign against the top leaders of the Iranian regime, its nuclear facilities, and its ballistic missile capabilities. The mullahs in Tehran considered Israel to be “a one bomb country” – meaning it would take just one nuke to destroy the entire country. Again and again, Iranian leaders threatened to wipe Israel off the map. Thus, Iran has posed an existential threat to Israel’s national survival. This is a nation built on a mandate to be a safe haven for Jews everywhere and to ensure the Holocaust will never repeat itself.

As Israel hopefully winds up its amazing operation against this threat, we should make no mistake: Iran’s ambitions did not stop with the dark vision of annihilating the Jewish state, it also aimed to take down the ‘Big Satan’ of America and with it the whole Western world. As German Chancellor Friedrich Merz admitted at the recent G7 summit, Israel “is doing the dirty work for us” in finally confronting the global threat of Iran.

In his address to the nation after that initial wave of attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named the military campaign “Operation Rising Lion.” The day before, he hosted Argentina’s new leader Javier Milei, a strong friend of Israel. As they went together to the Western Wall for prayer, Netanyahu seemed at peace with himself and placed a small note in Hebrew into the ancient stones of the Kotel. It contained a quote from the prophecy of Balaam over Israel found in the Book of Numbers: “Look, a people rises like a lioness, and lifts itself up like a lion…” (Numbers 23:24, NKJV). The message was clear: Israel, the Lion, has risen!

Less than two years ago, Israel did not seem like a rising lion. On October 7, 2023, Israel was blindsided by a massive terror attack exactly on the 50^th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, when it also was caught completely by surprise by its enemies in October 1973. However, this October 7 was worse than back in 1973. In the years leading up to that fateful day two years ago, Israelis were repeatedly assured that the nation had the most secure hi-tech border fence in the world around Gaza, and that Hamas would never dare to attack the IDF. With some 1200 casualties, mostly civilians, and 251 Israelis taken hostage, October 7 was what President Isaac Herzog described as the worst single day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

In many ways Israel is still traumatised by the barbaric crimes committed in the Gaza border area, yet it also is recovering from those wounds and striking back hard. It first hit Hamas in Gaza and then Hizbullah in Lebanon. What no one could foresee two years ago has taken place. Hamas has been dramatically weakened, and in a matter of weeks Hizbullah lost its entire leadership and the vast majority of its 150,000 missiles and rockets aimed at Israel.

The Balaam prophecies in Numbers refer to Israel in one other place as a lion: “He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?” (Numbers 24:9, NKJV)

Indeed, Hamas awakened the Lion of Israel on October 7, and this nation has now torn its enemies and dramatically changed the Middle East for the better. Hamas is vastly weakened. Hizbullah now complies with the Lebanese government’s demand not to drag the nation into another war with Israel. The Assad regime in Syria, another ally of Iran that suppressed and slaughtered its own people and threatened Israel, has collapsed. And now Israel has at long last directly targeted Iran, the head of the octopus of terror. Indeed, Iran has been confronted and is losing much of its malicious influence in the Middle East and around the world. Surely, the Lion of Israel has risen!

The Bible often refers to Israel as a lion. In the Patriarch Jacob’s prophetic words over Judah, he declares: “Judah is a lion’s whelp; … he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?” (Genesis 49:9, NKJV) Two more tribes, Dan and Gad, are blessed by Moses as resembling lions (Deuteronomy 33:20 & 22). Some of David’s mighty men were warriors “whose faces were like the faces of lions” (1 Chronicles 12:8). Solomon’s throne and the artwork of his Temple’s interior were full of lion depictions (1 Kings 7:29 & 36; 10:19ff). These Temple decorations full of lions remind us that God Himself is the true Lion fighting for His people!

In the early days of the war in Gaza, I visited the Jerusalem Zoo with my wife and daughter. During those days the battle in Gaza was particularly intense and reports of hand-to-hand combat appeared in the news. My wife was sitting on a bench of the beautiful park praying for the soldiers in Gaza and reading reports of another pair of young Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza, when she heard an intense roar from the lions’ cage. We went up to the lion enclosure and saw the mighty male lion sitting on a perch with a lion’s cub crouched in front of the father. The cub was actually covered in the huge mane of the father.

That was a picture of what we are witnessing today. The little lion is seen rising and is spoken about in all the world media. What the political pundits do not understand, however, is that the big Lion is the one we hear roaring. Joel hears the Lord roaring from Zion as the nations gather against Israel (Joel 3:16). In the Book of Revelation, Yeshua himself is called ‘the Lion of the tribe of Judah’ (Revelation 5:5). He roars and is active on behalf of His people Israel.

Sometimes people ask me how we can support Israel as a nation full of faults. There is an interesting lesson in the Balaam prophecies cited above. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Balaam makes an astounding statement: “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them.” (Numbers 23:21)

Just a quick glance through the preceding chapters reveals Israel was actually in a poor spiritual state. The people were complaining “against Moses and God” over why he brought them out of Egypt (Numbers 21:4-9). Even Moses lost his right to enter the Land of promise by wrongly responding to another rebellion (Numbers 20). Again and again, Israel rebelled against God and His chosen leader. Some of the uprisings sprang even from within Moses’ inner circle of leaders, which would have been reason enough to judge and condemn Israel. But as Balaam went out to curse Israel, he instead had to proclaim: “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.” (Numbers 23:21)

Man’s view is always different from God’s view, which was determined by the constant ministry and sacrifice in the Tabernacle; and by God’s eternal covenant promises and purposes for His people. This was not just true for Israel, but also for Christian believers today. Each one of us keeps sinning, keeps growing cold, keeps falling short according to God’s standards. There are many reasons for God to condemn and forsake us. But He looks upon us through the finished work of Christ on the Cross. Paul says it so beautifully in 2 Timothy 2:13: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” This remains true also for Israel. Therefore, let us look upon His people with God’s eyes. Yes, Israel surely is not perfect, but ask God to give you His heavenly view on Israel.

Finally, we are witnessing today a prophetic dynamic in the Middle East that has characterised Israel since its modern-day rebirth in 1948 and which can be found in many of the Hebrew prophets. Israel is growing more and more into a regional, even global, force that must be reckoned with. During the early days of the recent attack on Iran, Israel’s foreign ministry informed on a WhatsApp channel that a certain Arab nation was collaborating with Israel, fearing it might be next in line. Israel’s impact continues to grow, an ever-increasing respect that has been there since the War of Independence in 1948. The Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War, both fought against multiple Arab nations, were both miraculous victories that stunned the Arab world. How much more respect will Israel have after confronting and thrashing the regional bully of Iran?!

Israel’s recent victory over Hizbullah and now its rapid trouncing of the Iranian terror regime, the operational excellence of Israel’s intelligence services, and the comparatively limited damage in Israel after absorbing hundreds of ballistic missile strikes is even considered by secular Israelis to be miraculous and the hand of Providence. In a recent live broadcast, a secular Israeli news anchor took out his Psalm book, put a kippa on his head, and read a Psalm of thanksgiving on air! He added that Israel is indeed “the land of signs and wonders”.

The prophet Isaiah, in chapter 43, describes Israel as the servant of God who has returned from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 43:8ff). Repeatedly, God encourages the tiny nation that He is the One who upholds them. Three times in chapter 41, God commands “Fear not!” (Isaiah 41:10,13 & 14), saying that it is He who “upholds them with His right hand”.  God gives them an unusual name, saying, “you worm Jacob.” Yet as the Redeemer of Israel, He boasts of His great purposes for this lowly people.

“Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, and make the hills like chaff. You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; You shall rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 41:15-16)

Invariably, I had to think of these passages as Israel swiftly dealt with 3,000 terrorists in Hizbullah in one moment during the incredible “pager operation” last year, and now many top leaders of Iran have been dealt with in a similar way. It is miraculous indeed. In a real sense, all those who touched Israel in the last two years, Iran and all its terror proxies, burned their hands, all the way up to the mullahs in Tehran.

A similar dynamic is also described by the prophet Zechariah. He describes an Israel who has returned to their Land and to Jerusalem. Israel finds itself in a time of great challenges and is surrounded by enemy armies who try to lay siege to the city. However, the outcome is glorious…

“In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; … In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, … in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 12:6-9, NKJV)

Both Isaiah and Zechariah foresee a time in the last days when indeed the Lion will rise and bring judgement on the forces of evil around Israel. Or in more secular terms, as the German chancellor Friedrich Merz said: “Israel is doing the dirty work for all of us.”

Without a doubt, we are seeing a drastic paradigm shift taking place in our times that offers a great opportunity for change in the Middle East over coming decades. The populations of Lebanon and even Syria and Iran may have a chance for a better future. For Christians in the Middle East in particular, this can mean a new day of freedom. It also could mean that we soon might see the very first delegations of Christians from Lebanon, Iran and other regional countries joining us at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem!

A close relative of mine has family in Iran. In a recent call, she said her family is dancing on the roof in Tehran celebrating the possibility of freedom. Interestingly, the old flag of Iran had a lion holding a sword in its hand. Maybe Benjamin Netanyahu also thought about another lion rising when he named the military campaign against the Ayatollahs: the Iranian people rising into freedom as well. We may never know, but it all gives us ample reason to pray.

In this historic season, I encourage everyone to draw near to God in prayer and in His word. Pray for Israel, that this ‘little lion’ will continue to be divinely protected, and that God will give its leaders wisdom and resolve over how to secure the peace.

Pray that the roar of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Yeshua the promised Messiah, will be heard more clearly than ever both in Israel and out among the nations.

Pray for the nations around Israel, and in particular for the churches in Lebanon, Syria and Iran, for their special protection from above. Let us trust God that this current shaking in the region will lead to them recognising that “the Lord is God!”

Also, please join our daily Global Prayer Gathering on Zoom as we are joined by hundreds of intercessors in prayer for Israel and the region. I look forward seeing you there.