The very first line of the Lord’s Prayer stresses the importance to God of the great sign of our age – the return of the Jews to their ancient land.

It has long been understood from the scriptures that Christian support for Jewish Aliyah (immigration to Israel) is expected, but in the opinion of theologian Dr Fred Wright, it is absolutely fundamental.

This, he says, is because the opening petition of the prayer Jesus taught his disciples – repeated by millions of Christians worldwide on a regular basis – focuses prominently, among other things, on the return of the exiles.

His Holy Name

“Hallowed by thy name” – or “may your name be sanctified” in more modern versions – is obviously our Lord’s priority.

Dr Wright points out that there is only one portion of Scripture that explains how the Lord’s name may be sanctified, and it is found in a passage from Ezekiel 36 (beginning at verse 16) that, in the Hebrew Bible, is headed Kidush ha Shem ('The Sanctification of God’s Holy Name').

Jewish exile was a consequence of their rebellion against God. But while they remain in foreign lands, his holy name is constantly profaned, “for it was said of them, ‘These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land’” (v20).

So it is out of concern for his holy name, which they have profaned (a word used five times in this short passage) by their exile, that the Lord will bring them back (vv24-26).

Fulfilment of Prophecy

On 14 occasions throughout this passage of Ezekiel, the Lord says ‘I will’ in respect of an aspect of Jewish resettlement in their ancient homeland – not just for his people, but for everyone, including his own reputation.

Their return would also hasten their national salvation and the coming of their Messiah (Zech 12:10; Rom 11:26; Rev 1:7) and the Church would benefit from the richness of its Hebraic heritage (Rom 11:11). In short, Aliyah is the last great sign prior to the return of the Lord Jesus (Matt 24:32f; Luke 21:24).

The return of the exiles from the four corners of the earth is of course a fulfilment of many biblical prophecies, thus confirming the reliability of the scriptures, and is a ‘banner to the nations’ of the imminence of God’s rule through the Jewish Messiah (Isa 11:11).

The opening petition of the prayer Jesus taught his disciples focuses prominently on the return of the exiles.

An Irrelevance?

And so, although the modern nation-state of Israel may be seen by many (including Christians) as an irrelevant political issue to be avoided, it is in fact the complete opposite.

It is the greatest sign of our times, confirmed not only by the scriptures (Gen 15:18f; Isa 43:5f) but also by the 1920 San Remo Treaty when the major powers representing the victors of World War I ratified Britain’s Balfour Declaration of 1917 (through which we promised to do all we could to prepare a home for the Jewish people in their ancient land).

The right to the territory then known as ‘Palestine’ was thus passed to the Jews under international law, a fact conveniently forgotten or ignored by many of today’s politicians and media outlets.

As I write, preparations are in hand to celebrate the centenary (next April) of this historic treaty, signed on the beautiful Italian Riviera by British Prime Minister David Lloyd George and others. The occasion will be used to remind Britain and other nations of their grave responsibility to honour commitments to God’s chosen people (in a shocking surrender to Arab threats in the decades following the San Remo Treaty, Britain later broke her pledge).

At a time of national crisis in Britain, we surely need to take special note of Isaiah’s warning: “For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you [Israel] will perish; it will be utterly ruined” (Isa 60:12).

Clearing the Path

So remember, when you pray “Hallowed by your name”, that you are also pleading for the return of the exiles in order that God’s reputation will no longer be profaned. And this great phenomenon will clear the path for his Kingdom to come!

First published in Heart News, Oct/Nov 2019.