I am a first semester seminary student. I was wondering if the current Israel is the Israel that will face the great attack mentioned in Ezekiel 37-39, or will this attack come on an Israel who knows and is walking with God at a later time in history? Could this event take place hundreds or more years from now? My understanding is that the current Israel is mostly atheist in belief, although some do know God personally. Does this event depend on Israel’s spiritual relationship with God?
There are several places in Ezekiel 37-39 where God mentions that He will use this battle to re-awaken Israel to His presence. Ezekiel 37:13, 38:23, 39:22 and 39:28 are some examples. Most scholars who read the Bible literally believe this battle will be fought in the very near future. And there are quite a few more Israelis who either believe in God or know Jesus as the Messiah than you might imagine. According to the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs only about 20% of Jews in Israel describe themselves as secular (non-believers), and other studies say over 15,000 Israeli Jews claim to believe in Jesus.