THE WAR OF REBIRTH

It is now the second longest war in the history of the modern state of Israel, behind the War of Attrition, but exceeding the Israeli War of Independence, which was ironically 9 months 2 days and 3 weeks in duration, by over two months. Called Operation Swords of Iron by Israel up to this point, and the Israel-Hamas War by secular writers, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after apparently extensive deliberations, is now referring to the present war as the “War of Rebirth” and wants it referred to as such in official statements.

We are in a war and we will win. From that black day [October 7], we have been fighting. This is our existential war, the “War of Rebirth.” I would like to ask that we refer to the war that way in an official manner.

His remarks, in Hebrew, were shown in a video published by the Government Press Office and published by Ynet. The Hebrew word used by Netanyahu, “tekumah,” can mean “resurrection,” “revival,” or “rebirth.”

With over 1,700 Israelis killed, Israel’s War of Rebirth is also its third deadliest, behind the War of Independence and barely behind the 1973 Yom Kippur War, in which nearly 6,500 and 2,800 Israelis died, respectively. The Israeli death toll has tragically far outpaced the nation’s other wars (Suez Crisis/Sinai War, The Six-Day War, War of Attrition, First Lebanon War, Second Lebanon War, First Gaza War, Second Gaza War, and Third Gaza War). The war has also moved far beyond the bounds of Gaza, with a front opened in the north with Hezbollah, and an imminent attack on Iran set to kick off at any time. Commentators increasingly warn that a regional war seems inevitable.

The War of Rebirth started on Shemini Atzeret of 2023, and today, the third of Tishri if counting months by the new moon, may see the war expand further. Today is the one-year anniversary of the start of the war and also the seven-year anniversary of the Revelation 12 Sign on the biblical calendar. Just two weeks ago, on the seventh anniversary of the Great Sign according to the Gregorian calendar, the war expanded to include Lebanon.

The Balaamic nature of the war’s new appellation is hard to miss: while Israel, as a national entity, was reestablished (or you might say, “reborn”) in May of 1948, the people most certainly were not. The people of Israel largely remain in unbelief, rejecting their Messiah, Yeshua of Nazareth. But the Tribulation will witness Israel’s actual rebirth from the dead as Israelis cry out to Jesus in their time of greatest need (Zech. 12; Mt. 23:39). Moreover, as tekumah can also refer to resurrection, and Israel awaits a future bodily resurrection at the end of Daniel’s 70th Week (Ezek. 37; Dan. 12:13), so this war perhaps portends that as well. While we do not yet know how exactly this war will play out, we do know two things quite clearly: there is no end to the war in sight, and the time of Jacob's trouble draws ever nearer.

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