In August 1945 two atomic bombs were dropped on Japanese cities (Hiroshima and Nagasaki). The destructive force was unlike anything ever seen before. The explosions caused death and injury to people and destroyed buildings, created high winds that added to the tremendous damage, intense heat and fire, and later the horrible effects of radiation poisoning. Though ethical questions regarding the use of the atom bombs lingered, these bombings surely brought the war to a quicker end – and saved the lives of thousands of American soldiers that would have been involved in an all-out invasion of the Japanese mainland. The end of the war brought thousands of soldiers back to their homes and families, allowed businesses and factories to return to civilian use, and ushered in a period of population growth, economic health, technology expansion etc. etc. An incredible power, unknown and unseen prior to 1945, had hastened the end of World War II – the worst military conflict the world had even seen.

For those of us who understand something about the terrible spiritual conflict that the world has known since the days of Adam and Eve as recorded in Genesis 3, there is hope and expectation of that spiritual conflict ending soon. In an apparent parallel to World War II, there is coming a tremendous spiritual explosive force (never seen before) that will hasten the end of this terrible spiritual conflict.

The coming spiritual explosion is related to national repentance. Though the world has seen the effect of regional waves of repentance/revival etc, the world has never seen, nor experienced, the explosive effect of clear, corporate, national repentance. National repentance is when an entire nation experiences a move of God. That type of national repentance will have an impact beyond anything yet experienced. The coming spiritual atomic bomb of national repentance is soon to explode in the tiny nation land of Israel. Predictions of an atomic bomb before 1945 were either non-existent or summarily dismissed. Yet, it came anyway. National repentance for the nation and people of Israel seems incredibly unlikely, and many might dismiss it – but it is coming anyway. As surely as God promises, as surely as the certainty of His Word – a national repentance in the people and nation of Israel is coming and is coming soon!!

Zechariah 12 tells us, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” Verses 11 to 14 tell us that a tremendous mourning through the land of Israel will occur. Chapter 13 then opens with “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness”. This is a tremendous turning – repentance. It is in the light and understanding of the Holy One of Israel, the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, of Isaiah 53.

In the last 100 years there has been a definite increase in the number of Jewish people coming to believe in Y’shua – but that has been limited to essentially one or two Jewish people at a time. Zechariah prophesied of this turning this repentance coming on a national scale.

Both Ezekiel 36 and Ezekiel 37 talk about this great change in the nation and people of Israel. Ezekiel 36 gives us a unique order of events concerning Israel. The prophet talks about the scattering of the Jewish people all over the world. Then God (for His own name sake) gathers the Jewish people from those nations where He has scattered them and brings them back to the Land of Israel. Then He begins to work on their heart and their spirit. He cleanses them and gives them a new heart. He blesses the land and their produce. Then in the light of that goodness and blessing, Israel as a nation remembers it own ungodly ways, and turns in repentance. Israel then begins to be a powerful witness of God’s goodness to all that are around them.

Jeremiah 33 and Romans 11 give us a foretaste of the incredible nature of this coming national repentance. Jeremiah 33:9 “And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honor before all the nations of the earth, whichshall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.” The Apostle Paul in Romans 11:15 states: “For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” This national repentance is a goodness that causes trembling, and is as amazing as bringing life from the dead. That tells us something about the impact and nature of this great event coming to Israel.

Unfortunately many people struggle with God’s word and His promises. Sometimes it is a struggle believing that God is really as good as His word tells us. Israel surely does not deserve great blessing in this way, but really none of us do. Yet, God has promised to demonstrate the incredibleness of His mercy and kindness through the national repentance He pours out upon Israel in these coming days. And through that – He will bless many others also. Paul made that clear both through His writings, and through His life.

Paul was one Jewish man with a life-changing encounter with Messiah Y’shua. There was a tremendous and wonderful change in Paul’s own life – that change also brought much blessing to many others. Paul’s preaching, ministry, and His Epistles in the New Covenant scriptures have helped to communicate the wonder of God’s love to countless people. Though burdened for the Jewish people and their reconciliation with Messiah, Paul’s ministry and life blessed many more Gentiles than Jews. Repentance in the light of Messiah enabled this blessing through one Jewish man’s life. One Jewish man changed by Messiah brought great blessing to many people. An entire nation of Jewish people repenting in the light of Messiah will be multitudes of Jewish people changed and becoming great blessings to others. Paul’s one life affected and blessed so many people, especially outside of Israel. What will it be like when there are multitudes of Jewish people, leaders, rabbi’s etc. coming to faith in the Messiah. So many Jewish people will be radically changed by Messiah. There will be many Jewish people becoming great blessings to the world in a manner similar to that of the Apostle Paul. In a sense it will be like multitudes and multitudes of Apostle Pauls. This will be a spiritual atomic bomb of God’s incredible and magnificent grace. This writer likes to say “it is not be business as usual” and “we ain’t seen nothing yet! Glory to God in the Highest!