From the Editor May/Jun 2024

Israel My Glory Sneak Peek with Jesse King, our managing editor, is a new video series that gives a glimpse into our latest issue.

Ever since God promised the land of Israel to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob nearly 4,000 years ago, a yearning to live in this Holy Land has permeated Jewish hearts.

The children of Israel once enjoyed a strong, prosperous kingdom when King David and King Solomon reigned. But a few hundred years later, they were taken captive; and their kingdom vanished. In the era of the Roman Empire, even Israel’s name disappeared; and the area of Judea was renamed Palestina.

For the next 2,000 years, the Jewish people maintained a presence in their Promised Land, carrying the dream to be reborn as a nation. While control of the land shifted between various world powers, God prepared the way for Israel’s rejuvenation.

Observing antisemitism in late-19th-century Europe, Theodor Herzl, an Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist, determined that the Jewish people must have their own nation to ensure their survival. Through his writing and rallying, he became known as the father of Zionism, the movement for the Jewish people to dwell independently in their ancestral homeland; and God set in motion the State of Israel’s development.

The World War I defeat of the Ottoman Empire, which controlled Palestine, sparked international powers to work toward the creation of a Jewish state in Eretz Yisrael: the land of Israel. The systematic slaughter of 6 million Jews during World War II accelerated plans to create a safe haven for the Jewish people, who suffered persecution wherever they settled.

On May 14, 1948, with the United Nations’ approval, Jewish statesman David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel, fulfilling thousands of years of Jewish longing. What was once little more than a dream became a reality through God’s providence.

To fully appreciate the Jewish state today, we need a proper understanding of its history. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve missed key pieces to this puzzle of modern Israel, you’ve come to the right magazine. In this issue of Israel My Glory, our authors provide a crash course on the State of Israel’s history and some of the defining factors that have shaped it.

Studying Israel’s wars, borders, refugees, and enemies reveals its challenges and God’s faithful sustenance of the people He called to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6).

So, class is now in session! We hope this issue will build your expertise on the State of Israel and help you see God’s sovereign work through His Chosen People.

In His service,
Jesse King
Managing Editor