Israel - The Third Home

The Jewish nation has, for the third time in history, an independent state centered in Jerusalem in the Land. Twice before, our sovereignty failed to endure beyond the eighth decade. Will this time be different?

The first time, during the reigns of King David and King Solomon, we enjoyed Jerusalem-centered independence for 73 years. Including the seven years of David's rule in Hebron before capturing Jerusalem, it totals 80 years. During this period, the First Temple, also referred to as the "First Home" (Bait Rishon) in Hebrew, was built.

With the third generation after the founders, the country split apart.

The second time, after the destruction of the temple and the Babylonian exile, during the Hasmonean kingdom in the Second Temple period, we achieved nearly 80 years of unified, independent sovereignty.

Once again, it was the third generation that lost the sovereignty. The first generation, who fought for independence, endured the hardships of exile and sacrificed for freedom. Their children, the second generation, either experienced these too or heard about them directly. However, the grandchildren, born into prosperity, couldn't fully grasp the possibility of losing what they had always taken for granted. Stubborn self-righteousness, internal conflicts, and fraternal animosity, fueled by ego, preceded Roman intervention and ultimately led to the destruction of the Second Temple, known as the "Second Home."

We find ourselves in an independent state centered in Jerusalem for the third time in history. The generation that fought for independence experienced exile, and persecution, and made sacrifices for freedom. Their children, the second generation, either lived through these or heard about them firsthand. As present-day Israelis, along with the majority of our political, economic, and socio-cultural leaders, we were born into Israeli independence.

Now we are that critical third generation. Will we succeed in surviving the eighth decade this time? Will we manage to pass the leadership to our children, the fourth generation? Are we learning from the mistakes of our predecessors, and will the "Third Home" endure in the Land?

There is no human guarantee, especially when considering the internal disagreements and external threats that threaten the existence of our country.

God is the only guarantee. Just as against all odds, the Jewish people, defeated and forced into exile two thousand years ago, did not disappear from the pages of history but returned to the land given to them by God, fulfilling prophecies – so we can be sure of the fulfillment of the prophecy of the prophet Zechariah:

"And it shall come to pass in all the Land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein."

Continuing: "And I will bring the third through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; and each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’" (Book of Zechariah 13:8-9)