The year 2006 has witnessed impudence at the highest level from the screaming throngs of Islam. Hamas, Hezbollah and assorted mullahs, mobs have called for "Death to Israel! Death to America! Death to Zionism!" Together, these teeming hordes constitute a congealing mass of directed emotion. Behind it all is the dark and growing force of nuclear weaponry. To the Western mind, the depth of their hatred for Zion is often considered a real mystery. Certainly, the majority of political leaders don’t understand it, instead, viewing it as emotionally-based and addressable by traditional diplomatic communication. This is quite simply a conceptual error.

At the beginning of the year, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad played to a fanatical audience in a keynote address. Its theme was displayed on a poster attached to the front of the lectern from which he spoke: "The World Without Zionism." His message was nothing less than a declaration of war against the "Zionist aggressors" — Israel and its chief Western supporter, the United States. His diatribe also included England.

The poster displayed a color picture of the world as an hourglass, with a broken U.S. lying in its lower bulb, and a falling Israel about to assume the same position. His intent couldn’t have been clearer. He sees the U.S. as mortally wounded, following the 9-11 attack, and the continuing Islamic struggle. In his mind, Israel is headed toward the same fate.

None of this comes as a surprise to anyone who has kept track of events in the Middle East. Radical Islam is, of course, only the most visible tip of the anti-Zionist iceberg. Europe, Japan, China, Russia and a host of other countries are quietly raising the anti-Semitic barricades. Jews are leaving these countries in growing numbers, to head for friendlier territories, Israel being foremost.

Globally, anti-Semitism has become almost the norm, and practically indistinguishable from anti-Zionism. The reasons for its rapid growth are almost inexplicable. European Jews are good citizens who have only recently emerged from the pogroms of the Holocaust. Europe should have learned a lesson; it didn’t.

In the state of Israel, it seems almost ridiculous to think that a tiny sliver of land could be considered a threat to the hundreds of thousands of square miles that make up the surrounding Islamic territory. Yet, Israel’s very existence is something they find intolerable. They demonize returning Jews above all else. The depth of their fanatic rage raises an obvious question.

Namely, what is it about Zionism that the world so resolutely hates and fears? The biblical answer to this question is, in one way, surprisingly straightforward and easy to understand. The Lord promised Israel a generous land grant that happens to be squarely in the middle of an ancient battleground. This is no secret. Anyone who reads the first book of the Bible knows all about it. Islam, in particular, detests the land grant God gave to Abraham.

It’s there for all to see. Anyone who cares to read about the Lord’s transactions with Abraham knows that a promise was made. It gives his descendants clear title to a huge tract of land, using clear-cut and unequivocal boundaries:

From the Sinai Penninsula to the Persian Gulf, Israel’s land will be the envy of the world during the Kingdom Age. Though they won’t admit to the accuracy and authority of the Books of Moses, it’s a sure thing that the teachers of Islam know and fear these words, particularly when coupled with another prominent truth:

Islamic clerics passionately dismiss these words as spurious inventions of the Jews. They rely instead, on the promises delivered by Mohammed, which foresee a glorious Islamic kingdom on earth. Still, at some secret level, they must know that the Lord’s blessing upon Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the twelve tribes is still in effect, and must be fought, lest it come to pass.

Thus, the first and most obvious answer to the question, "Why target Zion?" is straightforward, and easy to understand. The battle is territorial in nature. Islam is busily eradicating any and all historical claims that Israel may have to any territory in the Middle East.

But their real hatred for Zion is fueled by something far deeper and more powerful. Their motives have spiritual roots that link geography with redemption.

In a very real sense, Zion is a depiction of the Jewish Messiah. Jesus, Himself, is the foundation stone of everything the Jews so passionately desire. When Jacob called his sons together to receive a blessing, his words to Joseph included the following reference to his God:

Here, we see God represented as both shepherd and as stone. The Hebrew word for "stone," is "even" [ict], (rhymes with "heaven"). It refers to a dressed and carved stone, such as one might see in a finished building. The same Hebrew word is used in Psalm 118:22, to indicate that the very structure of the Temple is intended to honor and lift up the Lord. In fact, He represents the integrity of its structure:

Christ completes the structure, and brings it to perfect unity. But He is much more than highest stone of the Temple. He is also its foundation:

Now, the even — the carved stone — is shown as the very foundation of Zion. Zion and the Stone are presented as one and the same. Here, it becomes quite obvious that Zion is more than a mere symbol, even more than a structure upon the Temple Mount. Zion is a person … the person of Christ.

Before He was seen as a cut and polished Stone, Christ appeared as the "Rock" of Israel. Looking backward from our present perspective, we are quite able to see how Jacob’s symbolic "stone of Israel" grew to become a clear and present reality in the life of the twelve tribes. As we shall see, the "Rock" is symbolically quite different from the Stone.

To them, He was first manifested as the desert rock at Mount Horeb. Israel was brought there and prepared to receive the Law. As they drew near, the people were in a state of angry insurrection. They doubted that Moses would be able to deliver them from their troubles.

As we look back at this incident, we see it as a sad failure of faith. Massah and Meribah, meaning "proof" and "contention," are perfect descriptions of a people who only believe what they can see. Their motto is, "We think you’re wrong; give us proof, then we’ll believe."

This, of course, is the precise opposite of true faith, which believes without having visual proof. Nevertheless, Moses did show them the Lord’s grace, and as long as the water flowed, they believed. When it stopped, they rebelled again.

It is commonly taught that this rock at Horeb is one of the greatest symbols of Christ, who was smitten once — for all time — in order that mankind might drink of the water of life. By grace, thousands of gallons of water flowed into the desert. Based upon census figures found at the beginning and end of the book of Numbers, as many as two and a half million Israelites and their cattle were given all the water they could use.

Later, there was rebellion in the camp, and though the rebels were purged, a plague ensued, killing thousands. Then Israel wandered in the desert again, and came to Kadesh, where Miriam died. The people began to argue with Moses, even though he and Aaron had been reconfirmed after Korah’s great rebellion.

The people complained bitterly to Moses, for again they were without water, and feared that they would die in the desert. So Moses and Aaron interceded for the people:

In this dark historical moment, Israel sinned grievously, failing to credit the Lord with the power to bring them through their present trouble. Despite this miserable failure, Moses interceded before the Tabernacle, and the Lord acted in grace.

The rock had been struck once before. This time, the Lord asked Moses to merely speak to the rock, and the water would flow.

But Moses, strained to the breaking point by a people in continuous revolt, lost his temper. Not once, but twice, his staff struck the rock, as he demonstrated his disgust to the people. Again, the Lord gave them water, but Moses had sinned and would be punished. The Lord now told him that he would not be allowed to bring the people into the Promised Land.

He had been told to speak to the once-smitten rock … that it would then bring forth water. What a picture of Christ, smitten once for all! To strike Him after that would be like crucifying Him again. From that time forward, Moses’ anger has provided all believers with a perfect picture of grace. The water of life flows by grace, not by any work of persuasion.

The text of the Bible further emphasizes this truth. In the Exodus account, when Moses first struck the rock, it was referred to with the Hebrew word tzur [rum], meaning "rock wall, cliff, bedrock or boulder." And indeed, until it was fractured, the huge rock was a single, massive boulder. In recent years, it has been rediscovered, standing as high as a six-story building!

But today, the giant boulder is split down the middle, in the same condition as it was in the days of Moses. It stands at the source of an ancient, eroded stream bed. In a desert that receives less than a half-inch of rain every ten years, the rock shows signs of massive, high-pressure water erosion. For an enormous quantity of water to have flowed from this rock in the desert required a miracle of the first magnitude.

This is the rock described in the second encounter, recorded in the book of Numbers, above. In Moses’ second encounter with the rock, it is called by a different name – not tzur, but sela [gkx], a word used to describe a "fissure, cleavage or split."

Remarkably, the rock is first called a "boulder." But then, Moses strikes the rock and it splits right down the middle. After he strikes it, its name is changed to sela: "fissure." Thus, a visual dimension is added to the story of the rock. Once split, its entire character is changed.

To the twelve tribes, a casual glance would have revealed that where once, it was a standing monolith, now, it was fractured. This is why Moses was instructed to speak (and nothing more) to the rock, to obtain water the second time. Since it had already opened, to have struck it in its wounded condition was to add insult to injury. For this great object lesson, Moses paid a great price.

All he had to do was ask. We are reminded of the Samaritan woman who came to draw water at the well of Jacob. Her life there was a picture of Law and its ancient works, as she labored to sustain herself and her family.

Jesus presented Himself to her as the gracious water of life. As the Rock who came to be smitten for all who thirst, He offered her spiritual water that transcended anything this world has to offer.

This, then, is the Rock. Gracious beyond the telling, He comes to provide Israel and even the world with spiritual life. But He was first seen in the arid wastes on the way to Horeb and in the deserts of Rephidim. He was the column of cloud and fire, and the water of life:

The Rock speaks with eloquence of grace and provision, of shelter and redemption. But that is only one side of His magnificence. The symbolic "Rock" (sometimes referred to as a "Stone") also reveals Him as the Lord of Hosts, defender of His people and righteous Judge.

One of the Bible’s greatest prophecies is the Song of Moses. In Deuteronomy 32, he prophesies Israel’s downfall and rescue in the horrific days described by Jesus and the prophets as the great Tribulation, the "time of Jacob’s trouble."

Moses prefaces his epic prophecy with a simple and straightforward statement to the effect that Israel will fall upon very difficult times before finally coming into the Kingdom. It designates a very specific time period and a very specific environment.

This places Moses’ prophecy "in the latter days." This expression is from a Hebrew idiom that literally means, "in the latter end of days," or "in the very last days." This prelude to his final, great prophecy is, therefore, placed in the unmistakable time setting of the Tribulation.

Here, we see that latter-day Israel will be on the receiving end of much evil, because they, themselves, have behaved in an evil manner. Here, we are told that because of this, they will experience the anger of the Lord.

The prophecy of Deuteronomy 32 — the Song of Moses — immediately follows this imprecation. Its context is that of regathered, latter-day Israel, once again resident in their Land, but living without true faith. They are there to be judged, and the mechanism of that judgment is the Tribulation.

As we examine the Rock, note that it is mentioned five times. In each of these occurrences, a different aspect of the Rock is emphasized.

The first reference to the Rock is found at the opening of the song. Note that it plainly states that the Lord is one and the same as the Rock. Furthermore, it states that He is the standard of judgment; He is the righteous judge:

In this prelude to his Tribulation prophecy, Moses lays out the fundamental premise that the ways of the Lord are the basis of all judgment. Israel has been observed, tried and is about to be punished, because they have forgotten to give honor to the One who redeemed them in the first place. He asks the rhetorical question, "Is this how you pay the Lord back for all that He has done for you?" They are about to be judged.

The next four references to the Rock document the stages of Israel’s progressive fall from blessing.

The second reference to the Rock begins with a reminder of God’s past blessings for Israel:

Here, we have the sad story of how Jeshurun (This is the diminutive, affectionate term for Israel; think of Israel as "John" and Jeshurun as "Johnny.") reacted when given generations of blessings. In the end, they became so rich that they forgot God. They took Him for granted and fell into laziness. In this section of Moses’ prophecy, the Lord is presented as the Rock of salvation. In effect, the people forgot that He was their one, true salvation.

Then, the prophecy documents the next stage in their descent. They began to worship idols and alien gods who were really demon spirits. After a while, they completely forgot that God had given them life in the first place. Their new gods replaced the Rock completely.

We have this sordid story given in Moses’ third reference to the Rock. Here is the next stage of their descent:

Their memory of spiritual truth having departed, they lost any connection with reality. At their beginning, the Patriarchs and the twelve tribes had been the single light in a world of darkness. In the end, they fell to the false legalisms of the Pharisees, and even rejected their Messiah. Presently, they are being recalled to their ancient Land. Their leaders are totally secular, rejecting the Lord’s leading and placing their trust in the world system. This is the state described in the fourth reference to the Rock:

Israel’s "latter end" is their ultimate calling to the Messianic Kingdom. Today, and proceeding into the era of the Tribulation, they are falling into a quickening series of defeats at the hands of their Islamic foes. Because of their unbelief, they have been sold. The Hebrew idiom communicates the idea that they have been sold into the slavery of the world, and imprisoned there. This is their present condition.

But thanks to the grace of God, they will never be totally defeated. Instead, they will enter into a series of judgments that will ultimately establish the Kingdom.

As they are being prepared for these judgments, they are devoid both of wisdom and freedom. As a result, God warns that they are vulnerable to even small, inferior forces.

The fifth reference to the Rock brings the good news. Ultimately, Israel’s enemies will find themselves the object of the Lord’s vengeance. This is the prophesied "Day of the Lord," seen so often in the Old Testament prophets. Certainly, Israel will be judged, and will experience many disasters. But the enemy, who looks for support in a false "rock," will suffer complete defeat.

In the end, the gods of Israel’s enemies will evaporate and disappear.

The original rock struck by Moses becomes the basis of a powerful prophecy of the end times. Moses’ song uses it five times to show how the Lord intends to justify His people in the latter days. Each of these five references gives a slightly different aspect of the Rock’s actions.

As a footnote, it is remarkable that five is the biblical number representative of grace. In his 1894 book, Number in Scripture, E. W. Bullinger called five the number of "Grace." He wrote, "If four is the number of the world, then it represents man’s weakness, and helplessness, and vanity, as we have seen.

"But four plus one (4+1=5) is significant of Divine strength added to and made perfect in that weakness; of omnipotence combined with the impotence of earth; of Divine favor uninfluenced and invincible."

Of course, this is the very heart of the Rock, as He provides for Israel, and stands for His people.

To emphasize the truth of this observation, it is only necessary to look at the famous episode in the life of King David. When he slew the giant, Goliath, he gave total credit to the Lord, not to any power of his own.

And yet, the weapon he chose is the very symbol of God’s grace. He placed the fivefold Rock in his shepherd’s bag and considered himself to be completely equipped, even against a colossal enemy:

Thus ended the engagement between David and the champion of the Philistines. The five stones he chose are called "even," that is, finished stones. In this case, they were not finished by human hands, but by the hand of God. David chose them, seemingly at random, from the brook, or valley, at the location of the battle. Arming himself with these, he was the picture of God’s warrior, not depending upon great weaponry, but upon God’s grace and providence.

In this setting, David is typical of the larger picture of Israel against the world system. Viewed from the worldly point of view, today’s Israel doesn’t stand a chance. Yet, in the end, the Lord will deliver His people, Israel, and they will become the leader of the world.

Bullinger also wrote, "The ‘stone’ kingdom will be the fifth kingdom, succeeding and comprehending the four great world powers, absorbing all earthly dominion, when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Anointed, and He shall reign in glory and in grace."

The even – the finished stone – is seen twice in the prophecy of Daniel. Again, this Hebrew word designates a stone that is cut, dressed and finished. In the context of Daniel, the stone is not manmade, but shaped and polished by God, Himself.

Daniel’s prophecy, of course, lays out the sweeping history of four Gentile world kingdoms. The four – Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome are represented by metals of decreasing value, that form a great image:

The destruction of this great image is the subject of the book of Revelation, where the details of the Lord’s judgment against Mystery Babylon are given in great detail. The Stone will smash Satan’s great system to pieces.

And, as we have seen, Scripture presents Him as both "foundation" and "capstone": "… the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).

The fifth kingdom or, as it might be called, "The Stone Kingdom," is given biblical certainty. No matter how energetically the Gentile powers try to assert themselves, their efforts are doomed. Daniel wrote an unequivocal assertion to this effect:

Anyone who reads this may be sure that it is only a matter of time until it is completely fulfilled. To think otherwise is to doubt the veracity of Scripture.

Taking this view of Israel in history and prophecy, we have the answer to our original question: "Why target Zion?"

Zion is a place. It is Jerusalem. Think of it as the bull’s-eye on a target. It is literally the focus of world power.

Today, every force on earth covets it. In the near future, those forces will be brought there to battle. But, if they have any illusions of winning this great prize, they are only dreaming:

In fact, the Tribulation Period will be marked by a number of battles fought in and around Jerusalem, as the Antichrist establishes his headquarters there. The heart of Zion — the Temple Mount — lies in the heart of Jerusalem.

This is the place from which this man of sin will falsely declare himself to be God. As can be seen in the following verse, Zion lies at the center of Jerusalem:

These and many other similar declarations of Zion are not hidden. They are published and proclaimed from the rooftops. Everybody … and especially the mullahs and clerics of Islam … know all about them. But they have convinced themselves that the coming battle for supremacy will go their way. Theirs is the ultimate delusion. Zion will ultimately be possessed by the Lord, Himself:

The day of the Lord is coming. Today, there is a raging debate about who will control the Holy Mountain. Soon, the conflict will be settled once and for all:

As we have seen, the Lord is the desert Rock, who supplied living water for the twelve tribes. He is the Stone, refused by the builders of Israel, but who will one day become Chief Cornerstone. He is the foundation of Zion, a Stone tried, tested and precious. He is Zion!

Remarkably, Zion, itself, is a rock that will be split one day! When Messiah’s feet touch down at His second coming, a re-enactment of the desert rock experience will be played out on a massive scale. Zion shall be split allowing living waters to gush forth, that life may flow from there to cover the entire world in the healing that takes place during the Kingdom Age:

As we have written before, the word Zion is a Hebrew word that can mean signpost, marker, note, or landmark. Above all, it represents a concept. It is expressed in one brief sentence, found in Psalm 146:10: