[Darris McNeely] June 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of Israel's Six-Day War in June of 1967. A massive battle that took place between Israel and Egypt, and other of its Arab neighbors, Jordan and in Syria, were massive land and air battle took place that defined the existing boundaries for the state of Israel. And it was a major step in establishing that state, the Jewish state, in the Middle East, at that particular point in time. 

It came very close to going the other way. The state of Israel could have disappeared overnight, outmanned, outgunned, by the Arab armies. However, a series of very notable events some called miracles took place, which not only preserved the Jewish state, but also expanded its borders, and is the focus for a lot of the discussion that continues to go on today in the Middle East. And with the Arab world, and the Palestinian issue, and the state of Israel. We're still talking about it at this time. 

I remember it quite well. It was just a few years after that I was able to make my first trip to Israel and participate in an archeological dig right at the site of the Temple Mount in what was then the united city of Jerusalem, which happened during that Six-Day War. Where does all this fit when it comes to understanding the world today, but most importantly, Bible prophecy? 

Well, it fits quite well, and there's a great deal to understand. Because the existence of the state of Israel, the Jewish state in that part of the world, and what took place 50 years ago even with that battle, has helped to set the stage for a number of critical Bible prophecies that are important for all of us to understand.

We're going to begin a series here of dailies on Beyond Today to help walk all of us through this very important milestone. Because not only is this the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War, but also, to help us to have a better background for this existence of Israel and Bible prophecy, we need to understand that 2017 is also the 100th anniversary of a declaration that was made in November of 1917 during the great World War I. When the British Empire, the British government, committed itself to the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the area that was then called Palestine. And that set in motion the events that led eventually to the creation of the Jewish state in 1948, and the existing situation that we have right now.

It's important that all of us understand how all this came about, and most importantly, how it fits into Bible prophecy. And so, we're going to begin this series of why the state of Israel matters as we look back at what happened 50 years ago, and the context of the story, the unfolding story, of God's purpose and God's eternal plan. Not just for the Jews and not just for the state of Israel, or the teaching about Israel, but most importantly, for all nations, all people, and the entire world in God's purpose and plan. 

Join us in part two, as we talk more about this critical event of why the state of Israel matters.

That's BT Daily, join us next time.