Answer: Every time there is an explosion of conflict in or around Israel, many see it as a sure sign of the quickly approaching end times.

We may eventually tire of the conflict in Israel, so much so that we will not recognize when true prophetically significant events occur. Conflict in Israel is not necessarily a sign of the end times.

Conflict in Israel has been a reality whenever Israel has existed as a nation.

Whether it was the Egyptians, Amalekites, Midianites, Moabites, Ammonites, Amorites, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, or Romans, the nation of Israel has always been surrounded by and persecuted by its neighbors. Why is this? According to the Bible, it is because God has a special plan for the nation of Israel, and Satan wants to defeat that plan. Satanically influenced hatred of Israel—and especially Israel’s God—is the reason Israel’s neighbors have always wanted to see Israel destroyed. Whether it is Sennacherib, king of Assyria; Haman, official of Persia; Hitler, leader of Nazi Germany; or Ahmadinejad, President of Iran, attempts to ultimately destroy Israel will always fail. The persecutors of Israel will come and go, but the persecution will remain until the second coming of Christ. As a result, conflict in Israel cannot be considered a reliable indicator of the soon arrival of the end times.
At the same time, there will be terrible conflict in Israel during the end times. That is why the time period is known as the Tribulation, the Great Tribulation, and the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7).

Here is what the Bible does say about Israel in the end times:

There will be a mass return of Jews to the land of Israel (Deuteronomy 30:3; Isaiah 43:6; Ezekiel 34:11-13; 36:24; 37:1-14).

The Antichrist will make a 7-year covenant of "peace" with Israel (Isaiah 28:18; Daniel 9:27).

The Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 11:1).
The Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel, and worldwide persecution of Israel will result

(Daniel 9:27; 12:1, 11; Zechariah 11:16; Matthew 24:15, 21; Revelation 12:13).                                                                           Israel will be invaded (Ezekiel chapters 38-39).
Israel will finally recognize Yeshua as their Messiah (Zechariah 12:10). Israel will be regenerated, restored, and regathered (Jeremiah 33:8; Ezekiel 11:17; Romans 11:26).
There is much turmoil in Israel today. Israel is persecuted, surrounded by enemies—the Palestinians, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah… But this hatred and persecution of Israel is only a hint of what will happen in the end times (Matthew 24:15-21). The latest round of persecution began when Israel was reconstituted as a nation in 1948. Many Bible prophecy scholars believed the six-day Arab-Israeli war in 1967 was the "beginning of the end." Could what is taking place in Israel today indicate that the end is near? Does it necessarily mean the end is near?

 No. Jesus Himself said it best, "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come"              (Matthew 24:4-6).

ENDTIME PROPHECY TIMELINE

ISRAEL RESTABLISHED

State of Israel established in 1948
Jerusalem returns to Jewish control in 1967. Luke 21:24

SIGNS OF THE END Prophetic warning signs in 1999.
According to Christ the following are the beginning of birth pangs. The worse is yet to come.

Godlessness in the last days - 2 Timothy 3:1-5,7
False Messiahs. Prelude to the First Seal - Matthew 24:5,11
Wars and Rumors of Wars. Prelude to the Second Seal - Matthew 24:6
Famines. Prelude to the Third Seal - Matthew 24:7
Pestilences - Matthew 24:7
Earthquakes - Matthew 24:7

RAPTURE The instantaneous removal of God's people from the earth.

Matthew 24:31,40-41, 1 Corinthians 15:50-53, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, John 14:1-3, 2 Thessalonians 2:3,6-7, 2 Thessalonians 2:5,9-10, Luke 21:34-36, Isaiah 26:19-21, Revelation 4:1-2

SEVEN-YEAR PERIOD OF DANIEL BEGINS

Seven-year covenant or peace treaty with Israel is confirmed by the Antichrist. Daniel 9:27
Antichrist is revealed. 1st Seal - White Horseman 2 Thessalonians 2:3,6-7, Daniel 11:36 Revelation 6:1-2
Rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem -Daniel 9:27
False Prophet is revealed. Revelation 13:11, Matthew 24:11
Miracles of the False Prophet cause deception amongst the people of the world. Revelation 11:13-14, Matthew 24:24
War - 2nd Seal - Revelation 6:3-4, Matthew 24:6
Mark of the Beast is required on all people to buy or sell. This signifies worship of the Beast. Revelation 11:16-18
Famine - 3rd Seal - Revelation 6:5-6, Matthew 24:7
Resurrection of the Beast/Antichrist after a fatalwound. Revelation 11:12
Two witnesses of God prophesy against the Antichrist causing drought and plagues to come upon the earth. Revelation 11:3-6

TRIBULATION MIDPOINT (3 1/2 years after the peace treaty with Israel)

Breaking of the covenant with Israel by the Antichrist. Daniel 9:27
Abomination of Desolation - The image of the Antichrist is placed in the temple at Jerusalem and given breath by the False Prophet. Daniel 9:27,11:31, 2 Thessalonians 2:4, Matthew 24:15

GREAT TRIBULATION

Persecutions of Christians Begins - Matthew 24:21-22, Revelation 13:5-7
Death - 4th Seal - One-fourth of the world's population (new Christians and Jews) are killed by the Antichrist/Beast with the sword and with starvation. None can buy without taking the mark of the Beast. - Revelation 6:7-8
Martyrs of the Tribulation period cry out to the Lord. - 5th Seal - Revelation 6:9-11, 2 Timothy 3:12, Daniel 7:25
Signs in the Sky - 6th Seal - (Great Earthquake, Bloody Moon, Blackout of the Sun #1, Meteors falling, Mountains and Islands moving, Sky splits apart) Revelation 6:12-14, Matthew 24:29, Joel 2:30-31, 3:14-16
144,000 of the tribe of Israel are sealed - Revelation 7:2-4
Martyrs that came out of the Great Tribulation stand before God - Revelation 7:9-17

DAY OF THE LORD

7th Seal - Trumpet Judgments of the Wrath of God - Revelation 8:1,6

1st Trumpet - Hail and Fire Destruction of all the grass and 1/3 of trees. Revelation 8:7
2nd Trumpet - Meteor falls into the Ocean destroying 1/3 of ships and sea life. Revelation 8:8-9
3rd Trumpet -Wormwood falls from the Heavens causing fresh water to become bitter. Revelation 8:10-11
4th Trumpet - Darkening of a third of the sun, moon, and stars. Revelation 8:12, Joel 3:13
5th Trumpet - Locusts from the Bottomless Pit and Blackout of the Sun #2. Revelation 9:1-10
6th Trumpet - Eastern army of 200,000,000 men kill 1/3 of mankind. Revelation 9:13-19

Death of the Two Witnesses. Revelation 11:7-10
Resurrection of the Two Witnesses on the Third day occurring in view of the World. Revelation 11:11-12
Earthquake strikes Jerusalem destroying 1/10 of the city - Revelation 11:13

7th Trumpet - Consists of seven Bowl Judgements of the Wrath of God.

1st Bowl - Sores on men with the Mark of the Beast. Revelation 16:2
2nd Bowl - All creatures in the sea die. Revelation 16:3
3rd Bowl - Rivers and Springs become blood. Revelation 16:4
4th Bowl - Sun scorches the earth. Revelation 16:8-9
5th Bowl - Kingdom of the Antichrist/Beast becomes full of darkness. Revelation 16:10-11
6th Bowl - Euphrates river dries up allowing the Chinese army to move to Armageddon. Revelation 16:12
7th Bowl - Greatest earthquake ever, Spiritual Babylon and/or Rome is destroyed. Revelation 16:17-19, Jeremiah 51:24,26

ARMAGEDDON

Gathering of the Antichrist, kings and, armies of the world. Zechariah 14:2-5, Revelation 16:13-14,16, Revelation 19:19, Daniel 11:40-45
Final Conquest and Plundering of Jerusalem. Joel 3:2,12, Zechariah 14:2,3

SECOND COMING OF THE MESSIAH

Second Coming - Revelation 19:11, Zechariah 14:3-5
Beast and False Prophet thrown into the Lake of Fire. Revelation 19:20-21
Destruction of the armies by the word of God. Revelation 20:15,21, Zechariah 12:98, 14:2-5,12

MILLENNIUM

Christ rules on Earth.
Satan bound in the abyss for 1000 years. Revelation 20:2-3
Satan released to make war for the last time. Revelation 20:7-9
Satan thrown into the Lake of Fire forever. Revelation 20:10

GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT

Judgment of Nations Revelation 20:11-15

NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH

Revelation 21:1-2,12-14

 NEW JERUSALEM