Israelis will shift from mourning to joy as they celebrate the independence won over 70 years ago, which was made possible by divine providence and the many men and women who sacrificed their lives for the Jewish state’s future.

Yom HaAtzma’ut will mark Israel’s 74th birthday since its rebirth as a nation in 1948; Following Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day), the atmosphere will turn from mourning to joy as people throughout the Jewish state begin the celebration of Yom HaAtzma’ut (Independence Day).

After dedicating the solemn day of Yom HaZikaron to remember those who have gone before them, Israelis will now prepare to celebrate their 74th year of independence as a nation on Yom HaAtzma’ut. Independence Day was strategically placed after Memorial Day to recognize the reality that without the brave sacrifice of so many Jewish men and women in Israel’s history, there would be no independence.

1948 marked the rebirth of the nation of Israel when the Jewish people declared independence in their homeland in the aftermath of World War II. Their independence was made official on May 14, 1948, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv. However, Yom HaAtzma’ut is not recognized annually on that date. But instead, it is celebrated on the third of Iyar on the Jewish calendar.

It was only a matter of hours before five different Arab nations acted in mutual interest of eradicating the name of Israel from the face of the earth after the nation was born on May 14, 1948. Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon all attacked the Jewish State the next day, known as the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. God’s hand in the deliverance and survival of the Jewish people is a story like no other. Miracle after miracle took place, whether it was the Lord instilling fear in the heart of their enemies or His miraculous intervention when soldiers were in a seemingly irredeemable situation.

Psalm 83:3-4
They have taken crafty counsel against Your people,
And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.
They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

Zechariah 2:8
For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.”

From Holocaust survivors to a radiant, thriving nation, Israel now has one of the leading economies and militaries in the world.

Sundown on Wednesday will mark the beginning of Yom HaAtzma’ut when Israelis celebrate what they’ve held so dearly for 74 years. Traditionally, there is a ceremony at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, where they raise the flag from half-mast to the top of the pole. A speech and military parade typically follow this. Furthermore, a ceremonial torch lighting will take place, in which twelve influential citizens will each light a torch. This lighting symbolizes the twelve tribes of Israel.

The materialization of the modern state of Israel is not just miraculous – it’s a fulfillment of what the prophets spoke of thousands of years ago.

Isaiah 66:8
Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?
Or shall a nation be born at once?