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Shalom Aleichem and welcome to the Issachar B7D Fellowship!
Jews celebrate the Feast of Trumpets at sunset today by blowing the Shofar to mark the beginning of a Jewish New Year. We are another year closer to the end of the Sixth Millennium before Yeshua returns to usher in His Millennial Sabbath Rule as symbolized by the Seventh Day of the original Creation account. Until then, we pray for the day when Israel will celebrate this Feast recognizing Yeshua as their promised Messiah who will return at the Last Trumpet.
We will soon mark the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks, the first territorial invasion of Israel since 1948. Our prayers go out to those affected by this tragedy. Others however have criticised Israel’s retaliation, putting the country under intense international pressure and isolation. Meanwhile, the entire region is on the brink of war, as tensions escalate between Israel and Iran. How do we make sense of all this in light of Yeshua’s soon return?
As Yeshua ministered over Jerusalem for the final time days before His crucifixion, He lamented, “how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Mt 23:37-39). Centuries earlier, Jeremiah had described this desolation as a “time of trouble for Jacob” when “‘cries of fear are heard … [when] every strong man [has] his hands on his stomach like a woman in labour, every face turned deathly pale … How awful that day will be! No other will be like it … but he will be saved out of it” (Jer 30:5-7). Elaborating on that day, “when all the nations of the world are gathered against her” (Zech 12:3), Zechariah said God would “set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem” (v. 9) while “pour[ing] out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him” (v. 10). God has allowed these things to happen to Israel as part of His merciful plan to redeem His rebellious and sinful people when they finally recognise Him in Yeshua.
Last year, I spoke about how we are now living in the period of birth pains. What is happening to Israel today is part of this beginning of birth pains as described by Jeremiah earlier. We can expect more to come over Israel and the Church before Yeshua returns to birth His new creation. As citizens of God’s kingdom and Gentile members of the “commonwealth of Israel” (Eph 2:12), let us therefore look to God’s Truth and not be swayed by divisive arguments over Israel. Let us know His Will and seek Israel’s restoration, recognising that Israel’s “hardening in part” is only for a season “until the full number of Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:25-26). Let us not be conceited, “do not consider yourself superior … do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches [Israel], he will not spare you either” (Rom 11:18-21). Finally, let us approach Israel with God’s heart of mercy and not with a judgmental spirit, “because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).
God bless you and God bless Israel,
Stephen & Wei Ling Lim
Song credit - Yamma Ensemble (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnkb7...)
Link to e-Book - https://5722a1c4-623d-4701-a1bb-fc17c...
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