July 15, 2002
Shalom!
Greetings from Israel from the Boskey family. This newsletter is being written a few days before the Ninth of Av (Tish’a B’Av), the memorial day on the Hebrew calendar when both First and Second Temples were destroyed. It is a time of mourning for religious Jews, and even secular Israelis refrain from concerts, parties or celebrations on that day. Here are some thoughts about this time from a biblical perspective.
Israel’s Affliction
It is striking, and certainly not accidental, that such calamities befell Israel on the exact same calendar day. The hand of God was in the terrible destruction of Solomon’s Temple, as Jeremiah recounts with lamentation: “For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of your iniquities, because your sins have increased… I have done these things to you” (Jer.30:14-15).
Yeshua also prophesied with tears the destruction of Herod’s Temple: “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground. And they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:41-44).
The purpose of God’s discipline is to bring repentance. As we remember the many sufferings that the Jewish people have undergone and yet undergo, it is so important to keep this prayer at the forefront of our consciousness: “O Lord, save Your people, the remnant of Israel!” (Jer.31:7). When the God of Israel grants a national revelation to His Jewish people, a hardness will decisively break in their spirit, and the nation will embrace their Messiah with tears of recognition and repentance (see Zech.12:10).
Hosea prophesied that accumulated afflictions will one day bring the Jewish people back into a right relationship with God: “I will return to My place until they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face. In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me” (Hos.5:15).
When the suffering of the Jewish people moves us to compassion and tears, let those tears move us to call out to God on their behalf. They are not yet able to move heaven and earth in intercessory repentance. We as believers in Yeshua the Messiah of Israel need to stand in on their behalf. Join with us in crying out to God for a mighty revelation of the Son of David to His beleaguered people! This turning is the key to world revival, life from the dead (Rom.11:15), as well as great spiritual riches for the entire world (Rom.11:12).
Bordering on disaster
On Monday June 24 2002 the President of the United States of America, George W. Bush, went on record declaring official US policy regarding Israel and the Palestinians. There was much good in the speech – Arafat was clearly defined as an instigator and encourager of terrorism, and Bush said that America would refuse to negotiate with him as long as terrorism continues. At the same time Bush officially committed his own country to the following steps:
- active American support for the rapid creation of a Palestinian state within three years,
with American supervised elections within one year;
- Israel’s full withdrawal from large portions of the land promised by God to the Jewish
people and repossessed by Israel in June 1967’s Six Day War;
- the stopping of all growth of Jewish life and infrastructure in Judea, Samaria, and the
Gaza Strip
- America will resolve questions about Israel’s borders, specifically regarding drawing
and establishing them, as well as a re-division of Jerusalem.
Though President Bush is clear about his own commitment to Jesus Christ as his personal savior, it also seems that his own awareness of Bible prophecies concerning the above issues needs to be heightened.
The prophet Joel prophesied that any nation which divides up the land of Israel by moving its borders will be severely judged by God when He returns in power (Joel 3:1-2; Deut.32:8-9). Zechariah warned that the redivision of Jerusalem will only be accomplished by international armed force, and that this will lead to the flaming return of Messiah Yeshua in judgment against all those nations (Zech.14:1-5, 12).
Ezekiel declares that any Arab groups who have settled on the land of Israel are there only temporarily, and risk becoming enemies of God’s purposes. The prophet says that their desire is ultimately not to establish a viable, stable and peaceful state, but to plunder and posses a land which God never gave them. Those who side with them will share in their judgment (Ezek.36:1-7,12).
We ask you to pray for President Bush and his advisors, that the counsel of the God of Jacob will be established in their offices and meetings. Pray that the Holy Spirit who broods over the President will share with him God’s passion and heart for both the Jewish people and their land (see Rom.9:1-5).
Avner for Rachel, Daniel, David, Asaph & Elisha
Final Frontier Ministries, Box 121971 Nashville, TN 37212-1971 USA