There was a recent shift that happened globally and things will never be the same again.
Am I exaggerating? Not at all.
May 7- 28th over five million believers worldwide engaged corporately in prayer and fasting for Israel and the Jewish people. Our church was one of many who participated in the Isaiah 62 Fast (Isaiah62Fast.com) - along with millions of believers around the globe. For 21 days we all pressed "pause" on normal life and jumped into this thing! The kids and I ran to the prayer room nearly every day and most days I went morning and evening. This was a whole family affair! It culminated on the day of Pentecost where 100 Million intercessors joined as a targeted prayer push for the Jewish people. This is unprecedented and I know something was birthed during those 21 days that maybe we won't see or understand but will unfurl in the days and years to come!
Just as there has been a level of blindness resting on the Jewish people concerning their Jewish Messiah, Yeshua, or as we call Him in the west: Jesus... the Gentile church has been blind to something very important on God's heart... His people, Israel.
As a Gentile, raised in church, I love the beautiful simplicity of how I was taught to read the Bible, "Read all of it! It is ALL for you!" I was taught, and I love that! It has caused me to read the whole Bible numerous times, taking the Old Testament, the Wisdom Books, the Prophets, the Gospels, the Letters, ALL OF IT I have taken it to heart and applied it to my life. This is how I have lived for the past 20 years of my walk with God and I think there is something very precious about that, however, I feel like what the Lord has done in me over the course of this fast, has made me look at my Bible with new eyes - seeing things I just NEVER saw before and it is concerning His people, Israel!
Growing up in church, serving at church, visiting other churches, I would meet other believers who LOVED Israel. It was like their thing. The Israeli flag hung on their wall, a Lion of Judah sticker adorned their water bottle, they celebrated Passover, and would call Jesus by His Hebrew name, Yeshua. They were known to pray for Israel all the time, listen to Messianic praise music, blow shofars, etc.
I wonder if you can relate to my experience...
I liked it but I never really understood why they were so stuck on "the Israel thing".
When we came to the House of Prayer, it ramped up to the next level! Most everyone seemed to have a common knowledge of the importance of Israel - assuming you also had the revelation, simply because you loved Jesus!
Well I didn't have the revelation 🤓
It was like my heart wanted to understand, but my brain just didn't get it. Eventually, I just went to Jesus and asked Him to show me. I needed Him to open up my eyes to see, because I felt blind. In the months of preparation for this fast and prayer push, this was one of my primary prayers, "Lord, open my eyes to see Israel the way You do".
Friends, the Lord is faithful and kind and He answered my prayer!
It was suddenly as if my same Bible I had always read and loved, suddenly had deeper pages and wetter words... Like there were hidden levels I had never before seen or been able to unlock! He renewed my mind and I saw, as Samuel Whitefield rightly diagnosed, this is not an "Israel thing", rather it is a "Jesus thing"!
The reason it is important for me to love and pray for Israel is because the Lord is zealous for Israel! He radically loves her and He has made some of the most breathtakingly beautiful vows to her - so His Name and reputation is in question and mocked among the nations and demons any time His people stumble and fall.
In my immaturity, I had unknowingly written my name with a sharpie on every love letter and promise made to Israel in scripture. I took it all for me and did not even realize that I was not acknowledging, loving or even remembering the intended recipient of those love letters. It was not done with hidden malice or pride as much as it was ignorance and immaturity.
It's like a little flower girl being invited to walk down the aisle at a wedding...
That sweet little thing gets to dress up, participate in every festivity, taste the food, and enjoy the special day. Everyone is celebrating, smiling and loving her as she walks clumsily down the aisle with her rose petals. In the flurry of excitement and emotion, however, imagine if she walked down and stood in the bride's spot, dreamily gazing up at the handsome groom. In her cute childishness, she doesn't realize she is blocking the bride from coming into her rightful place! The sweet little thing needs to scoot over!
Down the aisle comes a beautiful Bride. Everyone stands up and rejoices as she advances toward the altar. The little flower girl and all the other friends of the Bridegroom were there to prepare the way for the Bride to coming into the fullness of her calling!
Like any analogy, it breaks down at some point, but I feel a bit of the flower girls embarrassment at not seeing the big picture 😂🤦🏼♀️! I need to make way for Israel, Jesus CHOSE this people to be His Bride. Praise the Lord I am grafted in, but at the same time, I need to prepare the WAY! I need to celebrate as the Jewish people come into their rightful place, married to Christ!
In Romans 11, Paul, whose eyes were previously opened by Jesus to SEE HIM, dives into this wrestle. I love how He poetically writes about Israel, "Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!" AMEN!
It is worth studying :)
My mind is now blown as I read the scriptures.
Passages and chapters that I couldn't really find much to apply directly to my life (it's comical now in retrospect and seems so obvious), I can read and pray-into concerning Israel and the Jewish people.
With the long, bloody history between Christians and Jews, it is truly a SIGN AND A WONDER for 5 million hearts to have engaged for 21 days praying and fasting daily for Israel!!! In the days and years to come, this number is going to multiply exponentially. I promise you, this is just the beginning!
From the very beginning, it makes me weep to see the merciful inclusion of the Lord toward both Jew and Gentile. In His mercy, He chose the Jewish family to be His - in spite of their weakness (read Deuteronomy 7 for more). Likewise, in His mercy He always made a way for anyone who "wanted in" to get in! His kindness towards Gentiles and foreigners who believed in the God of Israel, Isaac and Jacob is unprecedented.
There is no mistake, the turning of Gentile hearts toward the Jewish family is a sign and a wonder and it is a sign of the times in which we live. The Lord desires partnership and it is no mistake that this many Gentiles are needed to labor in the place of prayer in order for Israel to come into the fullness of her calling and destiny as the Lord's equally yoked Bride.
Lord, help us! Prepare us. Open our eyes to see Israel and the Jewish people the way YOU do! You are a Jewish King, coming for a prepared Bride and we want to partner with You so that Your hearts desire is fulfilled.