Whose vision for Jerusalem
Sitting in a Christian Missionary Alliance church in Jerusalem, (I was there for a meeting), I was struck by the many, and often conflicting visions people have and have had for the city. 
CMA, for instance, built the property in 1906 when the Land was under Turkish rule. Their vision was to create an outreach center that will evangelize Muslims. Did they understand they were living in momentous days? World War I was around the corner, and so was the Balfour declaration (1917). Maybe, or maybe not. Certainly, the Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church who own vast stretches of Land in Jerusalem had their own vision for the Land and the city. Muslims have their own vision, and even among the various Jewish streams, there are multiple and often conflicting visions for the city and the Land.

But God has His own vision, and that is the only one that counts. 

We prayed from the scriptures into God’s vision as it is clearly declared in the Word. 

Ezekiel 37:21-28 
Ezek. 37:21  “Then say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;
Ezek. 37:22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.
Ezek. 37:23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
Ezek. 37:24 “David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them.
Ezek. 37:25 Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever.
Ezek. 37:26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore.
Ezek. 37:27 My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Ezek. 37:28 The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” ’ ”

Simply put, God’s vision for Israel is to send His Son back to rule over a gathered, cleansed, sanctified people who will walk with God in the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit unto obedience and the knowledge of God. The fulfillment of this vision will, also, be a clear revelation of God to the nations: He alone is God, that He is Holy (He sanctifies) and that He is the God of Israel. His presence amid His people will prove it! Worthy is the Lamb! 

We prayed God’s vision for the Land from these verses

• Lord let it not be our own vision, nor the nations’ vision, but only your vision that is established. 
• Lord everyone is trying to define your city, shape it to their own vision. They fight each other to gain control of the city. The Orthodox Jews, the Liberal Jews, all nations, settlers, tycoons, the Palestinians. Oh God deliver us from man’s vision altogether and establish your own plan
• Lord no might or power of man or the enemy can long resist your Spirit. Let it be not by their power nor by man’s or satan’s might, but by your Spirit
• Lord, we pray you will break the strongholds that are keeping Messianic Jews from coming to the Land to live here. 
• Eze 37:23 Lord show the power of your blood and the cross in cleansing your people. Display this nation as a trophy of Grace to the world, that they too may turn to you in repentance
• Eze 37:24 Lord, we long for the rule of your Son over us. We long for the day that righteousness will be the air we breathe in this nation. We long for the day in which your people will obey you and follow you and love you
• Eze 37:26 Lord we long for your presence, your nearness, your great Glory. We long to be ruled by our King, and we long to see our King! 
• We cry to you: Come, Lord Yeshua! 
• Lord establish your own plan and vision for this Land and overrule even our own government in any place where they are not doing what is in your will for the people. 
• Lord you promised blessing, prosperity, joy and happiness and relief to your people (see Jeremiah 31), overrule this government in anywhere they are establishing a plan that is not of your vision for the Land.
• Lord, we plead with you to direct the forming of this government according to your own Word 
• Lord have mercy on Israel and keep it on track according to your plan and Word. We give you our own worries and fears as to who will have what ministry in the government. You see your people are like sheep without a shepherd. Have mercy on Israel.

We prayed for the Body from these verses

• Lord you are the head of your Body, we cry to you to shape it according to your own will
• Lord, we pray for the same gathering, cleansing, sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit to be at work in the Body of Messiah in the Land. 
• Let your bride come to her full
• Let your bride shine in your beauty
• Let your bride have a heart just for you
• Lord, clearly from these verses we see how you long to reunite with your people, we believe you desire deeply to be glorified in your Body, you want to come near to us, to reveal yourself to us, to appear in your Glory. Have your way, dear Lord
• Lord give your Body a deep longing for Truth.
• Lord give your Body a deep longing for her Messiah
• Lord give your Body a broken heart, a contrite spirit
• Lord give your Body a desire to obey you

The vision of the nations
If you read the next chapter, Ezekiel 38, you realize right away what the nations’ vision is: to conquer the Land! It is Gog and Magog, and without getting into interpretations of Who, What, Where and When, we can just simply say that this chapter describes the ultimate goal of the nations and it is in direct opposition to God’s own plan.

• Lord disappoint the nations and establish your own purpose
• Lord, keep Israel as the apple of your eye 
• Lord, humble the nations so that they may know they are but men (Psalm 9:20) and let them see your Glory (Psalm 102:15), that they may seek your face (Psalm 83:16)

Gaining God’s Vision from the Word
The meeting in CMA was a meeting of Jewish and Arab pastors in the city. Those who come are clear on the restoration of Israel, as they see it clearly from the scriptures. One brother recounted his recent visit to Finland where he also spoke in some refugee centers, preaching the gospel. He recounted his astonishment, that while visiting some of the already converted refugees, he found an Israeli flag on the wall. These refugees, from Iraq, Iran and from the Kurdish parts of Turkey, told him, “we love Israel!” 

This was my own experience as well, when I visited a church in Hamburg several years ago. After the service several Iranian brothers approached me with the biggest smiles and biggest hugs possible. They expressed the same thing; "we love your people". ​ What a joy we experienced together! 

We are all astounded by this, yet, isn’t it natural for a new believer, untainted by replacement theology, to read the Word and believe what it says? God’s vision is in plain sight! Would to God the Church will also just read and see and understand. 

Blessings from Jerusalem,

Today is Memorial Day in Israel. We are remembering the fallen soldiers and fallen victims of terror attacks.

Blood, much blood, rivers of blood have been spilled on the soil of this nation. From biblical times to this present moment so much blood has been spilled; sometimes, it may seem as if reality defies the Word of God, such as the first verses of Isaiah 40.

Is. 40:1  Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Is. 40:2  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.

Yet, at a second look into these verses, we may find that the primary comforting of Israel here meant, is her restoration to God; the forgiveness of her iniquity. 

Indeed, is there a loss or sorrow greater than the loss of God? Is there anything more horrific than the loss of fellowship with Him; the estrangement from God Himself? 

That is the root of all our other sorrows and grief. Having rebelled against God, our estrangement from Him has led to much loss and pain: 

Lam. 1:18  “The LORD is righteous, For I rebelled against His commandment. Hear now, all peoples,  And behold my sorrow; My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity.

And in this context her comforting is also seen as directly connected with her restoration to God:  

Is. 12:1 And in that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me,  Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. 
Is. 12:2  Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; “For YAH, the LORD is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ ”

Isa 51:11  So the ransomed of the LORD shall return,  And come to Zion with singing,  With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

And this reconciliation with God will have a profound effect on the physical world around us as well: 

Is. 51:3  For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

Not only the land but also the people: 
Jer. 31:13  “Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together;  For I will turn their mourning to joy, Will comfort them, And make them rejoice rather than sorrow.  Jer. 31:14  I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the LORD.”

The root of all comfort
As we look at this, we must remember that Israel’s redemption, her return to union with her God, is because of the blood of the Son of God, shed on the cross. Of all bloodshed on the earth, His was the only one that brought cleansing, redemption, salvation, and comfort. 

“Oh, Lamb of God thou wonderful sin bearer!”

The Comforter
We find the designation of the Holy Spirit as Comforter in the KJV as amazingly appropriate. Some Bibles translate the Greek word parakletos as ‘helper (NKJV, ESV, NASB), but it is exceptionally appropriate to call Him Comforter, as He is the one who “appears in another’s behalf, mediator, intercessor, helper “ (BDAG) and He “pleads another’s cause before a judge” (Thayer). 

The comforting here is the work of God to reconcile us to Himself. And this is what I believe, is meant primarily in Isaiah 40. The root of all comfort is in this: the removal of the one great barrier of Sin between God and Man (all those who believe) and the removal of Death through this reconciliation. Col. 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Is. 25:7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.
Is. 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
Is. 25:9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

And to all who love Jerusalem (mentioned above as 'this mountain'), and all of what she means to the Kingdom of God and His eternal plan is promised a partaking in her consolations. Satisfied in Him! 

Is. 66:10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:
Is. 66:11 That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.

Stand with us dear fellow intercessors, stand with us and pray for the mighty outpouring and work of God the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Pray with us from these wonderful verses and indeed the whole of Isaiah 40 as it unfolds the supremacy of God overcoming all obstacles to the revelation of His person in great glory.

Blessings from Jerusalem,

Every Wednesday evening we gather for intercession for the restoration of Israel.
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Dear Friends,
You will see that in these bulletins we go into detail to explain situations or bring various articles to your attention. We do all this because we believe it is in God’s heart to develop each one of you and us in God, both as believers and intercessors.  To pray for Israel deeply, one has to understand Israel deeply, even if it means facing the unsavory sometimes. God bless each of you in your own walk with God.
 
Pressure - without and within
This was the overall theme which we were led to pray into. The pressure of anti-Semitism, the pressure of extremism within Israel, and the pressure of the nations and superpowers on the land of Israel.

The Pressure of anti-Semitism
“Israeli researchers reported Wednesday that violent attacks against Jews spiked significantly last year, with the largest reported number of Jews killed in anti-Semitic acts in decades, leading to an “increasing sense of emergency” among Jewish communities worldwide.” For article click here

The last few years have seen phenomenal growth in anti-Semitism worldwide. What was a trickle before has now become a stream, and we do not doubt will become a flood. 

Attacks on Jews increased by 13% in the US and 16.5% in Canada (2000 incidences). In Europe, the rise is an astounding 70%.  On October 27, 2018, 11 Jews were killed in Pittsburgh. On April 29 just a few days ago, 1 Jewish woman was killed in a shooting in a synagogue in California.

In some countries, such as Turkey, Poland, Ukraine and Venezuela, anti-Semitism is promoted by the government. The most dangerous trend is that anti-Semitism has now gone mainstream. 

Anti-Semitism has been there all along before this eruption; it has lain dormant under the surface in all nations. We believe that anti-Semitism is one of the most destructive and dangerous demonic forces to come out of hell; mainly because it is a direct war against God’s own kingdom purpose and plan for and through Israel. Anti-Semitism is a hatred of God and the people of God, which means that it will lead to the persecution of the true church as well.

Among Jewish people in the US, there is an “increasing sense of emergency.” 

Rather than pray directly against this great evil, we prayed for Aliya - the gathering of all the Jewish people to the land of Israel. 

Is. 11:12  He will set up a banner for the nations,  And will assemble the outcasts of Israel,  And gather together the dispersed of Judah  From the four corners of the earth. (See how the chapter is about the Messiah.) See Mat. 23:37 for the desire and passion of God Himself to bring His people back to the land and to Himself.

• Lord thank you for the awakened sense of emergency among the Jews in Europe and the USA
• We prayed much for a greater awakening among the Jewish people worldwide
• We prayed that entire communities of Jews would come to Israel en-mass
• We prayed that the Jews who live in the Diaspora will come home rather than barricade themselves in the nations where they live.
• We prayed for all the Israelis who have immigrated to other nations in hopes of finding a better life. (In light of what is happening that seems like a wrong choice.)
• We prayed for organizations such as Ebenezer, Nefesh b’Nefesh, etc. who are aiding Aliya
• We prayed for the Spirit of the Living God to move upon the Jewish people and impart to them a burning desire to come to the Land

Pressures of extremism within the land
Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 A.D. did not happen in Roman hands alone. Read history, and you will find that the zealots of those times were so violent against their own people, it staggers the mind. 

"The second Jewish rebellion took place 60 years after the first and established an independent state lasting three years. For many Jews of the time, this turn of events was heralded as the long hoped for Messianic Age. The excitement was short-lived, however, and after a brief span of glory, the revolt was crushed by the Roman legions." (Read the whole article here) 

That type of zealotry ended in an even greater bloodshed than that of 70 A.D.; to this day it is one of the greatest catastrophes in the history of the Jewish people.  

Today we have some extremism of a similar kind in the land. It is quite disturbing, to say the least. 

“US envoy slams rabbis for ‘vile’ diatribes supporting racism, Hitler’s worldview”  Read about it here

[If you read the article, you will see that one rabbi refers to humanism and secularism as the real holocaust. What he is referring to is that secularism is the great holocaust of the Jewish people, and should be fought with zealous religious fervor. 

What is the answer to this? Salvation in Messiah Yeshua! 
Great darkness has fallen upon us ever since we rejected our King and Savior Yeshua. (Isaiah 9:2 - We have been left with great darkness and dwell in ‘the land of the shadow of death.” 

We prayed much into the wonderful promises of God 

• Ezekiel 36:25-29 
• Jeremiah 3:14-19 
• Jeremiah 31:31-34  
• We prayed for balance in the government and for the Lord to overrule the will of man to bring about a government that will lead and care for the whole nation as one people. 

The Pressures from without
Ever since Israel was a nation, it has found itself existing between superpowers. In antiquity it was Egypt and the Syrians, then the Assyrians, then the Babylonians, then the Persians, Greeks, Romans and so on.

Today Israel finds itself once again, living in a region that is of interest to all the superpowers: The US, Russia, and increasingly China. Each of these nations is pursuing its own interests in the Middle East, and more often than not, those interests are contradictory to what is right for Israel. 

We cannot take it for granted that the US will always be in the lead of nations, nor can we take it for granted that the US will be led by favorable administrations.

​The outcome of WWII was not guaranteed to end in the West's victory. 

What made the difference? Prayer! Such people as Rees Howells who knew His Bible and stood before God firmly on it made the difference. We too are called to stand firmly on the Word of God and knock on heaven’s doors till the Supreme and only God, will answer and fulfill His promises. 

To read an interesting point of view on the rise of China in our area read here

We prayed from Psalm 2 for the current situation 
This psalm speaks of what the nations are doing — plotting against the Lord and His anointed. It speaks of what God has done — He has set His king on Mt. Zion, and it speaks of God’s wisdom and advice given to the nations — humble yourselves and obey God before He rises in His wrath.

• We prayed much from each of the portions of this psalm
• Lord all nations have a plan, but thankfully you have one too! As the nations plot, you carry out your plan. 
• Lord the nations will be your inheritance in the world - arise O’ Lord and rule though in the affairs of man on the earth
• We pray for providence to work out in Israel’s favor every time, all the time in every international move that concerns her.
• We acknowledged the Lord’s right to rule the nations
• We acknowledged that this nation and this city belong to Him
• We Thanked God for His unchangeable word and prayed it will be fulfilled to the uttermost 

Thank you for standing before the Lord for this nation and for His work in the earth.

Blessings from Jerusalem,