Arab family links up with Jews to spread gospel in the region

When the Israeli town of Nazareth is mentioned, most people immediately think of Jesus. It’s where he came from.

But when Nathanael, one of Christ’s first disciples, heard that the Messiah was from Nazareth, he responded rather sceptically with the question: “Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46).

The same question is sometimes asked today, as the Galilean town is now an entirely Arab community with very few Christian believers.

Discovering Forgiveness

Step in the Sakhnini family. Although part of the town’s minority Christian-Arab population, there was a time when being ‘Christian’ merely described their culture – it just meant that, unlike most of the Arab world, they were not Muslims.

That is until 2007 when Bishara, a barber and head of the family, was betrayed by a close friend – and soon afterwards received news that his sister-in-law was dying of cancer, with only a month to live. In the midst of it all, his wife Sarah was found to be expecting their fourth child.

A pastor from Haifa then befriended Bishara and began to share what the Bible teaches, especially about forgiveness. As a result, Bishara forgave his friend and received true forgiveness for his own sins.

Not only that, but his whole family, including his three pre-teen sons, agreed to fast for three days as they prayed for their stricken relative, who subsequently walked out of hospital completely healed! And Sarah had a healthy baby soon afterwards despite an initial scare.

When Nathanael heard that the Messiah was from Nazareth, he responded rather sceptically: “Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46).

One New Man

Bishara and Sarah Sakhnini and their four sons pose for a selfie on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem. Picture courtesy of maozisrael.org.

Having witnessed such miracles, including the power of fasting and forgiveness, the family’s transformation sent shockwaves through the community. But they were scorned by their Arab neighbours, just as Jesus had been at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders.

And their world understanding was further rocked when some Jewish believers came to visit. The family hadn’t even realised Jesus was Jewish, let alone that an increasing number of Jews believe in him. Now they worship together with their Jewish brothers on a regular basis.

“Seeing us sing and dance together as we worship the same God,” writes Messianic musician Shani Ferguson in Maoz Israel’s January report, “was mesmerizing to outsiders and always elicited questions.”

She adds that “there is no greater testimony to unbelieving Jews that Yeshua [Jesus in Hebrew] has power over all than when Arabs embrace them as the people of their Saviour.”

It’s a little known fact that Arabs and Jews are meeting together at an increasing number of fellowships all over Israel, demonstrating the truth of the Gospel that true peace and reconciliation can only be found through what Jesus has done on the Cross.

The Apostle Paul wrote: “For he himself [Christ] is our peace, who has made the two groups [Jew and Gentile] one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…” (Eph 2:14).

Arabs and Jews are meeting together at an increasing number of fellowships all over Israel, demonstrating the Gospel’s power of true peace and reconciliation.

Worship Initiative

The Sakhnini brothers at home in their music room. Picture courtesy of maozisrael.org.The Sakhnini brothers – Adeeb, Eliya and Yazid – are particularly skilled musicians and are now engaged on a project to reach the Arab world with a blend of Arab and Jewish sounds as part of the Israel Worship Initiative.

They are currently working on a unique album – including some original and some old Arab hymns – which will cost about $20,000 to complete.

• If you wish to help reach the Middle East with Arabic gospel songs, contact www.maozisrael.org or their UK branch at www.maozisrael.uk/.
  
• For Shani Ferguson’s full story on the Sakhninis, click here.
  

Maoz Israel Ministries is a non-profit organisation founded by Ari and Shira Sorko-Ram and dedicated to reaching Israel with the good news of Jesus as well as providing humanitarian and other aid. Ari is a former film actor who has also played professional rugby and football.

• For more information on Arab-Jewish reconciliation, read my book Peace in Jerusalem (available from olivepresspublisher.com as well as from Amazon and Eden Books) or access the excellent Highway19 project.

Israel is both God’s ‘treasured possession’ and the church’s richest resource

Paul Luckraft reviews ‘Why Still Care About Israel?’ by Sandra Teplinsky (Chosen, 2013).

Ex-gangster’s amazing story screened in Israeli cinemas

The spiritual restoration of the Jewish people, for which evangelical Christians have been praying for centuries, has taken a decisive step forward, in my view.

And the timing could not have been more apt – with Israel’s imminent 70^th anniversary, now to be accompanied by the US Embassy move to Jerusalem along with the visit of Prince William, marking a watershed in their physical restoration.

As we learn from anecdotal evidence, and from a recent survey which found that 20% of Jewish millennials believe Jesus is the Son of God,¹ it is quite clear that the new generation of Jews are taking Jesus seriously and are open as never before to claims of his being their Messiah.

They are now responding in droves to hi-tech evangelistic efforts from within their own state, with an organization called One for Israel (among others) reportedly making huge strides in reaching their people. Their website is filled with testimonies of Jews who are now following Yeshua, and their various videos have attracted a staggering 55 million views, 15 million of them from Israelis!²

A New Spirit

Indeed, Jesus is even now the focus of an award-winning Israeli movie! Sadly, I understand it met with failure at the box office and was pulled from theatres after just two weeks. It nevertheless represents a major shift as, for the first time in the history of modern Israel, a faith-based film on Yeshua the Messiah has been produced and premiered in the land.

A New Spirit was first shown in December 2017 at the famous Tel Aviv Cinematheque to an audience of hundreds of enthusiastic moviegoers. Billboards and posters advertising the film were also plastered on the streets of Jerusalem and surrounding cities.

The new generation of Jews are taking Jesus seriously.

It tells the story of former gangster Yacov Damkani, who fled to America where he was introduced to Yeshua as his Messiah and discipled in singer Keith Green’s community. His life was turned completely upside down and, three years ago, his testimony came to the attention of acclaimed film-maker Doron Eran while producing a documentary on the Messianic community. Doron felt it had the makings of a Hollywood movie, as he shared with Shira Sorko-Ram (as featured in February’s Maoz Israel Report).

He did not, however, anticipate the controversial nature of his subject – he has since been accused of being a missionary and betraying his people. He does admit to being a “student” (of the New Testament) and the actors have clearly also been impacted.

Imri Biton, who plays the lead, responds to criticism by saying: “Look what Yeshua did for Yacov. He was a gangster. When he believed in Yeshua, he became a new person. These Messianic Jews are telling their own truth. As a professional actor, I can join them.”

Misinformation and Fear

Doron believes the Government has unwisely allowed the Haredim (Ultra-Orthodox) to take control of the nation’s soul. “It is a religious dictatorship”, he says. “They are brainwashing our nation.”

He knew nothing of Yeshua before he met Yacov. “I didn’t know that he lived as a Jew and died as a Jew. I was told he was a Christian…”

Yes, it is tragic that both religious Jews and their Christian counterparts (who believe more in form than faith) have conspired to spread such misinformation.

The inspiration for the movie, Yacov’s book Why Me?, has been distributed free of charge to young Israeli tourists in New Zealand for the past 16 years as part of a programme called HIT (Hosting Israeli Travellers) which encourages Christians to host young Jewish tourists at little or no cost. HIT has now been extended to Australia and several other countries.

For the first time in the history of modern Israel, a faith-based film on Yeshua the Messiah has been produced and premiered in the land.

Commenting on the poor box office take-up, a Jewish friend explained:

I am not surprised Israelis didn’t venture into theatres showing a movie that would have been anathema to their parents and society in general. The audience for this movie would have been largely young people who would have been greatly influenced by comments from parents and other relatives the pre-advertising would have provoked. I believe it will have a greater market audience outside of Israel, even with subtitles, and many Israelis might later watch it in private.

I know Israel is the only place where I have experienced feeling intimidated. And as soon as my friends knew I believed in Jesus, I was no longer welcome in their homes, nor would they speak to me. It is okay to be a Gentile believer, but a Jewish believer is looked upon as a traitor. For the movie, I believe that if they will put it up for free on YouTube, asking for donations only to cover production costs, it might still make an impact!

Great Awakening to Come

Many Old Testament prophecies speak of a two-fold return of God’s chosen race – first to the land and then to their Lord. The first stage, though far from complete, has been witnessed before the eyes of the world as exiled Jews from every corner of the globe have resettled in Israel, especially since the re-birth of the modern state 70 years ago.

The second stage began, significantly, around the time of the re-unification of Jerusalem during the Six Day War of 1967 as so-called Messianics recognised that Yeshua was indeed their Messiah and started meeting together in congregations all over the country. The movement has since grown substantially and they have made an impact on the nation out of all proportion to their still relatively low numbers.

Even some Arabs are recognising what is happening. Saleem Shalash, an Arab pastor in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth, is reported as saying: “The Bible says God will bring the tribes of Israel back together in this place, and suddenly revival will spring from here.”³

Indeed, the small spring in the desert that bubbled up around 50 years ago is threatening to turn into a fast-flowing stream. The prophet Zechariah, quoting the Lord and speaking of things to come with respect to the Messiah’s reign, wrote: “I will remove the sin of this land in a single day” (Zech 3:9). This suggests a sudden large-scale awakening.

Surely we are not far from that blessed day when they look upon the One they have pierced (Zech 12:10) and welcome him back in the name of the Lord (Matt 23:39). Certainly, it seems that many will have already looked upon the transforming Spirit of Yeshua depicted on screen (whether online or at the movies) – perhaps a foretaste of greater things to come!

Watch the trailer for 'A New Spirit' by clicking here.

References

1 A Jews for Jesus survey featured in the Jerusalem Post, 1 November 2017. The study surveyed 599 Jews born between 1984 and 1999.

2 This figure includes only Facebook and YouTube views, not TV etc (source: One for Israel).

 3 Israel Today magazine, December 2017.

As of old, Israelis face flak for following Jesus

It is an undisputed fact that the early followers of Jesus – who were mostly Jewish – came under fiery persecution, often from their own people.

Jesus himself was crucified and many of his disciples suffered similar fates, though more generally at the hands of the Romans.

However, the great Apostle Paul was a leading Jewish rabbi who saw it as his duty to persecute the new movement, presiding over the stoning of St Stephen in the process…until his dramatic encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus.

In some respects, things have come full circle since then. Jewish people are once more recognising Jesus as Messiah in significant numbers, and many are experiencing discrimination from their fellow Jews, especially in Israel.¹

Years of Harassment

Among them is Zev Sigulim, from Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, who has witnessed seven years of harassment from Orthodox Jews and been forced to fly to Cyprus to get married because traditional rabbis refuse to recognise Messianic Jews! Some even refused to circumcise his sons.

This is an ongoing issue for many believers, and a campaign is underway to draw the Government’s attention to this gross injustice. Being Messianic is also a potential hindrance to Jews from the diaspora making Aliyah (immigrating to Israel). And yet this does not apply to Jews who follow Buddhism or some New Age religion.

A campaign is underway to draw the Israeli Government’s attention to injustice against Messianic Jews.

But the likeable young Zev is not himself caught up with any campaign for justice. He accepts that being a disciple of Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus) has always been costly, and delights in a way of life totally informed by his faith.

Zev Sigulim – no longer ashamed. Photo: Charles GardnerPraying for Boldness

From an Ultra-Orthodox background, Zev has five children and attends a congregation at Netanya on the Mediterranean coast – a one-hour drive away, quite a distance to travel each Sabbath.

A Polish Jew with blond hair and blue eyes, many of his ancestors perished in the Holocaust but his grandmother survived Auschwitz and the family moved to Israel. However, they subsequently emigrated to Toronto in Canada, where his father married a Gentile convert to Judaism and then made Aliyah to Israel, working for a Christian hi-tech company in Tiberias and becoming a secret Messianic Jew.

Tragically, he died soon afterwards in a car accident, but Zev’s mum had in the meantime noticed the change in his life and became sympathetic with this new movement in spite of opposition from the rest of the family – grandfather Jack disowned them.²

Zev’s widowed mother – pregnant with her third child at the time of her husband’s death – was impressed by the compassion and witness of the Messianic Jews of Arad in the Negev desert and also became a believer. It was at Arad that Zev witnessed the constant harassment of Orthodox Jews protesting at their presence in the city.

“There were pickets outside our house for seven years,” he said, adding:

My two brothers and I are all believers in Yeshua. But I grew up ashamed of my faith. Worried about being spat at and barred from certain activities, I kept it to myself. Then, when I was at the Naval Academy, a friend saw me reading the Bible (which is actually very unusual for Jews) and scolded me for not telling him earlier of my faith, saying: ‘Think of all the conversations we could have had.’

It hit me that I had wasted my time and I prayed that God would give me boldness and opportunities to speak of Yeshua. Inevitably, my faith grew.

95% of Messianics come to faith through non-Jews.

Pointing out that 95% of Messianics have come to faith through non-Jews, Zev encourages Gentiles to share the Gospel with Jews, but worries that most Christians don’t know enough about the Old Testament, which is essential for such witness.

Notes

1 It must be said, however, that this does not usually amount to the sort of vicious persecution Christians are currently suffering in the Muslim Middle East.

2 Many Jews see Christianity as their chief persecutor over the centuries, especially in view of the Holocaust carried out in ‘Christian’ Europe.

How a hot seaside property unlocked the door to the nations!

Having lived in a ‘bubble’ during a lengthy tour of Israel visiting sites connected with the Gospel that has changed the world, it came as a shock to re-enter the atmosphere of nations in turmoil – Germany in trouble, Mugabe finally deposed in Zimbabwe and Britain continuing to fight both internal and external battles in the wake of Brexit.

There is perhaps a message in this strange transition – the countries in difficulty have been built largely on a Judeo-Christian ethos, but have begun to cast off its ‘shackles’ in favour of a no-holds-barred secular humanist system.

The Story of Cornelius

The last ten days of our four-week trip was spent at Jaffa, just south of Tel Aviv, an old port city known in Bible times as Joppa, where the Apostle Peter had a vision that brought the good news of Jesus to the entire Gentile world.

He was staying at Simon the Tanner’s house (which is still there) and was resting on the rooftop when he fell into a trance and saw a vision of all kinds of animals, including those regarded as unclean by Jews.

This was not, as some suppose, a license to eat pork, but a supernatural message that he was not to regard Gentiles as being unworthy of God’s love. It coincided with a similar encounter experienced by a Roman centurion called Cornelius in the coastal city of Caesarea, some 40 miles north. Cornelius was a God-fearing man who loved the Jews, and an angel appeared to him saying that his prayers had been heard and he was to send for a man called Peter, who was staying with Simon the Tanner at his house by the sea. The rest is history.

Peter’s vision was not, as some suppose, a license to eat pork, but a supernatural message that he was not to regard Gentiles as being unworthy of God’s love.

Joppa: The Start of Western Civilisation?

Cornelius and his extended family heard the triumphant message of the Gospel and were filled with the Holy Spirit, just as the Jewish disciples had been on the Day of Pentecost. This opened the door for the good news to spread across the nations, bringing kindness, compassion and justice with it which helped to establish a powerful force known as Western civilisation.

Tragically, the Jewish people were exiled throughout the world within a generation of Jesus’ death and resurrection after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and massacred many of its inhabitants. And Christians eventually translated the Bible into hundreds of languages, further enabling the Gospel to spread.

But God had not forgotten the people with whom he had made an unbreakable covenant and, in fulfilment of many ancient prophecies, the scattered seed of Abraham finally took root in the Promised Land after nearly 2,000 years.

Israel’s Spiritual Restoration

Just as the Gospel was originally ‘exported’ from Joppa, so it has now become a re-entry point for Jews¹ – not only coming back to the land, but in being restored to their Lord.

My stay there was unplanned as I was initially prevented from returning to the UK due to new restrictions on ‘foreigners’ like me. Though South African-born and still a citizen of that country (my wife is British), I have lived in England for nearly 50 years. Yet I now apparently need a visa – though an inked stamp in an old passport sent over by neighbours eventually proved sufficient!

We stayed in a guesthouse which also hosts two Messianic congregations (Jews who follow Jesus) as well as a music school led by a former director of the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra. It was a very moving experience to witness hands and eyes lifted to the skies in adoration of the Lord in a revived form of ancient Hebrew as we worshipped together on a Friday night – the start of the Jewish Sabbath. Headsets were provided for Russian members and English visitors like us.

Just as the Gospel was originally ‘exported’ from Joppa, so it has now become a re-entry point for Jews – not only coming back to the land, but in being restored to their Lord.

Committed to the spiritual restoration of Israel, this peaceful oasis is perfectly placed to go some way towards achieving this divine goal, with its great potential for reaching out to Greater Tel Aviv where almost half the country’s Jewish population lives.

The whole ethos of the place beats loudly with a heart of love for the largely lost world around them, who find welcome, warmth and hospitality in this gem of an international community steeped in history and within a short walk of some of the most significant sites in biblical history, not to mention magnificent beaches.

Reality is Tough

Life in Tel Aviv is tough, rough and expensive! I watched poor people struggling as they waited in the swamp of a filthy launderette while others begged for food and wandered the streets with no apparent hope. But there are also swanky high-rise hotels and a bustling downtown area overshadowed by skyscrapers, with many indulging in a hedonistic lifestyle of clubs and coffee bars. But they are living in a bubble, afraid to confront reality.

I met one of them at the airport, a charming young lady commuting between London and Tel Aviv, confessing to being a ‘secular Jew’ yet listening with interest when I shared of our study tour learning about the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. She admitted to being shocked when she left her ‘bubble’ to visit friends in the north who lived within the sound of exploding bombs across the border in Syria where violence continues to rage.

But even in Tel Aviv the mangled wreck of a beachside café stands as a stark reminder of the constant threat facing its inhabitants – a bloody terror attack killed 21 mainly young people enjoying a night out there just three months before 9/11.

Although in general we sensed an atmosphere of profound peace throughout our tour, there were a couple of incidents to remind us of the conflict that has raged here ever since the Jews began returning to the land. The IDF bombing of a Hamas terror tunnel raised a security alert as the organisation had promised vengeance, and a suicide bombing in a Druze village just across the border in Syria caused another alarm – and a long wait at a checkpoint.

Messianic congregations in Tel Aviv, committed to the spiritual restoration of Israel, are perfectly placed to help achieve this divine goal.

Turning and Returning

The resettling of Jews in Israel following their long exile is very reminiscent of the time of Nehemiah 2,500 years ago when they returned from 70 years in Babylon. Nehemiah was given authority by King Artaxerxes of Persia to restore the broken walls of Jerusalem, but his work was strongly opposed by others in the surrounding lands.

Now the Jews have returned once more to the Promised Land, and yet again they face fierce opposition. Nehemiah’s men built the walls using one hand for construction and the other to hold a weapon – exactly as Israel has developed since the birth of the modern state as ancient ruins have been rebuilt, barren wastes have been richly cultivated and wars have been won against all odds.

When, in Nehemiah’s time, the city was finally re-built and made secure, Ezra was assigned to read the Book of the Law, as a result of which the people repented of how far they had strayed from God’s rule. And now Jewish people are returning to the Lord once more in fulfilment of ancient prophecies, with Jeremiah adding that there will come a day when they will all know the Lord, “from the least of them to the greatest” (Jer 31:34).

If Jews are thus turning back to God, it means the return of Jesus is that much closer (Zech 12:10, 14:4; Rom 11:26). But what of the nations to whom the Gospel was graciously given? Will they be among the sheep or the goats on Judgment Day (see Matt 25:31-46). On the closing page of the Bible, Jesus says: “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Come, Lord Jesus!

Notes

1 Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport is not far away.

Paul Luckraft reviews the Tree of Life version of Scripture (Baker Publishing/Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society, 2015).

The Tree of Life Version of the Holy Scriptures is well worth investigating and then investing in. There are several versions of the Bible available now which attempt to recapture something of the original Jewish authenticity - so what makes this different?

Its main selling point is the claim that this is a brand new translation produced by both Messianic Jewish and Christian scholars. This, the publishers say, makes it the first of its kind, and by incorporating the translational skills of Messianic Jews it highlights the rich Hebraic roots of the Christian faith to a greater extent. And by working together as One New Man, they believe they have provided a Bible for a new era.

A Jewish-Friendly Voice

The translators have gone back to the original Hebrew (Masoretic Text) for the Old Testament and the original Greek (the 27^th Nestle-Aland Novum Testamente Graece) for the New. Naturally they have preserved the original Jewish order of the books of the Old Testament (Tanakh) and have also used transliterated terms such as shalom, shofar, Shabbat, and the Jewish name of the Messiah, Yeshua.

This is a brand new translation produced by both Messianic Jewish and Christian scholars working together as One New Man.

The translation project was headed up by Jeffrey Seir, a professor of Bible and Jewish Studies at Kings University, USA, who served as the Project Manager and Chief Theologian. A full list of the translators is available on their website.

Their aim is to provide a version that speaks with a decidedly Jewish-friendly voice, a voice like the Bible authors themselves, and to show the connections between the covenants God made with his ancient people and those now grafted in through the new covenant with Yeshua.

Versions and Resources

In addition to the full Biblical text there are some useful extras, including a week Torah reading programme and some Jewish prayers and blessings in Hebrew, transliterated Hebrew and English.

There is also a short glossary and a couple of maps. Don’t expect too many extras, this is not a study Bible as such but a new version to be read in order to gain fresh insights from the text itself.

One aim is to show the connections between the covenants God made with his ancient people and those now grafted in through the new covenant with Yeshua.

Produced by the Baker Publishing Group in partnership with the Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society, the Tree of Life Version can be ordered online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, ChristianBook.com and various other websites and stores. It is available in several formats, from the cheaper Thinline Edition (if you don’t mind very thin pages!), produced in both softback and hardback forms, to the more expensive imitation leather covers. It is also available on Kindle.

Find out more about the Tree of Life version on its official website (US), which also houses relevant articles and resources.

The significance of Israel’s restoration in the light of world events.

While spending time in north London looking after my mum this summer, I was once again inspired by a verdant overhanging fig tree almost blocking my path as I walked (and ran) around Hampstead Heath. Laden with ripening fruit, it was another reminder of one of the most significant events of our time, largely missed by most people – including Christians.

In speaking to his disciples about Israel’s restoration and of his own return to reign on earth, Jesus said one of the signs of his imminent return was “when the fig tree blossoms…” (Matthew 24:32f) The fig tree is a biblical symbol of Israel.¹

Expectations of Revival

For the past 40 years there have been expectations of revival in Britain. There is certainly a need for one! My understanding is that, along with much trouble and strife, there will be revival in the last days. Joel prophesied that the Spirit would be poured out on all flesh (Joel 2:28). That was partly fulfilled at Pentecost, but its final fulfilment is yet to come, although Asia, Africa, the Far East and South America have already witnessed great outpourings of heavenly rain in recent decades.

But who in the church is preparing for the great revival prophesied for Israel? God has not forgotten them, nor has he replaced them with the Church as some preachers suggest. He has made an everlasting covenant with Israel – with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants.

God’s Faithfulness

Covenants are not meant to be broken; a disciple of Christ who expects God to go back on his word has completely misunderstood his character! If Israel is cut off from God because of unfaithfulness, what chance has the Church with all her backsliding over the centuries – especially in terms of persecution of the Jewish people? No, God will never reject his chosen ones. “Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,” declares the Lord (Jeremiah 31:37).

The New Covenant received by Jeremiah is not addressed to the Church, but only to Israel!

The New Covenant received by Jeremiah is not addressed to the Church, but only to Israel! “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31). Earlier in the same chapter, he declares his “everlasting love” for his chosen people whom he vows to restore – to their land, which would once more become fruitful he says: “I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow” (v13).

Look at Israel

Christians need to take a closer look at Israel and God’s dealings with his chosen people which enables us to understand what he is doing in the world today. The very existence of the State of Israel is a testimony to the faithfulness of God in keeping his promises. The New Testament tells us that the day will come when all Israel will accept Jesus as Lord and Messiah. Paul writes, “Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so, all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:25-26).

Many people in Israel today are secular humanists rather than followers of the faith of their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Some 200,000 recently marched through the streets of Tel Aviv in support of Gay Pride. But the fig tree is blossoming: a nation has been rebuilt from a barren wasteland and is now supplying the world with fruit. It is a global leader in technology, using their agricultural genius to help African and other countries, and even using their medical expertise to heal their ‘enemies’ as they tend to the wounds of Syrian soldiers wounded in the civil war that rages on their northern border.

Messianic Jews

The real clue to the future lies in the growing number of Messianic Jews – those who have recognised Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) as their Messiah. Despite the high price paid by Jewish believers in Jesus (being cut off from their families in many cases), they keep ‘coming home’, like the Prodigal Son – not only in Israel but throughout the world.

Yet the fig tree is still only a bud, not yet in full blossom; soon to be laden with fruit, like the one in Hampstead’s Spring Path (pictured).

The Church really does need to ‘watch’ Israel, especially the growth of Messianic Judaism, for it is key to the unfolding events leading up to the second coming of Christ. It is also key to understanding the loving-kindness, forbearance and longsuffering of our God, who watches over his word to see it fulfilled (Jeremiah 1:12).

Yet the fig tree is still only a bud, not yet in full blossom; soon to be laden with fruit.

Dreams and Visions

Sadly, many Christians can’t see what Israel has to do with them; they seem to forget that we worship the God of Israel. Many Jews and Arabs are having dreams and visions of Jesus as he reveals himself to the children of Abraham, as Joseph revealed himself to his brothers in Egypt. This surely underscores the truth that Jesus holds the answer to world peace.

Even on the war front, there are lessons to be learnt. The ongoing tension on the Temple Mount, for instance, needs to be understood as a spiritual battle, representing on a grand scale what Christians are taught to expect in their individual lives.

Ignorance of Israel will leave your faith weakened while knowledge of Israel, even in its present largely unrepentant state, will edify your soul as you realise afresh that you can trust in the One and only Saviour of the world, who is a covenant keeping God who never breaks his promises.

The Budding Fig-tree

Some date the budding of the fig tree from the year 1967, fifty years ago, when Israel recaptured the Old City of Jerusalem for the first time in 2,000 years, thereby ending (in the understanding of some) the ‘trampling down of Jerusalem by the Gentiles’ spoken of by our Lord (Luke 21:24).

The One and only Saviour of the world is a covenant keeping God who never breaks his promises.

It’s an interesting point that 1967 is generally also regarded as the year the Messianic Movement began in earnest, coinciding with the start of the Charismatic Movement that brought a restoration of the gifts of the Holy Spirit to the old historic churches.

The feast of Pentecost (known to Jews as Shavuot) is still seen in Israel as a celebration of the Law received by Moses, which of course is now ‘written on our hearts’ through the work of the Holy Spirit in accordance with Ezekiel 36:26f. It seems that there is a ‘golden’ thread holding together this Trinitarian truth.

So, in this golden year of celebrations, make sure that ‘Jerusalem the Golden’ lightens up your understanding of the Scriptures and of God’s wonderful – though sometimes mysterious – ways.

References 

¹ Dr Clifford Denton goes a step farther and interprets the budding of the fig tree as a restoration in Israel of the authority to interpret Torah. See, for example 

The heart of God: Dr John Garvey considers the prophetic psalms of David.

King David does not often appear on the list of Israel’s prophets. But Peter certainly regarded him as a prophet (see Acts 2:30). In fact, there are more quotations in the New Testament from the psalms which are attributed to David than from any of the other prophets, with the exception of Isaiah.

Not only was David a prophet – he was the head of a school of prophets. In 1 Chronicles 25:1 we see that David set aside “some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals.” All the men of this hereditary guild of prophets were under the supervision of their fathers, and the fathers were under the supervision of the king himself. “The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets” (1 Cor 14:32) indicates that it was not only as their king, but as their senior prophet, that David was overseer of their ministry.

We can read the work of some of these men in the Book of Psalms, and this is also the place where we find David’s prophecy. The style and content of his words are very different from the other prophets. This is because the psalms were written as songs for temple worship, and not mainly for teaching or exhortation. What we know of David’s gifting agrees with this – he was a poet, not a preacher.

A Prophet and a King

But how did David become a prophet? We are used to prophets who confront kings, not kings who preside over prophets! We are not told directly of his call, but it seems likely that the start of his ministry coincided with his anointing by Samuel as king, when “the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power” (1 Sam 16:13).

The cosy idea we sometimes have of the shepherd-boy David writing psalms whilst tending his sheep is unlikely. In the NIV, there are a few psalm headings which may suggest that they were written before David began his reign (for example Ps 34), but he had already been anointed as king. He may have been a poet and musician from his youth, but it took the anointing of the Spirit to make him a mouthpiece for God.

Not only was David a prophet, he was the head of a school of prophets.

However, anointed kingship alone did not make him a prophet either. Of the kings who were descended from him, only his son Solomon was a prophet, and though Solomon wrote many proverbs he only wrote one psalm. What was so special about David? To answer that, we must look at the content of his prophecy.

It could be argued that every psalm is prophetic, because all were inspired by the Spirit and included in the canon of Scripture. But it will be more useful here to distinguish ‘prayer’ from ‘prophecy’ and look at those parts of David’s psalms which specifically declare God’s will and foretell his future acts. If we do this, we find that David’s prophecy has two particular emphases.

Prophetic Themes

His first theme is the righteous and the wicked, viewed as a king would view them; as the righteous who need to be encouraged, and the wicked who need to be disclosed and weeded out of the kingdom if the king is to rule well. Examples of this are Psalm 5:9-10 (quoted in Rom 3:13), where David calls on God to banish the wicked; and Psalm 12:5 – God’s own oracle to a discouraged king declaring that he himself will protect the weak and needy from those who malign them.

His second theme is the king himself, and in particular the descendant whom God promised would inherit his throne forever. God had made this promise to David by the Prophet Nathan: “I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Sam 7:12-13). This is the promise, or covenant, on which depends the whole concept of Jesus as the Messiah, or Anointed One.

David may have been a poet and musician from his youth, but it took the anointing of the Spirit to make him a mouthpiece for God.

In Acts 2:30-31, Peter said that David was a prophet and “knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.” This refers to Psalm 16:8-11, which Peter had already quoted to the Pentecost crowd.

The apostle presents a picture of David as trusting fully in God's promise and being enabled by the Spirit to see something of how it would be fulfilled in Jesus. How far he understood what he was seeing, and how far it was unconscious, we perhaps cannot know.

King of Kings

Some psalms, like Psalm 110, seem to have been written for use on royal ceremonial occasions, such as a coronation. That is, they concern David himself and the later kings as well. And yet, they include things which could never apply personally to any human king, as Jesus himself pointed out (Matt 22:41-46). In Psalm 110 David calls the king “my Lord” (v1) and “a priest for ever” (v4).

Other psalms, like Psalm 22, were personal prayers which, in the light of the events of Jesus’ life, astound us with their accurate prediction of his sufferings. It is almost as if David himself, half consciously and half unconsciously, were living out the life of the coming messianic king.

This is perhaps the best way to look at David's prophetic gift. Unlike the other prophets, he was not just a chosen watchman, but himself a central figure in God's salvation plan. He was the first of the royal line that would lead to Jesus. He was a ’type’ of Christ, just as the Passover was a ‘type’ of his Passion and the temple a ‘type’ of his Church.

Like King Jesus, King David rescued his people from their enemies, ruled them with justice and compassion, and led them in their worship of God. His victories foreshadowed Christ’s victory. His sufferings exemplified those of the one who was to come. Israel looked back at the golden age of David as a model of the eternal reign of ‘David’s greater Son’.

David was not just a chosen watchman, but himself a central figure in God’s salvation plan.

Understanding the Heart of Christ

No man before David ever understood better the mind and heart of Jesus. The very nature of his role as Israel's archetypal king, a “man after God's own heart”, led to so many comparisons with the life of his promised successor. Then again, God's providence created more parallels, such as his persecution by evil men and his betrayal by close friends. We see these reflected in David's prayers, prayers from the depths of a godly heart. If we add to that a spirit guided by prophetic insight to see what his descendant’s reign would bring, then we can see that David’s prophecy gives us a unique view of our Lord.

We might almost say that if you want to know what Jesus has done, you must read the Gospels; but if you want to understand his heart, you must read the Psalms. This, above all, is David's prophetic word to the people of God today.

Paul Luckraft reviews ‘Celebrating Jesus in the Biblical Feasts’ by Richard Booker (Destiny Image, 2009).

This is another excellent book on Jesus and the Jewish Feasts. Clearly written and well set out, the aim is to enable Christians to discover the significance of these Feasts within their own individual walk with God. As such it is conceived as a personal study resource with practical guidelines at each stage.

The author recognises that in recent times God has been doing a new thing, “breaking down the walls of hatred and misunderstanding that have divided the Jews and Christians” (p8). He believes that celebrating Jesus in the Feasts has many benefits which include a fuller comprehension of God’s plan of redemption and a renewed passion for Jesus. He explains that when Christians celebrate Jesus in the Feasts they are not putting themselves under the Law or trying to be Jews, they are “simply expressing their desire to return to the biblical roots of the faith” (p10).

Personal Challenges

The Feasts are designed to be visual aids, pictures of deeper spiritual truths, and once we see them as God’s special Feasts (appointed times), rather than merely ‘Jewish’ Feasts, then those deeper truths start to emerge.

Chapter One outlines the biblical Jewish calendar which is the correct setting for the seven Feasts in their seasons. Chapters Two to Eight then take each Feast in turn, from Passover (the longest chapter) to Tabernacles. The structure of each chapter is the same: Historical Background, How Jesus Fulfilled the Feast, and Personal Application.

The Feasts are visual aids – pictures of deeper spiritual truths.

The intention of the book becomes clear at the end of each chapter where there is a Personal Study Review which checks your understanding of each Feast and also issues a specific challenge. The reader is asked to describe the seasonal aspect of the Feast in question and to say how Jesus fulfilled this Feast. The review also asks how the Feast as revealed in Jesus applies to our lives today, and concludes with the exhortation to ask God to give you a personal encounter with Jesus as the spiritual reality of this Feast.

Highly Recommended

The next two chapters cover Purim and Hanukkah, which although not part of the mo’edim or appointed Feasts, are significant national holidays and are well worth including in a book of this kind. The structure of these chapters has to change slightly as Jesus did not fulfil these, so as well as the Historical Background and Personal Application as before, there is a section on Purim (or Hanukkah) in the New Testament.

The final chapter acts as a summary of the main purpose of the book by stressing again how Christians can celebrate Jesus in the Feasts. The author realises that people need guidelines and ideas to get them started and so offers many useful suggestions. Within this chapter there is also a section on ‘counting the Omer’, with a Scripture reading plan to cover these 50 days between Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot (Pentecost).

The author offers people useful suggestions and ideas to get started celebrating Jesus in the Feasts.

The author has clearly gone on his own personal journey through the Feasts and is excited about sharing it with others. His book is highly recommended and well worth putting alongside others on this topic.

Celebrating Jesus in the Biblical Feasts: Discovering their Significance to You as a Christian (224 pp) is available in a newer expanded edition (2016) from Amazon for £12.99 (£7.12 on Kindle). Older versions also available.