Dear Friends, Shalom to you in the beloved name of our Messiah and from the city that He loves. The few months that we have been back in Jerusalem have been so filled with the wonders and prophetic significance that we have to write to you this letter. We believe this letter is truly urgent with regards to God's dealings with Israel and the nations. We have had the privilege to be in Jerusalem at a time when believers from all over the world have been coming together to hear what the LORD would be saying to His people at this crucial point in history. Very important is that God is calling His people to a world wide fast on behalf of Israel. Would you please share this letter with as many people as the LORD may show you! May He enlighten the eyes of your heart to understand as you continue to read. The LORD's Faithfulness We returned to Israel with a small tour group on the first of April 1997. After the tour was over we urgently had to find new accommodation in Jerusalem. The Lord was faithful in opening up an apartment for us exactly on the day that we needed it - in a beautiful suburb of Jerusalem called Rehavia. We moved into the apartment one day before the Feast of Passover, when things come to a standstill in Israel! Furthermore the apartment was fully furnished, without any extra charges to the rental, and exactly what we needed. Also in the light of Drienie's recent operation in South Africa. We cannot thank God enough for His wonderful goodness towards us and also for your prayers in this regards! We are very happy to live amongst the modern Israelis whom we love dearly. We have already become part of an ULPAN (Hebrew school) which is not very far from us. KNESSET Rehavia means spaciousness, and it is situated close to the Knesset (the Israeli parliament). We believe this is significant for this letter, because of the tremendous international battle that is now being waged over the authority of this city. The United Nations wants to internationalise Jerusalem and give the eastern part to the Palestinians as their capital. But God has given it to the Jewish people. Historically it seems to be very clear we are entering into the prophetic fulfillment of Zechariah 12, 13 and 14 which deals with the Biblical redemption of the House of Israel. At the start of Zechariah 12 it is written how God would make Jerusalem a serious stumbling block to all the nations of the world. These nations defiantly would join forces against God's decree over this city and His covenant with the Jewish people. This is happening right now in our lifetime and the Bible says that it would eventually lead to Israel's spiritual redemption. In Psalm 2, as well, a battle is described between God and the kings of the earth over the issue of authority and rulership of the planet. This issue touches on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the visible reign of the Jewish Messiah (the LORD's Anointed) from this spot. While the kingdoms of the world are moving towards a New World Order of united government and economy of their own making, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is moving towards the restoration of His Kingdom to Israel, with the Jewish Messiah at its head, ruling on the throne of David. You and I have the privilege to be living in this time and to have a part in what God is doing. It is interesting that the Israeli parliament consists of 120 members - the same number the ancient Sanhedrin was comprised of in the time of JESUS and the second Jewish Temple. The Jews are back in their land with their own governmental body in Jerusalem. History is picking up on the dramatic events that preceded the destruction of the Second Temple in the year 70 AD. PROCLAMATION and PRAYER Our close proximity to the Knesset has given me the opportunity to walk around in the beauty of this area and to pray. It is at this spot that the LORD started to move upon me to write this letter. As believers we can call into existence the promises that God has Given us in the Bible concerning Israel's restoration and her redemption. In Isaiah 62:6-7 the LORD says the following: "On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves, and give Him no rest until He establishes and make Jerusalem a praise of the earth. We beseech you urgently to pray for Israel and to proclaim the promises that God has given us through His Word, especially at this prophetic time in history. As you continue to read this letter it will become clear to you what is really happening and how urgent their hour is! Next to the Knesset is a garden: it is called the Garden of the Nations. It is amazing to experience the tranquility of this spot, amidst all the pressure that Jerusalem is going through before she would receive her righteous King, the Messiah. I believe this peace and tranquility has something to do with all the prayers that the many saints from all nations are offering up for Israel and the return of the Messiah to planet earth. But there is also a spiritual battle going on in the same garden - I have come across numbers of witches and sorcerers who are daily doing their spiritual exercises in a line opposite the Knesset building! Pray that God would remove them and draw a wall of angelic fire around the Israeli cabinet. That He would help them to really make decisions in line with His will for Jerusalem and Israel's future. Israel already has lived through the dire consequences of a false peace treaty that the previous government attempted with the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO). The PLO, under Yasser Arafat, is a body that is leading the Palestinian Arabs in Israel. This body in reality is nothing but a band of notorious terrorists and criminals. In this attempt for humanist peace parts of Israel have been carved up and given to the Arabs - utterly against God's Word: Leviticus 25:23 "The land moreover shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; ..." Joel 3:2 "...Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations and they have divided up My land." The result was that Israel for the first time in her modern history had to live through the anguish of a prime minister being assassinated. CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT The assassination of Yitzchak Rabin was not the only consequence of these actions. Soon afterwards the Labour Party lost their power to govern the country and the Likud Party of Benjamin Nethanyau was miraculously voted into office against expectation! Nethanyau has made a very clear stand on the issue of Jerusalem as the eternal and undivided capital of the Jewish people. This happened when he ordered the building of a new Jewish settlement on a spot that defies all claim that the PLO might have dreamt they had on Jerusalem. The spot is called Har Homa; and this action the Palestinians decried as the end to the Peace Process because they want East Jerusalem for their capital. It has actually been an amazing development because Nethanyau initially seemed to be unable to stand up against the peace-demands of the world. He couldn't really stand his ground when meeting with people like Bill Clinton, and he allowed the handover of Hebron to the Palestinians to continue - the give-away of some more historically strategic soil that the previous government had been the architects of. Hebron is the city where the patriarchs of the Jewish nation are buried and it is the city where David ruled for 7 years before he captured Jerusalem. After Hebron was given away one disaster after the other followed the House of Israel. The country experienced her worst air disaster when two Israeli helicopters collided with one another en route to Lebanon, killing about 70 soldiers. This was followed by the brutal gunning down of 7 school girls by an official Jordanian post guard. Jordan being a country with a so called peace treaty with Israel... Around this time Nethanyau made it very clear that he would proceed with the Har Homa Project - an action that also defied the will of the international community, besides that of the Arabs, on Jerusalem. At the same time it clearly spelled out to the world that Jerusalem is and will be the undivided Jewish capital. DESTRUCTION OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE Soon after this rioting broke out and a Palestinian suicide bomber killed three Israeli women in a Tel Aviv restaurant. This horrible act took place as Israelis were getting ready to celebrate the Feast of Purim. This annual Feast comes from the Biblical book of Esther and it celebrates the conservation of the Jewish people when Haman attempted to utterly annihilate them. It vividly brings to mind the reality of anti-semitism through the ages and the conspiracy that is also today in the making to destroy Israel. The pan Arab world, infuriated by the evil of Islam, has been attempting to destroy Israel since its modern statehood in 1948. Time after time Israel was outnumbered and mercilessly attacked from the outside by allied Arab forces, backed with armament from the ex-Soviet Union. Through miraculous intervention God has given Israel one victory after another, and through this He has brought about His prophetic purposes. Now the plan of destruction of the Arabs has changed: the Palestinians, led by the murderous PLO, are attempting to undermine Israel from the inside through terror and unrest, and at the same time are deceptively using the idea of peace to gain the sympathy of the international community and the world wide media for their cause. So important is the link between Purim and what is happening in the world today, that the suicide bombings of helpless civilians has coincided once again with the Feast of Purim. Last year's feast was marked with some of the most horrendous deaths and mutilations imaginable in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. I believe God urgently wants to draw our attention to the parallel of what is happening today and what happened in the time of Esther. And just as Esther had access to the earthly king of that time, we have access to the King of the Universe to petition Him on behalf of Israel! This year Purim was also marked by two very clear heavenly signs - a 90% lunar eclipse, during the early hours of the morning of Purim; and a comet. The brightest comet visible to the human eye, Comet Haley Bopp, made its closest approach to the planet earth exactly on this day! We will later come back to the awesome signs that God has been displaying in the heavenlies, coinciding with the Biblical Jewish Feasts. After the suicide bomb Nethanyau made it clear that he would not give in to further peace demands of the Arabs unless they stop their terror on helpless civilians. In meeting US President Bill Clinton he also stood his ground on behalf of Israel and was adamant that he would not suspend the Har Homa settlement activity. Praise God for his firm stand against international pressure. I believe it has much to do with the prayers to strengthen him against the domination of the international political will. THE PROPHETIC DYE IS CAST On the day that I started to write this newsletter near the Israeli Knesset, the nations of the world were getting ready to vote in the United Nations for the immediate halt of all further construction on Har Homa; as well as other areas that came into Israeli hands during the miraculous 6 DAY WAR of 1967. During that war Israel was only defending herself when different Arab nations were jointly attacking her - seeking Israel's complete annihilation. It was that war that was to lead to the unification of Jerusalem 30 years ago and a direct fulfillment of the prophetic words of Jesus in Luke 21:24. The outcome of the present Har Homa vote was a very clear condemnation of Israel by the international community. The vote brings to mind a similar incident in September the previous year when the nations of the world were voting to condemn the Western Wall Tunnel Exit that Israel had opened. Arab riots immediately broke out as a result of this and it eventually turned into violent armed confrontation all over Israel. The tunnel, stretching from the ancient Wailing Wall - holiest site for Judaism (except for the desecrated Temple Mount) - to the Via Dolorosa, where Jesus stood trial at the hands of Pilate and the Jewish Sanhedrin, was correctly described by Nethanyau as part of the bedrock of Jewish civilization. It is an archeological jewel, showing the ancient wall that surrounded the Second Temple and a Hasmonian Tunnel that fed water to the temple in the time of the Maccabees. Very soon the UN called for an immediate closure of the tunnel exit. But praise be to God, Nethanyau and his cabinet stood firm and did not give in to world pressure. AS THE WESTERN WALL TUNNEL TOUCHES ON THE SOVEREIGNTY OF ISRAEL OVER THE GEOGRAPHICAL HEART OF ZION - THE TEMPLE MOUNT - SO HAR HOMA TOUCHES ON THE JEWISH SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE WHOLE OF JERUSALEM AS THE UNDIVIDED CAPITAL OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE The development of these issues bring us right on target with the prophetic fulfillment of scripture that would lead up to the redemption of Israel, as mentioned before. A HEAVY STONE OF STUMBLING Zechariah vividly describes how GOD IS GOING TO CAUSE JERUSALEM TO BE AN issue of severe stumbling and conflict for all the nations (Zechariah12:1-3). As they gather themselves against God's people, a spirit of grace and supplication will be poured out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the redemption starts (Zechariah 12:10). A fountain of living water is opened for sin and for uncleanness (Zechariah 13:1). As the world tries to enforce the partitioning of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2) this brings about the return of the MESSIAH to planet earth (Zechariah 14:3-4). The Bible is very clear that His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives on that day - the very same mountain from which He was taken up into heaven after His death and resurrection. THE REALITY OF GOD'S INVOLVEMENT IN OUR TIME Every time that the Jews are back in their ancient land or on their way there God moves in a very special way. The prophetic reality of God's dealings with Israel is absolutely mind boggling! There are four distinct covenants in the Bible that I would like to mention. These covenants are in essence living contracts that God has made with man in His dealings with Israel; and it is the reality of these contracts that has determined and will determine the whole outcome of human history here on planet earth. Amazing as it may seem, God is alive and is working out all things according to the wonderful purpose of His will. God's faithfulness to these covenants are absolutely astounding. And every time that the JEWS are back in their land or in the process of being restored to their land the outworking and fulfillment of another of these covenants commences or continues: THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT This covenant the LORD initiated with Abraham when he first sojourned in the land of Canaan, which was later to become Israel: God promised to Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan as an eternal inheritance. Genesis 15:18 'On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abraham, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates" Genesis 17:8 "Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." The practical outworking of this promise we discover in the continued restoration of the Jews to their land; also in our lifetime: In 1948 Israel was birthed again as a nation after a period of scattering of almost two thousand years! THE SINAI COVENANT This covenant was initiated when the law was given through Moses at Mt Sinai. This event occurred when the children of Israel had come out of Egypt with the first Exodus, where they had been slaves for 400 years. Then, under the command of Joshua, the Israelites conquered the land of Canaan and Israel experienced her most glorious hour after king David conquered Jerusalem and his son Solomon built the First Temple. Unfortunately the kings fell into grievous sin and as a consequence the Jewish people were led into captivity to Assyria and Babylon. When they returned from Babylon the temple was rebuilt by Yehoshua & Zerubbabel; and the work completed by Ezra and Nehemia. It was during this period of restoration of the Jewish land that Yeshua (Jesus the Messiah) came to earth as the eternal Son of God. During His time of ministry to the house of Israel the New Covenant, promised by God to Israel in Jeremiah 31:31, was sealed. THE NEW COVENANT Jeremiah 31:31-33 "Behold days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD, I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God and they will be my people." The new covenant meant the fulfillment of the law, which the sinful nature of man could not keep in perfection. The righteous requirements of the law was not a set of outer rules any longer, but became a living love relationship with God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This was made possible through the perfect and sinless sacrifice of Jesus, the Son of God, who was crucified and raised from the dead on the third day. Through this sacrifice the sinful heart of man could be cleansed and circumcised, enabling the very Spirit of God to indwell it. However, the leaders of the Jewish nation, represented by the Sanhedrin, could not accept Jesus as the Messiah. In their doctrinal interpretation, the Messiah as the Son of the living God, was blasphemous, and they requested His execution from the Romans. This they did in spite of the powerful miracles that He did, attesting to His authority and divinity. They could neither understand that the Messiah's coming would be fulfilled in two stages: first as an eternal High Priest to give His life for the sin of mankind according to Isaiah 53; and secondly as the eternal King of Israel, ruling on the throne of David, according to Isaiah 9:6-7. Thirty seven years after His rejection by the Jewish authorities, in the year 70 AD, the second temple was destroyed and the Jews were taken captive into all nations, a captivity that came to be known as the Diaspora. Amazing as it is, 37 years had also been the period of time from the conquering of Jerusalem by David until the completion of the glorious first temple by Solomon. Now in regression, the temple whom the Jewish people loved so much, was laid desolate after that same period of time. However... God in His awesome mercy and eternal covenant with Israel would never let go of His people! After a dispersion of almost two thousand years, the Jews are back in their country and Jerusalem is once again their undivided capital! Why? This is in preparation of the fulfillment of another covenant mentioned in the Bible: The Davidic Covenant, mentioned in 2 Samuel 7:12-13; Psalm 2:6-7; Psalm 89: 3-4, 28-29, 34-37; Isaiah 9:6-7. THE DAVIDIC COVENANT According to this covenant God promised to David that his throne would last forever and so would his descendants. Psalm 89: 3-4, "I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed forever, and build up your throne to all generations." In 1948 the land of Israel was restored. In 1967 the ancient city of Jerusalem was conquered and unified again under Jewish authority. When the Temple Mount and the Western Wall were captured a Jewish historian Israel Eldad commented, "We are at the stage where David was when he liberated Jerusalem. From that time until the construction of the Temple by Solomon, only one generation passes, so will it be with us." Time Magazine, June 30, 1967. It indeed took only 37 years from the point that David conquered the stronghold of Zion (later to be known as the City of David and Jerusalem) until the glorious first Temple: David ruling in Jerusalem for 33 years and in the 4th year of his son Solomon, the Temple. But 37 was also the number of years before the destruction of the Second Temple. At that time Jesus was crucified, resurrected and taken up into heaven, where He was seated at the right hand of God. The following fascinating words were spoken by Peter, one of the Jewish disciples of Jesus. He uttered these words on the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) of that same year, when three thousand Jews came to faith in the Messiah. Acts 3:19-21 "Repent then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the LORD, and that He may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you, even JESUS. HE MUST REMAIN IN HEAVEN UNTIL THE TIME COMES FOR GOD TO RESTORE ALL THINGS, AS HE PROMISED LONG AGO THROUGH HIS HOLY PROPHETS." Peter says that Jesus will not come back to earth until there is a restoration of the things spoken of by the prophets. Now, considering one of these prophets - Ezekiel (and there are many that speak about this restoration!) - a progressive restoration takes place, starting from Ezekiel 36: Chapter 36: Restoration of the land of Israel and the return of God's blessing to it Chapter 37: Restoration of the Jewish people to the land Chapter 37 & 38: A war that brings about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the House of Israel and the final in gathering of the Jews Chapter 39 and onward: The description of a gloriously restored Temple and land as promised by God When the Messiah comes back to earth, it will be to take up His throne in Jerusalem, from where He will reign in power and great glory! And this will complete the two stages of His coming, as I have mentioned before: first as an eternal High Priest for the sin of mankind, according to Isaiah 53; and secondly as the eternal King of Israel, ruling on the throne of David. Isaiah 9:6-7 "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful counselor, mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government of peace, on the throne of David and over His Kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness FROM THEN ON AND FOREVERMORE." COMING OF THE MESSIAH IN OUR LIFETIME In Daniel 9 we read how this great prophet of God noticed from the prophecies of Jeremiah that the Babylonian exile of his time was shortly coming to an end: Daniel 9:2-3 "In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel observed in the books the number of years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, 70 years. So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications,with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes." This prayer and fasting eventually culminated in the return of the Jews to Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the Temple and the first coming of the Messiah - before the second temple was destroyed. Today, once again, we are living at a strategic point in history where we can say that both scripture and historical events are pointing to the soon coming of the MESSIAH. To quote only one passage from the prophetic discourse of JESUS before His death: Luke 21:24-26 "and they (the Jewish people) will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem shall be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth dismay among nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory. And He told them a parable: "Behold the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near." Even so you too, when you see these things happening, recognise that THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NEAR. TRULY I SAY TO YOU, THIS GENERATION WILL NOT PASS AWAY UNTIL ALL THINGS TAKE PLACE I have already mentioned the significance of 37 years:- from the founding of Jerusalem to the first temple; from the ascension of JESUS to the destruction of the second temple; the quote of the Israeli historian after the Western Wall was taken in 1967, projecting to the third temple The prophetic words of Jesus confirm this: the generation seeing the fulfillment of all these things will not pass away until all things take place! The number 37 falls clearly falls within the frame of a Jewish generation of 40 years - remember the generation of Israelites that were in the wilderness with Moses for 40 years? I do not believe we can know the day or hour of the LORD's return, for this is clearly stated in scripture. Yet I do believe that we are to be aware of the times and the seasons that God has designated! I have already used the example of the prophet Daniel who cried out to God on behalf of Israel, being aware of the times set forth in the Book of Jeremiah! If we would add 37 to 1967 it brings us to around 2004, 7 years from now! Are we on the verge of entering the awesome events depicted in the book of Revelations? JUBILEE Another important number to consider in the calender of the state of Israel is 50, denoting a jubilee year. A Jubilee year signifies the return of an inheritance to its rightful owner. In 1897 God moved on the heart of Theodor Herzl to convene the first Zionist Congress in Basel. 50 Years later, in 1947, the United Nations voted for the partitioning of Palestine and Israel was declared a sovereign state one year later - in 1948. If we count 50 years from 1947 and 1948, we come to exactly the time we are living in now: 1997 to 1998! We are into a modern Jubilee year in Israel's history! In 1948 Israel's geographical inheritance was returned to her. The next to follow is her spiritual inheritance. Another number to consider is 30. Thirty is the age of accountability and spiritual service in the Jewish tradition. Think of this: David was 30 years old when he became king. Jesus was 30 years old when He started to minister to the house of Israel. This year the united city of Jerusalem is 30 years old! Let us take another number: 7 - God's number. Simply adding 70 (10X7) to 1897 brings one to 1967, the year Jerusalem was liberated. Add another 30, as before, and we come to 1997. In Daniel 9 we read that 70 sevens have been decreed over the future of the Israeli people: Daniel 9:24 "Seventy weeks (or units of seven) have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place." :25 So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress." If the separation of the 62 weeks and 7 weeks is applicable to the first and second coming of the Messiah, the UN decree of 1947 and subsequent declaration of statehood in 1948 would then signify a point in time 49 years (seven sevens) before the commencement of the last seven years of Israel history. Should this period start off with the redemption of the house of Israel (its spiritual rebirth), it is to be expected that this would usher in the events described in the book of Revelations, leading up to the DAY OF THE LORD. Thus, if we add 49 to 1948 (year of statehood), we come to 1997; and this leading into 1998 can possibly spell the start of the last 7 years of history on planet earth. As I have said before it could be ushered in by the spiritual rebirth of Israel. God will then step on the scene of history much more dramatically than ever before! Daniel's 70th week will coincide with such awesome manifestations of God that has been totally unheard of in our lifetime. This is not far fetched. Simply read the last book in the Bible and you will clearly understand what I am talking about. Once Israel is spiritually regenerated the DAY OF THE LORD is near! WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE HOW GOD UNFOLD EVENTS! SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS Luke 21:25 says that there will be signs in sun, moon and stars. Some of the most amazing signs have been displayed in the heavens over the last year, This started last year with the celebration of the Jewish Feast of Passover on April 4,1996. In the early hours of the morning on this first night of Passover the moon turned to blood through a complete lunar eclipse. Another one was to follow in the night before the Feast of Tabernacles (Succoth) of the same year - September 26/27, 1996. Then another! This time a 90% one, appeared during the Jewish feast of Purim, on March 23, this year. The last in this series of eclipses will be displayed on September 16, this year. It falls right in the middle of the "Days of Teshuva" - or Repentance - before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, followed by the holiest day in the Jewish calender, Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). The Bible mentions the moon being darkened or turned to blood in various places: Isaiah 13:9-10; Joel 2:10,31; 3:15; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24; Luke 21:25; Acts 2:20; Revelations 6:12-13. Elsewhere in this letter I have mentioned the amazing display of Comet Haley Bopp, that made its closest approach to planet earth exactly on the Feast of Purim. An Israeli has witnessed to us how God has supernaturally set him free from heroin around this time: He was crying out to God to help him and the LORD intervened in his situation. Some days later as he looked up to heaven from the Sea of Galilee he saw the sign of the comet! From 1996 to 1999 there is also a stellar positioning that reminds one very much of the sign spoken of in Revelations 12. Please study this important chapter in the Bible and we can give you some more information on this should you be interested. What is amazing about this sign is that it coincides with the Jewish Feast of Trumpets, called Yom Teruah, stretching over the period 5757 (current Jewish year, part of 1996-1997) to 5760 (around 1999 -2000). On May 7, 2000, seven heavenly bodies will all be in a straight line. Josephus, an ancient Jewish historian, mentions that these seven represent the menorah (lampstand in the holy place of the temple). Apparently May 7 had been the date on which Solomon started to build the first Temple and Ezra resumed the building of the second. COMET OR ASTEROID COLLISION The book of Revelations prophetically describes what could be a comet or an asteroid collision with planet earth. Remember this was written almost two thousand years ago! Revelations 8:8 "And the second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood; 8:10 And the third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters;" Also in this regard God has given man a clear warning in advance, before these events actually takes place on earth: In July 1994 comet "Shoemaker Levy 9" smashed into planet Jupiter, the largest planet of our solar system. The diameter of the comet was reckoned to be about 9 kilometers (6 miles) and its speed 214 O00 km per hour (134 000 m p h). The force released by the collision far exceeded that of the world's entire nuclear arsenal. Before colliding, the comet broke into 21 pieces. The impact of just one piece generated a fire-ball 8 000 kilometers across, more than half the diameter of the earth. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ISRAEL AND PRESENT BLINDNESS OF THE CHURCH Just as the Messiah is a mystery that can only be understood through divine revelation (Ephesians 3:4-6; Collosians 1:26-27), God also calls Israel a mystery (Romans 11:25-26)! The church is so filled with anti-semitism; and has a total misconcept concerning God's role for Israel before the return of the Messiah: After the church was birthed the Jews found it hard to understand that God in His mercy would also turn to the Gentiles! In a like manner the Gentile church now finds it hard to understand and accept the fact that God would in these last days again turn to Israel in great mercy before His second coming. Paul, I believe wrote Romans 11 exactly with this in mind and cautions the Gentile believers: "do not be arrogant towards the branches, but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who are supporting the root, but the root supports you." WORD OF THE LORD FROM JERUSALEM We have had the privilege to be in Jerusalem at a time when believers from all over the world were coming together to hear what the LORD would be saying to His people at this crucial point in history. We were privileged to listen to men of God such as Derek Prince, Lance Lambert, Johannes Facius, and others. One of the first things that was underlined to us by Derek Prince was the importance of proclaiming the Word of God concerning Israel. The Bible is clear on this issue: Jeremiah 31:10 "Hear the Word of the LORD, O nations, and declare in the coast lands afar off, and say, "HE WHO SCATTERED ISRAEL WILL GATHER HIM, AND KEEP HIM AS A SHEPHERD KEEPS HIS FLOCK." At the end of this letter we have quoted some of the most important scriptures from God's Word that you can pray and proclaim aloud - reminding God of His promises. Please share this also with others as the LORD may lead you. The LORD is in the process of dealing with the Israeli nation to bring her to a point of utter brokenness before God - where she can neither trust in her own strength or ability but will have to cry out to God. A point where the only way back would be through true repentance. Dr Prince shared how a sense of horror for what would be coming on the land had been gripping him since last year. This discipline of God is closely connected to the lack of acknowledgment that Israel had given God for all His help; and their desire for humanist independence. He also mentioned the tremendous pain in the heart of Jesus to be alienated from His own people for almost two thousand years and the excitement that the reconciliation is soon! However, before this happens there will be terrible conflict and the issue is THE LORD'S COMING. The world media are controlled by the evil prince of the power of the air and there is no humanly logical explanation for the negative attitude and decisions of the international community towards Israel. This is only to be found in the reality that THE MESSIAH CAME THROUGH THE JEWS AND IS COMING BACK THROUGH THE JEWS! COMING CONFLICT A Christian reporter shared on the build-up to the conflict and how the army is feverishly preparing for war. Some of the things that he mentioned I will mention in short: Main enemy and Islamic pawn: the PLO, emergency meetings of the Arabs, Arafat demanding international arbitration for the PLO cause, Egypt biggest military maneuvers since 1973 (Yom Kippur War), Hizbullah - weapons from Iran, Syrian VX warheads with USA developed nerve gas, gas masks useless for this, limited attack by Syria and possible pan Arab attack, ALL ENVISION MISSILE ATTACK, the Likud's bottom line: Jerusalem is the undivided capital of the Jews. We are rapidly approaching a war in the Middle East. The slide towards this cannot be stopped by Nethanyau unless all the Jews pack up and leave Israel! The hatred of Islam against God's chosen people is not something logical. It has to do with a spiritual battle between darkness and light, and the coming of the the Jewish Messiah. Apart from Israel's immediate neighbors Iran, Iraq, Lybia, Pakistan, etc are already involved. When this reporter asked the LORD why there has to be such bloody wars before His return God's reply was: The earth is in a severe case of cancer. For cancer you use radiation therapy, and in like manner sin will be purged from the earth. Soldiers in the Israeli Army are finding it increasingly difficult to be single minded on the Zionist ideal of their forefathers. The Peace Process has brought in a double mindedness and some Israeli's might refuse to fight due to the intensity of the hatred and division between left and right. Nethanyau is doing what he can to heal the wounds, even attending a Perez farewell. Nethanyau's situation is extremely difficult, also in the light of the difficult communication between him and military chief of staffs, who were mainly followers of Rabin. Pray for him and the military! THE THUNDER OF MANY PEOPLES (Isaiah 17:12-14) This theme of conflict was further expanded as Lance Lambert shared from Isaiah 17 in the Bible. The chapter starts off with the destruction of Damascus, the capital of Syria; and it ends in verses 12 to 14 with a description of a multitude of nations that are like a raging sea bent on plundering and robbing God's inheritance (end of verse 14). We actually have the description here of a storm of incredible magnitude that is breaking loose over the planet earth which cannot be stopped. It is very possible that this raging obsession is the vain thing described in Psalm 2. The enormous proportions of this conflict could also be the clear depiction found in Joel 2, with an urgent call to repentance and fasting. When one reads Isaiah 17 it seems as if Damascus and Syria is in the middle of this storm, and connected to it is this tumultuous upheaval of nations. In the middle of the chapter there is a description of Israel going through a deep deep crisis. It is interesting with regards to recent developments in the Middle-East that Syria has threatened Israel with a missile attack. Syria hates Israel intensely and is heavily armed with chemical warheads. Chief of Staff Mordechai of the Israeli Defense Force in response warned Syria that Israel would level Damascus with a nuclear attack, should this happen. If something like this becomes a reality, what would the response of the international community be towards Israel? CALLING THE CHURCH TO A 40 DAY FAST FOR JERUSALEM & ISRAEL On Communion night another leader, Johannes Facius, called the Body of Christ to a 40-day fast on behalf of Israel and Jerusalem. This call is shared with, agreed upon and supported by the Board of International Fellowship of Intercessors, with respected leaders such as Derek Prince. The specific words that the LORD spoke to Facius: "Call My people to forty days of fasting and praying for Jerusalem, for I AM setting the scene for the return of My Son, the Messiah, to earth!" The days of prayer and fasting will start on September 1, 1997 and will go through to October 11. This time period will encompass Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year (Leviticus 23:23), falling on October 2 this year; and Yom Kippur, the Biblical Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32) falling on October 11 this year. Religious Jews have special early morning prayers for repentance for the 30 days that precede Rosh Hashana. It is actually in the middle of this, on the 16th of September that the next complete lunar eclipse, or bloody moon, is to occur. Then there is the time between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. These 10 days are called the "DAYS OF AWE". During this period a Jewish person seeks the LORD intently to be right with God and his fellow man. Repentance between individuals is expected in this time. What better time could be found for the church to get right with the Jewish people for a two thousand year history of persecuting the LORD's brothers in the flesh, the "apple of His eye" (Zechariah 2:8). We will, therefore, be harmonizing our prayers with the Jewish people and God's calendar. It is not expected of any church or individual to fast for the whole time on end - only as the LORD leads and gives grace. An extra day is added to the 40 days and this falls on the Day of Yom Kippur (Day of atonement). It is strongly suggested that we all fast together on this last day, October 11, 1997. This day is a fast day in the Jewish Biblical calendar and is considered the Holiest Day of the year. For a Jew such a holy day would start at sundown the evening before, until the next sundown. This means that Yom Kippur is from sundown October 10 until sundown October 11. The Jewish fast is total: neither food nor drink, but it is left up to the reader. The major prayer points are the following, trusting that the Holy Spirit would quicken to you what and when to pray: PRAYER POINTS: For the spiritual regeneration of the House of Israel. For Jerusalem to remain as Israel's undivided capital For peace between religious and secular Jews That the powers of darkness and intimidation be broken over Jerusalem For peace between believers For the Body of Messiah to become a praying, matured body (For more detailed information on this fast, please contact us!) PROCLAMATIONS ON BEHALF OF ISRAEL Jeremiah 31:10b He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock Psalm 129:5-6 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion. Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withers before it grows up. 1 Samuel 12:22 For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great Name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make Israel His people Psalm 17:7-9 Show Your marvelous loving kindness by Your right hand. O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. Keep Israel as the apple of of Your eye; hide them under the shadow of Your wings, From the wicked who oppress them, From their deadly enemies who surround them. Psalm 33:8-12 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast. The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of then people of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, And the people whom He has chosen as His own inheritance. Psalm 55:9a Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues! Psalm 125:3a The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous Psalm 124 If it had not been the LORD who has been on our side, Let Israel now say - If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have swept over our soul. Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as a prey to their teeth, our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Could you also pray for us for the following please! That God would root us in the land of Israel more permanently, our visa is due at the moment again Drienie fainted recently (tests showed anemia). Please pray for her soon and complete recovery That God would help me to get exactly the right equipment that we need; and the help to effectively communicate the LORD's burden concerning Israel and the nations on E-mail, video, etc. We are doing a Hebrew school at the moment. That the LORD would help us to speak it soon. That we would have enough time study speak it. In our beloved Messiah and King, Shalom from Jerusalem! Daniel & Drienie July 14, 1997 PLEASE SHARE THIS LETTER WITH AS MANY AS THE LORD MAY SHOW YOU! |