PREPARE THE WAY

empty highway Prepare the Way for Aliyah blog

PREPARE THE WAY by Wendy Beckett

God Keeps Covenant

Day 13

“Build up, build up, prepare the road!

Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”  (Isaiah 57:14)

Day 13 of God Keeps Covenant: PREPARE THE WAY  by Wendy Beckett

The focus of our study on Day 12 was how the Lord worked miracles to fulfill His word and bring home thousands from Europe and the countries surrounding Israel. What about the more than 2,000,000 Jewish people who were virtual prisoners of the communist system in all the countries of the Soviet Empire? A small number were allowed to emigrate each year, but many were being watched and imprisoned without cause.

In 1985, a group of international prayer leaders gathered in Jerusalem for a major prayer conference that was convened to intercede specifically for the release of the Soviet Jews. The Lord had been preparing the hearts of some of the men, and during the gathering, they agreed to take a prayer journey behind the Iron Curtain.

What followed was amazing. Skirting the Russian KGB, these intercessors prayed powerful prayers for the release of Soviet Jews in front of the Kremlin, the statues of Lenin and even the headquarters of the KGB itself.

They traveled to Odessa in the Ukraine, to the famous Potemkin stairs, which lead from the port up an embankment into the city. Invaders through the centuries scaled those stairs as their point of entry. The most recent had been the Nazis bent on conquering the Ukraine and destroying the large Jewish population of the country. The intercessors descended the long stairs – praying again for the Jews’ release as they went. As they turned at the bottom to ascend the stairs, they almost bumped into the KGB agents who were following closely behind them, trying to figure out what these odd tourists were doing.

Suddenly, cracks in the Iron Curtain began to appear. In front of the Berlin Wall in June 1987, President Reagan announced, “This wall will fall.” And yes, down it came and ruthless regimes toppled. The peoples held captive by communism had their first taste of freedom! The Lord had heard the prayers of those intercessors as well as the worldwide prayer that had ascended to His throne during the 70 years of Soviet domination.

As a result, in 1990 alone, more than 185,000 Jewish people left the former Soviet Union for Israel. In 2002 that number reached 1,000,000 immigrants (in 12 years), helping to fulfill Isaiah 49:25 (NKJV) “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered.” How terrible the communist massacres were.

Look at how specifically the Scriptures apply to the Aliyah (return) from Russia, the land whose capital, Moscow, is directly north of Israel.

“I (the Lord) will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’” (Isaiah 43:6)

“See, I will bring them from the land of the north.” (Jeremiah 31:8)

“‘Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,’ declares the Lord.”  (Zechariah 2:6)

So yes, the obstacles are being removed and there is a highway for my people to go home from the land of the north.

Lord, what a privilege to be alive in a day when Your Word is being fulfilled before our eyes. Thank You for all those who have been faithful to pray! May Your Jewish people still in the land of the north return to their homeland!

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Direction from God’s Word

Direction from God’s Word Chapter 10

DIRECTION FROM GOD’S WORD

by Derek Prince

WHY ISRAEL?

Chapter 10

DIRECTION FROM GOD’S WORD

Why Israel? Chapter 10 – DIRECTION FROM GOD’S WORD by author Derek Prince.

In considering how we can best pray for Israel, we need to recognize one important fact. The prayers that are going to be answered are those which are already supported in the Scriptures. Why is this so important? Because we need to see that to pray outside the purposes of God, or contrary to the purposes of God, would be fruitless. We are to pray within the parameters of the Word of God. We must not ask God to do what He has said He will not do. This is one reason we need to have a clear understanding of God’s prophetic purposes for Israel. That understanding will enable us to pray effectively for them.

According to Your Word

In the New Testament, the Virgin Mary received the astonishing news that she was to be the mother of the Messiah. When the angel first gave her that message, she didn’t understand it. She didn’t know how it could happen, but she said, “Let it be to me according to your word.”

I believe the greatest miracle ever experienced by a human being was the birth of the Messiah through a virgin. It came to pass when she said, “Be it unto me according to thy word.”

You cannot pray anything higher than the revealed Word of God. One of the great functions of an intercessor is to pray into being what God has already said will happen. That is why God has set intercessors on the walls of Jerusalem.

The Role of a Secretary

The Hebrew word for an intercessor in Isaiah 62 is maskir, which means someone who reminds someone else. So, according to the Hebrew understanding, the function of an intercessor is the same as a secretary—one who reminds the boss of what is on the calendar or “to do” list.

As intercessors, our job is to remind God of what is on His prophetic calendar. You say to God, “Do as You have said according to Your Word.” There is much more to intercession than this simple point, but this is the basis of the task. Therefore, an intercessor must be familiar with the Word of God, and must have a clear view of God’s purposes and their outworking.

So, this is the first important principle for the right approach to prayer. When you pray for Israel, stay within the parameters of the Word of God.

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HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY 2025

photos of those lost in the Holocaust with candles lit for Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025

Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025

Day of the Devastaion

Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025

Begins – Wednesday evening, April 23 
and Ends – Thursday evening, April 24

To all who mourn in Israel he will give: beauty for ashes; joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness. For God has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory. Isaiah 61:3 TLB

As Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025 (Yom HaShoah) approaches, we reflect on the significance of this solemn observance day. Yom HaShoah, meaning “Day of the Catastrophe” or “Day of the Devastation“, commemorates the unimaginable tragedy that befell the Jewish people during the Holocaust. On April 24th, sirens will sound throughout Israel, bringing the nation to a standstill for a two-minute tribute to remember those who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

As we remember the atrocities of the past, we realize that it is our shared responsibility to ensure that such horrors are never repeated. The Holocaust was not only a Jewish tragedy but a moral failure of humanity. We honor the memory of the six million Jews who perished under the Nazi regime, and we are reminded of the promise in Deuteronomy 31:6, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (NIV)

We stand with Israel and God’s chosen people as we participate in moments of silence to remember all those affected by the “Day of the Catastrophe.” Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, said: “To forget a Holocaust is to kill twice.” Operation Exodus USA will NEVER forget! Let this Yom HaShoah be a call to action, educating ourselves and others. We must stand strong against anti-Semitism that is widespread today—the same murderous hatred that spear-headed the Holocaust. It conspires to destroy Israel and annihilate all Jewish people.

As it is written in Psalm 79:2-4, “For I will show you lessons from our history, stories handed down to us from former generations. I will reveal these truths to you so that you can describe these glorious deeds of Jehovah to your children and tell them about the mighty miracles he did.” (TLB)

As we honor the memories of the Holocaust victims, we are compelled to ensure their sacrifice is not in vain. We reaffirm our commitment to never forget and to support the Jewish people’s right to a safe and secure homeland in Israel. We invite you to join us in this critical effort by supporting Aliyah through Operation Exodus USA. May God comfort the mourners, and may His presence be a source of strength and hope for all those affected by the Holocaust.

With solemn remembrance, we stand with Israel and say, “Never Again!

John Prosser
President, OEUSA

Aliyah by Wendy Beckett

Day 12 Aliyah by Wendy Beckett blog

ALIYAH by Wendy Beckett

God Keeps Covenant

Day 12

“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘…Anyone of His people among you – may the Lord his God be with him and let him go up.’” (II Chronicles 36:23)

Day 12 of God Keeps Covenant: ALIYAH  by Wendy Beckett

Aliyah” is a Hebrew word that literally means “to go up” or “ascend.” In the passage above, King Cyrus was giving his blessing to Jewish people who wished to return or “go up” to rebuild Jerusalem and other areas of Israel after their 70 years of captivity in Babylon.

There are approximately 70 passages in the Bible that refer to the return of the Jewish people to their land. Some verses specify that it will be “in the latter days.” Other Scriptures speak of this migration coming from every corner of the earth. In many places the Lord declares explicitly and emphatically, I will bring you back.”

When Israel became a nation in 1948 and the restrictions on immigration were finally lifted, Jews who had survived the ravages of the Holocaust poured into their “Promised Land” from countries across Europe.

In addition, they fled from all the surrounding Arab countries, including 47,000 Jews from Yemen. From Morocco 170,000 returned, and 14,000 came from Algeria. There were 104,000 Jews who literally had to be smuggled “home” out of Iraq. Between 1948 and 1955, the Jewish population in Israel doubled.

Almost 30,000 have been rescued from tyrannical regimes in Ethiopia. In one weekend in the early 1990s, 14,400 were taken home on Israeli El-Al commercial airliners just 36 hours before the Ethiopian airport was attacked and closed by advancing Marxist rebels. At one point there were 24 jumbo jets without seats (to carry maximum capacity) ferrying back and forth from Ethiopia to Israel to complete the rescue.

Surely this was one of the fulfillments of Isaiah 60:8. “Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests?” What an accurate description of a return home by airplane – 2,600 years before the advent of air travel!

Israel has welcomed her people home from every corner of the earth since 1948. Their assimilation into Israeli society has been remarkable considering all the cultural and language differences that challenge the new arrivals.

The Lord is working out His promises to Jewish people before our very eyes. And we have yet to see the greatest and most glorious aspects of what He will do. Jeremiah describes an Aliyah yet to come that will overshadow the great Exodus out of Egypt.

“However, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when men will no longer say ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites out of Egypt,’ but they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ For I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers.” (Jer. 16:14 & 15)

Thank You, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for fulfilling Your promises to Israel’s forefathers that their descendants would return to the land You gave them. We believe that You will never forget what You have spoken until all is fulfilled. We give You glory for Your faithfulness!

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PURIM 2025

Picture of scripture scroll, desserts, and a yamuka to celebrat Purim 2025

Purim 2025

COMMEMORATION AND CELEBRATION

Purim 2025 Begins – Thursday evening, March 13
and Ends – Friday evening, March 14

For if you fail to speak up now, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from a different direction; but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows whether you didn’t come into your royal position precisely for such a time as this.” Ester had them return this answer to Mordekhai: “Go, assemble all the Jews to be found in Shushan, and have them fast for me, neither eating nor drinking for three days, night and day; also I and the girls attending me will fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:14-16 CJB

This year, Jewish people in Israel and throughout the diaspora will commemorate and celebrate Purim—God’s miraculous deliverance of Persian Jews from annihilation at the hand of Haman. Yet, Purim is more than an ancient story – it is a timeless testament to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—a God of providence, faithfulness, and protection. He keeps His covenantal promises, guaranteeing Israel’s preservation and defending His people from destruction. The Scripture below illustrates God’s provision and foreshadows God’s ultimate redemption through Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah, the sacrificial Lamb provided for the salvation of ISRAEL and the nations:

Avraham raised his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. Avraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son. Avraham called the place Adonai Yir’eh [Adonai will see (to it), Adonai provides]as it is said to this day, “On the mountain Adonai is seen.” Genesis 22:13-14 CJB

The book of Esther recounts the miraculous rescue of the Jewish people from Haman’s wicked plot to exterminate them. This book is unique among the Scriptures—God’s Name is never explicitly mentioned, yet His Sovereign Hand is  unmistakable in every turn of events. Even when God seems hidden, He is actively working.

This truth resonates deeply today. As Israel faces a horrific war fueled by ancient hatred and daily acts of violence, many wonder—Where is God? But just as He orchestrated Esther’s rise to the palace “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14), He is working in our time—raising up modern-day Esthers willing to pray, fast, and stand in the gap for Israel and the Jewish people. Haman’s spirit of hatred has not vanished with history. It thrives in modern movements seeking to delegitimize and destroy Israel, demonize Jewish identity, and propagate lies that fuel violence and anti-Semitism. The same demonic forces that once sought to annihilate the Jews of Persia are at work today.

The alarming rise of anti-Semitism in our midst is a wake-up call. Therefore, we cannot remain silent. We cannot passively watch as Jewish students face harassment and fear for their lives on campuses; Synagogues are defaced and attacked, and Israel’s very legitimacy is questioned. Like Esther, we must be willing to take a stand, even at great personal cost.

God is looking for modern-day Esthers and Mordecais—people who refuse to bow to fear, who are willing to wait on the LORD, and who choose to take courage in the face of overwhelming adversity. We must remember, those whom the Father calls, He equips and prepares for the work at hand—For His Holy Name’s Sake, and for His glory!

Let us encourage ourselves with these Scriptures:

Put your hope in Adonai, be strong, and let your heart take courage! Yes, put your hope in Adonai! Psalm 27:14 CJB

The God of shalom brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Yeshua, by the blood of an eternal covenant. May that God equip you with every good thing you need to do his will; and may he do in us whatever pleases him, through Yeshua the Messiah. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21 CJB

Let us join with our Jewish friends as they celebrate Purim by vowing to recommit our focus on fervent intercession on behalf of Israel and our Jewish friends:

  1. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem – Pray for the protection and well-being over all Israeli’s living in the Land. Psalm 122-6-9
  2. Pray for God’s Protection – Around Jewish communities in the U.S and around the world. Pray for strength, wisdom, and courage for leaders, Jewish students, and families facing hostility. Psalm 91:11-12; Proverbs 3:13
  3. Pray God’s Word – Declare God’s Word in the face of lies. Counter anti-Semitic rhetoric with God’s Word—educate those around us. Hebrews 4:12
  4. Pray Open Doors over the Aliyah Highway – Pray for the LORD to speak to His chosen people’s heart that now is the time to make Aliyah—NO MORE DELAYS!  Ezekiel 36:24; Psalm 147:2
  5. Pray for the remnant Church – To rise up in the Resurrection power of Yeshua-Christ Jesus, by taking its rightful place in the LORD’s holy Aliyah Highway—to intercede and carry God’s sons and daughters’ home. Isaiah 49:22-23
  6. Pray for Open Doors  Ask the LORD for His favor over the Outreach work in Jewish communities in strategic regions of our nation. Matthew 7:7-8; Revelations 3:8
  7. Pray for Supernatural Provision – Thank the LORD that all needed resources for the greater Aliyah are already supplied:  increase in intercessory and volunteer partners; finances; partnerships with like-minded servants of God who are called by God; Olim needs will be met in times of distress; flights will be made available to bring God’s people home. Malachi 3:10, Philippians 4:19

Purim reminds our Jewish friends and us that no matter how dark and dangerous the world may seem, God is always at work behind the scenes, positioning His chosen people and His Land for victory. The LORD will never abandon His chosen people that He created for Himself, as we read in 1 Samuel:

Sh’mu’el answered the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed done all this evil; yet now, just don’t turn away from following Adonai; but  serve Adonai with all your heart. Don’t turn to the side; because then you would go after useless things that can neither help nor rescue, they are so futile. For the sake of his great reputation, Adonai will not abandon his people; because it has pleased Adonai to make you a people for himself. 1 Samuel 12:20-22 CJB

Esther was called “for such a time as this” to risk everything to save her people—her obedience and courage changed history. Today, we are being called to the same level of commitment to our God! Together, let us pray that our faith will grow stronger, and the light of Yeshua will shine brighter through us, dispelling the darkness in this world. May our fervent intercession before God be in agreement with His perfect will and timing for the Aliyah of American Jewish people, and all Jews in the diaspora.

Chag Purim Sameach!

Adrianne Prosser
Outreach Development Director, OEUSA

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Preparation for His Return

Picture of Israel flag with building in Israel in the background, Chapter 9 PREPARATION FOR HIS RETURN of "Why Israel?"

PREPARATION FOR HIS RETURN

by Derek Prince

WHY ISRAEL?

Chapter 9

Preparation for His Return

Why Israel? Chapter 9 – PREPARATION FOR HIS RETURN by author Derek Prince.

In this chapter, we want to find out why Israel is so pivotal. For example, are you aware that approximately half the resolutions of the United Nations have been made about Israel? Can you imagine anything less appropriate or more ridiculous? There must be a reason.

Why is it that every time we open a newspaper or turn on the television, there is something about this little strip of territory called Israel? We are talking about an area that is just a drop in the bucket of the world. What is the reason for the pressure, for the opposition, for the conflict? In this chapter, we will explore the answer to those questions.

They Will Know

As mentioned earlier, Zechariah chapters 12, 13, and 14 all deal with the land of Israel at the close of this age. If you read Zechariah 12, you find the final filling in of this picture. In Zechariah 12:10, it is God speaking, and He says:

“And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; [Notice you cannot supplicate unless God gives you the Spirit of grace. When He gives you the Spirit of grace you can respond with supplication.] then they will look on Me whom they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”

God says concerning His people, “They will look on Me whom they [the Jewish people] have pierced.” It is astonishing that Jewish people read this verse without knowing what it means. It is the clearest statement anywhere in Scripture that they will crucify the Lord: “They will look on Me whom they have pierced.”

Next it says, “They will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” A revelation of Jesus is coming to His own people, the Jewish people, by the Holy Spirit. They will finally know who He really is. Then there will be mourning as has never been experienced in the history of Israel. For the first time, they will realize, “We crucified our Messiah. We rejected our God.” Then it goes on:

“In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David…”

If we put these truths from Matthew and Zechariah together, they make it clear that before the Lord returns, certain requirements have to be established. The Jewish people have to be re- established in Jerusalem and in the land, because the Lord Jesus is not coming back until they are. Then, there will have to be a supernatural revelation of Jesus which will turn their hearts to Him.

Satan’s Greatest Fear

If you were asked to guess what would be the greatest fear of Satan, the god of this age, what would you say? What do you think he fears the most? My answer to that question would be simple and direct: the return of Jesus. Why would that be so fearsome to the devil? Because until Jesus comes back, he may lose a lot of battles—but he will never lose the war. He may lose a lot of souls, but he will still be the god of this age. That status will not change until Jesus returns in person. Thus, the event the devil fears the most is the return of Jesus. If he fears that event the most, wouldn’t it make sense that he would also oppose that event the most? Satan looses vehement opposition  against any activity which prepares the way for Jesus to return.

As we have seen from the Scriptures, the Jewish people will have to be in Jerusalem as their city and they must be occupying the land before Jesus will come back. It is so important that we acknowledge this fact, because it is the promise behind all the uproar and all the fuss we see concerning Israel. Satan is doing everything he can to prevent this pivotal step in the scenario which will prepare the way for the return of the Lord.

Thus far, we have examined Biblical facts about the people and the land of Israel. We have also seen that the necessity for Israel being in their land before the return of Jesus gives rise to Satan’s greatest fear. As a result, it is the source of much turmoil among the nations.

With that teaching as a foundation, we are now in a position to look at the right approach we can take to praying for Israel. From there, we will eventually move on to the specific areas for prayer from God’s perspective concerning the people and the land of Israel.

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THE LORD’S PURPOSES ON THE EARTH

THE LORD’S PURPOSES ON THE EARTH blog

THE LORD’S PURPOSES ON THE EARTH

God Keeps Covenant

Day 11
by Wendy D. Beckett

“For Adonai (the Lord) will fulfill his word on the earth with certainty and without delay.” Romans 9:28 CJB

Day 11 of God Keeps Covenant: THE LORD’S PURPOSES ON THE EARTH

After studying the history of the Jewish people and before we move on to more recent events, let us step back to look at the big picture of the Lord’s priorities. How is He fulfilling His Word “on the earth with certainty and without delay”?

First, the Gospel is spreading across the face of the earth at a staggering pace. Bible translators are now using advanced computer technology to speed their vital work. The Internet is making the Gospel available to millions previously without access to its message. Thousands are daily risking their lives to obey the Lord’s command to “go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)

Also in His discourse with His disciples concerning the time of His return, the Lord Jesus  gave these same marching orders: “And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end shall come.”  (Matthew 24:14) 

 We read John’s vision in Revelation 7:9 of the “great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.” And we are stirred to pray harder, give more and go where the Lord sends us that the maximum number of people may come into His Kingdom.

Another of the Lord’s priorities is His Church, whom He loves so passionately that He calls her His Bride. Much of the emphasis in the letters of Paul, Peter and John is on teaching the followers of Jesus how to grow up in Him, turn from worldly ways, walk with Him and love others as He did. We are to be “without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:27) 

The Lord Jesus is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us that we, His Bride, will make ourselves ready for His coming. (Revelation 19:7) He will help us but we must prepare. We must continually walk more closely with Him, our beloved Bridegroom.

Almost obscured from the Church’s view is a third priority – a distinct stream flowing through the Scriptures – the return of the Jews to their land and their restoration to their Lord. This stream is an integral part of the river of God’s great purposes on the earth. For most of the past 2,000 years this priority has been flowing underground. But this stream is bursting forth as a powerful reality in our day to take its rightful place in the Church.

My desire in this devotional is to set before you just a portion of the tremendous weight of evidence in the Scriptures that the physical and spiritual restoration of Israel is absolutely essential in the Lord’s big picture. His Word cannot be fulfilled on the earth without the promises in the Old Testament Prophets concerning Israel coming to pass.

Father of Love, please keep revealing to us Your heart in this matter. We know You will have to open our eyes so we can see how Israel fits into Your amazing plans for the end of the age and Your return.

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Israel and the Return of Christ

Mount of Olives in Jerusalem Chapter 8 Israel and the Return of Christ

ISRAEL AND THE RETURN OF CHRIST

by Derek Prince

WHY ISRAEL?

Chapter 8

Israel and the Return of Christ

Why Israel? Chapter 8 – ISRAEL AND THE RETURN OF CHRIST by author Derek Prince.

Another very important observation about the centrality of Israel to God’s plan is that the return of Christ focuses specifically on the land of Israel.

Climax in Jerusalem

The last three chapters of Zechariah, 12-14, all relate to the period of the return of the Lord. Let’s look at the beginning of those chapters, Zechariah 12:1-3:

“The burden of the Word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.”

This passage makes it clear that the climax of the age is not going to take place in New York, London, or Tokyo. It is going to take place in Jerusalem. That is the setting for the last act of the world’s drama.

The Lord’s Return

In the New Testament, when Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives, the angels said to the disciples who stood there looking up into heaven.

“This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11

Jesus went from the Mount of Olives and He will return to the Mount of Olives. He went in a cloud and He will return in a cloud. That Scripture will be fulfilled exactly.

This is the scenario for the end of the age. Here is what I want to point out to you: Everything predicted in the Bible at the last period before Jesus comes focuses on Israel, Jerusalem, the Land, and the People. In other words, if they were not in place, the return of Jesus could not take place.

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Sukkot

Sukkot 2024 Or Feast of Booths

SUKKOT 2024 OR FEAST OF BOOTHS
Third Fall Feast

By Sondra Markwardt

OEUSA Intercessor

It is said that in Israel, as the Yom Kippur day of prayer and fasting is ended, one can hear the sound of hammers as families begin constructing their temporary dwellings or booths for the third Fall Feast called Sukkot or Feast of Booths. It is a week of shared meals, singing, and dancing in their booths festively decorated with fruits and lights. 
 
The feast of Tabernacles is called The Great Feast, or the Feast of the Ingathering of the Harvest. The Torah puts great emphasis on rejoicing during this feast (Deuteronomy 16:15), even saying that there should be only rejoicing. Jerusalem was filled with thousands of pilgrims exuberantly celebrating highly symbolic events in the Temple. Huge menorahs lit up the Temple Court that could be seen for miles. 
 
On the last day of the Feast there was a jubilant ceremony. The High Priest would lead a procession to the Pool of Siloam to draw a golden vase of living water.
 
As they reached the gates, the shofar would blow and all would be quiet. The vases were poured into the bowls on the corners of the altar. A hush would fall over the crowd as they could hear the water being poured out. In John 7:2, 37-38, we read that it was at this moment when Jesus called out dramatically, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, streams of living water will flow from his innermost being.”
 
This Feast reminds us of Israel’s wilderness time and God’s faithfulness to them. It looks BACK to the forty years when the children of Israel wandered in the desert living in temporary shelters.
 
The Feast of Tabernacles also looks FORWARD.  God promises an even greater rest in the future when He will come and live among mankind permanently. In the New Heaven and New Earth, “the tabernacle (tent) of God is among men and He will dwell among them.” Rev. 21:2-3 NASB.  There will be great rejoicing as God wipes “every tear from their eyes, there will no longer be any death,” mourning, crying, or pain.  Rev. 21:4 NASB
                         
God commanded in the Torah that during this week-long Feast, 70 bulls would be sacrificed. Since the number seventy represents “the Nations”, for thousands of years, as their blood was being spilled on the altars, those sacrifices were a priestly, intercessory prayer for the nations of the world. Num. 29, Deut. 32:8
 
The Feast of Tabernacles will be fulfilled at the beginning of the Millennial Rule, or Messianic Kingdom, on earth. The nations will come to Jerusalem to worship. All those who remain from “all the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of armies, and to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles.” Zech. 14:16 NASB


 
Sondra Markwardt
Teacher of The Word
OEUSA Intercessor

Yom Kippur 2024

Yom Kippur 2024 Day of Atonment

Yom Kippur 2024
Day of Atonement

By Sondra Markwardt

OEUSA Intercessor

On the Feast of Trumpets, a shofar is blown as an alert call.  “The King is on His way!  You have ten days to repent, and make sure your names are written in the Book of Life!”   In Judaism, Yom Teruah is the day of the “writing of God’s verdict.”  Yom Kippur is known as the day of the “sealing of the verdict”, when the King sits on His throne of judgment and opens the Books of Life and Death.  In Judaism, they believe they must “merit” being written in the Book of Life for one more year.  
 

In Leviticus 16:1-22 we read that the High Priest would perform a special ceremony to cleanse the Temple as well as the people of Israel. This is the day of the year that he would sprinkle the blood of the bull inside the Holy of Holies upon the cover of the Ark of the Covenant. Then he would draw lots and select one of two goats to be a sin offering on behalf of the people.  Again, he would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of the goat upon the Ark. Sins were covered for one more year.

But what about believers in Yeshua?  We know our Atonement has already been paid. 

One of the roles of our beloved Yeshua, the Messiah, is that of a High Priest. He also offered up His own body as the perfect Sacrifice for sin. By His shed blood we are given complete atonement once for all. Under the old covenant, sins were covered for one more year. But under the new covenant these sins are taken entirely away.  

The Ark in the Holy of Holies served as a symbol of the Throne of Glory. On the covering, two gold cherubim gaze on the place of mercy. This was the sacred place where the blood was sprinkled on Yom Kippur. 
         
Cherubs were facing inward with wings outspread …angels can only watch in wonder! “…mystery hidden for ages … so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” Ephesians 3:10 ESV
 

For us – day of ultimate triumph and worship!

The Ark of the Covenant in the Temple was only a copy of the heavenly ark. Revelation 11:19 says “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened and the ARK OF HIS COVENANT was seen within the temple…KJV flashes of lightning, VOICES, peals of thunder ” CJB 

The heavenly mercy seat is sprinkled with the blood of the spotless LAMB. The Ark speaks! “My blood covers your sin once for all!”

You, Precious Lamb of God are the High Priest who has given the New Covenant, You are the sprinkled blood, You are the One who judges, You are the One with fire in Your eyes and a double edge sword in Your mouth. Yet you extend mercy because of the Blood. We worship You.  

Sondra Markwardt
Teacher of The Word
OEUSA Intercessor