Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
Romans 11:25b-26a (NIV) says, "Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved."
But how and when will all Israel be saved? Revive Israel's Asher Intrater unpacks this biblical mystery as he explains what the fullness of the Gentiles really means. The answer lies in one small Greek word in verse 25.
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The first principle of spiritual warfare is humility. Whenever we notice that we are under attack and in the midst of spiritual warfare, we need to humble ourselves. Most people associate battling in the spirit with aggressive prayer and shouting at the devil. Those may have their place, but if we do not understand the role of humility and submission, our potential victory will turn into a defeat.
"'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James. 4:6-7, 10).
Notice in these verses that submission and humility are a necessary part of resisting the devil. Successfully opposing the devil is dependent upon the act of humbling ourselves.
The reason for this is that the very character of the devil is bound up in pride. Pride is what motivates him, and he specializes in all things connected to it. If you have pride, you leave yourself open to the strategies of the devil. Your pride makes you an easy target for the devil's attacks.
When the devil came in the form of a serpent to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he appealed to them through spiritual pride:
"You will be like God" (Gen. 3:5);
and through intellectual pride: "Knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5b).
Intellectual and spiritual pride are still primary roots of demonic activity today. When we resist these by humbling ourselves and submitting, we close the door to the devil's activities.
The Bible tells us that when Satan decided to attack God, his rebellion was fueled by his pride: "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you have corrupted your wisdom" (Ezekiel 28:17).
The Hebrew word for "lifted up" here is gaavah, and is similar to the root of the word "pride" ga'avah. Pride can lead us into bad attitudes towards those around us, especially those in authority over us, eventually causing division. Most division in the church is caused by pride. If one of the parties will humble themselves, it is almost always possible to bring reconciliation.
Give No Place to the Devil
Yeshua taught that, "every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation" (Luke 11:17). The devil wants to make God's kingdom fall. He seeks to do this by inspiring division and rebellion. Division and rebellion find their source in pride. Pride is fertile ground for the devil's seeds. When we humble ourselves, we deny the devil that ground.
Often pride is a coverup for personal insecurity or fear of rejection. When a person is insecure, he may puff himself up like a blowfish to compensate for the insecurity. A person who can humble himself is actually reflecting a degree of psychological wholeness and inner strength.
One of the symptoms of pride covering up insecurity is the tendency for a person to become "offended." Sometimes a person wants to hide his pride and insecurity by saying "I'm very sensitive." A person who does not have much pride is not easily offended.
Sometimes the person who is so sure that he is right, is the very one who is in pride and is the source of the problem. The offended person, the smartest one, the most anointed one or the one causing a division, may be the one through whom the devil is working. If you recognize yourself in this description, repent, humble yourself, seek reconciliation and be victorious over the devil.
Asher Intrater is the founder and apostolic leader of Revive Israel Ministries and oversees Ahavat Yeshua congregation in Jerusalem and Tiferet Yeshua congregation in Tel Aviv. Asher was one of the founders of Tikkun International with Dan Juster and Eitan Shishkoff and serves on the board of the Messianic Alliance of Israel and Aglow International. He and his wife and full-time partner in ministry, Betty, have a passion for personal prayer and devotion, local evangelism and discipleship in Hebrew and unity of the body of believers worldwide.
The first principle of spiritual warfare is humility. Whenever we notice we are in a situation of spiritual warfare, the first thing we need to do is to humble ourselves. Most people associate spiritual warfare with aggressive prayer and shouting at the devil. That may be true, but if we do not understand the role of humility and submission, our spiritual warfare will turn into a massacre.
"'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:6-7, 10).
Notice in these verses that submission and humility are a necessary part, or prerequisite, in resisting the devil. The resisting of the devil is dependent upon the parallel activity of humbling ourselves.
The reason for this is that the very character of the devil is tied up with pride. Pride is the motivation of the devil. Therefore, it is also the area in which he is an expert. If you have pride, you have an open door for the strategies of the devil. Your pride becomes an easy target for the devil's attacks.
When the devil came to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, he appealed to them through spiritual pride ("You will be like God" [Gen. 3:5b]), and intellectual pride ("Knowing good and evil," [Gen. 3:5c]). Intellectual and spiritual pride are still the roots of demonic activity today. When we resist these two kinds of pride by humbling ourselves and submitting, we close the door to the devil's activities.
That demonic pride can lead to rebellion and division. The Bible tells us that when Satan decided to attack God, his rebellion was fueled by his pride.
"Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you have corrupted your wisdom" (Ezek. 28:17).
The word for "lifted up" here is gaavah, and is similar to the root of the word pride, ga'avah. Pride can lead us into bad attitudes towards those around us, especially those in authority over us, eventually causing division. Most division in the church is caused by pride. If one of the parties will humble themselves, the divisions become minimal.
Give No Place to the Devil
Yeshua taught us that any kingdom divided against itself will fall (Luke 11). The devil wants to make God's kingdom fall. He does this by inspiring division and rebellion. Division and rebellion find their source in pride. Pride is the fertile ground for the devil's seeds. When we humble ourselves, we deny the devil that ground.
Often pride is a cover-up for personal insecurity, or fear of rejection. When a person is insecure, he may puff himself up like a blowfish to compensate for the lack. A person who can humble himself is actually reflecting a degree of psychological wholeness and inner strength.
One of the symptoms of pride covering up insecurity is the tendency for a person to become "offended." Sometimes a person wants to hide his pride and insecurity by saying "I'm very sensitive." It's hard to find a word for "offended" in Hebrew. One way to say it is "wounded pride" or "honor insulted." A person who does not have much pride is not easily offended.
Sometimes the person who is so sure that he is right, is the very one who is in pride and being the source of the problem. The offended person, the smartest one, the most anointed one or the one causing a division may be the one through whom the devil is working. If this fits you, get off of it.
Asher Intrater is the founder and apostolic leader of Revive Israel Ministries and oversees Ahavat Yeshua congregation in Jerusalem and Tiferet Yeshua congregation in Tel Aviv. Asher was one of the founders of Tikkun International with Dan Juster and Eitan Shishkoff and serves on the board of the Messianic Alliance of Israel and Aglow International. He and his wife and full-time partner in ministry, Betty, have a passion for personal prayer and devotion, local evangelism and discipleship in Hebrew and unity of the body of believers worldwide.
Last month a number of events concerning the city of Jerusalem converged together in an uncanny way.
1. 33 AD – Yeshua ascendedinto heavenly Jerusalem: Every year at this time, 40 days after the Resurrection, we celebrate His ascension to sit at the right hand of the Father, on the throne of all authority—in both heaven and earth. (Matthew 28:18)
2. June 7, 1967 – Jerusalem recaptured by the Jewish people for the first time in more than 2,000 years. Amazingly, this event took place during the very same week as the Ascension according to the Hebrew calendar of that year. And so this past month, as every year, we celebrated Jerusalem Day, where hundreds of thousands dance in the streets of downtown Jerusalem, leading to a huge celebration at the Western Wall. We see the Jewish control of Jerusalem as a condition for the fulfillment of end times' events and ultimately the return of Yeshua. (Luke 21:24; Matthew 23:37-39)
3. May 14, 2018 – US Embassy officially relocated to Jerusalem; and was followed by other countries. For many in Israel this event is on par with what took place in 1948 or 1967; to think that on the 70th birthday of the nation, the US should declare its support for the Biblical claims of the Jewish people to call Jerusalem its eternal capital, is a hugely momentous event on the stage of world history.
4. May 13, 2018 – Neta Barzilai from Israel wins the Eurovision songfest; thus reserving Israel (Jerusalem??) as next year's location for the Eurovision. This one may be a surprise to a lot of you, and if you see her picture on the internet, it should certainly put a smile on your face. But the yearly Eurovision contest is big news in Israel, especially when an Israeli wins it—which hasn't happened since 1998. And since she won, this means that all the European nations must come up to Israel for next year's contest. Both Neta and PM Netanyahu have declared their intention to host the event in Jerusalem. We'll see!
5. May 15 – May 20, 2018 – a number of Christian and Messianic events, including the Pray Walk for Life, Tikkun International's Alignment Roundtable, an area-wide Jerusalem Shavuot-Pentecost prayer assembly, the Messianic Alliance Shavuot national picnic, and many others.
These events represent a tectonic-plate shift in the spiritual realm. I believe we are crossing into a new period of prophetic fulfillment, whereby Jerusalem becomes both the center of international conflict (Zechariah 12:3), and at the same time there is the beginning of a new outpouring of the spirit of grace and supplication (Zechariah 12:10).
As all these events take place, let's make sure we repent and turn our hearts anew to the Lord; so that on an individual level, we ourselves will be submitted to God's perfect will and aligned to His righteous order.
Asher Intrater is the founder and apostolic leader of Revive Israel Ministries and oversees Ahavat Yeshua congregation in Jerusalem and Tiferet Yeshua congregation in Tel Aviv. Asher was one of the founders of Tikkun International with Dan Juster and Eitan Shishkoff and serves on the board of the Messianic Alliance of Israel and Aglow International. He and his wife and full-time partner in ministry, Betty, have a passion for personal prayer and devotion, local evangelism and discipleship in Hebrew and unity of the body of believers worldwide.
One of the clearest pictures in the Bible of the second coming of Yeshua (Jesus) is found in Zechariah 14:2-3:
"I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem, the sea shall be taken...then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as He fights in the day of battle."
For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle. The city will be captured and the houses plundered and the women ravished. ... Then the Lord will go out and fight those nations as He fights in the day of war."
The fact that the second coming of Yeshua is connected with a battle over Jerusalem raises several theological problems. Interestingly, today's dramatic developments relating to terrorism, Islam and the United Nations are shedding light on how this prophecy could come to pass.
The first problem is one of coalition: How could all the nations of the world, from so many different backgrounds, come together in agreement? In recent years, we have seen the block of Islamic nations joining together with the liberal humanist nations, especially European nations, in anti-Israel resolutions in the U.N. Although the humanist nations and the religious Muslims are so different in their worldviews, they are able to come into unity against Israel.
The second problem is one of focus: How could all the nations of the world be focused against one small city? Here again we see the threefold influence of terrorism, Isla, and the United Nations. Terrorism affects all the nations of the world, but its primary focus is Jerusalem. Islamic claims on Jerusalem as its third most holy city (El Quds) and Palestinian anti-Israel propaganda in the UN, have made Jerusalem the focal point of international conflict in our generation.
The third problem is one of Christian Eschatology: How are Christians around the world to equate their faith in Jesus with the city of Jerusalem? Certainly, a Christian well read in the prophesies of the Bible will already be aware that the battles of the End Times are centered around Jerusalem. However, modern events are also forcing Christians to see the connection between Jesus and modern-day Israel. As some Christians see roots in the U.N. of a one-world anti-Christ government, so also they see the U.N. as a forum for anti-Israel propaganda. As Islam has become in our generation the primary obstacle to world evangelism, so has it also become the primary motivator for anti-Israel sentiment. Militant Islamic terrorism is not only directed against Jews but is also the greatest cause of Christian martyrs in the world today.
The fourth problem is one of Jewish messianic expectations: While many religious Jews understand biblical prophecy of the coming of the Messiah at the time of a great apocalyptic battle over Jerusalem, they do not see that as connected with Yeshua. However, as the nations of the world turn more against Jerusalem, the people of Israel are finding that our only allies are staunchly evangelical Christians.
The fifth problem is one of morality: if Yeshua is coming back to judge the world in righteousness (Ps. 98:9), why would He particularly punish those who are against Israel, when there are so many evils in the world today for him to judge. Yet suicide terrorism, especially against Israel, is emerging as one of the greatest evils our world has seen. We have yet to see the effects of what suicide terrorists will do if they get their hands on small nuclear devices or biological/ chemical weapons. Terrorism and how it is interpreted is increasingly becoming an issue that forms a moral dividing line between good and evil. Every truly moral person is having to take a stand against terrorism. Since the number one focus of worldwide terrorism is Jerusalem, Jerusalem is becoming, de facto, the moral dividing line of all peoples.
Liberal humanism in the U.N., religious militancy in Islam and the growing wave of suicide terrorism are together forcing Christians, the people of Israel and simply moral people everywhere to be aligned together. This alignment sets the stage for the prophecies concerning the second coming of Yeshua to take place.
Asher Intrater is the founder and apostolic leader of Revive Israel Ministries and oversees Ahavat Yeshua congregation in Jerusalem and Tiferet Yeshua congregation in Tel Aviv. Asher was one of the founders of Tikkun International with Dan Juster and Eitan Shishkoff and serves on the board of the Messianic Alliance of Israel and Aglow International. He and his wife and full-time partner in ministry, Betty, have a passion for personal prayer and devotion, local evangelism and discipleship in Hebrew and unity of the body of believers worldwide.
Prayer is so important that it seems to be the primary work that Yeshua has committed himself to for the past 2,000 years. Apparently, He figured He could get more done by intercessory prayer than by anything else.
"Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, because He at all times lives to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25).
He is at the right hand of God interceding on our behalf (see Rom. 8:34).
Therefore, when we pray by the leading of the Spirit of God, we are actually joining together with Yeshua, interceding together with Him as He intercedes for us. This prayer partnership with Yeshua bears much fruit exponentially for the kingdom of God. This urgent intercession martials all the powers of both heaven and earth in strategic effectiveness.
Recently we have sensed the Holy Spirit lead us to focus our prayers on five strategic areas and want to ask you to join with us in intercession.
Urgent International Prayers
Korean Nuclear Weapons: Kim Jun Um has promised to dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons and research, and to demilitarize the Korean peninsula. If this is a false promise, the situation could deteriorate. If it is true, then a potential new era of peace could arise. Let us pray for immediate and full disarmament.
Trump: Whether one agrees with Trump's policies or style, he is the most influential political leader in the world today. We need to pray for God to guide and direct his thoughts, speech, decisions and partnerships. What Trump decides leads to a domino effect upon other nations.
Media: The potential peace in Korea and subsequent changes in other nations are also influenced not only by the facts but how they are reported in the news and social media. Let us pray for righteous reporting and for a positive change in public opinion; in Asia, the West and the Middle East.
Jerusalem Embassy: In two weeks, the United States is planning to dedicate its new embassy in Jerusalem. Several other nations have already announced that they will do so also. This begins a new stage in the controversy over Jerusalem as prophesied in Zechariah 12:2-3, and thus moves us all into more end times' events.
70-Year Alignment: In 1948-49 following World War II, there was a realignment of national borders from West to East. That alignment of nations has stayed in effect all these years. We are seeing the beginning of a new alignment after this 70-year period. Even the Arab nations such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia are reconsidering their relationship with Israel.
As the Lord leads you, we would love to hear what He is showing you concerning these topics. Please comment below.
Asher Intrater is the founder and apostolic leader of Revive Israel Ministries and oversees Ahavat Yeshua congregation in Jerusalem and Tiferet Yeshua congregation in Tel Aviv. Asher was one of the founders of Tikkun International with Dan Juster and Eitan Shishkoff and serves on the board of the Messianic Alliance of Israel and Aglow International. He and his wife and full-time partner in ministry, Betty, have a passion for personal prayer and devotion, local evangelism and discipleship in Hebrew and unity of the body of believers worldwide.
One of the most important passages on holiness is the revelation Isaiah had of the glorified Messiah.
I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the Temple. Above it stood seraphim... And one cried to another and said, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory." And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out and the house was filled with smoke. So I said, "Woe is me for I am undone. Because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts" (Isa. 6:1-5).
Let us fix our eyes on Yeshua and desire to be holy as He is. There are seven attributes of holiness.
1. High and Lifted Up: There was something lofty and high about this vision of holiness. It is about living on a higher plane. It makes me think about a person riding in a helicopter who is far above the traffic jams of the morning rush hour. Isaiah realized that the person he saw in this vision had something more than he had. He thought to himself, "I want to be close to Him. I want to be with Him. I want to be like Him. I want to be holy."
2. Shining in Light: A being filled with divine presence shines with light. This is called the glory of God. To be holy is to be filled with glory. Holiness is glorious. The whole earth will one day be filled with the glory of God through the children of God. As we become holy, we are also filled with light.
3. Full of Power: Holiness is the opposite of worldliness. To be holy we have to say no to the world, the flesh, and the devil. But holiness is more than just a list of don'ts. After all, holiness existed before worldliness. To be holy is to come into the power of God. It is His ability. In this passage, His very presence shakes the whole building.
4. Splendid in Beauty: This holy and glorious figure is extremely attractive. Holiness is beautiful. The greatest pleasure of the world to come will be simply to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord (Ps. 27:4). This world is also filled with beautiful things. We can be drawn to the things of this world by the lust of our eyes. However, the beauty of the Lord in his holiness is more beautiful and more attractive than the things of this world. We have something better to look at. We can worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness. (Ps. 96:9).
5. Spiritually Clean: When someone is holy, they are free from guilt and shame. They are not dirty on the inside. Isaiah, who was probably the cleanest person living on the earth in his generation, immediately felt unclean when he looked at this perfectly clean being. He felt unclean and asked to be cleansed. To feel dirty on the inside is a terrible feeling. Just to be free from that sense of uncleanness, to be clean in our conscience, is already worth more than any of the pleasures and lusts of this world. We are cleansed by the blood of Yeshua and by the fire of the Holy Spirit.
6. Morally Pure: Holiness is the highest level of purity. It is the highest level of morality. One aspect of holiness is to have pure motives. Many of us have decent and good motives, but even these are not really pure. Even when people do good things, there can be certain underlying selfish motives. To be really pure would be to have our thoughts and motives openly displayed for everyone to see. We can only have truly pure motives when we yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit within us, and act according to His motives.
7. Wholly Perfect: To be holy is to be perfect. Our father in heaven is perfect, and Yeshua calls us to be perfect like Him (Matt. 5:48). After we are saved, we enter into a process of being made perfect by the Holy Spirit. That is the process of sanctification. Through the promises of God, we cleanse ourselves both in spirit and body to become perfect in holiness (2 Cor. 7:1). Though we are not fully sanctified yet, we press on toward the goal of becoming perfectly holy (Phil. 3:12).
Why We Believe in Yeshua
"I choose life. I choose to believe in the good things. Even if it's a lie, even if I'm wrong. That's my choice. I'd rather die believing good than believing bad. And it's our choices that make reality. Now make a choice. What do you choose?" —Youval Yanay
Asher Intrater is the founder and apostolic leader of Revive Israel Ministries and oversees Ahavat Yeshua congregation in Jerusalem and Tiferet Yeshua congregation in Tel Aviv. Asher was one of the founders of Tikkun International with Dan Juster and Eitan Shishkoff and serves on the board of the Messianic Alliance of Israel and Aglow International. He and his wife and full-time partner in ministry, Betty, have a passion for personal prayer and devotion, local evangelism and discipleship in Hebrew and unity of the body of believers worldwide.
