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.
Pat Boone: The Song Exodus 'Came Out of the Bible'
Chris Mitchell, CBN News 03.16.16 Jerusalem, Israel
Christian singer Pat Boone won an award for his impact on culture in Jerusalem recently for writing the title song to the 1960 epic film, "Exodus."
There is such a strong connection with the song that some call it Israel's second national anthem.
"It came out of the Bible and I knew two things: one that everything in the Bible from beginning to end was written by Jews, about Jews, and for Jews – not all Christians even realize that and not all Jews – what we call the Old and the New Testaments, are all about Jews and about God working with His chosen people, and we Gentiles can get in on it if we accept the God of Israel," Boone told CBN News.
The Friends of Zion award includes the song, written in the shape of a harp translated into Hebrew. Boone originally wrote the words on Christmas Eve on the back of a Christmas card. That card is now displayed in Yad VaShem, Israel's Holocaust remembrance museum in Jerusalem.
"I think this song Exodus – and the privilege I had writing the words for Ernest Gold's great melody – is part of the most significant time in my life and maybe significant moments – maybe one of the main reasons I was born," he said.
Boone told CBN News that this honor is one of the highlights of his life.
"I can't imagine any other thing in my life, other than my marriage and my own salvation, that mean as much as this," he said.
The Friends of Zion Museum honors Christian Zionists who gave their lives to save the Jewish people during the Holocaust and supported the establishment of the modern nation-state of Israel.
Chairman of the Board Yossi Peled is a retired general and former government leader. Born in Belgium in 1941, a Christian family hid him to keep him safe during the Nazi genocide.
"From the age of six months until I became 8 years old, I was raised by a Christian family and I went to church every Sunday and crossed myself and crossed the bread before eating and prayed to Jesus before going to bed," he recalled.
Peled said he's proud to be part of the Friends of Zion vision.
"It's an outstanding vision about the history of this nation…not only the story because nothing is new basically in the story, but it's new in the way it represented it," he said.
Please find a special message from our paid sponsor, Christian Friends of Israel. They have important information to share with you. Sponsorships like this allow us to continue to send you our newsletter free of charge. This doesn't necessarily represent our views.
In the apocalyptic vision of the prophet Zechariah, he writes that the nations shall go up, year after year to Jerusalem "to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, to celebrate the Festival of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)."
Indeed, the nations of the world were out in force this fall in Jerusalem during the festival of Sukkot. There were Jews and Christians, locals and visitors from the four corners of the earth.
Many of them - thousands - were from some 80 nations who came for the Feast's celebration. The New Friends of Zion Museum (FOZ) led the way during Sukkot in welcoming close to 3000 visitors - a number of them Christians attending the Feast event - to the museum's one-hour tour, which tells in dramatic fashion the story of how Christian Zionists played crucial roles in the restoration of the glory of Israel.
One of the conference highlights was the annual Jerusalem March, a colorful, flag-waving, singing crowd of Christians and Jews paraded through the city on Oct 1st. Over 10,000 participants of the march passed the brand new FOZ Museum in the heart of Jerusalem. Among the paraders were many of those who were already counted among the Friends of Zion or who were to return later to visit the museum.
Israeli locals were overjoyed and excited to see supporters from all around the world holding flags of Israel alongside their own flag, wearing their country's colors, singing with locals in Hebrew "Haveno shalom alichem" (We bring peace to you), dancing, playing music while marching, many even blowing the traditional Shofar (Ram's horn).
The Festival of Sukkot is now over, but the spirit of Jewish and Christian love for the Land and People of Israel exemplified by the Friends of Zion Museum continues the year around, bringing people of all nations together within its inspirational galleries, featuring the very latest in high-technology techniques to convey the stories of devoted Christians who in the past 200 years have played key roles in making possible the modern miracle that we call the State of Israel.
We invite you to take part in this wonderful and interactive experience. We invite you to come and meet the Friends of Zion!
“For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3–4)
A crucial war is being waged over theTemple Mountand standing on the front line, allied with Israel and the nation of Israel, isCry For Zion, a movement of Christian Zionists from all over the world who recently united in support of Jewish sovereignty over the Temple Mount.
On October 1, during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot (Tabernacles), the organization held a demonstration at UN headquarters in Jerusalem overlooking Mount Zion. According to Cry for Zion, this was the first time in 2,000 years since Christians have publicly demonstrated in support of Jewish rights to the holy site.
Amidst international pressure to maintain the status quo on the Temple Mount, Cry for Zion is literally crying out to change it. The status quo, maintained since Israel re-conquered the Temple Mount and unified Jerusalem in 1967, grants authority over the holiest site in Judaism to the Muslim Waqf. Jews and Christians are permitted to visit the site but they are entirely forbidden from praying or displaying any religious symbols. Jews may not eat or drink on the Temple Mount since this would require them to say a blessing, which the Waqf guard forbids.
These religious restrictions are strictly enforced by the Israeli Police in an unsuccessful attempt to reduce Arab violence on the site, despite an Israeli Magistrate Court ruling and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which calls for freedom of religion.
Cry for Zion members visiting the Temple Mount. (Photo: Doron Keidar/ Cry for Zion)
Christians from countries all over the world came to show their support for Israel and the Jewish people. Lars Enarson, a Christian leader from Sweden and Cry For Zion co-founder, told those gathered, “Neither the UN in New York, nor the International Law centers of the Hague have any right to claim the role that belongs to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. ‘For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem’ (Isaiah 2:3–4).”
Such an unequivocal display of support for the Jew’s right to the site of their two Temples could not go uncontested. Muslim hecklers nearby and workers at the UN began chanting “Allahu Akbar”, with rally participants responding by resoundingly crying out the words of 1 Kings 18:39, “The Lord, He is God! the Lord, He is God!” and “Shema Israel!”
The Cry for Zion rally continued to show their support for the Jewish nation by marching in the annual Jerusalem March, but it is a sadly poignant sign of the times that the Jerusalem Municipality did not allow them to display their banner which read, “For Jewish Freedom on the Temple Mount”. It is, however, reassuring to note that until they furled their banner, it received cheers and accolades from the mostly-Christian participants at the parade.
The rally ended at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, where Rabbi Yehudah Glick, founder of the Temple Mount Heritage Foundation, addressed the assembled. Glick is a leading advocate for religious freedom on the Temple Mount and recipient of the 2015 Moskowitz Prize for Zionism.
The banned Cry for Zion parade banner. (Photo: Doron Keidar/ Cry for Zion)
“It is a wonderful Godly breakthrough that more and more non-Jews are understanding the urgent need to get involved and to stand up on behalf of the Temple Mount,” Glick told Breaking Israel News following the event.
John Enarson, Lars’ son and co-founder of the movement, told Breaking Israel News that the deteriorating situation surrounding the Temple Mount is really a “battle for truth.”
Rabbi Yehudah Glick at the Cry for Zion event. (Photo: Doron Keidar/ Cry for Zion)
“This is really a battle for truth. Especially in Jerusalem, the truth is getting turned on its head. There are so many lies taking over the world that we need to guard the truth,” Enarson explained to Breaking Israel News. “To say one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter just isn’t true. The nations are looking to Israel for righteousness, truth and objectivity. We need Israel to be the light and we can see the light coming forth from Zion, from the people and even from the government.”
Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/50600/2000-year-first-christians-publicly-rally-support-jewish-sovereignty-temple-mount-biblical-zionism/#dwUY3JDMG8UtO96r.99
Murals in the Hall of Visionaries at the Friends of Zion Museum laud those who have stood up for the Jews
(Friends of zion museum)
Museum: A Tribute to the Friends of Zion
Each faced a moment of decision—an opportunity with eternal impact.
Many said, "Yes," but their choice often came at a great cost. They took action when others cowered in fear. Some gave up their careers, and others died poor and forgotten.
Many risked their very lives. Some were just doing their duty. For others, it was a conviction of the heart.
Some are famous—Corrie ten Boom, Oskar Schindler, Winston Churchill, Queen Victoria, Woodrow Wilson and Harry S. Truman. Others—Arthur James Balfour, Orde Wingate, John Patterson, George Bush and John Henri Dunant—are less well known but equally significant.
They are the heroes of Zionism—the hidden heroes of Christianity who helped protect the Jews from persecution and establish the state of Israel. Their stories are told at the new, state-of-the-art Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem.
The museum, the first in Israel to celebrate Christian heroes and their history, was dedicated Sept. 8 with the museum's international chairman, former Israeli President Shimon Peres; its Israeli chairman, General Yossi Peled; and more than 25 Israeli diplomats present.
It was a day designed to honor the Christian men and women who provided aid and assistance to the Jews during their quest to return to their homeland and gain independence.
The Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem portrays the story of Christian love and support for the Jewish people. It showcases the contributions made by Christian Zionists to the rebirth of the Jewish state in 1948 and their support since then.
The museum has a special relevance in our day. The five-story building has been transformed into the highest-tech interactive museum per square foot in Israel and possibly the world. The museum is located on some of Jerusalem's prime real estate at 20 Rivlin Street, 600 meters from the Temple Mount, across from the future home of what will be the largest Jewish museum in the nation, the Simon Wiesenthal Tolerance Museum.
I have enjoyed a lifelong love affair with Israel and led more tours than I can count. Each time I visited Israel, I found myself wishing to take my groups somewhere that celebrated Christian Zionism. Today, dozens of places exist where one can learn of the evil that people falsely professing to be Christians visited upon the Jewish people.
The Crusades, pogroms, the Inquisition and the Holocaust are and should be well-documented. I also wanted to visit someplace where Christian heroes were celebrated.
Certainly, trees are planted at Yad Vashim in honor of the righteous among the nations. My groups always wanted to see the trees for ten Boom and Schindler. Even so, I always felt that a place dedicated to the positive history of Christian Zionism would be a great addition to tours of Israel. With the opening of the Friends of Zion Museum, there is such a place. Christians who love the Jewish people unconditionally can be inspired, and Jewish people who have never known about Christian heroes such as ten Boom can find friends they did not know they had.
Unearthing the Heroes of Christian Zionism
In 1988, Mike Evans and his ministry partners purchased the home of ten Boom in Haarlem, Holland, and transformed the house and clock shop into a wonderful museum. Her story is virtually unknown among the Jewish people and, for that matter, the vast majority of young people in this generation. This is despite the story of Anne Frank being known by Jews and Christians worldwide.
Evans wanted to bring the story of the ten Boom family to Jerusalem, but in researching that possibility, he encountered hundreds of individuals who not only assisted the Jewish people during the Holocaust, but also helped to establish the state of Israel.
In 2012, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said of the Christian Zionists' role in Israel's history: "I don't believe that the Jewish state and modern Zionism would have been possible without Christian Zionism. I think that the many Christian supporters of the rebirth of the Jewish state and the ingathering of the Jewish people in the 19th century made possible the rise of modern Jewish Zionism."
The Friends of Zion Museum has documented the oft-hidden history Netanyahu referred to. For example, spotlighted in the museum is the story of John Henri Dunant, a Swiss-born banker and humanitarian. Theodor Herzl first labeled him a "Christian Zionist." Dunant, the founder of the International Red Cross, also inspired the 1964 Geneva Convention and he was the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.
Also spotlighted is Horatio Spafford, whose four daughters were drowned at sea. After viewing the site of their watery grave, he penned the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul." Spafford and his wife went to Jerusalem and built the largest orphanage in the city. The orphanage is now called The American Colony.
George Bush also holds a place of honor in the museum. This George Bush was never president of the United States. He was, however, an ancestor to both Bush presidents. He was a college professor, born in Vermont in 1796. He was a Presbyterian pastor who taught Hebrew and Oriental Literature at New York University. Bush was an ardent believer in the return of the Jews to their rightful land, then called Palestine. In 1844, Bush wrote The Valley of Vision—based on the dry bones mentioned in Ezekiel 37. The book was a clarion call to Christian Zionism and sold more than 1 million copies.
The museum also showcases Orde Charles Wingate. He was a Bible-believing British army officer who created a special military unit in Palestine in the 1930s that later became the Israeli Defense Forces.
Colonel John Patterson, after whom the prime minister's brother, Jonathan, was named, is a significant figure at the museum too. Patterson, a Christian, commanded the Zion Mule Brigade, which became the first Jewish fighting force in 2,000 years.
Combating the Rise of Anti-Semitism
As a former Christian university president, I am deeply concerned about the warped historical view being taught on many campuses. Too many young people have bought into an anti-Israel worldview politically. Others have fallen into the trap of "replacement theology." I have been disappointed to see some of my evangelical colleagues and leaders embrace this theology.
The Friends of Zion Museum seeks to address this serious issue. The museum's educational experience combats anti-Semitism and inspires Christians to learn of their biblical history and heroes and their biblical relation to Israel and the Jewish people. The museum is an exciting high-tech vehicle to combat anti-Semitism. This museum is especially needed as the world turns its back on Israel and supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.
As part of the international program of the museum, Peres presented President George W. Bush in March with the first Friends of Zion award in acknowledgement of his friendship with the Jewish people. President Peres traveled to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas to present the award.
In April on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Friends of Zion Museum hosted a global event that was aired on 13 satellite networks with about 6,000 churches in more than 50 countries participating live. This broadcast was a show of solidarity with Israel that honored Christian heroes who stood by the Jewish people during World War II. Eli Wiesel, President Peres and Prime Minister Netanyahu appeared on that special.
In the last few months, many of the most prominent evangelical leaders worldwide have toured the Friends of Zion Museum and have lent their support. These include Dr. Jack Hayford, chancellor of The King's University, who said, "This brief and impacting moment has left me tearful, speechless and with a sense of accountability."
"You can't miss it," says Gordon Robertson, chief executive officer of the Christian Broadcasting Network. "If you're on a trip to Israel, this should be your first stop. It will inform you. It will inspire you. It will enlighten you. Don't miss it."
Mark Williams, general overseer of the Church of God, says, "Floor by floor, it was just amazing. I just hope you and your family will take advantage of the opportunity to visit the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem."
Excellent Visual Effects Captivate Audiences
Dr. George Wood, general superintendent of the General Council of the Assemblies of God, said, "It was spectacular! The kind of visual display and advanced technology is unlike anything I have seen in the whole wide world."
If one cared nothing at all for the subject matter, the technology itself is well worth seeing. More than 150 Israeli multidisciplinary experts created the experience in 30 months. The museum contains the largest onyx video-mapping floor in Israel and perhaps the world, and is equipped with more than 30 video projectors, 45 LCD screens and about 50 speakers.
The museum houses the largest employment of digital equipment per square meter ever in a single museum. The music, which is originally scored, is broadcast on a surround-sound system. A unique, complex animation method called "rotoscoping" brings live action footage into a painted setting that transforms each story during the museum experience.
The tour begins with a unique surround-sound aerial excursion over the land of Israel synchronized with sculptured topography of the biblical land and the 12 tribes of Israel. All aerial shots were originally filmed for this segment with 4K cameras—the largest digital-filming format available.
Visitors then board a high-capacity experimental "time-machine" elevator. As the elevator rises, the surrounding glass surface comes to life with a spectacular sound-and-light show. It is the largest exterior glass elevator in Israel with a unique LED video network beneath its glass interior that combines sound effects and narration for a superb sub-system.
The Founder's Theater holds another first—the longest indoor seamless surround projection system in a museum in Israel (24 meters). Its transparent LED multimedia onyx floor adds a surprising dimension to the storytelling. New to me were the handcrafted wooden figures digitally mapped with animated videos on each polygon of the sculpture's design. The Visionaries Gallery features another first—a hand-drawn mural crafted by a team of artists, then digitalized and animated. The mural wall is comprised of 36 LCD screens with infrared sensor technology triggered by touch. When this still mural comes to life, 11 separate animations are activated on the largest interactive mural in Israel.
The Lights in the Darkness Theater uses digital rotoscoping. I found it a moving experience to say the least. This theater is the first of its kind.
Visitors are able to see the visual content projected onto their own hands. That content features pictures of some of the Jewish people rescued by Christians.
The grand finale is a 3-D stereoscope with a custom silver screen. Wearing distinct polarized 3-D glasses, visitors see their own faces embedded in the show as a live feed.
How the Museum Will Impact Israel
More than 7,000 individuals from all over the world have already toured the Friends of Zion Museum. Perhaps the most moved of the visitors are the Israelis themselves. One elderly lady said, "Goose bumps, goose bumps. We are not alone."
The museum has purchased a second building. Erected in 1874, the building is one of the first homes built outside the walls of Jerusalem. Here the guests are given the opportunity to leave their impressions using highly advanced technology, comparable to that employed in the 9/11 memorial in New York City.
In the second museum building, guests enter one of three stations that record visitors' impressions. In the state-of-the-art recording facility, the guest is guided through an experience to share his impressions, complete with snapshot photos. The facility is equipped with the most advanced lighting, audio and technological programming to produce the guest's first, intimate and authentic impressions on different topics.
Guests' impressions are also presented in a gallery of framed portraits that cover the walls of the Reception Center. The Impression Gallery will also be available online. Personally, I found one of the most intriguing facilities in the museum Reception Center to be a multimedia broadcasting facility which allows pastors to speak to their congregations live from Jerusalem.
Museum tours are available in 16 languages and online. One can take a virtual tour of the museum by going to fozmuseum.com. The online tour tells the stories showcased in the museum and allows those who cannot travel to Jerusalem to benefit from the same experience free of charge. This tour has been translated into 13 languages.
The Friends of Zion Museum experience is a remarkable combination of cutting-edge technology, historical narrative and emotional inspiration. Tours, visiting academic groups and individuals will find the Friends of Zion Museum an exciting addition to their visit to Jerusalem.
Dr. Mark Rutlandis a New York Times best-selling author of 15 books and many articles. His column appears in each edition of Ministry Today magazine. Rutland's weekly television program is broadcast on TBN Salsa, and he is heard on a daily basis in multiple radio markets. As the executive director of The National Institute of Christian Leadership, he teaches hundreds of church and business leaders from around the world. In the past, he has served as the president of two universities and as a megachurch pastor. He is currently the president of Global Servants, an international agency that, among other works, operates homes for tribal girls on two continents.
NEW - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!
Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.
Many Christian Zionists, when pressed, can’t really explain how they fell in love with Israel. Or why. Over and over you hear them say – “It just happened to me.” One minute they were totally ignorant and uncaring about the Jews and Israel, and the next they were passionate Zionists. Writing letters to newspapers to protest slanderous columns written against Israel. Volunteering to help scrub anti-Semitic graffiti off a local synagogue wall. Attending every pro-Israel rally within driving distance. And trying to figure how they can scrape up enough money to visit Israel.
Often they discover to their dismay they are the only one in their church who cares about Israel. And when they try to explain why Israel matters to fellow congregants they get that same blank stare they got when they told their non-Christian friends they just got saved.
Clearly this awakening of love has a divine origin. Who can explain it? But how will this historic courtship end? Is this love affair as doomed as Romeo and Juliet? Or as short-lived as a Hollywood romance?
One could hardly blame the Jews for not thinking so based on the most popular Christian end-time teaching called the Rapture. How many times have we publicly repented of our silence during the Holocaust? And sworn never to abandon Israel or the Jews again? Yet many Christian Zionists hold to this teaching that promises to fly them off to heaven at the first sign of trouble. Just when Israel needs us the most.
I don’t want to speculate here about how God’s salvation plan will unfold, or when. But if we truly believe Yeshua is the Messiah of Israel, and not just the church’s Christ, then his rescue plan must include “all Israel.” Both Jewish and non-Jewish elect. Which means His last-days salvation plan will somehow bring us alongside Jewish Israel to stand with her. And not leave her in the lurch.
Jesus, Jeremiah and Daniel all described the Great Tribulation as a time of unparalleled anguish that will overpower the whole earth with evil, including Israel. Jeremiah declared, “It is the time of Jacob’s distress!” But then quickly added, “But he will be saved from it!” (Jer. 30:7)
And Daniel told us that that when this “time of distress” occurs Michael will arise to protect the nation and “everyone who is found written in the book shall be rescued.” (Dan. 12:1)
I ask you, we who have come forth from the nations through faith in the Jewish Messiah – are not our names also written in that book? Is not the title of the book revealed at the end of the Bible to be – “The Lamb’s Book of Life?” (Rev. 21:27)
So I would say this courtship between Jewish Israel and the followers of Yeshua now awakening to the Hebraic roots of our faith will blossom into a full-blown, God-blessed family reunion. And we will all live happily ever after. To which I raise high my glass of Manischewitz, and toast, “L’chaim!” And forward Moses and Paul’s heartfelt wedding congratulations – “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!” (Rom. 15:10).
Want more news from Israel? Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates from ISRAEL TODAY.
There is a special character to the city of Jerusalem which brings out one's innermost prayers and supplications, even from the most skeptical individuals. The transcending power of praying together with thousands of other people at the Western Wall is a unique experience that everyone should try at least once in their lifetime. If you can't make it here in person, experience Israel second hand, through this fantastic set of Bible greeting cards. Each set features beautiful photographs from the artist's garden in the former Gush Katif region, along with inspiring Biblical verse.
Watch as the Chief Rabbi of the holy northern city of Safed leads a prayer for thousands at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The Rabbi explains what lies at the heart of Jewish prayer and how anyone can get in touch with their Maker.
Upon the announcement of a final nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, CUFI deployed thousands of Christian Zionists to lobby members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to support Israel against the Iranian nuclear threat.
This gorgeous watch includes a biblical passage from Solomon's Song of Songs. With a pomegranate inlay, it blends functionality and beauty with a twist of the spiritual. Your choice of a silver or gold face, with a comfortable black leather strap, mineral glass, analog with adjustable time and date, 32mm thick, stainless steel back. Designed by Adi, the largest and most experienced watch manufacturer in Israel.
“I've Learned a Lot More About Israel and Its People”
It’s great to hear from you and make new friends from all over the world. Please send mean email and let me know how you are enjoying Jerusalem365 (don’t forget to say where you are from!).
Since receiving emails from Jerusalem365, I've learned a lot more about Israel and its people. I do enjoy what I am reading as it keeps me updated, more spiritually. I believe that God is working on your side because of His divine promise and purpose for Israel. Keep up the good work. -Fred L., Philippines
