Is God Regathering Jews to Israel for Necessary Failure? - Sandra Teplinsky

Is God Regathering Jews to Israel for Necessary Failure?

7/15/2015 SANDRA TEPLINSKY  charisma news

Must Israel be brought to failure to fulfill its destiny? (Wikimedia Commons)

Has God regathered the Jews to Israel merely for their necessary or inevitable failure, in order to bring them to Christ? That's what some Christians believe.

Israel, they reason, must be brought low, devastated and overrun to accept Jesus as Messiah.

But what does the Bible teach? Here are five important considerations:

1. Some prophetic verses about Israel do point to a time of great distress toward the end of this age. To be properly understood, however, they must be considered in light of other related passages and the broader teachings of Scripture. If we overemphasize these scattered prophetic verses and ignore other important passages, we can come to conclusions about Israel that contradict the overarching themes of Scripture. (More on this later.)

2. While the Bible describes a time of great trouble for Israel, it also describes such a time for the nations—and true followers of Yeshua are not necessarily exempt. If we interpret isolated verses to mean that Israel's existence today is a divine set-up for failure, then logically the same must be said of every nation—and of humanity altogether. 

3. The prophetic Scriptures describe Israel's end-time restoration as gradual and progressive, not instantaneous. It could be said she takes two steps forward, then one step backward. In the process there are failures on her part. But the overall trajectory is forward, toward God's complete restoration of Israel (and redemption of the nations).

4. A main reason God's Word tells us about future events, including great trouble, is so we will proactively pray concerning them. Through prayer, the severity of those events can be greatly diminished. We aren't called to be fatalists regarding Israel. We're called to intercede in love on her behalf. We're to pray for full salvation from her enemies (see Rom. 10:1).

5. The spirit in which the doctrine of Israel's inevitable or necessary failure is taught rarely conveys His love, mercy or compassion. Yet God grieves over the pain of His people. When they suffer He suffers too: "In all their affliction He was afflicted" (Is. 63:9). Sadly, through history, the church has focused much on the presumed, necessary failure of the Jewish people. That focus has rarely led to Jews coming to faith in Yeshua, but more often to atrocities committed against them.

Lastly, and going back to Point 1, the truth is that we all fail apart from surrender to God, and as a result, there is trouble ahead. Our view of Israel (or any nation or individual) should not neglect that truth. But we are to keep it in perspective with other biblical truths. God's loving grace, overarching redemption and certain victory in Messiah trump every trial.

"Notice, then, the kindness and severity of God" (Rom. 11:22).

Sandra Teplinsky has been in the Messianic Jewish ministry since 1979. She is president of Light of Zion, an outreach to Israel and the church based in Southern California and Jerusalem. She is an ordained minister and prophetic conference speaker, and has written several books and articles about Israel and the church.

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Remember This When You Tirelessly Stand With Israel

 7/9/2015 SANDRA TEPLINSKY/LIGHT OF ZION    charisma news

The relationship between the United States and Israel continues to deteriorate. (iStock photo )

Have you ever needed encouragement in your stance with Israel? You would hardly be human if you didn't.

For example, here is a partial, short list of global events targeting Israel in the past several days, even as the prayers and labors of many continue on her behalf:

1. The United Nations issues unbalanced condemnation against Israel for last year's Gaza War.
2. Palestinians submit war crimes charges against Israel to the International Criminal Court.
3.  The U.S. does not abide by its own law to withhold funding to the Palestinian Authority for submitting the criminal charges.
4. A new U.S. law permits boycott of products from Israel's West Bank—which is consistent with previously stated American intent for Israel to retreat to its 1949 Armistice lines.
5. The U.S. and other nations appear to surrender to Iran's strategy for obtaining nuclear weapons with which to annihilate Israel.
6. The U.S. Supreme Court concludes that West Jerusalem is not inside Israel
7. The Islamic State, aka ISIS, gains a presence inside Israel and issues a threat to overrun it
8. France revives efforts at the U.N. to create a Palestinian state (that would quickly be overrun by the Islamic State) based on 1949 Armistice lines and dividing Jerusalem
9. The large Church of Christ denomination joins the global BDS movement
10. Internationally funded, murderous terror by Palestinians against Israelis escalates during Ramadan. 

Israel is a stand-alone nation, and prophesied to be such, in Numbers 22-24. The Numbers passage takes on special significance this week (July 4-10) according to Jewish tradition. This is because observant Jews read and study set portions of the Hebrew Scriptures appointed for each week of the year.

At the end of a year, the entire Torah will have been read, along with most of the other Hebrew Scriptures. Then the cycle repeats. Numbers 22-24 comprises the reading set for this week. Some Messianic believers note a remarkable convergence of the traditional weekly portions and international events.

In Numbers 23:9, God describes His people as set apart and not "reckoned," or "counted among," or "considered the same as," all other peoples and nations. In context, He is blessing His people through a beautiful prophetic oracle.

But the Hebrew text does not refer solely to God's perspective of Israel. It implies that Israel does not—and should not—consider herself the same as the other nations. Therefore, perhaps we should not be too surprised that she is increasingly isolated, disenfranchised and even scapegoated by the world in these last days.

To be sure, God does not approve of the nations' unjust mistreatment of Israel. He does not want us participating in, or ignoring, that mistreatment. The more the nations curse her, the more He wants His followers from among the nations persevering by grace to bless her. The same passage reminds us, "May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed" (Numbers 24:9).

God will bless you who bless Israel, but that doesn't mean you're exempt from battle or hardship in this life. Blessing, as you know, can be costly. Yet God's rewards are ultimately of much greater value.

So when you find yourself tempted by discouragement in your stance for Israel, turn quickly to Him. Don't let discouragement morph into fleshly anger, or doubting His Word, or love growing cold, or quitting from weariness in doing well.

Instead, interact heart to heart with Yeshua, who was personally tempted by all these things. Tell Him how you feel. (He already knows but verbalizing is powerful.) Worship and praise Him as good, sovereign and victorious. Let the sure hope and beauty of His Word saturate into you. Soak in His Spirit, who is your Helper. And expect God to respond to you.

Maybe He wants simply to strengthen you with His limitless love and joy. Perhaps He wants to tweak your understanding or perspective, or refine you to be more like Yeshua.

Israel is about Him. Remember that neither Israel, nor you or I were ever meant to be "reckoned" among the nations. We have something and Someone much better than that to live for.

Sandra Teplinsky has been in the Messianic Jewish ministry since 1979. She is president of

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Israel: Six Days, Six Miracles

6/10/2015 SANDRA TEPLINSKY/LIGHT OF ZION  charisma news

An Israeli family protects itself in a bomb shelter during the Six Day War in 1967. (Wikimedia Commons )

"Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles and the judgments He pronounced, O descendants of Abraham, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones. He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth" (Psalm 105:5-7).

Jewish tradition based on the Scriptures encourages us to remember Yehowah's deeds in history. This is because He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. In "remembering" what He has done in the past, we revisit and rejoin ourselves, in a real sense, to God's interaction with our people through the ages. Presently remembering the past helps equip and embolden us to walk in His ways in future. We know Him better and love Him more.

The past few days, Jewish communities have been remembering Israel's historic Six Day War of June 5-10, 1967. The war ended, against all odds, with Israel's stunning victory in six days over the combined armies of her surrounding enemy states. Israeli losses were heavy. And, over time, most of the territory gained has been returned in exchange for promises or hopes for peace.

But back in 1967, most Jews—as well as Western Christians—viewed the war's turnout as nothing less than miraculous.

As you may know, Jewish holidays are based on the Hebrew, rather than international Gregorian calendar. But the Six Day War is not remembered as a Jewish holiday. Instead, Jerusalem Day (Yom Yerushalayim) officially commemorates the climax of the war, the Holy City's prophetic return to Jewish leadership. The holiday is based on the Hebrew calendar and often occurs in May.

But in 2015, the international community is feverishly pushing to create a Palestinian state from biblical land, including Jerusalem, that fell to Israel in the Six Day War. For that reason, certain aspects about the war are worth remembering at this time.

As you do, be encouraged! If you're a Gentile, God's covenant faithfulness to you personally as a follower of Messiah reflects His covenant faithfulness to the Jews. And if you want what's best for the Palestinians, align with biblical justice in support of them.

To start, in 1967, Israeli troops were outnumbered by their enemies approximately 2:1. In addition, she was highly under-equipped against the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Jordan. The world expected Israel to lose the war—which would, in effect, mean the annihilation of the Jewish state. But God intervened.

Here's a short list of six documented military events regarded by many as miraculous (there were plenty more):

1. In a defensive pre-emptive strike on June 5, the Israeli air force flew over and destroyed one Egyptian military air fleet after another for three straight hours. Apparently, no Egyptian air base tried to inform the others of the attacks. Meanwhile, an advance warning by Jordan of the air assault failed because Egypt had changed their warning codes the day before. This victory proved key to the outcome of the war.

2. The battle of Shechem in the West Bank (illegally annexed by Jordan since 1948) was expected to be one of the hardest and bloodiest. But when Israeli forces approached the town from an unexpected direction—east instead of west--heavily armed Arabs in Shechem mistook them as Iraqi reinforcements arriving from the east. As a result, the Israelis were warmly welcomed and the city easily fell into their hands. This helped Israel regain much of the rest of the West Bank from Jordan with minimal resistance.

3. Israel was particularly outnumbered and under-equipped in the Golan Heights against Syrian troops. But in a watershed battle, as the IDF advanced, many of the Syrians quickly pulled out of position and fled in chaos. Most of their weaponry was dropped and left behind. Afterwards, some said they'd seen frightening visions, there on the battlefield, of Abraham. The patriarch was reportedly warning them not to harm the Jews.

4. Within a couple of days of Israel's airstrike on its military planes, Egypt began blowing up or abandoning its other military bases, seemingly inexplicably. As a result, Israel easily took both the Sinai and Gaza, the latter of which Egypt had illegally annexed in 1948.

5. An IDF truck stockpiled with explosive ammunition, desperately needed to rearm Jewish troops, was directly hit by a live grenade. This should have caused the truck to instantly explode and destroy surrounding facilities and troops. But the grenade landed quietly on top of the truck, where it sat until dismantled and removed. This sort of incident reportedly occurred throughout the war.

6. International pressure forced Israel to accept a ceasefire proposed by King Hussein of Jordan. But at the last moment, Hussein nixed essential terms of the ceasefire he himself had initiated. This gave Israel the extra time needed to annihilate their enemies' military infrastructure—and restore Jewish leadership over the Old City of Jerusalem. 

Radio communications on 6/7/67 between Israeli troops approaching the Old City and their commanders at the "David Operations Room" have been made public. Hear how excerpts from these communiqué reflect the heartbeat of a God faithful to His ancient covenant people:

"...  Shortly we're going to go into the Old City of Jerusalem that all generations have dreamed about. ... Ahead we go, through the Lion's Gate! ... I'm with the first unit to break through into the Old City. ... The Temple Mount is in our hands! I repeat, the Temple Mount is in our hands! ... All forces, stop firing. This is the David Operations Room. All forces, stop firing! ... I'm walking right now down the steps towards the Western Wall. I'm not a religious man, I never have been, but this is the Western Wall and I'm touching the stones of the Western Wall. ... [The soldiers spontaneously pray together:] 'Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, she-hechianu ve-kiemanu ve-hegianu la-zman ha-zeh'" (Blessed are You, Lord God, King of the Universe, Who has sustained us, kept us and brought us to this day).

The military chaplain blows the shofar. The seventh day after the war began, Israel rested. Let us remember that when the hour appears darkest, the future desperately daunting, and odds seemed stacked against us, Yehowah's glory is at hand.

Sandra Teplinsky has been in the Messianic Jewish ministry since 1979. She is president of Light of Zion, an outreach to Israel and the church based in Southern California and Jerusalem. She is an ordained minister and prophetic conference speaker, and has written several books and articles about Israel and the church.

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Key Resources for Understanding Israel - The Elijah List

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Here are several books that I have in my library. I hope you will get them too for yours.

Shalom,

Steve Martin
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Have you been asking all the wrong questions about Israel? In this urgent and updated book, American-Israeli Jewish believer Sandra Teplinsky unravels the mystery and controversy surrounding this important nation. Why Still Care about Israel? by Sandra Teplinsky Internationally renowned teacher Derek Prince goes beyond today’s headlines and immerses you in what the Bible has to say about Israel, offering insights into her long, astonishing history and the mounting tension in this war-torn land. The Key to the Middle East by Derek Prince With a startling yet hopeful perspective, prominent Messianic rabbi Jonathan Bernis reveals how biblical prophecies of the end times are being fulfilled right now in Israel—and what you can do to help usher in God’s Kingdom. A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days by Jonathan Bernis This comprehensive guide from trusted expert  Dr. Michael Brown answers the 60 questions Christians ask most frequently  about Jewish people and culture, and addresses if and how the Old Testament  Law applies to you. 60 Questions Christians Ask About Jewish Beliefs and Practices by Michael L. Brown For More Information Phone: 1-866-241-6733 Email: Direct2Church@BakerPublishingGroup.com Website: www.direct2church.com November 19, 2013

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