Newsletter Archive

O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem

May 10, 2017 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

     Before leaving this earth, Yeshua cried out: “O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” Matthew 23:37
     “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced;” Zechariah 12:10
     “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” Romans 11:26

The Hope, “Hatikva”

(Israel’s national anthem)
As long as the Jewish soul
is yearning deep inside the heart,
And looks onto the East,
with eyes watching toward Zion,
Then our hope – the two-thousand-year-old hope –
is not lost: To be a free people in our land,
The land of Zion and Jerusalem.

God was angry with His people for disobeying Him and turning to other gods. He had to discipline and punish them, temporarily, like a good loving father. He sent them out to exile from their homeland, Israel, to the nations of the world. But promised to bring them back to their land, the Land of Promise He gave to Abraham and his descendants, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) for an everlasting possession. This promise/prophecy repeats itself throughout the scriptures more than any other prophecy.

As a loving father who has to discipline His children, He always reassures His people of His everlasting love, as He said to Israel: “This is what the Lord says: “ I will come to give rest to Israel… I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness… I will build you up again, and you, virgin Israel, will be rebuilt. Jeremiah 31:1,2,3

God has always used the nations to discipline His people Israel, but they overdid it in measure and cruelty, which was not the intention of the Lord, and He is angry with them: “Proclaim this word: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster.‘” Zech. 1:14-15

Israel becoming a nation again in the Land of Israel

The prophet Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 66:8: “Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.”

The rebirth of the State of Israel is truly unique. On one day— May 15,1948, one day after the declaration of Israel’s independence by David Ben Gurion, Israel was voted in the UN as the State of the Jews and became an official functioning nation with its own army, navy, air force (all very small at that time), parliament, police force, medical, education and financial systems, etc. History knows no other nation that has had a similar rebirth after thousands of years of exile. God is faithful to fulfill His promises.

Jerusalem is the most special city in all of history. Many nations and peoples have conquered Jerusalem: Assyrians, Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Mamelukes, Turks, British, and Jordanians. Jerusalem is also called: The Lord’s City, The Holy City, The Eternal City, Salem, Mount Moriah, Jebus, the City of David. There must be a deeper meaning to this than just physical. It’s a spiritual battle.

What makes Jerusalem so important?

Because God, The God of Israel has declared that Jerusalem shall be His Throne (Zechariah 8:3). He said that He will reign in Jerusalem forever. For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place: “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. Psalm 132:13-14

There are more scriptures where God is talking about Zion/Jerusalem as His chosen place to dwell and reign from. “Jerusalem” is mentioned in the Bible more then 800 times. “Zion,” which is another name for “Jerusalem,” is mentioned 152 times.

Although most of the nation was in exiled from their land, the Jews did not forget Jerusalem or the Temple Mount. Their daily prayer was for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. The traditional Jewish prayer book contains the following passage:

“Because of our sins we were exiled from our country and banished from our land. We cannot go up as pilgrims to worship Thee, to perform our duties in Thy chosen house, the great and Holy Temple which was called by Thy name, on account of the hand that was let loose on Thy sanctuary. May it be Thy will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, merciful King, in Thy abundant love again to have mercy on us and on Thy sanctuary; rebuild it speedily and magnify its glory.”

“Jerusalem,” wrote historian Martin Gilbert, “is not a ‘mere’ city. It holds the central spiritual and physical place in the history of the Jews as a people.”

For more than 3,000 years, the Jewish people have looked to Jerusalem as their spiritual, political, and historical capital, even when they did not physically rule over the city. Throughout its long history, Jerusalem has served, and still serves, as the political capital of only one nation – the one belonging to the Jews.

Jerusalem, in Hebrew Yerushalaim, meaning – Yeru (they will see) Shalem, or Salem – (peace, wholeness) The city was originally a Jebusite city called Salem. The King of Salem, who was a priest of God Most High had a Hebrew name, Melchizedek – Melch (king) Tzedek (righteousness). (Genesis 14:18)

Abraham came to Salem (now Jerusalem), to the Valley of Shaveh, just south of present-day Jerusalem. “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High….” (14:17-18) Abraham received a blessing from him there.

A few years later, God tested Abraham’s faith and told him to take his only son Isaac to be offered up to Him. Abraham had other sons from his foreign concubines, but as far as God was concerned, Isaac was his only son – the son of promise: “Through Isaac shall your seed be named,” (Gen. 21:12.) Also, Isaac, was a direct ancestor of the Messiah Yeshua. God told Abraham exactly where to go, up to Mount Moriah, known today as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (very near the place where Yeshua would be crucified.) After he passed the test successfully, Abraham called the place, Yehwa Yeraeh – the Lord will be seen, (Genesis 22:14.)

Jerusalem, is the place where the Lord, the Prince of Peace will be seen. And in the end-time, when Yeshua establishes His kingdom and will rule and reign from Jerusalem, He will bring peace to mankind and the world, as it is written in Isaiah 2:

“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
“Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.
“For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.”

Read more details: History of Jerusalem.

It’s All About Jerusalem

May 7, 2017 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

It was a glorious day in Jerusalem on May 14. We were at a sister in the Lord’s house, right across the hill from the site of the new US Embassy in Jerusalem. We prayed, worshiped and thanked the Lord while watching the ceremony on TV. All of Jerusalem rejoiced. Just the day before we celebrated Jerusalem Day commemorating 51 years of the unification of Jerusalem’s old and the new cities. Thousands of Israelis marched the streets of Jerusalem with Israeli flags.
For thousands of years Jews everywhere have kept the love for this holy city in their hearts and minds, with the hope and prayer: “Next year in Jerusalem” they recited every year on Passover. At Jewish weddings, in the midst of the joy and celebration, in memory of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple, the bridegroom smashes a glass underfoot. Now it is a reality.

“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dreamed” (Psalm 126:1)
“Jerusalem stands built up,
a city that was joined together as one.” (Ps. 122:3)

Now the hope of the Jewish people, that Jerusalem will be united as one forever is finally realized.
Unfortunately, while Jerusalem was celebrating, Palestinians in Gaza were storming the border fence with Israel by the thousands – men, women, and children. They were motivated by hate and fury against Israel and against the United States. Pushed by their Hamas leaders, brainwashed with the slogans, “We will take down the border and we will tear their (Israeli) hearts from their bodies.”
On Facebook, Hamas posted maps for their operatives showing the quickest routes from the border to the homes, schools, and day-care centers of Israelis near the border. Israel Defense Forces had precise intelligence that the violent riots were masking a plan of mass infiltration into Israel in order to carry out a massacre against Israeli civilians. Hamas advertised it to the world as a ‘peaceful protest. However, their ultimate goal is: “to liberate Jerusalem from the “Infidels.” [Read more about Hamas.] As we write this newsletter, Hamas has lunched an attack on border city of Sderot, we will update information of the events as they develop in a few days.

The Plans of God for Jerusalem

Psalm 147: 2 The Lord built Jerusalem on the holy mountain.
II Chronicles 6:6 But I (the Lord) have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel
Ps. 132:13 For the LORD has chosen Zion (Jerusalem); He has desired it for His dwelling place”
II Chronicles 33:4 Also he built altars in the house of the Lord, whereof the Lord had said, In Jerusalem shall my Name be forever.

God cares about Jerusalem more than any other city on earth. He said in His word that He loves Jerusalem, Zion more than any other place in Israel. (Ps. 87: 2.)
The God of Israel, the creator of the universe, has chosen, out of all the places on earth, the city of Jerusalem for His dwelling place. This is the city of our God, He will come to rule and reign from Jerusalem in the End Time.
Once the Messiah comes, He will establish His Kingdom in Jerusalem, the place from where He has chosen to rule the earth.

“The word that Isaiah the son of Amos saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. ‘Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2:1-4).

For that reason, Jerusalem is central to world events and politics. Jerusalem is holy to the Jews, Muslims, and Christians. But God chose one tribe, Judah (The name Jew comes from the name Judah) to rule from Jerusalem:

“I will give one tribe to your (King Solomon) son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.” (1Kings 11:13b)

God committed himself to a specific land and people (Israel), to establish the house of David forever, and to a temple (see 2 Samuel 7). Messiah, in fact, would come from the lineage of King David.
Salem means peace, Jerusalem – the city of peace. But up until today, there has been no peace in the city because nations and empires have continually tried to possess the city against the will and plan of God.

In fulfillment of many prophecies in the Bible, God has brought His people Israel, the Jewish people, back from the four corners of the world to the Land He had given to their forefathers, and the nation of Israel was established in 1948 (NOTE: There were always Jewish people who remained in the land even during the diaspora and under the different occupations.) Just one of the prophecies: in Isaiah 14:1: “The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Foreigners will join them and unite with the descendants of Jacob.

The Battle

The Arab Palestinians were not, and are not grateful to the Jews for the land they have already been given, and refuse to live in peace alongside the Jewish people. They intensify their hatred and continue to fight Israel, especially concerning Jerusalem.
Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader who formed the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) called for an Islamic holy war (Jihad) in order to liberate Jerusalem. In early 1996 Arafat said in response to Israel’s offer of a peace treaty, that the Israelis “have already promised us half of Jerusalem [but] we Palestinians will take over everything, including all of Jerusalem…. Within five years we will have 6 to 7 million Arabs living on the West Bank and in Jerusalem (referring to the plans of the Palestinians to bring into the country millions of “refugees” from around the world.) “We plan to eliminate the State of Israel and establish a Palestinian state.” “Our people will continue the Aksa (Muslim mosque on the Temple Mount) intifada until we raise the Palestinian flag in every mosque and church and on the walls of Jerusalem.”

[Read more in the article: The Muslim Claim to Jerusalem]

Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Amir Hatami pledged Iran’s full support of militant Palestinians against “The occupying regime of Israel,” and said that the Palestinian people “will become more determined than ever to become united and stand up for liberation of Jerusalem and the land of Palestine.”
Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Iranian Quds Force in Syria and Hezbollah leader in Lebanon called on militant Islamists in Lebanon and the region to unify to fight for Jerusalem. Also other Muslim leaders urge to fight to liberate Jerusalem.
There will be no peace in the Middle East as long as the Arabs incite to destroy the state of Israel and to create instead the state of Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital. That plan has not changed from the time of Arafat’s pronouncement.

THE BATTLE IS SPIRITUAL, IT’S between God and the enemy of God and his plan: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly^…I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:14) He wants to be “like” The Most High El Elyon, The King of the Universe. But…
God made an unconditional promise to David that the glorious future of Jerusalem will not end. The promise that was made to David and reconfirmed by the Prophet Jeremiah will be fulfilled. God will rule upon the throne of David forever, the throne of King Yeshua.

“Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:7)

So we know the end, God wins and reigns forever.
Meanwhile, the battle is raging; Jerusalem is the battleground. The enemy wants the exact place that belongs to God and His people (Jewish and Gentile believers in Yeshua). He is spreading lies about Jerusalem so his followers will fight to claim the holy city of God.
Please join us in prayer for the “Peace of Jerusalem”. Stand with us in the spiritual battle claiming the victory of our Lord. Please pray also for protection for the people of Israel as they fight against the lies and attacks of the enemy physically. Pray as the Spirit leads, thank you.

The Revival of the Hebrew Language

January 15, 2017 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

“Then Eliyakim son of Hikiah and Shebna and Joan said to Rabshakeh,…speak to your servants in the Aramaic language, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in Yehudit (the Jews’ language) in the hearing of the people on the wall.” (II Kings 18:26)

Last week was “Hebrew Day” in honor of the revival of the Hebrew language.

The Shebna Inscription (ancient Hebrew,) from the tomb of a royal steward found in Siloam, dates to the 7th century BCE

Some interesting facts about the Hebrew language:

Hebrew belongs to the West Semitic family of languages. The Hebrew language is the only Canaanite language in use today.

In Hebrew the language is called Ivrit, from the word Avar which means crossed over. Abraham was called a Hebrew because he crossed over (Avar) from his native land of the Chaldean to the land of Canaan. However it was called Yehudit (Jewish) in the Bible after the tribe of Judah (Yehuda) and the kingdom of Judah. The language started to be known as Hebrew from the time of the Second Temple. At the time of the Roman occupation, Jews in Judah also spoke the international languages of Aramaic and Greek.

After the expulsion of the Jews from the land of Israel by the Roman Empire, Hebrew slowly ceased to be the everyday spoken language of the Jews. It survived in the Middle ages mainly as part of the Jewish liturgy, rabbinic literature, writings and poetry.

Pictured: 1st kindergarten Hebrew teacher in Palestina (Israel in the 19th century)

Hebrew as a common language was revived in the 19th century and is still being developed with the help of the Hebrew Academy of the Hebrew language in Israel. Hebrew is spoken by more than 6 million people worldwide, the largest number in Israel followed by the United States.

Present day Hebrew consists of a mixture from several eras. Biblical Hebrew, the Hebrew of Rabbinical writings, languages from the Middle Ages, and modern languages (mainly English). The highest percentage comes from Biblical Hebrew, more than 60%, but some modern words are derivatives of biblical words. The most common words in Hebrew are lo (no) and kol (all)

The days of the week are named according to their number in the days of creations: Sunday is Rishon meaning first, Monday is Sheni – second, Tuesday is Shlishi – third, Wednesday is Revii – fourth, Thursday is Hamishi – fifth, Friday is Shishi – sixth, and only Saturday the seventh day has a special word – Shabbat which means cease from work, because God finished His work of creation and rested or ceased from all His work.

The original Tanakh, (Old Testament) was written in Hebrew, with the exception of some chapters in Daniel and Ezra who lived in Babylon. God spoke in Hebrew to men and women in the Bible, many times using “plays on words” that cannot be translated, and can only be understood in Hebrew. The angel Gabriel spoke in Hebrew to Mary (Miriam) and told her the baby will be called Yeshua which means Salvation in Hebrew. The letters JESUS are transliterated from the letters YESHUA, but in English the word Jesus has no meaning.

Some English words that have their origin in Hebrew:

Amen – certainly, verily, comes from the Hebrew word emuna – faith
Bath or bathtub – 10 gallons liquid measure, from bath in Hebrew
Cinnamon – Kinamon in Biblical and Modern Hebrew
Cider – Shekhar in Hebrew – strong drink
Hallelujah, Halleluya in Hebrew – praise the Lord
Macabre – In French macabre, probably from the Hebrew word makevet – hammer or naqab – perforate
Satanic – from the Hebrew satan – adversary, devil
Camel – in Hebrew gamal

Israel is Burning – Raging fires throughout the land

November 24, 2016 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

Three days ago, due to unusually hot and dry weather and strong winds throughout the land of Israel, over 200 fires broke out in many parts of the nation; beginning on Tuesday in the area of Latrun, not far from Jerusalem Mountains. Residents have been evacuated from their homes in many areas where the fire is spreading.

On Wednesday massive blazing fires broke out in Zichron Yaakov and Gilon in the lower Galilee. They were controlled during the night, allowing some evacuated residents to return to their homes.

In the Jerusalem area, firefighters battled flames all night in the forest while trying to protect nearby villages, the main highway to the Tel Aviv area and vital installations of the Israel Electric Corporation. On Thursday, with winds blowing and weather still dry (temperatures have dropped some) firefighters and emergency services worked hard on the third straight day to gain control over the fires across the land. In the city of Haifa, fires are being spread through many neighborhoods causing evacuations. About 60,000 people were evacuated, among them many elderly and disabled. Some houses were burned to the ground and property lost, but lives have been spared. Most of the injuries are light, the result of smoke inhalation.

In his address to the nation, Israel PM Netanyahu gave praise to the firefighters working around the clock to extinguish the fires. “I salute the firefighters and the pilots, both Israeli and those from abroad,” he said. Currently 14 firefighting aircraft have been sent to Israel from Russia, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, the UK, Italy, Croatia and the US. Some have already helped in the fight against the fires. Netanyahu and Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh visited the fire departments’ command center in northern Israel Wednesday evening, and were briefed on the investigation into the fires.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, told reporters: “Almost 50% of the fires are apparently arson.” He said the police department was bolstering deployment in open areas nationwide to generate deterrence and to help fire detection efforts. “We need to prepare for a new type of terror,” he said on Thursday evening. “The terrorism of arson, which also comes from incitement on social media networks. We will be opening a special unit of investigation into the incidents,” stating that a number of arrests had already been made.

An initial investigation by the Fire & Rescue Authority on Thursday raised a suspicion that at four areas of Haifa the fire was a result of arson. They said that 60-70 percent of the cases were arson and that there was physical evidence, while the rest were a result of negligence fueled by the dry strong winds. Earlier in the day, Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh said some of the cases of arson were likely nationalistically motivated.

In the Arab social media there were posts of rejoicing over the fires that are devastating the land of Israel with headlines like: “The Zionist entity is burning”, and of people gloating over Israel’s recent disaster. However, the Palestinian authority offered their help to Israel, knowing that many of the residences of Haifa are Arabs.

Please pray with us about this critical and dangerous fire situation across the land, especially for Haifa, the largest city in Northern Israel.

Father God in heaven, we call on you for help. We desperately need your help for the leaders who are in charge, for all Fire Fighters and all who help. Please Lord send rain to the Land of Israel to put out fires. We thank you, in Yeshua’s Name, Amen.

We’re Still Jews!

August 13, 2016 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

For I am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham,” …of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews…(Roman 11:1, Phil. 3:5)

One of the most important and misunderstood issues in witnessing to Jews and Israelis about faith in Yeshua is: “Are we still Jews now that we believe in Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach)
Unfortunately, Jewish history is filled with hate crime, persecution, liable, pogroms, expulsions and forced conversions (baptisms) to Christianity committed against Jews by “so-called” Christians and “The Church”. Today in Israel, Israeli Jews see themselves as Jews mainly according to Rabbinical Judaism that rejects Yeshua as the Jewish Messiah, and considers anyone who has trusted their life to Yeshua and was baptized, as being no longer Jewish but Christian. The Israeli government has adopted this point of view and has ruled in the precedent case of “The Beredsfords” that Jews who have converted to Christianity are no longer Jews and don’t have the right of return to the Land of Israel as citizens; a privilege all Jews enjoy.
Of course, as Jewish believers in Yeshua, the Body of Yeshua in Israel doesn’t agree with this ruling, and sees itself as part of the Jewish people. We find it very important to explain this important issue to those with whom we share the Gospel.
Recently, an article in the Jerusalem Post newspaper stated that there are four streams of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionists)…In response, an Israeli Messianic leader of a congregation wrote a letter to the Post Editor-in-Chief. Amazingly it was published in the paper and reached about 15,000 readers, some of them very influential. The Messianic leader also sent a copy of the letter to other Messianic leaders encouraging them to send letters to the Post stating our position and belief.
We pray that more Israelis will become familiar with this issue and know the truth according to the Word of God.
Below are excerpts from the letter sent to the Jerusalem Post on May 25 (btw, the paper came up with the title):

25 May 2016 Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief Yaakov Katz

We’re still Jews!

“…Certain people have concluded that when a Jewish person believes in Yeshua as the Messiah, he or she is no longer Jewish. This is absolutely wrong. If you ask any Messianic Jew if he or she is Jewish, that person will say: “Of course I am. I was born Jewish and I will die Jewish. I believe in a Jewish man who fulfilled the prophecies of the…Messiah from the Jewish scriptures. The idea that this makes me a non-Jew is absurd!”
” …take the case of Rabbi Akiva. He proclaimed that Bar-Kochba was the Jewish messiah. Today, we know otherwise. Not only was Akiva mistaken, but his mistake brought enormous catastrophe upon the Jewish people. But do people say he was not a Jew? So how is it that a Jewish person who believes in Yeshua as the Jewish messiah, even if he or she is wrong, is no longer a Jew?”
“…we live in a country where freedom of belief and freedom of the press still exist. One of the more prominent streams of Judaism today is the Chabad movement. Many of its adherents believe that their late Rabbi is the Jewish Messiah. I believe this is wrong, but I have no doubt that these people are still Jewish.”

TERRI MOREY Poriya Ilit

PLEASE PRAY WITH US AND THE BODY OF YESHUA IN ISRAEL for the Truth of Yeshua, The Messiah to take root in the hearts of Israelis. Pray that they understand that He is the Savior sent by God, “to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Gentile.) Romans 1:16