This week in Israel:

1. SATURDAY IS THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS AND THE “HEAD” OF THE HEBREW YEAR 5770-A YEAR FOR SHARPNESS OF VISION, AND OF COMING FULL-TERM TO BIRTH.
“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing (of shofars), a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD’” (Leviticus 23:23-25; see also Numbers 29:1-6).

“Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, with their voices they shall sing together; for they shall see eye to eye when the LORD brings back Zion” (Isaiah 52:8).

This coming Saturday marks the beginning of the Fall Feasts-Yom T’ruah, the Day of Blowing (of Shofars). It is also the “Head of the [civil] Year” (Rosh Hashanah). As such, it is the day on which the Hebrew year-number annually changes; it is also the first of the month of Tishrei. It is a joyous holiday in Israel-a day of wine and feasting, of giving gifts, of eating apples dipped in honey and wishing each other “Shana tova” – a good year!

However, this celebration was a later development-after the Captivity in Babylon. It is at the same time a day for sobriety, a sabbath of taking account, of becoming awake and alert-a day for remembering, and of looking forward to the Day of Atonement nine days later. And it is to be a day of “t’ruah as a memorial”. ” T’ruah” means a shout, a cry, an alarm, a blast or series of blasts on the shofar (ram’s horn). Psalm 33:3 says that musicians are to make t’ruah skillfully on their instruments together with singers singing a new song! Suffice to say that it is a day on which a ’sound’ is to go up memorializing the greatness and faithfulness of YHVH, the LORD!

AYIN: It is interesting to us that the Hebrew letter-numbers for this new year 5770 end with the letter “ayin” (70). This letter was derived in ancient times from a “pictograph” of an eye; in fact, the word for “eye” in modern Hebrew is pronounced the same as the letter.

PLEASE PRAY: For sharpness, clarity and singleness of spiritual vision among Israeli believers this year-that we see “eye to eye” (see Scripture at head) as the Lord continues to restore Zion!

TESHA: It is also of interest that combining the letters for 5770 actually spells another word, tesha-Hebrew for the number “nine”. This brings to mind many things-it is the number of months during which new life forms in the womb before coming forth “full term”; there are nine “fruit of the Spirit” (Col. 5:22); one may see within this number the “triune” nature of God, itself repeated three times (as is Holy in Isaiah 6:3); the number is also related to God’s judgment and finality-and in Psalm 9 that judgment is mentioned six times. Although idle speculations are fruitless, we believe this “coincidence” something we would do well to hold before the Holy Spirit, with ears to hear what revelations He may desire to release concerning it.

PLEASE PRAY: That all which the LORD has ordained to come forth this year will do so exactly in His timing; that it would be a time of the Holy Spirit coming to full fruition in the Body in Israel; that there be revelation here of the “tri-unity” of the LORD-that Yeshua and His Father and the Spirit of Holiness are indeed One; that that Spirit will grant revelation regarding the “Death of the Son” in the heading of Psalm 9; that “praises outside and within Israel will be sung to ‘The LORD who dwells in Zion!’” (Psalm 9:11).

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2. TWO TESTIMONIES

There have been many wonderful testimonies coming out of the Elav youth/young adults conference of two weeks ago. One young lady, a friend of ours, after attending a session on ‘healing’ at the conference, felt a strong anointing and a desire to ‘go to the streets.’ As she did so, she met a trio of young religious Jews. One had a pain in his face, the other in his leg. After asking if she could pray for them and doing so, they were both healed. Two weeks later she tells of groups of young people going out repeatedly since then and praying for those who will allow it-and people keep getting healed! In a different situation, another friend, a young officer in the military was getting married. A young man with a religious Jewish background who had recently been attending our congregation was at the wedding and was astounded to suddenly have a vision of two angels above the wedding ‘huppa’ (canopy). Visibly shaken, he shared this the following week in the congregation.and at the end of a message on Salvation came forward to give his heart to the Lord!

PLEASE PRAY: for protection over the anointing which has been released and is increasing in Israel.that young believing Israelis will go from “strength to strength”! Pray for those who have been healed-that they will come to know the Healer personally.

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3. PRAY FOR THE FAMILY OF ASAPH RAMON

Today all of Israel is mourning the death of Asaph Ramon, whose F-16 jet crashed Sunday afternoon in the South Hebron Hills. Young Ramon was a son of Illan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, who died in the Columbia space shuttle disaster six years ago. Asaph, 20, was valedictorian of his training unit and was highly respected as an airman coming up in his father’s footsteps. (The elder Ramon was one of the pilots who bombed the nuclear facility in Iraq in the early 80’s.) To the widow and mother Rona Ramon, President Shimon Peres at the funeral said, “Rona, you were already brave and you will remain brave. Our broken heart is with you in every tear that falls, in every memory that causes you to smile, in every moment of stinging pain. I know that words that can heal this wound have not yet been created, there aren’t proper words of consolation when an entire nation is aching and crying-there is nothing that can replace the heartbeats when one hears the steps of a son returning home from his base at the end of the week, nor is there anything that can fill the empty bed, the closet, the military shirt with the wings, the laughter, hugs and kisses, the ‘Hello’ and ‘Goodbye’.” There were reports after Asaph’s father died of a believing crewmember who had shared with him regarding his Messiah before his death.

PLEASE PRAY: that Av harahamim v’Elohei kol nehamah-The Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort will be very near to Rona Ramon, her family and friends.that in this time of darkness, a Light of mercy will shine guiding them into a place of life and hope. Pray for all those serving in the Israeli Defense Force-that those there who already know their Messiah will have boldness and compassion to share their hope and trust in Elohei Ma’archot Yisrael-God of the Armies of Israel.

1. Elul

Friday August 21^st begins the Hebrew month of Elul, the 6^th month in the religious calendar and the 11^th of the civil year. This is traditionally a month of self-examination and repentance before the Lord in preparation for the High Holy Days of Yom T’ruah (The Day of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah) and Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement). As a call to this, it is customary in some Jewish circles to blow a blast on the shofar each morning (except the Sabbath) of this month. It was in this month of Elul that Nehemiah finished rebuilding the Wall around Jerusalem (Nehemiah 6:15). It is a time for securing all breaches, all places of vulnerability along our ‘borders’. And it is also a period, in ancient Hebrew tradition, when God, although always near and accessible to us, chooses, to make Himself especially available to His people-when the “King comes into the Field” to meet with those who will come out to Him-who will respond to the inner inclination to “Seek His Face”. In fact, many observant Jews choose to read Psalm 27 (from which that phrase is taken) each day between the First of Elul and the “Last Great Day” of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles.

PLEASE PRAY:
*That many Jews will sense the Holy Spirit drawing them-and will respond; pray for revelation that it is the Lord’s kindness (Romans 2:4b) that leads us to repentance.

*For an awareness amongst believers that it is a time for examining and securing our spiritual borders.

*That the LORD release spiritual guidance and leadership upon His returned people in our day as He did for the returned remnant from Babylon (Ezra and Nehemiah). That He define Israel’s physical borders and the lines of Jerusalem according to His desire, in a such a way that Israel’s enemies will “perceive was done by God” (Nehemiah 6:16). That He Himself become a wall of fire around Jerusalem-and her glory within (Zechariah 2:5).

*The first day of Elul also is the first day of the Muslim month-long observation of Ramadan. It has been many, years since this has taken place during the heat of the summer. Please pray for the Body of Messiah throughout the world to be awake and stand in vigilance and attentiveness to the Holy Spirit during this time. Pray against release of strategies of the enemy for violence and evil. Pray for miracles of illumination amongst Muslims-that those who are truly seeking Truth will find it and be set free.

A little over a week from now, Thursday-Saturday August 27-29, Succat Hallel, a 24-hour worship-intercession ministry in Jerusalem will host a three-day end-of-the-summer youth gathering called Elav (”Unto Him”) at an outdoor venue in the center of Israel. Some 700 Israeli young people are expected to attend. Unusual for such events in Israel, these young will include both Jewish and Arab believing youth (more often these two peoples hold and attend separate events). Some of the Arab young people come from Christian, some from Muslim backgrounds. Speakers and musicians will be both Israeli (Messianic Jews and Christian Arabs) and from the nations.

PLEASE PRAY:
*For efficient completion of the enormous work required – setting up a huge tent and preparation of the grounds, co-ordination of lodging, busses from the city each morning and evening, meals, security; organization of the program…and receiving of the remaining funds (mounting such an event here is very expensive) required.

*For physical, emotional and spiritual protection over each leader, teacher, musician — and that the Lord release in and through them all that He has for this young generation of Israeli Believers.

*For angels guarding and protecting the conference, all transportation to and from, stopping any spiritual attack from without or within.

*Health and protection for everyone; this is an outdoor event in August in the heat of the Middle East.

*That a great move of the Ruah haKodesh (Holy Wind/Spirit of God) would blow through the camp-awakening, convicting, revealing, igniting, equipping!

*For walls to come down between Jewish and Arab believing young people-for guidance from the Holy Spirit as how to move forward as brother and sister in Messiah in this land!

From ancient times there has been a weekly portion from the first five books of Moses (The Torah) and from the prophets (Haftarah) read on the Sabbath in synagogues around the world. This portion is given a Hebrew name taken from the opening words of the passage. An illustration of this practice appears to have been recorded in Luke 4:16 where Yeshua (Jesus) arrived in the synagogue in Nazareth and was asked to read the portion (Isaiah 61) from the Prophets. We have found that in perusing these weekly readings, not only are we provided opportunity to identify in the context of God’s Word with millions of Jewish people around the world, but very often the Holy Spirit will illumine specific passages pertinent that week in our intercession for the Land and people of Israel. All texts are those of English translations of the Scriptures.

The reading for 16-22 August 2009 is entitled: Shophetim-Judges.

Torah: Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9
Haftarah: Isaiah 51:12-52:12

The Haftarah two weeks ago was Isaiah 49:14-51:3. Last week it skipped to 54:11-55:5; this week it doubles back to 51:13-52:12 and next week it will leap forward again to 54:1-10. Significantly, what gets left out here is Isaiah 52:13-15 and all of Isaiah 53. Of course, all Jews are free to read these passages-but unfortunately, Biblical exposure to even many religious Jews is often limited to what they hear read aloud in the synagogues on weekends. Most are completely ignorant of the existence of this passage, surely the most powerfully prophetic passage in the Hebrew Bible about the suffering Servant, the Messiah who was to come and give Himself as a propitiation for sin. We have heard of more than one situation in which a Jew, being introduced to the words of Isaiah 53, would strongly protest that what he or she was hearing must certainly be taken from the New Testament! (Rabbis have gone to great lengths to try to explain away its obvious teachings-but all such teachings break down; there is no way that all of the assertions in this passage could possibly refer merely to Israel). PLEASE PRAY: That Jews who read or hear read this week’s Haftarah passage (Isaiah 51:12-52:12)-will be moved to go further and read the last three verses of Chapter 52-then proceed on through Chapter 53. Pray that they will see, understand, and embrace the truth of this passage as part of their heritage-as the basis of their hope and that of their families and loved ones!

*Deuteronomy 17:18. “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you.and they shall judge the people with just judgment.”

*Deuteronomy 18:18. “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which he speaks in My name, I will require it of him.”

*Deuteronomy 20:2-4. “So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’”

*Isaiah 52:1-2. “Awake! Awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city.Shake yourself from the dust, arise; Sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion!”

*Isaiah 52:7. “How beautifully the feet of those bringing good news beautify the mountains- those who proclaim shalom, who bring glad tidings of good, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

*Isaiah 52:8: “Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, with their voices they shall sing together; for they shall see eye to eye when the LORD brings back Zion.” PLEASE PRAY: for clarity and singleness of vision amongst those God is bringing back to Zion-and among those watchmen already there who are praying for them.

*Isaiah 52:11-12. “Depart! Depart! Go out from there, touch nothing unclean.go out from the midst of her, be clean.For the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” This passage seems to have applied first of all prophetically to those in captivity in Babylon, encouraging them regarding their return to Israel. PLEASE PRAY: for believing Jews still in the nations whom God is calling back to their Land-that when He speaks, they will hear His voice and GO.trusting Him to “go before”.and also to be their “rear guard.” The Hebrew word for “rear guard” has within it the concept of “gathering” as well as guarding against attack from behind. Pray that God will gather the loose-ends of those He is calling-and press them forward through the gates into their heritage and place of inheritance.