A Word Play in Prophecy Unfolding Now?

David & Martha Stern are enjoying the first blooming Almond trees
from the window of their home in Jerusalem  Feb 2019

A Word Play in Prophecy Unfolding Now?

The almond trees are blooming in Israel. This is the view outside the window of David and Martha Stern's home in Jerusalem. The blooming of the almond trees are a reminder that the God of Israel is watching over His Word to perform it

The Hebrew for almond is shaked, which is from the Hebrew word shakad which mean "to wake, watch, awake, be alert". It is called almond or shaked because it is the first of all the trees to awaken from winter to bloom. God makes a play on words with showing Jeremiah the almond (skaked) branch and then telling him He is watching (shakad) over His Word to perform it. 

The calling of the prophet Jeremiah, chapter 1 verses 4,5,10-12:
"The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms
to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
“I see the branch of an almond (shaked) tree,” I replied.
The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly,
for I am watching (shakad) to see that my word is fulfilled.”

The Israeli prophets such as Jeremiah were called to speak God's prophetic word over all the nations, not just their own people and their own nation. Exiled from relationship with God for these nearly 2,000 years, the long winter of Israel's exile from the land of Promise is over and so it is the timing of God's promises to return to Israel with great mercies to remove the veil from their eyes so they may see the Messiah.

Throughout the times that the nations (gentiles) have been entering into the relationship with God through Jesus, prophecy has been more of an in-house type of prophecy to build up and encourage the body rather than to declare God's word over nations and kingdoms — "to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” It was not time for that type of prophecy. 

Now that there is a body of believers in Israel which is increasing day by day, it is now time for the return of the prophets in the same calling as Jeremiah. The Bible is full of the promises of God to Israel which are yet to be fulfilled and it comes by the joining of two — Jew and Gentile — in "one new man" in Messiah.

It is time for the full measure of prophetic anointing - to speak to the body of believers strengthening and encouragement in an ever darkening world, and to speak the word of the LORD to the nations and kingdoms BOTH to build and plant, and to uproot, tear down, destroy and overthrow.

Are we witnessing this in the rise of righteous Israel-loving Christian leaders in South America as the kingdoms of despots like Maduro in Venezuela are being thrown down? Or in the shifting sands of the Middle East? Whoever would have believed Sunni Muslims would or could overcome the Israel-hatred to form regional alliances with Israel?

It is not only the Israeli or Hebrew prophets who may operate in this returning level of prophetic utterance, but the point is that until Israel was restored as a nation, and until there was a restored remnant of faith within Israel it was not time for the unfolding of this New Dimension of Prophecy for the days of the "one new man". 

I invite you to watch the video by Asher Intrater, who gives a more complete explanation of this new level of prophecy we can enter into today because of the restoration of the faith in Yeshua within Israel. These are the days that the apostles and prophets longed to see. If we align ourselves together, we have the honor to fulfill all that is in God's heart to do in these last days.  - Donna Diorio

Important Allies

Israeli IDF Paratroopers and US Army training together 

Important Allies: When Israeli spokesman Hananya Naftali posted this picture of a US army unit training with IDF paratroopers it really spoke to me of the spiritual parallel. Not only are the defenders of the nation of Israel in need of strategic alliances on a international political level, the alliances also extend to military cooperation like this.

For us this is a picture of our own spiritual alliance with the community of faith in Yeshua/Jesus in Israel. The alliances of the international Church with the Body of Messiah in Israel are a powerful alignment that defends and protects the believers of Israel so they can live and thrive and bear spiritual fruit in their own nation.

I struggled this week with what to focus on because Sunday was Holocaust Remembrance Day. Placing the focus on the strategic alliance of Christians praying with and for the body of believers in Israel is my way of saying, "Never Again" in the midst of rising worldwide Antisemitism and anti-Zion/anti-Israel public opinion.

You see, I understand the cry that came out of the human ashes of the Holocaust, "Never Again," but with my own eyes I am seeing a world that does not respond to that cry. And how could it? It is a spiritual war that targets the Jews and Israel — wholly unnatural and beyond reason.  It is a demonic hatred that opposes God's plan and purposes: the coming of Zion. That is exactly why Israel is opposed with a vengeance among the nations. The Allies of World War II were called the United Nations; now it is the United Nations that seems to place all its hypocritical energies on turning the whole world against Israel by lies and deception.

That's where we come in. If you are part of this mailing list, then you are among those that God has revealed the great significance of how He is raising up the Remnant of faith in Yeshua within Israel to defend and protect until "all Israel" is saved; until Jesus Himself returns to defend Zion and sit upon His throne in Jerusalem.

It sounds fantastical, but all of our spiritual energy and devotion to our alliance with our brothers and sisters in Israel is every bit as important as the alliances that Israel has been making government to government. In fact, if it were not for the Israel-supporting believers who have propelled people into top leadership positions in the U.S., Brazil and other nations, would we even see this backing in the nations taking place? I don't think so. It is the praying Christians in the nations who are impacting these alliances.

Yours, and mine, is one prayer before the throne of God, for His purposes to be established for Israel, for Israelis and for the Remnant of faith in Israel. “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9