are we celebrating the Prophetic foreshadow or the spiritual reality?

 

In Leviticus 23:33-44 the commandments of God concerning the 7^th and final Feast of the LORD is described, the Feast of Tabernacles. It is a prophetic foreshadow of spiritual reality God is leading the Jewish people to from the beginning: the indwelling of Holy Spirit of God within us: temple of the LORD

Are we celebrating the prophetic foreshadow or the spiritual reality?
by Donna Diorio

The 7 Feasts of the LORD were appointed to the Israelites as sacred assemblies that they were to gather before Him. These He called them to observe “wherever you live” for all their generations. These were given a prophetic pictures to be enacted among them no matter where they were scattered throughout the nations – pictures that the Holy Spirit could ignite in their understanding of the spiritual reality they represented which would be fulfilled in God’s due season. Even today this reenactments are standing awaiting the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of individual Jews so they may see, all of these Feasts are the drama of God’s redemption of the nations and of Israel by His only Son, Yeshua.

     This is why there is always the prayer request from the Israeli ministries during the 7 Feasts of the LORD for God to open the eyes of their people through the Feasts. The Feasts are HIStory – it is all about Yeshua and how God intended to go about redeeming His people. 

     I will not go in deeply to this, but oftentimes as Christians who have been drawn by God to the Jewish people, we become overly wrapped up in the foreshadows, the ‘dress rehearsals’ of the spiritual realities God is bringing to the Jewish people – in Israel and wherever they are living outside of the Promised Land. It is good to know what the Feasts of the LORD are about, to know what they represent, to respect the Jewish regard for following all these generations after the things God commanded them to observe. But as for those who know and follow Yeshua, we must have ever before us that the spiritual reality is what we must lean into, rather than the details of the foreshadowing dress rehearsals.

     God want us to recognize that He bringing Israel and the Jewish people into faith in Yeshua so they like us become indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, a Living Temple, the redeemed of the LORD by the Blood sacrifice of His Son and Israel’s Messiah. Once we have entered into Yeshua by faith, the spiritual realities are so much greater than the many details of the foreshadows of these Feasts of the LORD for us. I say this not to dissuade any against participation in the Feasts, but rather to point out that we should not make our focus the prophetic foreshadowing so that it surpass our understanding of what the ultimate manifestation of the spiritual reality will be. Indwelling of the Holy Spirit for ourselves and for “all Israel” that is the spiritual reality of the Holy Spirit indwelling us. We and the current incoming Jews coming to faith in Yeshua are a living temple of the LORD. Our focus is for eyes of Jews to be opened so we may celebrate the redemption of “all Israel” by faith in Yeshua.

     TWO final examples of the foreshadowing of spiritual realities: In the Spring Feasts, at the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) or Pentecost, in Levitcus 23:17 God requires a wave offering of two loaves of bread before the Lord. The two loaves are widely thought to be symbolic of the Ephesians 2:15 portion of God’s plan to unite two – Jew and Gentile – by the redemption in His Son, Yeshua. This we see begin to manifest in the Book of Acts (and it will reach its pinnacle of manifestation in these last days).

     But, this year for the first time, my attention was drawn to the wave offering that is made at the Feast of Booths, or Tabernacles (Sukkot)where Israel is told by God to gather “branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.” Lev 23:40. This has been translated by rabbinic tradition to raise and bless the 4 species. This is called “the ascension of lulav” (bouquet) made up specifically to the etrog–citron, lulav–palm frond, hadass–leafy myrtle branches, and aravot–leafy willow branches. Rabbinic Vaykira Fabba 30 says that the four species represents 4 different types of Jews – some with good deeds, some without; some with Torah learning, some without.

     Yet to elevate the basic understanding that the 4 species to the prophetic symbolism of a spiritual reality, consider this: The different species come from each of the four sides of land God gave the nation of Israel: the myrtle is only found in the North/mountainous areas, the Etrog only grew in the East, the lulav / Palm grew in the West and the willow only grew in the south (accepted horticultural fact about the region during the time).

In this is I see indication that the symbolism of the gathering of these 4 species means the gathering of the Jews from the north, south, east and West. This is Luke 13:29 fulfilled: "And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God." (Also Isaiah 43:5-6).

I believe it is also what the apostle Paul meant when he said in Romans 11:26-27 "and so ALL ISRAEL will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

Hard Pressed but Not Crushed

 

Hard Pressed but Not Crushed
by Donna Diorio

One of the things that presses on my heart so strongly is seeing the great need of the Israeli ministries for financial support from the believers outside of Israel. They need our help to keep their ministries and outreaches functioning.  This is the very beginning of what God planted in my spirit at the beginning of the 1990's about the Israeli ministries, and He has continued to reveal new things in His Word relating to it ever since.    
     That is why I write so much about how and when the Apostle Paul had his sudden awakening about how important the donations from around the churches would be critical to the body of Messiah in Israel. I believe Paul saw how it would necessary to the end. Even though he had been a persecutor of the believers himself, God had to open Paul’s eyes to how the persecution was going to impact Israeli believers always. God first opened Paul’s eyes in Acts 12 and from that day forward Paul set about teaching the churches they needed to give material support to the body of believers in Israel for the advancing of the faith among Jews in Israel. He urged all the churches in his oversight to keep taking up donations over several years. It was a collection that he would carry to Jerusalem accompanied by representatives from each church so they would get the message: it was to be laid at the feet of the apostolic leadership in Jerusalem.  
     The collection Paul delivered to Jerusalem in Acts 21 was not meant to end there.  It was not for “famine relief” like Acts 12. It was not a one-off donation. I believe the churches continued to make donations to the body of Messiah in Israel after the first generation of apostolic leadership but that did not last for very long. It was officially cut off in Necea so now most of the nearly 2,000 years of the Christian era phase of God's plan, no support of Jewish believers in Yeshua has existed.
     Despite the clear wording of Paul in Romans 9-11, the result is that now Christians don't even know it is what they are supposed to do. Some Christians understand they are to support Israel but it is unclear to them how God wants them specifically to support the witness-bearing body of Messiah in Israel.  It seems most Christians assume that supporting Israel is enough to do on their part. It isn't. 
     The intention of Paul’s collection for Israel among the churches is for the same reason as ours: this donation is to assist in the GOSPEL to go forth in Israel. This is where the resistance to Jewish faith in Yeshua is the most demonically-opposed environment in the world.

     I don't know why Paul did not spell out more clearly when he spoke to the Christians about how they were spiritually in debt to the Israeli body of Messiah and the debt was not going to be over with the end of the first century of faith. It baffles me that Paul even spoke of the collection among the churches so subtly in his letters to the churches. To realize what he is speaking to is like following a bread crumb trail. I followed that bread trail in my Bible and God opened my eyes from the book of Acts all the way through Paul’s letters written to the churches after the events of Acts 12.

     What Paul did in Acts 21 was based on what he saw in Acts 12! The persecution would require financial help from the churches if the believers in Israel were going to be able to fulfill their mandate from God to provide the witness to the nation are called and anointed by God to do. This is essential to the “one new man” purposes of God. Our one new man unity is not so we can sing “Kum ba Yah” together, but so we Christians can come alongside the body of Messiah in Israel in the last and final push of birthing salvation in Israel, spiritually and in the practicalities of having the funding to do so!

     That is why every time I read these ministry letters and I see one of ministries speaking straightforwardly of the need they face to continue, it not only touches my heart but it sets my heart on fire anew. I have to tell you my heart has been renewed in flames weekly over the past several months by reading statements like one this week from the leaders of the HaCarmel congregation:
     "In one of our ladies' meetings recently, almost every Bible verse that was shared was about one thing:  'Do not fear. Our God is in control.'
     “I know that our pressures are nothing like the apostle Paul's, but still these verses from 2 Corinthians 4 bring so much comfort. "We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed....therefore, we do not lose heart... even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (v.8-9,16-18).

     I totally do not agree with her statement, "I know that our pressures are nothing like the apostle Paul's" because YES indeed they are.

     Paul laid down his life not only to bring the Gospel to the nations, and to the Jews, but his last act of a free man was to carry a collection from the churches to Jerusalem for the apostles to distribute to the need. He knew he would lose his freedom but he was on a mission assignment from God to deliver the churches donations for the apostles to distribute to the needs of the body of believers in Israel. Paul was not ONLY laying down his life for the Israeli Messianic ministries BACK THEN, but it was the EXAMPLE he was demonstrating for the churches to follow TODAY. 
     Paul was knowingly setting the example at the prophetically certain cost of his freedom, so we in the nations today could get the message:  This is how we repay our debt to Israel for being partakers in their spiritual things. We must repay by supplying the material need - not to Israel indiscriminately, but with specificity to the apostolic leadership of ministries in the body of Messiah in Israel.

     Who are the apostolic leadership in Israel today? I am sharing their prayer requests in this elist every week for the past 22 years. That is how strongly it has grabbed my spirit. 
     Support Messianic ministries everywhere, but understand this:  it is the Israeli Messianic ministries that face the greatest demonic opposition. They are at ground zero of God’s purposes to spiritually restore the Jewish people to Himself. As Israel continues to come to faith in Yeshua in great numbers, it is going to release a international harvest of souls that belong to God who have not come in yet —your family members and mine.
     Just like Paul said in Romans 11:11-12 I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring (the nations)!

* Addition: I got a revelation the day after I sent this out to my elists. It is about what Paul said about what riches to the nations would come to them as more and more Jews became excepted by faith in the Yeshua: 

First Paul spoke in Romans 11 of his mighty motivation in ministering to the Gentiles was to make his 'family' - the Jewish people jealous enough to come to faith themselves. 

Romans 11:13-14 I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them. 

And right after that he sends a similar MIGHTY motivational revelation to the Christians saying, "For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?"

But who is Paul talking about receiving "life from the dead"? All of the Christians whose passion is to see their own family members come to faith - all those that haven't come to faith over decades of prayers - that's who!

This is NOT a statement ONLY about unknown peoples all over the earth!

Catch this! This is the powerful Divine motivation for Christians assist in every meaningful way for Israel's restoration to God through Yeshua.  As that happens, so also our family members going to start coming to faith too - life from the dead.

Romans 15 is not just about people we don't know it is going to be about our very own families! And our families with also be as coming to life from the dead, as Jews come to faith in Yeshua. This is the spiritual redemption clause God has built into the "one new man" of Jew and Gentile coming together: it is for the good of us both, and neither of this last spiritual harvest in the world can be released without us becoming single minded to God's purposes in our unity. 

Myles Weiss interview with Donna Diorio, Aug 2023

 

Myles Weiss podcast interviewing me in August about Arrows from Zion.
 I'm a writer, not a polished speaker but it is my authentic voice and vision.
I loved the interview. Thank you, Myles! God’s blessings on your House of Peace
Click here to go to the Podcast

2023 Our Personal Journey Deeper

Feb: Asbury Revival, Global Isaiah 62 Month of May Prayer & Fasting for the Salvation of Israel with the International House of Prayer in Kansas City and being a late-comer to "Discovering the Jewish Jesus" rabbi Schneider in July. In my eyes the Ohio Messianic Jew is surely an apostle to the Gentiles for such a time as this

September 3, 2023: I am relating the 3 programs I watched last night that made me realize what a great work God has been doing in 2023 for His people. I know He has been doing it in me, and I'm pretty certain He is doing it in MANY. I hope you are one of them. - Donna Diorio

Last night I was tuned in to another fantastic message from Rabbi Schneider, this time from his John series. Wow, wow, wow! It was in John 7:1 He was talking about 2 things that were so powerful to me, one because I have seen this in other scripture passages before: Yeshua did not let those who wanted to kill him before His time. And they sure wanted to and in fact they accused Him of having a demon because He said they wanted to kill him - and this was the lying/deceptive spirit because killing Him was exactly what they wanted to do, and they lied covering up their intentions which He saw through. 

     Character assassination is also a form of murder. We see a lot of that type of 'murder' going on in USA, and even in the world today. In Matthew 5:28, Jesus says "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." What makes you think that this does not apply to knowingly setting yourself to "murdering" the reputation of someone? Of course it applies! 

     He referred to a Billy Joel song from back in the day, "Honesty" - 
     "Honesty is such a lonely word
      Everyone is so untrue
      Honesty is hardly ever heard
     And mostly what I need from you"

     Honesty is so hard to find. We have to set ourselves to honesty and we have to value those who are honest, without guile, without manipulation and self-serving lies. 

     He pointed out another verse that I have not seen clearly before: 7:5 For even His own brothers did not believe in Him. Rabbi Schneider talked about how often we are also rejected because our close ones are not willing to believe in the Jesus in us. There can be rejection we earned, but also rejection just because of the witness of Yeshua in us. (This is a message so worth listeninig to!) 

     And as it goes on further, around 7:17 where He tells the religious leaders that "If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own."

A person has to be WILLING to do God's will to accept the teaching of Yeshua/Jesus.  If a person is not willing to do God's will, they will point a finger of blame at the person who does desire to do God's will. 

     That is a very simple message we all need to get under our belt today! And I do love as Schneider continues into this teaching later, He really makes mincemeat out of the "religious fanatics" with murder in their hearts for Yeshua and His disciples. That message is exactly how I see the religious fanatics in Israel today who are pursuing the body of Messiah in Israel today. And so many Israel supporting Christians are blinded by the double face shown to them by these religious fanatics that they actually believe their lies to Christians that the Israeli Jews who believe in Jesus are a "cult" who "have a demon" - just like Jesus was accused of in John 7.

So, to continue in my previous post from last night watching Rabbi Schneider teach on John 7, I then happened to catch an Israeli news program produced by Josh Reinstein of Israel News Now which was also airing on DayStar.

     Christians just love those Jews who court them without seeing through their efforts to channel Christian support AWAY from the body of Messiah in Israel and their work to see "all Israel" saved. It is so much easier to just accept that Josh and many other like him, Tuly Weiss for example, are just sweetheart Jews who love Christians. They will love you UNTIL you align with God's will for Christians to support the disciples and ministries of Yeshua in Israel! 

     Now Josh Reinstein is an engaging guy. I watched him in a segment with a Christian who has brought football to Israel, and it was so nice and cordial. No conflict there...but I remembered Josh's name from researching him out many years ago and learning what his deal really is: Keep Christians serving Israel's agenda, not serving God's agenda! 

     Josh is Dallas born, been in Israel many years and is the Director of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and President of the Israel Allies Foundation. That places him as a number one contact for Christians in high places in the US and other nations. 

     One thing about following the Israeli ministries for so long and so deeply, I remember what happened in the way back. Now Josh Reinstein I remember when Reinstein specifically addressed the #1 qualifer for the Knesset Christian Allies Caucas, which was "the Caucus won't work with anyone who supports missionary activities for Jews." This was in response to some of Pat Robertson's comments in 2004 at ICEJ.  

     According to Judy Lash Balint's article, "You Don't Make Mistakes in Israel," after Robertson had outlined in a speech the four things that needed to happen "before Jesus comes back." The reporter notes, 'The morning after his speech, Robertson held a news conference and I asked the Christian media mogul if he shares his thoughts about those messianic Jews in his meetings with Israeli Knesset members. 'No, I don't tell that to Israeli politicians,' he replied." 

     She also wrote, "Robertson's words about Messianic Jews evidently raised the sensitivity hackles of ICEJ organizers enough that they chose not to distribute tapes of Robertson's speech to the press." 

     Balint reported, "ICEJ Media liaison David Parsons, a seasoned veteran of the minefield of Jewish-Christian relations in Israel, admitted to me that Robertson's 'views are off'." 

     She continued, "Leaders of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus (CAC) don't have a problem with the political message, but expressed concern over Robertson's messianic remarks. According to Josh Reinstein, CAC director, the Caucus won't work with anyone who supports missionary activities for Jews."

     There is a deceptive game being played by Christians in Israel. In my opinion, they have placed their ability to stay in Israel above God's plan to SAVE "all Israel." Something has got to give and I don't think it will be God's intentions.

Then after watching Rabbi Schneider blow the lid off of anti-Messianics in Israel for what they are (my interpretation of his comments), and after seeing Josh Reinstein ingratiating himself to Christians in what honestly can only be a highly deceptive manipulation of Christians, THEN I watched the DayStar program on the Asbury Revival: Desperate for More about the outbreak of God that happened in February 2023. It had me in tears and I soon realized that was God's first shot across the bow of the sinners ship in the USA at the beginning of the year. It was also the first indication for God's people that He is moving in a new way among us. He is stirring us up - to grow up, the throw off the hinderances to our entering into more and deeper intimacy with His glory in Yeshua. 

     What a powerful move of God Asbury was in February, then followed in May by the Isaiah 62 Prayer for Israel for the whole month. It was there that I began tuned into the IHOP prayer room everyday as I worked at the computer, letting it stir me in the LORD. Often having to stop and go cry as I watched the IHOP worship team...just unable to keep working. 

     Now here we are at the beginning of September. I told my husband after watching and crying over the Asbury Revival program, that I KNEW God was doing a deep stirring in me and it has been going on all year. He is 'rearranging my internal furniture of the heart and spirit.' I am being so touched and I see that it is building and building. I know that discovering Rabbi Schneider in July was at least for me personally, another step in what God is doing in me to receive more of the Spirit of the Lord in my heart. Throwing out the unnecessary in my heart, to make way for the 100% necessary glory of the LORD. 

     Like Rabbi Schneider said in the episode I watched yesterday (first aired in 4/9/2006), to know if something is from God, FIRST we have to be willing to believe it. He said we often pray to know God's will but when He impresses on us what His will is, and we suppress knowing it was His answer because we weren't willing to hear that, at some point He stops answering us. 

     Psalm 110:2-3 The LORD extends Your mighty scepter from Zion: “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”
Your people shall be WILLING on Your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn, to You belongs the dew of Your youth.