Spiritual Investment in Israel

 Maybe it is my trigger, but too much of the Church regards Israel and the increasing salvation of Jews as inconsequential to the faith of Christians. The spiritual investment of my life is specifically on the body of faith being built up in Israel of Jewish believers in Yeshua-Jesus. 

     That is my primary investment. I do have grief about that sometimes. It always has been grieving to me to deal with Christians who have no understanding of what God is doing in restoring Israel to salvation. The grief is they also do not care. 

     I was particularly grieved in 2023 when I began research for article about how Christians have helped in the restoration of physical restoration of Israel. In the course of my research I learned about a Christian cleric named William Hechler who was the Chaplain of the British Embassy in Vienna. Hechler had the Biblical vision and understanding for a future restored State of Israel for the Jews. 

     When Theodore Herzl, known as the Father of Israel, published his book on that subject, William Hechler immediately rushed to Herzl's side to help. I mean immediately: the day after seeing Herzl's book!

     In this position as the Chaplain of the British Embassy, Hechler was able to give Herzl's idea of a restored Jewish homeland an audience among the royal families of Europe. Like Esther, Hechler used the position that God had given him to open doors for the establishment of the Jewish State. Within one year of Hechler and Herzl's meeting, Theodore Herzl convened the first ever Zionist Congress in 1897. Hechler was the only non-Jew invited to that event.

     Herzl might have remained an unknown Jewish newspaper writer if Hechler had not opened those doors to European princes. Christians in key positions have always assisted the Jewish people in the restoration God promised them, and not only that, but for the spiritual restoration that God promised for "all Israel" that also requires Christians assistance. We are to witness to Jews, but we should not believe it is any kind of witness at all to ignore the witness of the Messianic Jews of Israel to their own people!

     God's restoration of Israel is happening in stages, like Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones. Ezekiel's vision is the real life history that Israel has been living unfolding in increments since the days of Hechler and Herzl. 

     During my research, it was greatly grieving to me to read that when Herzl died in 1904 thinking he was a failure, then Hechler followed in 1931 penniless and thinking the same of himself.  I began to grieve over myself that I could easily end up the same. Maybe it is not kosher to admit such a thing, but it is honest to the bone. 

     When Hechler died his friends came to gather up his papers and charts he had spent a lifetime producing. His landlord reported that they had burned up all of Hechler's belonging and that he was buried in an unmarked grave.  He died a pauper. I can't tell you how much this research made me cry. To pour one's life out for Zion's sake and to die feeling a failure and forgotten. I admit, I have often feel this is my story too. I don't dwell on it but just press in all the more to say what God has shown me about Israel's restoration and the role of the Church in it. 

     Hebrews 11:13-14 "All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland."

     Regardless of my personal ending, I'm not experiencing doubts about what I have committed myself to. I'm just stating the facts because what other people don't get, doesn't cause me doubt that it is the real thing God is doing among us in His own timing and mysterious way. If anything, writing the above was me re-affirming that is what I believe and will continue to believe to my personal ending.