To catch a glimpse of the eternal God so impacts us that we are lifted from the mundane affairs of this temporal life and transported into the reality of the kingdom of God. We must ask God to heighten our ability to see into the heavenly realm. We desire this, first of all, because we have a desperate need for Him. Secondly, we need revelation, in order to see with our hearts the conditions of people to whom we are called as His servants.

Read 2 Kings 6:15-17, Is. 6:1-13, Matt. 5:8, Luke 10:21-24, Luke 17:20-24, 2 Cor. 4:17-18

Heart Issue

What concerns or unsettled issues are there that intrude upon your ability to receive fresh revelation from God?

Prayer Focus

Father, we realize how vital it is to live in the realm of heavenly vision. Free us, Lord, to not only receive from You, but also confidently release what You give us. We look to You for wisdom and instruction so that each one of us might effectively use our gifts to lift up Your name and edify Your church. Amen.

Brenda J. Davis is the acquisitions editor for Creation House and former editor of SpiritLed Woman magazine.

In biblical times, a winepress represented joy, singing and rejoicing. Farmers would harvest their grapes, place them in a pit hewed from a rock called a winepress, and crush the fruit to get the juice. They would use the grape juice to make wine and serve it at weddings, dinner and other gatherings. But according to Isaiah, the winepress is also symbolic of God’s wrath. To learn more about the ancient winepress, click below to watch the video.

The Sacramento Kings selected forward Omri Casspi at the 23rd pick of the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft held in New York City’s Madison Square Garden last week. The 6-foot-9-inch 21-year-old is the first Israeli ever to be drafted by an NBA team in the first round of the selection process.

Casspi watched the draft from his home in Yavne so he could share the experience with his family.

“I can’t speak,” Casspi said, tears pouring down his face. “I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life… I’m as happy as can be. We made history. I feel like I am in a dream. I’m in a great place now and the goal is to become a legitimate NBA player.”

Several other Israeli basketball stars have been drafted into the NBA but none have ever actually played in a game. Casspi is guaranteed a contract and will wear number 13 when he suits up with the Kings next season. It’s the same number he wore while playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Article compiled by International Christian Embassy Jerusalem; icej.org.

The latest poll of Israeli public opinion shows that a mere 6 percent of the Jewish population consider President Barack Obama to be a friend of Israel, down from 31 percent a few weeks ago.

According to the Smith Research poll conducted for The Jerusalem Post, exactly half the people surveyed believe Obama’s administration is more pro-Palestinian than pro-Israeli, and 36 percent said the policies were neutral.

The poll was taken in the wake of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech from Bar Ilan University last Sunday, which earned a 71 approval rating in Israel, indicating the Israeli Jewish public has swung strongly to the right with regard to settlements and other issues in dispute with the United States.

The poll also showed that Israeli Jews are strongly in favor of allowing settlements to continue building to meet ‘natural growth’ inside established settlements and the number of Israelis willing to evacuate settlements has shrunk.

“Some of the indications we have seen in the last few weeks make it more difficult for Israelis to see the U.S. in its traditional role as an honest broker,” said Zalman Shoval, a two-time Israeli ambassador to Washington and currently a foreign policy adviser to Netanyahu.

“The vast majority of Israelis don’t blame the prime minister for a confrontation with the U.S. They are putting the onus on the Obama administration.”

Story compiled by International Christian Embassy Jerusalem; (icej.org).

Standing atop Mount Olive, I got a panoramic view of Jerusalem and the Old City during my pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I could see the Temple Mount, the City of David, and the “pinnacle” or the place where the Bible says Satan told Jesus: “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you’” (Luke 4: 9-10, NKJV). To see the Holy City, click below to watch the video.

Have you ever read Frank Peritti’s This Present Darkness? I read it maybe 15 years ago and it changed my prayer life forever. The book is about spiritual warfare and what happens when Christians pray—or don’t pray. I held on to every word, comma and semicolon in the book because it taught me the value of seeking God.

After watching Gloria Copeland’s powerful healing prayer in Say It, Sister!, I thought I would invite you to join me in prayer right here on SpiritLed Woman eMagazine. Let’s pray for the lost, our loved ones, broken marriages, our nation, and whatever else in need of God’s intervention.

I believe this world will soon get what it deserves if the church does not repent of its slothfullness and pray more. Second Chronicles 7:14 says: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (NKJV).

If we join together in His name, we can make a world of difference.

But let’s not wait. Click here to scroll down to the Comments section, and submit your prayer. As a result of the Internet, we can reach heaven on behalf of millions of people.

I’ll start:

Father,

Thank you for being good, kind and merciful to Your people. I thank you for Your Son Jesus because it’s in His name that I come to You today.

The Bible says You sent Your Word and healed them and delivered them from destruction. I ask that You send Your Word throughout cyberspace and save every unsaved person who reads this blog. Cause it to go viral and reach people in other parts of the world, so they too can learn of Your love. Touch them. Penetrate the darkness in their hearts and reveal Your love for them in the person of Jesus Christ.

And Father, forgive me for sometimes falling short in my walk with You. Help me to be a beacon of light in my community, and help me to never compromise Your truth.

I love you, Lord. Amen.

Have you ever read Frank Peritti’s This Present Darkness? I read it maybe 15 years ago and it changed my prayer life forever. The book is about spiritual warfare and what happens when Christians pray—or don’t pray. I held on to every word, comma and semicolon in the book because it taught me the value of seeking God.

After watching Gloria Copeland’s powerful healing prayer in Say It, Sister!, I thought I would invite you to join me in prayer right here on SpiritLed Woman eMagazine. Let’s pray for the lost, our loved ones, broken marriages, our nation, and whatever else in need of God’s intervention.

I believe this world will soon get what it deserves if the church does not repent of its slothfullness and pray more. Second Chronicles 7:14 says: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (NKJV).

If we join together in His name, we can make a world of difference.

But let’s not wait. Click here to scroll down to the Comments section, and submit your prayer. As a result of the Internet, we can reach heaven on behalf of millions of people.

I’ll start:

Father,

Thank you for being good, kind and merciful to Your people. I thank you for Your Son Jesus because it’s in His name that I come to You today.

The Bible says You sent Your Word and healed them and delivered them from destruction. I ask that You send Your Word throughout cyberspace and save every unsaved person who reads this blog. Cause it to go viral and reach people in other parts of the world, so they too can learn of Your love. Touch them. Penetrate the darkness in their hearts and reveal Your love for them in the person of Jesus Christ.

And Father, forgive me for sometimes falling short in my walk with You. Help me to be a beacon of light in my community, and help me to never compromise Your truth.

I love you, Lord. Amen.

Considered the lowest surface area on earth, the Dead Sea lies 410 meters below sea level. Located northwest of its shores is one of Israel’s most spectacular, ancient sites—the Qumran caves. Qumran was home to a sect of Jewish zealots who penned what has come to be known today as the Dead Scrolls. The members buried their precious scrolls deep in the crevices of the caves, where they remained until they were discovered thousands of years later. To see the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, click below to watch two videos.

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The fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 shook international Jewry and greatly influenced the thinking of the Christian world. The Jews had resisted the power of Rome for years, but the Romans ultimately responded with unprecedented slaughter and cruelty, carrying out what was described by the early historian Josephus as a terrible holocaust.

The gentile church fathers interpreted this devastation as an indication of God’s rejection of the Jewish people—in spite of the statement in Romans 11:28 that Israel was elect or chosen because of the patriarchs. Some church fathers still believed in Israel’s final conversion at the end of this age, but the general thrust in Christian theology at that time was toward “replacement”—the idea that, under the new covenant, the church is the replacement for Israel.

Replacement theology made sense of two realities. The first was the fact that the nation of Israel as a whole did not embrace Yeshua. The second was the holocaust of A.D. 70 and the devastation that occurred when Rome crushed the second Jewish revolt under Bar Kochba in A.D. 135. It called for a different approach to biblical interpretation, a way of reading the Bible that saw the passages concerning a positive and everlasting future for Israel as referring to the destiny of the church.

Numerous Scriptures in the New Testament seem to warrant this new approach. Some verses say that all true Christians, being in Messiah, are the children of Abraham. Some state that, like the Jews, gentile Christians are a “chosen nation, a royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9, NKJV).

Romans 2 describes true Jews as not only those who are physically born Jewish but also those who are spiritual Jews. And Galatians 6 arguably refers to all believers, Jew and gentile, as the Israel of God. Because of the interpretation of these statements and others, replacement theology was developed. Christians learned to read the passages concerning Israel as predictive of the church and its destiny. The church was understood as the new and true Israel.

“Replacement theology” is the term coined by opponents of this theology. Proponents use the term “fulfillment theology” instead. They see the meaning of the promises to Israel as ultimately fulfilled in the church, which began with a group of saved Jews and then included those called from the nations. The ongoing meaning of the word “Israel” is this body of Jews and gentiles—the body of Christ. In scholarship, this view is called “supercessionism,” the idea that the church has superceded national-ethnic Israel.

The tragedy of replacement theology is that it led to the gentile rejection of the legitimacy of Jewish life in Jesus, which was the foundation for anti-Semitism. A Jewish community of Yeshua’s followers, if embraced by the rest of the church, would have made anti-Semitism impossible. As the saved remnant of Israel, they would have been a living testimony of the continued election of the Jewish people.

Without the anti-Semitic attitudes, prejudices and viewpoints within the historical churches, the Nazi Holocaust would never have occurred. The doctrine of the election of Israel is a bulwark against anti-Semitism.

After the Holocaust most major mainline denominations officially repudiated replacement theology, the largest being the Roman Catholic Church. But as the impact of the Holocaust has waned and these denominations have been influenced by Arab propaganda concerning Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, replacement attitudes and views have begun to resurface.

Of great concern is that replacement theology is currently being espoused by many charismatic Christians who see the church as exclusively being at the center of God’s purposes. They view any claims for Israel or the Jewish people as prejudice and a type of unethical respect of persons not in accord with the gospel.

What Does the Bible Say?

Replacement theology raises the central question of the authority of the Bible and how to interpret biblical texts. There are two basic approaches to text interpretation today. One is the liberal relativistic approach, which says that texts do not have an objective meaning. A text means only what it says to any person who is reading it. Thankfully evangelicals, and many nonevangelicals as well, reject such an approach.

The other approach to text interpretation involves seeking to understand two things: What did the author intend to say (author intent), and what would the targeted audience have understood (audience criticism)?

When you read the texts concerning the promises to Israel according to author intent and audience criticism, you come away with a very clear conclusion. These texts promise that the ethnic people Israel, who later were called the Jews, have an election that can never be lost. It is secure because of the election of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants. Though there may be punishment and scattering, this ethnic-national group will always continue as a people (see Lev. 26:44).

In addition, there are numerous promises to them that have yet to be fulfilled. These promises include an ultimate return to their land, from which they will not again be plucked up (see Amos 9), and a fulfillment of everlasting glory.

Ezekiel 36:24-28 states these promises clearly: “‘”‘For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. … I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God'”‘” (NKJV).

In this passage on the new covenant, parallel to Jeremiah 31, we have an amazing promise to the ethnic-national people that has not yet been fulfilled. The meaning is plain: The promise of their being born again is connected to their return to the land. What a clear and powerful promise!

To yield replacement meaning, this passage and others have to be read symbolically or metaphorically. Thus Scriptures that refer to Israel’s regathering must be understood as the gathering of the church to Jesus in the end—unless they are speaking only about the return from Babylon in the sixth century B.C.

Yet the latter is impossible, since that return never led to the glory of Israel as described by the prophets nor was it a return that was close to the proportions predicted. Only a minority of Israelites returned, and then they were under foreign domination during most of the ensuing centuries.

Another possibility is to read Israel’s inheritance as the church’s inheritance of the kingdom, or of the earth, or of heaven. But such a reading is simply not supported by the text and in no way can be proven to be the intent of the author or the nature of the understanding of the audience.

We should note that Paul considered the Old Testament adequate for “doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). The idea that the New Testament has to repeat something clearly stated in the Old for it to be valid is nothing but a prejudice that undercuts the authority of the Hebrew Bible.

The New Testament and Israel

What are we to make of the texts from the New Testament that are used to support replacement theology? Yes, by analogy the New Testament applies language from the Hebrew Bible concerning Israel to the church. However, this does not imply that the church is a replacement for Israel; it simply points to new revelation regarding the body of Christ.

In addition to Israel, God has a priesthood that He gathers from all nations who fulfill an analogous role to Israel and have analogous promises. But the people are not a literal nation among the nations like Israel, and they do not have the same promises. They are raised to a status equal to the Jewish believers in Yeshua and become one with them.

This view leaves the promises of Israel intact and reads them straightforwardly. It reveres what the actual text says. Many Christians are told that the New Testament reinterprets the Old. However, this interpretation must be limited to new insights and applications that do not change the original intention of the text.

Here is a caveat. If the meaning of the New Testament is what replacement teachers claim, then the Jewish people would be duty bound to reject it. Why? Because new revelation must always be tested by its coherence to the revelation already given and received.

This was a clear principle given through Moses in Deuteronomy 13 and 18. Replacement teaching clearly violates the natural reading of the Hebrew texts.

We should note that replacement theology is not only unnecessary but is also a violation of the clearest passage in the New Testament that speaks directly about Israel—Romans 9-11.

Here Paul claims that Israel is still the people who possess the Torah, the promises and the service to God and from whom has come the Messiah (see Rom. 9:1). He argues that the saved remnant of Israel, of whom he is representative, proves that the nation as a whole still counts. He dogmatically affirms that God has not rejected His people (see v. 11:1) but that the gifts and call of God to Israel are irrevocable (see v. 29). Though enemies of the gospel, they are beloved and elect for the sake of the patriarchs, and ultimately, all Israel will be saved (see v. 26).

Clearly, Paul looks forward to eschatological fulfillment for Israel. There is no replacement theology here.

What we have to realize as believers is that the purposes of God for Israel and the church are intertwined. The capstone victory of the church is Israel’s salvation, which will lead to the salvation of the nations. The two-pronged mission of the church is making Israel jealous and engaging in world missions. For the church to give up one prong would be tragic.

The church is called to support Israel’s return to the land, comfort the Jews and embrace and support Messianic Jewish ministries in prayer and finances. These tasks are especially important in a day when we are seeing so much gain in Jewish ministry. However, I am confident that God will stave off tragedy and that the church will embrace its full role to see all Israel saved.

Daniel C. Juster, Th.D., is the director of Tikkun International (tikkunministries.org) and a founder of Messianic Jewish Bible Institute, with sites worldwide. He is the author of numerous books about Israel and the church.

The views or opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of, nor imply approval or endorsement by, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

One of the most rewarding and exciting places I’ve ever traveled to is Israel. I’d always wanted to take a pilgrimage to the Holy Land but didn’t think the opportunity would ever present itself. I was wrong.

In March I boarded a 747 bound for the Middle East, and what I discovered there was indeed a dream come true—and more. When I crossed the threshold of Jerusalem, God placed in me a passion for Israel and compassion for the people He calls the “apple of His eye.”

I crisscrossed the country and saw everything from Old City Jaffa, where the Bible says Peter raised Tabitha from the dead, to the site of the Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus was buried for three days before He got up from the grave with all power in His hands. You would have had to have been there to feel what I felt as I relived thousands of years of biblical history.

I’m writing about my experience today because I want to invite you to subscribe to a new e-newsletter called Standing With Israel. It was created for Christians who love and support Israel, and who stand with it in its efforts to exist as a state. As the editor of Standing With Israel, I know you will be encouraged as you read the stories and connect with the Holy Land and its people.

To sign up for a free subscription to Standing With Israel, click here. To take a tour of Israel without leaving your computer, scroll down and read my article that was published in the June issue of Charisma magazine.

What if it were possible to travel back in time to ancient Jerusalem, where Jesus made His triumphal entry into the city? Or to take Holy Communion in the Garden Tomb where Christ was once buried? For many Christians, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land is only a dream.

But it doesn’t have to be! With the economy forcing some airline companies to lower prices, consumers like you and me are reaping the benefits.

In March I boarded a 747 jet to take my first trip to Israel. What I discovered there was a dream come true.

Day 1: Tel Aviv/ Jaffa

When you touch down in Israel, be prepared to meet people from around the world.

Tourists visiting the country represent a tapestry of many races, cultures and nationalities. Israel is a conduit through which travelers from Asia, Africa and Europe must pass.

Begin your pilgrimage in Tel Aviv. The city has beautiful beaches that line the Mediterranean Sea and is home to the U.S. Embassy.

I suggest you go to the city’s port area, where you will find a host of restaurants, shops and worthwhile tourist sites.

One of the oldest cities in the world is Jaffa, and many Christian tourists are drawn to the ancient seaport by its rich biblical history and ancient archaeology. Peter lived in Jaffa more than 2,000 years ago, and when he left there he went to Caesarea, which should be next on your itinerary.

Day 2: Nazareth

Drive to Caesarea Harbor and tour various ruins.Then go to Megiddo, or “Armageddon,” site of the final battle mentioned in the book of Revelation.

A favorite tourist stop in Israel is Nazareth, where Jesus spent the early years of His life. While there, visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, where Mary received word from the angel Gabrielle that she would carry the Savior of the world.

Day 3: Galilee

Many tourists anticipate spending the day in Galilee, and I was no exception. Start your day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee in a replica of the 2,000-year-old “Jesus boat.”

Visit the tranquil Mount of Beatitudes and Capernaum, where you will discover a marble synagogue dating to the third or fourth century. Capernaum is called “the city of Jesus” because He lived in the fishing town during His Galilean ministry.

Then, tour some of the holy sites including Tabgha, where Jesus performed the miracle of the fishes and loaves, and Bethsaida—the birthplace of Peter, Andrew and Philip.

Your tour will no doubt include a stop in Kursi, where Jesus cast demons from a possessed man into a herd of swine, and Yardenit, where pilgrims are baptized in a pool on the Jordan River.

Day 4: The Dead Sea

Considered the lowest surface area on earth, the Dead Sea lies 419 meters below sea level. It contains a high concentration of salt, which makes it impossible for anything to live in the water. Don’t bother trying to take a swim; just get in and effortlessly float a while.

Next, go to Beit She’an, the ancient city where King Saul died in battle. As you approach the Qumran caves, you will no doubt be astonished by its overwhelming size and archaeological ruins.

To enjoy your visit to the caves, you’ll need to wear a good pair of sneakers or hiking shoes. Here you will learn about the ancient Essene settlement, where a sect of Jewish zealots buried what are known today as the Dead Sea Scrolls, which include fragments of almost every book in the Old Testament. The scrolls were discovered there between 1947 and 1956.

Board the bus and head for the ancient ruins of Masada, where you will see archaeological revelations of King Herod’s mountaintop fortress.

Day 5: Jerusalem

Welcome to Jerusalem! The highlight of any trip to Israel is a tour of Jerusalem. I suggest you begin your day with a visit to Yad Vashem National Memorial and Museum of the Holocaust. Next, go to the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are exhibited, and tour the newly opened model of ancient Jerusalem.

No trip to the Holy City would be complete without a getaway to Mahane Yehuda, Jerusalem’s main open market. Drive to Ein Karem, the birthplace of John the Baptist, then go to Haas Promenade to get a picturesque view of Jerusalem and the Old City basin.

Day 6: Mount of Olives

Today you will begin your sightseeing adventure on the Mount of Olives. The mountain is aptly known for its olive trees, but it’s the old Jewish cemetery that occupies much of land area.

Descend the mountain by foot along Palm Sunday Road and stop at Dominus Flavit, the place where the Bible says Jesus wept for Jerusalem. After you tour the peaceful Garden of Gethsemane, visit the beautiful Church of All Nations.

Then enter the Old City through Zion Gate. Walk along the Via Dolorosa, the path Jesus traveled on His way to the cross.

As you make your way through the crowded streets of the Old City, go to the Holy Church of the Sepulchre and the museum of the history of Jerusalem at the Citadel.

Conclude your day with a visit to the Garden Tomb. According to my tour guide, the rock-hewn burial site is located in a garden that’s considered by Protestants to be the site of the Crucifixion—a place called Golgotha.

Day 7: The Old City

Begin the final day of your pilgrimage with another trip to the Old City. Start with a visit to the Southern Wall excavations and the Davidson Centre. Then, make your way to the City of David to see archaeological finds built by King David.

Make your way over to the Western Wall and see the most “sacred site” in Jerusalem, and be sure to take lots of pictures. But if you arrive at the Wall on the Sabbath, you will not be permitted to take pictures or use videotape.

Then, wind your way through the Western Wall tunnels located deep beneath the surface. Visit the rebuilt Jewish quarters and Cardor Main Street from the Roman-Byzantine era.

One of my favorite sites in the Old City is Mount Zion. There you will visit the Upper Room, where the Bible says in Acts 2:4 that the Holy Spirit fell on 120 believers while they were praying, including Jesus’ mother, Mary. This is also the site of the Last Supper.

Next—free time! Go to Nahalat Shiva in downtown Jerusalem, where you can visit shops, eateries and more. Check out of your hotel—and leave for home with an experience of a lifetime.

Bless Israel

The Bible says anyone who blesses Israel will be blessed by God. That’s one reason ministries based in Israel say it is important to invest in the future of the country with trips to the Holy land to bless its people.

While in Israel, break away from sightseeing to volunteer and serve. Vision for Israel, based in Jerusalem, and its feeding ministry, Joseph Storehouse, reach out to the poor, needy and orphans with food, shelter, clothing and the love of Jesus. My Olive Tree, founded by Curt Landry, offers a unique way to help build relationships between the evangelical community and the nation—through planting olive trees.

“The olive tree is significant. It symbolizes unity and reconciliation, and every time we plant an olive tree, we are bringing reconciliation to Israel,” says Landry.

A spokesperson for Israel Ministry of Tourism says Christian visitors to Israel contribute to the success of Israel and leave transformed.

“For nearly 2,000 years, Christian visitors from all over the world have come to the land of their spiritual heritage. It provides them with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the land of the Bible, to deepen their faith and to be spiritually transformed.”