As we near the end of an unusually—but much needed—wet winter in the Holy Land, the water level of the Sea of Galilee, Israel’s main freshwater reservoir, had risen 1.87 meters (74 inches) putting it slightly out of the “danger zone” as of last week.
This comes after last winter brought the worst drought in 100 years leaving the country’s water tables at a dangerous deficit and prompting Israeli officials to enforce water preservation measures.
“The Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) has risen beautifully in the past few days and we are very heartened, although we still have to consider the deficit that remains,” Uri Schorr, head of the Water Authority, said last week.
Even with the rains this year, the water supply is still 4 meters (13 feet) under full capacity.
The surface of the Sea of Galilee is now above the “lower red line” (213 meters below sea level), the marker at which the lake could suffer long-term ecological damage. Full capacity is considered 208.8 meters (685 feet) below sea level.
While a blessing for the depleted water supply, the heavy rains last week also brought floods across the country. Some 1,200 trapped were students in a Jerusalem school. They were evacuated after an access road flooded. Also in Jerusalem, two drivers were trapped in their vehicles and had to be pulled to safety by rescuers after water gushed through the road.
Of course, “rains” and “floods” can also be seen as spiritual blessings. Often God acts in the natural to prophetically show what He wants to do in the spirit. We need a spiritual downpour! We need a flood of revival. The country is blinded. I was listening to my friend Don Finto, now approaching 90, share that the day is coming where God is going to visit whole Orthodox Jewish families in dreams and visions about Yeshua.
The prophet Hosea prophesied that “the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days” (Hos. 3:5, NIV). That day is now!