©May 15, 2011 Revive Israel Ministries

Process and Perfection (7 x 7)

By Asher Intrater

I usually do not teach on biblical numerics, because I prefer to emphasize the person of Yeshua (Jesus) and principles of faith, integrity, and relationships. This week's Torah portion speaks of both counting the Omer and the Jubilee year. It is difficult to avoid the repetition of the number 7. The number 7 throughout the Bible represents a time process and the completion of that process into perfection.

1. Creation – God created the world in 7 days.
2. Sabbath – We are commanded to rest on the 7^th day.
3. Omer – There are 7 times 7 weeks from Passover to Pentecost (Shavuot).
4. Sabbatical Year (Sh'mitah) – Each 7 years' debts are forgiven.
5. Jubilee Year – After 7 times 7 years, land is restored and liberty proclaimed.
6. Feast of Trumpets – There are 7 months from the Passover to the Fall Feasts.
7. Millennium – Messiah rules on earth for a 1,000 years in the 7^th millennium.

Yeshua taught that the kingdom of God comes in stages (Mark 4:26-29). The number 7 teaches us to understand the stages and processes of God. It also shows us that what happens at the end is already planned from the beginning. The rabbis refer to the fact that the Sabbath is the last day of the week as proof of the principle that "What is last to be done is what was first to be planned."  What happens in the 7^th stage is the goal of what happened in the 1^st stage.

The 7^th and final stage also shows us that everything will work out perfectly in the end. The different elements of the different stages do not appear to be connected during the process. Yet at the 7^th stage, they all come together.

Pentecost Prayer

Please continue to prepare to join together with us, with Messianic pastors and prayer groups in Israel, and with prayer networks around the world on the eve of Pentecost (Shavuot), June 7-8, from 10 PM to 10 AM (Israel time), as we intercede for world-wide revival, according to Acts 2:17. More details will follow in the weeks to come.

Pakistan Prayer

From our Pakistani evangelist partner "A"

Recently, Islamic organizations have been making extra efforts to monopolize the Pakistani government.  Christians are fearful of more intensified persecutions. It is illegal to say anything against Mohammed. When Muslims have problems at work, they often try to accuse Christians.  Even if the Christian is innocent, Muslims may lie saying that he blasphemed Mohammed.

During the last 6 months, people have even been put to death for “blasphemy.” Two government ministers, one Christian and one a moderate Muslim, were murdered recently by an Islamic Jihadist for merely speaking out against the blasphemy law.  

Since Osama Bin Laden was announced dead, Christians in Pakistan feel threatened by Islamic militants possibly rising up more than before, in revenge for Bin Laden.  Last month a church and missionary school were accused of defiling the Koran. Many Christians have left the city because they fear for their lives. Security forces have failed to protect them.

Muslims in Pakistan have been aggressive in forcing Christians to convert to Islam. There are death threats against those who refuse to proclaim faith in Islam. Please pray for protection for my family, for all the Christians in Pakistan, for the removing of the blasphemy law, for Christian unity, for peace; for Pakistani Muslims to know the truth and have visitations of Christ.

Nakba Day

By Mati Shoshani

Sunday, May 15, marks Palestinian "Nakba (Disaster) Day," a day of remembrance of the population displacement which took place at the wake of the 1948 Israeli war of independence.

At the end of World War II, massive population expulsions and exchanges took place. Tens of millions fled their homes or were forced to leave. The displaced peoples included: Poles, Indians, Pakistani, Ukrainians, Romanian, Germans, Jews, and Arabs. More than 20 million people were displaced in Europe alone between the years 1945-1951. By the end of 1960 the refugees of World War II had all been absorbed as citizens in their new countries, all but one group, the Palestinians.

An estimated 610,000 Palestinians fled their homes or were forced out in 1948, while more than 850,000 Jews were forced out of their homes in Arab countries (the "Jewish Nakba").

The refusal of the Arab nations to absorb the Palestinian refugees was not only anti-humanitarian, it was also a planned strategy to perpetualize their plight in order to continue to wage war against the Jewish State. In 1959, the Arab League passed Resolution 1457, stating, "Arab States will refuse to grant citizenship to applicants of Palestinian background, in order to prevent their absorption into the host countries." This amazing and bizarre resolution was contrary to all international law and norms for similar refugee situations. [See Ben-Dror Yemini, "The Arab Apartheid," 5/13/11, Maariv.] Israeli authorities have set a "zero casualty" directive for all armed forces, in an effort to preserve minimum violence on both sides. "Nakba Day" events are receiving more public attention this year than in the past, as the international criticism of Israel has reached an all time high. Israel has been accused of being an apartheid state. Here is an interesting forwarded photo display of Israeli-Arab co-existence and the apartheid accusation: