©9 May 2014 Revive Israel Ministries

The "Israel Land" Question

By Asher Intrater

There is great controversy in the Body of Messiah worldwide concerning the place of the Jewish people and the land of Israel.  However, the issue is not inherently about politics or racial identity but about the very nature of the kingdom of God.

1. Redemption of Planet Earth

Is the ultimate purpose of God for human beings to leave this planet and live forever in a non-resurrected body in the sky (“heaven”)? Or is to restore all things (Acts 3:21), raise the dead into new bodies that can live both in heaven and earth (I Corinthians 15, John 20, Luke 24), and unite heaven and earth together (Ephesians 1:10)? If we can agree on the second “restorationist” view point, then there is an important purpose for the renewed, created earth (Romans 8:21). There must be a way for a "covenant claim" of repossession and restoration in order to redeem what was lost at the fall of Adam. 

The Abrahamic covenant is the vehicle for God to reclaim legal ownership of the entire planet. The Abrahamic covenant is not just to repossess the land of Canaan for one man’s tribe; but starting from there to repossess the entire planet (Romans 4:13).  Thus, if you don't believe in Abrahamic-Israel land possession, you can't possibly believe in a total, planet earth re-possession.  If there is no continuing validity to the Israel land covenant, then you are simply agreeing to permanently yield planet earth to Satan’s dominion.

2. Literal Second Coming

Is the second coming of Yeshua really physical and literal? Does He come all the way down for His feet to stand on the Mount of Olives? (Zech 14:4) If He is to come to the Mount of Olives, then there is a purpose for the land of Israel. If He is to come, then there must be Jewish people living here who believe in Him and who will welcome Him back with shouts of "Baruch Haba B'shem Adonai (Matthew 23:39)."
So there must be:

1. Israel land possession covenant
2. Re-gathering of Jewish people to the land
3. Revival of faith among Jewish people in Israel
4. Welcoming Yeshua to return.

If no land, then there is no literal return of Yeshua, because there is no covenanted place for Him to return to.

3. Millennial Messianic Kingdom

Will there be a real millennial kingdom on earth with Yeshua reigning from Jerusalem? If so, then there must be a continuing covenant purpose and claim for Jerusalem and Israel. If no Israel covenant, then there could not be a Jerusalem centered kingdom on earth. And if not, why don't we just stop praying altogether "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).

So if there is not a continuing covenant with Israel, there would be no purpose for planet earth, no literal second coming, and no millennial kingdom. These are the critical issues behind the "Israel land" controversy. The covenant promises for the land of Israel and the Jewish people are God's biblical vehicles to repossess planet earth, to invite Yeshua back to earth, and to bring the millennial kingdom.

Next month we are asking you to gather your family, friends and congregation and join in with us for our 4th annual all night Shavuot (Pentecost) prayer meeting. For 12 hours, beginning on the eve of June 3, 2014 (Israel time) we will worship, intercede and believe for a fresh out pouring of the Holy Spirit. This time will be broadcast live through live web-stream and you don't want to miss it. Watch here for more details to come. To watch, click HERE!

By Cody & Liat Archer

Thank you for covering us in prayer as we traveled and ministered in Denmark last weekend. We experienced much spiritual warfare before leaving and had a couple sleepless nights with our daughter teething, but we felt God's grace cover us. Our time speaking to the national Aglow conference went very well. We spoke from Acts 1 and 3 about restoring the kingdom to Israel and the restoration of all things. At the end of one of the messages a woman's knee cap was instantly healed after I had received a word of knowledge for this. On the last night both of us spoke about the need for godly fathers and mothers to equip and release the next generation.

Most nations of the world have a Memorial and Independence Day. Yet in Israel the percentage of casualties remembered on Memorial Day is significantly higher and the events concerning Independence Day are much more dramatic. The two are celebrated together in Israel, with the Memorial Day mourning coming right before the Independence Day celebrations.  There is a striking parallel with the death and resurrection of Yeshua.

In the Memorial Day ceremony at the Temple Mount, President Peres and other leaders quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly from Ezekiel 37.  They see in the establishment of the State of Israel a confirmation of the prophecy promising the resurrection of the dead.  Chief Army Commander Benjamin Gants quoted from Jeremiah 31, saying that we can identify with the prayer of Rachel weeping for her children. He even hinted at the hope that those same children would one day return to their borders in the resurrection of the dead (Jeremiah 31:16-17).