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I was preaching in Westminster Chapel about the Beta Israel and Oper- ation Solomon, and afterward, a lady approached me quite fearfully and said, “When you were ministering the Word of God, the Lord spoke this prophecy to me. I’m not sure whether it’s really from Him, but I felt in my heart that I must give it to you. Read it and prove if it’s really from the Lord.” On the paper she had written, “Not


only are the Beta Israel in Ethiopia my Chosen People, but there is another tribe in Ethiopia who belong to Me and are my Chosen People.” Immedi- ately I wanted to put it in the rubbish. Impossible! This lady doesn’t know any- thing about the history of Ethiopia. I’ve been there for so many years. I only know the Beta Israel. There are no others! Then I went to Frankfurt [Germa-


ny]. I was in an Ethiopian restaurant with an Ethiopian man who told me, “Gerald, there is also another tribe of Jewish people in Ethiopia.” I asked, “What? Are you dreaming?


Are you imagining this? Have you made it up?”


them.”


“No, no,” he said, “I belong to In 1992, this was again confirmed


to me by another source, and I learned about the Beta Avraham. They call themselves the “House of Abraham” and believe they are the descendants of the Jewish People. They actually mixed with the Beta Israel people for many hundreds of years. A tradition passed down through the centuries teaches that when the twelve tribes of Israel moved across the Red Sea, some of them went south to Egypt. They believe that they are descendants of Abraham through the sons of Keturah, Abraham’s second wife, and not through Isaac or Jacob.


The Beta Avraham were part of the


Beta Israel until 350 years ago when a false messiah rose up in their midst, who


directed Orthodox them to join the Church. Although the


Orthodox Church is the most Jewish- oriented church in the world, tension has always existed between the Jews and themselves. These Jews formed part of the Orthodox Church and became builders of the Orthodox churches. Most of the


14 | Jewish Voice Today JULY/AUGUST 2010


For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush [Ethiopia] and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.


—Isaiah 43:3-6


ornate Orthodox crosses in Addis Ababa are made by the Beta Avraham. Yet for 350 years, the Orthodox Church has never accepted them, insisting, “You are Christian on the outside, but still Jewish on the inside.” Not in a good way.


Among the Ethiopians the Beta


Avraham were known as a secret, hidden society. Gradually, they have opened up due to the visits of Jonathan Bernis and Jewish Voice. They have come to trust Jonathan and his team. This is a miracle itself. No one has done so much for this community! Before Jewish Voice found them, these precious people were treated with a mixture of suspicion and hostility. Now there are about a thousand Believers in Yeshua within the community. To be a friend to these people is


just God’s grace, and His purpose is in it. It’s not just the opportunity of helping them with medicine and finances—God’s purpose is Yeshua HaMashiach! Pray for Israel to recognize the


Beta Avraham. I’ve spoken with three ambassadors over the past 15 years, but still they don’t recognize them as true Jews. The ambassadors have said, “In the past they were descendants, but they’ve been Christianized and even baptized.” But God knows His People from Abraham,


and Jacob. Paul


Isaac, Pray


for their salvation in Yeshua. What does


say?


Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israel-


ites is that they may be saved (Romans 10:1).


Isn’t this the objective of the


mission here? Our heart’s desire? This is God’s desire as well, and has always been—that Israel may be saved! Finally, please pray for the miracle of the exodus of the Jews. There are still almost 10,000 Beta Israel in Addis Ababa. The relationship between Jew- ish Voice Ministries, Jonathan, and I and the synagogue leaders is unique in the world. They know us as Believers, yet we are welcome there. Some of the leaders in Gondar have come to know the Lord. And pray for the many secret Believers at the synagogues in Addis Ababa and in Gondar as well. Only in Ethiopia—you won’t find it anywhere else in the world!


Go then and bend your knee to pray For Israel’s ancient race;


Ask the dear Savior every day To call them by His Grace;


Go, for a debt of love is due From Christian Gentiles to the Jew.


— from “The Jew,” Author Unknown


GERALD GOTZEN, is a JVMI UK board member and a respected, world- renowned leading authority on Ethiopia Jews. He has worked with Ethiopian


Jews for 45 years, and


partners with Beth Shalom, a Jewish Voice-supported ministry in Addis Ababa. Gerald and his wife, Elly distribute large consignments of Bibles, publish Christian literature and minister practically to the Ethiopian people.


www.JewishVoiceToday.org


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