ABOUT THIS ISSUE
About this Issue T
here is a beautiful passage of Scrip- ture in Exodus 28 describing the gar- ments the High Priest wears when he
approaches God’s Presence. Not only does he wear a breastplate containing semi-pre- cious stones representing each of the Tribes of Israel, there are to be two onyx stones on the shoulders of his vest engraved with the names of each of the Twelve Tribes mount- ed in gold “calling to mind the sons of Israel.” The High Priest is to “carry their names before Adonai on his shoulders as a reminder” (Exodus 28:12 CJB). The High Priest was charged to continually remind God of those whose hope is in Him alone. Considering this, we can more fully
understand how devastating the loss of the Temple and the Priesthood has been to the Jewish People and the basis for their fer- vent, daily prayers for the return of the Temple and God’s Glory to Jerusalem. Upon this site the Messiah’s Coming is expected to attend the return of the exiled of Israel. A day will come when Israel will see her Messiah and experience the joy of knowing that God did not leave her with- out a High Priest, but sent Yeshua who car- ries our names before the very Throne of Heaven.
When we think of Jewish People, some may form a quick picture in their minds of
an Eastern European Jew. And indeed, this would aptly personify most Jewish People in our everyday encounters. However, this is only a segment of the “House of Israel.” If you visit Israel (please see our back page for an opportunity to do just that!) you will see Asian Jews…dark- skinned Ethiopian Jews … Hispanic Jews … fair-skinned Nordic Jews … Jews from India … Jews from the four corners of the earth! We are living in extraordinary times—
seeing biblical prophecy unfold before our very eyes. Biblical prophecy promises a return of the ‘exiled of Israel’ in the Last Days. Ezekiel 37 opens a panoramic win- dow on Israel—nearly destroyed and with- out hope—without life. Adonai asks the prophet: “… can these bones live?” Ezekiel looks over the vast valley of bones and answers incredulously, “Adonai Elohim! Only You know that!” (CJB) How miraculous it must have been to see life come into these hopeless bones. We can easily visualize the valleys of near skel- etons at Auschwitz and the other Death
Camps of the Holocaust, as the valley of dry bones—out of whose ashes Israel was born. And yet, these are the exiled of Judah, the Jews—not the “whole House of Israel.” A remnant remains among the Nations of the ten Northern Tribes hidden from our sight—seemingly lost, but God knows them and will restore them—once again joining them to Judah, to the Land of Isra- el, and to Himself (Ezekiel 37:16-28). When Israel was reborn in 1948, it was as if one of the giant hands of the “proph- ecy clock” moved significantly toward mid- night. The End of Days cannot come until Israel is once again settled in her Land. But how can this be accomplished? Where are the ten Northern Tribes of Israel? It was generally believed that when the ten Northern Tribes of Israel were scattered into exile, they would be forever lost, becoming assimilated by whatever culture in which they settled. This seemed plausi- ble—until intriguing headlines began to appear that have stunned the world: “LOST TRIBE RETURNS HOME TO ISRAEL AFTER 2600 YEARS!” “… 500 YEARS AFTER THE INQUISITION, SPANIARDS FIND THEIR ROOTS IN ISRAEL!” … News photos of Ethiopians arriving in Israel from Addis Ababa … photos of Asian Israelites arriving in Israel from Eastern India…. These are exciting and prophetic events that are being fulfilled in our time! Indeed, Adonai never lost His Chosen
People, and has given many of them a heart to hold onto their heritage and their roots, though scattered throughout the earth. And He is bringing them “home” to reunite “Israel” with “Judah,” just as He promised. This is the beginning of the last Aliyah. By the strength of His own arm, God alone will redeem Israel in the sight of all the Nations that oppressed and enslaved her. Their survival was not without difficulty, and some return bearing derogatory labels, such as Marrano and Falash Mura, rendered by those nations to which they were exiled, as you will discover in this issue. But God calls them “Beloved” for His sake. Just as the ancient High Priest car- ried the names of Israel before God, so we as priests of the New Covenant also carry a burden for the House of Israel— to take the message of the love of God in Messiah, through word and deed. What a privilege it is to be a part of the restoration of Israel in these prophetic days! —Sarah, Editor
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