ENVISION 2023 A RICH MIX OF TEACHINGS, BRIEFINGS, FIELD TRIPS

BY ANNALIESE JOHNSON, ICEJ STAFF WRITER

For the first time in three years, the ICEJ recently hosted its annual Envision Pastors and Leaders Conference in person here in Israel. The four-day gathering convened in late January and drew some 100 Christian leaders from 25 countries up to Jerusalem, while another 130 joined online. Envision 2023 featured prominent speakers from Israel and abroad offering biblical teachings and briefings on current events, plus visits to key sites in Israel.

Envision participants heard much about modern Israel’s resilience and ingenuity, as well as biblical truths on how the Church should rightly relate to the Jewish people and state. There was a common thread running through many of the presentations concerning the historic split between Israel and the Church and the work of the Holy Spirit to bring us together today.

One speaker, for instance, noted how the Menorah had to be made from one piece of gold, representing the ‘oneness’ of Israel. A separate speaker later explained that while there were twelve tribes, each with its own stone, there was one High Priest wearing one breastplate with all twelve stones, again symbolising a unified nation before the Lord. The overriding message was that the Lord is reconciling Jewish and Gentile believers as one in Christ.

The lectures on current events addressed a variety of topics, including Israel’s role in the global energy crisis, the new Israeli government, the Abraham Accords, the Iranian threat, and other regional geo-strategic issues.

According to Asst. Prof. Elai Rettig of Bar-Ilan University, 81 percent of the world’s current energy consumption is met through fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), basically the same percentage as in the 1970s, meaning there has been little real progress towards renewal energy sources. He added that Israel is a world leader in developing solar energy, but solar panels take up vast amounts of space, a problem which Israeli researchers are trying to overcome. He also explained that the large natural gas finds offshore have made Israel a serious energy supplier, with many positive dividends in the region.

Dr. Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, spoke about Israel’s geo-strategic position and faith-based diplomacy. He compared the recent Abraham Accords breakthrough to the Khartoum resolutions of 1967, when the Arab world collectively declared “no peace, no recognition, and no negotiations” with Israel. Diker also noted that while Israel is surrounded by Iranian missiles and proxy militias, it faces an even bigger threat from the Palestinian Authority due to its delegitimization campaign and slanderous accusations of racism, genocide and apartheid. Decades before the Kremlin’s recent “Nazification” of Ukraine, he added, the Soviet propaganda machine had already teamed with the PLO to “Nazify” the Jewish state.

Meanwhile, Envision delegates made several field trips, starting with a visit to the Knesset. After a guided tour of the parliament building, participants heard from Knesset member Sharren Haskel, co-chair of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus. She stressed how important it is that Israel’s fate rests in the hands of Israelis and not the international community. MK Haskel also urged the Christian leaders to tell Israel’s real story as an imperfect but great example of peoples and minorities living side-by-side in peace.

The Envision delegates also visited Ariel University, in the biblical heartland of the Shomron (Samaria). With a diverse student body of 17,000, including many Arabs, the university is rated Israel’s second-best school for engineering (after the Technion), sends many graduates into hi-tech jobs, and is the largest pediatrics provider in the country. Ariel University’s wine research center also is truly unique, as it is currently reviving some 300 native strains of wine-producing grapes dating back as far as King David some 3,000 years ago.

The Envision leaders also visited the City of David, where new discoveries are regularly being made regarding Israeli’s rich biblical heritage. This includes David’s Palace, the Gihon Spring, what may be Melchizedek’s altar, Hezekiah’s tunnel, the Pool of Siloam, and the Pilgrim’s Road leading up to Herod’s Temple.

The field trips, lectures and Bible teachings left a deep impression on everyone at this year’s Envision conference, and word got out quickly concerning the high quality of the messages delivered by our featured speakers. So, make sure your pastor attends Envision 2024!

ICEJ-FIJI ELATED AS GOVERNMENT VOWS TO OPEN JERUSALEM EMBASSY

During the ICEJ’s Envision pastors’ conference in late January, ICEJ-Fiji national director Pastor Mikaele Mudreilagi proudly announced at a gathering in the Knesset that his nation’s new government has decided to open an embassy in Jerusalem.

The new government of Fiji, led by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, made this decision as part of a coalition agreement reached to form a government following the close national elections in December 2022. He needed a small Christian party to join the coalition to gain a majority in parliament, and they made just one demand – to open an Embassy of Fiji in Jerusalem. Rabuka readily agreed, as he has been a supporter of Israel and the ICEJ for many years.

Rabuka confirmed this decision to Amb. Roi Rosenblit, the non-resident Israeli ambassador to Fiji, during his official visit to Fiji in mid-February. The Israeli ambassador in turn delivered to Rabuka an invitation letter from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Israel soon.

The background to this exciting development goes back to the late Victor Schlatter, a nuclear engineer-turned-Bible translator who served for many years as an ICEJ special representative to the Pacific Island nations. He preached throughout Oceania and always brought a strong message on why Christians should support Israel. Because of his work over the decades, many of these Christian island nations in the Pacific are pro-Israel, which is even reflected in their voting patterns at the United Nations. They also send large, faithful delegations to the Feast of Tabernacles each year. And now, Fiji’s leaders are rightly aligning with God’s word by deciding to open an embassy in Jerusalem.

The ICEJ-Fiji branch has been working and praying for years for this very outcome, and they deserve much credit for making it an issue of national importance. One key figure in this effort has been Fine Ditoka, the Executive Assistant to ICEJ President Dr. Jürgen Bühler in our Jerusalem office, who hails from Fiji and previously served as a protocol officer in her nation’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.