ICEJ NEW ZEALAND
Historic Ethiopian Aliyah As reported in our last WFJ, ICEJ has already funded well over 500 immigrants’ flights. ICEJ’s goal is to fund 1,400 immigrants from the remaining 9,000 Falashmura Ethiopian Jews who are making their aliyah to Israel. In addition ICEJ recognises the importance of helping with the absorption process once in Israel, especially for Ethiopian Jews undergoing a huge cultural paradigm shift. Howard Flower ICEJ’s aliyah director reports: To date, as flights get under way, ICEJ has just brought two groups totalling 84 people to Israel. The first group of 63 ICEJ sponsored Ethiopian immigrants came to Israel the same day as the Ethiopian government ordered a 6 month ‘State of Emergency’ which restricted diplomatic travel and reduced mobile internet access. This has caused great worry for Israelis who still have family members in Ethiopia because they still cannot freely communicate by Skype
or other social media with their relatives. On 9 November, the government of Ethiopia lifted some of the travel restrictions on diplomats when calm was restored after many months of violent protests. This has allowed Jewish Agency workers once again to travel to Gondar to resume preparation for members of the Jewish community who are being approved for aliyah and to make their way by van or bus some 600 km to Addis Ababa where final preparations for the flight to Israel will be arranged. The officials of Israel’s Ministry of the Interior are currently working from the Embassy of Israel in Addis Ababa and waiting for permission to set up their office in Gondar. The UN reports on the situation in Ethiopia: “Drought exacerbated by El Niño, combined with extensive flooding, disease outbreaks and the disruption of basic public services, continue to have a negative impact on the lives and livelihoods of 9.7 million Ethiopians. Urgent
funding gaps for the response remain across multiple sectors to the end of 2016, notably for response to Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD), for interventions in animal health and food assistance. Major funding requirements are already anticipated for early 2017, as there are concerning indications that the La Niña phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, and more significantly the current negative Indian Ocean Dipole, may affect water availability, livestock body condition and Meher harvest performance in parts of southern and eastern Ethiopia.” Howard Flower asks: Please pray for the safety of the remaining Jews in Ethiopia, that the speed of the aliyah will increase and for much needed absorption needs to be met. Please also pray that the Lord would help us to play a major part in this historic and urgent wave of Ethiopian aliyah. Thank you for your support. Derek McDowell ICEJ-NZ Director
Ethiopian Jewss so happy to be home - home at last in Israel Insert page 1 INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EMBASSY JERUSALEM NZ BRANCH
The Messiah and the Menorah Todd and Rev Julia Vincent ICEJ Northland representatives As we head into the season of Chanukah, we also remember the story of the Maccabees defeating evil Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his army. It’s a heroic story of light overcoming darkness; a time of darkness that ends with the lighting of the Temple menorah. For this reason Chanukah also became known as the Festival of Lights. Tradition tells us that the Maccabees only had enough oil to light the menorah for one day; miraculously however it stayed lit for eight days. The feast also became known as the Feast of Dedication, because the Maccabees rededicated the Temple back to God after Antiochus had defiled it. To commemorate Chanukah a nine-branch menorah. known as a chanukiah, is lit over eight nights. The number eight is symbolic of new beginning. On the first night of the festival the ‘Shamash’ or ‘Servant’ candle is lit, this candle is then used to light the other candles. Yeshua the Messiah came in this world to serve as well. In John 8:12 Yeshua also said, “I AM the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Scripture reveals amazing images that point to the Messiah. The menorah is one such image. While the chanukiah used to commemorate Chanukah had nine branches, the actual menorah in the temple had only seven branches. But why did God ask Israel to design a menorah in the first place, when does it start to appear and what is it ultimately pointing to? Many believe that this image first appears in Genesis and begins to take shape the more we move through the Bible. It’s a kind of progressive revelation. So what was the menorah? The menorah was the golden seven branched lamp stand used in the ancient Tabernacle and following that, in the Temple in Jerusalem. It was to be the only light present in the Tabernacle/
Temple. The structure was made out of one piece of pure gold and had the features of an almond tree with budding blossoms - Exodus 25:33, 34, and 39. Its appearance actually resembled a burning bush or tree. The menorah has the features like that of a tree on fire. As mentioned earlier, this image first appears in Genesis. The first time YHWH reveals his name to Moses is of course from a burning bush. Moses sees a small tree on fire, yet it is not consumed by the flames. God speaks to Moses from this tree and says “tell Israel that I AM WHO I AM has sent you” Exodus 3:14. One might ask the question here, why did God choose a burning bush? Also, what does a burning bush and a golden seven branched menorah have in common? What they have in common is that the menorah also resembled a tree on fire. The golden menorah in the temple was to resemble an almond tree – an almond tree on fire. Looking closer at an almond tree might also show us why God used this tree. It is significant for several reasons. One of the reasons is because it is the first tree in Israel to bloom in winter (like a new beginning); it’s also one of the most beautiful of trees. There are other fascinating features to an almond tree as well. Interestingly, almond tree in Hebrew is shaqed (Strong’s 8247) – this word comes from the Hebrew verb shaqad (Strong’s 8245) which means to watch or keep awake. Psalm 121:4 tell us “indeed, he who watches over
Israel will neither slumber nor sleep”. In Jeremiah 1:11-12 we again hear this theme. God asks “what do you see, Jeremiah?” Jeremiah replies “I see the branch of an almond tree,” The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.” Another example which deepens our understanding about the almond tree is found in Numbers 17. In this account twelve leaders, each representing the different tribes of Israel, are told to bring their wooden staffs to the tent of meeting. Each tribal leader is then told to write their names on each of their staffs and leave them there. The next day these twelve leaders returned to the tent of meeting. What they witnessed amazed them! Aaron’s staff had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. His wooden staff came alive overnight! Aaron is then given authority in the Tabernacle, he is told by God; “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again” Numbers 18. Aaron was to watch over the sanctuary of God. The staff of Aaron is a symbol of authority; he becomes High Priest in the tabernacle because his staff budded into almonds, with blossoms. As mentioned earlier the menorah points to the Messiah. Messiah means the anointed one – one who had been anointed with oil (a mixture with olive oil to anoint kings and priests). Oil was of course used to light the menorah and is also symbolic of the spirit of God. In
The Messiah and the Menorah (ctd from page two)
Titus and the Menorah Earlier this month Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu met with Italian President Sergio Matarella in Rome.
The Arch of Titus, an ancient monument still standing outside the Roman Forum that commemorates the capture of Jerusalem and depicts the Menorah being paraded through the streets of Rome in A.D. 71 following the destruction of Jerusalem’s second temple in AD70.
Luke 4:18 Yeshua reads from Isaiah 61:1 and says; The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me (with oil) to proclaim good news.... As mentioned the menorah had seven golden branches. The number seven speaks of perfection. Does scripture also point to a messiah, coming up like a tree, where the perfect seven fold spirit of God rests? Yes indeed! Isaiah 11:1-2 tells us about the seven spirits of God resting on his anointed one. It says; “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him (1) the Spirit of wisdom (2) and of understanding (3), the Spirit of counsel (4) and of might (5), the Spirit of the knowledge(6) and fear of the Lord(7). He, Yeshua is perfectly anointed with the Holy Spirit of God, to be both High Priest and King. In the New Covenant the trajectory of all that we have read so far comes into sharp focus. We become aware who this has been pointing to. Yeshua, the Lamb of God, is of course the perfect light of the world. Later in Revelation 21:2223 John tells us that; “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp”. Just like Aaron’s wooden staff that came alive, the almond tree is the first to spring to life from winter. Yeshua is also the first to come alive from a wooden cross, the first of the resurrection. In Genesis God declares who he is to Israel by revealing his name from a burning bush; he declares “I AM”! In
John’s gospel we have the famous “I AM” statements from Yeshua as he declares who he is to Israel. What is interesting is that there are seven “I AM” statements, just as there are seven branches of the menorah. In Revelation 1:4-5 (CJB) we hear: From: Yochanan To: The seven Messianic communities in the province of Asia: Grace and shalom to you from the One who is, who was and who is coming; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Yeshua the Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the earth’s kings. Notice here he is; the one who watches – the faithful witness. He is the firstborn from the dead, the first of the resurrection. He has the sevenfold Spirit and he is the anointed King (a Priestly King). Then later in Revelation 1:12-14 John sees a vision of Yeshua standing amongst the seven golden menorahs with his face shining like the sun and his eyes blazing like fire – a picture of light and fire. In the book of Acts at Shavuot (or Pentecost) the disciples were gathered in Jerusalem and the Holy Spirit came upon them – they were anointed by the Holy Spirit of God – and the proof of this was that tongues of fire rested on each person. They now have the light and holy flame of Yeshua resting on them. Yeshua the Shamash has lit the others. One last note, the symbol for the nation of Israel is – you guessed it – the menorah. Todd and Julia are ICEJ Northland representatives based in Whangarei. Julia is an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church of New Zealand.
Insert page 3 INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EMBASSY JERUSALEM NZ BRANCH
Whilst acknowledging the deep bond Italy and Israel share today, Netanyahu reminded his audience: “...the history of our peoples in antiquity was not always marked by amity even though there was a very active Jewish community in ancient Rome. But obviously things took a turn for the worse, and that is commemorated in all its tragedy in the Arch of Titus in Rome… in which you see, of course, the great artifacts of the Jewish Temple carried in a triumphal march in Rome. And you see the Menorah, which is the symbol of the Jewish state, but also was of course the main object in our ancient Temple”. Netanyahu stated further: “I raise this because we’ve just had an absurd decision of UNESCO that said that the Jewish people have no connection to the Temple Mount. Well, the Arch of Titus was built by Titus’s brother, the Emperor Domitian. He wasn’t a Zionist propagandist. And he obviously was depicting that long, thousands-year connection to the Temple Mount, to Jerusalem and to this country of the Jewish people.” The Arch of Titus refutes the notion that the Jewish people have no connection to the land. It puts paid to the UNESCO farce. Denying Jewish history leads to denying Israel’s legitimacy. This highlights the conflict is about the denial of a Jewish state not the establishment of a Palestinian one. The Menorah is an enduring symbol of the Jewish people going right back to the early days of Torah. Not only does it reflect Israel’s significance and calling to be a light to the Nations, it also embodies the very essence of the Messiah who becomes the Light of the World. Is this why the nations come against Israel?
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