As I was praying before the Shabbat service, God gave me a word - Isaiah 41:8-20. This passage begins with these words:

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“But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ (Isaiah 41:8-10)

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God wants us to be encouraged, for us to lift up our spirit towards Him. He wants our inner man to awaken, and for us to open  our spiritual eyes wide towards the light that doesn’t blind, doesn’t strike, but rather enlightens and delivers. He wants us to believe that this word is already coming to pass. He’s preparing us for greater things even as we already find ourselves in the river of His grace He has sent to this earth to unite all hearts that are turned towards Him. 

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We know that if something is promised to Israel it is to her it refers first and foremost. We can apply some of those passages to all believers from all nations on a “second” basis. But firstly the Lord wants His children in all Jewish New Covenant congregations, and in all Jewish ministries to rise up, to straighten up and stop walking around this temporary earth as if they are bent double.

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Once, rabbi Zusya asked rabbi Elimelech: “Listen, brother. It is said that His glory fills the earth. Why then do the majority of people live as if there’s no such glory anywhere?” And rabbi Elimelech answered: “You know, it’s because they walk around bent double. And God’s glory spread over the earth is at the level of the head of a man straightened up”. 

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God wants us to straighten up in the Spirit. He wants our awakening to become a reality, after all it is inherently not ours but God’s. And if God sent it to some parts of this earth, and if the Spirit of God works miracles, then He wants to show an example of such miracles to His Jewish remnant, so that  this remnant should no longer be a remnant, but become the salt of Israel, the light of Israel and for Israel to finally become the messenger she was originally called to be. 

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Friends, this is an Exodus from this transient state that the majority of Jews and most Christians, unfortunately are in. This is the Exodus of the one new man, the Body of the Messiah that cannot experience unity and awakening until the Jewish component is restored and until God’s shalom starts to reign. Not just peace between Jewish and non-Jewish components, but fullness, unity and harmony. 

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I am reminded of an amazing encounter in a Romanian orthodox monastery where some Messianic Rabbis were invited together with quite a number of Orthodox priests and bishops from Romania and Eastern Europe, including the delegation of Alexandre Men’ followers, Archbishops from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and a delegation from the Vatican. At this meeting one Orthodox bishop from Romania shared something very unusual:

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“When the Exodus from Egypt was taking place, multitudes of representatives from different nations joined Israel. They merged with God’s people and their descendants entered the promised land together with native Jews and became part of Israel. When the Exodus of the great world awakening begins that again will be the Exodus of, first of all, saved Israel, the Israel of God. And all Christians are going to be faced with a choice: either to join this Jewish Exodus or reject it. All Christian should prepare themselves for that even today. Unless we open our hearts for the things God’s started doing among the people of Jacob, unless we discern and realize what God’s started doing among the Jewish people, as He prepares for the great Exodus, we may find ourselves on the sidelines when it truly begins to happen”.

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As I was hearing that I couldn’t believe those were the words of an Orthodox Bishops. It’s truly a choice. This choice is confirmed by a number of passages in the scripture.

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Here’s just one of them:

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“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. “Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy...” (Isaiah 60:1-5)

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Boris Grisenko, KJMC Rabbi

Word at the KJMC Shabbat service, April 2023