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I am still reflecting on my trip to Israel last month, and I can tell you that my heart continues to break for my people. Such sadness, hopelessness, and fear! Yet, I also saw sparkles of grace throughout the land as I spent time with Israeli pastors, the Chosen People Ministries Israel staff, and a growing number of new believers trusting the Lord for answers.

Right before our group left for Israel, we heard about the tragic murder of two beautiful young Jewish people, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, who were twenty-six and thirty respectively and working for the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC. Yaron was Israeli, and Sarah was his soon-to-be fiancée, a lovely American Jewish woman. They were both mercilessly gunned down by a self-proclaimed pro-Hamas terrorist who shot them point-blank as they were leaving a reception for young Jewish diplomats at the Capital Jewish Museum. 

As word of their murder made its way through the media, it was discovered that both Yaron and Sarah were Messianic Jews—Jewish believers in Jesus as Messiah. Many of our Chosen People Ministries Israel staff have ties to Yaron’s family, and Yaron was part of a Chosen People Ministries program a few years ago as well. Their deaths were taken very personally by Jewish people in the United States and, of course, in Israel.

I assumed I would find a very somber mood among the Messianic believers in the Holy Land as both pastors and congregants would be searching for comfort and trying to understand how something like this could happen, especially to believers! My assumptions were correct, and our group spent hours talking about God’s faithfulness and the mystery of His will with our young staff and those we are discipling. 

As Isaiah wrote, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8–9).

And so we trust Him through tragedy and leave the lives of our loved ones in His holy and all-powerful hands. My hope is that this senseless murder will encourage Christians to pray for the Jewish people and for Israel during these dark moments, especially as threats against God’s chosen people intensify  around the globe. 

During our brief time in Israel, we also visited some of the Israeli communities near Gaza, a short distance from the war zone. Many of these communities were destroyed by Hamas terrorists who invaded Israel on October 7, 2023. It was an incredibly emotional experience to witness the aftermath of what took place.

Despite the challenging environment, an encouraging part of the trip was taking part in Living Waters, a mentoring retreat that our ministry has hosted for the past eighteen years. I had the privilege of spending a long weekend with forty-plus young Israeli Messianic leaders who love the Lord and are eager to grow in their understanding of Scripture and service for the Messiah in Israel. The seemingly endless war and especially the deaths of multiple Messianic soldiers, and now the passing of Yaron and Sarah, made this mentoring retreat more sensitive and meaningful as most of those attending are of a similar age. On this trip, we also dedicated our new Tel Aviv Messianic Center to the Lord’s service in the Holy Land. This milestone was the fruit of many years of prayer and hard work. 

The Lord did speak to myself and all our staff amid these difficult circumstances, as He always does. We were again driven to the well-worn passage of the apostle Paul in Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

A Call to Pray for the Jewish People

While acknowledging God’s sovereignty, I also urge you to pray for the Jewish people and especially for those who follow Jesus, as we need your prayers more than ever before!

The great Messianic Jewish leader, the apostle Paul, shared a deeply personal and heartfelt prayer request with the believers in Rome when he cried out, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation”(Romans 10:1). As a twenty-first-century Messianic Jewish man, I would be grateful if you would pray for the salvation of the Jewish people. 

It is also important for us to pray in agreement with the will of God, and therefore our prayers should align with Scripture. There are many passages in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament that encourage us to pray for the Jewish people and for the nation of Israel. 

Why We Should Pray for the Jewish People

Prayer leads to a deeper communion with the Lord and motivates us to pray more fervently through the Spirit about what is on the heart of God. I believe it is important that our requests to God are, as much as possible, in accordance with His will revealed in Scripture. 

The Scriptures tell us that God’s heart beats with unending love for His chosen people. In Jeremiah 31:3, the Lord declares, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” This is not a temporary affection but an eternal covenant that transcends time and circumstances. Like a mother who cannot forget her nursing child, God says in Isaiah 49:15–16, “Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.”

We pray because God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew (Romans 11:1–2). Despite the historic struggles of the Jewish people and the present rise of antisemitism, we know that one day God will fulfill His covenant with His chosen people. And we pray in light of the future He has prepared for Israel and the nations (Romans 11:25–29). 

Isaiah 59:20–21 prophesies that “the Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob.” This is not wishful thinking but prophetic certainty. We expect a spiritual awakening as God fulfills His promise in Ezekiel 36:24–28 to give His people a new heart and a new spirit. Zechariah 12:10 speaks of a day when “they will look on Me, whom they have pierced, and mourn for Him”—a recognition that brings redemption.

We also expect global blessing as Genesis 12:3 reminds us that, through Abraham’s descendants, all nations will be blessed. Israel will fulfill her calling to be “a light of the nations” (Isaiah 49:6). The entire world will benefit, and one day Jerusalem will become a center of worship where all people will seek the Lord (Isaiah 2:2–3).

By praying for the salvation of the Jewish people, we are praying in accord with God’s plan for world redemption!

Prayer Leads to Action

My hope is that the church would understand the significant role non-Jewish people have in God’s plan as founded on the Abrahamic promises. Gentile believers are participants in the Abrahamic covenant as spiritual descendants of the patriarch (Galatians 3:6–9). Through Christ, Gentile believers have become spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham by faith as God’s blessings have come to “those who were formerly far off” but are now one body with Jewish believers through the Jewish Messiah (Ephesians 2:13).

This will hopefully lead the body of Christ to fulfill the mandate found in Romans 1:16 and 11:14, which instructs believers to bring the gospel “to the Jew first” and to make the Jewish people jealous of the word of Messiah received by the Gentiles. We cannot allow Jewish evangelism to become the great omission of the great commission. 

As both Messianic Jews and Gentile followers of Yeshua, we are bound together through the Messiah and the shared blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. Let us then work together in unity, as partners in the gospel, until that great day when Israel will turn fully to God, and Jesus will return to reign as Messiah on His rightful throne in a renewed Jerusalem on earth. Both Jewish people and Gentiles will then rejoice in the knowledge of the Lord that will fill the earth as the waters fill the sea (Isaiah 11:9–12). 

Let us join our hearts by seeking the presence of the Lord and by beholding the beauty of His person. As the psalmist reminds us, “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple” (Psalm 27:4).

And let us pray together for one another and for these requests:

• The salvation of Israel
• The return of the hostages
• The families of Yaron and Sarah (the couple killed at the Capital Jewish Museum)
• The global work of Your Mission to the Jewish People
• The peace of Jerusalem and all those who live in the Holy Land and the Middle East

On behalf of the Chosen People Ministries global family, thank you for loving the Jewish people and standing with us as we reach our beloved Jewish people with the gospel message!

Shalom in His grace! By the time you read this newsletter, I will be in Israel, touring, sharing the gospel, conducting a retreat with forty-five Israeli young adult congregational leaders, and dedicating our new facility in Tel Aviv! What a great opportunity to be part of building the body of believers in Israel. You have a major role in this ministry through your prayers and support. So, thank you. I know that, without your partnership, these ministries among the Jewish people throughout the globe, and especially in Israel, would be impossible!

I am sorry to say that at the time of this writing, the war continues to rage between Israel and Hamas, and hostages are still imprisoned within Gaza by evil forces. Without diminishing the profound tragedy unfolding before our eyes, this conflict sometimes reminds me of the arcade game “Whac-A-Mole;” every time we think the enemy is beaten down, they resurface and attack in unexpected ways. This reality has been deeply frustrating for Israel and for those of us who love and pray for the Jewish nation.

The challenge extends far beyond Hamas alone—it includes Iran and its numerous proxies across the region. Similarly, global antisemitism is still on the increase and sometimes dressed in anti-modern Israel garb. Just when we believe this ancient hatred has been eradicated, stereotyping and antisemitic tropes that disparage the Jewish people emerge in new forms and unexpected places.

SHIFTING TIDES OF SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION

Amid these challenges, we find both encouraging and concerning developments around the world. Argentina, for example, is a nation with a harsh history of antisemitism, yet it is now experiencing a remarkable transformation. When I first visited Argentina in 1976 with my Argentine Jewish wife of one year, we saw piles of antisemitic literature being sold openly at book kiosks in broad daylight! These books included The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a nineteenth-century Russian libelous tale that falsely portrays Jewish people plotting world domination. Today, however, Argentina’s 300,000 Jewish citizens (within a population of almost 30 million) find themselves with a president who has expressed interest in converting to Judaism! What a remarkable difference—a favorable “king” with no evil Haman in sight!

Conversely, we face growing concerns in regions that were once stalwart allies. For many years, the British Isles maintained strongly pro-Jewish and pro-Israel positions. Lord Arthur Balfour, best known as the author of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, expressed support for the founding of the State of Israel in the very land God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He and other British political and religious leaders worked diligently to help the Jewish people establish Israel as a Jewish homeland. Much of this support was biblically based, and a love for Zion was a cherished value among most British Christians.

Yet, today, the tide has dramatically shifted. This change is even more evident in Ireland. Allow me to present some recent survey data that illustrates this concerning trend. But first, there is good news for American Christians!

AMERICAN CHRISTIANS: STANDING WITH ISRAEL

Earlier this year, Chosen People Ministries released brand-new survey results to American audiences. The survey revealed that American Christians are significantly more likely than their British counterparts to support Israel in the ongoing conflict between Hamas and the Jewish state.

The research, led by two respected US-based university professors, reveals stark differences in Christian attitudes toward Jewish people and Israel on opposite sides of the Atlantic: 42.3 percent of American Christians express support for Israel compared to just 23.6 percent of British Christians. 

“In nearly every measure, American Christians expressed stronger pro-Israel views and lower levels of antisemitism than British Christians,” explained Motti Inbari, professor of Jewish studies at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Inbari co-authored this groundbreaking research with Kirill Bumin, associate dean of Boston University’s Metropolitan College. Bumin added, “American Christians generally have a higher opinion of Jewish people than their British counterparts. Overall, the statistical data shows that 58.5 percent of US Christians view Jewish people favorably, compared to 50.6 percent of British Christians.”

CONCERING TRENDS IN THE UK AND IRELAND

“We are in an epidemic—even a pandemic—right now of resurging antisemitism. It is hard to imagine that the world’s oldest hatred is new again,” noted Michael Rydelnik, Vice President/Academic Dean and Professor of Jewish Studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute, when referencing these studies at a Chosen People Ministries-sponsored event at last year’s National Religious Broadcasters convention. Many evangelical Christians in attendance at the NRB expressed surprise upon learning about this modern resurgence of antisemitism and pledged their support by affirming our Coalition against Antisemitism’s founding statement. 

You can read this wonderful statement by clicking on https://opposeantisemitism.com.

When examining specific antisemitic attitudes, the differences between the US and the UK become even more pronounced. The “dual loyalty” trope—the notion that Jewish people are more loyal to Israel than to the country they live in—remains the most widely accepted antisemitic attitude in both nations. However, 46 percent of British respondents considered this “probably true” compared to 33.6 percent of Americans.

On other sensitive issues, the disparity continues. When asked if “Jews still talk too much about what happened in the Holocaust,” 22 percent of American Christians agreed it was “probably true,” compared to 33 percent—one-third—of British Christians. Additionally, one in ten American Christians agreed that “it’s definitely not antisemitic to say that Israel does not have the right to exist,” compared to one in six British Christians.

Regarding the conflict in Gaza, 26.5 percent of American Christians believe Israel has committed genocide there, compared to a staggering 47 percent—almost half—of British Christians.

Nearly four in ten British Christians felt it was “probably true” that Israel “deliberately targets Palestinian civilians,” compared to two in ten American Christians.

Ireland 

The situation Ireland is even more concerning. According to the research, Irish Christians display antisemitic attitudes at rates three times higher than Americans. 

• Only 11 percent of Irish Christians support Israel in the recent conflict, compared to the 45 percent siding with Palestinians. 

• Two-thirds of Irish respondents believe Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.

The survey revealed that 36 percent of Irish Christians believe Jewish people have too much power in the business world, while 31 percent believe Jewish people “do not care what happens to anyone but their own kind” and are hated “because of the way they behave.” 

“Anti-Israel attitudes are ‘deeply embedded’ and ‘pervasive’ in Ireland,” said Bumin, adding that this level of prejudice is disturbing to witness in a Western democracy.

Inbari remarked that it is “like we’re living in medieval times.”

Biblically-Based Support: A Key Difference

What might explain these significant differences between the US and the UK or Ireland? Our research suggests that a deeper biblical understanding of the role of Israel and the Jewish people in God’s plan plays a crucial role. More than a quarter (27.9 percent) of American Christians said their support for Israel is positively influenced by understanding that Jesus was Jewish, whereas only 16.9 percent of British Christians acknowledged this influence. 

Nearly half of American Christians believe that God’s covenant with the Jewish people, as recorded in Genesis, still applies today, compared to just over a third of British Christians.

While the US study reveals a bit of good news, with ongoing support for Israel, we were concerned about those numbers decreasing among younger audiences. The UK results were not good news and serve as a cautionary tale for where the United States might be headed if American Christians do not sink our spiritual roots more deeply into Scripture and get more involved in actively standing against antisemitism in our communities. 

After all, the Lord said to Abram,

“And I will bless those bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3). 

These words are still true today.

A CALL TO CONTINUED PRAYER AND VIGILANCE

We are so grateful for your faithful support of Israel and the Jewish people. Your biblical understanding and compassion have made a profound difference during these challenging times. 

Your prayers, advocacy, and friendship matter tremendously to Jewish communities, both in Israel and around the world.

Yet, we must remain vigilant and continue to pray— as individuals and in our churches and congregations. The concerning trends on university campuses with pro-Hamas, anti-Israel, and anti-Jewish protests remind us that antisemitism can take root anywhere if left unchallenged. 

We cannot assume that America’s generally positive attitudes will continue without intentional effort from believers like you and me who understand God’s heart for His chosen people.

As we witness the troubling shifts in the UK and Ireland—historically “Christian” countries—let us recommit ourselves to standing firmly against antisemitism in all its forms. We must educate younger generations about the biblical and historical connections between the Old and New Testaments! 

Please, let us also remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, knowing our support for Israel reflects not only our biblical values but also our commitment to standing against hatred wherever it emerges.

The Jewish people have faced countless moments throughout history when antisemitism emerged and re-emerged in new and dangerous forms. But together, with God’s help and with committed Christians like you standing in solidarity, we can ensure that love, truth, and justice prevail.

We join the apostle Paul in his prayers,

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation” (Romans 10:1).

Thank you for being true friends of Israel, the Jewish people, and Chosen People Ministries—Your Mission to the Jewish People—during these difficult and challenging times.

Shalom in His peace. I leave for Israel in a couple of weeks to encourage the staff, share the gospel with Israelis, and lead a tour culminating in the dedication of our new Tel Aviv Messianic Center.  

This has been a long time coming, and frankly, it has not been easy building out a new facility during a war! It has been a challenge to continue our regular ministries of evangelism and discipleship as well. War takes its toll on adults and children, and it is still difficult for Israelis to live in the shadow of October 7, 2023. The loss of lives, sense of security, and trust in the government, as well as the negative response of so many in the West to Israel’s defensive actions in Gaza and southern Lebanon, have caused a sense of hopelessness and fear to fall upon most Israelis.

I am personally thankful for the many Christians who have stood up and supported Israel and opposed growing global antisemitism. This causes me to be so grateful for my brothers and sisters in the Lord!

We are seeing the hearts of many in Israel more open to the Lord than before. When humanity disappoints, we tend to look to heaven for help and power to live a fruitful life, which is what is happening in Israel at this moment in history!

Jesus is the Prince of Peace, yet He was no stranger to conflict from the time of His birth onward, with a band of enemies committed to destroying Him. From the Sanhedrin to the Roman leaders of first-century Israel, Jesus faced controversy after controversy and conflict after conflict.  

Yet, Jesus did not waver in His divine purpose. He said to His disciples that He was ready to face what He knew would be certain death as it was the will of His Father and predicted in Old Testament passages like Isaiah 53. Matthew describes Jesus’s telling His disciples about that suffering, “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day” (Matthew 16:21).

Jesus was more than willing to face danger and potential harm in order to fulfill the divine plan, which called upon Him to suffer for the sins of humanity. 

He was born to die!

Isaiah predicted the Messiah’s humiliating death when he wrote, 

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4–5)

Jesus did not deserve this predicted punishment but embraced His calling, bearing our shame and enduring the very judgment for sin that we deserved. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

The justice we deserved, He received, and all He earned through His perfect obedience, we received!  

He did not flinch but faced His fate with a deep sense of purpose, knowing He was ordained before the creation of the earth to be our perfect sacrifice. He is our example of how to face the dark moments of life with grace, grit, and determination.  

I see these Jesus-like traits evident in the lives of our Israel staff. For the last 600 days, they have continued in their ministries, raising their children, and bearing the loss of friends and family, and God has blessed their efforts with wonderful fruit.  

Our Israel staff have flourished spiritually post-October 7, 2023, and throughout the ensuing defensive war. The Lord is moving powerfully through them, and there is a hunger for the gospel among Israelis that goes far beyond what we see in times of peace.

We are now finishing the construction of our new Tel Aviv Messianic Center, which is two-and-a-half times the size of our current rental space. We will now have room to grow our ministries to both adults and children, which previously had limitations because of a lack of space. 

AN EXPANDED MINISTRY IN ISRAEL

Concerts

We will continue to have monthly concerts at our new center, but now we will be able to hold more than one hundred people and provide programs for the children while the adults are enjoying the worship. We regularly have Jewish seekers attend these concerts, which also support the growing Messianic music movement within Israel.

Sabbath Dinners

Our Sabbath dinners are evangelistic hubs where believers can bring their not-yet-believing friends and relatives to a warm, friendly, and delicious Sabbath meal. Many young people, including believers serving in the army, have been coming to these dinners. We usually have a speaker, testimonies, and music at these dinners as well. In the new center, we will be able to double the number of people at our Sabbath events.

Bible Studies

We have weekly Bible studies for a general group as well as studies for men and women separately. One of our past hardships was that we were not able to adequately provide a variety of levels of children’s programs, which we will now have the capacity to organize. We are so delighted about this as Israel has a young population—there are a lot of children to serve in the name of Jesus.

Public Lectures

We will now be able to offer gospel-centered topics for both believers and unbelievers in our new space. We now have room for well over one hundred individuals to come and learn about engaging topics from personal finance to child-rearing. We will also be able to provide tools to handle war-related post-traumatic stress. 

We base our public lectures on Scripture, and the topics are so relevant that many people from the community want to attend. 

Youth and Children’s Ministries

We are a family-oriented ministry, and parents enjoy bringing their children to our events. We will have room for graded children’s programs while the adults are involved in other activities at the new center. The Center enables us to expand our ministry among children and helps us better serve their parents. We have the teachers and materials, but we have not had the room—until now.

MORE AND MORE FRUIT!

I am reminded of the words of Jesus our Messiah, our master teacher, who often used everyday illustrations when talking to Jewish people in the first century. The Messiah spoke about vines, vineyards, and fruit, and in John 15, He used these well-known images to explain what it means to walk with God and have an empowered, productive, and joyful relationship with the Lord. 

He said to His disciples,

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. (John 15:1–2)

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:4–5)

He told His disciples to focus on what is inside. The circumstances of life, both on a national and international scale, as well as in our home and family life, deeply impact us, but Jesus encourages the disciples to abide in Him to bear fruit. 

Think with me for a moment about all that Your Mission has endured in the past 131 years of service among the Jewish people. Yet today, we are more fruitful than ever! We battled through the Great Depression, two world wars, the Holocaust, the wars surrounding the establishment of the modern State of Israel, pandemics and plagues, October 7, and a myriad of terrorist attacks on Israel.  

By the grace of God, we still stand. We are reaching more Israelis and Jewish people across the globe than ever before through our evangelistic efforts, hosting networks, digital media campaigns, and one-on-one, heart-to-heart Bible studies and evangelistic conversations. 

God is good, and He will continue to bless as He promised, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (John 15:8).

Thank you for your prayers, love, and generous support as we bring the gospel to Jewish people in the United States, Israel, and in 20 other countries around the world!

My quick trip to Israel in January broke my heart. What I heard and saw moved me so much I can not help but try to explain what I saw and heard so that you can pray more effectively.

Pain and Loss

First, let me tell you I love my people, the Jewish people. I was raised in a Jewish home that was not particularly religious, but I still celebrated all the holidays. Jewish life and my Jewish people are very dear to me and always will be.

I grew up with pictures of relatives lost in the Holocaust lining the walls of my Eastern European immigrant grandparents’ Brooklyn home. I never fully understood the scope of the atrocities, and my grandparents never talked about it! Today I recognize there are dozens, if not hundreds, of my relatives on both sides of the family whom I will never meet because of the evil and satanic Nazi efforts to exterminate my people.

I will never get over the horrors of the Holocaust. For me it is a reminder of the depth of evil we face in our world and the capacity for humankind to be hateful and cruel. This drives me into the arms of our good, glorious, and worthy Savior. He loves His own people—the Jewish people—and all nations. Unlike those who take lives, He gave His life so we might live forever. Can the gospel be more beautiful than this? The prophet Isaiah expressed what Messiah did for all of us:

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:3–4)

The suffering of the Jewish people did not stop with the Holocaust. Israelis are fragile because of this terrible war that resulted from Hamas’ attacks on October 7, 2023, as well as the subsequent Hezbollah, Iranian, and Houthi missile barrages into Israeli territory. Israeli soldiers are dying every day—as are noncombatants in Gaza and other places where terror groups put their own people in harm’s way. So many in our world today do not remember how this gruesome conflict started, forgetting the atrocities Hamas unleashed on Israel on October 7. More than a thousand terrorists stormed the Gaza/Israel border to kill, rape, kidnap, and torture Israelis. Remembering this keeps what we read and watch about the conflict in perspective.

Israel is fighting for her very life!

My time in Israel was very emotional. I spent a late night in what is known as “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv. So many hostages are dead, and even though some returned alive, we still grieve over the hundreds of innocent Israelis and foreigners living in Israel who died at the hands of Hamas terrorists.

In Hostage Square, Israeli families—moms and dads, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts—were beside themselves with grief and rage, as they held up posters with pictures of their loved ones who either died or are still in captivity. You could sense the emotions and ongoing anger, which was about as raw and heartfelt as you could ever imagine. I listened to the agony and screams of one mother, who had just seen a video from Hamas of her daughter’s “proof of life,” hoping to see her daughter released. 

I stood in the vast crowd of Israelis with my heart broken because of the despair and mourning of my people, Israel. It reminded me of the passage in Jeremiah (who was also known as the weeping prophet), which was quoted by Matthew in the New Testament in the context of Herod’s efforts to murder the Messiah (Matthew 2:13–18).

Thus says the Lord, “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” Thus says the Lord, “Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord, “and they will return from the land of the enemy.” (Jeremiah 31:15–16)

I identify with the anguish of the prophet who reflected upon the captivity of his own people in Babylon and cried out to God for the return and release of his fellow Jewish people. I cannot tell you how much and how hard I pray for the return of today’s captive and for a true and lasting peace—which is different than a fragile truce.

Hope

And yet Jeremiah also speaks about hope as he called upon the people of Israel to trust in their God who had promised them a glorious future in the land of Israel. He also knew that our promise keeping God would one day wipe away their tears of His suffering covenant children.

What a beautiful promise and future hope He gave to the people He chose from among the nations. We see this partially fulfilled as right now about half (7.5 million) of the Jewish people in our world today live in Israel. The Lord promises a greater and more complete deliverance in the future. 

The day is coming when the Jewish people will not only return to the land, fulfilling the promises, but will also be delivered from sin and turn to Jesus (Romans 11:25–29). At that point, He will return and establish the Davidic throne in Jerusalem. He will reign as the true king of the Jewish people, Lord of the nations, and the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6–7).

We look forward to that great day and, quite frankly, I saw some sparkles in Israel of the anticipation of this great future in the eyes of many young people I met at our current Messianic center in Tel Aviv. At a Sabbath dinner I had the joy of preaching to seventy-five young adults about hope. Israelis desperately need hope today, and we know that Jesus is the embodiment of God’s promises offered to all, Jewish and Gentile, who call upon Him today (Romans 10:9–10). This is why it is so critical that we proclaim the message of salvation and thank God our staff in Israel is growing!

I was so encouraged by some of the young people I met, especially the new believers who had come to faith within the last year. Two of these young people came to believe through reading our book, Isaiah 53 Explained. I sat through dinner with a young woman who was only nine months in the Lord. She told me her story about how her life turned from darkness to the light.

During her search for God, someone gave her the Isaiah 53 Explained book in Hebrew. She read it and discovered a Jewish Messiah who had died for her sins, conquered death, and offered forgiveness and joy to her. And she described her experience with the most beautiful smile you have ever seen in your life. She told me that when she accepted Jesus into her life, she was completely transformed. Wow! This conversation was worth everything to me.

Just imagine what will happen through our incredible staff in Israel when we move into our new Tel Aviv center, which will be completed this month! 

And it is now paid for because of you.

Our Partnership

Dear friend, we cannot do any of this without your support and encouragement. I could sense your prayers while I was walking through the streets of a very busy and vibrant Tel Aviv witnessing the pain and anguish of my people at rallies and protests.

Yet, my sadness was tempered by the reality and joy of what faith in Jesus does for a person who gives their life to the Lord. This is what it is all about. It is what my life has been about, and it has been the purpose of Chosen People Ministries for more than 130 years. 

May God bless you for everything you have done to help us fulfill our ministry “to the Jew first” and also to the Gentile (Romans 1:16). 

As we prepare for Passover and Easter, remember to pray for Israel and for the millions of Jewish people all over the globe who need to understand that these two holidays are linked together in the person of Jesus. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and the One who rose from the dead to conquer death and ultimately reign as King.

My heart is bursting with love for my people and gratitude for you and our partnership in reaching Jewish people for Jesus.

God bless you and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

As this world becomes more dangerous and finding peace becomes more and more elusive, we are reminded of just how important it is for us to consider the signs of the times, particularly in light of the teachings of Scripture. 

Matthew records the disciples asking Jesus about the timing of His return.

As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3) 

The disciples were responding to Jesus’ earlier prophetic predictions about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem: “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Matthew 23:38–39), which was fulfilled in 70 CE with the Roman invasion of Jerusalem (Luke 21:20–27). 

Jesus answers by delivering the prophetic address known as the Olivet Discourse, which He begins by comparing the signs of the times to the pangs of childbirth. 

You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. (Matthew 24:6–8)

Jesus is describing for His disciples of yesterday—and informing us today—that, as we get closer to His return, the signs of the times will escalate and intensify. 

He expects us to be mindful of these signs and to wrap our view of the present around what is going to happen in the future. 

We live today in light of tomorrow! 

As we watch the news or glean from our favorite digital streams, it is difficult for us to miss the birth pangs of global conflicts, especially in the Middle East. What transpired recently in Syria—the downfall of the Assad regime grabs our attention not only because it changes the landscape and balance of power in the Middle East but because it could very well be another sign of the times appearing without our expecting it! 

The entire world was stunned, shocked, and surprised by the military agility of the band of revolutionaries who have now replaced Assad. Very few expected that these Isis- and Al Qaeda-inspired rebels would be able to overthrow the Assad-Ba’ath Party and the Alawites, an Arab religious minority in Syria. Now, these Sunni Islamists are in control of Syria. This turnover is the dawning of a new day in Syria but not necessarily a better day for relations between Israel and Syria, which remains to be seen.

But what does the Bible tell us about Syria, and how can we better understand recent events through the lens of the Word of God?

SYRIA IN PROPHECY

The future of Syria and its capital city, Damascus, is detailed explicitly in the Bible. 

The Scriptures tell us that, one day, Syria will be destroyed. By this, we can surmise that Syria’s ultimate posture toward Israel will be hostile. The long-term fate of Syria will ultimately be based on the way Syria (as with any nation) treats Israel and the Jewish people as declared in the covenant God made with Abram, “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3). 

We do not know for sure, but Syria might be one of the enemies who surround Israel, as described in the book of Zechariah. The Lord will then return to save Israel on that glorious day when the Jewish people turn to their Messiah and Savior. 

And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 

I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:9–10) 

While we should keep praying for peace between Israel and her neighbors, the future does not bode well for this possibility with Syria any more than it does with Iran or Iraq! 

So, what does the Bible say specifically about the future of Damascus—as representing the nation of Syria? A key prophecy is found in Isaiah 17:1–3: 

The oracle concerning Damascus. “Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin. The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they will be for flocks to lie down in, and there will be no one to frighten them. The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and sovereignty from Damascus and the remnant of Aram; they will be like the glory of the sons of Israel,” declares the Lord of hosts. 

The Bible is very clear on the fate of Damascus. The Hebrew words for removed and fallen ruin leave us with little doubt that Damascus will one day be utterly destroyed. 

Author Joel C. Rosenberg places Isaiah’s prophecy about Damascus in the future: 

Isaiah’s prophecy about the judgment of destruction of Damascus in chapter 17 is yet to be fulfilled. Damascus has never been totally destroyed and made uninhabitable. To the contrary, it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.¹ 

According to Old Testament scholar Walter Kaiser, Isaiah’s prophecy is describing a city that once flourished but will one day be reduced to a heap of ruins. 

When did this ever happen in history? Even if it is hyperbolic, it surely must point to some major tragedy that is coming. So a major “fortified city will disappear and a royal power from Damascus” (Isaiah 17:3).² 

Other biblical prophets described Syria’s demise. The prophet Amos predicted, “Thus says the Lord, ‘For three transgressions of Damascus and for four I will not revoke its punishment . . . ’” (Amos1:3). About a century after the destruction of Damascus described in 2 Kings 16:7–9, the prophet Jeremiah also described Damascus falling once again at a later date: 

Concerning Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, for they have heard bad news; they are disheartened. There is anxiety by the sea, it cannot be calmed. Damascus has become helpless; she has turned away to flee, and panic has gripped her; distress and pangs have taken hold of her like a woman in childbirth.” (Jeremiah 49:23–24) 

Neither the Assyrians nor any other significant ancient or modern Middle Eastern power has ever totally destroyed Damascus. Therefore, I must agree with Rosenberg’s and Kaiser’s view that the final judgment of Syria is future.

MODERN-DAY DAMASCUS

While Damascus has flourished throughout the years, we have witnessed a steady weakening of Syria’s military might throughout the rule of Bashar al-Assad (2000–2024), who succeeded his father, Hafez, after decades of cruel dictatorship. Also, Syria under the Assads—both father and son—has proven to be a mortal enemy of the modern State of Israel. We will be waiting to see how the new leaders of the country live as neighbors with Israel. 

Looking at pictures of modern-day Damascus, you can see it is still a vibrant city, although its governance is uncertain. What happened recently in Syria was unexpected. Within a week, a mix of anti-Assad rebel groups took Syria back while its president fled to Russia. Again, it is unclear how the new leaders will rule Syria and what their position will be regarding Israel. 

We need to remember that, just a few short years ago, the “rebel” group known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS for short, led by the military leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, now using his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was part of ISIS. He then merged with Al-Qaeda and finally broke with the group in July 2016. But this does not mean his ideology or jihadist commitments and a long-standing anti-Israel position has changed. We should watch and pray. Meanwhile, the United States has removed HTS from its roster of terrorist groups and the ten-million-dollar reward for the capture of Ahmed al-Sharaa has been discontinued. 

We hope that this new Syrian government will view Israel more positively, which is something Israel is still trying to figure out. In fact, Israel took immediate action to destroy dozens of arms storage facilties and naval capabilities scattered throughout Syria in case the newly formed leadership decided to wage war against it. Israel also swiftly moved into a demilitarized buffer zone within Syria beyond the Golan Heights to protect its border. 

While the details of war and peace in the Middle East are still unclear, we believe God will defend His people. The Holy One of Israel will preserve the Jewish people and His promised land. We also know that those who refuse to bow the knee to Jesus the Messiah will be judged individually and nationally.

PROPHECIES OF PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

So, what comes next? The biblical timeline is not always easy to determine, but we are sure that we presently have new and complicated relations between Syria and Israel and a future with an increase of hostilities and destruction. But, then again, there is more to the biblical story! 

Scripture also affirms that a glorious day of peace in the Middle East is coming! Egypt and what remains of the Assyrian Empire (which could easily include parts of modern Syria!) will enjoy peace in the future kingdom as they subject themselves to the reign and rule of Jesus the Messiah. It will be a great and glorious day! 

As Isaiah wrote, 

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.” (Isaiah 19:23–25) 

Whether or not the nations in Isaiah’s prophecy make peace with Syria, we know that the Lord wants us to pray for the salvation of Syrians and for peace in the Middle East. 

We should pray for a cessation of hostilities and for the gospel to go out among Syrians, including the hundreds of thousands of refugees still living in Jordan and other countries. 

How close are we to the day when these prophecies will come to pass? We will see! The stunning beginning of a new Syria puts Damascus back on our prophetic map in a way it was not previously. All eyes should be on the Middle East, and especially upon Israel, as we see the Lord preparing the way for His return. 

Our marching orders and the work of Your Mission to the Jewish People does not change. We are committed to creatively and lovingly presenting the gospel—the good news of Jesus the Messiah, to the Jew first and also to the Gentiles (Romans 1:16). We need your prayers and your understanding of the times in which we live. 

I hope you enjoy the rest of this newsletter as we drill down on some key prophetic events detailed in Scripture. We read these in hope but also recognizing the warnings of judgments upon nations and individuals that are at the very core and heart of the biblical message. 

Jesus is coming, which means one thing for those who believe and quite another for those who do not! 

Standing for His truth with love and compassion for all!

1. Rosenberg, Joel C. “STUDU-Damascus Prophecies-R.” Joel C. Rosenberg, September 2013, http://www.joelrosenberg.com/files/2013/09/STUDY-Damascus-prophecies-R.pdf. ↩︎
2. Walter Kaiser, personal communication, email message to another. ↩︎