The Deep Prophetic Meaning of Modern Israel’s 70th Birthday
In 586 B.C., the Jews were exiled from Judea to Babylon. Jeremiah (Jer. 25:11-12) prophesied that the exile would last 70 years. Isaiah prophesied, some 150 years before it happened, that a ruler named Cyrus (Isa. 44:28) would be the instrument of the restoration. He would set the exiles free (Is. 45:13), rebuild Jerusalem (Is. 44:28, 45:13), and have the temple reconstructed (Isa. 45:13).
President Trump, in the 50th year, since Jerusalem was returned in full to Israel (1967), has stood with Israel as strongly as any U.S. president since Harry S. Truman. Truman was the first world leader to recognize the reborn nation of Israel. President Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital and pledged to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on Israel’s 70th anniversary, May 14. Many prophetic voices have called him a type of Cyrus.
Spiritual Significance
Someone asked me the other day, “What is the spiritual significance of this 70th year?” I was stunned I had not seen it sooner! Since June, just after we celebrated 50 years of a united Jerusalem, about 12 different Israeli ministries have been planning a major outreach with American evangelists Todd White, Tom Ruotolo and Robbie Dawkins, who move in healing and prophecy.
During this 70th year, we carried it out. Last week, we had more than 200 people on the streets of Jerusalem, not only preaching the good news of Yeshua, but also praying for sick and seeing them healed. There were many who had words of knowledge regarding sicknesses and family members in need. Several Israelis prayed to receive Yeshua.
Israeli believers found a boldness they had never known. One of them said that he moved to Israel more than 20 years ago and has always been paralyzed with fear. However, this week, he and his team boldly shared the gospel. He went to one of his clients with his team and the client was in severe back pain. This man was instantly healed and then told all his employees to come receive prayer, and they were healed.
As far as I know, this was the largest outreach of prophetic/healing evangelism in Jerusalem since the very first believers. And it happened just as we are approaching the 70th anniversary of the rebirth of Israel as a nation.
God’s Prophetic Timetable
Keep tracking with me for a minute. Asher Intrater wrote in his book Alignment that when Yeshua told His disciples in Acts 1, that God had the perfect timing for Israel’s restoration (Acts 1:7), He also told them that their focus, for now, did not need to be on Israel, but preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth.
So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or the dates, which the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:6-8).
2 Days Are Like 2,000 Years
In John 4, Yeshua leaves the Jews of Jerusalem to go reach the Jews of the Galilee. Yet, on the way, he purposely goes through gentile Samaria. Now I know some people teach that Samaritans were half Jews, but they were not. Yes, some intermarried with Israelites, but they came from the Assyrian kingdom after the 10 northern tribes were conquered.
I believe that Yeshua’s miracle of turning the water into the best wine was prophetic. God was saying that Yeshua, the bridegroom, has saved the best wine—revival—for the end times. It will be even greater than what we see in Acts. In John 4, Yeshua leaves the Israelite population—brings revival to a Samaritan town and stays with them for two days—and then returns to the Jews in the Galilee.
Peter tells us that, “With the Lord a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Pet. 3:8) The Lord spent two days with the gentiles, or symbolically 2,000 years. But then, He returns to the Galilee, and while they had rejected Him in the past, it says they welcomed Him (John 4:45).
Prophetic Meaning
Could this be foreshadowing that Yeshua would begin with the Jews, but then focus on the gospel going forth into all nations for 2,000 years, and then come back to the Jewish people, who will welcome Him? Yes, because this is exactly what Scripture says!
Yeshua tells the Jews of Jerusalem, “For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'” In Hebrew, this phrase, “Blessed is he who comes,” is how we greet people, even today. Yeshua is saying, “Until you—the Jewish people—welcome me, I will not return.”
Furthermore, we have this promise in Romans 11 that tells us only after a massive Gentile harvest, will revival come to Israel.
For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, lest you be wise in your own estimation, for a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved (Rom.11:25-26).
He calls this revelation a mystery and warns the Romans that they could miss it because of pride over Israel (Rom. 11:19-21). And here is the mystery: We are approaching or have already approached the fullness of the nations. Now it is time for Jewish harvest, even as Israel celebrates her 70th birthday since rebirth. It is time for the eyes of the Jewish people to be opened to her Messiah.
Hallelujah! God is the author of the times and dates, and He has woven a beautiful mosaic that will result in a great harvest in Israel and in the nations.
