The opened scroll

Ukraine has entered a nightmare. Many have fled, Jews try to make Aliyah (return to Israel) and others try to stay with their homes. On tv we see the horrific images pass by.

The Bible book Revelation also just seems some sort of movie with a script of the world history. In almost every chapter you hear John say ‘and I saw…’. Jesus has foretold that His return will be preceded by lawlessness and enormous catastrophies that will hit the earth. Read Matthew 24. I received an email of someone with the following thought: The First World War prepared the land for the people (Israel) and the Second World War prepared the people for the land. Will a Third World War prepare Israel for her Messiah? Zechariah 12:10-14 promises outpooring of ‘the spirit of mercy and prayers over the house of David and the inhibitants of Jerusalem’. Is this the outpooring of the Holy Spirit? Nobody knows how everything will finish. What I do know is that God holds everything in His hands!

Aliyah from the North

“I will bring them from the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. The blind and the lame will come with them, pregnant women and those about to give birth. They will come back a great nation.”(Jer.31:8). The Israelian Law of Return says that ‘every Jew has the right to return to Israel’ and that every person with óne Jewish grandparent or who is married to a Jew has the right to settle himself in Israel. An immigration flow of Jews from the former Sovjetrepublics isn’t new to Israel. Since 1989 Israel has taken in over one million Jews. In the meantime Russian is the second language in Israel. Could it be that God uses this war to bring the rest of the Jews to Israel? God says ‘…not leaving even one of them behind’ (Ez.39:27-29). We don’t know the time exactly, fact is that still there are between 75,000 and 400,000 Jews in Ukraine, including thousands of Messianic believers. Also there are about half a million Russian Jews (!).

Black horse

‘I looked, and there was a black horse. Its rider held a pair of scales in his hand. I heard what sounded like a voice coming from among the four living creatures, which said, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages. But do not damage the olive trees and the vineyards!” (Rev 6: 5-6). When in the Bible book Revelation the six seals of the scroll are opened, four horses are described. First there is the white horse, then a red horse with power to take away the peace from the earth and then a black horse follows (third seal). The scale indicates the accurate measurement and distribution of food. An amount of wheat for one person for one day will cost a day salary. It means that the price of wheat will go to extreme heights, whereas products as wine and oil will have no damage. In this light I want to share the next thought with you. Ukraine is called the granary of Europe and that certainly applies to Israel and other countries. Israel is dependent of grain from Ukraine for 50%(!). That also applies to Libanon. For Egypt and Turkey that is respectively 86% and 75%! Ukraine and Russia together contribute for 30% of the total world grain export. In the meantime the supply routes through the Black Sea are blocked and grain export from Ukraine is mostly stopped. This war can cause food scarcity on world level. At the moment when I write this newsletter the wheat price is 40% higher.

Gods scroll

It is almost Pesach, when the massive exodus from the Jewish people from Egypt is commemorated. Jeremiah prophesies that there will be a time when no more the exodus from Egypt is commemorated but more than that the exodus that has led the Israelites from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had scattered them. ‘ I will bring them back to their own country, to the land that I gave their ancestors’ (Jer 16:15). But first Egypt had to be shaken with the purpose that everyone would know that the God of Israel was the only one on earth (Ex. 9: 14-16). That is how God will again establish a Name for the eyes of all nations by bringing His people home. Thén spiritual restoration will follow (Ez. 36: 22-28) and finally Jesus’ return. Because the Jewish people is a key tot he return of the Messiah, satan tries to oppose the salvation of the Jews by destroying them. Not Putin, Biden or anyonene else determines the world history. God is so souvereign over the nations and ‘He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live. He did this so that they would look for him…’ (Acts 17: 26-27). Gods scroll is opened; Jesus says: ‘Do not be affraid, for these things must happen’ (Matt 24). Only by the Lamb that was slain, His Name is Yeshua, He will finish His restoration plan and the history. So let us be not affraid, but take refuge in the hope that is set before us, as an anchor to our soul, that is steadvast and unshakable and reaches to the inner sactuary, behind the vail (Hebr. 6:19).