Jeff Carter
We also know that when we make our needs known, you are so faithful to step up and support the work of this ministry. And you would not know the need unless we told you. So we are humbly spreading the word that we would covet your prayers at this time. Please pray that God would bring along the resources we need to continue His work. And also pray whether God might lead you to participate in a special way right now. Again, thank you so much for your sacrificial giving and for your heart for ministry. Your partnership with us is what enables this ministry to exist.
Many of you have been asking if Bob might be able to extend his class a bit on the First Regathering—and perhaps include at the end a segment that discusses not just the present state of Israel, but also what future Israel will look like. There is so much in prophecy about what God will accomplish through Israel in the last days—that it seems like a natural way to end this class. So the great news is that Bob will continue on, when he completes this current material in early March, to cover what prophecy about future Israel will look like. For those in Southern California, please join us Tuesday mornings (10:30 am) or Tuesday evenings (7:00 pm) for this exciting peek into the future. And for our web students, look for these new classes in early March!
In Jesus’ day, the largest fortress in the world was the impressive Masada, towering thousands of feet over the Judean wilderness. Located near the southern tip of the Dead Sea, Masada holds an incredible richness of history and imagery, and gives us a perfect picture of what a refuge or fortress is all about.
Following the death of Jesus, many Zealots, who had hoped He would be the political savior they had been waiting for, revolted against Rome. These Zealots fled to Masada to take refuge and ended up holding out for 3 years against the devastating Roman army. Upon realizing their certain defeat in their all but impregnable fortress, nearly one thousand Zealots took their own lives, rather than be conquered by the Romans. [For many years, modern Israeli army recruits swore their oath of allegiance at Masada, vowing never to let Masada fall again.]
Looking back a few years earlier, it was King Herod the Great (c. 32 B.C.), who had transformed Masada into a royal fortress, capable of housing thousands of his men for up to ten years. With hot and cold running water and a 3-level palace, Herod was prepared for any unforeseen attack.
But it is back even further, in the time of David that we see how Masada serves as the archetype refuge and fortress. When fleeing from the rage of King Saul, David sought refuge in the wilderness of Judea. In 1 Sam 23:14, it says that day after day Saul searched for David, but he could not find him, for God protected him.
David was hiding in the wilderness strongholds, in the same area where Masada was located. We don’t know for sure if Masada was one of his hiding places, but we get a hint in Psalm 18:2 where David cries out to God in praise for His deliverance. He says, “The Lord is my rock, my Masada (fortress), and my deliverer…” The word for fortress in Hebrew is “Masada.” It is very possible David was looking up at the extraordinary stronghold of Masada when he penned this Psalm. He goes on to say, “…my God, my strength, in whom will I trust; my buckler and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Rising 1,300 feet above the desert floor, Masada was certainly a high tower, and a perfect picture of refuge. Yet, even with this impressive fortress in his view, it was God who was truly the refuge for David, the only source of true protection and strength.
Purim is a Jewish festival that remembers the deliverance of the Jewish people under the Persian domination predicted in Daniel 2:39, 7:5, and 8:3‑20. The Jews had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians who were in turn conquered by the Medo-Persians. All were free to return to Israel, but only a remnant went back to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. The majority settled in the comfort and relative security of the Persian Empire. This disobedience was soon to be shattered by anti‑Semitism. In 2015, Purim begins at sunset Wednesday, March 4.
Happy Purim!
– Jeff