Author: אות ומופת - אורנה גרינמן

Here is the recording of Session 3 in our series – The Warrior Bride.

Click here for a full list of recordings for this series

This is a long post, so please bear with me.

Israel has set for itself the goal of destroying Hamas. What does this mean for the Gaza Strip and its inhabitants? After all, not everyone who lives there is a member of Hamas. Is their fate tied to that of Hamas terrorists? And what does God say about them?

I delved into my Bible to find an answer to these troubling questions. I examined all the verses related to the Gaza Strip, in an attempt to ascertain its original purpose and how to pray for this destiny to be fulfilled.

The Bottom Line

I will start from the end. Experts say Gaza is the largest fortified destination in the world. Below the ground is an entire city of tunnels – death tunnels. Many of these tunnels were dug from within the living rooms of Gazan homes, barely covered with patches of carpets.

Gaza cannot fulfill its destiny without Israel stepping into hers. Its future is intertwined with that of Israel. This is how it has been throughout history, and so it will continue to be in the future.

Gaza in the OT

Gaza and the surrounding area are part of the land that God promised Israel (Gen. 15:18; Num. 34:5-6). Today, the area is called “the Gaza Strip,” but in the Bible it was referred to as “the land of the Philistines” (Ex. 13:17) and “Gerar” (Gen. 10:19).

The ancient inhabitants were called “Avvites.” Wandering tribes that came from the island of Caphtor = Crete in the 12th century BCE (Deut. 2:23; Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7) annihilated them. These tribes were called “Philistines,” likely because they invaded the area (the word Pleshet in Hebrew is derived from the root P.L.S, which means to invade. Deut. 2:23; Amos 9:7).

The Philistines were giants. Some of them had six fingers on each hand and six toes, like Goliath and the sons of Rapha. The Philistines excelled as blacksmiths. An important detail, as even today, many of the rockets the terrorists in Gaza fire towards Israel are made of flying metal tubes – poles usually used for hanging road signs upon on normal days. They fill them with homemade chemical compounds and turn them into missiles. Thus, although the origin of the population living there in biblical times has changed, it appears that the spirit that operated in the area has not been subdued, and continues to roam to this very day in similar ways.

According to some scholars, the Philistines invaded the area around the same time the tribes of Israel settled the land in the days of Joshua (this creates a few dating roblems, but I won’t go into it now). In God’s original plan, Gaza was part of the inheritance of Judah (Josh. 15:47). Judah tried to conquer it but only reached its border (10:41; 11:22), leaving the region as part of “the remaining land” that still needed to be conquered (13:1-3).

Since then, that area has never been fully assimilated or absorbed into any of the regimes or empires that conquered it throughout history. The spirit of Gaza has not been annihilated. The modern inhabitants of Gaza are not descendants of the Philistines. These were destroyed during the course of history (especially by Napoleon). The Gazan population today is primarily comprised of refugees, who fled from northern cities during the 1948 war, and Egyptians who migrated to the area over the past 200 years, either attempting to dilute the dense Egyptian population or seeking better living standards than they had in Egypt.

The First Real Estate Dispute

The first recorded real estate dispute in the Bible occurred in the Gaza region. It arose over wells – between Abraham (and later Isaac) and the King of Gerar (Gen. 20-21). It was also there that the first peace treaty took place between them (Gen. 21:32; 26:28-31).

Prayer

God, please raise in Gaza and its surroundings a leader who will make room for the descendants of Abraham, and convey to them what Abimelech said back than: “Behold, the land is before you; settle wherever you please” (Genesis 20:15); who will acknowledge that “God is with you in all that you do” (21:22). And also: “Show to me and to the land in which you have sojourned the same kindness that I have shown to you” (v. 23).

Raise from among them a leader who will be attentive to You and even hear You in a dream (20:3), who will uphold some measure of integrity and cleanliness of hands (v. 5-6).

Samson’s Love Affairs

Samson had a long and complicated history with women, all of whom were Philistine. The first woman betrayed him and disclosed his secret to her people. The second was a prostitute who lacked the courage to follow the footsteps of Rahab, the prostitute from Jericho (Jud. 16:1-2). The Gazan woman did not open the gates of the city before Samson, and the fear of God did not come upon her (compare with Josh. 2:9-13).

Then Samson fell in love with Delilah. She, too, did not possess the greatness of spirit and fear of God that Rahab had. She sought to expose the secret of his strength and nagged him, eventually leading to his death (Jud. 16:17). And Samson… he was full of pride and confidence in his physical strength. He apparently believed that his strength would remain even if he will violate God’s explicit commandment. He did not hesitate to reveal a particularly important secret, even when it was clear that the enemy had encircled him (v. 20).

“Now in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled. I cried out to You, O Lord; And to the Lord I made supplication” (Ps. 30:6-8).

Samson’s story concludes with a tragic downfall. Though he killed a significant number of Philistines in his death, he too did not ultimately defeat them.

Prayer

Father in Heaven, on October 7th You shook our source of strength. Many of the “solid” rocks that we used to lean on have crumbled, and You have dried up the main source of strength upon which we used to rely.

Please, Lord, do not let our souls die with the Philistines (Jud. 16:30). Turn Your Faces towards us and our faces towards You (Ps. 27:7-9), so that we may specifically resonate with the battle cry of David, who said:

“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (1. Sam. 17:45-47).

From Samuel to David

In Samuel’s days, the Philistines were the number 1 enemy of the nation (1 Sam. 4-5). Their repeated attacks were one of the reasons the people demanded a king, alongside the fact that Samuel was aging. Sad, as just before the last battle under Samuel’s leadership, the nation fully repented and removed their foreign gods (1 Sam. 7). In turn, God demonstrated His faithfulness, struck the Philistines and returned some of the conquered cities to the people (v. 10-13).

The plan for a permanent victory was right in front of their eyes, yet the people basically said: “we are not convinced the next generation would also put their trust in God. We don’t have the strength to endure these cycles of short operations, temporary and repeated attacks. We need a flesh-and-blood leader to head our army” (1 Sam. 8:5).

Saul, the first king, together with his three sons, died in one of the battles against the Philistines, who by that point had expanded toward the center and the north of the land. Later, David managed to halt their expansion and pushed them back to the coastal plain, but he too did not completely annihilate them.

Some of the Philistines even became warriors in his army, particularly the Cherethites (likely derived from the name of their place of origin – Crete, see 2 Sam. 20:23) and the Pelethites (an abbreviation for “Philistine” (2 Sam. 8:18). These units served as the king’s personal bodyguards under the command of Ittai the Gittite, also a Philistine.

Prayer

Father, I pray for a miracle the likes of which the eye has not seen in our time, nor has the ear heard. I ask that from among the ranks of the enemy, from the modern edition of the inhabitants of “Philistine,” You will form special elite forces of “Cherethites” and “Pelethites.” Please raise individuals who fear You, recognize the promises You made regarding this land, and surprise us all with their dedication to You and Your people. Raise up from among them some faithful bodyguards, righteous warriors, men of valor.

From Solomon to Isaiah

The kingdom of Solomon did reach Gaza (1 Kings 5:4), but it’s not clear from the text if it included the city itself. Even if it did, it seems like he did not drive the Philistines away, as they show up again later on.

I won’t detail the names of all the kings and their wars in Gaza, apart from Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat. An event that happened in his days might reflect some of the events of the past month. Jehoram assassinated all his brothers, and under the influence of his wife Athaliah (the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel), he restored idol worship to the kingdom of Judah. At that point God “stirred up the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs.” This is a unique mention that combines these two powers. They attacked Judah, ransacked the king’s palace and took his sons and wives captive (2 Ch. 21:16).

Isaiah rebuked the people for the custom of divining the future using clouds, just like the Philistines did (9:11). He also said that God used the Philistines to judge Israel with severe justice. As it was then, so it is now.

Prayer

Father, please reveal the foundations of the spirit that operated in that region and still acts there to this day. In what way is the collaboration between the Philistines and Arabs still valid, and how can we restrict this spirit, so that it cannot repeatedly rise again? Is our desire to foresee the future using various means the cause for the spirit of the Philistines to rise against us?

I am asking for divine intelligence, for information that originates in the heavens. Give us specific instructions so we can loose what should be loosened and bind what needs to be bound and confined. In the name of Yeshua, and because of the heavy price He paid in order to release us from bondage and captivity.

From Rome till Now

Gaza has continued to pass from hand to hand. Greece, Rome, Byzantium, Napoleon and others. For a short time, it was ruled by the Egyptians, and then came the Ottomans, followed by and British. Occasionally, even by Israel.

The Romans changed the area’s name from “Judea” to “Syria-Palaestina” (derived from “Philistia”). This name was used in the writings of Greek and Roman writers and in those of the Church Fathers. Over time it became “Palestine,” and this confusion is identified today with the Arab entity that emerged in the region in the 20th century. But I won’t elaborate here on this historical distortion.

Some Jews who were expelled from Spain and Portugal during the Spanish Inquisition (1492) fled to Israel, settled in Gaza and established a thriving settlement engaged in trade and agriculture. About 200 years later, an interesting event took place in Gaza.

Shabbetai Zvi was a Jew. He was born in Turkey and became notorious as a false messiah – one of the most famous false messiahs in Judaism. His most devout disciple, a Jew from Gaza named Nathan, declared in 1660 that Shabbetai was the messiah, thus turning Gaza into the center of a false messianic cult. It all began when Nathan announced in the Gaza synagogue: “This is the savior of Israel, the divine messiah of Jacob.” The entire congregation replied: “May our king, Shabbetai, live forever.”

Shabbetai was followed by many throughout the Jewish world. But at a certain stage, pressure was exerted on him by the Ottoman authorities who ruled this region, and he had to choose between conversion to Islam or death. He chose life and converted, causing upheaval in the Jewish world and further schisms.

In 1956, Israel briefly occupied the Gaza Strip and later handed it over to Egypt. During the Six-Day War, Israel retook it from the Egyptians, and established Jewish settlements throughout the Strip. However, in 2005 Israel handed the strip to the Palestinian Authority and removed all its forces and citizens from there.

In 2006, Hamas won the elections. Terror attacks increased, and Israel closed the passage between the Strip and Israel. Following repeated operations intended to weaken Hamas’ power and dismantle its “Iron Fist,” we find ourselves where we are today.

The Future of Gaza and Philistia

God promised that after gathering the outcasts of Israel, He would put an end to the enmity between Judah and Ephraim, and that together they would conquer the Philistine territory (Is. 11:13-14). This is an intriguing statement, given the recent division seen in Israel up until October 6th (Judah and Ephraim in modern terms). The attack that took place on Sabbath morning ended the hostility between the two camps, who up to that point were protesting daily. Will the second part of the promise also be fulfilled during the present war? Will both camps conquer the region together?

Jeremiah prophesied that the Philistines would drink from the cup of God’s wrath (25:15) until they were drunk and would fall, never to rise again because of the sword sent among them (v. 27).

Ezekiel declared that God would stretch out His hand against the Philistines, cutting them off and bringing a great vengeance upon them (25:17). Amos (1:8), Obadiah (v. 19), and Zephaniah (2:4-5) prophesied the destruction of Gaza by fire that would consume its magnificent houses and walls.

Zephaniah further stated that the house of Judah would settle where the Philistines once lived (2:6-7). Notice the phrase “…when I return your captives” (end of Zep. 3:20). This is a triple promise: God will restore the captives, return them to their land, and most importantly, will bring them back to Himself. In Hebrew, all these motifs are encompassed in this short prophecy.

The last prophecy I want to quote is from Zechariah 9:5. When the cities of the Philistines will witness the destruction that God will bring upon the enemies of Israel, they will be filled with fear and shame. The senior leader of Gaza will perish, and God will cut off the pride of the Philistines, removing their thirst for blood (I cannot but recall the monstrous descriptions of what took place on October 7th), and whoever remains there will belong to God and will gain the status of “a leader in Judah.”

And so, Zechariah provides somewhat of an answer to one of the prayers I previously wrote: May God cut off from the Gaza Strip those who are thirsty for blood and are full of hatred. And may the remaining few who will be left there belong to God and gain the status of heroes, just like the Cherethites and the Pelethites, just like Ittai the Gittite from Gath, who was David’s own bodyguard, just like Rahab, who moved from the margins of her society to the mainstream in the tribe of Judah.

God promises that He will encamp around His house like a military force, protecting it from every passerby, so that no oppressor will ever pass through or strike them again (Zec. 9:8).

Prayer

Please, Lord, raise from Gaza an equivalent to the strong-willed woman You brought forth in Jericho. Even if it is just one woman, perhaps living right now on the fringes of society, who may even be living in sin. Awaken in her a fear of Heaven, as You did with Rahab. Assure her that she and all her household will be saved if she chooses the right path. Encamp around them, Lord, like a force that won’t let any oppressor harm them anymore.

Gaza in the NT

Gaza is mentioned only once in the NT, and nothing can sum up this article better than that one mention. An angel of the Lord sent Philip to the road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza. There Philip met the Ethiopian eunuch and explained to him parts of the book of Isaiah. The story peaks when the eunuch declares his belief and seeks to be baptized when they reached a place with water.

And so, the biblical story of Gaza, which began with a quarrel over water sources, continues today in a subterranean world. There, contrary to wells that produce living water, a system of death occurs in underground tunnels. However, the NT sets the tone and marks the destiny of the region: immersion into new life within a source of living water, originating in the same region, ending in a covenant of peace.

By the way, the Spirit of the Lord worked another miracle there. After the eunuch’s baptism, the Spirit snatched Philip and transported him to the Philistine city of Ashdod, from where he journeyed through all the towns northwards, up to Caesarea and declared the Good News throughout the region (Acts 8:26-40).

One Last Prayer

Jesus, the region that was once the territory of fierce Philistines and enemies of your Name, heard the Good News. Against the spirits of the Philistines and the Arabs that are active there, I ask that you awaken the Holy Spirit, snatch those who belong to You, those You desire to make champions in Judea. Fill them with the necessary strength to take a region soaked in blood and turn it into a testimony that belongs in the Kingdom.

The word “Gaza” means a mighty and fortified city, but also cruelty and oppression. When Samson provided the solution to the riddle, he posed to the Philistines, he played a word game with the name of Gaza, their city. “From the devourer came something to eat, and from the strong (Az = Gaza) came something sweet” (Judges 14:14).

In light of this, I ask that the spirit dwelling in Gaza, which combines the spirit of the iron-willed Philistines with the spirit of the Arabs, be overtaken – something that no one else can manage but You, the God of Israel’s hosts. Only You can utterly destroy it to its foundations and send it to the place where it belongs. You are the One and only Who can turn something sent out to devour us and the inhabitants of Gaza into something sweet. In Yeshua’s name!

Here’s is the recording of the second session in our series.

If you are on WhatsApp and are not yet added to the notification group for this series, please send a text to 1-423-827-9836 requesting to be added.

We look forward to seeing you next time.

Click here for the full list of recordings for this series

Here is the the recording of our first session of weekly debriefs.

We want to thank all of you who were able to join us, and hope the rest of you can join us for future sessions.

If you are on WhatsApp and would like to receive updates on our sessions that way, please send a request to be added to the group to 1-423-827-9836.

Friday morning I went to the nearby market (Mahaneh Yehuda) to do some shopping for Shabbat. Suddenly, among the stalls, young guys wearing kippahs started to appear. They raised flags, used a loudspeaker, made a circle within the crowd of passersby, and began singing “Am Yisrael Chai” (the people of Israel live).

A significant part of our national backbone has faltered two weeks ago. These are major backbones we relied on as a nation. Institutions that were meant to protect us, care for the wounded, tend to the bodies, failed in their mission and took days to recover.

But the people themselves have demonstrated an incredible resilience. Every day I receive messages about various needs of families who left their homes in the south or north and are left without shelter, food, clean laundry; of soldiers without equipment; of trauma and anxiety victims. I contact someof them immediately, and without fail, find that the need is met above and beyond. How? Countless initiatives that ordinary people, not government officials or some institution, take.

In the video, the guys sing, among other things: “Satiate us from Your goodness and purify our hearts to truly serve You.” Pay attention to the guy on the left with a red shirt and a water bottle in his hand. At a certain point, towards the end of the clip, he sprinkles water unintentionally on the dancing circle. Immediately I thought of God’s promise to pour pure water on us and give us a new spirit (Ezk. 36:25), and to turn our hearts toward Him.

Indeed, God, Am Yisrael Chai, for Your promises are alive and enduring. I ask that soon, in our days and at this time, You will pour pure water upon us. Use this current crisis and the hunger it creates to direct our gaze towards You and satisfy us from Your goodness.

Shabbat Shalom.

Sunday evening, October 15.

Eight days since the war started. Eight days in a scary, brutal captivity for more than 15 kids, more than 100 civilians.

Eight days had passed since many factors we used to rely on as a nation (IDF, police, an ambulance to help the wounded, a quick clearance of the dead, a government who will answer some of the tormenting questions) proved dysfunctional.

We are so used to lift our eyes up to some mountains and ask: “where will our help come from?” (Ps. 121:1-2).

But God had pulled each one of these “mountains” from underneath our feet. How long will it take us to move from v. 1 to v. 2?

Here is a short clip I filmed this evening, in an attempt to explain some of it.

Tuesday, October 17th.

Day 10 since “Iron Swords” started. Israel is going through a shift in her identity. In that process, will we finally be able to see God as our “Ishy” – our personal Husband, or will we run to other husbands – ba’als?

Watch the short clip, where Orna talks about it.

Wednesday, October 18th.

Day 11. This morning I took some friends to the Jordan Valley, to a pray in a unique spot called “the Hill of Foreskin”, near Gilgal, between Mt. Nebo and Jericho. This is where Joshua circumcised all the men (hundreds of thousands) just after they crossed the river into the Holy Land, and right before they conquered Jericho (Josh. 5:2-3).

As we were praying for a deep circumcision of hearts all over our nation, my friend Sarah looked towards Jericho, and started praying for the “Rahabs” in Gaza.

She prayed that while Israel is preparing to send troops into Gaza in order to put an end to the Hamas regime, God will raise up Rahabs throughout Gaza – people who will watch how the Lord of Hosts is leading His people in battle, and will have the fear of the Lord upon them (Josh. 2: 9-10).

That these “Rahabs” will provide food and shelter even for those who were taken into captivity last week; that they will not be afraid to choose the right side, even in the face of danger (v. 11).

We then blessed them – that God will honor their courage and will save them and their entire families, just as He did with Rahab in a similar situation (v. 12-14).

Thank you for praying, for carrying us, for caring for the details. I have been posting updates on Facebook. Here are some of them, for those of you who do not have FB accounts.

Sunday, October 8th, a day after the war started.

Many of you ask how am I doing. Well…

Yesterday I couldn’t do anything other than watching the drama unfold. There are many mind-blowing questions that need to be answered (e.g.: how come the most sophisticated technology, that detects a balloon flying over the border, does not detect dozens of terrorists destroying the fence, stealing machines, driving more than 25 km, taking 100+ hostages, and marching back with them at least 7 km back into Gaza. We have soldiers sitting along the border and watching every cm around the clock. How can that happen?)

This morning I choose to work on my level of faith. I am checking my heart and asking God to restore, refresh and grant me what I lack. I am struggling to lift up my eyes above circumstances and see His Might Hands above the details. And I am preparing myself a quiver of verses that I can declare, until I see them becoming a reality. So that’s where I am right now.

None of my family and relatives suffered casualties, but we do know of people whose family members were either murdered or wounded. Many Messianic kids and fathers were called up for reserve duty, as we are in a war. It’s not just a short army operation that can end tomorrow. So our hearts are with them and with the kids, who watched horror pics yesterday, than saw their dads or big brothers wearing uniform and leave so quickly.

This is a time of great trouble for “Jacob”, so I am asking God to save many through it; that many eyes will turn to Him and realize we DO have someone to rely on, and that He DOES know how to lead an army in battle, and that His eyes are ALWAYS open and He knows what He is doing.

Monday, October 9th, 2023

Monday afternoon, third day since “Iron Swords” begun.

The numbers, the pictures, the stories – it’s all beyond our cpacity to contain or digest.

As we listen to the stories, we realize some miracles have already taken place. Like the woman who was kidnapped from her closet, where she was hiding. She was not dressed modest enough to the standards of the Hamas terrorists, so they dressed her up in three layers.

A minute later she finds the two babies of her neighbors in her home, without their parents (the father was found alive later on, the mother is still missing) – a 4 years old and 4 months old babies. The terrorists start walking them out the gate, through a long path in the desert, and into Gaza. The 4 year old was wounded, so one terrorist carried him on his shoulders while the infant kept screaming.

She thought of the worst of course, and than… all of a sudden, the terrorists let them go. She turned back and walked with a baby and a bleeding child in her arms. She lost all sense of time, so she can’t even tell how long that took, and why they let her go.

My heart bleeds for the hostages. I can’t go there of course, I can’t even drive into the southern region right now, I can’t do much to practically help. My legs and feet are not needed there right now. But I can combine my mouth with the bleeding spot in my heart, sprinkle some faith on it and shoot sharp arrows of Truth into a realm I don’t fully understand, believing this is how God marches His hosts.

Please join us. Find verses that you have faith to see them becoming a reality, and each time you watch the news or think about us, turn these verses into a war cry and target the spiritual enemy with them.

Verses such as 1 Sam. 17:45:

You, Hamas, come against us with swords and spears and javelins, but we come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

Tuesday, October 10th, 2023.

Tuesay afernoon. My grandmother Zilpa was only 3 years old when the local kozaks in Kishinov (now the capital of Moldova), moved around the city, and butchered and masacred the Jewish population. The descriptions were horrific. Her father, my great grandfather, was among them. [you can read more about this family history at https://ornagrinmandotcom.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php…]

My grandmother survived, but obviously could never tell how exactly. Whenever I recall this, I wonder how the kozaks did not hear her cry and kill her too. Did someone put their hand on her mouth? Three days. Did anyone feed her, hug her, comfort her?

As stories from this week’s terror attack keep pouring in, I realize: this is not just a terror attack, it’s a pogrom. A modern version of the same old thing. Babies, some of them younger than 3 year old, were locked up in a room or a closet for a day or two, and against all odds – survived.

These images are deeply carved in my memory, and awaken some old, well hidden fears. In the face of these feelings and the severe judgement our nation is experiencing, I make one more choice, my daily routine these days. I choose to recall Rom, 11: 1, and remind myself and my loved ones: God had not abandoned His people. If we wonder about that, we can rely on Paul’s determined statement in that verse: “By no means! No way!”

“For the Lord will not abandon His people; He will never forsake His inheritance. Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it” (Ps. 94:15 ff).

_{With my grandmother, Zilpa}

Wednesday, October 11th, 2023.

Wednesday evening. I passed by the neighborhood flower shop and this is what I saw on their counters.

“O, no”, I said, “Where do all these wreaths go to?”

The owner said: “I don’t know the names of those who will be buried with these wreaths. But I have already prepared more than 30 like these since yesterday”.

The burials started all over the country. Yet, so many victims have been butchered to such a degree, that the identification process will take a long time. We don’t have enough manpower and equipment in Israel to deal with so many bodies simultaneously.

In the meantime, where do you keep the bodies? Israel quickly opened a special place just for that cause, and the religious experts work around the clock to prepare the bodies that have been identified for burial.

Until than, the families of all those who are still missing (hundreds of them) sit nervously outside, waiting eagerly to hear any piece of news. If their loved ones are identified, that means they are not hostages in Gaza. If they’re not, that means one more night and one more day until MAYBE their loved one is identified, or perhaps that means he or she are in Gaza.

Both two terrible options to hang your hopes in between.

As they go through this horrific experience, we can pray that this impossible corner, where no authority can ease their pain, they will lift their heads up and cry out to the only One who really knows where their loved ones are.

Lord, reveal Your Son to these people. Comfort them and gather them under Your wings. In Yeshua’s name!

Thursday, October 12th, 2023.

Six days since “Iron Swords” War broke. Endless corpses are collected every day, and there are still so many lying around.

“Zaka” is an Orthodox organization, the one in charge of removal of corpses and burial. All their workers are volunteers, all of them Orthodox. They say that the mass of equipment they usually need for 4 years’ labor, is gone now in just 3 days.

The level of butchery they witness is unfathomable. It will take time to collect everything. Ezk. 39:12 describes how it’s going to take 7 months to burry all the dead and purify the Land after the war of Gog and Magog. Until now, I just couldn’t understand how could that happen. Now I do.

These “Zaka” workers are motivated by a unique understanding of how death defiles the soil on which they lie. They don’t just want to clean up, they are looking for purification of the ground (v. 14-15).

Today I ask you to hold them up in your prayers. Pray that the level of death and cruelty they see every day this week, during the endless hours of collecting body parts, will not harden their hearts, but do the opposite. And that in their pursuit of purity and holiness, something will click in their spirits, and they will realize that there is a missing ingredient, that without it no full purification can take place. That this level of defilement can only be purified with Blood that was poured once and for all straight from Heaven.

^{ZAKA volunteers collecting body parts following a bombing (occurred several years ago)}

When Moses descended from Mt. Sinai holding the two Tablets in his hands, his face was radiant to such an extent, that the people were afraid to approach him (Ex.34:29).

Why did it shine so bright? Perhaps it was because he had seen the Faces of God, but I’m not so sure about that. After all, this wasn’t the first time that he had seen God Faces to face (Ex. 33:11). So, what was different this time?

This time, Moses held Stone Tablets with letters engraved on them (2 Cor. 3:7). Paul said that these letters “kill” (verse 6) and “condemn” (verse 9). But despite this, they radiated glory on Moses’s face. Interesting!

Temporary Radiance

The radiance on his face is referred to in the Bible as a “glory (in Hebrew – radiance) which was passing away” (verse 7). Indeed, such was the radiance of the letters of the Torah and the commandments it contained. It shone from the Stones unto Moses’ face, and its intensity made it impossible for the people to look upon him. Moses had no choice but to cover his face.

I wonder what Moses’ face would have looked like had he been privileged to behold not only mere letters engraved in stone, such that can kill and condemn, but the Word Himself, who had put on flesh. The NT gives us a glimpse into it, when it describes the unique event on the mount of transfiguration (Luke
9:29-31), but it doesn’t tell us much about Moses’ face. The OT records the one time God permitted Moses to glimpse His glory. Apparently, God shielded Moses’ eyes to preserve his life (Exodus 33:20-23).

The Veil Descends

Approximately 40 years later, shortly after Moses’ death, the veil that was on his face grew thicker and heavier and descended onto the hearts of each individual among the people of Israel. I am sad each time I think about how this veil continues to cover the hearts of so many among my people to this day.

Many among us still do not fully grasp that that which was “passing away”, as Saul referred to the glory of the carved letters (2 Corinthians 3:13), is over. That the Torah is merely a tutor, guiding us to the ultimate Truth. This heavy veil still stirs the fear of death within us of what will happen if we won’t fully heed every letter that Moses engraved on the stone tablets (not to mention the myriad of letters written since, which are considered sacred and authoritative to this day).

The true essence, the “ministry of righteousness” (verse 9), whose glory and radiance are far superior and excellent (verse 10), terrify us. We are fearful to look upon it. Much the same we are clueless to the fact that the Faces of Yeshua are the real thing.

But a day will come when our eyes will be lifted and we will look upon Him, as the prophet Zechariah promises. On that day, we will understand that the Living Letters were pierced for our transgressions, and we will weep bitterly.

Until then, I remind myself that Yeshua, the Word that will never “pass away”, paid the full price, including the price for the veil itself.

How Exactly?

I’ve been pondering about that. How did Yeshua pay for the terrible punishment called the “Hidden Faces of God”? [for more on the subject, click here: https://ornagrinman.com/2019/06/08/faces-or-a-mask-a-midrash-for-shavuot/ or check out this video on YouTube The Hidden Faces of God]. The fact that His Faces are hidden from us is the punishment, so how can Yeshua be both the atonement as well as the punishment?

As I was pondering about it a few days ago, I immediately recalled that terrible moment, when He cried out on the cross: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?).

There, on the cross, the hiding and the revealing crossed each other’s path. It was a junction, when the loving, intimate and manifest Face of His heavenly Father, the Face He could behold whenever he desired, was hidden from Him. On the cross Yeshua cried out to His Father, together with His nation: “Why have You forsaken us? Why are You hidden?”

And there He had also cried out to us: “Why have you all – my brothers, my sisters – forsaken Me?”

Pray With Us and For Us

On Yom Kippur, which is just a few days away, Jews all over the world, and especially the religious and observant ones, will gather in the synagogues. They will afflict their souls and hope that a day will come, in which they will be fortunate enough to see the glory of God. They are still seeking it through letters that can only kill and condemn, but we can pray that God will breathe life over these letters .

As they pray and recite the letters that are part of the “system of death”, we can pray that hearts will turn to the living Messiah. That the veil be removed, and that His brothers and sisters will see without fear of death or condemnation the “unveiled” (verse 18) Faces of the Jewish Messiah.

In response to my Emergency order #8 – צו 8 video, many have been asking how they can fill their quivers with more arrows.

Here are some tips and instructions that can help.

Your worst wounds and battles are not something to suppress or ignore, but a way to manifest God’s incredible Glory. So we invite you to join a special program, that will transform your innermost being and equip you with tools that can turn you into a victorious child of God, a Tabernacle Builder, a healthy and active disciple.

^{The Mercy Seat – a piece from our half-scaled model of the Tabernacle}

Your Pain, His Glory

What is causing you much pain, tormenting you and pushing your buttons? We all have our battlegrounds – problems, sins or bad habits we seem to never get rid of. For a while we may manage to defeat or control them, but then they rear up their ugly heads all over again, and we find out that the root is still there.

Over the years we have developed a powerful course, designed to help the followers of Yeshua practice in their personal lives what the People of Israel were called to do in the original Tabernacle, so that God’s glory can replace the shame, guilt, fear, and any other struggle.

Doing On Earth What is Done in Heaven

The seminar “Walking Through the Tabernacle” is based on the pattern of the Tabernacle built by Moses. This was God’s original design, His way to turn a mob of broken slaves into children of God, warriors, priests.

What worked for them must work for us, if we learn the principles and apply them. This seminar was developed through our own life experiences, and while ministering to extremely broken people. It is a thorough and intense discipleship course, that have proven itself through the lasting results and the revolution it created in the lives of those who chose to walk through it.

Practical Details

The full seminar lasts seven months. Shorter versions of it were offered in Israel and in several places around the world. We now offer the full program in Israel to English speakers, over a period of 9 consecutive days. The next seminar will be held in the old city of Jerusalem, with some of the main Biblical locations as the backdrop.

The dates are September 1-11, 2023 (including 2 days for arrival and departure).

If you would like to join this unique program, please email us for further details at otoomofet@gmail.com.

Some Testimonials