As President Bush’s “Coalition of the Willing” executed one of the most brilliant military campaigns the world has ever experienced, demonstrators throughout the Islamic world cried out in protest—“American and British forces are battling to create a Greater Israel.”

It is interesting to note that their cry was not about a greater Jewish State, but a Greater Israel.

Although George Bush, Tony Blair, and the Western World may not clearly understand the motives of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the “Ultimate Director of Operations”— our adversary, Satan (Saddam’s boss), does understand. Hence, the Islamic demonstrators, people who serve another god, were partly correct in their charge that the ultimate purpose was the creation of a Greater Israel.

The Bible defines Greater Israel as the Land from the Euphrates river to the river of Egypt (Genesis 15:18; 17:7-8; 35:12). This is the Land promised by YHVH to the fruit of Abraham’s lions, and it was given to them as an everlasting inheritance (Genesis 15:4-5; 17:2).

This chosen fruit would be multiplied through the patriarchal loins of Isaac and Jacob, by Jacob’s twelve sons (whom YHVH called Israel), then down through the ages to all who would follow the Holy One of Israel.

This is the same Land from which our Messiah commanded His disciples to be His witnesses—until the consummation of the world.

Following His resurrection, Yeshua appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days and taught them about His Kingdom.

We can therefore understand the reason for His disciples’ final question to Him that fateful day on the Mount of Olives as He prepared for His ascension into Heaven. “Is it now that your are restoring the Kingdom to Israel?” they asked.

Yeshua assured them that the Father had already established the time when the Kingdom would be restored, but that its timing was not for them to know. Rather, they were to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, all Judea, and Samaria until the consummation of the world (Acts 1-8).

Today the heart of this area, in which we who follow in the footsteps of Yeshua’s disciples are commanded to be witnesses, is being defined by the world as the "State of Palestine." It is an area that has been abandoned by Yeshua’s disciples of our generation. It is now in the hands of a different people, the majority of whom serve another god.

It is evident that YHVH is now taking action to correct this intolerable situation. Over the last century we have seen the tents of Judah coming up first and returning to a small portion of the Land. Can the tents of Joseph be far behind?

In the past few months we have witnessed another miracle. What might very well be called an “Ephraimite army” that in biblical fashion conquered a more numerous foe. This is not to say that all members of the Coalition of the Willing were Ephraimites, but it is my personal belief that a great many were. For Scripture tells us that Ephraim is in the West (Hosea 11:10).

The majority of those Ephraimites may not understand their full identity or purpose, yet they are a good example of Ephraim becoming a mighty man. Today he stands at the Euphrates River, having toppled the statue of Saddam. Now he is looking southwest, rattling his saber in the face of Syria, who controls another portion of the Promised Land.

Whether he realizes it or not, he will probably be used by the Almighty to topple other statues, high places, and pillars that honor other gods. For the Father speaks of a day when He says: ... “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

What does Yeshua expect of us, His disciples in this last hour, as He prepares the world to be handed over to His Father?

He said that His mission, which He initiated some two thousand years ago, was the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel.

We find a personal answer in the definition of our name, or title of “disciple.” The Oxford University Dictionary says a disciple is: 1) a personal follower of Christ during his life, especially one of the twelve Apostles; 2) a follower or pupil of a teacher, leader, or philosophy.

We who are personal followers of Yeshua are first pupils and students. But the day comes when we graduate and become teachers and leaders of pupils and students.

As Messianic Israelites, we need to be graduates. And it is time for us to show our gratitude for the unmerited favor of rediscovering our heritage and realizing our true identity as being part of the people of Israel.

This knowledge has changed our lives. Love cries out for us to change the lives of others. Therefore, it is our task, or privilege, to take this message to the lost sheep of the whole house of Israel.

Our Father says that He will gather the remnant of His flock out of all the countries where He has driven them and bring them back to their own soil (Jeremiah 23:1-8).

The way He will do this is to work through men and women to accomplish His goals. And those goals are:

• Secure the Land
• Identify the people
• Make it possible for them to return
  

We see steps being taken to secure the Land, and some limited steps being taken to identify the lost sheep.

To appreciate the importance of this message, let us take a key page out of the history of Christianity. Over the past two thousand years, the fundamental message has been, and still is, a message of “personal salvation.” As a result of this dedication to a single basic message, today there are over two billion people on earth who identify themselves as Christians.

In the same manner, our introductory message is “Identity"—Identify the people of Israel. Our job is to fulfill the Father’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by helping some two hundred million lost sheep begin to come to know who they are in the Messiah (Jeremiah 31:18)—and to help them return to their own soil.

In the natural this is an impossible task. Yet our witness must be that of Joshua and Caleb: “We are well able to accomplish it.”

Remember what happened to the remaining 603,548 men of Joshua and Caleb’s generation. The Father’s judgment of these men was that they were a wicked and perverse generation and that they would never enter His rest (Hebrews 3:11). Why? Because they did not believe that they were able to take the promised land.

What will be the judgment of those in our generation who follow in their footsteps of unbelief?

I believe that it will be the same judgment meted out to the generation of unbelievers in the wilderness. So, let us follow the example of Joshua and Caleb, and walk in faith, crossing our Jordan rivers and bringing down the walls and obstacles that stand in our way.

We have been given tools to do the job, and if each one of us will pick up the tools and ask the Ruach ha Kodesh for the opportunity to use them, we will find open doors.

Our primary identifying tool is the small book Ephraim and Judah: Israel Revealed. This book is a “Readers Digest” type version of Batya’s book Who is Israel?

This little book has already been used to help thousands understand that they are part of the people of Israel. Imagine what would happen if each Messianic Israelite gave away a minimum of ten of these books in the next thirty days, then encouraged each recipient to read it and pass it on.

What do you think would happen?

First of all, I believe Yeshua would be pleased that you were taking positive action to accomplish His will on earth. Secondly, I believe that we would be advancing the process of turning an upside down world right side up Then our closing Passover Seder prayer, “Next year in Jerusalem,” could become reality in our lifetime.

Let us be encouraged by the words of the two men in white who stood beside the disciples on that fateful day on the Mount of Olives as they watched Yeshua ascend into heaven. “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Yeshua, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

As disciples of this generation, the Jubilee generation, we may well be standing on the Mount of Olives when the words of these two witnesses come to pass. However, be assured that the multitude on the Mount of Olives which will welcome the return of King Yeshua will not be Palestinians who serve another god. Nor will it be the numerous Robinson Carusos who have an individual relationship with the Messiah, but have no relationship with the people on the islands around them.

The welcoming committee for the King who comes to dwell with His people will be composed of Israelites—people who have an individual relationship with Him and have experienced His salvation, and who have an appreciation of their heritage and national identity. They will be a people who see themselves as part of the people of Israel, and as the fulfillment of the promises that were made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The good news is that we have been given the job to assemble the welcoming committee.

More good news. The assembly tools are inexpensive.

The cost of ten Ephraim and Judah: Israel Revealed is only $25.00 plus $6.75 shipping. The cost of 25 is $50.00 plus $7.75 shipping—just two dollars each. For the cost of a gourmet cup of coffee you can change someone’s life for all eternity.

Arise, O Mighty People of Ephraim

Arise to Your Mission and Call