A Blessed Christmas & a Great Year 2013!

When the angels announce the birth of Christ to the shepherds near Bethlehem, they praise God and shout and sing: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)

When the crowd welcomes Jesus to Jerusalem, they joyfully praise God and shout: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke19:38)

When Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, He says: “I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:39)

Jesus did not say: You will never see Me again. He said: You will not see Me again UNTIL you say: Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord – Baruch haba beShem Adonai!
So one-day Israel WILL say: Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord – Baruch haba beShem Adonai!

The Jews are coming home to the Promised Land of Israel, already for over a hundred years.
Jerusalem is since 1967 the undivided capital of the State of Israel.
Jesus says that Jerusalem is the City of the Great King.

We are all waiting for the fulfillment of the two promises of the angel Gabriel to Mary.
Gabriel promised 2 things in Luke 1:31-33: “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His Kingdom will never end.”

The first promise has literally been fulfilled. The Holy Spirit created a holy child in the womb of His mother Mary. God would be His Father and she would be His mother. The virgin birth. The holy Son of God was born to be the Lamb of God. He came to be slain for the sins of the world. In order that you and I would not perish, but have life everlasting.

The second promise will also be literally fulfilled. One-day He will sit on the throne of His father David – and that throne stood in Jerusalem. One-day He will reign over the house of Jacob = the 12 tribes of Israel. And of His Kingdom there shall be no end.

One-day peace will flow from Jerusalem and cover the face of the earth. Isaiah prophecies in 2:2-4: “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”

And Israel will welcome Him, shouting: Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord – Baruch haba beShem Adonai! Blessed be the Son of David! (Matthew 21:9) Blessed be the coming kingdom of our father David! (Mark 11:10) Blessed be the King Who comes in the Name of the Lord! (Luke 19:38) Blessed is the King of Israel! (John 12:38)

That is why we pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
That is why we speak to the Church about the sin of replacement theology.
That is why we bless and comfort Israel in many ways.

On behalf of us all of Christians for Israel International: We wish you a Blessed Christmas and a great New Year – again one year closer to the Coming of the King in Glory!

Rev. Willem J. J. Glashouwer
President Christians for Israel International
Honorary President of the European Coalition for Israel

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