As we continue this study of the Dead Sea Scrolls we jump to 1963 and the unearthing of Masada.
Flavius Josephus the Jewish historian recorded the tragic events at Masada in “The Jewish Wars.” Masada was ignored for years as it reminded the Rabbis of the failures of the many false messiahs that appeared after Yeshua (Jesus).
However, Yigael Yadin, the son of Eleazar Sukenik who originally purchased the first of the Dead Sea scrolls, led an international expedition to unearth the secrets of Masada. While many archaeologists revel in the massive building projects of Herod the Great and the ruins of the siege of Masada, I want to focus on the Biblical documents which were discovered there, since in the synagogue the Jewish rebels had constructed after they seized the Roman compound in 66 A.D, Yadin discovered fragments of Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones, [Ezekiel 37].
Ezekiel 37:7-8 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath [ruach] in them.
The prophet’s remarkable vision pertained explicitly to the restoration of Israel to the Promised Land, the first phase of which was merely physical, a necessary precursor to their spiritual restoration when the breath or Ruach of God would be poured out upon the restored nation.
Once again, an archaeological discovery of Biblical text containing Ezekiel’s vision illustrated precisely where Israel was in their present history… the physical restoration of the Jewish people to their Land. The same passage also foretold their restoration in the Spirit, and since Israel’s restoration is only partially completed, we continue to anticipate its fullness according to the sure word of prophecy. Just a few short years later, that restoration showed its first signs of life…
On June 7, 1967, Israel reclaimed the Temple Mount for the first time in 2000 years. Meanwhile on the other side of the globe in San Fransisco, on that same day, the Jesus movement was being birthed. Within just a few years, an enthusiastic community of Jesus-loving ex-hippies from the 60s took the world by storm and revival broke out; thousands of Jews came to faith in Yeshua (Jesus), beginning the spiritual rebirth of the Jewish nation foretold so many years ago in Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones. Quite a number of those new Jewish believers actually made aliyah and moved to Israel to participate in its spiritual renewal.
Don’t fail to recognize these amazing signs as prophetic events minutely correspond to archeological discoveries. We are witnessing fulfillments promised millennia ago in our modern times. The blossoming of the fig tree, a symbol for Israel, was one explicit sign given by Yeshua portending the end of the age and His soon return. “Learn the parable of the fig tree,” He said. When it becomes “tender and puts out leaves, know that summer is near”, the harvest is ripe and He is at the door. [Matthew 24:32-33]. In light of these things, let us watch and pray as never before, and keep our lamps filled with the oil of His Spirit, and let us remember, “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy; [Rev. 19:10].
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
How to display the above article within the Worthy Suite WordPress Plugin.
[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]We're hearing a lot of talk lately, on the internet and elsewhere, about the “End of Days”. The Hebrew phrase, “acharit hayamim”, often translated, “latter days” refers to the "end of days, or "last days”, mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, and refers to a critical period late in human history which is characterized by a great "pandemic" crisis and an ensuing panoramic recovery.
Over the past week, the world has experienced some intense birth pangs. If you’ve been reading Worthy News over the past week, it's been a busy week.
Isaiah tells us that the LORD'S Arm shall rule for Him and that He is coming with reward -- and a similar passage in Revelation declares that the Lord Yeshua (Jesus) is coming to reward His saints.
Yeshua (Jesus) gave us some signs and indications of what society would look like just before His return. One sign was the sign of Lot.
The Grand Canyon Park bookstore operated by the National Park Service found itself in the midst of some controversy a few years ago when they were selling a book written by creationists much to the ire of the National Center for Science Education.
@worthydevotions #mustardseed #faith #christian #worthydevotions
My wife and I are celebrating our 20-year wedding anniversary tomorrow and it would seem that I know her pretty well. But every once in a while, she says or does something that surprises me -- and I think to myself "Wow, I guess I didn't know her as well as I thought!" The more time I spend with her, the more I get to know her -- her heart, her character -- the more we become intimate.