Hosea 3:4-5 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.
A prayer frequently heard at the conclusion of Orthodox Jewish services is “Ani Ma’amin” translated, “I believe.” The full prayer is. “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Mashiach; and even though he may tarry, nevertheless, I wait each day for his coming.”
We know that Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) did not meet the expectations of the Pharisees at His first coming because they were jealous of Him and focused on a victorious king, “Mashiach ben David”, one who would rule on the throne of David, bring judgment to the wicked and restore the Temple and the Kingdom to Israel. So, to this day, Orthodox Jews anxiously await Messiah’s arrival, believing he could come at any time.
Now this important prophecy in Hosea, often overlooked, speaks of a period of time for many days when Israel would be without a King, or Prince, or a sacrifice, or other religious articles — but that in the latter days (the Hebrew literally means “the End of Days”) the nation will return, and seek the Lord and the Messiah — specifically “Mashiach ben David” — the Messiah Son of David. This time period began with the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD and continues to the present.
But even having missed the first coming of the true Messiah, still, the Jewish people nourish a continuing hope and expectation for His coming, which is included regularly in their liturgy. Enduring exile and persecution over many generations they have continued in the unwavering hope of his coming.
In light of this example of persevering hope among the Jewish people, how much more expectant and hopeful ought we to be who already truly know Him who is coming again for us…and for them? He who was resurrected from the dead — Yeshua, the “hope of glory”! As the earth continues to groan, and so do we, let’s keep our focus where it really belongs. He is coming soon. Even so, Come Lord Jesus!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]The parable of the fig tree is not just a message to observers — it’s a summons to the faithful. The fig tree puts out its leaves first, then comes the fruit. Spiritually, that’s a call to live in readiness even before the final harvest arrives. Yeshua (Jesus) tells His disciples, “Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).
Among all fruit-bearing trees, the fig tree is uniquely prophetic–because it is one of the few that produces two harvests in a single growing season. First comes the early crop in spring, known in Scripture as the “first ripe fig” (Isaiah 28:4), and then a second, more abundant harvest in late summer or early fall. This uncommon pattern is a living picture of prophecy woven into the fabric of creation.
Yeshua (Jesus) didn’t merely offer a suggestion–He issued a command: “Learn the parable.” In Greek, the word manthano (μανθάνω) implies disciplined learning, not casual observation. In Hebraic thought, to “learn” a parable means to press into its hidden meaning until it transforms how you live. The fig tree is not just a poetic image–it’s a prophetic mandate. And Yeshua expected His disciples, including us, to understand it deeply.
Yeshua (Jesus) used the fig tree—a familiar symbol in Israel’s botanical and prophetic world—as a teaching tool to awaken spiritual discernment. The fig tree, known for losing all its leaves in winter and budding again in spring, became a natural signpost to mark the changing seasons. In the same way, Jesus gave His disciples prophetic markers to discern a coming shift: wars, famines, false messiahs, persecution, lawlessness, and the global preaching of the gospel (Matthew 24:4–14).
On July 4th, America remembers a bold declaration — a break from tyranny, a longing for a better government, and the birth of a nation built on liberty. The Founders risked everything to establish a new way of life, one where freedom could flourish. Their cry was clear: “We will no longer be ruled by kings who oppress–we will be governed by laws that reflect liberty and justice.”
In a world full of uncertainty, this verse from Romans stands like a lighthouse in the storm: “The God of hope…” Not just the God who gives hope, but the very source of it. When everything around us seems shaken — economies falter, nations rage, relationships strain — it is the God of hope who remains unshaken and unchanging.
When Yeshua (Jesus) spoke these words not only to the seventy He sent ahead of Him, but to every disciple who follows Him into the world, it’s a striking picture: fields overflowing with a harvest, ready to be gathered. The problem isn’t the readiness of the harvest — it’s the shortage of workers willing to go.