A TIME OF DIRE STRAITS

 

THIS WILL BE IN TWO PARTS

 

TUESDAY WILL BE PART TWO
 

 

 June 25 to July 16: It Is Time To Stand in the Gap!

“I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it.”(Ez 22:30)

The nations are determined to divide the Land of Israel. Israel is the Holy Land, the land that God calls His own. This is an extremely serious issue that involves His judgment on all the nations of the world. God says through the prophet Joel,

“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with themthere, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land.”(Joel 3:1-2)

 In 2002 Saudi Arabia put forth a so called peace initiative, saying that if Israel retreats to the borders it had before the Six Day War in 1967, the Arab nations will consider normalizing its relationship with Israel and end the conflict. This initiative is what President Obama is supporting, and it recently received renewed attention when the Emir of Qatar said that he could accept minor changes in the 1967 borders by swapping territories, accepting some of the larger Israeli settlements in exchange for the same amount of areas within Israel proper.

The famous Israeli UN ambassadors Abba Eban called Israel’s 1967 borders “Auschwitz borders,” since they are indefensible and would eventually lead to a second Holocaust. Besides, the prophetic word speaks time and time again about that it is specifically the area where a Palestinian state would be established and no Jews would be allowed to live, that God has promised His people to return to.

June 20 this year, US Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to be back again in the Middle East to push this peace initiative. It will be his fifth visit to Israel since he took office in January. In this short time period he has visited Israel just as many times as Hillary Clinton did during her entire time as Secretary of State. It is remarkable that when so many serious things are happening in the Middle East, he devotes so much time to this particular issue.

The Time Between Dire Straits
John Kerry has announced that he is planning to unveil the details of his peace initiative to push Israel back to her Auschwitz borders at the end of June or beginning of July. This is no coincidence. On Tuesday, June 25, begins the annual, difficult time period for the Jewish people of 21 days, called “The time between the straits” or “The time between dire straits.” The dictionary defines dire straits as: “a state of extreme distress, desperate straits, straits, strait, pass, meaning a bad or difficult situation or state of affairs.” The expression “The time between dire straits” is taken from the Book of Lamentations.

“How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave. She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies. Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude; she dwells now among the nations, but finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress.”(Lam 1:3)

King James Version translates the last phrase as “all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.” The New King James Version says, “All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.”

This difficult time period of 21 days falls between the fasts of the fourth and the fifth months mentioned in Zechariah.“Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth... shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.” (Zec 8:19)

It is a period of mourning commemorating the destruction of the first and second Jewish Temples. The Three Weeks start on the seventeenth day of the Jewish month of Tammuz — the fast of the fourth month — and end on the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av — the fast of the fifth month, which occurs exactly three weeks later. Both of these fasts commemorate events surrounding the destruction of the Jewish Temples and the subsequent exile of the Jews from the land of Israel.

Daniel Prayed for Israel

We read in the Book of Daniel that he stood in the gap and fasted and prayed for Israel during 21 days. It is described first in chapter 9 how he interceded for his people,

“Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules… O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.’” (Dan 9:3-5,16-19)

Then it continues in chapter 10 to describe what happened two years later, when he fasted and prayed for 21 days.

 “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks… And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees… Then he said to me, ‘Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.” (Dan 10:2-3,10,12)

 We need to learn from Daniel’s example of prayer for Israel.

Tuesday's post will explain this three week period in history. With additional prayer points from scriptures.

portions taken from Elijah prayer army

If you want to post a prayer, you may do so in the comment section using anonymous.