Crowning and Scattering
Isaiah 28:5-6 and Psalm 68:
by RICK RIDINGS, Succat Hallel, Israel
The war against Hamas continues and we just wanted to give you a prayer update, a prayer alert, as to what to pray in the spirit concerning Jerusalem, as well as everything here in Israel, everything going on in Gaza, and in the Middle East.
I encourage you to pray. There have been calls from Hamas in Gaza and Iran for an uprising in Jerusalem, encouraging the people of East Jerusalem, especially, to do October seventh-type activities. Of course, if they really wanted to do a surprise terrorist attack, I don’t think they would make it so public in their calls. But we still feel it’s very important to pray to silence their voices.
Living here, we realize that the sound levels from the mosque go up greatly at times when they’re trying to stir the people up, and that’s happening right now. So, we encourage you to join us in believing the Lord that these calls to violence will not work. Like the lions in the lion’s den with Daniel, pray that their mouths would be silenced and that there would be an amazing peace upon Jerusalem.
We appreciate your prayers for Succat Hallel as well as we’re right on the line with Muslim population just next to us. But we trust the Lord. We trust the power of his blood to cover it, to protect us, to protect this city, to protect the borders.
Isaiah 28:5-6: The Lord Almighty Will be a Crown
“In that day Adonai-Tzva'ot will be a crown of glory, a diadem of beautyto the remnant of His people, a spirit of judgment for him who sits on the judgment seat, and strength for those turning back the battle at the gate.
In other words, as the remnant priesthood here in the land arise, he will crown them with great authority. He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment and a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
Now, the sitting in judgment is a reference to the ancient custom of elders sitting in the gates of a city on thrones, and they would actually, at certain times, order the gates of the city closed and say, this is not allowed in.
And, of course, turning back the battle would mean a besieging by an army. And so, once again, the turning back of the battle is at the gate. So we believe the Lord to anoint you who are watching to be part of turning back the battle at the gate of Jerusalem, that these calls for an October seventh type massacre will get nowhere, that the residents will realize that this is not for their good to do this and that Hamas will continue to be exposed for who they really are and what they really are, such a barbaric terrorist group.
Psalm 68: Scatter the Nations Who Delight in War
Now, another verse that came out in the prayers on Monday in our watch is Psalm 68, which is about letting God arise and letting his enemies be scattered. But in the last verse, it says, O Lord, humbled, talking about him humbling the nations that come against Israel, humbled, may the beast, this beast of these nations, bring bars of silver and may you scatter the nations who delight in war. That’s such a verse for this time. May God scatter, may God arise, may his enemies be scattered, may he scatter the peoples who delight in war.
All of the people who have given themselves over to the terrorist, demonic spirit, may they be scattered and divided. May they either repent and really come to the Lord, or may they be totally uprooted and totally scattered. May this happen, not only for the sake of Israel but also for the sake of the people of Gaza, that a mighty harvest could happen there.
Choose Offense, Not Defense
This is the last thing I wanted to share with you. It’s so important that we are not to be on the defensive. What we’ve realized, is that threats and actions get a lot worse. It’s like the demonic spirits are fed by their fasting during Ramadan. During a spate of bus bombings when we first came to Jerusalem, we were getting really on the defensive.
But I remember in 2004, the Lord spoke to us. He said “I don’t want you to go on the defensive. I want you to go on the offensive. I want you to believe me to take territory for the Kingdom of God, ground for the Kingdom of God, a great harvest of people turning to the Lord during Ramadan, and breakthroughs for the Kingdom of God”.
So we started praying in that way. Lord, let us see breakthroughs for your kingdom in this city.
I’d like to mention as well that Ramadan begins because of the sighting of the moon. It’s the same day as Rosh Hodesh, the beginning of the Hebrew month. And this is the month in which we celebrate Purim, the great turnaround (this is an old message but just as relevant).
So this is a time to believe in an Esther-type turnaround of the whole situation here during this month, during Ramadan. The manifestation would be the spirit of God working in response to Esther-type intercession to see a rewriting of decrees of death into decrees of life.
Water of Life: Pressure and Redemption
And I want to close with one last vision that the Lord gave. Many years ago, I had a vision where I saw water pressure building up and coming through a tunnel to the Temple Mount. When it reached the Temple Mount, the Muslims were bowing down with their faces to the ground, and suddenly, the water just burst through the cracks.
It went in their eyes, and it washed away deception and lies, and suddenly, their eyes were open to Jesus, to Yeshua, to Yashua in the Arabic language.
So many came to the Lord, and they were so excited. They started to dance around. Then, at the same time, the water started coming through the cracks in the Western Wall. Many Jewish people who were seeking God at the Western Wall had had religious blindness washed away.
It was a real revelation of Yeshua as the Messiah. They ended up even dancing together, these from on top of the Temple Mount and these from the Western Wall. That would be an amazing miracle. We’ve seen it happen in our children’s things and our youth things recently, but to see it happen over there would be really, really amazing.
But I believe God is saying, I want to come with water of life. When the spirit of death is being released, I want to give the water of life, and I want to bring revelation of the only savior and deliverer whom we all trusted for this city, for this land, and for this region in Yeshua, the Messiah.
So, Father, I thank you for all who are praying with us. Would you protect them during this Ramadan and protect us during this Ramadan and all future Ramadans with the blood of Yeshua? And may we all have just a new, fresh impartation of your Holy Spirit boldness.
You said the violent takes the kingdom by force. That’s spiritual strength. Our war is not a physical war but a spiritual war in prayer.
We take the kingdom of God violently. We drive out the demonic spirits. We push them back, the spirits of death that want to bring so much death in this city, in this land, in this region. And we release the spirit of life in Yeshua, who is the resurrection and the life.
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