“he who touches you touches the apple of my eye” (Zech. 2:8)
Good morning Saints (read Zechariah 2)
I woke up in the middle of the night with a verse on my heart, and then it got louder in my mind as I lay there meditating on it, “he who touches you touches the apple of my eye”. I immediately thought of the attack Iran has launched on Israel just two days ago. This attack was in response to Israel’s attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1st, which killed several Iranian military officials. I’m going to skip all the details, and simply state that the Middle East conflict is and has been a long, ongoing battle, dating back to almost the beginning of time. It is a very volatile region, to say the least. Hamas’ October 7th attack on Israel has launched this war as I’m sure all are aware, but what this war has revealed is the deep-seated antisemitism across the world for Israel and Jews in general. It has also revealed a coalition of groups and countries who have one mission – to destroy Israel and its people. The military regimes Hamas of Palestine, and Hezbollah of Lebanon are both linked to and back by the anti-Israel nation of Iran, all having one mission – the annihilation of Israel and the claiming of its land. As much as the world powers have tried to prevent it, the retaliation by Israel for the Hamas led October 7th attack has escalated into what many have been fearing, a much broader middle east conflict involving many nations. Some are even throwing around the term “World War 3”. National leaders are consulting on how to avoid what could be an inevitable global conflict. The world is frantically trying to diffuse a ticking time bomb. On the outside, it might look hopeless…BUT GOD!
Zechariah chapter 2 is a remarkable prophecy. Zechariah has a vision of a man measuring out the dimensions of the city of Jerusalem. After inquiring, the angel answers Zechariah, “Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within” (Zech. 2:4-5). God has marked off the city of Jerusalem, even Israel, for Himself…it is His land. Zechariah’s prophecy speaks of a multitude of displaced people returning to the land, called there by God (Zech 2:6-7). God would assemble them, protect them, and destroy their enemies; why? Because “whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye” (vs. 8). What does that mean? Do you know how sensitive your eye is, and how much it bugs you to have something touch your eye? There is an immediate reaction to swat away whatever comes near your eye. It’s so aggravating it just has to be dealt with right away. This is the way God feels about anyone who harms His people. The picture is that as soon as that thing gets in your eye, your hand is raised to deal with it ASAP (vs. 9). Although this prophecy has future implications, I believe it also has some present-day fulfillment. For years, actually since 1950, God’s people have been returning to the land of Israel. He has been calling them back, and they have been returning to the land in droves. Even the current conflict with Hamas has seen many displaced Israelis return to Israel to fight alongside their fellow Israelis to defend their land and people. This return is known as “Aliyah”, a fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy, one of many. If Zechariah 2:4 is being fulfilled, then the promise of Zechariah 2:5 is also - God is in control; He will defend His people as a wall of fire around them, and glory within them.
Now brothers and sisters, need I remind you that you also have been grafted into the people of God through Christ, Abraham’s seed: “And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are His heirs, and now all the promises God gave to Him belong to you” (Gal. 3:29 NLT). You also are the apple of His eye, and He has the same response when someone wants to harm you (Psalm 17:7-8). He rises up to defend His precious children. I don’t know about you, but when I hear of Israel being attacked and persecuted, I feel it also. Something in me rises up to want to pray and intercede for them. I see them as my brothers who have yet to discover their Messiah. I long for the day when their eyes are opened to the truth of Jesus Christ, and I know that that day is coming, indeed has come for many of them already. The Apostle Paul says that God has made of the Jew and Gentile one people in Christ (Ephesians 2). It is our prayer that all Jews and the people of Israel would embrace Christ, and not just them, but in fulfillment of Zechariah 2, many “nations” would be joined to the Lord.
God is moving! In the midst of all the conflict and chaos, I keep hearing of and witnessing powerful prayer movements, amazing mobilizations of young and old alike, passionate for Jesus and His mission. Could it be that as the zeal of the Jewish people increases to defend their homeland, there is simultaneously an army of the Lord rising up in the power of Holy Spirit to preach the good news of a risen Savior who is both Lord and King. I don’t know about you, but I want to be part of the movement to disciple the nations and usher in the return of our glorious King as Zechariah prophesied:
"Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you," declares the LORD. "Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling. (Zech. 2:10-13)
Have a super-blessed week!
"Advancing the Kingdom of God by releasing Spirit-filled followers to serve Jesus in freedom and joy."
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