THE REAL MEANING OF ISRAEL BY DA EFFIONG DANIEL AFRICAN HOLY LAND AKWA STATE NIGERIA

CHRIST AS DIVINE IMAGE OF ISRAEL’S NDEPENDENCE BEING A MESSAGE BY DA EFFIONG DANIEL On The 73rd Israeli Independence Day Celebration at the Altar of virgin generation ministry @ Africanholyland, Abiakpo Ikot Abasi Inyang, Obot Akara Akwa Ibom State Nigeria 14th May, 2021 INTRODUCTION When you look at the Israeli anthem, the key word is freedom. But looking at Israel from the time they possessed the Promised Land in the days of Joshua they never had freedom; they had no Independence in the land of Zion and Jerusalem. Why? The Lord was the reason. Israel's problems were linked to God and not Satan or the enemies that surrounded them. "And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said, because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not harkened unto my voice; I will also not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died. That through them I may prove Israel whether they will keep the way of the lord to walk therein as their fathers did keep it, or not. Therefore the lord left those nations without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua” (Judges 2:20-23Kjv). It was the Lord that allows the nations to fight with Israel because the people of Israel had transgressed the covenant of the Lord. Hence he denied them full independences. More so, “the Lord left those nations to prove Israel by them even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan. only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war at the least such as before knew nothing thereof”. (Judges 3:1-2 Kjv). As it appears, Israel oftentimes moves from one war to another because the Lord left the five lords of the philistine to prove the people of Israel. You can see that Israel from time immemorial had no total independence, and were not permanently rest on every side. According to Hebrews 4:8, “For if Joshua had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remained therefore a rest (Sabbath's rest for) to the people of God. I believe that the Holy Spirit is pointing to freedom and the real independence from external control, including freedom from war for where there is the spirit of God there is liberty, which means freedom, which means independence. Jesus Christ is the only one that has what it takes for the natural Israel to have permanent peace and independence. Jesus Christ is now crying over the national Israel. “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, if you, even you had only known on this day what would bring you peace but now it is hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:41-42). Christ As Divine Image of Israel’s Independence In my dream on the 23rd of June, 2003, it appeared that I was about going to preach, many people were in a bus discussing negative things about me as if I did not exist; and I did not talk back. I invited some passengers in the bus to where I was to preach. As we reached destination, the venue was like a “trade fair of churches.” I some church congregations were big, while others were small, with the entire place reverberated with sounds from microphones and speakers. The place was noisy and busy as we came out of the vehicle. I left to a remotest corner to speak, and as I entered there, I said; “Today is Israel’s Independence Day”. On hearing that, one the elders there arose and gave me a prepared document for sermon as well as a bible. I refused the prepared sermon, but collected the Bible and I said to him, “When God will begin to speak, even without microphone people in all those places will come out weeping”. As I opened the Bible to Gen. 1:26, to speak about divine nature (the image and likeness of God) I woke up.” As I woke up, two lines of thinking popped out in my heart: “Today is Israel’s Independence days “and “Gen.1:26 divine nature.” But again, what was the meaning of “Today is Israel Independence Day?” And what was Genesis 1:26 really saying? Later I read and God said, "Let Us make man in Our Image, according to Our Likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over creeping thing that creeps on the earth”. God was saying” come let us make man in our own image”. Yet again, what has Israel Independence Day got to do with churches and my preaching? Why was it that the first word that came out of my mouth connoted Israel’s Independence Day? And the second has to do with Divine nature? What is God saying now? The divine nature is the image and likeness of God and is clearly manifested now in Jesus Christ. It was lost in Adam but now it is found in Christ. God transferred his image to man when he breathed into Adam. His image and likeness was Jesus Christ who is now revealed as the exact likeness of the invisible God. In the early years and generations past, God was experimenting while presenting Israel as his first born Son in Egypt and in the world. God said to Pharaoh, “Israel is my first born so let him go.” And now the time has come and the real Israel or the true vine is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son. It could be symbolic to see that Christ, the figure head of the true Israel had twelve disciples and the natural Israel exists with twelve tribes. God in his infinite wisdom symbolized Israel as a vine taken out of Egypt and planted in Canaan. God said, “out of Egypt have I called my son,” and this was fulfilled in Jesus Christ who returned out of Egypt. At the fullness of time, it would be recalled that Jesus Christ described himself as the True vine. Note that Israel is a vine unto the Lord and Jesus Christ is the True Israel. The true Israel, Jesus Christ is speaking to the natural Israel about what will make them free, something that is hidden from their view. God brought the true Israel (Jesus Christ) to see whether or not the natural Israel would accept him, his true nature, his divine nature, his image and likeness, but until now Israel is still saying we want Moses. But what is Jesus Christ saying will happen to national Israel? “For days will come upon you when your enemy will build an embankment around you when, surround you and close you in every side and level you and your children within you to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another because you did not know the time of your visitation”.(Luke 19:43-44). God is presenting the true Israel to see whether the national Israel will really believe his son or whether they will become like his son Jesus Christ and it is then that all the congregations that are making noises or hating Israel would come out weeping because the divine nature has been manifested to them. But Israel is stubborn to this truth. And God said, today, if you will hear his voice do not harden your heart. And God called that day, “Today”. And “Today is Israel Independence Day”, and it is in Gen. 1:26, the manifestation of divine nature in Israel. The divine nature is manifesting now. Soon he will manifest himself in Israel. Watch out and pray for I am sensing the footstep of the messiah coming into Israel! What is The Connection Between Divine Nature And Israel? Israel is the nation which God was said in Gen 1:26 “let us make man in our image which manifested in Jesus Christ, “A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel." He came in human form and they saw him, ate with him, knew his earthy family even now, evidence abound that Nazareth was his village. Israel is the only nation that God came to live among men in an earthly covering. His name was Immanuel (God with us). Israel is the only nation that God appeared to in a form of pillar of fire and a cloud covering. His name was Jesus of Nazareth. When I got the word, “Today is Israel Independence Day”, I looked beyond the physical Independence Day because it wasn’t 23rd June, but May 14, 1948. It appears that God is manifesting and revealing his divine nature to Israel again, hence the real freedom in the land of Zion and Jerusalem. In Israeli Anthem, the vision is for them to be a free people in the land of Zion and Jerusalem. Who will make them free, is not arm of flesh as the Lord told the Zerubabal, the then prime minister of Israel, that it is not by power nor by might or military strength, but by my Spirit says the Lord. What Israel is looking for to be a free people in the land of Zion and Jerusalem is the Spirit of the Lord. And it is Christ and Christ alone that can do that for them because he is the Prince of (Salem) Jerusalem; “for he said I will neither leave nor forsake you”. CONCLUSION Till date, the true image of Jesus Christ in Jewish system is still debatable. But the God who is truthful had given his verdict long ago through his son. According to Gospel as written by John, “Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves” (John14: 9-11). Da Effiong Daniel Ukpong is a minister of God, he writes from African Holy Land Akwa Abasi Ibom state, Nigeria. daniel4altar@gmail.com 08164000878 Sponsored by Altar of Virgin Generation Ministry a.k.a. African Holy Land in Abiakpo Ikot Abasi Inyang, Obot Akara Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Click here to read news >Obot Akara And Its Neglected Name >Jerusalem Danger Code > Year American Missionary Challenged Ikpaisong Traditions In Annang Community Comments