Esther Fast for muslim and Jewish

http://www.reviveisrael.org/ 

Esther Fast
©March 6, 2011 by Asher Intrater

We would like to invite you, our dear friends in every nation, tribe and tongue, to join with us in a day of prayer, fasting and intercession in accord with the fast of Esther. You may pray alone, or sponsor a prayer meeting, or mobilize your church, Messianic congregation, or prayer network to join in with us.

The biblical fast lasted three days. The traditional Jewish fast this year is one day, from sundown Wednesday, March 16 to sundown Thursday, March 17. Your participation will involve three aspects:

1. Public Scripture Reading – read out loud, as a devotional declaration and a prophetic proclamation, these three passages:
1. Esther chapters 3 and 4
2. Zechariah 12:2-3, 6-10; 13:1, 8-9; 14:1-9
3. Romans 9:1-5; 10:1-2; 11:1-29

2. Fasting – at least the 24 hours from sundown to sundown on just water (with exceptions of course for those with special needs). For those who have the desire and the ability, we invite you to fast a full three days, according to Esther 4:16.

3. Prayer – to intercede according to the themes of the book of Esther, and to emphasize at least these 7 major prayer directives:

1. Salvation for the Muslim peoples
2. Salvation for the Jewish people
3. Reconciliation between Jew and Arab through Yeshua
4. Bind spirits of anti-Semitism worldwide
5. Strengthen the local Messianic remnant in Israel
6. Guidance for government leaders in Israel and the nations
7. Prepare the Church to stand victorious in the events of the end times leading up to the Second Coming

If you have a prayer group, a church, or a Messianic congregation, and you would like to participate in this Esther intercession day, please click here to let us know, so that we can be in touch with you.

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Reading the Bible

The Bible was written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (II Timothy 3:16, II Peter 1:20). Therefore, there are two levels on which to read the Bible: the human historical context and the universal spiritual message.

The men who wrote the Bible had different personalities and lived in different generations. When one reads the Bible from the human perspective alone, he sees only the differences, and the passages seem conflicting. The secular academic world looks only at the human side, and therefore, concludes that there are totally contradictory viewpoints. Some universities teach that there were four different documents that comprise the Torah and three different documents in Isaiah.

However, the more one understands the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the more the unified theme of the scriptures becomes apparent. I've been meditating on the scriptures daily for more than thirty years. Each year I become more and more aware of how the pieces fit together and that there is one consistent plan of God from the beginning to the end.

In fact, God had the whole plan of scriptures in mind before the first verse was written. Often writers of modern action fiction develop many sub-plots within the story; at the end all the details fit together in one piece. The pieces fit together suddenly in an exciting surprise ending.

There are many sub-plots within the plan of the kingdom of God that stretch from one end of scripture to the other. When we finally see the whole plan, all the pieces will fit together. The final stages of the kingdom of God also have an exciting surprise that comes together suddenly in the end.

There is a perfect consistency from the Old Covenant to the New. From the very first lines of Genesis, God had in mind the final outcome we see in the book of Revelation. The passages in the Law and the Prophets concerning the history of Israel, the priesthood, and the Davidic kingdom are all written in the Bible on purpose. They reflect the overall spiritual plan, and all fit together, even if it is not apparent at first.

The Old Covenant passages prepare the way for the Gospels. Pictures of the gospel message can be found throughout the Law and the Prophets. This is clear to anyone who reads both the Gospels and the Old Covenant. One reason this is clear is that the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets in the Gospels has already taken place.

However, Yeshua comes twice. The fulfillment of the Old Covenant passages in the Second Coming is not that apparent to either Jews or Christians.  In our generation we are beginning to see how the history of ancient Israel, the prophecies, and the priesthood all contain pictures of the end times and the Second Coming of Yeshua.

The persecution of the saints (particularly of Messianic Jews by religious Jews) can be seen in the attacks of King Saul on the future King David. The Millennial kingdom is foreshadowed in the kingdom of Solomon. The anti-Semitism and evil government of the anti-Christ can be seen in the work of Haman in the book of Esther. The ancient feasts of Israel contain signs pointing to the Second Coming.

Our Esther's fast day is planned partly on the revelation that the book of Esther describes not only an historical event in the fifth century B.C., but also contains a prophet parable about the end times. As we read the Bible in these latter days, let us be encouraged to know that everything that is happening now, was already seen, planned for, and written about in the ancient scriptures.

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Brief Prayer Requests

1. Television program – the documentary on Messianic Jews is still planned to be aired soon, yet is coming under attack. Please pray for it to be shown.
2. HayaTV – for our dear friends at this international gospel outreach to Muslims. Pray for protection for the directors of the channel.
3. Yad Hashmonah – for our dear friends at this unique Messianic kibbutz in the Judean foot hills. Pray for success for all their projects: biblical garden, hotel, housing project, industrial park, and partnership with us