7 days in Israel, my journey to the Holy Land, part two

Coming to Galilee: Yeshua's land
Tiberias: the Sea of Galilee ( Kinneret)

All pictures are taken from my cell phone. Please ask before using them. This trip was very personal and I'd like to keep my photos personal, so kindly ask prior any use.

Six o' clock and I am up. 6 :40 I am ready. Greeting the hotel receptionist, I am now enquiring about reaching the " tachanat hamerkazit", the Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv. After 4h30 of flight, I am not keen on going there by bus. The receptionist kindly provides me with a map of Tel Aviv and shows me how to find my way. I am exploring the streets of Tel Aviv in the early morning.

Beth ha knesset gadol: big synagogue on Allenby street, Tel Aviv














I am asking an old man for confirmation about direction and he answers " yachar, yachar", straight away, straight away. I thank him and I am continuing my way.
Right, then turning right: here I am, at the Central Bus Station. It is 7:30. If you've never been there before, this place is truly a maze.

Some clerks are simply despising tourists. Even when speaking Hebrew, it is hard to get info. Even some bus drivers don't know. I am eventually finding a bus driver who is able to inform me. 
It is bus 836, platform 2 on the seventh floor.

"Kama zman?" " how much time?", I am asking..."Od shaa", " in an hour", he replies to me...
Oh Lord! An entire hour to wait before departing for Tiberias! That's so long. 

After one good hour of wait, bus 836 arrives on platform 2. I am stepping into the bus. Now this is exciting: I am on my way to Galilee! The travel lasts 2 hours and a half, which leaves plenty of time to take pictures from the bus window

Now I am reaching Tiberias main bus station. I can see the lake from afar. I am so hungry, I am starving, so I am buying a vegetarian sandwich at the bus station.

Again, I am asking for directions: the Sea of Galilee is 5  minutes away.

The Sea of Galilee

I have been told about the land of Israel since my early childhood. I've read so many Bible stories. I've imagined the prophets and the sages of Israel. I've pictured Yeshua walking on the Sea of Galilee...and in 2017, when my feet stepped towards the Sea of Galilee, Kinneret has overwhelmed my soul. The softness of light blue and light green and the divine veil that covers Kinneret grabbed the abyssal depths of my soul. My eyes had been granted to exceptional sight of divine evidence. I felt my human nothingness in front of holy whispers of perfection. Tears were running from my cheeks in an uncontrolable manner. I wept like a baby. Here I was, in front of this pure, mystical lake, I had read about over 1000 times.

« Yeshua went to the lake of Galilee »...Yeshua, your presence was hitting me hard in the gut. Although you were not visible to my eyes in this very moment, I felt the strength of your Spirit and saw my human weakness that just wanted to implore you, Lord have mercy over my little soul.

The Sea of Galilee is one of these places from which emanates a special strength. Do not come there unprepared, rather ask Yeshua to show you how to become more humble. Within a few minutes I was confronted with our Lord's immense might. I probably felt like Shim'on Kepha as he witnessed the miraculous fishing for the first time. I implored Yeshua for His compassion, because, in one second, my human nothingness was flashing before my eyes. 

I wanted to share my emotions with other people, but not everybody was ready to listen. I exchanged with a couple of Americans who were exploring one side of the lake, but they said to me that Yeshua's miracles occured on the other side.  So I decided to begin with the left side of Kinneret. I was about to do it, when I was interrupted by some orthodox Jew who greeted me with a smile.

Yitzhak in search of Rivka

My speaking partner was some real practicing Jew ( the ones with beard and hat). I was very surprised that he had addressed to me. We started exchanging in Hebrew and in English. I explained to him that it was my first trip to Eretz Israel. I added: "with such surroundings, one can only believe in HaShem!".

The man introduced himself to me as Yitzhak. I presented myself as Isabelle. Yitzhak had a warm smile on his face. As he took my hand, I thought that he wanted us to shake hands, so I didn't object at all. But he started caressing my hand and made a sudden move to draw me towards him. It was now obvious to me that he wanted me to kiss him. I withdrew my hand and  stopped him politely. I looked into his eyes and said: "Yitzhak, I didn't come to the Holy Land for that purpose..."

He apologized, seemingly disappointed. From his Hebrew, I understood that he was looking for a wife. 

He seemed to be a soft and nice person, but I had a strong committment towards the vows made to Yeshua about solely belonging to Him when He encountered my path. I had to be faithful to the lover of my soul.

Exploring the lake and walking in Galilee

After this strange venture, I started exploring the lake from the left side. HaGalil, Galilee, was so beautiful. As I keep walking, sometimes on the streets, eyes upon the mountains and sometimes leaving the streets to go back to the lake, I thought of Yeshua many times. I started singing " Shir lamaalot", the song of ascents from Psalm 121.

Yeshua, my beloved, it was such a strong feeling to walk on the very soil that you walked 2000 years ago!

The Jewish sages state that, if you drink Kinneret's water, you will become very Torah-savvy. I didn't drink it, though. I plunged my hands into it and I withdrew some stones from the water. I also put a few drops onto my arms.

One of the stones was shaped as the state of Israel and, believe it of not, had a Y graven into it. I saw a wink from my Savior, as I observed this strange stone.

The hot weather ( 30°C) was such a change from freezing Paris at this time of the year!

On my way back ( I think that I have been walking for a few kilometers), I sat down at a Café and ordered some " mits tapuach" ( apple juice). I soon regretted my choice, because I was bothered by some noisy Israeli family, so I left quite soon.

I then stopped at a post office to send my father some postcard, then prepared myself to return to the Tiberias bus station. By chance some sherut driver was looking for clients returning to Tel Aviv and offered the ride for 40 shekels.

Back to the hotel, I called another Nathalie ( one of my friends living in Ashod whom I was supposed to meet, but who encountered serious health problems) and the other Nathalie ( my new friend) who advised me about my upcoming trip to Jerusalem for the next day.

Copyright© by Isabelle Esling

7 days in Israel, my journey to the Holy Land, part one

Today is the day!

All pictures are taken from my cell phone. Please ask before using them. This trip was very personal and I'd like to keep my photos personal, so kindly ask prior any use.

April the 19th, from Paris to Tel Aviv.


Today is the day: I am traveling to Eretz Israel for the first time. I am feeling happy to leave, but apprehensive at the same time. I fear planes. I am a little bit nervous as I am waiting for a shared G7 taxi that is supposed to pick me up in front of my building. Here he is. I am greating him and the couple that will travel with me to Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport. The young couple is flying to Venice, Italy. The taxi driver finds it weird that I am traveling on my own, without family or friends.
Little does he know: Yeshua is my traveling partner.


We just arrived to Roissy airport, Terminal 2A. I am now ready to meet the ELAL company team.
At the security checking point, some lady is greeting me and speaking to me very fast, in Hebrew. 
I am answering : " ani medaberet rak ksat yvrith." , " I just speak a little bit of Hebrew". The lady is continuing in English, with a few routinary and weird questions: " What is the purpose of my trip? Do I know somebody in Israel? Do I have family there? Do I carry something sharp with me? Did somebody give me something on my way to the airport? Was the luggage with me at all times? etc...

She examines my passport and gives it back to me.

I am too much in advance for the boarding, so I am heading towards Starbucks Café. I am choosing a small part of marble cake and some mint tee. One hour has passed: I am now read to go to the second checking point and to register my luggage. I am getting directions about boarding. On my way, I notice that the gate for Israel has been changed. I am eventually finding the right boarding gate.

A lot of thoughts are wandering through my head.

I am feeling puzzled. How am I going to handle things properly? I don't know the town I am flying to and I don't know the country-at all.
Some lady is sitting next to me. She is smiling and engages a conversation with me. We sympathize as we keep on talking and sharing.
Her name is Nathalie. She is also a languages teacher. She is seated quite close to me in the airplane which allows us to exchange from time to time.

As the plane is taking off, I am silently reading Tefilat ha derech, the prayer aimed at travelers.

I am sitting next to a couple of Americans from Dallas. They are traveling with some other church members for a short trip to Israel. I am explaining them that my beliefs are closer to Messianics. 
The young lady says a prayer for me, for Yeshua to allow me to see the very places that He has prepared for me. I feel that she has been reading the very desire of my heart. I am thankful for the prayer inside of the plane.

We are now about to land...feelings of excitation take place in my mind. The plane is 20 minutes late, but it is announced that we are now very close to Eretz Israel. 
Here we are! It is 18:50 and we are welcomed with Hebrew songs.
My new friend Nathalie, a French speaking Israeli, is waiting for me, for us to walk together out of the plane. She informs me that the friend who was supposed to pick her up will not be available tonight. We decide to cut the taxi costs by hiring the same driver.

During my whole trip, I will be on a wonderful, lucky trail. Great mazal will indeed follow me. 
I do believe that the divine hand was with me from the beginning to the end.

As we are both reaching the passport control zone, some person from the Ministry of tourism approaches me and asks me if I'd be willing to take part to a survey about transport. He will be offering me a smartphone with internet connection and free calls and sms, on the sole condition to keep him updated with my travels. Another benefit is a $42 dollars voucher in the duty free zone on my return trip. Why me? No idea...the man picked me out of a crowd of travelers.

My arrival starts with a real good omen.

Nathalie and I are now sitting into the taxi that drives us to our respective destinations. Palm trees are everywhere and the weather is very mild. 23 degrees in the evening, what a change for me!

We agree to meet each other a little bit later in front of my hotel.

The first journey will end on a high note: Tel Aviv by night.

April the 19th has been very rich in emotions. I am now ready to go to bed before my trip to Tiberias.

I will pendown this amazing adventure to share it with you all.

Copyright© by Isabelle Esling

7 days in Israel: my journey to the Holy Land

picture taken in Tiberias, Sea of Galilee on my second trip to Tiberias

April the 25th, 2017

Hello my dear friends,

I am just back from my trip to Israel. I started working on a series of articles that will feature my journey in the Holy Land.

I have been to Tiberias and Jerusalem twice. I've also been granted to visit Nazareth. I will do my best to transcribe my discoveries and emotions into words.

I'll keep you updated after Shabbat.

Isabelle

Flying to Israel

Dear friends, dear readers, dear brothers and sisters in Yeshua,

I will be flying to Israel next Wednesday, so do not be surprised if this blog will be paused for a week. I will let Yeshua lead the whole trip. I am planning to travel to different places from Tel Aviv, starting with Galilee. I'll be staying for a week.

Hope to be able to document this trip with numerous pictures.

I will keep you updated with our Lord's plan about this trip.

Stay blessed in Yeshua our Messiah!

Isabelle

Debunking claims that Yeshua's "Last Supper" was something else than a Seder

ויהי כּאשׁר הגיעה השׁעה ויסב הוּא וּשׁנים־עשׂר השׁלישׁים אתוֹ ׃ויאמר אליהים 

נכסֹף נכספתי לאכֹל אתכם את הפּסח הזה לפני עֻנוֹתי

When the hour arrived, he reclined with the twelve schlichim ( the ones who are sent out, apostles). He said to them: "I have deeply longed to eat this Pessach with you before my suffering." Delitzsch Hebrew Gospels

Luke 22:19

Most people have heard about Yeshua's last meal before His trial and crucifixion. In our contemporary world , some wicked people also mock this poignant moments of Yeshua's last supper. Despite all means of technology we possess now, especially internet access, the great majority assumes that Yeshua's last meal was some kind of "mass" during which our Messiah introduced some kind of new theology, doing away with Judaism for ever.

Unfortunately, the Gospels are among the most "read", yet also wrongly interpreted documents.

Most people, who read translated Bibles, do not even understand the meaning of the expression "Feast of Unleavened Breads", Pessach.

To be able to fully understand our Messiah's actions, we must reflect on the meaning of Pessach. 

Pessach is the most important feast for Jewish people. 

It commemorates the end of slavery and oppression from Pharaoh via Hashem's mighty hand.

The festival of matzoth involves a lot of cleaning and getting rid of the leaven ( hamets). Leaven is a symbol of sin, of hypocrisy, bad will, etc...

While the Festival of matzoth commemorates the liberation from slavery, when celebrated in a Messianic perspective it ist setting a parallel with our liberation from sin via Yeshua's Sacrifice.

We MUST bear in mind that our Messiah is not cancelling the teachings of Torah, but fulfilling them.

Celebrating Pessach in Yeshua our Messiah is the continuity of our Hebrew heritage.

Some people would raise the question: which feast would Yeshua want us to celebrate: Pessach or Easter?

Now I'd like to appeal your intelligence. Logically, what pleases our Messiah? 

It is when we ACT ACCORDING TO HIS WORD.

Is Easter to be found in His word? The answer is a CLEAR NO. Easter isn't in the Bible, because it is PAGAN to the core. It celebrates the goddess of sex and fertility Ishtar ( also known as Ostara) and mixes with other Babylonian abominations.

A few important points to remember:

• the synoptic Gospels agree that Yeshua celebrated Pessach with His disciples on the first day of the Festival of matzoth, known as Pessach or Passover ( Matthew 26:17-18, Mark 14:12-15, Luke 22:19-20). Finding a proper timing becomes harder in the Gospel of John, as the writer focused more on the story itself than on timing.
• Yeshua never did away with Pessach celebration. By implementing His New Alliance, there is some additional symbolism that sets a parallel between the existing symbolism of Pessach ( the matzah represents our Messiah's bruised body and the wine ( or grape juice) the shedding of His blood for ALL.
• Yeshua's Alliance through the wine and bread is similar to Malki Tzedek's ritual. Malki Tzedek (מַלְכֵּי־צֶדֶק) means King of Righteousness. Our high priest and Messiah is the King of Righteousness who saved us from the slavery of sin through His ultimate Sacrifice.
• The Hebrews found physical redemption from the Pharaoh through Hashem's mighty hand. Through Yeshua's offering, the Hebrews and the rest of the world find FULL REDEMPTION.
• actually, while Yeshua is often called "Passover lamb". However, our Messiah's Sacrifice is indeed linked with the Temple's perpetual Sacrifice. (Torah references: Numbers 28:1-8; Exodus 29: 38-42

Let us celebrate our Messiah's Resurrection in full connection with Pessach and step away from the Ishtar-Ostara idolatry.

Let us rejoice: Yeshua is risen! Praised be His Name for ever and ever!

(This flash of  supernatural light was emitted by the Shroud of Turin.)

Copyright© by Isabelle Esling

VEHISHE AMDA (Azulay.Yossi ).mp4

Chinese Jews singing passover song

VEHISHE AMDA (Azulay.Yossi ).mp4

Tears of my Messiah ( from the draft "Figments of Light")

« But the path of the righteous is like the light of the dawn which shines brighter and brighter untill full day.

The way of the wicked is like deep darkness, they don't know over what they stumble. » Proverbs 4 : 18-19

« Yeshua, companion of my joy, tell me, what makes you sad ? »

« What makes me sad is when persons reject me without even knowing me.

What makes me sad is when people claim to know me and bow before idols.

What causes me sadness too is when they refuse my real identity and use my borrowed I.D to harm others. »

« Yeshua, companion of my joy, I am longing for your return. »

« Child, I am returning and so many souls are walking in darkness. I am returning and so many will reject me again, out of ignorance. They will see with their eyes, but they will refuse what will be unveiled to their sight. »

« Yeshua, companion of my joy, let me wipe your tears away. »

« Child, each time you are acting according to my will, these tears go away...when my children walk in light, my heart is filled with tremendous joy.

In the world as you know it, I am inexistent to most people. The ones who pretend to care about me are often more preoccupied with receiving in prayer and with pleasing their partners.

The ones who truly love me are rare pearls.

The ones who love me seem to be deprived of the possessions of the world, yet they do possess heavenly treasures.

Do you realize, dear child, precious soul, how many are rejecting Salvation ? Are you aware of how many are now gambling with eternity, as we speak ? »

« Sweet Lord, I know it affects your heart of compassion... »

« Child, I don't want anybody to experience the horrors of hell, but a great majority is hellbound. Can you imagine the many that I saved and who turn their backs on me ? I do care about each single human's destiny.

I watch them walk away ; they are truly breaking my heart, but I let them go.

If they really knew where they are heading to, they would run back into my arms straight away. »

« I want to welcome you into my heart, always, my Yeshua, my Salvation. I want to sing you a love song. As my heart is pouring out to your heart of mercy, I want to dance with you, my Yeshua, as my heart reaches high notes of elation.

Dear companion of my joy, fill me completely. My cup will overflow and I will dispatch your light everywhere I go »

« Till the end of times I will carry you. Tell them that I am coming. »

Copyright© by Isabelle Esling

A few reflections about Yeshua's Davidic bloodline starting from the Gospel of Mark

N.B: The subject I am speaking about is very complex. On some points, it requires rabbinic expertise and probably access to ancient resources from the 1st century. In no way I do pretend to be an expert. I confess my ignorance on many points. No matter if the arguments and sources quoted in this article appear to be convincing or not, I know that Yeshua is the Messiah of Israel and as such, Maschiach ben David. Of that I am sure, for He encountered my path. 

Yeshua, our Messiah never encouraged people to recite verses like parrots. On the contrary, He is always appealing to people's intelligence and pushes them to question Scriptures.
The Jewish mind perfectly knows that Scriptures are aimed at debatting, which also often allows a wide range of interpretations, depending, of course, on the portion of Scripture one is studying and on the specific context it refers to.
In Mark, Chapter 12, verses 35 to 37, Yeshua raises an important question:

"How can the scholars say that the Maschiach is the Son of David? 
Did not David say by the Holy Spirit ( Tehilim 110:1): "Hashem said to my master: "sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool."
David himself calls him " master", so how can he be his son?"


The words above are a clear allusion to our Messiah's Davidic ancestry.

• Even blind people and foreigners called Him "Son of David"

The Gospels report ( Luke 18:28; Mark 10:47 and Matthew 20:29) the story Yeshua healing a blind man. To be heard, the man shouted out loudly: "Yeshua, Son of David, mercy me!"

There is another report of the woman from Kena'an requesting deliverance from demons for her daughter:

"A Kena'ani woman was coming out from these regions, saying:

Be gracious, my master, son of David, because my daughter is terribly afflicted by a demon" Matthew 15:22 Delitzsch Hebrew Gospels

• During his encounter with the angel, Yosef, Yeshua's adoptive father, is called: "Son of David" as well. This is indeed a detail of importance.

Yosef was thinking about repudiating Miryam secretly, but an angel apostrophed him in a dream:

"He was thinking this way, but then an angel appeared to him in a dream, saying: "Yosef, son of David! Do not be afraid to take Miryam your wife, for what has been formed within her is from the Holy Spirit."

Note that the angel is calling Miryam "wife" while she is engaged, and this is no coincidence. 

A Jewish ceremony of engagement known as Kiddushin is as binding as marriage. It is a very SERIOUS matter. When two people are engaged, they are promised to each other and should respect their engagement. Yosef thought that he had been betrayed and he intended to secretly repudiate Miryam ( of whom he thought she had been guilty of adultery). You will learn more about the subject from the following resource.

However the angel will confirm what Miryam probably already told Yosef before, that she kept pure and that the holy being (Yeshua) who was conceived is of the Holy Spirit.

• As a matter of fact: after Yeshua was born, Yosef and Miryam had a true marriage. They were husband and wife to each other. Officially, Yeshua was named "Yeshua ben Yosef", and as such, He inherited his adoptive father's lineage.

In the town of Nazareth, Yeshua was considered as Yosef's son. We can notice it from the derogatory statements people are making about Yeshua at the synagogue of Nazareth, after he read the prophetic scroll of Isaiah:

"Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Miryam? And are not his brothers Yaa'kov, Yosef, Shim'on and Yehudah? And are not all his sisters with us?" Matthew 13:54-55

We can assume that, Nazareth being a little village in the first century, that gossips probably circulated about Yeshua's virgin birth. Some people were probably in disbelief, while some others probably also never heard about the miraculous event and Gabriel's visitation to Miryam. But everybody would consider Yeshua as the " carpenter's son", so Yosef's son.
His civil name was Yeshua ben Yosef.
Through his bloodline, Yosef was a descendant of King David.

However, Yosef's genealogy, as shown in the Gospel of Matthew is quite puzzling, because it clearly shows that Yosef was a descendant of king Jeconiah, the cursed king ( Jeremiah 22: 24-30). This detail would immediately disqualify Yosef to claim King David's throne.
It also means that none of his descendants would be able to.
However, the following article offers a specific resolution to king Jeconiah's curse.
One  other main objection about Yeshua being entitled to David's throne in orthodox Judaism is that Yeshua being Miryam's son and not Yosef's son in the flesh, Yeshua could not claim Yosef's Davidic bloodline anyway.

The Torah determines one's Jewish identity bu the mother, yet tribal membership proceeds from the father. 
However, when the father is childless, the person that is closest to him will inherit from him.
Here are a few examples of exceptions:

• Had Abraham died before having children, Eleazar of Damascus would have been the legitimate successor for Abraham's kingdom, despite the absence of genetic link between the two men.
• Two of Yosef'sons ( in Genesis) were adopted by Yaa'kov and inherited from him.
• we must also be aware of the law of levirate (Deuteronomy 25:5) that allows a dead, childless man's brother to marry his widow in order to have children.  These children will be entitled to the brother's inheritance. Some Messianic believers have assumed that the two different genealogies in Luke and Matthew are both about Yosef, but that "Heli" in Luke is probably the deceased brother.

However, another Messianic person pointed out in his article that Miryam was called "daughter of Heli" in the Talmud ( I was unable to find the Talmudic reference).

Have a look at the arguments he develops in his article.

Prophecies about the Messiah's Davidic bloodline

The Tanach contains very clear prophecies on this subject. Here are a few:

• "Behold, the day come, said the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous shoot, and he shall reign as king and prosper, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." Jeremiah 23:5
• "And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David, he shall feed them and he shall be their shepherd." Ezekiel 34:23
• "And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse and a twig shall grow forth out of his roots." Isaiah 11:1

Finally, here is Hashem's prophecy to King David:

"When your days are fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up a seed after you that shall proceed out of your body, and I will establish his kingdom." 2 Samuel 7:12

Jewish gematria: David ben Yishai and Yeshua, a perfect match

According to you, what are the odds for David ben Yishai and Yeshua to be a perfect match in gematria? 

While doing my research about Yeshua's Davidic lineage, I came across the image posted above. I had prayed for Yeshua to help me in my quest and the image just showed up on google.

Maschiach ben David, which is spoken of in the 15 th blessing of the Amidah, refers to our Adon Yeshua

It becomes very obvious that the 15th blessing is about Yeshua once we replace "Salvation' with its very Hebrew meaning, Yeshua.

"Speedily cause the offspring of David, your servant to flourish and lift up his glory by your divine help because we wait for your YESHUA all the day.

Blessed are you, o Lord, who causes the strength of YESHUA to flourish".

Blessed be Yeshua, the Son of David, our Messiah, for ever and ever.

Amen

Copyright© by Isabelle Esling

The Other Side of the Cross [Ovi Ha Kora] Full Movie (Hebrew w/ English ...

Messianic Synagogue in ancient Susya Israel Halleli-Yah! (video by קוֹר...