Aliyah is a Hebrew word that means to “go up.” While originally it referred to ascending to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish Feasts, today it has come to mean the return of the Jews to the land of Israel.

Aliyah, simply stated, is the ingathering of the Jewish exiles from the four corners of the earth.

Aliyah is Biblical
There are more than 150 scriptures where the prophets spoke of the Aliyah that we have seen take place over the last 140 odd years, and continue to witness in these very days. “He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” – Isaiah 11:12

Biggest miracle of modern age
Jeremiah suggested that an Aliyah would come that would eclipse the miracle of Him releasing the children of Israel from Egypt. In chapter 16:14,15 we find these words: “However, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when men will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ but they will say ‘As surely as the Lord lives who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ For I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers.”

Do we understand what He is saying here?
That the biggest miracle of the ancient world that everyone heard about, wrote about, and feared the God of Israel because of, has been eclipsed by the miracle the nations have witnessed in our generations. The return of the Jewish people from the four corners of the earth, after more than 2000 years in exile and the rebirth of their ancient homeland, must surely be the biggest miracle of the modern age?

Christian support for Aliyah
The International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem (ICEJ) has been privileged to support this move of God in a practical way, giving more than $50 million over the years, towards the sponsorship of more than 126000 Jewish people to make Aliyah, in direct fulfilment of Isaiah 49:22 “See, I will beckon to the Gentiles, I will lift up My banner to the peoples; they will carry your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders.”

Fulfilling the call of God
Together we are fulfilling the call of God, who said: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.” 

Ingathering from all across the world
The majority (almost a million between 1991 and 2000 alone) have come back from the former Soviet republics (the “north”) as well as also thousands from Western Europe, North and South America, the Bnei Menashe from India, the Kaifeng Jews from China, and the Ethiopian Jews (the “south”).

Miraculous fulfilment
Operation Solomon of 1991 was a miraculous fulfilment of the prophetic words. Israel sent 35 airplanes over 36 hours to airlift out 14 325 Ethiopian Jews whose lives were in danger. Many expectant women entered the planes, and some went into labour en route with an additional five children being born en route to Israel! Literally fulfilling the words: “See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labour; a great throng will return.”  

Ermias in Ethiopia
Ermias Gevaria is 18 and was born in Gondar, Ethiopia. His family is part of the Jewish community in Gondar, where life is very difficult. This makes it hard for Ermias to plan for the future, as he would like to serve in Israel as a soldier in the army and then study to be a doctor. For Ermias, to be a Jew means to be together and to give hope, he says: “Israel was given to us by God so that we could move there. For this reason, we think about Jerusalem all the time. I’ve been waiting here for 18 years in order to go to Israel.”

Show your Christian love
Ermias is one of many Ethiopian Jews waiting to make Aliyah. Be a blessing today and show your Christian love and support to Ermias and other Jews waiting to make Aliyah by donating online at: icej.org.za/bless

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Date published: 20/08/2019
Written by: Vivienne Myburgh
Article source: JOY! Magazine