As we marked the 76th anniversary of the State of Israel and continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, I feel led to share some insights and understanding concerning Israel’s current season and what the Holy Spirit is showing me concerning the next 12 months. What I am going to share here is by no means the whole picture but I believe it’s an important piece of ‘the puzzle’.
SEASON IS A MAJOR REASON
There is a season-reason behind everything we experience on this side of heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tells us that. The reason for snow is winter and the reason for rainfall is the rainy season. We cannot divorce or isolate our experiences from our seasons.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 says, “…The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all”.
If we do not understand the place of times and seasons, our experiences will be nothing but surprises and we will have questions after questions about the things we are going through. When we do not understand our seasons or respond appropriately to them, we end up like fish caught in a cruel net or like birds caught in a trap when an evil time falls suddenly on us. See Ecclesiastes 9:12.
OCTOBER 7 HAMAS ATTACK
About five months after the 75th anniversary of the State of Israel, Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 with a grave evil intention to “steal, kill and destroy”. The result is Israel’s war with Hamas and her allies – Hezbollah and Iran. The war has lasted more than seven months and is still going on. Wasn’t this an attack of satan that just happened? Where is the place of ‘season’ in all of that?
I am going to share how Israel’s season and response to it shaped her experiences in the past six years. I will dig a little into the past to help us picture where we are going.
ISRAEL FROM 2018
The State of Israel turned 70 on May 14, 2018. That was the end of her 10th seven years (64-70) as a state and the beginning of her 11th seven years (71-77). The God of Israel is the Author of times and seasons and the Creator of the mystery of sevens. The Bible opens with the first seven days that were intended to be a pattern for every seven days, seven weeks, seven years or even seven centuries.
Since May 2018, Israel has been journeying through her 11th seven years (2018 – 2025) and has been experiencing ‘11th season’ things. One major ’11th season experience’ Israel went through in this season is disunity. ‘Division’ is an 11th season disease. For Israel, it began with the 2018-2022 political crisis that saw 5 Knesset snap elections in less than 4 years. After PM Benjamin Netanyahu emerged leader of the 37th government of Israel, another disunity-crisis began over his proposed judicial reforms. The Hamas attack and the war that followed ‘rebuked’, and began to quench the fire of, Israel’s disunity. War united Israel against a common foe. This is something to truly repent of.
Is it really true that disunity is associated with the 11th season? Yes. It began with the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 where God confused the language of the people. Israel also had a leadership crisis in the 11th book of the Bible after the 40-year reign of Solomon. That’s when the two-state nation began. Israel was one united Kingdom until the 11th chapter of the 11th book of the Bible. Daniel 11 is another witness to crisis in the 11th season.
Has any other nation experienced such crisis in the 11th seven years? Yes, the United States! Her 11th seven years (1846-1853) was a season of tension between slave states and free states. It was the Compromise of 1850 that helped diffuse this tension and postpone the evil day (the civil war). The Mexican – American War (1846-1848) occurred in this season and that was when James K. Polk served as the 11th US President. Disunity is a common 11th season disease! From the witness of Church history, we know that the Great Schism that broke the communion between the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox churches occurred in the 11th century (1054).
Even with this war uniting Israel, the enemy is still fanning the flames of division and disunity – about the way the war is going and what some citizens and allies think the leadership of Israel should, or should not, do. As watchmen on the wall, we must continue to sound the alarm and cry out to God against disunity (within Israel and between Israel and her allies) in this season.
THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
What is this war about?
I had set out time to ask the Lord about this war and He dropped three things on my heart. Besides the political reasons (which I am not qualified to speak or write about), let me highlight the three prophetic reasons for the war – as the Lord gave me:
- THE WAR CAME IN A TIME OF WAR
“To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven”
How is this a time of war? When did the war begin? The war began in the sixth year of Israel’s 11th seven years and at the beginning of the sixth seven years of Hamas’ existence. The war broke out in a season of war! We know from the accounts of the sixth day of creation (Genesis 1: 24-31), the 6th book of the Bible (Joshua) and the 6th chapters of the Bible (Genesis 6; 2 Kings 6; Esther 6; Daniel 6; Ephesians 6) that the sixth season is a time of conflict between the godly and the ungodly. God dispossesses the ungodly and gives inheritance to the godly in the sixth season. It is wise for any nation stepping into a sixth season (sixth year, sixth 7 years or sixth 49 years) to prepare for conflict one way or another. Israel took the land of the Amorites in the 6th book of the Bible. Many 6th chapters of the Bible are about conflict. WW2 broke out in the middle of the sixth 7 years of the 20th century. Israel fought the 1967 Six-Day War at the beginning of the sixth year in her 3rd seven years – from 1948. The 76th year of the State of Israel (May 14, 2023 – May 13, 2024) was a year of war.
- IT IS FOR THE JUDGMENT OF HAMAS AND HER ALLIES
I would never have thought in this direction if the Lord did not show me. Hamas has come into a season of judgment in her history! The world calling for ‘cease fire’ or ‘sanctions’ against Israel is blindly in sympathy with what Heaven wants to destroy.
The October 7 attack was a way of pulling Hamas and her allies out for destruction. See what Hamas has suffered and is suffering. See Psalm 76: 5-10. The attack against Israel occurred in the 36th year of the establishment of Hamas – at the beginning of her 6th seven years (time of war). Hamas was born within the 6th seven years of Israel (in 1987) – in a season of war. Hamas attacked Israel after the pattern of the pompous spirit of the king of Assyria. Sennacherib attacked Judah in Isaiah 36 and perished in Isaiah 37. Hamas’ genocidal attack of Israel happened in the 17th year of Hamas’ control of Gaza. It has a pattern in Goliath’s appearance in 1 Samuel 17, in Ahitophel’s operation in 2 Samuel 17 and in Haman’s plot in the 17th book of the Bible. The ‘decree of the Watchers’ is for Hamas to go down in her 37th year (before the end of 2024) as it happened to Sennacherib in Isaiah 37.
Hezbollah and the Islamic Republic of Iran are also at the gates of judgment. Hezbollah was born in 1982 and will end her sixth 7 years in 2024. May the Lord hold her accountable this season. The Islamic Republic of Iran is in her 46th year. See Isaiah 46 and Jeremiah 46. So, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran are at the gates of vengeance. They have no idea why they are at war with Israel at this time. The wickedness of the wicked will destroy him! As watchmen, we must align with God. If God wants Amalek destroyed, we must not spare Agag or any rams.
- THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH IS AT WORK IN ISRAEL
The 11th book of the Bible (1 Kings) is the Biblical pattern for the 11th seven years of Israel and other nations. The part of the book that the 76th year expresses is First Kings 17-19. This means that the spirit of Elijah rose in Israel May 14, 2023. The spirit of Elijah has a three-phase-work to do in the land. It will extend to the 12th seven years of Israel. The first phase (1 Kings 17-19) is over. The 76th anniversary of the state of Israel is the beginning of the second phase of the operation of the spirit of Elijah. The third phase will begin with the 77th anniversary and run into the 80th year.
When Elijah rose in First Kings 17, it was for war against the lawlessness (permissiveness) and idolatry championed by the house of Ahab. Elijah emerged with a spirit of judgment by drought in the land. Ahab called Elijah ‘the troubler of Israel’ because Israel went through troubles at the hands of Elijah. Why did Israel see trouble in the 76th year of her statehood? The spirit of Elijah! Israel is going through purging and cleansing. The attack of October 7 was like the drought Elijah called upon Israel in First Kings 17. The Mount Carmel showdown and “the sound of abundance of rain” (1 Kings 18) is like a foreshadow of the pounding of Hamas in southern and Northern Gaza. Israel has also witnessed the threats of Jezebel (1 Kings 19) in the drone and missile attacks from Iran and in the disagreement over the hostage/cease-fire deals. At the time of this writing, Israel may seem to stand alone like Elijah in First Kings 19 but “the still small voice” has taught Israel to strategize and find a new Jehu-Hazael-Elisha company to ‘finish the work’.
THE 77TH YEAR OF ISRAEL (MAY 14, 2024 – MAY 13, 2025): THE DAYS OF AHAB AND JEZEBEL ARE NUMBERED
The 12-month season following the 76th anniversary of Israel is the 77th year of the State of Israel and the season of the second phase of the operation of the spirit of Elijah in the land. What is the Spirit saying or showing about this season?
A. IT IS A 7TH DAY OF CREATION SEASON.
It is a Sabbath-year. The 77th year is the seventh and last year in the 11th seven years. The other Bible patterns for this season are the 7th book of the Bible and the 7th chapters of the Bible. Three things are needed in this season – as a 7th season year.
- UNITY
Watchmen must stand and cry out for unity in Israel. So, must Israel endeavor to be untied in this season. Twice in the 7th book of the Bible (Judges), we read that “In those days, there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25). The last hope of the enemy is disunity in Israel (including disunity between Israel and her allies). We must bind the spirit of disunity this season.
- REPENTANCE AND PRAYER
In the 7th book of the Bible, God raised judges for Israel after a season of prayer and repentance. God will raise help for Israel this season.
- BATTLE FOR REST
This is a year of rest for Israel but warfare must go ahead. It is a year of rest through war. In the seventh book of the Bible, we read that the land had rest after seasons of war (Judges 3:11, 30; 5:31; 8:28).
B. IT IS A FIRST KINGS 20-22 SEASON.
In this last prophetic division of First Kings, Ahab committed three errors and each error carried a sentence of death.
- BENHADAD
In First Kings 20, he spared the king of Syria – an enemy he should have killed (1 Kings 20: 35-43). Sparing the defeated enemy in this season because of sentiments is a costly, fatal error. This is 2024. There is pressure on Israel to spare ‘Benhadad’. Germany pardoned and released Hitler from prison in 1924. Fifteen years later, he became a nightmare to the world. Pray for Israel and her Allie’s to stay focused and to also have the backing and favour of Heaven.
- NABOTH
In First Kings 21, he caused the death of Naboth (by the help of Jezebel) and took over his vineyard (1 Kings 21: 1-24). The proud and wicked spirit of Jezebel will rise in this season to commit the sacrilege that will finally seal the doom of the house of Ahab. I believe Naboth is something in Israel that is refusing to cede right to the land. The spirit of Jezebel wants ‘Naboth’ dead because of his land. The ancient spirit of Jezebel wants Israel destroyed and her land taken by force and trick. Pray for the ‘Naboth’ in Israel.
- MICAIAH
In First Kings 22, he defied the words of Prophet of Micaiah and went to a war that was designed to claim his life (1 Kings 22: 1-38). It was a war to reclaim Ramoth-Gilead. The 77th year of Israel is a season to beware of presumption and deception. We must be guided by the Lord – not sentiments. The Ahab of Israel’s 77th year will perish in the battle field. Ahab will be deceived (by the voice of a multitude of deceived nations) to go to war to take ‘the land’ but he will not return. Pray for the minority Micaiah-nations to continue to stand by the truth.
C. IT IS A PSALM 77 SEASON
It is a season of crying to God and bringing His word before Him (Psalm 77:1 – 12). Pressure will drive Israel and God’s people all over the world to cry out to God in the 77th year of Israel
It is also a season of answers to prayer (Psalm 77:13 – 20). The Lord will answer the prayers of Israel and prayers for Israel in the 77th year.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Pray and rebuke present disunity in Israel. It’s demonic. Pray that all Israel and the allies of Israel will come into alignment with the Divine Intention concerning this war.
2. Pray that Heaven will take vengeance against Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic republic of Iran in this season of their judgment. Pray that Israel will triumph and have dominion in this battle of the seventh year.
3. Pray that the spirit of Elijah will do a thorough work in Israel and bring the nation back to her God.
4. Pray that Israel will not give in to the pressures and intrigues of the house of Ahab in her 77th year.
5. Pray that whatever Ahab represents (for Israel) will collapse and give way in the 77th year of Israel.
6. Pray that the grace for relentless praying will be poured out on God’s people to intercede for Israel in her 77th year.
7. Pray that spirit of the Judges will rest on the leadership of Israel and the commanders of the IDF as it did in the 7th book of the Bible.
8. Pray protection and safety over PM Netanyahu. Pray that he would be clothed with wisdom and strength this season.
Peace to Israel!
