When Angus and I first began to see the truth about Ephraim and Judah and their coming reunion, having created the House of David Catalogue some five years earlier, we began to publish a House of David Herald Newsletter in the Early Eighties. In it we addressed different aspects that pertained to an intriguing subject. So we would not have to teach the same basics over and over again, we began to develop an outline called “Our Hope.” In it we offered brief statements about all Israel and gave Scripture references. Once we coined the name “Messianic Israel,” we put the list in various frames, titled it “The Hope of Messianic Israel” and published it on the last page of our Newsletters.

Over the years we mailed out close to a half million Heralds and people often told us how much they appreciated having The Hope as a reference and study guide.

Among the many Newsletters we published some were repeatedly requested more than others. Such as, “Is the Church the People of Ephraim?, The Wilderness Experience, The Olive Tree of Israel, Who is a Jew? A Look at the Bloodline of Israel,” and, “Celebrating the Four Passovers.” After a while we began to cover these subjects in greater detail in the books we came to write.

In my newest book, A Door of Hope for the Last Days, I once again address our call to the “Wilderness” – but with an emphasis on the end times and what the Father wants to accomplish in us at this time.

Unfortunately, the publication date for my book, for both unexpected health concerns and unbelievable cover problems, has been moved to late August.

We therefore humbly ask those who ordered a pre-publication autographed copy to please forgive us for yet another delay. We pray the book will prove to be worth the wait and that the holdup will prove to be a blessing in disguise. Order it here:
https://redeemedisrael.com/products/preorder-a-door-of-hope-for-the-last-days/

As most of you know, a few years ago we felt led of the Father to create and put our focus on the Alliance of Redeemed Israel (ARI) rather than on the Messianic Israel Alliance (MIA). We did this because we felt a need for the Messianic and Hebraic movements to put their focus on the Messiah and the finishing work of His Ruach. If we are going to move forward we must stop resisting a TRUE move of the Ruach. Such resistance is Israel’s primary sin and we must repent of it: “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 7:51, NIV).

In honor of more than 3 decades of teaching on the glorious and exciting truth about the full restoration of Ephraim and Judah and their companions, we are offering an updated PDF version of “The Hope for Redeemed Israel.” It helps to clarify a lot of important points and serves as a wonderful handout for inquiring minds. You can see The Hope on our ARI site, plus print out our PDF Retro Version featuring a tree graphic we used some 30 years ago, but with the text for ARI. See it here: https://redeemedisrael.com/the-hope-of-redeemed-israel/

In addition, to pique your interest in my latest book, we are offering Chapter 31 of “A Door of Hope for the Last Days.”

We pray that reading it will bless and encourage you.

The Wilderness of the Peoples

YHVH said of Israel, “I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.” Ezekiel defines this wilderness: “I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face” (Hosea 2:14; Ezekiel 20:35).

YHVH allures, calls to us, leads us into the wilderness-so He can get us alone. He wants to have a face-to-face, up-close-and-personal, heart-to-heart relationship with each one of us. Isolation is the reason for the season. He says of Israel’s desert experience, “Remember how YHVH your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands” (Deuteronomy 8:2, NIV).

There can be many reasons for our season of desert testing and isolation. YHVH can isolate us because we feel lonely and He wants us to get our eyes off of others and on to our relationship with Him. He can set us apart because He wants to teach us the truth about our call to be “set apart.” He can sequester us because our focus is not right and He needs to remove all distractions so He alone will have our attention. And, He can lead us to withdraw because He wants to teach us to sing a song. It is an old and powerful song that is ever being made new: “Though none go with me, still I will follow…”
(From “I Have Decided” (to Follow Jesus), written by Todd Smith and Jason Saetveit.)

When we truly learn to sing this song, without any reservation, we become someone the world needs to reckon with. We become Believers who will not be compromised by men but will stand for the truth – even if it means that we have to stand alone.

In this wilderness, YHVH wants to speak kindly, tenderly to us. As stated in Jeremiah, by His Ruach He wants to write His New Covenant on our heart. This trip to the desert is not about us learning more about our roots, nor about being empowered to do fleshy works, or gain ear-tickling insights into Scripture. No. It is about us getting real with our God. It is a time of up close and personal communication. It is time for us to truly meet with our Master and see our own need for transformation.

The Midbar
In Hebrew, the word for wilderness is midbar. It comes from the root word dbr, which means word. In the wilderness, we can better hear the word of YHVH Elohim. In the wilderness, formerly wayward ones are brought to a place of isolation with the One to whom they are to be wed. In the desert, hurting ones learn of His love for them as individuals. In dry places they learn faithfulness, and they learn to call the One they once called Master, their Husband (Hosea 2:16). In this place of closing off, they become devoted to Him alone. They learn to have eyes for no other. The fear of men is removed from before their face. His Name is written on their forehead and they are driven with desire to be with their Beloved King. Thus they become “Betrothed Virgin Israel.”

A wilderness is a dry desert place, a place where there is no water, no wine. In this place there is nothing to quench one’s thirst. There is nothing to satisfy.

The place name, “Wilderness of the Peoples,” depicts a sea of faces, it portrays people who are like the desert sands for number, yet none seem to be able to offer satisfying water or wine to the parched. There is none who understand, none who can offer refreshment to the weary.

In our day, many feel they have been drawn into a desert place, in that they feel alone and alienated. In search of Believers of like mind, they walked out the doors of their fellowships. Some began to go it alone, while others connected with small fellowships, only to find that everyone seems to keep dividing into smaller and smaller groups. Division seems to be the order of the day. Such experiences happen to most Believers, and it is especially happening to many in this hour.

A Literal Desert Experience?
The Word says the things that happened to ancient Israel were examples for our instruction. Thus, some think Ezekiel and Hosea may also speak of a literal desert experience; and that Israel will one day be divinely drawn to a place like Bozrah/Petra (possibly located in the Arabian Desert). (See Isa 16:1; 42:11; Jer 23:7-8; 41:21-22; Hos 2:14-21; Mic 2:12-13; 1 Cor 10:1,11; Gal 4:25.

Even so, it may be that in the last days some (but not necessarily all) will be led to a desert place in order to survive persecution. But, with the heat tracking devices available in our day it will be difficult for people to hide anywhere for any length of time – so we question the wisdom of this idea as our answer.

As to “spiritual desert experiences,” most Believers feel they have had at least one or more of them, and that in the end, the experience represented a time of decided spiritual growth. We believe this is the more important aspect of such “desert” experiences.

In this vein we note that a desert depicts a place of utter quiet, stillness and solitude. In the desert, the rest of the world fades away. There, we can come face to face with the Holy One.

Learning to Reach Into Abba’s World
Sometimes we feel we are in a wilderness because we do not seem to be hearing the Father’s voice as often as we did when we were new Believers. When we are babes, He often reaches into our world and touches us. But as we mature, He seems to get quiet and not reaching out to us as in times past. During such times, He isolates us – because He is trying to get us to seek Him – because He wants us to grow up and learn to reach into His world.

We want to mature and learn how to reach into our Father’s world, and seasons in the desert often prove to be excellent training grounds to practice that fine art (Hebrews 5:14). (Thanks to Graham Cooke for the point about reaching into “His world.” www.grahamcooke.com )

Our concern with this last days desert experience has much to do with those who are familiar with the Hebraic and Messianic movements. It is primarily they who will have to make this trip…

Led With Cords of Kindness
There are many reasons why we might have to be led into a desert experience. We will deal with only a few of them.

The Father wants to effect real change in His children as He allows them to trod this path of loneliness. He allures them, even leads Israel into this wilderness. To bring them to this place, He uses cords of human kindness and ties of love. He leads Israel into this place so He can “speak kindly to her.” He wants to speak to her heart. He wants to write His Law on her heart by His Holy Spirit (Hebrews 8:10; 2 Corinthians 3:3).

This leading, this separation, is not a work of carnal man, but something that is being done by a Holy God. Even as we appreciate the work the Father can do in us in corporate settings, so we need to learn to appreciate the lessons He gives us in isolation. Sometimes, the most holy thing we can do is to be “alone.”

In this desert place, YHVH speaks to Israel, not as He did at Sinai, amidst darkness and tempest which struck fear in the hearts of the people, but softly, kindly, tenderly. In solitude He speaks comfort to her heart (Hosea 2:14).

Why is there such emphasis on the idea of the Father speaking kindly at this time?

First and foremost we are called to be witnesses for the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 44:8). However, a”witness” can only tell of things they know about personally. Hearsay is not admissible evidence in a court of law. We must have firsthand knowledge. The Word tells us the Father “comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:4). Restated, He “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (NIV). The problem is, if we do not know the Master, if we have not first received of His comforting kindness, we will not be able to be a true witness for Him, or be empowered to give true comfort to others.

Again, it is the “kindness” of God that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). People who need to learn the value of kindness are often brought to the desert to be remolded. People whom He wants to use to show forth His kindness are drawn here by His Spirit too, that they might be healed.

“Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off….Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentle-ness and patience….make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Romans 11:22; Colossians 3:12; 2 Peter 1:5-11, NIV).

YHVH isolates us because He wants to personally teach us His ways. He wants to speak into our spirit with words of warning, admonishment, and comfort. His words can be piercing, penetrating. When they reach our inmost heart, then He can more fully take up residence there. He wants to fill us with the hope of pardon, to kindle our love and enlighten our faith. He wants to teach us to have a child-like trust in Him. His beauty touches our heart; His holiness, truth, and mercy sink deep into our soul. In silence and stillness we learn to better know our God. Here, we quietly repent of our sins, learn to conquer self, and to meditate on and truly ponder the amazing ways of our Heavenly Father.

This special time of intimacy is not really about trouble. Trouble is used to bring us to this point of isolation, and to thus be trans-formed by a truly intimate faith.

Trouble is the vehicle. True transformation is the destination. Becoming intimate with the Master is the goal.

YHVH first seeks to draw us with cords of lovingkindness. But make no mistake about His determination to draw us in true and absolute righteousness. As stated earlier, our righteousness is imputed in Messiah Yeshua, but in our earthly walk, we need to learn how to truly implement that righteousness. We need to learn how to walk as He walked. Others need to see Him in us. That is how the Father wants to minister to His children.

As we grow in our understanding of His ways we will become a source of comfort to others in their trials and tribulations.

End Quote.

May Abba bless you as you move forward in His plan for your life!
Batya

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A Note from the Administrator’s Desk

We are still progressing through a time of transition. It is difficult to do things at the Lord’s speed when we want to hurry everything along. However, we must rely on His strength and trust that things are being done in His good timing. That being said, we are actively working toward updating the website, organizing our inventory and office, and growing the Lord’s Ministry.

Fully relying on His strength, our plan is to continue to spread His truth. We will continue to promote, produce and distribute the books that have had such an impact in people’s lives.

We also are looking to expand our outreach and work toward equipping the Body to help the build the Father’s kingdom. Our plan is to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Angus and Batya’s first Ephraim and Judah conference, held in Jamestown, NY in 1989. The Alliance of Redeemed Israel and the Messianic Israel Alliance will both be present at our Gathering and it will be a unique event. It will be held on the first weekend in December. Details will be provided shortly as they are now in the process of being finalized. We will also be launching a new product line that will hopefully enrich the lives of those who participate. The goal of this organization is serve God’s kingdom, God’s way. It is set upon spreading the knowledge of restoration and unification and enrichment of all of Israel.
We pray that blessings be upon all of you.

Alex David Altman
Administrator

Note: The new ARI Home Office address is:

Alliance of Redeemed Israel
PO Box 947
Palatka, FL 32178
800 829 8777
386 937 5742

David Altman, Administrator
davidaltman@redeemedisrael.com

Saint Cloud Office: 407-344-7700