Hundreds of Jewish and Arab believers from the north of Israel gathered in a forest in the Galilee region on Shabbat to worship God together. There was singing in both Arabic and Hebrew, and messages from the Word of God about his power to save and transform – but much of the time was spent calling out to God for revival.
One of the pastors shared a message of hope from Isaiah, specifically about the Galilee area in the north of Israel:
“But there is no gloom to her
who was in anguish, as in time past.
He treated lightly the land of Zebulun
and the land of Naphtali,
but in the future He will bring glory—
by the way of the sea,
beyond the Jordan—
Galilee of the Gentiles.
The people walking in darkness
will see a great light.
Upon those dwelling in the land of the shadow of death,
light will shine.”
Isaiah 8:23-9:1
The event has been held in the forests of the Galilee for some 30 years, in order to build connections in the name of Yeshua. Each year, hundreds of believers come from all kinds of backgrounds – Ethiopian, Russian, Arab, Jewish Israeli and some from other nations around the world as an expression of their unity in the Messiah. Many have been attending for years, and look forward to catching up with old friends they rarely see, and also meeting new friends. There are stalls where people can learn about discipleship programs and Messianic initiatives that they might not otherwise know about, and there was a time of food and fellowship as well.
One participant said, “I’ve been coming here since I was young, and many ask what we all have in common, coming from different places, speaking different languages, but what we have in common is Yeshua and through him we are one”. Another shared, “I started coming 25 years ago, I felt that somehow it’s a key to revival from the two sides – God is waiting to see where is my heart towards the Arabs? And where is their heart towards us? And so I expect to see revival here in the Galilee”.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard—Aaron’s beard—
coming down on the collar of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon, coming down upon the mountains of Zion.
For there Adonai commanded the blessing—life forevermore!
Psalm 133
[1] All quotes from video by Kehila news