Aliyah in a Hebrew word that means “to go up” or “ to ascend”.
When a Jewish family is moving back to Israel to live from another nation they would say, “We are making Aliyah.” When Israel became a nation again in 1948, after 2000 years, Jewish people around the world could now move back to their ancient homeland. It talks about these times in Isaiah 43:1-7, “ But now says the LORD who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel; ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine…I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, Give them up!, and to the south, Do not keep them back! Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth…’ “ In Ezekiel 34:13 -14 it speaks about this return, “I will bring them out from the people and gather them from the countries and will bring them to their own land; I will feed My flock and make them to lie down, says the Lord God…”
Aliyah in a Hebrew word that means “to go up” or “ to ascend”.
The return of the nation of Israel is God’s prophetic declaration that it’s time for restoration. Their restoration affects all the nations. They are God’s blessing to the nations, “… and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed,” Gen. 12:4. It also is God revealing the holiness of His name before the nations as He brings His people back and restores them to their homeland. It speaks of this in Eze. 36: 23-24, “ ‘And I will sanctify My great name…and the nations shall know that I am the LORD, ‘ says the LORD God, ‘When I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all the countries, and bring you to your own land…’ ”
There is only one time in the bible God says He will do something with all of His heart and soul. He is talking about the return and restoration of His people Israel. “ ‘Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them…Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and all My soul.’ “ Jer. 32:37,41
Is the Church Called to Help?
The Lord talks about a banner He has lifted up and an oath He has made to the nations. It says in Isaiah 49:22, “Behold, I will lift My hand as an oath to the nations, and set up my standard (banner) for the peoples; they shall bring your sons in their arms and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders…” We believe the flag of Israel was that very banner being lifted up in 1948 to signal people in the nations and especially the Church, it was time for the restoration of the Jewish people as a nation.This would also begin to bring restoration to the nations. We as Christians are called to take part in helping them to move back to their homeland with our giving and service.
We are asked to pray for the Jewish people’s return and restoration. In Jer. 31:7,10 it shows one of the ways to pray for the Aliyah. “For thus says the LORD, ’Sing with gladness for Jacob and shout among the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise and say, ‘O LORD, save your people the remnant of Israel!’ Behold I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the ends of the earth… Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd does his flock…’ “
We are asked to comfort them and acknowledge them as God’s covenant people. In Isaiah 40:1 it directs us to, “ ‘Comfort, yes, comfort My people!’ says your God. ‘Speak tenderly to the heart of Jerusalem…’ “ Jerusalem represents the heart of the Jewish people. Three verses in the Bible that can change everything for a person’s life or a nations are found in Genesis 12:2-4. This is talking about a great nation God was raising up. He says, “…I will make you a great nation; I will bless you, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” In Hebrew the second word “curse’ in verse 3 means to make light of, to see as small or unimportant, show contempt for, despise, lightly esteem, mock or scorn. You can see how important it is to God on how we treat His people. We are called to be a part of one of the most important moves of God in our time.
“Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land with all of My heart and all of My soul. For thus says the LORD: …I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them.” Jeremiah 32:41-42