Monday December 24th: 16 Tevet
It was on this day in 1947 that the ship called “29th of November,” filled with Jewish immigrants to the Holy Land, was turned away by the British. The reason it was denied entry was because it contained, at least in Britain’s view, “displaced persons” they considered to be illegal immigrants.
On November of 29, 1947, the U.N. had voted to partition Palestine under the British Mandate. That vote in the U.N. opened the door for the establishment of the State of Israel and led to a mass emigration of Jews from Europe and other nations. But until May 15, 1948, the date the British Mandate expired, the British controlled what was then called Palestine, and therefore continued to regulate immigration. Until the very last minute, they were turning away people they considered to be illegal immigrants. There were other ships that tried to bring displaced Jews into the land before May of 1948; one such ship was called “Exodus.” It, too, was turned back, refusing entry into the land for thousands more.
In some respects, the door is still shut to some of those who would consider Israel to be their homeland. There are those who, through political and other means, have shut the door. However, there is coming a day when God will open doors that no one can shut, and the world will see a flood of people into the land of Israel from all the nations of the earth. God declared this through several prophets including Isaiah who wrote:
“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 – everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory” (Isaiah 43:5-7)
On behalf of everyone who is called by His name, He will one day say, “Open the doors and let them in.” On that day, no government, no politician or army will be able to hold them back. In that day, there will be an overwhelming tidal wave people coming back into the land of their fathers because He has declared it.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, this includes all of those who are believers in Messiah Yeshua; we are called by His name. We, too, shall join the multitudes of His people who gather in Jerusalem to worship the King. There is much to thank Him for and we shall have the chance to do it face to face.
Until that day, we are to watch, pray and occupy in the place where He has planted us. There are people all around us in the workplace, in school and in our neighborhoods to whom we are assigned. Now is the time to awaken them to the plan and purpose God has for their life. We must let them know that there is no need to wander through this world for the Creator desires that they would come unto Him. And for those who answer that call, they can be sure that He will never turn them away. He is, this very day, gathering His sons and daughters to Himself.
