Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!

“KI-YELED YULAD-LANU . . .” “FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN . . .”

FOR THE FIRST TIME, HANDEL’S ‘MESSIAH’ IS PERFORMED IN JERUSALEM—IN HEBREW!

On the fourth of April, the second day of the Passover “Feast of Unleavened Bread” there occurred a “Miracle Night” in Jerusalem.  For the first time since it was written in 1741 the mighty oratorio “Messiah” by George Fredrich Handel was performed in Jerusalem in the language in which most of its texts were originally written—Hebrew!  For two evenings a choir made up of Messianic Jewish and Christian believers and a chamber orchestra of professional musicians released those ancient texts of Salvation set to glorious music into the heavenlies over Jerusalem.  The two performances took place in the “Pavilion”—a wonderful auditorium built and used by Believers in the center of the city. 

It was a strange and wonderful experience, for those of us who are familiar with the oratorio in English and who have become familiar with the same texts in our Hebrew Bibles, to hear the beloved music, to hear the ancient texts, and to see in “super-titles” the actual Hebrew words being projected with their references on a screen above the stage—Here, in Jerusalem where most of the events took place—Here, the day after Passover when it took place—in the idiom through which it was prophesied to take place… 

Visiting non-believing Israelis were stunned by the power of the Biblical texts and the music—and the “Spirit” which they felt in the air.  Many had never realized how married the prophetic texts were to those of the New Covenant.  Also…many portions of Isaiah 53 are in the Oratorio.  Tellingly, this incredible prophecy of the suffering and ultimate victory of Messiah is unknown to most Jews—the portions taken from the Prophets read in Synagogues around the world each weekend, hit Isaiah 52, and 54—but leave out all of Isaiah 53.

Hopefully, these two performances were only the beginning of a new annual presentation of this wonderful vehicle of the Good News, not only in Jerusalem but throughout Israel!

PLEASE PRAY:

*Praise and Thanksgiving that the Spirit Who breathed all of these wonderful words of Scripture – and Who inspired one of His servants to use His gift in setting them to music – has chosen to release it in this way to His ancient people in the Land of Israel during these days—and in the language in which much of it was originally written to them.

*That the Holy Spirit will brood over those Israelis who attended the performances, not knowing their Messiah—that they would respond to the revelation released over the holy Word—drawing them with Everlasting Love.  That their Mashiach would be revealed to them as the Passover Lamb of God, whose blood is their salvation, who bears away the sin of the world and brings us clean before our Father in Heaven. 

* THAT LIGHT WILL SHINE IN DARKNESS AND THE DARKNESS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH IT!

Martin & Norma Sarvis

Jerusalem