Aliyah

I grew up in an evangelical church and never heard the word “Aliyah,” or any teaching on the prophetic end-time return of the Jews to Israel.  I even spent four years in a graduate school of theology, and nothing. Crickets! Yet aliyah is as biblical as the parchment the early prophets wrote upon.  Here are some of the words penned by those forth-tellers of end time history.

ISAIAH

Isaiah 10:20

“And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, will never again depend on him who defeated them, but will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

Isaiah 11:11-12

“It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from Assyria and Egypt, from Pathos and Cush, from Elam and Shinar, from Hamath and the islands of the sea. He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”

Isaiah 27:12-13

“And it shall come to pass in that day that the LORD will thresh, from the channel of the River to the Brook of Egypt; and you will be gathered one by one, oh you children of Israel. So it shall be in that day: the great trumpet will be blown; they will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, and they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.

Isaiah 43:5-6

“Fear not, for I am with you; 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.”

Isaiah 49:12

“Surely these shall come from afar; Look! Those from the north and the west, and these from the land of Sinim.”

Isaiah 60:9

“Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me; and the ships of Tarshish will come first, to bring your sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them, to the name of the LORD your God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because He has glorified you.”

JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 16:14-15

“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.”

Jeremiah 23:3

“But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.”

Jeremiah 23:7-8

“Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, that they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.”

Jeremiah 30:7-11

“Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. 'For it shall come to pass in that day,' says the LORD of hosts, 'that I will break his yoke from your neck and will burst your bonds; foreigners shall no longer enslave them. But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. 'Therefore, do not fear, O my servant Jacob,' says the LORD, 'nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, and no one shall make him afraid. For I am with you,' says the LORD, 'to save you; though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, and will not let you go altogether unpunished.”

Jeremiah 31:7-11 

“For thus says the LORD: Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘Oh 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.  Among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and the one who labors with child, together; A great throng shall return there.  They shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them.  I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble; for I am a Father to Israel, And Ephraim is my firstborn. ' 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.”

Jeremiah 46:28

“Do not fear, O Jacob My servant,” says the LORD, “for I am with you; for I will make a complete end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but I will not make a complete end of you. I will rightly correct you, for I will not leave you wholly unpunished.”

Jeremiah 50:4-5

"In those days and in that time," says the LORD, " the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together; with continual weeping they shall come and seek the LORD their God. They shall ask the way to Zion, with their faces toward it, saying, "Come and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that will not be forgotten."

EZEKIEL

Ezekiel 11:17-20

“Therefore say, "Thus says the Lord GOD: "I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel."" And they will go there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my judgments and do them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”

Ezekiel 36:24-29

“For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you of all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be my people, and I will be your God. I will deliver you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and multiply it and bring no famine upon you.”

Ezekiel 36:33

“Thus says the Lord GOD: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt.”

Ezekiel 37:22-28

 “And I will make them one nation (Judah and Ephraim) in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God. “David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes and do them. Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever. 

AMOS

Amos 9:8-9

"Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth; yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob," says the LORD. " For surely, I will command, and will sift the house of Israel among all nations, as grain is sifted in a sieve; yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.”

Amos 9:11-15

“On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,” says the LORD who does this thing. 'Behold, the days are coming,' says the LORD, ' when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will bring back the captives of my people Israel; they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.”

HOSEA

Hosea 2:14-16

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, I will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her. I will give her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. “And it shall be, in that day,” Says the LORD, “that you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer call Me ‘My Master.“

Hosea 3:5

“Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.”

MICAH

Micah 2:12
 “I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, like a flock in the midst of their pasture; They shall make a loud noise because of so many people.”

ZEPHANIAH

Zephaniah 3:18-20

“I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden. Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame, and gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame. At that time, I will bring you back, even at the time I gather you; For I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I return your captives before your eyes,” says the LORD.”

ZECHARIAH

Zechariah 2:6

“Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the LORD; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the LORD.”

Zechariah 8:7-8

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people and I will be their God.”

If you do a Google search on aliyah, one of the first things you will discover is that Aliyah is currently a very popular name for baby girls. And second, Aliyah is a Canadian professional wrestler who holds the record for the fastest victory in WWE history at 3.17 seconds. 

But that is not the aliyah that we are talking about. Aliyah is not an individual, but a term to define the return of the Jews back to their covenant homeland. 

OPEN FOR JEWISH IMMIGRATION

“The State of Israel will be open for Jewish immigration

and for the 'Ingathering of the Exiles.”

This is what the Government proclaimed in its Declaration of Independence on the 5th of the month of Iyar in the year 5708, May 14, 1948. The integration of immigrants into the social fabric of the community has been one of the central objectives of the State of Israel from the day of its founding, and, as such, it stands at the forefront of the Government's scale of priorities. (https://www.gov.il/en/departments/guides/the-aliya-story)

WHAT IS ALIYAH?

The Hebrew term for this process of the Jews immigrating to Israel is “aliyah.”  Aliyah literally means to “go up,” as in the scriptures that talk about “going up” to Jerusalem three times a year for the biblically mandated holy days of Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot.  

Other terms for this end time return of the Jews is “The Greater Exodus,” “The Second Exodus,” or what I am calling the “Far Country Exodus.” I have developed this term from the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, who left the “far country” of idolatry, adultery, and riotous living to return to his father at home. It is the story of the exile of the Hebrews from their covenant promised land, and their end time home-going from all the far-off countries to which they were scattered.

Here is what the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem says of aliyah: 

“Aliyah, simply stated, is the ingathering of the exiles from the four corners of the earth — it is the immigration of Jews back to their ancestral homeland. Aliyah ‘is rooted in the Jewish people’s fervent hope to rebuild its national life in the country from which it was exiled nearly 2,000 years ago.” (https://www.icej.org/defining-aliyah/)

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews defines aliyah thus: ”Aliyah is the Hebrew word used to describe immigration to Israel—bringing Jews from the “four corners of the earth” to their biblical homeland is the very backbone of the Jewish state. It’s the return of Jews to the land of Israel from the diaspora (Jewish communities outside of Israel). Since Jerusalem is located on top of Mount Zion, the pilgrims literally ascended to the Holy Temple.” (https://www.ifcj.org/learn/resource-library/what-is-aliyah)

Nefesh B’Nefesh, one of the leading organizations of aliyah has this to say about the ingathering of the exiles: The Hebrew word “Aliyah” literally means ascent or rise, but for generations it has been used to mean “immigration to Israel.”

Israel has always been the center of the Jewish universe, but for centuries the dream of moving to Israel was just that, a dream.

In the 1880s, organized groups began to immigrate to Israel with the goal of building communities and settling the land. “Aliyah” became the official term for immigration to Israel when, in 1950, the State of Israel opened her doors to the Jews of the world and passed the Law of Return.” (https://www.nbn.org.il/what-is-aliyah/)

Several months ago, I drove through the quirky, south Texas town of Marfa, Texas, home of the mysterious Marfa Lights, and the setting for the movie, Blanche, a “captivating tale inspired by true events.” The Marfa Lights, nor the movie captured my attention; the lights seemed to target sci-fi buffs with a lot of time on their hands, and Blanche was a chicken thrown from the window of a Cessna at 7000 feet – not much going on there.

However, to my utter amazement there was something in Marfa worth seeing; ships in the desert – literally! Marfa is home to, according to the owners of the Marfa Holocaust and Model Ship Museum, “the only Heritage Museum in the world that showcases the Aliyah Bet.” 

In this little museum in the middle of nowhere, Texas I was introduced to the Aliyah Bet, and the early efforts, under great adversity, to get the Jews of Europe out of harm’s way and back to Palestine.  As I stared into the glass cases that held the ornate, model ships, it was as though I was peering into a time in history of what an extreme aliyah might look like.  

ALIYAH BET

“Aliyah Bet is the Hebrew term that refers to the clandestine immigration of Jews to Palestine between 1920 and 1948, when Great Britain controlled the area.

The Hebrew word "aliyah" (literally, "ascent") commonly refers to immigration to the Land of Israel, while "bet" (the Hebrew equivalent of the letter "B") here implies something unofficial or secret. The phrase Aliyah Bet describes the movement of Jewish refugees, many of them survivors of the Holocaust, not permitted to enter Palestine by the British authorities. Initiated by Zionist activists as the urgency for Jews to leave Europe intensified, this phenomenon was referred to by the British as "illegal" immigration. By 1948, well over 100,000 people had taken this route, including more than 70,000 Holocaust survivors.

The number of immigrants officially allowed to enter Palestine always failed to meet demand and, in periods of political crisis, the British severely restricted or even forbade entry. Jewish refugees found many ways to evade the British immigration quotas. However, travel by ship soon became the main mode of transport for Aliyah Bet, with thousands arriving each year. In 1938, the Mossad l'Aliyah Bet (Organization for "Illegal" Immigration, established by the Jewish leadership in Palestine) began coordinating these efforts. During World War II, Aliyah Bet continued, but at a slower pace and under more dangerous conditions, with hundreds of lives lost at sea. Despite the dangers, 62 such voyages were carried out from 1937 to 1944.

After World War II, the number of Jewish refugees seeking to enter Palestine increased dramatically. The horrors of the Holocaust, coupled with postwar antisemitism and violence, prompted most survivors to leave Europe. In particular, tens of thousands living in displaced persons camps, almost all in the American zone of occupation, sought to join the Jewish community in Palestine. Organized by the Mossad l'Aliyah Bet and using an underground network known as the Brihah (Hebrew for "flight"), Holocaust survivors moved from the displaced persons camps (primarily in Germany, Austria, and Italy) or from elsewhere in eastern Europe to gathering points in port cities (typically in Italy, France, Yugoslavia, or Greece). Available boats were usually substandard, often old cargo ships, and were overcrowded with passengers.

Following the lengthy, uncomfortable journey, over 90 percent of the ships were intercepted by the British navy. British authorities forcibly moved the refugees to detention camps, primarily on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. By 1948 the British held over 50,000 Jewish refugees in internment camps on Cyprus.

This policy proved a public relations disaster for the British government, with foreign press coverage of the plight of the refugee’s arousing sympathy. In particular, the case of the Exodus rallied world opinion.

In July 1947 in France, 4,500 Jewish refugees from displaced persons camps in Germany boarded the "Exodus 1947" and attempted to sail (without permission to land) to Palestine, which was under British mandate. The British intercepted the ship off the coast and forced it to anchor in Haifa, where British soldiers removed the Jewish refugees. After British authorities failed to force France to accept the refugees, the refugees were returned to DP camps in Germany. The plight of the "Exodus" passengers became a symbol of the struggle for open immigration into Palestine.

The sight of Jewish refugees, many of them recently freed from Nazi concentration camps, being held in detention camps on German soil was disturbing. It also challenged the image of the British as liberators, provoking an international outcry.

In November 1947, the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into two countries (one Jewish, one Arab). British troops began to withdraw from Palestine in April 1948, and in May 1948 the Zionist leader David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the modern state of Israel. All limitations on Jewish immigration were immediately lifted.”  – Author(s): United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC

In this article from the Washington, DC Holocaust Memorial Museum, the author states that “travel by ship” soon became the main mode of transfer for Aliyah Bet.  That was seventy-five years ago. Today, it never crosses our mind that ships may once again play an important role in the return of the Jews back to their covenant homeland.  Why would it, when we have aircraft that can make the transatlantic crossing in hours, rather than weeks?

However, we need to remember that the Aliyah Bet operated during a time of extreme crisis, and if in the future we have similar “anti-Jewish environments” that deteriorate into extreme situations, and tens of thousands of Jews needed to suddenly leave the West, we may once again see the deployment of ships as a major means of transport.

Consider the words of the prophet Isaiah (60:8,9):

“Who are these that fly along like clouds,
     like doves to their nests?
 Surely the islands look to me;
     in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,
 bringing your children from afar,
     with their silver and gold,
 to the honor of the Lord your God,
     the Holy One of Israel,
     for he has endowed you with splendor.”

During the 1990’s, over a million Russian Jews made aliyah to Israel. It was as though a dam had burst with the collapse of the Soviet Union, and photos taken of the new Olim disembarking jets on the tarmac of Ben Gurion Airport seemed endless. The earlier story that I shared with you of my journey to Murmansk was one of thousands like it, of organizations and individuals assisting the Jews from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) on their journey home. 

While this wave of Russian immigration seemed like a tsunami due to its strength and numbers, it was preceded by numerous other, smaller waves that began nearly a century earlier.  For this information, I am going to lean into the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem (ICEJ). Over the past three decades they have gathered statistics, and their research continues to evolve as they engage in the aliyah process, not just from the FSU, but globally. Thank you ICEJ!   

Waves of Aliyah

“In the Land of Israel, Jews have always maintained a presence down through the centuries. However, it was during the late 1800’s that increasing numbers of Jews, seeking refuge from anti-Semitism and inspired by Zionist ideology, returned to what was then called Palestine. These early pioneers drained swamps, reclaimed wastelands, afforested bare hillsides, founded agricultural settlements and revived the Hebrew language for everyday use.

The return of the Jewish people to Palestine, and later Israel seemed to come in waves.

The First Aliyah (1882-1903) – This Aliyah followed pogroms in Russia in 1881-1882, with most of the 35,000 immigrants coming from Eastern Europe, Imperial Russia and what was later to be the Soviet Union.

The Second Aliyah (1904-1914) — In the wake of pogroms in Czarist Russia, 40,000 young people, inspired by socialist ideals settled in Palestine.

The Third Aliyah (1919-1923) — Triggered by the October Revolution in Russia and the pogroms in Poland and Hungary, this Aliyah was a continuation of the Second Aliyah that was interrupted by WWI.

The Fourth Aliyah (1924-1929) — The Fourth Aliyah was a direct result of the anti-Jewish policies in Poland and stiff immigration quotas in America.

The Fifth Aliyah (1929-1939) — This Aliyah was a result of the Nazi accession to power in Germany (1933).

Aliyah during WWII and its aftermath (1939-1948) — Effort focused on rescuing the Jews from Nazi occupied Europe. The yishuv, Jewish partisans and Zionist youth movements, cooperated in establishing the Beriah (escape) organization, which assisted 200,000 Jews to leave Europe.

Exodus of 1947 — From 1945-1947, during this period, the number of immigrants (legal and illegal alike) was 480,000, 90% of them from Europe.

Mass immigration after 1948 — On May 14, 1948 the State of Israel was proclaimed. The Proclamation of the State of Israel stated:

“The State of Israel will be opened for Jewish immigration and the ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for all of its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace envisioned by the prophets of Israel…”

Mass immigration from the FSU – From 1989 to the end of 2010, more than 1 million Jewish people from the former Soviet Union have made their home in Israel. There are still another 1 million Jews still in the former Soviet Union (FSU) yet to come. Plus 800,000 in Germany, the USA and Canada.

ICEJ has assisted more than 120,000 Jews from the FSU and other countries!

Operation Magic Carpet – In May 1949, when the Imam of Yemen agreed to let 45,000 Jews in his country leave, Israeli, British and American planes flew them “home” in Operation Magic Carpet. The Yemenite Jews, mostly children, were brought to Israel on some 380 flights.

Operations Joshua and Moses – Under a news blackout for security reasons, Operation Moses began on November 18, 1984, and ended six weeks later on January 5, 1985. In that time, almost 8,000 Jews were rescued and brought to Israel. Later that year, through Operation Joshua, another 800 Ethiopian Jews immigrated to Israel.” (https://www.icej.org/defining-aliyah/)

Operation Solomon - May 24, 1991.  This is where I want to take back the baton from the ICEJ.  I would like to share a story related to this made-for-movie, covert operation that I think you would find interesting.  Click here or continue to OPERATION SOLOMON.

Aliyah is the Hebrew word used to describe the prophesied return of the Jews to Israel.  For millennia they have been scattered to all the nations of the earth, and have now begun their ascent back to their ancestral homeland. 

Because the complexity and intensity of the aliyah process varies according to time and location (One size doesn’t fit all), I am going to identify four levels of aliyah, and then define them.  These terms are not intended to be rigid; as you will see, they are quite fluid.  I am simply applying them to help identify the level of intensity, so that, if necessary, we can adjust our strategy to assure a more successful aliyah.

These terms that describe the different levels of intensity are: 1) Traditional Aliyah, 2) Aliyah Under Pressure, 3) Emergency Aliyah, and 4) Extreme Aliyah. 

The Christian and Jewish organizations that are currently co-laboring to bring the Jews back to their Land are largely engaged in what I will refer to as “traditional Aliyah.” They send teams, sometimes referred to as the Jeremiah 16:16 “fishers,” into a geographic region to identify and assist the Jews with their homeward journey.  This involves everything from the initial casting of the vision that they can emigrate to Israel, to assimilating them into their new Israeli home and culture.  I recall that on one “fishing” trip to Siberia, we took care baskets to Jewish families and introduced them to the return process.  And on another trip, the aliyah journey for ten Jews from northern Russia culminated in Israel as we walked into Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. While these were awesome experiences for me, aliyah is not without its challenges for the returning Jews.  More about that later.  

Besides the initial fishing expeditions, aliyah organizations help the returning Jews in procuring their documents and passports.  This usually means several trips, often from remote areas, to the city to meet with the Israeli Consulate, the Jewish agency, synagogues, and meetings with rabbi’s and local government officials. 

Once the passports and paperwork of the returning Jews are in order, their airline tickets are secured, often-times paid for by the same organizations and individuals that have assisted them since the beginning of their aliyah journey.  

Those of us who have worked with the aliyah have learned that it is easier to get the Jews home in times of peace and prosperity, but that’s when it seems fewer are likely to return. When challenging times come, it is more difficult to get them home, but that’s when we see the uptick in the numbers of those returning.  

I use the term, “traditional aliyah”, to identify the process that most are familiar with, and to differentiate it from the other three, less known potential levels of the return process.  In other words, traditional aliyah is the current process used to get the Jews home, and extreme aliyah may be the process, in a time much like the European holocaust, when the traditional methods of their return will be impossible. And sandwiched in the middle are the two, more fluid levels of intensity; aliyah under pressure, and emergency aliyah. 

I am thankful to have been introduced to aliyah several years ago, particularly the return of the Jews from the former Soviet Union, and have a deep appreciation for those actively involved in traditional aliyah today. My concern is this, that there are potential extreme challenges on the horizon, particularly in the West, that may tip the scales toward a necessary, extreme aliyah.