Spiritual Pilgrimage to Israel
The team—Markita Brooks, Veronica Patterson and Keina Nixon
Every morning, each team member sought God individually for revelation for the day. Afterward, I (Markita Smith) sought the Holy Spirit for one compiled revelation to guide us that day. The compiled revelation for each day is listed with each day’s activities.
August 11th–Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
Revelation: The LORD is about to judge the earth (Israel and the Nations) to address the effects of disobedience. However, a remnant will be spared who will reign with Mashiach (Messiah).
On the way into the Old City through the center of Jerusalem, we saw two brides in their gowns. The Lord used us on this trip, and continues to use us, to prepare the Bride (Israel and the Church) for His return. There is to be one bride, but right now, she is two. Israel and the Church will be one, and everything that occurred on this trip, represented that plan of God.
August 12th–Negev (Judean Desert), Red Sea and Dead Sea
Revelation: We have been sent here to testify in Jerusalem and Rome—the centers of our faith. Everything we do—every prayer, every step, every location we visit—must be guided by the Spirit as they are significantly relevant to His plans for us as well as the Bride, who must be guided into His way in the days to come.
We set out that morning for the Judean desert. ADONAI always takes His people into the desert first for preparation. There, we cried out to God for the Bride (Israel and the Church), that she would allow herself to be wooed into the desert with the Lord, her Husband (see Hosea chap 2), giving up her commitment to comfort to submit fully to His will. Later, I climbed to the top of a mountain in the desert. I continued to hear while climbing, “On the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided.” (See Genesis 22:14)
After leaving the desert, we traveled to the Red Sea, praying for and proclaiming miracles. Lastly, we floated in the Dead Sea, at the very head of it (the last beach as you travel north) praying for repentance and dependence upon God’s grace for the Bride.
August 11th–King David’s Tomb, Upper Room, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Western Wall and the Old City in Jerusalem
Revelation: Discerning our steps and speaking God’s Word will demonstrate our intimate connection with Him while ministering personally and specifically into the lives of His people— both Jews and Gentiles. (Exhortations of refining judgment to come and bequeathing of prosperity to follow are subjects of personal ministry.)
Our first stop was King David’s tomb. Throughout the day we saw many of the issues that separate, or dismember, the Bride of Messiah (Israel and the Church). We disagree on many things, but David is common ground–in him, we all see a model and a hope.
After King David’s Tomb, we went to the Upper Room, which is directly above King David ’s tomb. In the Upper Room is an Olive Tree. We sat and watched very different groups of believers stroll through this place of the Last Supper and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. With each group, there was a different teaching, a different interpretation of the meaning of the olive tree, and different treatment of the room itself. This depicted the need for oneness in the Bride, to understand the olive tree and reconnect with the source (Romans 11).
Next, we traveled to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, through the Moslem and Armenian Quarters being harassed and bombarded. We arrived at the dark, smoke-filled cathedral during a procession. There is a spiritual thickness in the building that feels much more pagan and demonic than holy and Spirit-filled. Here, and on the Via Delarosa, we prayed that Yeshua would reveal His righteous judgments in the earth, to prepare for His return. “May the standard be reestablished in Jerusalem and the Nations called to line up to this plumbline.”
Finally, we arrived at the Kotel—Western Wall. We were grieved again by the separation of God’s people: Jew from Gentile (as seen in the Christian and Jewish Quarters) and male from female (as seen in the dividing wall between the men and women with children at the Kotel).
When we returned to our quarters, our host immediately asked if we were alright. We searched hard for a word to describe what it was like (particularly the Church of the Holy Sepulchre) and he said, “hell, it was like hell.” We responded, “exactly”. He then went on to explain that Jerusalem is the place where heaven and earth, and hell, meet. We had never realized that under an open heaven, believers, (the people with the keys–see Matt16:19 ) could also open up hell and unleash unparalleled demonic forces.
Our hosts, the eastern gatekeepers, then shared that this is why they accommodate believers when they come into Jerusalem: to break an ancient curse. Messiah Yeshua said that hosts are breaking the curse that resulted from killing the prophets (Matt. 23:35-39). At this, we asked, “Did you know we are all prophets?” They did not know, and all of us were delighted to learn that we were instrumental in God’s desire to break this curse. We shared a Shabbat meal and ended our evening together by prophesying over them, receiving their blessing and praying together.
August 14th–Shabbat Shalom, Garden of Gethsemane and Mount of Olives
Revelation: The sixth seal has been opened, and the angel of the LORD, who proceeds out from the place of His presence is sealing all of the servants of God, so that we will not be ignorant of the Lord’s ways and complacent in praying for a restoration of the original land of spirits that are stirring as all the earth is shaken.
The team spent most of this day resting, dreaming, visioning and receiving the interpretations of visions and dreams. At about 4pm, we set out for the Mount of Olives. Finally, we reached the base of the Mount of Olives, and our first stop was the Garden of Gethsemane. We prayed for the Body to come into her Garden of Gethsemane (a place of decision, to follow the will of the Father rather than her own will) and Veronica prayed John chapter 17 upon the rock that is believed to be the one that supported Yeshua when He prayed that fateful evening in the garden. On the way to the top, we came to the Tomb of the Prophets, Haggai and Malachi. It was closed, so we went up to the gate, removed our shoes and turned to walk away, blessing God that we have been called to continue their work–Haggai to prepare a people to rebuild the House of God and Malachi turning the hearts of the fathers to the sons and the hearts of the sons to the fathers. At the top of the Mount of Olives, we read Zechariah chapters 8 through 14 aloud. This was tremendously significant as we were sitting right by the tombs of thousands of Jews who believed they would be raised back to life by Messiah when He comes to reclaim Jerusalem, first from the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4).
August 15th–Temple Mount, Jerusalem and Mount Carmel
Early this morning, we went onto the Temple Mount to pray. At the eastern gate, overlooking the Mount of Olives where we had been the day before, we prophesied that the King is coming and read aloud, in unison, Psalm 24. On our way to Mount Carmel, we met with a western gatekeeper and discussed their need for prayer from believers in the nations, young Israelis who are coming into faith, as well as God’s call upon the African American Church to minister to Israel (for no other people group shares a history of 400 years of slavery in a foreign land).
them that destruction was coming, but God was marking His people to be spared in that day; to this, they replied, “We’re ready.” Nowhere else in Israel had I seen such courage in the face of certain destruction. We all prayed together on the mountain range, and I began to wail for God’s people Israel concerning the coming destruction. All I could hear was Rachel crying out for her children, as in Jeremiah 31:15.
August 16th–Sea of Galilee and Mount Hermon
Revelation: As the glory of the LORD rests more and more heavily upon this Land, we must birthing Yeshua in the hearts of the people, will change the atmosphere of this nation.
We worshipped on a boat owned by a Messianic Jew on the Sea of Galilee. Then we visited Yeshua’s ministry headquarters in Capernaum. The Jewishness of Yeshua’s earthly ministry and that of the early Church was apparent. There were many olive trees, an old synagogue, and a church. I prayed for Messiah to reconnect the Bride to His heart for seeking and saving the lost, and to verify it with signs and wonders.
As we continued on to the Golan Heights, to Mount Hermon, the atmosphere changed drastically. We came to the remnants of deserted, war-torn towns. As we traveled further, we came to more towns occupied by Muslims. It was clear that natural and spiritual Israel had been pushed back, and the enemy was now occupying this territory. We found a small clearing on the mountain, and from there I prophesied concerning Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Israel about war to come and God’s ultimate victory.
August 17th–Mediterranean Sea
Revelation: Though we are at war, divine protection is provided at the very places that the enemy believes are the weak points. The LORD is providing this protection because He will restore His temple and return His glory to Israel.
At the Mediterranean Sea, I wrote out a prophetic warning for all of Israel’s enemies among the nations. On the other side of the paper was a call to God’s people in the nations to stand with Israel. This paper I wrapped around a rock that I removed from the base of the mountain in the desert. I prophesied aloud, tossed the stone into the sea and sounded the shofar three times.
Revelation: The LORD has released His plan for preparing the earth for Messiah’s return. Israel must be redeemed and the nations, who should support her, must be lined up to the plumbline.
prepare it for Messiah’s return. Then we saw a bride with her new soldier husband. This was a confirmation that ADONAI is preparing and uniting His Bride—even in Rome. I declared a return to the Hebrew roots of the faith for the Catholic Church and sounded the shofar three times.
Lastly, we traveled to St. Paul’s Cathedral built by Emperor Constantine for his daughter. Constantine led the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, which decreed a separation from Jews, changed the Sabbath to Sunday (for the sun god) and replaced Passover with Easter. It was significant that we were praying for a return to the Jewish roots of the faith in St. Paul’s Cathedral, as Paul was the Jewish apostle to the Gentiles, teaching about One New Man in Ephesians 2 and the Olive Tree in Romans 11. Paul had ministered in Rome, and I could feel his legacy. ADONAI has redeemed the land there, and He is preparing the hearts of His people in Vatican City and Rome.
Judean Desert from
the mountainside
The Olive Tree
King David’s Statue
The Western Wall
Mount of Olives
Tombs on the Mount of
Olives
The Temple Mount
The Temple Mount
Mount Hermon
St. Peter’s Square
St. Peter’s Square
Sea of Galilee
Please Note: Believing persecuted by Orthodox losing their citizenship, jobs and homes for their beliefs in Yeshua (Jesus). Remember this when giving money to Israel. Give only to Messianic Please Note: Believing Please Note: Believing Jewish ministries, or your persecuted by Orthodox (Messianic) Jews are greatly Jews in Israel, with threats of (Messianic) Jews are greatly persecuted by Orthodox Jews in Israel, with threats of losing their citizenship, jobs and homes for their beliefs in Yeshua (Jesus). Remember this when giving money to Israel. Give only to Messianic Jewish ministries, or your money will be used for their persecution!
Gatekeepers in Israel
Southern Gate
Bishop and Rabbi Bierman
Kad-Esh MAP Ministries
Western Gate
Shani and Kobi Ferguson
Yeshua Israel Ministries
Northern Gate
David and Josie Silver
Out of Zion Ministries
Eastern Gate
Unable to Disclose