In Touch Quarter 2

2 nd Quarter 2018 • No 195 Christian Friends of Israel UK 

Again you will 

plant vineyards 

Jeremiah 31:5 

INSIDE 

EDITORIAL – STEWARDS OF THE VINEYARD 

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL EVENT 

HEBRAIC BIBLE TEACHING – TESTING JESUS, PART 2 

MINISTERS ISRAEL STUDY TOUR 2018 

HEBREW WORD FOCUS – A TREE OF LIFE 

LOBBY DAY REPORT 

RESOURCES – DVDS & BOOKS 

EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS 2018 

Encouraging • Challenging • Assisting

Editorial 

Jacob Vince 

Stewards of 

the Vineyard 

About us 

CFI-UK seeks to bless Israel 

by means of practical and 

moral support, and to serve the 

Church in teaching about God’s 

purposes for Israel and the 

Hebraic heritage of our faith. 

CFI-UK also produces a monthly 

Prayer Letter, an audio Middle 

East Report and distributes the 

Haverim Hebraic teaching CDs. 

Please send for full details of 

projects in Israel and also the 

teaching resources available. 

As an educational charity, we 

carry a variety of resources 

relevant to our purpose. We do 

not necessarily endorse every 

view expressed by our guest 

writers or authors. 

Published by: 

CFI Charitable Trust 

PO Box 2687 

Eastbourne 

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Tel: 01323 410 810 

Fax: 01323 410 211 

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Front Cover Image: 

Vineyard, Israel 

You will remember the 

story Jesus tells where 

the landowner planted 

a vineyard and rented it out to 

tenants. When he sent servants 

to the harvest they were beaten. 

Finally he sends his son, who they throw 

out of the vineyard, killing him. Jesus 

related this story to the kingdom of God, 

saying it will be taken from those tenants 

and handed to other tenants. In Matthew 

the story comes after Jesus has cleared 

out the temple courts and in Luke after 

Jesus’ authority has been questioned by 

the religious leaders. 

Often this passage is seen as taking 

away from the Jews and giving to the 

Gentiles, or taking away from Israel and 

handing to the Church 1 . But actually, 

Jesus is not speaking to Israel as a whole 

or the Jews as a whole, he is speaking 

to the religious authorities of his day in 

Jerusalem, who claim the authority of 

the prophets as custodians of the truth 

about God, but are not doing with it 

what they should. 

So what happens is that Jesus takes 

the responsibility away from these 

Jewish authorities and ‘gives it to the 

gentiles and the Church?’ No! Rather 

he gives the responsibility to new Jewish 

custodians, apostle-disciples, to record 

the further unfolding of Jesus’ words 

and actions in the apostles’ teaching 

(Acts 2:42) to which the Early Church 

devoted themselves, as should we. 

Look again at Jesus’ words in the 

gospel record of Matthew, 

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of 

God will be taken away from you and given 

to a people who will produce its fruit. … 

When the chief priests and the Pharisees 

heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was 

talking about ‘them’. They looked for a way 

to arrest him, but they were afraid of the 

crowd because the people held that he was a 

prophet” (Matthew 21:43; 45-46). 

Then similarly in Mark, 

“Then the chief priests, the teachers of 

the law and the elders looked for a way to 

arrest him because they knew he had spoken 

the parable against ‘them’. But they were 

afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went 

away” (Mark 12:12). 

And finally in Luke, 

“The teachers of the law and the chief 

priests looked for a way to arrest him 

immediately, because they knew he had 

spoken this parable against ‘them’. But they 

were afraid of the people” (Luke 20:19). 

So we see that it was not taken away 

from the Jewish people as a whole 

but rather the leaders of the day. This 

enables us to link the Jewish prophets 

of old, whom the religious leaders in 

Jesus’ day claimed as their authority, 

with Jesus’ Jewish apostle-disciples, 

including Paul as one untimely born (1 

Corinthians 15:8). They were tasked as 

his witnesses (Luke 24:48) to write down 

their eyewitness statement of all Jesus 

began to do and to teach (Acts 1:1). All 

the writers of the complete canon of 

Scripture, ‘lawyers’, prophets, psalmists 

and apostles, are Jewish 2 . 

God sets the parameters in the Law, 

shows how these are outworked in 

the Prophets, reiterates them in the 

Psalms, which in the Hebrew order 

ends with a summary in the Chronicles, 

so completing the first three parts of 

the canon of scripture, to which in due 

season are added the Apostles’ teaching. 

“God in his wisdom said,’I will send them 

prophets and apostles.’” (Luke 11:49) 

As the apostle Peter writes, 

“I want you to recall the words spoken 

in the past by the holy prophets and the 

command given by our Lord and Saviour 

through your apostles.” (2 Peter 3:2). 

We are called to “correctly handle the 

word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), “think 

about such things” and “put into practice” 

(Philippians 4:8-9). 

1. It does talk about handing to ‘a people’, 

(today one might say the ordinary people), 

so in this sense it could mean the Church as 

a people, but if so the care is given through 

Jewish apostle-disciples. 

2. The final quarter of our Bible was selected on 

the basis of it having Jewish apostolic authority. 

2 IN TOUCH • 2 nd Quarter 2018

CFI-UK Event 

Holocaust 

Memorial 

Day 2018 

Julia Soakell 

As we look back at the persecution of the Jewish 

people, the Holocaust and the atrocities that 

followed, many hundreds of Jews, Christians, 

CFI supporters and members of the public, took the 

time in January to remember, and indeed promise 

never to forget, as they marked the UK’s Holocaust 

Memorial Day (HMD) for 2018. 

Following Jewish tradition, seen on the now famous 

film Schindler’s List, the CFI Northern Regional event 

at Hollybush Christian Fellowship, Thirsk, saw over a 

hundred people lay stones in an Act of Remembrance. CFI’s 

David Soakell, Church Liaison Officer, spoke at the event. 

Comments were passed on saying it should be an annual 

event, and that it was both a great success and a deeply 

moving service. It was organised by Glynis Brooks, Regional 

Link for Yorkshire, Liz Palmer and a team of supporters. 

A collection at this event was sent to the CFI Jerusalem 

‘Forsake Them Not’ project in Israel. 

Two of the CFI Regional Links, Philip Aitchison 

(Scottish Borders) and Moira Dare Edwards (Essex) hosted 

photographic exhibitions called No Childs Play. Philip’s 

event in Hawick was held in the local library, where local 

High School pupils and members of the public also heard 

first-hand testimony of two students from Jedburgh 

Grammar School, who gave accounts of their trips to the 

concentration camps in Auschwitz, as well as a presentation 

of ‘Children in the Holocaust’ by Dr Max Debono- 

DeLaurentis [of MMDL Discernment and Study Ministry, 

www.maxddl.org]. 

Moira’s exhibition was part of a week-long event, which 

has been strongly supported in her area for many years. 

A lot of hard work is involved each year but pupils in this 

area have been visiting Moira’s events over many years 

now and this will bear a great legacy in their hearts. Judy 

Johnson, Regional Link for Dorset, reported that an event at 

Winchester Minster was a great occasion where members of 

the local synagogue mingled with Christians from the area 

and conversed about many related issues, building up trust 

and good relationships. 

David Walker, Regional Link in the West Midlands, 

assisted and led events in late January. He had the help of 

Frank Hackett, Church Link, and Black Country Friends 

of Israel, where again members of the Central Synagogue 

attended the event and held a collection for the CFI ‘Forsake 

Them Not’ project. 

CFI were also involved or ran events in Middlesbrough 

and Sunderland. Don and Deana Leather, Church Links for 

New Life Church Billingham, arranged a scheme with the 

help of Julia Soakell to give each child in their Sunday School 

and youth group an age-appropriate book, highlighting the 

Holocaust from an educational basis. 

Church Links also attended and organised events for 

Holocaust Memorial Day, including Jennifer Nevill at 

Longton Elim Church, Stoke on Trent, where the pastor, 

local deputy mayor and Steven Jaffe from the Board of 

Deputies were special guests. Pam Wyles, Church Link, 

marked the day with a showing of the film ‘Jacob’s Tears’ 

and a time of prayer, showing that small and large events to 

mark HMD are equally important – and that CFI supporters 

can be a great asset to churches and communities to keep 

this remembrance alive each year. 

2 nd Quarter 2018 • IN TOUCH 3

Hebraic Bible Teaching 

James Whitman 

serves as president 

of The Centre for 

Judaic-Christian 

Studies (JC Studies) 

We began a fresh 

examination of our 

Lord’s confrontation 

with Satan in the wilderness 

(Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12, Luke 

4:13) by investigating the literary 

perspective, the context, and the 

characters.* It is now time to enter 

the action, watch how the Master 

does battle, and learn lessons from 

this epic struggle. 

The gospel writers all bear witness 

that directly after the events of his 

immersion under John’s watchful eye, 

the Spirit leads (drives, compels) Jesus 

from the Jordan river into the Judean 

wilderness. The Hebrew word for 

wilderness is ‘midbar’, which is a place 

without (mi) speech (daber): a fact not 

lost on Mark who reminds us that he 

was, “with the wild beasts” (Mark 1:13). 

He also gives the reader a valuable 

clue from Isaiah as to why this drama 

unfolds in this particular location, 

“In the wilderness prepare the way of the 

Lord, make his paths straight” (Mark 1:3 

Ref. Isaiah 40:3). 

We observed that in these events, 

Jesus, as the last Adam, seems to be reenacting 

and redressing our temptation 

and fall from grace pictured in the 

Garden of Eden (1 Corinthians 15:45). 

As we shall see, the narrative also 

supports another role for Jesus, that of 

the one Moses foresaw (Acts 3:22) reenacting 

and overcoming the source of 

Israel’s failings from Passover in Egypt 

to Pentecost at Mount Sinai. The fact 

that Moses and Elijah (who also appear 

Testing Jesus 

at his transfiguration) fasted for forty 

days like Jesus, seems to reinforce this 

connection. Just as Jesus represented 

Israel at his immersion, so now he 

embodies the history of the people of 

God. 

Matthew masterfully reinforces 

the importance of what is happening 

by focusing our attention on the 

end of this forty-day, formational 

time of testing. The three archetypal 

temptations reflect a pattern found 

in the book of Exodus (Luke changes 

the order of number two and three for 

his narrative purposes). It is common 

knowledge that Jesus repels each 

temptation by quoting Scripture. But 

he is doing so much more than that. 

Each link he chooses makes a chain of 

connections that reveal a much more 

profound view of reality. 

Stones to Bread: 

Matthew 4:3-4; Deuteronomy 8:3 

If we keep in mind that Jesus just 

came from his spiritual coming-out 

party, we grasp the target of Satan’s 

attack. In the waters of baptism, the 

prophet John acknowledged his high 

calling as Messiah, and the Father 

confirmed him as both Son and King by 

quoting Psalm 2:7. Now, in a famished 

and vulnerable physical condition, the 

tempter challenges his identity—“If 

you are the Son of God” (Matthew 4:3)— 

by enticing him to use God’s power to 

satisfy his hunger. Jesus, by the Spirit, 

discerns the presence of evil behind 

the suggestion. He answers that it 

is written, “Man shall not live by bread 

alone, but by every word that comes from 

the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). 

Where is it written? Deuteronomy, 

the book in which Moses condenses 

forty years’ worth of teaching a new 

generation how to live as the people of 

God and delivers it as they are poised 

to inherit the land promised to their 

forefathers. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 

8:3, which is a reminder that the heart 

of every commandment given by the 

Father is to bless. He desires his people 

to live and flourish (Deuteronomy 8:1), 

evidenced by feeding and clothing 

them the entire time they lived in 

the wilderness. He also warns them 

Part 2 of 2 

Our subject is the testing of Jesus in the wilderness 

James Whitman 

about forgetting the Lord in times of 

abundance (Deuteronomy 8:11) because 

times of want and plenty both test (or 

reveal) the object of trust. 

Pinnacle of the Temple: 


The adversary now responds 

himself with, “it is written,” (Matthew 

4:5). This is a sobering thought. And 

he uses a sacred location to bait his 

hook. Though the exact location at the 

Temple is obscure, his use of Psalm 

91:11-12 provides clear insight into 

what is going on. The temptation is 

similar to the first in that it encourages 

the Messiah to draw upon divine 

power for personal use, this time for 

protection. 

Jesus said to him, “Do not put the 

Lord your God to the test” (Matthew 

4:7) quoting Deuteronomy 6:16 (“as 

you tested him at Massah” is the rest of 

the verse). The incident at Massah in 

Exodus 17 follows the grumbling over 

manna in chapter 16. Protection is the 

issue as the thirsty people quarrelled 

with Moses even accusing him of 

bringing them out of Egypt to kill them 

(Deuteronomy 17:3). They condemn 

themselves by acknowledging God 

as their deliverer even while they 

question his motives. Moses reminds 

the children of Israel that while their 

care is his concern, doing good by 

keeping his commandments should be 

theirs (Deuteronomy 6:18, 24). 

Fall Down and Worship Me: 


This final test, like the second 

one, involves a change in location. 

This time to a mountain where the 

kingdoms of the world and their 

splendour parade before the Nazarene. 

High places in the history of Israel 

represent the worship of false gods. 

No longer masking his intent behind 

subtlety or Scripture, the devil reveals 

the evil aim behind every temptation, 

“All these I will give you if you fall down 

and worship me” (Matthew 4:10). 

For the first time in Matthew’s 

account, Jesus — using forceful 

language — names the one he called 

‘prince of this world’ (John 12:31), “Away 


with you Satan! for it is written: ‘Worship 

the Lord your God, and serve him only’” 

(Matthew 4:10). In its original context, 

this quote from Deuteronomy 6:13 

is followed by, “You shall not go after 

other gods, the gods of the peoples who are 

around you; for the Lord your God in your 

midst is a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 

6:14-15). Idolatry plagued Israel every 

step of her faith journey, a fact still 

very relevant to us, “Dear children, keep 

yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). 

A compelling case can be made that 

Matthew presents these temptations 

in what scholars call synthetic 

parallelism, a literary device found 

in Hebrew writing. The basic idea is 

that the first concept connects with 

and emphasises the second, then 

together, the first and second thoughts 

connect with and emphasise the third. 

The human condition is such that we 

all need and desire provision and 

protection. Our Creator offers that 

in a relationship with him. The devil 

parodies God’s offer but delivers only 

misery. The hero in our story says it 

this way, “The thief comes only to steal 

and kill and destroy. I came that they may 

have life and have it abundantly” (John 

10:10). 

It’s worth noting that Jesus’ 

remarkable Sermon on the Mount is 

his first public discourse recorded after 

these events. These words carry fresh, 

new energy in light of our exploration, 

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 

‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we 

drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the 

Gentiles seek after all these things, and 

your heavenly Father knows that you need 

them all. But seek first the kingdom of God 

and his righteousness, and all these things 

will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33). 

Matthew records that as the devil 

left, angels came and waited on Jesus. 

That reminds us of another moment 

in Messiah’s life, one Luke alludes 

to as he concludes his narration of 

these events, “And when the devil had 

ended every temptation, he departed from 

him until an opportune time” (Luke 

4:13). That moment is in the garden 

of Gethsemane, from where he could 

have easily escaped and disappeared 

into the Judean foothills. Instead, 

“When he came to the place, he said to his 

disciples, ‘Pray that you may not enter into 

temptation.’ And he withdrew from them 

about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and 

prayed, saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, 

remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not 

my will, but yours, be done.’ And there 

appeared to him an angel from heaven, 

strengthening him” (Luke 22:40-43). 

John Wesley captures all this 

memorably in the following quote 

(based on our study, I have bracketed 

and added three important words): 

“Satan brought in sin, and sin 

brought forth death. And Christ, 

when he of old engaged with these 

enemies, first conquered Satan [in his 

life]; then sin, in his death; and, lastly, 

death, in his resurrection. In the same 

order, he delivers all the faithful from 

them, yea, and destroys these enemies 

themselves. Death he so destroys that 

it shall be no more; sin and Satan, 

so that they shall no more hurt his 

people.” (John Wesley’s notes on 1 

Corinthians 15:26) 

* See ‘InTouch’, 1st Quarter 2018 edition at 

www.cfi.org.uk. 

Strategic Prayer 

Conference Report 

Jacob Vince 

This year’s residential prayer conference returned 

once again to Clanfield Oxfordshire, where fifty 

supporters joined trustees and staff for teaching 

and prayer, sung worship and fellowship. The sense 

was of being family together and of intimacy with 

God. The sung worship was accompanied by Jacob 

Vince on guitar, Richard Bush bass guitar and Jane 

Pearson keyboards. 

Friday afternoon began with David Greer introducing 

the days, then focused on prayer for the UK linking with 

the national day of prayer being held in London and other 

regional centres. Jacob Vince then took a session on the 

Church, highlighting our obligation to help our fellow 

Christians toward a fuller understanding of God’s purposes 

for Israel (Romans 9:1-2), the Church (2 Corinthians 11:28) and 

the lost (Acts 17:16). Focusing on the Church’s obligation to 

Israel not to be ignorant or arrogant (Romans 11:25), we first 

confessed our corporate failure over centuries, in the manner 

of Daniel (Daniel 10:12) for his people, then focused on doing 

positively what we should, to understand with humility, 

and the work of CFI to encourage this at various Christian 

festivals and the Ministers Study Tour of Israel. 

On Saturday morning Sandra Greer introduced the 

first Bible mediation taking Isaiah 59 as our focus, and 

on Sunday morning Anne Linnell introduced the second, 

taking Jeremiah 31. Sharing insights from these passages 

together was hugely illuminating. David Linnell took a 

session praying for Israel and Jerusalem after which we had 

a session praying for CFI staff, volunteers, Regional Links 

and Church Links, and trustees, as well as new staff sought 

to complement the team. In the Saturday evening session 

Jacob shared songs from Bible passages he had put to music, 

which served as further meditations on Scripture’s creeds, 

declarations, psalms, blessings and doxologies. 

On Sunday morning Denis O’Sullivan took us through 

communion together and we ended sharing testimony of 

God’s presence over the weekend, with particular focus on 

reaching our adjoining generation. 

The centre staff were very appreciative of our group and 

served our practical needs well. One was a supporter of CFI 

and received our information but had not hitherto met with 

other CFI supporters, which was a real encouragement. 

We thank the Lord for his presence with us as we gathered. 


Ministers Study Tour – Israel 2018 

Understanding 

more about Israel 

Andrew Symes 

Anglican Mainstream 

One of the participants in this year’s 

Ministers Study Tour to Israel was Revd 

Andrew Symes, the following article was 

uploaded to the Anglican Mainstream 

website and is reproduced by kind 

permission. 

I 

can still remember the lecture 

when I was at theological college 

more than 25 years ago. I had 

never bothered to get to grips with 

Romans 9-11 before that: the chapters 

where Paul addresses the question of 

God’s plan for the Jewish people and 

the nation of Israel. 

I had always assumed that, now that 

Christ had come, Judaism was just 

the same as any other non-Christian 

religion. Salvation was not by race 

but by grace. But now here was this 

lecturer asking us: how many of you 

have heard the first part of Romans 

1:16 expounded in a sermon – I am not 

ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the 

power of God for salvation to everyone 

who believes. We all put our hands 

up. But what about the second part: 

first to the Jew, then to the Gentile? 

Most of us confessed that this aspect, 

picked up again in chapters 9-11, had 

been missing up to that point in the 

teaching we had received. It was eyeopening, 

and forced me to wrestle with 

Paul’s theology of the chosen people, 

culminating in the conclusion: all Israel 

will be saved (Romans 11:26). 

Since that time the question of Israel 

and the Jewish people has been on the 

back burner of my mind, sometimes 

coming to the fore theologically (does 

God still have a special relationship 

with Jewish people, and how is this 

relevant to global mission?), and 

politically, when we see a news item on 

tensions and suffering in the West Bank 

and Gaza, or anti-Semitism in political 

parties and on university campuses in 

the US and Europe. 

So when I was invited to join a small 

group of clergy on a special tour of the 

Holy Land, I realized this would be an 

opportunity to learn more; perhaps 

to clarify my thinking but also to see 

firsthand some of the complexities. 

One can read books and watch 

news items, but we had the privilege 

of meeting people and hearing their 

stories: articulate, passionate and 

resourceful women and men from 

Jewish settler communities in the West 

Bank (illegal or essential? certainly 

contentious); Palestinian political 

leaders angry at what they saw as 

an unjust and oppressive ‘apartheid’ 

system; a British diplomat, an Israeli 

professor of international relations, a 

check-point manager, a Jewish survivor 

from 1940’s Vichy France; Palestinian 

Christians with different views; one 

working for political liberation, one 

running a centre for evangelism 

and community development, and 

an Aramaic speaker determined to 

preserve this small community and its 

churches of ancient heritage. 

Perhaps the best way to sum up the 

trip is to focus on four themes or areas 

in which my understanding increased 

and my feelings were touched, rather 

than making a chronological list of 

places visited and voices heard. 

Jesus 

Christ is known and worshipped in 

spirit and in truth, not by prayer in a 

consecrated building or on a mountain 

in Samaria. Unlike some, I can’t say 

I felt that being in a certain location 

made me closer to Jesus. And yet it 

was certainly awe-inspiring to see 

the Synagogue in Magdala, to have 

Communion on the Mount where 

Jesus taught; to take a boat trip on 

the magnificent (though increasingly 

depleted) Sea of Galilee; then in 

Jerusalem to read again the account of 

the healing of the lame man by the pool 

of Bethesda while actually being there. 

Jerusalem 

While on the plane I finished the 

magisterial account of the city by 

historian Simon Sebag-Montefiore. 

Seeing and walking around the old city 

itself, and then looking at the huge scale 

model of the second temple period, 

helped to complete the picture for 

me. The scale of the Temple Mount in 


particular is astonishing – no wonder 

the disciples said to Jesus “look at 

these stones”. Overall, as archaeology 

uncovers parts of the city of Jesus’ time 

and before, the city reveals its history 

of prosperity, decline and conquest, 

over and over again. 

Jewish people 

And the city is the focus of devotion 

and identity, both in Israel and the 

diaspora, for this remarkable race. 

The talent, innovative skill and 

determination to make the country 

work is evident visibly in the fertile 

productivity of the farms in a dry land, 

the cutting-edge medicine and IT, and 

the enthusiasm of the tour guides. I 

was particularly struck by the strong 

sense of shared identity which 

transcends the different nationalities 

that make up the Israeli people, which 

comes from centuries of history, ritual 

and of course terrible suffering. Family 

is central – we had the privilege of 

being hosted for a Shabbat meal – and 

there is belief in the future despite the 

chaotic arguments of Israeli politics. 

While many modern Israelis do not 

believe in the God of the Bible, they all 

understand the significance and power 

Christian Friends of Israel UK invite you to their 

Annual Conference 2018 

of the story that has shaped them. 

What a contrast with so many young 

people in Britain: rootless, ignorant of 

the nation’s Christian heritage or their 

family history. 

Judgement 

But where does this leave us in terms 

of forming an opinion? Politically, I 

celebrate the success of the nation of 

Israel but see the need to pray for the 

leaders as they navigate the balance 

of maintaining their own security and 

prosperity, with peace and justice for 

the Palestinian people. In terms of 

Paul’s vision in Romans, God fulfils 

his promises. I don’t accept, like 

some Christian Zionists, that full 

Jewish ownership of Jerusalem, the 

rebuilding of the temple and military 

victories, not faith in Jesus, is the key 

to the salvation of the Jewish people 

and the establishment of Christ’s reign. 

But nor do I believe in a replacement 

theology which denies that the Gospel 

is “first for the Jew”, and which sees 

the Church as making Israel irrelevant. 

In the end, there’s a space left for not 

having sorted everything out in our 

hearts and minds, and it’s good that 

while fulfilling our responsibilities 

of love and prayer, we can leave the 

judgements to God. 

SAVE 

THE DATE 

Friday 14 th & Saturday 15 th September* 

Venue: Victoria Baptist Church, Eldon Road, Eastbourne BN21 1UE 

The place of Israel in God’s purposes 

INTERNATIONAL GUEST SPEAKERS 

Victor Kalisher 

Victor is General Director of the Bible Society in Israel and an elder of a local messianic congregation 

in Jerusalem. Born in Jerusalem in 1964, his parents are Jews who came to Israel following the 

Holocaust with the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. For the last 10 years Victor has led 

the work of the Bible Society in Israel, prior to which he spent 18 years working at a leading High-Tech 

company and 6 years as a naval officer. 

Shadi Khalloul 

Shadi is an Aramean Christian Maronite Israeli, Chairman and founder of the Israeli Christian Aramaic 

Association (ICAA – NGO), reviving the Aramean identity, heritage, and language, and rebuilding the 

first Christian Aramaic community and town in Galilee, Kafr Bir’im in Northern Israel. 

He is a staunch believer in the importance of nurturing a close relationship between Christians and 

Jews in Israel. 

CFI will have its usual well-stocked resources stall available. * Times: Friday 6pm - 9.30pm & Saturday 9am - 6pm. 


Hebrew Word Focus 

Melissa Briggs MA, 

Hebrew University of Jerusalem 

Melissa is an experienced Hebrew 

teacher with a desire to make the 

rich language of the Scriptures 

accessible to Christians. 

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear 

as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down 

the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river 

stood the tree of life (etz chaim), bearing twelve crops of fruit, 

yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree (etz) are 

for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. 

The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his 

servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will 

be on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:1-4). 

This breathtakingly glorious glimpse into heaven is too 

wonderful for us to fully comprehend. Praise God 

that this is the coming reality for all those who are 

born again by the Spirit of God! 

Trees as a significant biblical theme 

In the beginning, God created trees: “The Lord God made 

all kinds of trees (etzim – plural form of etz) grow out of the 

ground—etzim that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In 

the middle of the garden were the etz chaim (tree of life) and the 

etz of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9). 

The original sin involved eating the fruit of a tree: “And the 

Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing 

good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and 

take also from the etz chaim and eat, and live forever.” So the 

Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden…he placed… 

cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the 

way to the etz chaim” (Genesis 3:22-24 condensed). 

The greatest story of redemption involves an etz at the 

beginning and an etz at the end. And at the centre of this 

remarkable story is another etz – the cross. 

A Tree of Life 

Melissa Briggs 

עֵץ 

ETZ 

Many English readers are missing out on just how 

expansive a theme trees (etzim) really is in the Bible, as it’s 

translated many different ways. This one Hebrew word, 

‏,‏etzעֵ‏ encompasses a whole range of concepts for which ץ 

we have separate English words: tree, wood, cross, woods, 

gallows, plank, beam, logs, timber, sticks, shaft, and stalks. 

In English, we usually only call a tree ‘a tree’ when it is 

living. The Hebrew word etz includes a living tree or a 

myriad of wooden products sourced from a dead tree. From 

a Hebraic perspective, an etz is an etz whether is it living 

and growing, or whether it has been chopped down and 

fashioned into a cross, or a gallows, or a pile of timber ready 

to be used for building a house or temple. 

Here is a taste of some of the significant objects, symbols, 

and references in the Bible involving etz: 

• The cross of salvation (see Mark 15) 

• Noah’s Ark built of wood as a symbol of salvation 

(see 1 Peter 3:20) 

• Cursed is he who hangs on a tree 

(see Deuteronomy 21:23 and Galatians 3:13) 

• Acacia wood used in the tabernacle and temple 

(See Exodus 25 and 1 Chronicles 29:2) 

• Olive tree used as an illustration of the household of faith 

(see Romans 11) 

• Idols made of wood as a symbol of false salvation 

(see Deuteronomy 28) 

• So many more! 

The Hebrew language is built upon a system of root 

letter ‘families’ that are organised topically. It is extremely 

significant because this system links words and topics 


together in a way that does not have a parallel in English. 

There are two interesting words originating from the same 

root family as etz: 

etzah - עֵצָה - the elders/wise counsel (mature, upright 

people are likened to trees that have grown properly) and 

atzeh - עָצֶה - spine (the upright/central framework of the 

body that upholds the rest) 

And the Greek equivalent of etz is xulon. Like the Hebrew 

word etz, the Greek word xulon also encompasses the 

concepts of wood, tree, cross, beam, staff, etc., all into a 

singular word. When we come across a wooden object (like 

the cross) in the Bible there is a strong linguistic connection 

to all the other tree references in the Bible. 

Why are trees featured so frequently in the Bible? 

In the Gospel of Mark Jesus heals a blind man. Upon his 

healing, the man says: “I see people; they look like trees walking 

around” (Mark 8:24). Although it was already clear from 

other passages, this verse verifies the symbolic significance 

of etzim in the Bible: trees usually represent individuals 

or people groups. The Bible loves to use metaphors from 

nature and everyday life to teach us deep spiritual truths. 

Like an etz, mankind begins as a little seed – the sperm 

fertilises an egg and gradually grows and grows. And 

believers embark into the kingdom of God with faith “the 

size of a mustard seed” (Matthew 17:20). Like an etz, we can 

either bear ‘good fruit’ or ‘bad fruit’: “So every good tree bears 

good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:17). 

Etzim require a source of water, just as we need the ‘living 

water’ of the Messiah to continually nourish and sustain 

us. “He [the righteous man] will be like an etz firmly planted by 

streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf 

does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers” (Psalm 

1:3). Like an etz, mankind experiences cycles of ‘seasons’ in 

life – of rest, pruning, growth, death and fruitfulness. 

Are we fruitful etzim, plugged into the source of Living 

Water? “For he [the righteous] will be like a tree planted by the 

water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when 

the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, and it will not be 

anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit” (Jeremiah 

17:8). In mere weeks a delicate flower can blossom from a 

seed; but it’s lifespan, usefulness and beauty are short-lived. 

Meanwhile, God has ordained the process of growing a 

sturdy tree to happen over the course of decades, offering 

long-lasting bounty, fruit and delight. Which would you 

rather be? When we see the beauty of a mature tree growing 

from strength to strength, year after year, does it remind us 

of God’s desire for us to be like a healthy tree? 

Jesus died on the cross, an etz of death, so we can freely 

access the “tree of life” – etz chaim. 

Our salvation is described as an ‘etz chaim’ - a living, 

growing, fruitful, beautiful thing: “Blessed are those who wash 

their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and 

may enter by the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14). 

Do you have the right to the etz chaim? Only by God’s 

grace through faith in Jesus the Messiah can we take hold 

of the etz chaim. “But as for me, I am like a green olive etz in the 

house of God; I trust in the loving kindness of God forever and 

ever” (Psalm 52:8). 

If you are interested in learning the Hebrew language through online 

tuition (or in person if you are local to Berkshire), or if you are interested 

in hosting a Hebrew language day for a group in your area, please 

contact Melissa for more details at: hebrew.explore@gmail.com 

or at: www.explorehebrew.co.uk 

DATA PROTECTION UPDATE 

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) becomes law in the UK on 25 th May 2018. It is focused on the way 

organisations and individuals handle personal information, and that information includes basic contact details such as email 

and postal addresses. 

The GDPR is based on the Data Protection Act, but places greater emphasis on the documentation that data controllers (e.g. 

Christian Friends of Israel) must keep to demonstrate their accountability. In particular, it emphasises the need for anyone 

receiving electronic communications (emails, text messages and phone calls) to have given their positive consent to receive 

such communications. 

For postal communications, the requirement is that individuals have either given their consent to receive them, or that it is in 

the legitimate interests of the organisation to send them. 

• Consequently, from 25 th May onwards, Christian Friends of Israel UK will continue to send out prayer letters and magazines 

by post to those who have provided us with their postal address for that purpose. We do that on the basis of legitimate 

interest – in order to pursue the objectives of (1) encouraging biblical understanding of the Jewish people and the land of 

Israel; (2) challenging widespread error regarding Israel and the Jewish people; and (3) assisting the poor, sick, disabled, 

aged or otherwise needy people who live in Israel. 

• With regard to email circulation of information, we believe that our Sign-up Forms and Response Forms have largely 

fulfilled the GDPR requirement for people to choose to receive our emails. We are refining the various ways of giving 

consent and also looking to make sure that each email people receive from us has links that can be used to update choices 

of emails or to unsubscribe altogether. 

• Our privacy policy can be viewed on the Christian Friends of Israel UK website: www.cfi.org.uk. 


Report 

Lobby Day 

Jacob Vince 

This year’s CFI / ZF joint lobby 

of Parliament was a great 

success despite the terrible 

weather and travel conditions. 

The theme for this 70 th Anniversary 

year was ‘70 achievements in 70 years’ 

for which the Zionist Federation had 

produced a booklet to give to MPs who 

were being lobbied. In the event more 

than a hundred hardy and faithful folks 

managed to attend. We began with the 

morning briefing in which we heard from 

the Deputy Ambassador, Sharon Bar’li, 

and then from Jonathan Conricus (via 

Skype), Spokesman & Head of Social 

Media for the Israel Defence Forces. 

Jacob Vince and Arieh Miller also paid 

tribute in memory of Eric Moonman, 

who passed away in December. He had 

pioneered and chaired the annual lobby 

days with CFI’s Geoffrey Smith. 

In the afternoon, during a 3½ hour 

session, we heard from a total of 14 

MPs and 3 Peers who encouraged us 

to continue in our efforts and explained 

some of the work they were doing to 

see that Israel received a fair hearing 

in both houses. Jacob Vince chaired 

the morning and afternoon sessions, 

with Paul Charney, Chairman of the 

ZF, alongside for part of the afternoon 

session, who spoke of the importance of 

this work. The MPs and Peers comprised 

Bob Blackman (Con) Harrow East; John 

Howell (Con) Henley; Joan Ryan (Lab) 

Enfield North; Lord Alan Beith (Lib); 

Louise Ellman (Lab Co-op) Liverpool 

Riverside; John Spellar (Lab) Warley; 

Nigel Dodds (DUP) Belfast North; 

Robert Halfon (Con) Harlow; Ian Austin 

(Lab) Dudley North; Mike Gapes (Lab 

Co-op) Ilford South; Baroness Deech 

(Crossbench); Ross Thomson (Con) 

Aberdeen South; Theresa Villers (Con) 

Chipping Barnet; Ian Paisley (Jr) (DUP) 

North Antrim; Jim Shannon (DUP) 

Strangford; Paul Girvan (DUP) South 

Antrim. 

John Howell is Vice-Chairman of 

Conservative Friends of Israel. Joan 

Ryan is Chair of Labour Friends of 

Israel. Lord Alan Beith is Vice-President 

of Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel. 

There is a DUP Friends of Israel group 

at Stormont. We also heard form Jerry 

Lewis, Parliamentary journalist for Israel 

Radio and formerly Jerusalem Post. 

The following extracts are drawn 

from the many positive comments from 

participants who attended. One writes, 

“I thought the lobby day yesterday was 

excellent. I found it really helpful and it 

gave me lots of fuel for when I meet with 

my MP”, another “Thank you for all the 

work you put into organising yesterday’s 

Lobby Day. I and another constituent 

had a meeting with our MP which went 

very well. We had spoken a bit about 

the amazing contributions of Israel”. 

Reflecting on the MPs’ addresses one 

wrote, “As I have not been to that 

meeting for some time, it highlighted to 

me the serious situation with regard to 

antisemitism, something we truly have 

to put a stop too.” Pleased at being 

able to get there, a participant wrote: 

“I didn’t have an opportunity at the end 

yesterday to say what a brilliant day it 

was! And to thank you for it! We all 

felt it was an unmissable occasion and 

were so pleased that we just ‘went for it’ 

despite the weather!!” Another, positive 

about the number of MPs addressing 

us, “It was a privilege to see how many 

Members of Parliament from all parties 

are standing up for Israel. So many 

good points were made and each one 

coming from the heart.” Informing of 

time spent with their MP, another wrote: 

“Along with another constituent, who 

has the same MP and who I met in the 

Briefing Session, I had a good, hour-long 

conversation with our MP each making 

different sorts of contributions. We 

ended up praying for him, which was 

received very well.” 

A big thank you to all who made this 

possible, the CFI and ZF teams, those 

who addressed our morning briefings, 

the MPs and Peers who addressed us, 

those who attended and those who had 

intended to come but were thwarted by 

the weather. The challenge continues. 


Resources 2018 www.cfi.org.uk/shop call: 01323 410 810 

CYRUS NATIONS - UNITED KINGDOM Part 3 Blessing, Curse or Coincidence 

COVENANTS. SUPERPOWERS. PROMISES. BETRAYALS 

Thousands of years ago God vowed to Abraham that he would “bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse 

you”. Many individuals, nations and empires have put God’s word to the test. As one of the greatest superpowers the 

world has ever known, has the United Kingdom’s history proved the potency and longevity of God’s ancient covenant with 

Abraham and his descendants? This documentary film traces the rise and fall of the British Empire alongside Britain’s 

complex relationship with the Jewish people. Is the demise of the British Empire a direct result of a forsaken promise? 

In ancient times, King Cyrus had a unique call to restore the Jewish people to their homeland. Is the UK a modern-day 

Cyrus? Presented by Lance Lambert, the film features interviews with academics and church leaders, alongside eyewitness 

accounts, historical footage and live action dramatisations. 

D141 // 59 mins // DVD // £11.00 (incl. UK p&p) 

THE FORGOTTEN JESUS Robert Gallaty 

HOW WESTERN CHRISTIANS SHOULD FOLLOW AN EASTERN RABBI 

Our understanding of Jesus has been shaped by a multitude of different cultural influences. Many Christians today have 

forgotten that Jesus was a Jewish man, living in a Jewish land, observing Jewish customs, investing his life in Jewish men 

and women. In this book Robby Gallaty takes readers on an illuminating journey back to biblical times to rediscover 

who Jesus really was. He provides insight into some of the fascinating Hebraic cultural customs and Jewish idioms that 

many have never learned in studying the Bible. You will not only learn how these affect our understanding of the Bible, 

but you will also experience a deeper relationship with God as your love for Jesus grows. 

B492 // 213 pages // £11.50 (incl. UK p&p) 

WHY JERUSALEM? Revd Willem Glashouwer 

Jerusalem is a unique city – a holy place for many religions and the focus of world history, especially now that we have 

entered into what the Bible calls: the End Times. Jerusalem is mentioned over 800 times in the Bible. Ezekiel 38 even 

describes Jerusalem as ‘the centre of the earth’. This video series explores the significance of this unique city from a 

biblical point of view. It puts Jerusalem into a historical, theological and prophetic perspective and shows the ancient 

and spiritual roots of Jerusalem, the central place of the temple, Jerusalem in relation to the Kingdom and the role of 

Jerusalem in the End Times. Most of all it shows that Jerusalem is a sign of hope for the whole world. 

S12 // 150 mins // DVD & Study Guide // £11.50 (incl. UK p&p) 

BALFOUR 100 - PARTNERS IN THIS GREAT ENTERPRISE 

November 2nd, 2017 was the centenary of the Balfour Declaration - a short letter to Lord Rothschild that gave British 

Governmental support to the hopes and dreams of the Jewish people to return to their ancient Land of Israel. Arthur 

Balfour, Foreign Secretary at the time, was the signatory, giving his name to this famous document. 

Balfour, along with most of the war cabinet that devised the letter, was a Christian whose political decisions were 

influenced by his faith: in this case, his belief in biblical prophecies of a restored Israel. 

One hundred years later a group of Christian leaders, influenced by the same belief in the Bible’s promises, expressed 

their biblical support for the Jewish people and for the now-restored Israel by hosting an event at the Royal Albert Hall 

in London. “Partners in this Great Enterprise” took place on November 7th, 2017 with around 3,500 people from the 

Jewish and Christian communities gathered to enjoy the programme recorded on this DVD. 

D142 // 159 mins // DVD // £5.50 (incl. UK p&p) 

INTRODUCING ROMANS Christopher Ash 

This mini book of Romans brings us face to face with the wonderful glory of God’s grace – grace to unify our churches and 

to inspire us to reach our world with the “barrier-breaking message of Christ”. 

Designed to accompany Teaching Romans Volume 1 and Volume 2, this book will help you understand the message of 

Romans. The sheer scale and depth of Romans make it challenging to grasp, but Christopher Ash introduces us to a part 

of Scripture that, perhaps more than any other, has provided assurance, support and comfort to Christians down through 

the ages. 

Ash provides the background to the writing of Romans and asks the question why the letter was written. He answers by 

first giving two inadequate explanations, then shows it’s specific purpose to assist Jewish-Christian relations and generic 

purpose to work together in bringing the Gospel message. 

B491 // 89 pages // £4.00 (incl. UK p&p) 


EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS 2018 

CFI-UK have stalls at the following national events 

Gordon Castle Estate 

Scotland 

Mon 23rd – Sat 28th JULY 

NewWine 

Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet 

+ 

SANDOWN PARK 

ESHER SURREY 

16-18 OCTOBER 2018 

facebook.com/cfiuk twitter.com/cfi_uk www.cfi.org.uk

In Touch Quarter 2 - 2018

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