Messianic Jewish Insights with Amir Tsarfati

How does Amir Tsarfati as a Messianic Jew perceive end time events? Find out with Tim Moore on television’s “Christ in Prophecy”!

Air Date: February 27, 2022

Video References

Behold Israel

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Transcript

Tim Moore: In the midst of a year of unprecedented upheaval in the world a new voice in Bible prophecy has emerged in Israel. Our guest today blends a Jewish perspective as a Messianic follower of Jesus Christ with a passion for God’s prophetic Word. Stay tuned as he shares his insights with us on this episode of Christ in Prophecy.

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Part 1

Tim Moore: Greetings in the name of Jesus, our Blessed Hope, and welcome to Christ in Prophecy. I’m Colonel Tim Moore, the Associate Evangelist for Lamb & Lion Ministries. And today I am sitting in for our Senior Evangelist, Dr. David Reagan, as host. Amir Tsarfati has exploded on the internet as a popular and respected teacher.

When we learned that Amir would be visiting the United States we reached out to see if he might make a stop here in Texas. To our delight, he was able and glad to do so. Amir, thank you for coming today, and for being our guest on Christ in Prophecy.

Amir Tsarfati: Oh, thank you, Tim, it is my pleasure.

Tim Moore: Well, we are very happy to have you. And folks, some of you who are not familiar with Amir on the internet may not know about his background, so let me take a moment to introduce him to you. I think you’ll be very impressed, as I was, with all of his background. You see, Amir was born in Israel, and became a Messianic follower of Jesus Christ as a teenager. He served in the Israeli Defense Force Armored Corp, in other words the tank service, and was quickly selected to train as an officer. At the amazingly young age of 21, he was appointed the Deputy Governor of Jericho in the Jordan Valley, becoming one of the IDF’s chief negotiators with the Palestinians. And he still serves as a Major in the reserves. Following his military service, something I identify with Amir, he continued to consult with various law enforcement agencies on homeland security issues, even as he became the chief tour guide with one of Israel’s major tour companies. In 2001, correct me if I’m wrong Amir, he launched Behold Israel, to teach on the times and seasons, so that people can find faith, love, and the hope of salvation. Boy, I tell you what, Amir, I thought I was busy, but you blow me out of the water. What have I missed in all of your bio?

Amir Tsarfati: Well, I think you got it all right. I think. It was 9/11 basically that led me to understand that there is a complete blindness around the world to what really is going on in the Middle East. And the Middle East exploded at your face here in America, basically.

Tim Moore: Yes.

Amir Tsarfati: And so, I felt that it was time to have people understand what Israel is all about. What the Middle East is all about. And to connect the dots with Bible prophecy, because I believe that a lot of people think there is the Bible where you read on Sunday, and there is the News that you are watching the rest of the week, they do not connect the two. And especially the younger generation, unfortunately.

Tim Moore: Yes, especially the younger generation.

Amir Tsarfati: They’re really affected by social media, not in the good way when it comes to Israel and the Middle East. So, I think there is a great challenge ahead of us.

Tim Moore: Well, I was going to ask you what inspired you to start Behold Israel, it sounds like all of that culmination of events around 9/11 and that time period inspired you.

Amir Tsarfati: Correct.

Tim Moore: But I’m also fascinated because you have made a tremendous impact on young people, both Millennials and what we would call Generation Z here in the United States. And I know that many of your podcasts have a tremendous number of young people who follow them regularly. How have you made that connection?

Amir Tsarfati: Well, it’s funny, I really started Behold Israel on the social media realm. When I sat in a restaurant with my wife, and I saw a round table with about six youngsters, they don’t talk to each other in a restaurant. They are all busy looking at their phones. All six of them, and when the waitress came to take the order, she bothered them, basically. So, I thought, I told my wife Miriam, “I think if I want to speak to these people, I need to be right there inside their phone.” And that’s how I came up with the app. Behold Israel started as an app, on a phone, only for the sole purpose of giving good and reliable, unbiased news from Israel. And then once I got there that anchor was there already I knew now I could use that venue to also teach the Word.

Tim Moore: What a tremendous blessing that has been for so many. I will expect that you wife will get a little credit for helping you develop that idea.

Amir Tsarfati: Definitely.

Tim Moore: Wives give us a lot of inspiration. And I will tell you my own daughter is named Miriam.

Amir Tsarfati: Oh, wow.

Tim Moore: So, we have connectivity in that regard as well. Well, moving forward to the year 2020, or looking forward even into the next few years, what do you see as the prophetic signs that jump out to you and declare that Jesus is indeed coming soon?

Amir Tsarfati: Well, there is regional, and there is the global aspect of the prophetic signs. The regional one, is of course, two things we are looking at Israel having more and more, I guess influence and strength in the Middle East. Becoming a major player in other fields rather than just the political one, in energy we are now a superpower of energy in the area. We are now talking about an east Mediterranean pipe that will go all the way to western Europe, which angers the Russians.

Tim Moore: Oh, yes.

Amir Tsarfati: And that brings me now, we need to zoom out a little bit now from Israel and see that there are the Russians, and the Turks and the Iranians, and now their involvement in Libya and soon in Sudan. And you see that there is the stage for the Ezekiel 38 War is being set, while Israel is getting more safe, strong, and prosperous. And the prosperity that Israel is gaining is not only with the energy, now the deals that we are striking, the new peace deals with the Emirates, and Bahrainians, the Omanis will be next, and the Saudis, and Qatar, Qatar has just said that they are willing to step forward with it. All of that will contribute to the prosperity that Israel will enjoy as the Turks and the Iranians, and the Russians are looking with very angry eyes. And they’ll wait for the moment that they can just go and do that vicious plan and invade Israel. And I now think that a lot has to do with the identity of the one who sits in the Oval Office, because we know without whoever is sitting there right now, much of what of what we see now in the Middle East would not have been possible. Again, God is in control. God knows, I mean Ezekiel wrote about it 2,700-2,800 years ago. But, so, what I see is the person in the Oval Office, the players in the Middle East, and Israel as a nation, all of that, this is the convergence that we all talk about, that brings me to the realization that we are, this is the last minute, of the last hour, of the last days.

Tim Moore: The last minute, the last hour, the last days, I like the phraseology. And one thing that raises a question for me and perhaps some of our viewers. We know that we are living in the season of the Lord’s return with all these signs being manifest even in our day and age, before our very eyes, but is there any prophetic sign that remains to be fulfilled before the Father says to the Son, “Go and get your Bride,” and then in the twinkling of an eye the Church is raptured to be with the Lord.

Amir Tsarfati: Honestly, I don’t think so. I think we are ready. I think that this why the imminence of the Rapture is so important. I don’t think I can say that there is one more thing that has to happen that we need to wait for, I think it can happen any second. And I think honesty as an Israeli, Israel is ready to embrace the Antichrist. I can tell you that upfront, you go to Tel Aviv right now, the city of Tel Aviv is the second largest city in Israel. But it is the highest population of Jews, because Jerusalem has more, but it is a mixed city. Tel Aviv is ready for the Antichrist, as far as the mindset of people to receive someone who will promote an agenda that is so ungodly, Tel Aviv is ready.

Tim Moore: So, ungodly, but yet would offer at least the hope of peace with the rest of the world, a false peace.

Amir Tsarfati: Yes, of course, of course. Look the Israelis right now are being conditioned to love peace, which by the way, everybody loves peace.

Tim Moore: Of course.

Amir Tsarfati: We all want peace. But they will not want war anymore. And then once that invasion comes and will be so devastating. Look, it is going to be fast and furious. Once that happens they will do whatever it takes to restore peace that they just learned to fall in love with earlier.

Tim Moore: Peace at all cost.

Amir Tsarfati: Peace at all cost. But that peace will be sweeter. It will be sweeter because now the biggest players of the radical Islamic world are gone. And now there is someone who will introduce a new type of religion that many millions of Muslims will gladly embrace. And that will also enable a temple on the Temple Mount to stand. So, it will play to the emotions of both secular Jews, and religious Jews. The religious will be so happy that their dream of a temple in Jerusalem is coming true, and the non-religious will be happy that there is peace. Everything is good.

Tim Moore: Peace is breaking out in our day and age.

Amir Tsarfati: Yes.

Tim Moore: Well, you lead into the whole timing of the Tribulation, the things that will befall the rest of the world, and the Jewish people, when that temple is being built. When there is a peace treaty enacted by this Antichrist figure that will come forward. And there are many Christians today who think that the Church, Christians themselves, will have to live through and endure that Tribulation period. And they hope to overcome it, they hope to endure it as God’s wrath is poured out on the world. But what would you have to say to those Christians?

Amir Tsarfati: Well, first of all, I’m thankful that they will have a very good surprise.

Tim Moore: Yes.

Amir Tsarfati: But I can tell you, though, that one of the problems that we have is the complete wrong interpretation of the book of Revelation. And when people mix the Saints of the Tribulation, with the Church, and they don’t understand that the Church is not even mentioned throughout the Tribulation, that’s one problem. Another problem, there is always a sense of we need to suffer more in order to be worthy of. You know all of that is so opposite to the message of Christ.

Tim Moore: And Christ suffered on our behalf.

Amir Tsarfati: Absolutely. I mean that’s why, I’m not sure why you need to suffer more.

Tim Moore: Yeah.

Amir Tsarfati: And also, and the main, and the flagship chapter of the Rapture you would expect if the Tribulation has to happen before, you would expect the Tribulation to be mentioned there. I mean Paul is not even talking about Tribulation, he’s talking about his own life, at his time he believed it is going to happen in his lifetime.

Tim Moore: Yes.

Amir Tsarfati: So, why would the Rapture take place, can take place at any given moment, but yet, people believe we must wait until the Tribulation.

Tim Moore: Yeah, clearly Paul and the Apostles did not think they would have to endure that kind of Tribulation. Our lives are filled with grief, and little “t” tribulation, but not the Tribulation spoken of, that seven year period.

Amir Tsarfati: Exactly, so again, we have confusion of the word tribulation. In this world you will have tribulations but be of good cheer because I have overcome the world. So, they take that, as maybe, see. There’s also a confusion of Antichrist. I mean there are already, there have been antichrists, but the Antichrist is not the one we are going to see.

Tim Moore: Exactly so.

Amir Tsarfati: So, the confusions is always in the interpretation of terms that are going to be in the Tribulation.

Tim Moore: Well, I have one other question for you before we take a brief break, Amir. You have been gifted as a guide, you have led many folks who have come to Israel, to experience firsthand all the wonder of what God is doing before our very eyes. For a person who is not sure whether a trip to Israel would be something they would want to take, what would you say: How valuable is a pilgrimage to Israel for a believer?

Amir Tsarfati: Well, I think that many believers have Israel in the Bible, and Israel of the News. And in the News it is a war zone, in the Bible is God’s Chosen People. When you come to Israel and you look at the things that are around, you are amazed at what God has done and is still doing in that place. And also, you have a better understanding of the Scriptures. When you read the story of Jesus crossing to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, now you have an understanding of where things were. Everything clicks. Everything makes sense. When I bring pastors, one of the things we do as a ministry we sponsor pastors, we pay the whole thing. We bring pastors to Israel from all over the world, from 20-30 different countries. And we want them because once the pastor gets it, his congregation will get it. Until he is getting it how do I expect him to communicate that to his own congregants? So, I believe that all the parts come together when you come to Israel, and your understanding of the Scriptures, and your faith. We also sponsor youth. They don’t understand. Nothing is as tangible until they get there, and they see.

Tim Moore: They see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears.

Amir Tsarfati: Yes, and they go back, and they are on fire.

Tim Moore: Well, Amir, I’m excited not only about what you are sharing with us today, but the perspective you bring. Folks, we are going to take a brief break for an announcement, and when we come back we’ll continue with other questions for Amir.

Part 2

Tim Moore: Welcome back to Christ in Prophecy, and our conversation with Amir Tsarfati of Behold Israel. And Amir one of the things that fascinated me is you and your family live on a hill overlooking the Valley of Armageddon.

Amir Tsarfati: Correct.

Tim Moore: Does that cause you any concern from day-to-day?

Amir Tsarfati: Well, not at all, it brings me a lot of hope. And the hope is that I will be out of here before all of that chaos is going to happen there. I believe that the armies of the world will gather there on their way to fight in Jerusalem. And of course, Jesus, will come back to put an end to that with His feet standing on the Mount of Olives, in Zechariah 14. So, I am looking at a place that is a place that will be the culmination of confusion, and rebellion. And I take comfort in the fact that I found the truth, thankfully.

Tim Moore: Thank the Lord, yes.

Amir Tsarfati: But, unfortunately, again, the efforts of the enemy to confuse, and accuse, and to destroy, and kill and destroy, are just, it amazes me all the time.

Tim Moore: It amazes me as well, and it saddens me that many Jews have not found the Lord, have not embraced Yeshua, Jesus as their Messiah, as you have, and so many others are even today. But what would you say to those Jews who reject Christ, what is God’s provision for the Jewish people even through this period of Tribulation we’ve already talked about?

Amir Tsarfati: Well, look, I believe that Israel is God’s Chosen People. He never ever changed His mind about them. And I believe that they will finally understand that in the middle of the Tribulation, in the heart of the Tribulation, when they understand it, okay, this is not the Messiah, this is bad news. We did not sign up for this one. And then God, even then has already prepared a place for them.

Tim Moore: Yes.

Amir Tsarfati: And He’s going to provide for them. And through all of that I believe Israel is going to see the amazing, good hand of God. But again, Israel will not be saved unless Israel embraces the Messiah.

Tim Moore: Yes, when they come to the end of themselves.

Amir Tsarfati: Absolutely.

Tim Moore: As any of us as individuals and realize that Jesus is the Messiah.

Amir Tsarfati: Absolutely, and my prayer is that accept Him now, so you don’t have to go through all of this.

Tim Moore: Amen.

Amir Tsarfati: And by the way I’m saying that to all non-Jews as well, accept Him now so you don’t have to be left behind.

Tim Moore: Amen.

Amir Tsarfati: I mean people, I believe, underestimate the Tribulation. And therefore every little thing that happens today whether it is pandemic, or fires, or earthquakes, they immediately say, “This is the Tribulation.” They don’t have a clue that the Tribulation is something that has never been seen or felt or experienced on planet earth before.

Tim Moore: A time of unprecedented horror.

Amir Tsarfati: Exactly. And so is by the way the Antichrist. People are so easy to jump the gun, and to name names, and label political leaders right how as Antichrist. They don’t have a clue what this man is going to be. This man, he’s getting his authority, his throne, and his whole thing from the Dragon, the Bible says in Revelation.

Tim Moore: He will be indwelled by Satan himself.

Amir Tsarfati: Absolutely.

Tim Moore: And exercise the power of Satan.

Amir Tsarfati: And the Bible says that the whole world will worship him. There is not even a single political leader in planet earth, as of today, that the whole world worships.

Tim Moore: So, with that threat looming, in other words, the wrath of God being poured out on the world during the Tribulation, why wouldn’t Jewish people, and Gentiles embrace the Messiah today? In other words, you had a recent podcast that was so powerful about the cross continuing to be a stumbling block to the Jews. And briefly touch on why Jewish people are still resistant. And then we’ll touch on how we as believers can share with them.

Amir Tsarfati: Well, first of all in the Jewish mindset the act of being hanged on the tree reserves to the last of the criminals. So, in their mind, God, Messiah, this doesn’t go together. Second the message of the cross is what they had a problem with. And this is why Paul says, “They try to establish their own righteousness.” And obviously, it’s very hard for a Jewish person who was taught all his life that to do good things, and to pray on time, and to do mitzvahs, and to try. Jews understand that they will never be able to fulfill the law, but God looks how much they try. It is called in Hebrew, “hishtadlus”, I’m trying, He will count that.

Tim Moore: Get credit for trying.

Amir Tsarfati: Yes, for trying.

Tim Moore: A participation award.

Amir Tsarfati: Exactly. But the last thing is, and that’s another stumbling block for the Jewish people, is the fact that throughout history we had horrific things done to Jewish people, by people who professed to be Christians, and they were wearing a cross. So, honestly when you go now to the Western Wall, you are being asked if you have a cross to put it all the way inside, it offends the Jewish people. Now, it’s not that they hate you for that, but they don’t understand how can you come to my holiest site, and have this horrific sign, that for me is death, persecution, and troubles?

Tim Moore: Well, sadly, even today, Amir, there are Christians, or people call themselves Christians who still show animosity toward Jewish people. Sometimes they bought into the false Replacement Theology; God has washed His hands of the Jews, and therefore He has no purpose for them. Or other times they are just filled with a satanic kind of Anti-Semitism. How does that impact relationship with those who claim to be Christians, or just the Gentile word in Jewish people today.

Amir Tsarfati: You see that is another thing, another problem, when an Israeli guy is turning on, let’s say, YouTube, and he sees someone who says, “I came back to Christ. I am now a follower of Jesus. And I believe that God is done with Israel. And I believe that Hitler was a Jew. The Holocaust never happened.” All this Nazi propaganda. How can I now, say to him that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life? When he hears from people such a horrible thing. I believe, look I believe as the Bible says, many will say to Jesus I did this in your name, and that in your name, not few, many, unfortunately. And a lot of people live in that perception that they are Christians, but they harbor in their heart racism, hatred, and I personally don’t think this is Christianity. This is not.

Tim Moore: No. I mean obviously we are told to put on Jesus Christ.

Amir Tsarfati: Absolutely.

Tim Moore: And make no provision for the flesh. To be transformed by the renewing of our minds. And literally become Christlike in our thinking, and our attitude, in our love. That is very challenging. Even today I’ve said the lawlessness that is rising in our nation is making the love of many, even believers grow cold, or being tempted to allow that to cool. And if we have the love of Christ our love informs everything we do. And the love of Christ toward His Chosen People, the Jewish people will also be evident.

Amir Tsarfati: Yeah, see I don’t believe that loving Israel is a prerequisite for salvation.

Tim Moore: No.

Amir Tsarfati: But I believe it is the fruit of your salvation. I believe that once you are saved, there is no way you are going to hate the Jews for being the Jews. And if you hate the Jews for being Jews, and you claim to be saved, then the love of God is not in you, and you are deceiving yourself. And so, that is why I say to people, “If you hate Israel, you have to check your faith in Christianity. I mean it cannot walk together.” People hate me for saying that because they say, “You preach salvation through works. You preach that you have to love Israel in order to be saved.” No, you have to love Israel because you are saved.

Tim Moore: If you have the heart of Christ.

Amir Tsarfati: Exactly. And you know when a Jewish guy is looking at supposedly a Christian and how he hates him for being a Jew, is that the fruit of the Spirit?

Tim Moore: So, how can a Gentile believer in Jesus Christ bless a Jew? And bless Israel in general but a Jewish person in particular. How can we more effectively share our love for the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, Yeshua, and be loving to that Jewish person instead of off putting?

Amir Tsarfati: First of all, I think the best way to show your love to a Jew is to share with him the only thing that can ever save him. But be very smart when you do that, because if you come to a Jewish guy and quote John 3:16 it’s not going to work obviously because they don’t believe in the New Testament. But it is very good if you understand Christ in the Old Testament. And you challenge him in things that are about Christ in the Old Testament. And you at the same time tell him how much you love Israel because of what Christ did in your life. You see that is the one thing Jewish people don’t understand, because you are a Christian aren’t you supposed to hate me? No, no, no because I am a Christian I am supposed to love you.

Tim Moore: And I do.

Amir Tsarfati: Yes, you see the thing they don’t get it. And unfortunately, also many Israelis think Christianity is Catholicism. I mean the Pope is the representative of Christianity on planet earth. And so, the Catholic church is not exactly the friendliest organization toward Israel. So, you see we need to change that narrative, we need to show them what Christianity is really all about, what Christians are all about. And that only through love, and through giving them the Messiah. Do you know Catholics don’t share Jesus with the Jews?

Tim Moore: Yes, sir. And I know when I’ve been to Israel one of the great blessings I’ve seen is for even Jewish people who have not yet embraced Christ to recognize, well you are an evangelical Christian and we know that you love us. And we demonstrate as pilgrims, and as our pilgrimage groups that we love the Jewish people, and individual Jews that we come in contact with. So, Amir, your presence here today bears testimony that we have a heart for the Jewish people, for Israel, and we want to bless them.

Amir Tsarfati: Amen.

Tim Moore: So, we want to wish a great prayer of blessing on you and your ministry. And in just a moment, we are going to take another brief break, but I’d like you to share with our viewers a little bit about Behold Israel.

Closing

Tim Moore: Amir, take a minute and tell our viewers how they can get in touch with your ministry.

Amir Tsarfati: Sure, you can log onto our website beholdisrael.org, and through that subscribe to our weekly newsletter and Bible Bites devotional that you can get. And also, on social media, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, it’s just Behold Israel.

Tim Moore: Well, Amir, thank you very much for being with us today.

Amir Tsarfati: Thank you.

Tim Moore: You’ve been a great blessing. Well, folks that’s our program for today. I pray that it makes you want to share the Good News of our Jewish Messiah with a Jewish person. And I hope what will inspire you to want to fulfill Zechariah 8:23, “Grabbing the garment of a Jew, and saying, ‘Let me go with you for I have heard that God is with you.'” I hope too, that the Lord willing you will be back with us next week. Until then this is Tim Moore, speaking for Lamb & Lion Ministries saying, “Godspeed.”

End of Program

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