David Hathaway preaches Yeshua in Israel

The Welsh evangelist David Hathaway who has an international ministry in Eastern Europe and beyond preached to capacity crowds in Israel and shared Christ with holocaust survivors.

I WAS emotionally stirred when I saw hundreds of the holocaust survivors streaming into the first meeting in Karmiel. — I had prayed so much that I could cope with the emotional experience of speaking to these men and women who had survived the gas chambers, the death marches and seeing their loved ones thrown into the furnaces.

How could I comfort these religious Jews who in their despair had cried out to God for help in their extremity and felt totally forsaken until their faith was finally crushed by the weight of their suffering and pain?

Yet as I shared my own experience of the communist prison, my own loneliness and despair, my own feeling of rejection and fear of death — and then revealed the depth of God's love in coming to earth in the person of His Son, to be thrown into prison, beaten and tortured, to answer the very burning question in their hearts — I saw the barriers fall away — and the tears come into their eyes as almost all of them came forward to find reconciliation and forgiveness in their Yeshua!

The next night in the vast sport hall in Tel Aviv — despite the overwhelming crowds, the desperate search for extra seats, the hall packed to capacity — I feared an anti-climax. But no, even more holocaust survivors, possibly over 1000, now with friends and relatives, 90% unbelievers! The meeting began with worship, then they welcomed me — members from the Knesset I had met the day before, leaders of the groups of holocaust survivors from all over Israel —they gave me a beautiful presentation and the inscription which touched my heart:

'To David Hathaway with deepest respect for extraordinary support and real friendship — from the members of the Association of Holocaust Survivors... It cannot be forgotten!'

Again I showed them first from Matthew's Gospel, then from their own scriptures, who their Messiah is —Yeshua who came to give His life as a willing sacrifice in prison, through torture and rejection, then on a cross to forgive their sins and heal their wounds. Their response, as 90% of them came to receive Him, was overwhelming. Then, each night as I prayed for their Heavenly father to reveal His love by fulfilling the prophecies of their own scriptures, the miracles of healing flowed as they did in Biblical days.

The next night again a capacity crowd. As it was the Sabbath some Messianic Jews joined us, still outnumbered by unbelieving Jews and Moslems, but sharing the outpouring of mercy and grace. Again almost all unbelievers came to receive Yeshua as their Messiah and Saviour.
Many came forward each night to testify of miraculous healing, but the pastors told us that on each of the buses which we had chartered to bring these Israeli Jews, as they streamed out of the meeting even the holocaust survivors were amazed to find tumours, blindness and broken limbs healed by the power of God! And all the hundreds of converts on the buses were known by name and had been brought personally by the supporting Messianic congregations.

Afterwards the pastors said two amazing things:

"We promised these survivors that if they would come they would receive comfort, deliverance from the past and healing from the inner pain and suffering and especially miracles of healing in Yeshua's Name! They received everything we promised and more than even we dared to believe for!

"This was an historic breakthrough, never seen in Israel before. We have had other conferences with crowds of Western Believers and Messianic Jews – but never before have we seen thousands attending when 90% of them were unbelieving Jewish and Moslem Israelis. We wept tears of joy as we saw our brothers and sisters receive salvation in the Name of their Yeshua and Messiah!"

This was the 50th anniversary of my first visit to Israel in May 1961 – and on this anniversary God gloriously fulfilled more than everything I had dreamed of and asked for 50 years ago! But this is only the beginning, because the pastors are pleading with me to return as soon as possible. I will, as soon as we can raise the funds we need.

Footnote: Further news, pictures and video of the Israel outreach can be found at the Eurovision website including information of how you can support the ministry of David Hathaway and the Eurovision outreach.

David Hathaway, 19/05/2011