Bringing Israel to the World by Amir Tsarfati

We’ve known Amir Tsarfati for years as he guided many of the Holy Land tours for our top clients. A Messianic Jew who lives in Jerusalem, he spent much of his adulthood as a licensed tour guide with Sar El Tours, our trusted partner in Israel. He advanced from one of Sar El’s most knowledgeable guides to become the founder and president of Behold Israel, an organization devoted to teaching Bible prophecy and its connection to Israel.

We asked Amir to share more of his testimony and how the story of Israel itself is a testament to the faithfulness of God.

More than any other nation in the world, Israel tells the story of God’s faithfulness. After completing my time in the Israel Defense Forces, I became a licensed tour guide in Israel, showing people from all over the world the beauty and history of the Holy Land. As years passed, I welcomed visitors to experience the land of the Bible and to learn about its connection to biblical prophecy, but then God gave me a new mission.

Before, my focus was to bring the world to Israel, but now God was calling me to bring Israel to the world.

[caption id="attachment_9155" align="aligncenter" width="611"] Amir Tsarfati[/caption]

During my time as a tour guide, I sensed God giving me a specific passion for Bible prophecy that would one day outgrow a tour bus. And not just Bible prophecy in general, but more specifically, His plans for the nation of Israel, a people and country that much of the world (and so many Christians) know so little about. As I transitioned from tour guide to founder and president of Behold Israel, I began traveling and speaking internationally.

Over the course of the next decade, the Lord opened many doors, often in the most unexpected places. For example, it was as I taught in a church in Austria that I met a man who then coordinated two of my speaking tours in Brazil. It was in Asia, specifically Singapore and the Philippines, that so many important contacts were made that were foundational in the early phases of Behold Israel. If that’s not enough, it was while teaching in a bomb shelter in Croatia, I met the man who opened the door for me to teach in Romania. What began in the small country of Israel became a global ministry. 

The more I travel, the more I realize just how small the world really is, and how incredibly big our God is. Nothing is too difficult for Him. When we look back, we find that He established the stepping stones of His plans for us in ways we never would have imagined.

[caption id="attachment_9153" align="aligncenter" width="611"] Inspiration tour group overlooking the city of Jerusalem[/caption]

Once Behold Israel became a registered 501(c)(3) in 2014, I found myself constantly on the road and in the air going to country after country to teach biblical truth. Soon, I realized that trying to balance my tour work with my ministry work was impossible. It was then that I stepped full-time into the ministry, trusting that God would provide what was necessary for me to fulfill His calling on my life.

Now, I’m going to sound biased, but there’s no nation that I love more than my beloved Israel. It is beautiful. It is saturated with history. It’s the homeland of the Jewish people. It represents the fulfillment of the promises of God—past, present and future. To this very day, God is speaking to the world through the existence of this nation in the land that God gave to it thousands of years ago. It is this miracle of God’s care and love for His chosen people that is the fuel for the mission my team and I are carrying out today—bringing Israel to the world.

[caption id="attachment_9158" align="aligncenter" width="611"] Inspiration travelers touring Caesarea Maritima, Israel[/caption]

There’s a lot that can prevent people from making the journey to Israel: finances, health, availability, you name it. But even without making the trek to the Holy Land, Christians can understand the faithfulness of the Creator reflected in the rebirth of the State of Israel just over 70 years ago. Just that one act demonstrates how God remains true to His promises to us, even when we don’t always remain true to Him. That is the grace, mercy and love of our God that He has demonstrated through His long-suffering relationship with the nation of Israel. When we understand God’s relationship with Israel, we can feel absolute confidence in His relationship with us.

A comment that I often hear from people after they travel to Israel is that they can now see the Bible in full color. The sea where Jesus calmed the storm, it’s here. The mount where He sat and taught one of the greatest sermons ever, it’s overlooking that same sea. The city where the Savior grew up, follow the majestic valley due west of Galilee and you’ll be there. The field where David killed Goliath, you can find that just outside of our capital city, Jerusalem.

[caption id="attachment_9159" align="aligncenter" width="611"] Inspiration travelers on a Sea of Galilee boat ride[/caption]

Israel isn’t just unique because it’s the homeland of the Jewish people. It’s unique because it communicates the very faithfulness of God. My country tells a wonderful story and it’s not over yet. It is where Jesus will one day return!

Have you been to Israel? If yes, what were your favorite moments there?