The Greater the Shaking…

Tikkun Global

Jerusalem, Israel

After 40 days of war with Iran, we have entered a fragile cease-fire. Everyone wants to know if Trump and the US will succeed in securing a real “deal” with Iran that will last.

In Israel, during the 40 days of conflict, daily missile attacks became routine. Unlike the 12-day war in June of 2025; Arab nations in the Persian Gulf region were also drawn into the hostilities, many experiencing direct rocket and drone bombings by Iran. What was originally a limited Israel-Iran conflict in June 2025, has now expanded into a regional conflict and beyond. As the war intensified, the question became not only geopolitical, but spiritual. What happens to people’s hearts when the shaking increases?

One recent testimony reflects the human reality behind these headlines. A resident whose building was struck by a missile described covering his baby with his body moments before the explosion. The apartment filled with shattered glass. His family, though lightly injured, survived. The three lower floors of the building were completely destroyed, killing four people; and his family lived just one floor above the area of impact! Later he said, “I am not a believing person, but there is a strong feeling here of a great miracle. There was divine protection.” In the midst of destruction, the language of supernatural providence emerges; people reconsider questions of faith.

Israel has lived in a state of war and conflict since its establishment in 1948 with periods of relative quiet, but never complete peace. In IDF training, soldiers are taught that Israel is always in a state of war – sometimes overtly active, sometimes less visible. 

History shows that when conflict intensifies, something shifts spiritually. During the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the nation experienced a deep shaking. Fear, uncertainty, and loss touched every family. Many Israelis began searching spiritually, reading the New Testament, and asking questions about Yeshua. The modern Messianic Jewish movement here grew significantly.

We see a similar pattern in this war. During the Iranian attack in April 2025, when hundreds of missiles and drones were launched toward Israel in a single night, the number one internet search in Israel that night was “Psalms.” Why? In Judaism, it is customary to read Psalms in a devotional posture towards God. Faithful Orthodox Jews already had the Psalms open. So, that sudden spike showed people who do not normally pray, turning instinctively toward God and His Word. In moments of fear, something awakens deep within. Spiritually distant hearts begin searching for words of comfort, protection, and hope. As it came to be said during WWI: “There are no atheists in the trenches.” 

This pattern is not limited to Israel. In recent years, reports from Iran have described a surprising development. Despite severe restrictions and persecution, a growing number of Iranians are turning to faith in Yeshua. This growth is largely hidden, yet multiple studies and ministries describe an expanding network of house churches and seekers across Iran. Due to extreme government oppression, religious and otherwise - Iran has become a place of spiritual hunger.

Both Scripture and modern history reflect this same dynamic. The prophet Haggai records the Lord saying, “I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come” (Haggai 2:7). Yeshua spoke of wars, turmoil, and instability, and in the same context described the gospel being preached to all nations (Matthew 24:6–14). In the book of Acts, persecution in Jerusalem scattered the believers, and “those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). The shaking accelerated the spread of the message.

Over centuries, the gospel moved outward from Jerusalem through the nations. Over the last century, significant gospel movements have emerged in places like Korea, China, and Indonesia. If the message from Jerusalem has reached the ends of the earth, then we are now at a turning point. As awakening spreads across regions like Iran and parts of the Middle East, could we be nearing the time when a great awakening returns to Jerusalem once again? 

We cannot claim to know the timing, nor can we assume this will fully unfold in our generation. Yet spiritual hunger across the region is already preparing the way for a future movement that will ultimately return to the place where the gospel first began.

Scripture points toward such a turning. Paul writes that the “fullness of the Gentiles” will affect salvation in Israel (Romans 11:25–26). Isaiah speaks of nations coming to the light of Zion (Isaiah 60:3). Zechariah describes many peoples seeking the Lord in Jerusalem (Zechariah 8:22). Yeshua Himself declared that Jerusalem would one day welcome Him, saying, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:39).

As the recent war with Iran has ebbed and flowed, this becomes not only an observation but a call to prayer. We pray for protection, for wisdom for our leaders, and victory for the Kingdom of God; for peace, and for the salvation of many (1 Timothy 2:1-8) 

When war comes, history suggests that the greater the shaking, the greater the openness. So, we pray for awakening – that what is already taking place in Iran will not remain isolated; that spiritual curiosity will extend beyond Iran’s borders into neighboring Moslem nations, and Israel.

It may start gradually under the surface. Yet, we can pray that God will use this season to awaken hearts — throughout the entire region!

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