Will We Get Our Testimony Right This Time? Choosing the Courageous Faith of Two
Will We Get Our Testimony Right This Time? Choosing the Courageous Faith of Two
As we prepare for the building of the Third Temple, we are witnessing a significant moment in history—a divine opportunity unfolding before our eyes. Yet, we also see a troubling pattern emerging among believers:a response not rooted in faith, but in fear.
Many of us sense that we are living in prophetic times, the days that precede the return of the Messiah. And while this should awaken excitement and purpose, far too often it stirs anxiety. We fear the headlines.We fear the rumors of war, disasters, and global unrest. We fear what we have been told will come—and in that fear, some lose sight of the God who holds it all together.
Fear becomes a heavy fog that clouds vision and silences faith. Some try to ignore it, hoping it will go away. Others burn out in frantic resistance against unseen enemies. But the greatest danger of all is when fear begins to erode our faith, eating away at our confidence in God’s power, promises, and presence.
This is not new. In the Book of Numbers, we read about a similar moment of decision. Twelve men were sent to scout the Promised Land—land God had already promised to give them. Yet ten of those spies returned with a testimony of fear.
“The land devours its inhabitants… We saw giants… We were like grasshoppers in our own sight.” —Numbers13:32-33
Their report paralyzed the people. Though they had seen signs, wonders, and divine deliverance, they allowed fear to drown out God’s voice. Simply said, fear usurped their ability to hear God.
“How long will these people reject Me? How long will they not believe me with all the signs which I have performed among them?” -Numbers 13:11
They turned back in their hearts to Egypt—to bondage. They let fear steal their future and corrode their confidence in God. It deaden their recall of God's promises and dulled their miracle memory. They allowed fear to shape their perspective and safety to become their God.
But not everyone bowed to fear.
Caleb and Joshua—two of the twelve—came back with a different spirit, a different testimony. They didn’t deny the challenges, but they stood in courageous faith, declaring what God could do.
“The land is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into the land and give it to us…Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people…The LORD is with us, do not fear them.” -Numbers 14:6-9
They saw the same giants, but they remembered the greatness of their God. They spoke not from fear, but from trust. They were not overcome—they overcame.
“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” -Revelation 12:11
If we imagine the land representing the Kingdom of God and the Temple as His dwelling among us, then the fearful report today might sound like this: “The end times are too terrible. The Anti-Christ is too strong. We are powerless.” But the testimony of faith says something altogether different:
“The kingdom is exceedingly good. If the LORD delights in us, He will deliver us into the kingdom and give us the temple to come and worship Him. Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the Anti-Christ. The LORD is with us, do not fear the end days.”
Yes, the times we are in can feel overwhelming. Yes, wars,famines, judgments, and persecution are sobering realities. But courage does not mean we are unafraid. Courage means we choose faith over fear. We act with hope in the face of uncertainty. Look at our Jewish brothers and sisters who are waging a war against evil. We are seeing reports of them worshiping while they are stuck in bomb shelters. We see them rising up to overcome the wickedness of terrorism. And they are rising up with courage and faith in God.
In Hebrew, there are two words that should shape our response to God:
- Emunah – faith, the decision to believe. The decision is a choice, not an emotion. We step out in faith despite our emotions.
- Bitachon – trust, the deep confidence in God’s character. The willlingness to shape our beliefs around the attributes of God.
Caleb and Joshua displayed both. They chose to believe God’s promise and trusted in His faithfulness to fulfill it. Their words were not defiant rebellion—but a holy defiance against despair. They declared what God could do, not what man feared.
So now the question comes to us: Which testimony will we carry into these days?
Will we echo the fear that weakens hearts, or will we rise with the voice of Caleb and Joshua and speak life, faith, and victory?
Let us be the generation that gets it right. Let us be the ones who do not shrink back, but move forward in obedience, strength, and unwavering trust. Let our hands be strong to build what God has called us to build. Let our hearts be brave enough to carry His testimony to the nations. Let us join with our Jewish brothers and sisters in the courage to overcome evil.
The birth pains are not the end, nor are they death throes—they are the beginning. They are signs that life is coming. That redemption is near and God is about to fulfill His promises in full.
Now is the time to choose. Choose the testimony of faith. Choose to trust in the Everlasting King. Choose to rise with the voice of the brave.
Let us walk forward in His promises.
Let us build with faith.
Let us stand in hope.
Let us carry His testimony until every nation sees the glory of the Messiah, Yeshua.
Let our hands be strong, that the temple might be built so that we may see our final redemption.
“Let your hands be strong, you who have been hearing in these days…that the temple might be built…And it will come to pass that just as you were a curse among the nations, O House of Judah and House of Israel, So, I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.” -Zechariah 8:9,13
Valley of Eschol Image used with permission