The world watched in horror as fire engulfed the Notre Dame Cathedral on April 15. The blaze was so intense that the cathedral’s spire and roof collapsed. Thankfully, firefighters were able to rescue several historic pieces of religious art, but many people across France are still grieving the loss of such an importance piece of their history.
This fire will likely appear in history books in years to come. But what is the spiritual significance of this event? I interviewed my friend Rabbi David Schneier on my “Strang Report” podcast to answer that question. Click here or scroll down to listen to the interview.
Schneier says his wife, Leslye, received a word from the Lord several years ago while they were walking around Notre Dame. A storm quickly stirred and rain came down in torrents. Then, just as quickly as the downpour started, it stopped, and a cloud formed over the Notre Dame cathedral.
“[The cloud] looked like the map of France,” Schneier says. “In front of Notre Dame is a round circle called point zero, a point from which all distance was measured in France. … My wife felt the Lord was saying that there’s a storm coming in France over anti-Semitism and the church, and the freedom of God’s Spirit to move from point zero to any place in France will be measured by a correct understand of God’s eternal covenant with His people, the Jews. … There’s a reckoning coming.”
Schneier—a Messianic Jew of French and American descent—has a close connection with Notre Dame, since he and Leslye lived only a five-minute walk away from the church for six years. During that time, he worked with the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America and its congregational wing, the International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues (IMCS). He oversaw all the IMCS congregations in Europe, and continues to do so now from his home in Birmingham.
Schneier says that, in a historic sense, France losing the Notre-Dame cathedral is similar to if the U.S. lost the Statue of Liberty or if England lost Westminster Abbey. But many don’t understand how important this cathedral was … read more
Courtesy: Stephen Strang