As I was praying, the Lord showed me a large ocean cruise ship sailing toward a wide, smooth harbor. Suddenly, a major storm blew in. Despite the heavily overcast skies and the torrential rain, a lighthouse kept shining its light, showing the harbor’s location. Small ships went out alongside the ocean liner and helped escort it to the docks. When it arrived at the docks and the gangplank was lowered to let off the passengers, the storm let up and a beautiful double rainbow lit up the sky. As the vision faded I could read the name written on the ship. It said “SS St. Louis!”

No Port Of Call
The SS St. Louis is one of the most famous ships in U.S. history, or perhaps infamous would be more appropriate, for it reminds us of one of America's historic low points. On May 13, 1939 the SS St. Louis set sail from Hamburg, Germany for Havana, Cuba. On board were 937 Jewish refugees fleeing the persecution Nazi Germany had launched the previous fall on “Kristallnacht” — the “night of broken glass” when the Storm Troopers began their campaign of hate and violence by breaking into homes, burning shops, and making mass arrests. The SS St. Louis was one of the last ships to leave Nazi Germany before Europe was engulfed in World War II.

As the ship approached the harbor in Havana, it was not allowed to come to the docks and the refugees were refused entry. Subsequent negotiations with the Cuban government to permit the landing failed. Similar attempts to seek entry to the United States also brought no reprieve. As the St. Louis steamed along the United States southern coast, we refused to let the ship dock. For five days, the SS St. Louis futilely steamed along the sea shore of Florida. You see, nobody wanted the Jews.

After waiting 12 days in the port of Havana and off the Miami coast desperately seeking a country that would give them asylum, the St. Louis was forced to turn around and head back to Europe. Eventually the refugees found homes in Belgium, Britain, France, and Holland. Unfortunately, following the German invasion of Europe, many of the former St. Louis passengers found themselves under Nazi rule. Nearly half of the passengers of the St. Louis perished in the Holocaust, all because they could not find a peaceful harbor that would give them shelter.

A Peaceful Harbor
The large ship in the vision is the Jewish people once again seeking shelter from the storms of persecution. The lighthouse represents believers who let the light of love shine from within them. A lighthouse must stand in the storms and shine through the showers. Will we love the Jews when the storms of opposition and hatred are once again lashing out against them? The small ships that helped pilot them into the harbor were churches and ministry that will “go out” of their comfortable safety zones to help bring the persecuted Jews to a safe resting place. The Lord is asking the Church if we will once again turn our eyes from the persecution of the Jews or, like a handful of Christians during the Holocaust, will we go out of our way to shelter and protect the Jews … even when it is against the law of the land? For those who will demonstrate the love of Christ by caring for the children of Israel — even if it is against the law and could result in harsh punishment or death — they will help bring the Jews into a peaceful harbor. This means not only a temporal shelter, but there will be an unveiling of the eyes of the Jews to see the love of Jesus. The double rainbow signifies the twofold promise of God coming to completion — that through Abraham all the nations would be blessed, and that through the Church Israel would finally see her Savior. The cost of bringing the persecuted Jews into a place of peaceful shelter may be great, but the rewards will be eternal!