The 7 Highways

And a highway will be there; it will be called

the Way of Holiness. Isa 35:8

The 7 Highways is a Christian intercessory prayer project on which various team members have been working since 2005. It involves travelling overland from 7 “ends of the earth” to Mount Zion in Jerusalem. To date 6 Highways have been completed. It is our hope and prayer to finish Highway 7 – the Eastern Highway Part 2 – by 8 September 2010.

Cursed is the ground

When Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, God told them “Cursed is the ground because of you” (Gen 3:17). Paul explains that “the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Rom 8:20-21) For this reason “creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.” (Rom 8:19)

The good news to all creation

Jesus Christ made the sacrifice required to re-unite the fallen world with the Father. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jhn 14:6) When Jesus commanded his disciples to “go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mar 16:15) they went with the message that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (Jhn 3:16-17)

The Highway

Isaiah prophesied about this Way God provided for us in Jesus when He wrote: “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way;…But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads…” (Isa 35:8-10)

The “7 Highways” Prayer Mandate

In this time before the return of our King the Lord Jesus Christ, God is once more sending messengers to cry out for the preparation of a highway for our God in the wilderness (Isaiah 40:3). The 7 Highways Prayer project gives a voice to the yearning of the wilderness, which is all of creation, for this highway to be established, for the sons of God to be revealed, and for the King to return.

The “7 Highways” Prayer Strategy

Travel overland from 7 “ends of the earth” to Mount Zion in Jerusalem:

• building altars at the furthest “ends of the earth” from Jerusalem with stones from Mount Zion symbolising that “Jerusalem that is above” (Gal 4:26) is “the joy of the whole earth” (Ps 48);
• claiming the highways of the earth for the Kingdom of God (Rom 4) by setting our feet on the ground;
• recognising the body of Christ in each place we travel through as God’s priests and stewards in that area, and submitting the project to them;
• collecting stones along the way, with the permission of the local body, to place them before the Lord on Mount Zion to represent the cry of creation for the revelation of the sons of God in every nation along the way (Rom 8).

Highway 1: The Southern Highway (2005)

In July 2005 Eugenie and Jansie made the 12 000 km journey from Cape Agulhas to Jerusalem overland by public transport in one month. They travelled through South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt to Israel.

Highway 2 & 3: The Northern Highways (2008)

In March 2008 Jansie and Eugenie did the first part of the Northern Highway from Cape Nordkinn, the northernmost point of the European continent to Istanbul traveling through Norway, Russia and the Middle East. In July 2008 Jansie started the journey from the northernmost municipality in Greenland to Jerusalem travelling though 22 countries in 40 days. These included Greenland, Iceland, Norway, the Faeroe Islands, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, the Middle East and Israel.

Highway 4 & 5: The Western Highways (2009)

In July 2009 Cecilia, Rene, Eugenie, Ethie and Jansie travelled the first part of the Western Highway along the west coast of the North, Central and South America. The journey started at the furthest westernmost tip of Alaska and travelled along the west coast of Alaska, Canada, the USA, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina. In November Jansie joined Elizabeth, Nella and Herman for the second part of the Western Highway travelling through Portugal, Spain, North Africa and Israel.

Highway 6 & 7: The Eastern Highways (2010)

The Eastern Highway (Part 1) started in March. This journey went through the following countries: New Zealand, Australia, East Timor, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Indian Subcontinent. The Eastern Highway (Part 2) is planned for 30 July – 8 September. This journey will start near the easternmost tip of Russia and travel via Japan, Korea, China, the Middle East and Israel.