JEWISH VOICE TODAY MAGAZINE
THE DAY THAT
CHANGED
EVERYTHING A Day of Fulfilled Prophecy Seeing Jesus in the Passover Not As I Will
Who Really Killed Jesus The Resurrected Messiah Map of Yeshua‘s Final Steps Fifty Days Later: The Meaning of Pentecost
April/May/June 2015
M]L[
CONTENTS 4
Jewish Voice Core 4 The Day that Changed Everything By Jonathan Bernis
8 A Day of Fulfilled Prophecy
SHALOM Dear Friend, It was arguably the most significant day this world had seen since mankind’s catastrophic fall in the Garden of Eden. That’s why we have dedicated this issue of the JVT magazine to bringing you inspiring truths and profound insights regarding the last 24 hours of Yeshua’s life and earthly ministry. On a related note, while in Israel last year, I had the privilege of filming our latest DVD presentation, His Final Footsteps: Retracing the Last 24 Hours of Jesus’ Life. I walked the exact places Yeshua (Jesus) walked that final day before offering Himself up as our Passover Lamb. I sat in the Upper Room where He had His final Passover meal, stood in the Garden of Gethsemane where He felt the anguish and weight of the world. I stood on the Mount of Olives where He was betrayed and walked the barren hill believed to be the site of His execution. These and other spots mark key milestones as Yeshua moved through His final, pivotal hours here on earth. With the Passover season just behind us — and Pentecost on the horizon — we’ve dedicated this issue to taking on a journey through Yeshua’s last hours — exploring the prophetic significance and spiritual meaning of each landmark along the way. God is moving in amazing ways around the world, stirring Jewish hearts, and opening their eyes to the truth that Yeshua is the Messiah. And He is opening extraordinary doors of opportunity to Jewish Voice in strategic points of need in Israel and around the world. Thank you for being a faithful friend to me and to Jewish Voice. As always, we’re honored to have the opportunity to inform, inspire, and bless you. May God speak to you and encourage you through these pages. Enjoy this issue.
8
13
16
By Jonathan Bernis
13 Seeing Jesus in the Passover
By Rabbi Jack Zimmerman
16 How to Partner with Jewish Voice
18
20
18 Not As I Will By Kevin Geoffrey
20 Who Really Killed Jesus By Mitch Glaser, Ph.D.
22 The Resurrected Messiah
/JewishVoice /jewishvoicetoday
22
@jewish_voice
26
By John D. Garr, Ph.D.
26 Map of Yeshua's Final Steps 28 Fifty Days Later: The Meaning of Pentecost By Robert Morris
Jewish Voice Ministries International P.O. Box 31998 Phoenix, AZ 85046-1998 USA 602-971-8501 1-800-299-9374 www.jewishvoice.org
28
Jewish Voice Ministries Canada P.O. Box 476 Maple Ridge, BC V2X 3P2 1-855-793-7482 www.jewishvoice.ca Jewish Voice Ministries UK Admail 4224 London W2 4UN 1-855-993-7482 www.jvmi.co.uk Magazine questions or comments: magazine@jewishvoice.org
Jonathan Bernis, President & CEO Jewish Voice Ministries International 2 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
April/May/June 2015 | 3
M]L[
CONTENTS 4
Jewish Voice Core 4 The Day that Changed Everything By Jonathan Bernis
8 A Day of Fulfilled Prophecy
SHALOM Dear Friend, It was arguably the most significant day this world had seen since mankind’s catastrophic fall in the Garden of Eden. That’s why we have dedicated this issue of the JVT magazine to bringing you inspiring truths and profound insights regarding the last 24 hours of Yeshua’s life and earthly ministry. On a related note, while in Israel last year, I had the privilege of filming our latest DVD presentation, His Final Footsteps: Retracing the Last 24 Hours of Jesus’ Life. I walked the exact places Yeshua (Jesus) walked that final day before offering Himself up as our Passover Lamb. I sat in the Upper Room where He had His final Passover meal, stood in the Garden of Gethsemane where He felt the anguish and weight of the world. I stood on the Mount of Olives where He was betrayed and walked the barren hill believed to be the site of His execution. These and other spots mark key milestones as Yeshua moved through His final, pivotal hours here on earth. With the Passover season just behind us — and Pentecost on the horizon — we’ve dedicated this issue to taking on a journey through Yeshua’s last hours — exploring the prophetic significance and spiritual meaning of each landmark along the way. God is moving in amazing ways around the world, stirring Jewish hearts, and opening their eyes to the truth that Yeshua is the Messiah. And He is opening extraordinary doors of opportunity to Jewish Voice in strategic points of need in Israel and around the world. Thank you for being a faithful friend to me and to Jewish Voice. As always, we’re honored to have the opportunity to inform, inspire, and bless you. May God speak to you and encourage you through these pages. Enjoy this issue.
8
13
16
By Jonathan Bernis
13 Seeing Jesus in the Passover
By Rabbi Jack Zimmerman
16 How to Partner with Jewish Voice
18
20
18 Not As I Will By Kevin Geoffrey
20 Who Really Killed Jesus By Mitch Glaser, Ph.D.
22 The Resurrected Messiah
/JewishVoice /jewishvoicetoday
22
@jewish_voice
26
By John D. Garr, Ph.D.
26 Map of Yeshua's Final Steps 28 Fifty Days Later: The Meaning of Pentecost By Robert Morris
Jewish Voice Ministries International P.O. Box 31998 Phoenix, AZ 85046-1998 USA 602-971-8501 1-800-299-9374 www.jewishvoice.org
28
Jewish Voice Ministries Canada P.O. Box 476 Maple Ridge, BC V2X 3P2 1-855-793-7482 www.jewishvoice.ca Jewish Voice Ministries UK Admail 4224 London W2 4UN 1-855-993-7482 www.jvmi.co.uk Magazine questions or comments: magazine@jewishvoice.org
Jonathan Bernis, President & CEO Jewish Voice Ministries International 2 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
April/May/June 2015 | 3
THE DAY THAT
CHANGED
EVERYTHING By Jonathan Bernis
I
t was just one day. A single 24-hour period. From sundown to sundown. But it was the most consequential and significant day humanity had seen since Adam and Eve’s exile from the Garden. In fact, it was the day the greatest redemptive act of human history took place — the culmination and consummation of thousands of years of divine preparation and action. Of course, I’m speaking of the day Yeshua HaMashiach ( Jesus the Messiah) laid down His life — becoming the long-awaited fulfillment of Passover’s sacrificial lamb. On this single day, dozens of Old Testament Messianic prophecies were fulfilled. What makes this single day so monumental? It is because the day of Yeshua’s death and resurrection represents God’s victorious “check mate” of Satan in a cosmic chess match that had been thousands of years in the unfolding. One made necessary by Man’s rebellion and the resulting fall. There in the Genesis garden, the first man and woman had been deceived into surrendering their God-granted authority and their keys to the Kingdom. The tragic result was mankind’s loss of intimate fellowship with God.
4 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
April/May/June 2015 | 5
THE DAY THAT
CHANGED
EVERYTHING By Jonathan Bernis
I
t was just one day. A single 24-hour period. From sundown to sundown. But it was the most consequential and significant day humanity had seen since Adam and Eve’s exile from the Garden. In fact, it was the day the greatest redemptive act of human history took place — the culmination and consummation of thousands of years of divine preparation and action. Of course, I’m speaking of the day Yeshua HaMashiach ( Jesus the Messiah) laid down His life — becoming the long-awaited fulfillment of Passover’s sacrificial lamb. On this single day, dozens of Old Testament Messianic prophecies were fulfilled. What makes this single day so monumental? It is because the day of Yeshua’s death and resurrection represents God’s victorious “check mate” of Satan in a cosmic chess match that had been thousands of years in the unfolding. One made necessary by Man’s rebellion and the resulting fall. There in the Genesis garden, the first man and woman had been deceived into surrendering their God-granted authority and their keys to the Kingdom. The tragic result was mankind’s loss of intimate fellowship with God.
4 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
April/May/June 2015 | 5
For example, the Psalmist David predicted Judas’ betrayal when he, prophetically speaking in the voice of the Messiah, wrote: “Even my own close friend, whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me” (Psalm 41:10 TLV). In a similar way, the prophet Zechariah foresaw the way Jesus’ closest friends and disciples dispersed and went into hiding on that day of darkness:
From the issuing of the decree to restore and to build Jerusalem until the time Mashiach, the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and 62 weeks. It will be rebuilt, with plaza and moat, but it will be in times of distress. Then after the 62 weeks Mashiach will be cut off and have nothing (Daniel 9:25-26 TLV, emphasis added).
Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, against the man who is My companion! It is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered! (Zechariah 13:7 TLV).
Daniel’s “weeks” here are weeks of years. In other words, seven-year periods. And at the time he received this revelation, God’s people were still in exile in Babylon. Babylon eventually fell to rival empire Persia, and just as Daniel predicted, in 458 B.C the Persian King Artaxerxes issued a “decree” permitting the return of Judah’s exiles and the restoration of Jerusalem. Space restraints do not permit a full explanation here, but numerous scholars have demonstrated that indeed precisely 69 “weeks” of years (483 years) after Artaxerxes issued his decree — to the very day — Yeshua of Nazareth was executed by the Romans in Jerusalem. The Messiah was “cut off.” The 24 hours that led up to and included Yeshua’s death and burial were clearly a day packed to the brim with fulfilled prophecy. In fact, you’ll find an article immediately following that outlines 28 prophecies fulfilled on that day. Of course, Yeshua also fulfilled His own prophetic words on that day as well. Among them were the words He spoke to Nicodemus who had come to Him under cover of darkness — words that not only pointed to His impending execution but also explained the significance of that sacrifice:
The Word of God records the precise fulfillment of this prophecy in Mark 14:50, where we read: “And all fled, abandoning Him” (TLV). Daniel’s prophecies concerning the Messiah are extraordinary. In his prophecy of the “69 Weeks,” (7+62) he not only delivered the stunning prediction that Israel’s Messiah would be killed — something unthinkable to the Israelite mind — he predicted the time of the Messiah’s execution down to the exact day! This fall also unleashed a terrible curse upon the world. Future generations and indeed earth itself were subjected to corruption, decay, and death as a result. But almost immediately God put in motion a plan for restoration — a plan the enemy would attempt to thwart at every turn. God’s opening gambit in this chess match for the ages was to make a prophetic proclamation right there in the Garden: “I will put animosity between you and the woman — between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel” (Genesis 3:15 TLV). The next several thousand years of human history, and the entirety of the Old Testament record, can be understood as the clarifying of God’s strategy to bring that promised “seed” into the earth — and the serpent’s futile efforts to keep that very promise from being fulfilled. Move and countermove, the match evolved. • Cain’s murder of Abel. The subsequent birth of righteous Seth. • Abraham’s surrender of his lovely wife Sarah to a foreign monarch’s harem. A dream that warns that monarch before he takes her into his bed chamber. 6 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
• Pharaoh’s slaughter of an entire generation of Hebrew infants. The miraculous rescue of the infant Moses by an Egyptian princess. • King Saul’s repeated attempts to murder David. David’s survival and rise to the throne of Israel. • Herod’s “slaughter of the innocents” in Bethlehem. The preemptive dream that warned Joseph to whisk his wife and infant son away to the refuge of Egypt. Each of these events and countless others leading to the events of that one day in Jerusalem 20 centuries ago are highly intentional moves in this highstakes match. It is a war in which the “spoils” are the souls of all mankind and the title deed to planet earth. This is the significance of the “scarlet thread of redemption” that runs like a river through the Bible’s wondrous narrative. Every move reveals God’s loving, redemptive plan to deposit that promised “seed” in the fertile soil of earth, and the doomed serpent’s desperate, fear-and-ragefilled efforts to keep that seed from coming forth and crushing his head. On the day of Yeshua’s execution, the heel of that “seed” was indeed crushed. But the end result was the far more devastating carnage of Satan’s legal headship, or right to rule planet earth. Many other Messianic prophecies were fulfilled in exacting detail on that day.
“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life! For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life ( John 3:14-16 TLV). A few chapters later in John, we hear Yeshua prophesying further — this time to His inner circle: “And as I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to Myself.” He said this to show the kind of death He was about to die ( John 12:32-33 TLV). Yes, this was a Passover like no other. A day of fulfilled prophecy. The day that changed everything.
April/May/June 2015 | 7
For example, the Psalmist David predicted Judas’ betrayal when he, prophetically speaking in the voice of the Messiah, wrote: “Even my own close friend, whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me” (Psalm 41:10 TLV). In a similar way, the prophet Zechariah foresaw the way Jesus’ closest friends and disciples dispersed and went into hiding on that day of darkness:
From the issuing of the decree to restore and to build Jerusalem until the time Mashiach, the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and 62 weeks. It will be rebuilt, with plaza and moat, but it will be in times of distress. Then after the 62 weeks Mashiach will be cut off and have nothing (Daniel 9:25-26 TLV, emphasis added).
Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, against the man who is My companion! It is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered! (Zechariah 13:7 TLV).
Daniel’s “weeks” here are weeks of years. In other words, seven-year periods. And at the time he received this revelation, God’s people were still in exile in Babylon. Babylon eventually fell to rival empire Persia, and just as Daniel predicted, in 458 B.C the Persian King Artaxerxes issued a “decree” permitting the return of Judah’s exiles and the restoration of Jerusalem. Space restraints do not permit a full explanation here, but numerous scholars have demonstrated that indeed precisely 69 “weeks” of years (483 years) after Artaxerxes issued his decree — to the very day — Yeshua of Nazareth was executed by the Romans in Jerusalem. The Messiah was “cut off.” The 24 hours that led up to and included Yeshua’s death and burial were clearly a day packed to the brim with fulfilled prophecy. In fact, you’ll find an article immediately following that outlines 28 prophecies fulfilled on that day. Of course, Yeshua also fulfilled His own prophetic words on that day as well. Among them were the words He spoke to Nicodemus who had come to Him under cover of darkness — words that not only pointed to His impending execution but also explained the significance of that sacrifice:
The Word of God records the precise fulfillment of this prophecy in Mark 14:50, where we read: “And all fled, abandoning Him” (TLV). Daniel’s prophecies concerning the Messiah are extraordinary. In his prophecy of the “69 Weeks,” (7+62) he not only delivered the stunning prediction that Israel’s Messiah would be killed — something unthinkable to the Israelite mind — he predicted the time of the Messiah’s execution down to the exact day! This fall also unleashed a terrible curse upon the world. Future generations and indeed earth itself were subjected to corruption, decay, and death as a result. But almost immediately God put in motion a plan for restoration — a plan the enemy would attempt to thwart at every turn. God’s opening gambit in this chess match for the ages was to make a prophetic proclamation right there in the Garden: “I will put animosity between you and the woman — between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel” (Genesis 3:15 TLV). The next several thousand years of human history, and the entirety of the Old Testament record, can be understood as the clarifying of God’s strategy to bring that promised “seed” into the earth — and the serpent’s futile efforts to keep that very promise from being fulfilled. Move and countermove, the match evolved. • Cain’s murder of Abel. The subsequent birth of righteous Seth. • Abraham’s surrender of his lovely wife Sarah to a foreign monarch’s harem. A dream that warns that monarch before he takes her into his bed chamber. 6 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
• Pharaoh’s slaughter of an entire generation of Hebrew infants. The miraculous rescue of the infant Moses by an Egyptian princess. • King Saul’s repeated attempts to murder David. David’s survival and rise to the throne of Israel. • Herod’s “slaughter of the innocents” in Bethlehem. The preemptive dream that warned Joseph to whisk his wife and infant son away to the refuge of Egypt. Each of these events and countless others leading to the events of that one day in Jerusalem 20 centuries ago are highly intentional moves in this highstakes match. It is a war in which the “spoils” are the souls of all mankind and the title deed to planet earth. This is the significance of the “scarlet thread of redemption” that runs like a river through the Bible’s wondrous narrative. Every move reveals God’s loving, redemptive plan to deposit that promised “seed” in the fertile soil of earth, and the doomed serpent’s desperate, fear-and-ragefilled efforts to keep that seed from coming forth and crushing his head. On the day of Yeshua’s execution, the heel of that “seed” was indeed crushed. But the end result was the far more devastating carnage of Satan’s legal headship, or right to rule planet earth. Many other Messianic prophecies were fulfilled in exacting detail on that day.
“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life! For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life ( John 3:14-16 TLV). A few chapters later in John, we hear Yeshua prophesying further — this time to His inner circle: “And as I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to Myself.” He said this to show the kind of death He was about to die ( John 12:32-33 TLV). Yes, this was a Passover like no other. A day of fulfilled prophecy. The day that changed everything.
April/May/June 2015 | 7
(1) The serpent would bruise the seed of
(5) The price of His betrayal was also foretold
Prophesied: “I will put animosity between you and the woman — between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel” (Genesis 3:15 TLV).
Prophesied: Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, pay me my wages, but if not, don’t bother!” So they weighed out my wages — 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12 TLV).
Fulfilled: “Now is the judgment of this world! Now the prince of this world will be driven out! And as I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to Myself.” He said this to show the kind of death He was about to die ( John 12:31-33 TLV).
Fulfilled: And said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they weighed out thirty shekels of silver for him (Matthew 26:15 TLV).
the woman.
(2) The Messiah would be cut off, but not for Himself, as prophesied by Daniel. Prophesied: “Then after the 62 weeks Mashiach will be cut off and have nothing” (Daniel 9:26 TLV). Fulfilled: “You don’t take into account that it is better for you that one man die for the people rather than for the whole nation to be destroyed.” Now he did not say this by himself; but as the kohen gadol that year, he prophesied that Yeshua would die for the nation. And not for the nation only, but also so that He might gather together into one the scattered children of God ( John 11:50-52 TLV).
A DAY OF
FULFILLED PROPHECY By Jonathan Bernis
From the opening chapters of Genesis to the final lines of Malachi — the Old Testament is filled with prophetic words and images pointing to the future coming of the Messiah. Many of these Messianic prophecies found their fulfillment on the day of Yeshua’s sacrificial death. Here are 28 of them, fulfilled in astonishing detail. 8 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
(3) The betrayal of Jesus by Judas was foretold by David.
Prophesied: Even my own close friend, whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me (Psalms 41:10 TLV). Fulfilled: Then Judah from Kriot, one of the Twelve, went out to the ruling kohanim to betray Yeshua to them. They were delighted when they heard this and promised to give him money. And Judah began looking for a chance to hand Him over (Mark 14:10-11 TLV).
(4) Jesus Christ would be forsaken by His disciples, as prophesied by Zechariah. Prophesied: Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, against the man who is My companion! It is a declaration of AdonaiTzva’ot. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered! I will turn My hand against the little ones (Zechariah 13:7 TLV).
by Zechariah.
(6) Zechariah also foretold what would be done with the betrayal money.
Prophesied: Then Adonai said to me, “Throw it to the potter — that exorbitant price at which they valued Me!” So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them into the House of Adonai, to the potter (Zechariah 11:13 TLV). Fulfilled: Then Judah, His betrayer, saw that Yeshua had been condemned. Feeling remorse, he brought the thirty silver pieces back to the ruling kohanim and elders, saying, “I’ve sinned, betraying innocent blood!” But they said, “What’s that to us? You see to it yourself!” After tossing the silver into the Temple sanctuary, he left. Then he went off and hanged himself. But the ruling kohanim took the silver pieces and said, “It is not permitted to put these in the treasury, since it is blood money.” So after they conferred, they bought with them the potter’s field, as a cemetery for strangers (Matthew 27:3-7 TLV).
(7) Isaiah prophesied that Jesus Christ would
be sacrificed as the Passover Lamb of God.
Prophesied: He was oppressed and He was afflicted yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth (Isaiah 53:7 TLV). Fulfilled: For Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:7 TLV). You know that you were redeemed from the futile way of life handed down from your ancestors — not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with precious blood like that of a lamb without defect or spot, the blood of Messiah. He was chosen before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake (1 Peter 1:18-20 TLV).
Fulfilled: And all fled, abandoning Him (Mark 14:50 TLV).
April/May/June 2015 | 9
(1) The serpent would bruise the seed of
(5) The price of His betrayal was also foretold
Prophesied: “I will put animosity between you and the woman — between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel” (Genesis 3:15 TLV).
Prophesied: Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, pay me my wages, but if not, don’t bother!” So they weighed out my wages — 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12 TLV).
Fulfilled: “Now is the judgment of this world! Now the prince of this world will be driven out! And as I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to Myself.” He said this to show the kind of death He was about to die ( John 12:31-33 TLV).
Fulfilled: And said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they weighed out thirty shekels of silver for him (Matthew 26:15 TLV).
the woman.
(2) The Messiah would be cut off, but not for Himself, as prophesied by Daniel. Prophesied: “Then after the 62 weeks Mashiach will be cut off and have nothing” (Daniel 9:26 TLV). Fulfilled: “You don’t take into account that it is better for you that one man die for the people rather than for the whole nation to be destroyed.” Now he did not say this by himself; but as the kohen gadol that year, he prophesied that Yeshua would die for the nation. And not for the nation only, but also so that He might gather together into one the scattered children of God ( John 11:50-52 TLV).
A DAY OF
FULFILLED PROPHECY By Jonathan Bernis
From the opening chapters of Genesis to the final lines of Malachi — the Old Testament is filled with prophetic words and images pointing to the future coming of the Messiah. Many of these Messianic prophecies found their fulfillment on the day of Yeshua’s sacrificial death. Here are 28 of them, fulfilled in astonishing detail. 8 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
(3) The betrayal of Jesus by Judas was foretold by David.
Prophesied: Even my own close friend, whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me (Psalms 41:10 TLV). Fulfilled: Then Judah from Kriot, one of the Twelve, went out to the ruling kohanim to betray Yeshua to them. They were delighted when they heard this and promised to give him money. And Judah began looking for a chance to hand Him over (Mark 14:10-11 TLV).
(4) Jesus Christ would be forsaken by His disciples, as prophesied by Zechariah. Prophesied: Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, against the man who is My companion! It is a declaration of AdonaiTzva’ot. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered! I will turn My hand against the little ones (Zechariah 13:7 TLV).
by Zechariah.
(6) Zechariah also foretold what would be done with the betrayal money.
Prophesied: Then Adonai said to me, “Throw it to the potter — that exorbitant price at which they valued Me!” So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them into the House of Adonai, to the potter (Zechariah 11:13 TLV). Fulfilled: Then Judah, His betrayer, saw that Yeshua had been condemned. Feeling remorse, he brought the thirty silver pieces back to the ruling kohanim and elders, saying, “I’ve sinned, betraying innocent blood!” But they said, “What’s that to us? You see to it yourself!” After tossing the silver into the Temple sanctuary, he left. Then he went off and hanged himself. But the ruling kohanim took the silver pieces and said, “It is not permitted to put these in the treasury, since it is blood money.” So after they conferred, they bought with them the potter’s field, as a cemetery for strangers (Matthew 27:3-7 TLV).
(7) Isaiah prophesied that Jesus Christ would
be sacrificed as the Passover Lamb of God.
Prophesied: He was oppressed and He was afflicted yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth (Isaiah 53:7 TLV). Fulfilled: For Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:7 TLV). You know that you were redeemed from the futile way of life handed down from your ancestors — not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with precious blood like that of a lamb without defect or spot, the blood of Messiah. He was chosen before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake (1 Peter 1:18-20 TLV).
Fulfilled: And all fled, abandoning Him (Mark 14:50 TLV).
April/May/June 2015 | 9
(8) Isaiah also prophesied the scourging and
(11) David also foretold that false witnesses
(14) As Isaiah had prophesied, He was numbered
(18) David also prophesied that many would be
Prophesied: I gave My back to those who strike, and My cheeks to those pulling out My beard; I did not hide My face from humiliation and spitting (Isaiah 50:6 TLV).
Prophesied: Violent witnesses rise up. They question me about things I know nothing about (Psalms 35:11 TLV).
Prophesied: Because He poured out His soul to death, and was counted with transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12 TLV).
Prophesied: They stare, they gape at me (Psalms 22:18 TLV).
mocking that He would suffer.
Fulfilled: Then he released to them Bar-Abba. And after he had Yeshua scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified. Then the governor’s soldiers took Yeshua into the Praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe around Him. And after braiding a crown of thorns, they placed it on His head and put a staff in His right hand. And falling on their knees before Him, they mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on Him, and they took the staff and beat Him over and over on the head (Matthew 27:26-30 TLV).
(9) Both Isaiah and David prophesied that Jesus’ body would be mutilated. Prophesied: Just as many were appalled at You — His appearance was disfigured more than any man, His form more than the sons of men (Isaiah 52:14 TLV). I can count all my bones. They stare, they gape at me (Psalms 22:18 TLV). Fulfilled: And after he had Yeshua scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified (Matthew 27:26 TLV). Then Pilate took Yeshua and had Him scourged (John 19:1 TLV).
(10) David prophesied the shame and dishonor that Jesus would suffer, being condemned as a criminal.
Prophesied: The insults of those who insulted You have fallen on me . . . You know my reproach, my shame, my disgrace. All my adversaries are before You. Scorn has broken my heart, so I am sick. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but found none (Psalms 69:10, 20-21 TLV). Fulfilled: At that hour Yeshua said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, to capture Me as you would a revolutionary?” (Matthew 26:55 TLV). “What’s your verdict?” “Guilty,” they answered. “He deserves death!” (Matthew 26:66 TLV).
10 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
would testify against Christ.
Fulfilled: Now the ruling kohanim and all the Sanhedrin kept trying to get evidence against Yeshua so they could put Him to death, but they weren’t finding any. Many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony wasn’t consistent. Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him (Mark 14:55-57 TLV).
(12) Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would not make an effort to defend Himself at the trial. Prophesied: He was oppressed and He was afflicted yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth (Isaiah 53:7 TLV). Fulfilled: Then Pilate said to Him, “Don’t You hear how many things they testify against you?” Yeshua did not answer, not even one word, so the governor was greatly amazed (Matthew 27:13-14 TLV).
(13) Isaiah also foretold Jesus Christ’s crucifixion as the sin offering for the world. Prophesied: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our pains. Yet we esteemed Him stricken, struck by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities. The chastisement for our shalom was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us turned to his own way. So Adonai has laid on Him the iniquity of us all . . . Yet it pleased Adonai to bruise Him. He caused Him to suffer. If He makes His soul a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the will of Adonai will succeed by His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul He will see it and be satisfied by His knowledge. The Righteous One, My Servant will make many righteous and He will bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:4-6, 10-11 TLV). Fulfilled: Finally, Pilate handed Yeshua over to be crucified. Then they took Yeshua. He went out, carrying His own crossbar, to the Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on each side and Yeshua in between. Pilate also wrote a sign and put it on the execution stake. It was written, “YESHUA HANATZRATI, THE KING OF THE JEWS” ( John 19:16-19 TLV).
among lawbreakers.
Fulfilled: Others, two evildoers, were also led away to be put to death with Him. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him and the evildoers, one on His right and the other on His left (Luke 23:32-33 TLV).
(15) David prophesied that His hands and His feet would be pierced.
Prophesied: For dogs have surrounded me. A band of evildoers has closed in on me. They pierced my hands and my feet (Psalms 22:17 TLV). Fulfilled: Now it was the third hour when they nailed Him on the stake (Mark 15:25 TLV). The other disciples were saying to him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he replied to them, “Unless I see the nail prints in His hands, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand in His side, I will never believe!” Eight days later the disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Yeshua comes, despite the locked doors. He stood in their midst and said, “Shalom aleichem!” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe!” (John 20:25-27 TLV).
(16) The parting of His garments was also prophesied by David. Prophesied: They divide my clothes among them, and cast lots for my garment (Psalms 22:19 TLV). Fulfilled: So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be.” This was so the Scripture would be fulfilled, “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things ( John 19:24 TLV).
(17) In another psalm, David prophesied that they would give Him vinegar to drink.
watching Jesus during the crucifixion.
Fulfilled: And they sat down and kept guard over Him there (Matthew 27:36 TLV). And all the crowds assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had happened, began to turn back, beating their breasts (Luke 23:48 TLV).
(19) Among those watching would be Jesus’
family and friends, who would stand at a distance.
Prophesied: My friends and my companions stay away from my wound, and my kinsmen stand far off (Psalms 38:12 TLV). Fulfilled: But all Yeshua’s acquaintances, and the women who were following Him from the Galilee, were standing at a distance, watching these things (Luke 23:49 TLV).
(20) Some of His observers would shake their heads at Him.
Prophesied: And I have become a taunt to them. When they see me, they wag their head (Psalms 109:25 TLV). Fulfilled: Those passing by were jeering at Him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If you are Ben-Elohim, come down from the stake!” (Matthew 27:39-40 TLV)
(21) Even the words of His reproachers were prophesied by David.
Prophesied: “Rely on Adonai! Let Him deliver him! Let Him rescue him — since he delights in Him!” (Psalms 22:9 TLV). Fulfilled: He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am Ben-Elohim.’” Even the outlaws who were executed with Him were ridiculing Him in the same way (Matthew 27:43-44 TLV).
Prophesied: They put gall in my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink (Psalms 69:22 TLV). Fulfilled: They offered Him wine mixed with gall to drink; but after tasting, He was unwilling to drink it (Matthew 27:34 TLV). April/May/June 2015 | 11
(8) Isaiah also prophesied the scourging and
(11) David also foretold that false witnesses
(14) As Isaiah had prophesied, He was numbered
(18) David also prophesied that many would be
Prophesied: I gave My back to those who strike, and My cheeks to those pulling out My beard; I did not hide My face from humiliation and spitting (Isaiah 50:6 TLV).
Prophesied: Violent witnesses rise up. They question me about things I know nothing about (Psalms 35:11 TLV).
Prophesied: Because He poured out His soul to death, and was counted with transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12 TLV).
Prophesied: They stare, they gape at me (Psalms 22:18 TLV).
mocking that He would suffer.
Fulfilled: Then he released to them Bar-Abba. And after he had Yeshua scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified. Then the governor’s soldiers took Yeshua into the Praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe around Him. And after braiding a crown of thorns, they placed it on His head and put a staff in His right hand. And falling on their knees before Him, they mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on Him, and they took the staff and beat Him over and over on the head (Matthew 27:26-30 TLV).
(9) Both Isaiah and David prophesied that Jesus’ body would be mutilated. Prophesied: Just as many were appalled at You — His appearance was disfigured more than any man, His form more than the sons of men (Isaiah 52:14 TLV). I can count all my bones. They stare, they gape at me (Psalms 22:18 TLV). Fulfilled: And after he had Yeshua scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified (Matthew 27:26 TLV). Then Pilate took Yeshua and had Him scourged (John 19:1 TLV).
(10) David prophesied the shame and dishonor that Jesus would suffer, being condemned as a criminal.
Prophesied: The insults of those who insulted You have fallen on me . . . You know my reproach, my shame, my disgrace. All my adversaries are before You. Scorn has broken my heart, so I am sick. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but found none (Psalms 69:10, 20-21 TLV). Fulfilled: At that hour Yeshua said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, to capture Me as you would a revolutionary?” (Matthew 26:55 TLV). “What’s your verdict?” “Guilty,” they answered. “He deserves death!” (Matthew 26:66 TLV).
10 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
would testify against Christ.
Fulfilled: Now the ruling kohanim and all the Sanhedrin kept trying to get evidence against Yeshua so they could put Him to death, but they weren’t finding any. Many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony wasn’t consistent. Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him (Mark 14:55-57 TLV).
(12) Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would not make an effort to defend Himself at the trial. Prophesied: He was oppressed and He was afflicted yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth (Isaiah 53:7 TLV). Fulfilled: Then Pilate said to Him, “Don’t You hear how many things they testify against you?” Yeshua did not answer, not even one word, so the governor was greatly amazed (Matthew 27:13-14 TLV).
(13) Isaiah also foretold Jesus Christ’s crucifixion as the sin offering for the world. Prophesied: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our pains. Yet we esteemed Him stricken, struck by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities. The chastisement for our shalom was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us turned to his own way. So Adonai has laid on Him the iniquity of us all . . . Yet it pleased Adonai to bruise Him. He caused Him to suffer. If He makes His soul a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the will of Adonai will succeed by His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul He will see it and be satisfied by His knowledge. The Righteous One, My Servant will make many righteous and He will bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:4-6, 10-11 TLV). Fulfilled: Finally, Pilate handed Yeshua over to be crucified. Then they took Yeshua. He went out, carrying His own crossbar, to the Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on each side and Yeshua in between. Pilate also wrote a sign and put it on the execution stake. It was written, “YESHUA HANATZRATI, THE KING OF THE JEWS” ( John 19:16-19 TLV).
among lawbreakers.
Fulfilled: Others, two evildoers, were also led away to be put to death with Him. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him and the evildoers, one on His right and the other on His left (Luke 23:32-33 TLV).
(15) David prophesied that His hands and His feet would be pierced.
Prophesied: For dogs have surrounded me. A band of evildoers has closed in on me. They pierced my hands and my feet (Psalms 22:17 TLV). Fulfilled: Now it was the third hour when they nailed Him on the stake (Mark 15:25 TLV). The other disciples were saying to him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he replied to them, “Unless I see the nail prints in His hands, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand in His side, I will never believe!” Eight days later the disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Yeshua comes, despite the locked doors. He stood in their midst and said, “Shalom aleichem!” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe!” (John 20:25-27 TLV).
(16) The parting of His garments was also prophesied by David. Prophesied: They divide my clothes among them, and cast lots for my garment (Psalms 22:19 TLV). Fulfilled: So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be.” This was so the Scripture would be fulfilled, “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things ( John 19:24 TLV).
(17) In another psalm, David prophesied that they would give Him vinegar to drink.
watching Jesus during the crucifixion.
Fulfilled: And they sat down and kept guard over Him there (Matthew 27:36 TLV). And all the crowds assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had happened, began to turn back, beating their breasts (Luke 23:48 TLV).
(19) Among those watching would be Jesus’
family and friends, who would stand at a distance.
Prophesied: My friends and my companions stay away from my wound, and my kinsmen stand far off (Psalms 38:12 TLV). Fulfilled: But all Yeshua’s acquaintances, and the women who were following Him from the Galilee, were standing at a distance, watching these things (Luke 23:49 TLV).
(20) Some of His observers would shake their heads at Him.
Prophesied: And I have become a taunt to them. When they see me, they wag their head (Psalms 109:25 TLV). Fulfilled: Those passing by were jeering at Him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If you are Ben-Elohim, come down from the stake!” (Matthew 27:39-40 TLV)
(21) Even the words of His reproachers were prophesied by David.
Prophesied: “Rely on Adonai! Let Him deliver him! Let Him rescue him — since he delights in Him!” (Psalms 22:9 TLV). Fulfilled: He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am Ben-Elohim.’” Even the outlaws who were executed with Him were ridiculing Him in the same way (Matthew 27:43-44 TLV).
Prophesied: They put gall in my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink (Psalms 69:22 TLV). Fulfilled: They offered Him wine mixed with gall to drink; but after tasting, He was unwilling to drink it (Matthew 27:34 TLV). April/May/June 2015 | 11
(22) Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would make intercession for sinners. This intercession began even during His crucifixion.
Prophesied: For He bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12 TLV). Fulfilled: But Yeshua was saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Then they cast lots, dividing up His clothing (Luke 23:34 TLV).
(23) David prophesied the thoughts of Jesus at the height of His suffering. Prophesied: My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Distant from my salvation are the words of my groaning (Psalms 22:2 TLV). Fulfilled: About the ninth hour Yeshua cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?” (Matthew 27:46 TLV).
(24) Zechariah prophesied that His body would be pierced with a spear.
Prophesied: “They will look toward Me whom they pierced” (Zechariah 12:10 TLV). Fulfilled: But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out . . . And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they have pierced” ( John 19:34, 37 TLV).
(25) David prophesied that Jesus would commit His spirit to God.
Prophesied: Into Your hand I commit my spirit (Psalms 31:6 TLV). Fulfilled: And Yeshua, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I entrust My spirit.’” When He had said this, He breathed His last (Luke 23:46 TLV).
(26) David also prophesied Jesus’ last words. Prophesied: They will come and declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born — because He has done it! (Psalms 22:32 TLV). The Hebrew literally reads, “For it is finished.” Fulfilled: When Yeshua tasted the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit ( John 19:30 TLV).
(27) Not a bone of Yeshua’s would be broken just as no bone of the Passover lamb was to be broken (see Exodus 12:46).
Prophesied: He keeps all his bones — not one of them is broken (Psalms 34:21 TLV). Fulfilled: So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then the other who had been executed with Yeshua. Now when they came to Yeshua and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs . . . These things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of His shall be broken” ( John 19:32-33, 36 TLV).
(28) His burial in the tomb of a rich man was foretold by Isaiah.
Prophesied: Because of oppression and judgment He was taken away. As for His generation, who considered? For He was cut off from the land of the living, for the transgression of my people — the stroke was theirs His grave was given with the wicked, and by a rich man in His death, though He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth (Isaiah 53:8-9 TLV). Fulfilled: Now when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had also become a disciple of Yeshua. This man went to Pilate and asked for Yeshua’s body. Then Pilate ordered it to be given up. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. And he laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. Then he rolled a large stone up to the door of the tomb and went away (Matthew 27:57-60 TLV).
SEEING JESUS IN THE PASSOVER By Rabbi Jack Zimmerman
R
eady to hear a funny story?
Some years ago, I was at a church presenting a Passover Seder for our ministry, and I asked the following question: In ancient Egypt, after Pharaoh called for the death of every newborn male Israelite child, a woman who had just given birth to such a child placed
12 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
him in a basket in the river to protect him. What was the child's name? From the other end of the room, a man enthusiastically raised his hand and proudly proclaimed, “That was Charlton Heston!”(The actor who played Moses in The Ten Commandments.) Isn’t it amazing how we can actually miss the real thing sometimes? Case
in point, did you know that Yeshua has been in the Passover festival all along? For example, those Roman looking men sitting at the long table in white flowing robes at that Last Supper we see depicted in paintings, were in reality Jewish disciples who were more than likely reclining, wearing Jewish garments, and celeApril/May/June 2015 | 13
(22) Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would make intercession for sinners. This intercession began even during His crucifixion.
Prophesied: For He bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12 TLV). Fulfilled: But Yeshua was saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Then they cast lots, dividing up His clothing (Luke 23:34 TLV).
(23) David prophesied the thoughts of Jesus at the height of His suffering. Prophesied: My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Distant from my salvation are the words of my groaning (Psalms 22:2 TLV). Fulfilled: About the ninth hour Yeshua cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?” (Matthew 27:46 TLV).
(24) Zechariah prophesied that His body would be pierced with a spear.
Prophesied: “They will look toward Me whom they pierced” (Zechariah 12:10 TLV). Fulfilled: But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out . . . And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they have pierced” ( John 19:34, 37 TLV).
(25) David prophesied that Jesus would commit His spirit to God.
Prophesied: Into Your hand I commit my spirit (Psalms 31:6 TLV). Fulfilled: And Yeshua, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I entrust My spirit.’” When He had said this, He breathed His last (Luke 23:46 TLV).
(26) David also prophesied Jesus’ last words. Prophesied: They will come and declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born — because He has done it! (Psalms 22:32 TLV). The Hebrew literally reads, “For it is finished.” Fulfilled: When Yeshua tasted the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit ( John 19:30 TLV).
(27) Not a bone of Yeshua’s would be broken just as no bone of the Passover lamb was to be broken (see Exodus 12:46).
Prophesied: He keeps all his bones — not one of them is broken (Psalms 34:21 TLV). Fulfilled: So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then the other who had been executed with Yeshua. Now when they came to Yeshua and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs . . . These things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of His shall be broken” ( John 19:32-33, 36 TLV).
(28) His burial in the tomb of a rich man was foretold by Isaiah.
Prophesied: Because of oppression and judgment He was taken away. As for His generation, who considered? For He was cut off from the land of the living, for the transgression of my people — the stroke was theirs His grave was given with the wicked, and by a rich man in His death, though He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth (Isaiah 53:8-9 TLV). Fulfilled: Now when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had also become a disciple of Yeshua. This man went to Pilate and asked for Yeshua’s body. Then Pilate ordered it to be given up. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. And he laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. Then he rolled a large stone up to the door of the tomb and went away (Matthew 27:57-60 TLV).
SEEING JESUS IN THE PASSOVER By Rabbi Jack Zimmerman
R
eady to hear a funny story?
Some years ago, I was at a church presenting a Passover Seder for our ministry, and I asked the following question: In ancient Egypt, after Pharaoh called for the death of every newborn male Israelite child, a woman who had just given birth to such a child placed
12 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
him in a basket in the river to protect him. What was the child's name? From the other end of the room, a man enthusiastically raised his hand and proudly proclaimed, “That was Charlton Heston!”(The actor who played Moses in The Ten Commandments.) Isn’t it amazing how we can actually miss the real thing sometimes? Case
in point, did you know that Yeshua has been in the Passover festival all along? For example, those Roman looking men sitting at the long table in white flowing robes at that Last Supper we see depicted in paintings, were in reality Jewish disciples who were more than likely reclining, wearing Jewish garments, and celeApril/May/June 2015 | 13
THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL CD
In this teaching by Rabbi Jonathan Bernis, you will see that the seven Biblical Feasts found in Leviticus 23 are a significant redemptive act of God in the history of Israel that celebrates His faithfulness and provision. He also shares how the seven feasts are prophetic tapestries, types, and shadows of future redemptive acts of God revealed in the New Covenant — relevant for both Jews and Gentile Believers alike.
GIFT OF $15 OR MORE | ITEM #8012
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MOSES CD, BIBLICAL FEASTS TENT CARDS & THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL CD
Rabbi Jonathan Bernis reveals the Gospel message reflected in Moses’ own prayers right out of Psalms 90. In this powerful teaching, you will discover the greatest revelation of glory our Creator has ever given us. In addition, you will also receive the Feasts of Israel CD and the Biblical Feasts Tent Cards. Each card includes information explaining each of the seven feasts, its traditional observance, prophetic significance, and Messianic fulfillment. Inside, you will find an inspirational message and a traditional recipe to help you celebrate the feast in your own home.
GIFT OF $40 OR MORE | ITEM #1685 To Order: Call 1-888-921-4582, visit jewishvoicetoday.org, OR use the enclosed reply form.
brating the Passover Seder. There are many other parallels. Let me share just a few with you: The Israelites were released from years of slavery in Egypt after smearing lamb's blood on their doorposts. By doing this, they averted death when God's Angel decided to “pass over” and strike down every firstborn male Egyptian. In the same way, Yeshua, who is referred to as the Lamb of God, shed His blood on the cross, and all who acknowledge His blood avert eternal death, are released from the chains of spiritual slavery, and receive redemption. During the traditional Seder, which is a service that takes place on the night of Passover, three pieces of unleavened bread are strategically placed on the table. The three pieces are indicative of the Father, Son, and Spirit. At a certain point in the Seder, the head of the household takes out the middle piece (or the “Son” piece), they then break it, wrap it in a white cloth, and hide it away (or bury it) somewhere. And later on in the Seder, the children are sent to go and find it and bring it back (or resurrect it). But perhaps one of the most significant places where you can find Jesus in the Passover is in the biblical story that occurred long after that harrowing night when the Israelites finally left Egypt. That's when God told Moses that He wanted the people to celebrate the festival every year from then on. And the Lord gave specific instructions on how it was to be done: Four days before each Passover festival, the head of every household was to go out among their fields, find a lamb without spot or mark or blemish, and bring that lamb into the house. The family would then take the next four days to examine, inspect, and investigate that lamb, to ensure it would be acceptable for sacrifice. At the end of the four days, the High Priest would come and lead the procession of the lambs through the streets, to the place where they would be sacrificed. The sacrificial ritual began at 9am, ended six hours later at
14 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
3pm, and when the sacrifices were done, it is said that the High Priest would make an official announcement indicating such by simply saying, “It is finished.” See any parallels to Jesus in there? There are many. We know that four days before His final Passover, Jesus our Lamb went into the house — specifically the house of prayer, the Temple. And for the next four days, He was examined and inspected and investigated by everyone from the Chief Priests, to Law Teachers, to the Sadducees. At the end of the four days, He was led to His place of sacrifice. His sacrificial ritual began at 9am, ended six hours later at 3pm, and when it was done, Jesus, who at that point became our High Priest, said, “It is finished.” There are many rituals intertwined within the traditional Seder, using various food elements and other illustrations. Why, for example, do we dip a piece of unleavened bread into the bitter herbs? To illustrate how Judas Iscariot — the one disciple who Jesus said would betray Him — dipped his piece of unleavened bread into the bitter herbs at that Last Supper Passover Seder of 2000 years ago. Why do we eat a mixture of apples, walnuts, honey, and cinnamon? To be reminded not only of the sweetness of the Israelites being redeemed from slavery, but of the sweetness of being released from the slavery of Satan, and finding freedom and redemption through Jesus alone. Perhaps one day you may have the opportunity to have Jewish Voice Ministries come to your place of worship and present the Passover Seder. Let us know; we'd be happy to accommodate you!
Jack Zimmerman is Staff Evangelist at Jewish Voice and an ordained Messianic Jewish Rabbi. To invite Rabbi Jack to speak at your church, congregation, or event, please visit: www.jewishvoice.org/speakers
! E W N A RABBI LOOKS AT THE AFTERLIFE BOOK GIFT OF $40 OR MORE | ITEM #9125 Rabbi Jonathan Bernis’ latest book is a fascinating, biblical look at what happens after we die. It will take you on an unforgettable journey of exploration — examining both the Scriptures and the first-hand accounts of those who have glimpsed at what lies beyond the veil of death. It’s an eye-opening journey that empowers you to re-imagine Heaven and get a clearer vision of the glorious eternity that awaits all Believers. When the afterlife becomes more real, you will live every moment in the light of eternity. And it will fuel your passion for sharing the key to eternal life with others.
CONFESSING THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES: PROVISION EDITION BOOK AND CD GIFT OF $40 OR MORE | ITEM #8687 This brand-new hardcover guidebook and companion audio CD will lead you step-by-step into proclaiming — in the original Hebrew language — God’s wonderful promises concerning provision. It is Rabbi Bernis’ hope and prayer that this book will prove to be a rich blessing of provision in your life. Through the process of confessing and hearing the Word, many have been healed, delivered, and transformed. Proverbs 18:21 declares, death and life are in the power of the tongue. Confession can bring about blessings in your life and those you love. And it is God’s desire that you use your tongue to produce blessing, life, and faith according to His Word.
To Order: Call 1-888-921-4582, visit jewishvoicetoday.org, OR use the enclosed reply form.
THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL CD
In this teaching by Rabbi Jonathan Bernis, you will see that the seven Biblical Feasts found in Leviticus 23 are a significant redemptive act of God in the history of Israel that celebrates His faithfulness and provision. He also shares how the seven feasts are prophetic tapestries, types, and shadows of future redemptive acts of God revealed in the New Covenant — relevant for both Jews and Gentile Believers alike.
GIFT OF $15 OR MORE | ITEM #8012
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MOSES CD, BIBLICAL FEASTS TENT CARDS & THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL CD
Rabbi Jonathan Bernis reveals the Gospel message reflected in Moses’ own prayers right out of Psalms 90. In this powerful teaching, you will discover the greatest revelation of glory our Creator has ever given us. In addition, you will also receive the Feasts of Israel CD and the Biblical Feasts Tent Cards. Each card includes information explaining each of the seven feasts, its traditional observance, prophetic significance, and Messianic fulfillment. Inside, you will find an inspirational message and a traditional recipe to help you celebrate the feast in your own home.
GIFT OF $40 OR MORE | ITEM #1685 To Order: Call 1-888-921-4582, visit jewishvoicetoday.org, OR use the enclosed reply form.
brating the Passover Seder. There are many other parallels. Let me share just a few with you: The Israelites were released from years of slavery in Egypt after smearing lamb's blood on their doorposts. By doing this, they averted death when God's Angel decided to “pass over” and strike down every firstborn male Egyptian. In the same way, Yeshua, who is referred to as the Lamb of God, shed His blood on the cross, and all who acknowledge His blood avert eternal death, are released from the chains of spiritual slavery, and receive redemption. During the traditional Seder, which is a service that takes place on the night of Passover, three pieces of unleavened bread are strategically placed on the table. The three pieces are indicative of the Father, Son, and Spirit. At a certain point in the Seder, the head of the household takes out the middle piece (or the “Son” piece), they then break it, wrap it in a white cloth, and hide it away (or bury it) somewhere. And later on in the Seder, the children are sent to go and find it and bring it back (or resurrect it). But perhaps one of the most significant places where you can find Jesus in the Passover is in the biblical story that occurred long after that harrowing night when the Israelites finally left Egypt. That's when God told Moses that He wanted the people to celebrate the festival every year from then on. And the Lord gave specific instructions on how it was to be done: Four days before each Passover festival, the head of every household was to go out among their fields, find a lamb without spot or mark or blemish, and bring that lamb into the house. The family would then take the next four days to examine, inspect, and investigate that lamb, to ensure it would be acceptable for sacrifice. At the end of the four days, the High Priest would come and lead the procession of the lambs through the streets, to the place where they would be sacrificed. The sacrificial ritual began at 9am, ended six hours later at
14 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
3pm, and when the sacrifices were done, it is said that the High Priest would make an official announcement indicating such by simply saying, “It is finished.” See any parallels to Jesus in there? There are many. We know that four days before His final Passover, Jesus our Lamb went into the house — specifically the house of prayer, the Temple. And for the next four days, He was examined and inspected and investigated by everyone from the Chief Priests, to Law Teachers, to the Sadducees. At the end of the four days, He was led to His place of sacrifice. His sacrificial ritual began at 9am, ended six hours later at 3pm, and when it was done, Jesus, who at that point became our High Priest, said, “It is finished.” There are many rituals intertwined within the traditional Seder, using various food elements and other illustrations. Why, for example, do we dip a piece of unleavened bread into the bitter herbs? To illustrate how Judas Iscariot — the one disciple who Jesus said would betray Him — dipped his piece of unleavened bread into the bitter herbs at that Last Supper Passover Seder of 2000 years ago. Why do we eat a mixture of apples, walnuts, honey, and cinnamon? To be reminded not only of the sweetness of the Israelites being redeemed from slavery, but of the sweetness of being released from the slavery of Satan, and finding freedom and redemption through Jesus alone. Perhaps one day you may have the opportunity to have Jewish Voice Ministries come to your place of worship and present the Passover Seder. Let us know; we'd be happy to accommodate you!
Jack Zimmerman is Staff Evangelist at Jewish Voice and an ordained Messianic Jewish Rabbi. To invite Rabbi Jack to speak at your church, congregation, or event, please visit: www.jewishvoice.org/speakers
! E W N A RABBI LOOKS AT THE AFTERLIFE BOOK GIFT OF $40 OR MORE | ITEM #9125 Rabbi Jonathan Bernis’ latest book is a fascinating, biblical look at what happens after we die. It will take you on an unforgettable journey of exploration — examining both the Scriptures and the first-hand accounts of those who have glimpsed at what lies beyond the veil of death. It’s an eye-opening journey that empowers you to re-imagine Heaven and get a clearer vision of the glorious eternity that awaits all Believers. When the afterlife becomes more real, you will live every moment in the light of eternity. And it will fuel your passion for sharing the key to eternal life with others.
CONFESSING THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES: PROVISION EDITION BOOK AND CD GIFT OF $40 OR MORE | ITEM #8687 This brand-new hardcover guidebook and companion audio CD will lead you step-by-step into proclaiming — in the original Hebrew language — God’s wonderful promises concerning provision. It is Rabbi Bernis’ hope and prayer that this book will prove to be a rich blessing of provision in your life. Through the process of confessing and hearing the Word, many have been healed, delivered, and transformed. Proverbs 18:21 declares, death and life are in the power of the tongue. Confession can bring about blessings in your life and those you love. And it is God’s desire that you use your tongue to produce blessing, life, and faith according to His Word.
To Order: Call 1-888-921-4582, visit jewishvoicetoday.org, OR use the enclosed reply form.
How to Partner
with Jewish Voice There are many ways you can get involved. Prayerfully consider what role God has for you!
GOOD REPORT FROM OUR FRIENDS & PARTNERS We love to hear amazing stories from our partners of how God came through for them during their time of need. We hope these stories encourage you of God’s forever faithfulness, grace, and mercy.
Widow’s Life Changed from Ethiopian Mission Trip By Bernice
STAY CONNECTED BY EMAIL Stay up-to-date on everything happening at Jewish Voice! Everything from our special prayer events, Israel Tours, Cruises, Middle East Updates to our medical outreaches, and MORE! It’s easy; go to the web address below to signup! jewishvoiceupdates.org
PRAY FOR US God may have given you a special desire as an intercessor. We have many wonderful friends and partners who faithfully pray for us as we travel abroad. To join our Prayer Partners, go to the web address below: jewishvoice.org/prayer
JEWISH VOICE TODAY MAGAZINE AND CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER
Jewish Voice Today is a quarterly magazine that seeks to stir the hearts of both Christian and Messianic Jewish Believers alike through an examination of Bible prophecy, the Jewish roots of our faith in Yeshua (Jesus), and much more! It’s a great way to learn about the Lost Tribes of Israel, understand the spiritual importance of the nation and people of Israel, and discover new ways to share Yeshua with your Jewish loved ones. Our quarterly Connections newsletter is a fantastic resource that details all of our ongoing outreaches around the world. For more information, go to the web address below:
JOIN AN OUTREACH Every year we have a full schedule of outreaches and we are always looking for compassionate, willing hearts to join us on the mission of a lifetime! We are looking for all types — administrators, intercessors, medical professionals, etc. We try to post our outreach schedule far in advance so you can maximize your time and resources to join us. For more information, visit the web address below: jewishvoice.org/outreaches
SUPPORT US WITH YOUR FINANCIAL GIFTS We need YOU! Your gifts of support help us bring the Good News of Yeshua ( Jesus) to those in need. To make a donation, visit the link below or simply return the attached envelope with your gift. Your gift of support literally changes lives all over the world! Go to the web address below: jewishvoice.org/support
PRAY FOR ISRAEL Psalm 122:6 says to Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee (KJV). In these challenging times, Israel needs friends, and we as Believers need to stand with God’s Chosen People. As we do, God promises to take care of our needs.
As a retired widow in my golden years, I would have never dreamed that after years of caring for God’s Chosen People as a nurse years ago on the East Coast that God would have opened a door for me to go to the opposite side of the world to Gondar, Ethiopia to pray for some of His most precious impoverished Jewish People. I felt such an urgency to be a part of this mission trip, so I immediately began calling Jewish Voice for information and making preparations for the trip. Everything happened so quickly — within three months, I was on my way! That first day, while serving in the Prayer Tent, I prayed for over 40 people. One woman named Astelda stands out to me. Her demeanor was very sad and depressed and she was in severe pain both physically and emotionally. As I prayed for her healing from headaches and for God to give her peace of mind, she prayed to receive Jesus as her Messiah. The next day, Astelda rushed over to me and I barely recognized her – she was absolutely radiant. She began to tell me she had received peace and healing. She was so overwhelmed with gratitude, she had come back to thank me and give glory to God! Then there was a mother who brought in her eight-year-old son who was oppressed by a demon spirit. She wanted God to deliver him. When he was first brought to me, he was shivering and afraid to look at me. I began to pray and cast the demon out of him in the name of Jesus (according to Matthew 17:18), and his body began to relax. I was able to take him into my arms and comfort, reassure, and love on him. His mother was overcome with gratitude and they both received Jesus as their Messiah! After praying for over 200 people in five days, there were many miracle moments of people being healed from sickness and delivered from the power of the devil. And the greatest miracle of all — many souls were saved! And to the glory of God, there were 144 who received the gift of salvation through Yeshua within that brief five-day period! My medical mission trip to Gondar, Ethiopia was a life-changing experience — one that I will never forget! And I thank God every time I remember His precious people. There on the mountain of Gondar, I experienced Isaiah 52:7 that says: How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Become a
Shalom Partner
The word shalom means more than just “peace” — it means “completeness” and “prosperity.” It’s a beautiful word to describe our friends who have a special love for the Jewish People and are faithful, valued supporters, committed to monthly giving. To join this special group, all you have to do is commit to give $25 or more a month to support Jewish Voice. You have three levels of giving to choose from:
SILVER ($25 monthly gift)
If you join the SILVER group, you will receive a Jewish Voice notecard set, Jewish Voice keychain, quarterly Insider’s Report DVD, and exclusive annual gift.
GOLD ($50 monthly gift) If you join the GOLD group, you will receive all items from the SILVER level, plus a Shalom Partner direct phone line and email address, as well as special reserved seating for Jewish Voice events. PLATINUM ($100 monthly gift)
If you join the PLATINUM group, you will receive all items from the SILVER and GOLD levels, as well as an exquisitely designed Jewish Voice sun catcher, 10% off designated ministry events, and you will receive select Jewish Voice publications.
Sign up to become a Shalom Partner TODAY! shalompartners.org
jewishvoice.org/publications
16 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
April/May/June 2015 | 17
How to Partner
with Jewish Voice There are many ways you can get involved. Prayerfully consider what role God has for you!
GOOD REPORT FROM OUR FRIENDS & PARTNERS We love to hear amazing stories from our partners of how God came through for them during their time of need. We hope these stories encourage you of God’s forever faithfulness, grace, and mercy.
Widow’s Life Changed from Ethiopian Mission Trip By Bernice
STAY CONNECTED BY EMAIL Stay up-to-date on everything happening at Jewish Voice! Everything from our special prayer events, Israel Tours, Cruises, Middle East Updates to our medical outreaches, and MORE! It’s easy; go to the web address below to signup! jewishvoiceupdates.org
PRAY FOR US God may have given you a special desire as an intercessor. We have many wonderful friends and partners who faithfully pray for us as we travel abroad. To join our Prayer Partners, go to the web address below: jewishvoice.org/prayer
JEWISH VOICE TODAY MAGAZINE AND CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER
Jewish Voice Today is a quarterly magazine that seeks to stir the hearts of both Christian and Messianic Jewish Believers alike through an examination of Bible prophecy, the Jewish roots of our faith in Yeshua (Jesus), and much more! It’s a great way to learn about the Lost Tribes of Israel, understand the spiritual importance of the nation and people of Israel, and discover new ways to share Yeshua with your Jewish loved ones. Our quarterly Connections newsletter is a fantastic resource that details all of our ongoing outreaches around the world. For more information, go to the web address below:
JOIN AN OUTREACH Every year we have a full schedule of outreaches and we are always looking for compassionate, willing hearts to join us on the mission of a lifetime! We are looking for all types — administrators, intercessors, medical professionals, etc. We try to post our outreach schedule far in advance so you can maximize your time and resources to join us. For more information, visit the web address below: jewishvoice.org/outreaches
SUPPORT US WITH YOUR FINANCIAL GIFTS We need YOU! Your gifts of support help us bring the Good News of Yeshua ( Jesus) to those in need. To make a donation, visit the link below or simply return the attached envelope with your gift. Your gift of support literally changes lives all over the world! Go to the web address below: jewishvoice.org/support
PRAY FOR ISRAEL Psalm 122:6 says to Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee (KJV). In these challenging times, Israel needs friends, and we as Believers need to stand with God’s Chosen People. As we do, God promises to take care of our needs.
As a retired widow in my golden years, I would have never dreamed that after years of caring for God’s Chosen People as a nurse years ago on the East Coast that God would have opened a door for me to go to the opposite side of the world to Gondar, Ethiopia to pray for some of His most precious impoverished Jewish People. I felt such an urgency to be a part of this mission trip, so I immediately began calling Jewish Voice for information and making preparations for the trip. Everything happened so quickly — within three months, I was on my way! That first day, while serving in the Prayer Tent, I prayed for over 40 people. One woman named Astelda stands out to me. Her demeanor was very sad and depressed and she was in severe pain both physically and emotionally. As I prayed for her healing from headaches and for God to give her peace of mind, she prayed to receive Jesus as her Messiah. The next day, Astelda rushed over to me and I barely recognized her – she was absolutely radiant. She began to tell me she had received peace and healing. She was so overwhelmed with gratitude, she had come back to thank me and give glory to God! Then there was a mother who brought in her eight-year-old son who was oppressed by a demon spirit. She wanted God to deliver him. When he was first brought to me, he was shivering and afraid to look at me. I began to pray and cast the demon out of him in the name of Jesus (according to Matthew 17:18), and his body began to relax. I was able to take him into my arms and comfort, reassure, and love on him. His mother was overcome with gratitude and they both received Jesus as their Messiah! After praying for over 200 people in five days, there were many miracle moments of people being healed from sickness and delivered from the power of the devil. And the greatest miracle of all — many souls were saved! And to the glory of God, there were 144 who received the gift of salvation through Yeshua within that brief five-day period! My medical mission trip to Gondar, Ethiopia was a life-changing experience — one that I will never forget! And I thank God every time I remember His precious people. There on the mountain of Gondar, I experienced Isaiah 52:7 that says: How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Become a
Shalom Partner
The word shalom means more than just “peace” — it means “completeness” and “prosperity.” It’s a beautiful word to describe our friends who have a special love for the Jewish People and are faithful, valued supporters, committed to monthly giving. To join this special group, all you have to do is commit to give $25 or more a month to support Jewish Voice. You have three levels of giving to choose from:
SILVER ($25 monthly gift)
If you join the SILVER group, you will receive a Jewish Voice notecard set, Jewish Voice keychain, quarterly Insider’s Report DVD, and exclusive annual gift.
GOLD ($50 monthly gift) If you join the GOLD group, you will receive all items from the SILVER level, plus a Shalom Partner direct phone line and email address, as well as special reserved seating for Jewish Voice events. PLATINUM ($100 monthly gift)
If you join the PLATINUM group, you will receive all items from the SILVER and GOLD levels, as well as an exquisitely designed Jewish Voice sun catcher, 10% off designated ministry events, and you will receive select Jewish Voice publications.
Sign up to become a Shalom Partner TODAY! shalompartners.org
jewishvoice.org/publications
16 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
April/May/June 2015 | 17
NOT AS I WILL By Kevin Geoffrey
with His sacrifice. And yet, the weakness of the flesh was overcome by the willingness of the Spirit, as the Messiah declared to the Father: “Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39 NIV).
SELF-DENIAL “Not as I will, but as you will” is the ultimate expression of self-denial. With the looming promise of humiliation, torture, and death, the Master Yeshua, nevertheless, laid aside His own will — gave up His own life — to obey the will of the Father. This is how Paul describes what Yeshua did for us: For, let this thinking be in you that IS also in Messiah [; WvyE , Yeshua, who, being in God’s form, thought to be equal to God not a thing to be seized. But He emptied Himself — having taken a servant’s form, having been made in the likeness of men, and in appearance having been found as a man — He humbled Himself, having become obedient to death; death even of an execution stake (Philippians 2:5-8 MJLT).
O
n the eve of His darkest hour, the Messiah Yeshua [ Jesus] was struggling with His humanity. But instead of giving in, He gave Himself away . . . leaving an example for us all to follow. Now, before the Feast of tACM;h;, HaMatzot [Unleavened Bread], the disciples came near to [;WvyE, Yeshua . . . And He said . . . “My time is near. I want to keep the xs;Pe, Pesach [Passover] with you . . . .” And the disciples did as [;WvyE, Yeshua appointed them, and prepared the xs;Pe, Pesach [Passover]. And while they were eating , [;WvyE, Yeshua, having taken the hC'm;, matzah bread, and having blessed ADONAI, broke it, and was
18 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
giving it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat — this is My body.” And having taken the cup, and having given thanks to ADONAI, He gave to them, saying , “Drink of it — all of you, for this is My blood of the tyrIB ., B’riyt [Covenant] that for many is being poured out — for release from sins . . . . Then [;WvyE, Yeshua came with them to a place called hn"mev.- tG:, GatSh’menah [Gethsemane], and He said to the disciples, “Sit here while, having gone away, I will pray over there.” . . . Then He said to them, “Exceedingly sorrowful is My soul — to death. Remain here and stay awake with Me.” And having gone forward a little, He fell on His face, praying and
saying , “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me! “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Why"t .T im; Matit’yahu [Matthew] 26:17-39 MJLT, forthcoming) The Master knew what was coming. He knew that this was His appointed time — the time that His blood would be spilled, as He endured a violent, horrific death. And knowing that this would be His fate, what was His response? With the cup of the Covenant in His hands — the cup of salvation for the world — the Master cried out, “Take this cup from me, Father! I don’t want it! Take it away!” Yeshua begged the Father not to make Him go through
The Master denied Himself by emptying and humbling Himself, becoming obedient even to death. When we think of emptying ourselves, we often assume it means to repent for our sins, and to rid ourselves of fleshly thoughts and deeds. But when Paul says that the Master emptied Himself, it means that He made Himself nothing. The Messiah Yeshua, though “being in God’s form,” gave up His authority, His will, and control over His own life. And in so doing, He left us an example to follow.
DIE EVERY DAY Paul says that our attitude should be the same as that of the Messiah [;WvyEE, Yeshua. To be like Yeshua, then, requires our own death — death to self. Listen to Paul some more:
With Messiah I have been crucified, and no longer do I live, but Messiah lives in me. And that which I now live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20 MJLT). Why also do we stand in jeopardy every moment? Every day do I die — I swear to this by the pride in you that I have in Messiah [; WvyE , Yeshua our Master (1 Corinthians 15:30-31 MJLT). And [Messiah] died for all, so that those living will no longer live to themselves, but to Him who died for them, and was raised again (2 Corinthians 5:15 MJLT).
BEARING THE STANDARD BOOK
Kevin Geoffrey’s book, Bearing the Standard, is a rallying cry to all Messiah’s disciples. It exhorts us to raise the banner of Scripture as the only sufficient and supreme standard for our lives.
GIFT OF $25 OR MORE | ITEM #9305
Hear Paul’s words to us: “I have been crucified.” “No longer do I live.” “Every day do I die.” “No longer [should we] live to [our]selves, but to Him who died for [us]!” As Yeshua, our Master, gave up His own will — denied Himself and died so that we may live — so should we, the disciples of Messiah, give up our own wills, deny ourselves, and die every day so that we may live only to serve ADONAI, the living God! God knows that we would always prefer to live to ourselves rather than die for Messiah; therefore, instead, as we fiercely cling to the example of Messiah, let us make ourselves nothing, and have this attitude: Not as I will, but as You will, my Master . . . . Adapted from Kevin’s book, Deny Yourself: the Atoning Command of Yom Kippur.
8" to 11" Color, texture, and finish may vary.
PRAYER TALLIT, SMALL SHOFAR & BEARING THE STANDARD BOOK
Beautifully hand-woven in Ethiopia by the Beta Avraham, this original prayer tallit will remind you to pray for the Lost Tribes throughout the world. You will also receive an original shofar from Israel that was traditionally used during the Biblical Holy days and it serve as a reminder that Yeshua is coming again! (You will also receive Kevin Geoffrey’s book, Bearing the Standard.)
GIFT OF $140 OR MORE | ITEM #1683 To Order: Call 1-888-921-4582, visit jewishvoicetoday.org, OR use the enclosed reply form. Kevin Geoffrey is a Jewish Believer in Yeshua. He is also the principal laborer of Perfect Word Ministries, a Messianic Jewish equipping ministry, and the author of seven books. Learn more at perfect-word.org.
April/May/June 2015 | 19
NOT AS I WILL By Kevin Geoffrey
with His sacrifice. And yet, the weakness of the flesh was overcome by the willingness of the Spirit, as the Messiah declared to the Father: “Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39 NIV).
SELF-DENIAL “Not as I will, but as you will” is the ultimate expression of self-denial. With the looming promise of humiliation, torture, and death, the Master Yeshua, nevertheless, laid aside His own will — gave up His own life — to obey the will of the Father. This is how Paul describes what Yeshua did for us: For, let this thinking be in you that IS also in Messiah [; WvyE , Yeshua, who, being in God’s form, thought to be equal to God not a thing to be seized. But He emptied Himself — having taken a servant’s form, having been made in the likeness of men, and in appearance having been found as a man — He humbled Himself, having become obedient to death; death even of an execution stake (Philippians 2:5-8 MJLT).
O
n the eve of His darkest hour, the Messiah Yeshua [ Jesus] was struggling with His humanity. But instead of giving in, He gave Himself away . . . leaving an example for us all to follow. Now, before the Feast of tACM;h;, HaMatzot [Unleavened Bread], the disciples came near to [;WvyE, Yeshua . . . And He said . . . “My time is near. I want to keep the xs;Pe, Pesach [Passover] with you . . . .” And the disciples did as [;WvyE, Yeshua appointed them, and prepared the xs;Pe, Pesach [Passover]. And while they were eating , [;WvyE, Yeshua, having taken the hC'm;, matzah bread, and having blessed ADONAI, broke it, and was
18 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
giving it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat — this is My body.” And having taken the cup, and having given thanks to ADONAI, He gave to them, saying , “Drink of it — all of you, for this is My blood of the tyrIB ., B’riyt [Covenant] that for many is being poured out — for release from sins . . . . Then [;WvyE, Yeshua came with them to a place called hn"mev.- tG:, GatSh’menah [Gethsemane], and He said to the disciples, “Sit here while, having gone away, I will pray over there.” . . . Then He said to them, “Exceedingly sorrowful is My soul — to death. Remain here and stay awake with Me.” And having gone forward a little, He fell on His face, praying and
saying , “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me! “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Why"t .T im; Matit’yahu [Matthew] 26:17-39 MJLT, forthcoming) The Master knew what was coming. He knew that this was His appointed time — the time that His blood would be spilled, as He endured a violent, horrific death. And knowing that this would be His fate, what was His response? With the cup of the Covenant in His hands — the cup of salvation for the world — the Master cried out, “Take this cup from me, Father! I don’t want it! Take it away!” Yeshua begged the Father not to make Him go through
The Master denied Himself by emptying and humbling Himself, becoming obedient even to death. When we think of emptying ourselves, we often assume it means to repent for our sins, and to rid ourselves of fleshly thoughts and deeds. But when Paul says that the Master emptied Himself, it means that He made Himself nothing. The Messiah Yeshua, though “being in God’s form,” gave up His authority, His will, and control over His own life. And in so doing, He left us an example to follow.
DIE EVERY DAY Paul says that our attitude should be the same as that of the Messiah [;WvyEE, Yeshua. To be like Yeshua, then, requires our own death — death to self. Listen to Paul some more:
With Messiah I have been crucified, and no longer do I live, but Messiah lives in me. And that which I now live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20 MJLT). Why also do we stand in jeopardy every moment? Every day do I die — I swear to this by the pride in you that I have in Messiah [; WvyE , Yeshua our Master (1 Corinthians 15:30-31 MJLT). And [Messiah] died for all, so that those living will no longer live to themselves, but to Him who died for them, and was raised again (2 Corinthians 5:15 MJLT).
BEARING THE STANDARD BOOK
Kevin Geoffrey’s book, Bearing the Standard, is a rallying cry to all Messiah’s disciples. It exhorts us to raise the banner of Scripture as the only sufficient and supreme standard for our lives.
GIFT OF $25 OR MORE | ITEM #9305
Hear Paul’s words to us: “I have been crucified.” “No longer do I live.” “Every day do I die.” “No longer [should we] live to [our]selves, but to Him who died for [us]!” As Yeshua, our Master, gave up His own will — denied Himself and died so that we may live — so should we, the disciples of Messiah, give up our own wills, deny ourselves, and die every day so that we may live only to serve ADONAI, the living God! God knows that we would always prefer to live to ourselves rather than die for Messiah; therefore, instead, as we fiercely cling to the example of Messiah, let us make ourselves nothing, and have this attitude: Not as I will, but as You will, my Master . . . . Adapted from Kevin’s book, Deny Yourself: the Atoning Command of Yom Kippur.
8" to 11" Color, texture, and finish may vary.
PRAYER TALLIT, SMALL SHOFAR & BEARING THE STANDARD BOOK
Beautifully hand-woven in Ethiopia by the Beta Avraham, this original prayer tallit will remind you to pray for the Lost Tribes throughout the world. You will also receive an original shofar from Israel that was traditionally used during the Biblical Holy days and it serve as a reminder that Yeshua is coming again! (You will also receive Kevin Geoffrey’s book, Bearing the Standard.)
GIFT OF $140 OR MORE | ITEM #1683 To Order: Call 1-888-921-4582, visit jewishvoicetoday.org, OR use the enclosed reply form. Kevin Geoffrey is a Jewish Believer in Yeshua. He is also the principal laborer of Perfect Word Ministries, a Messianic Jewish equipping ministry, and the author of seven books. Learn more at perfect-word.org.
April/May/June 2015 | 19
fect sacrifice for both Jews and Gentiles. This is clearly pictured in the following verses: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned — every one — to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:3-6 ESV).
Really Killed Jesus? By Mitch Glaser, Ph.D.
T
he importance of the question, “Who really killed Jesus?” cannot be overstated, for it has touched the lives of millions of Jews and Christians in profound and lasting ways. For some, the answer is simple. For some, the Jews are solely responsible for the death of Jesus. This verdict has cost thousands of Jewish People their lives during the Crusades and the later pogroms throughout Eastern Europe. But, let us examine the facts. According to the New Testament, there were two particular groups involved in the crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah. There was a small group of Jewish leaders against Jesus who called for His crucifixion. However, He was officially condemned by Romans, and put to death by Roman soldiers. But the question, “Who killed Jesus?” may be answered only in the context of an even larger question — why did Jesus die? It is to the Scriptures that we must turn to discover the truth.
The Death of Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures As I was growing up, I never remember hearing a lot about Messiah. It was somewhat taken for granted that one day the Messiah would come and restore Israel as a nation of peace. But, very few details about the Messiah were offered. Even among those Jews in North America, such as myself, 20 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
who had the benefit of a more religious upbringing than most, there was in fact very little understanding about the Messiah. I can personally attest to this. That does not mean there is not a lot of information in the Hebrew Scriptures about Messiah; there is! As Jews, we knew that the Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see Genesis 12:1-3), that He would come from the Tribe of Judah (see Genesis 49:10), and we understood that the Messiah would be a Son of David (see 2 Samuel 7:16). We also saw clearly the promises of the Hebrew prophets that one day the Messiah would reign on Earth and initiate an age of peace (see Isaiah 9:6-7). Jewish scholars have produced a very detailed portfolio of Messianic activities, which includes the resurrection of the dead and the return of all Jews to the land of Israel. But they left out one vital aspect in their description of Messiah’s work and character. It is that Messiah was supposed to die as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of both Jews and Gentiles. Let us look at Messiah’s death, predicted in the Hebrew Scriptures. The purpose for His death is most clearly explained in Isaiah chapter 53. In this great passage of Scripture, the statesman-prophet Isaiah describes the coming Messiah. What is especially significant in this passage is to see that Jesus, as the Servant of the Lord, was born to die as a per-
Thus, we find a Messiah whose vindication comes only after He has suffered the indignity of death. Yeshua ( Jesus) died to fulfill these and many other prophecies — willingly, I might add — as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. And it is through the shedding of His sacrificial blood that you and I have forgiveness of sin. We must admit that this is not an appealing picture. The scene of the crucifixion in Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ, for example, is very realistic and quite gruesome. There is nothing humane or pretty about His death. But, it did take place exactly as the prophets foretold it would.
Who Really Killed Jesus? Now that we have the biblical answer to why Jesus had to die, we can respond to the question, “Who really killed Jesus?” The answer is that Jesus, knowing that His death would be the fulfillment of prophecy, offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sin. In the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42-44 NKJV). Yeshua was not forced by anyone to die, but rather He died willingly, in obedience to His Father’s will. Our Response to His Death Generations of Jewish People have been blamed for the death of Jesus. It is a terrible crime of history that Jesus — Himself a Jew — would abhor. Yet, the death of Yeshua does require a response — and there is only one that we can reasonably make. It is to accept Him as Messiah, to receive His forgiveness, and view His death as your own, because He died in your place. This humble acceptance places an even greater burden upon Christians to reach out to the Jewish People with the same love and message of Messiah through which we have found our redemption.
DEITY OF MESSIAH DVD
The nature of God is a complex topic that has been hotly debated in Jewish and Christian theology for centuries. At the heart of this age-old debate is the identity of Yeshua (Jesus). In this DVD, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis moderates a powerful debate between four biblical scholars: Dr. Michael L. Brown, Dr. James White, Sir Anthony Buzzard, and Joseph Good.
GIFT OF $20 OR MORE | ITEM #6032
A RABBI LOOKS AT JESUS OF NAZARETH BOOK & DEITY OF MESSIAH DVD
With warmth and transparency, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis shares a compelling case — with overwhelming evidence that can be traced to the Torah itself — for Jesus as Messiah. And then he provides Christians with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively share Yeshua with their Jewish family and friends in a loving and sensitive way. You will also receive the Deity of Messiah DVD.
GIFT OF $50 OR MORE | ITEM #1684 TO ORDER: Call 1-888-921-4582, visit jewishvoicetoday.org, OR use the enclosed reply form.
MITCH GLASER (Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary, M.Div., Talbot Theological Seminary) serves as president of Chosen People Ministries with his wife, Zhava, who is their director of publications. Together they work to share Jesus with Jewish People, not only in New York City, but around the world. They are co-authors of The Fall Feasts of Israel. The Glasers reside in Brooklyn, New York with their two daughters.
April/May/June 2015 | 21
fect sacrifice for both Jews and Gentiles. This is clearly pictured in the following verses: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned — every one — to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:3-6 ESV).
Really Killed Jesus? By Mitch Glaser, Ph.D.
T
he importance of the question, “Who really killed Jesus?” cannot be overstated, for it has touched the lives of millions of Jews and Christians in profound and lasting ways. For some, the answer is simple. For some, the Jews are solely responsible for the death of Jesus. This verdict has cost thousands of Jewish People their lives during the Crusades and the later pogroms throughout Eastern Europe. But, let us examine the facts. According to the New Testament, there were two particular groups involved in the crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah. There was a small group of Jewish leaders against Jesus who called for His crucifixion. However, He was officially condemned by Romans, and put to death by Roman soldiers. But the question, “Who killed Jesus?” may be answered only in the context of an even larger question — why did Jesus die? It is to the Scriptures that we must turn to discover the truth.
The Death of Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures As I was growing up, I never remember hearing a lot about Messiah. It was somewhat taken for granted that one day the Messiah would come and restore Israel as a nation of peace. But, very few details about the Messiah were offered. Even among those Jews in North America, such as myself, 20 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
who had the benefit of a more religious upbringing than most, there was in fact very little understanding about the Messiah. I can personally attest to this. That does not mean there is not a lot of information in the Hebrew Scriptures about Messiah; there is! As Jews, we knew that the Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see Genesis 12:1-3), that He would come from the Tribe of Judah (see Genesis 49:10), and we understood that the Messiah would be a Son of David (see 2 Samuel 7:16). We also saw clearly the promises of the Hebrew prophets that one day the Messiah would reign on Earth and initiate an age of peace (see Isaiah 9:6-7). Jewish scholars have produced a very detailed portfolio of Messianic activities, which includes the resurrection of the dead and the return of all Jews to the land of Israel. But they left out one vital aspect in their description of Messiah’s work and character. It is that Messiah was supposed to die as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of both Jews and Gentiles. Let us look at Messiah’s death, predicted in the Hebrew Scriptures. The purpose for His death is most clearly explained in Isaiah chapter 53. In this great passage of Scripture, the statesman-prophet Isaiah describes the coming Messiah. What is especially significant in this passage is to see that Jesus, as the Servant of the Lord, was born to die as a per-
Thus, we find a Messiah whose vindication comes only after He has suffered the indignity of death. Yeshua ( Jesus) died to fulfill these and many other prophecies — willingly, I might add — as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. And it is through the shedding of His sacrificial blood that you and I have forgiveness of sin. We must admit that this is not an appealing picture. The scene of the crucifixion in Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ, for example, is very realistic and quite gruesome. There is nothing humane or pretty about His death. But, it did take place exactly as the prophets foretold it would.
Who Really Killed Jesus? Now that we have the biblical answer to why Jesus had to die, we can respond to the question, “Who really killed Jesus?” The answer is that Jesus, knowing that His death would be the fulfillment of prophecy, offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sin. In the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42-44 NKJV). Yeshua was not forced by anyone to die, but rather He died willingly, in obedience to His Father’s will. Our Response to His Death Generations of Jewish People have been blamed for the death of Jesus. It is a terrible crime of history that Jesus — Himself a Jew — would abhor. Yet, the death of Yeshua does require a response — and there is only one that we can reasonably make. It is to accept Him as Messiah, to receive His forgiveness, and view His death as your own, because He died in your place. This humble acceptance places an even greater burden upon Christians to reach out to the Jewish People with the same love and message of Messiah through which we have found our redemption.
DEITY OF MESSIAH DVD
The nature of God is a complex topic that has been hotly debated in Jewish and Christian theology for centuries. At the heart of this age-old debate is the identity of Yeshua (Jesus). In this DVD, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis moderates a powerful debate between four biblical scholars: Dr. Michael L. Brown, Dr. James White, Sir Anthony Buzzard, and Joseph Good.
GIFT OF $20 OR MORE | ITEM #6032
A RABBI LOOKS AT JESUS OF NAZARETH BOOK & DEITY OF MESSIAH DVD
With warmth and transparency, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis shares a compelling case — with overwhelming evidence that can be traced to the Torah itself — for Jesus as Messiah. And then he provides Christians with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively share Yeshua with their Jewish family and friends in a loving and sensitive way. You will also receive the Deity of Messiah DVD.
GIFT OF $50 OR MORE | ITEM #1684 TO ORDER: Call 1-888-921-4582, visit jewishvoicetoday.org, OR use the enclosed reply form.
MITCH GLASER (Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary, M.Div., Talbot Theological Seminary) serves as president of Chosen People Ministries with his wife, Zhava, who is their director of publications. Together they work to share Jesus with Jewish People, not only in New York City, but around the world. They are co-authors of The Fall Feasts of Israel. The Glasers reside in Brooklyn, New York with their two daughters.
April/May/June 2015 | 21
MESSIAH
THE RESURRECTED Raised Again for Our Justification By John D. Garr, Ph.D.
T
he resurrection of Yeshua HaMashiach was the pivotal event of human history, eclipsing even the crucifixion of our Lord in importance. While the death of the Son of God on the day of Pesach (Passover) was a precondition of His prophetic office, His resurrection was the event that proved His divinity, sealed forever the eternal atonement for sin, and secured the imputation of righteousness to those who choose to believe in Him. Without the Messiah’s resurrection, there would be no Messianic or Christian faith, and there would be no certainty of life after death for anyone who has ever lived or who will ever live on planet earth.
RESURRECTION FAITH Paul, the Jewish rabbi and apostle, underscored this profound truth when he said, And if Messiah has not
been raised, your faith is futile — you are still in your sins (1 Corinthians 15:17 TLV). Then he explained foundational truth further: If we believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, Jesus who was put to death for our sins and raised to life to justify us (Romans 4:24-5 NJB). Mashiach died for our sins, but He was resurrected for our justification — the imputation of righteousness before God that results from our hearing the Word of God and believing upon the Son of God for our salvation (see Romans 10:9). The death of Yeshua provided the blood atonement that made it possible for the sins of all humanity to be forgiven (see Hebrews 9:22); however, it was His resurrection from the dead that completed the divine faith transaction wherein whosoever believes in Him shall have everlasting
22 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
life (see John 3:16). The gift of eternal life is possible only because He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that dwells in you (Romans 8:11 NASB). There would be no justification from sins for the Believer if Yeshua had not resurrected from the dead.
RESURRECTION PROPHESIED In a very real way, the resurrection of Yeshua was predicted in the protoevangelion of Genesis 3:15 when God said that Eve’s seed would bruise the serpent’s head. By becoming human, God in the Messiah partook of flesh and blood so that through death he might destroy the one who had the power of death, that is, the devil (Hebrews 2:14 ESV). This Yeshua did when He rose from the dead: “I am the Living
One; I was dead, and now I am to live for ever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and the underworld” (Revelation 1:17-18 NJB). The resurrection of Mashiach, the Son of God, was predicted by King David and the prophet Isaiah. Israel’s psalmist declared, You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay (Psalm 16:10 NIV). Isaiah prophesied: “It was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:10 NIV). The resurrection of Yeshua was also prefigured in the Akedah (“binding”) of Isaac, for Abraham offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son . . . considered that God is able to
raise people even (Hebrews 11:17-19 NASB).
RESURRECTION PERSONIFIED Yeshua was resurrected from the dead because He is the resurrection and the life. As a matter of fact, Yeshua was and is the source of all life: In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men ( John 1:4 NASB). As the person of the Word (Logos) of God, Jesus was the one who summoned order out of chaos in the beginning of time, saying, “Let there be light,” and He was the one who created humans as “living beings” by breathing into them the breath (neshamah) of life (see Genesis 1:3; 2:7). Indeed, and in truth, the “life” that was in Yeshua became the light of human beings in the beginning, and it will be the same light at the end of the age when the
dead in Messiah will rise to a newness of life and light. Yeshua confirmed that He was the personification of the resurrection when He stood before the tomb of His dear friend Lazarus and shared the grief of his family. When Martha exclaimed, “I know that he [Lazarus] will rise again in the resurrection on the last day,” Yeshua replied with these immortal words: “I am the resurrection and the life” ( John 11:24-25 NASB). It was certainly no surprise, therefore, that the apostle John said, “This [Yeshua] is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20 NASB). Yeshua, then, is resurrection personified.
RESURRECTION POWER Yeshua was and is resurrection power encapsulated in the one who was fully human but was also fully God at the same time. He is the only human April/May/June 2015 | 23
MESSIAH
THE RESURRECTED Raised Again for Our Justification By John D. Garr, Ph.D.
T
he resurrection of Yeshua HaMashiach was the pivotal event of human history, eclipsing even the crucifixion of our Lord in importance. While the death of the Son of God on the day of Pesach (Passover) was a precondition of His prophetic office, His resurrection was the event that proved His divinity, sealed forever the eternal atonement for sin, and secured the imputation of righteousness to those who choose to believe in Him. Without the Messiah’s resurrection, there would be no Messianic or Christian faith, and there would be no certainty of life after death for anyone who has ever lived or who will ever live on planet earth.
RESURRECTION FAITH Paul, the Jewish rabbi and apostle, underscored this profound truth when he said, And if Messiah has not
been raised, your faith is futile — you are still in your sins (1 Corinthians 15:17 TLV). Then he explained foundational truth further: If we believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, Jesus who was put to death for our sins and raised to life to justify us (Romans 4:24-5 NJB). Mashiach died for our sins, but He was resurrected for our justification — the imputation of righteousness before God that results from our hearing the Word of God and believing upon the Son of God for our salvation (see Romans 10:9). The death of Yeshua provided the blood atonement that made it possible for the sins of all humanity to be forgiven (see Hebrews 9:22); however, it was His resurrection from the dead that completed the divine faith transaction wherein whosoever believes in Him shall have everlasting
22 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
life (see John 3:16). The gift of eternal life is possible only because He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that dwells in you (Romans 8:11 NASB). There would be no justification from sins for the Believer if Yeshua had not resurrected from the dead.
RESURRECTION PROPHESIED In a very real way, the resurrection of Yeshua was predicted in the protoevangelion of Genesis 3:15 when God said that Eve’s seed would bruise the serpent’s head. By becoming human, God in the Messiah partook of flesh and blood so that through death he might destroy the one who had the power of death, that is, the devil (Hebrews 2:14 ESV). This Yeshua did when He rose from the dead: “I am the Living
One; I was dead, and now I am to live for ever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and the underworld” (Revelation 1:17-18 NJB). The resurrection of Mashiach, the Son of God, was predicted by King David and the prophet Isaiah. Israel’s psalmist declared, You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay (Psalm 16:10 NIV). Isaiah prophesied: “It was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:10 NIV). The resurrection of Yeshua was also prefigured in the Akedah (“binding”) of Isaac, for Abraham offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son . . . considered that God is able to
raise people even (Hebrews 11:17-19 NASB).
RESURRECTION PERSONIFIED Yeshua was resurrected from the dead because He is the resurrection and the life. As a matter of fact, Yeshua was and is the source of all life: In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men ( John 1:4 NASB). As the person of the Word (Logos) of God, Jesus was the one who summoned order out of chaos in the beginning of time, saying, “Let there be light,” and He was the one who created humans as “living beings” by breathing into them the breath (neshamah) of life (see Genesis 1:3; 2:7). Indeed, and in truth, the “life” that was in Yeshua became the light of human beings in the beginning, and it will be the same light at the end of the age when the
dead in Messiah will rise to a newness of life and light. Yeshua confirmed that He was the personification of the resurrection when He stood before the tomb of His dear friend Lazarus and shared the grief of his family. When Martha exclaimed, “I know that he [Lazarus] will rise again in the resurrection on the last day,” Yeshua replied with these immortal words: “I am the resurrection and the life” ( John 11:24-25 NASB). It was certainly no surprise, therefore, that the apostle John said, “This [Yeshua] is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20 NASB). Yeshua, then, is resurrection personified.
RESURRECTION POWER Yeshua was and is resurrection power encapsulated in the one who was fully human but was also fully God at the same time. He is the only human April/May/June 2015 | 23
OIL LAMP
An oil lamp is a simple vessel used to produce light continuously for a period of time, from an oil-based fuel source. This lamp, used in traditional days in Israel thousands of years ago, will serve as a beautiful reminder of the Light of the World, Yeshua.
GIFT OF $10 OR MORE | ITEM #2964
CHRISTIAN FRUIT JEWISH ROOT BOOK & OIL LAMP
In addition to the oil lamp, you will also receive Dr. Garr’s book, Christian FruitJewish Root, which takes an in-depth examination of the Hebraic foundations of the major tenets and practices of Christianity. For every authentic Christian fruit, there is a Jewish root, and Dr. Garr demonstrates that by looking at the topics of Scripture, baptism, grace, faith, and discipleship. You will be amazed at just how Jewish Christianity (the “other Jewish religion”) actually is!
GIFT OF $50 OR MORE | ITEM #1686 TO ORDER: Call 1-888-921-4582, visit jewishvoicetoday.org, OR use the enclosed reply form.
being who ever lived who could say, “I lay My life down so that I may take it again,” and He proved it (see John 10:17)! Indeed, His resurrection proved He was divine: Yeshua haNatzrati — a Man authenticated to you by God . . . given over by God’s predetermined plan and foreknowledge, nailed to the cross by the hand of lawless men, you killed. But God raised Him up, releasing Him from the pains of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held by it (Acts 2:22-24 TLV).
ment), and Sukkot (Tabernacles), for Paul declared that the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God that will signal the resurrection of the righteous dead (see 1 Thessalonians 4:16 NASB). Both phases of the resurrection will have occurred according to the mo‘edim (appointments) that God established in the beginning of time (see Genesis 1:14) and codified in Leviticus 23.
FIRSTFRUITS OF THE RESURRECTION When the apostle Paul said, Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20 TLV), he was talking about more than just the fact that Yeshua was the first person resurrected unto immortality. The Son of God was the fulfillment of the Festival of Firstfruits, the third of God’s Seven Festivals outlined in Leviticus 23. Just as the high priest plucked up a sheaf of barley and waved it before the Lord on the Day of Firstfruits, so Yeshua was resurrected at the exact same time and presented Himself before the Lord as the firstfruits of the resurrection and the evidence that the climactic event of the ages would occur with the resurrection of all Believers. Paul confirmed that this is the order in which resurrection was to occur: So also in Messiah will all be made alive. But each in its own order: Messiah the firstfruits; then, at His coming, those who belong to Messiah (1 Corinthians 15:22-23 TLV). At the end of the age, and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left behind, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 TLV). Interestingly enough, the second phase of the resurrection after “Messiah, the firstfruits,” will take place in the time frame of Rosh Hashanah (Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Atone-
RESURRECTION CERTAINTY Paul declared to those who did not believe that Yeshua had been resurrected: If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:17, 19 NASB). But the apostle concluded unequivocally: But now Messiah has been raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20 TLV). The same apostle asked this rhetorical question: Who will rescue me from this body of death? He answered his own question: Thanks be to God — it is through Messiah Yeshua our Lord! (see Romans 7:24-25 TLV). Messiah has died, Messiah has risen, and Messiah is coming again! Resurrection from the dead awaits all those who believe in Yeshua as Messiah and Lord. Their destiny is fixed: Salvation is assured, and eternal life is secure! Death has been conquered by the one who is Eternal Life, Yeshua HaMashiach.
24 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
Dr. John D. Garr is founder and president of Hebraic Christian Global Community, an Atlanta, GA based organization that promotes the recovery of biblically Hebraic truth and the restoration of the Jewish roots of Christian faith.
YESHUA’S FINAL PASSOVER DVD
GIFT OF $20 OR MORE | ITEM #6081
Passover is a monumental event immersed with symbolism in Jewish history, instituted when God delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. In this inspirational brand-new DVD, filmed on location in Jerusalem in the Upper Room, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis teaches us how to observe the rich traditions of the Passover Seder — just as Yeshua (Jesus) did with His disciples over 2,000 years ago, known as the Last Supper. Discover how the various elements of the Passover Seder all point to the work of Yeshua as the Lamb of God, and learn how to celebrate the Seder meal in your own home. Your spiritual walk will come alive as you see the roots of our New Testament faith revealed in this rich and powerful Jewish celebration.
HIS FINAL FOOTSTEPS: RETRACING THE LAST 24 HOURS OF JESUS’ LIFE DVD
GIFT OF $20 OR MORE | ITEM #6080
The final Passover meal in the Upper Room. The anguish of the Garden of Gethsemane. The betrayal and arrest on the Mount of Olives. The mockery of a trial. The barren hill of execution. These and other spots mark key milestones as Yeshua (Jesus) moved through His final, pivotal hours on earth. In this exciting new DVD presentation filmed on location in Jerusalem, Jonathan Bernis serves as your guide to re-living and understanding the most important 24 hours in human history.
To Order: Call 1-888-921-4582, visit jewishvoicetoday.org, OR use the enclosed reply form. April/May/June 2015
| 25
OIL LAMP
An oil lamp is a simple vessel used to produce light continuously for a period of time, from an oil-based fuel source. This lamp, used in traditional days in Israel thousands of years ago, will serve as a beautiful reminder of the Light of the World, Yeshua.
GIFT OF $10 OR MORE | ITEM #2964
CHRISTIAN FRUIT JEWISH ROOT BOOK & OIL LAMP
In addition to the oil lamp, you will also receive Dr. Garr’s book, Christian FruitJewish Root, which takes an in-depth examination of the Hebraic foundations of the major tenets and practices of Christianity. For every authentic Christian fruit, there is a Jewish root, and Dr. Garr demonstrates that by looking at the topics of Scripture, baptism, grace, faith, and discipleship. You will be amazed at just how Jewish Christianity (the “other Jewish religion”) actually is!
GIFT OF $50 OR MORE | ITEM #1686 TO ORDER: Call 1-888-921-4582, visit jewishvoicetoday.org, OR use the enclosed reply form.
being who ever lived who could say, “I lay My life down so that I may take it again,” and He proved it (see John 10:17)! Indeed, His resurrection proved He was divine: Yeshua haNatzrati — a Man authenticated to you by God . . . given over by God’s predetermined plan and foreknowledge, nailed to the cross by the hand of lawless men, you killed. But God raised Him up, releasing Him from the pains of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held by it (Acts 2:22-24 TLV).
ment), and Sukkot (Tabernacles), for Paul declared that the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God that will signal the resurrection of the righteous dead (see 1 Thessalonians 4:16 NASB). Both phases of the resurrection will have occurred according to the mo‘edim (appointments) that God established in the beginning of time (see Genesis 1:14) and codified in Leviticus 23.
FIRSTFRUITS OF THE RESURRECTION When the apostle Paul said, Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20 TLV), he was talking about more than just the fact that Yeshua was the first person resurrected unto immortality. The Son of God was the fulfillment of the Festival of Firstfruits, the third of God’s Seven Festivals outlined in Leviticus 23. Just as the high priest plucked up a sheaf of barley and waved it before the Lord on the Day of Firstfruits, so Yeshua was resurrected at the exact same time and presented Himself before the Lord as the firstfruits of the resurrection and the evidence that the climactic event of the ages would occur with the resurrection of all Believers. Paul confirmed that this is the order in which resurrection was to occur: So also in Messiah will all be made alive. But each in its own order: Messiah the firstfruits; then, at His coming, those who belong to Messiah (1 Corinthians 15:22-23 TLV). At the end of the age, and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left behind, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 TLV). Interestingly enough, the second phase of the resurrection after “Messiah, the firstfruits,” will take place in the time frame of Rosh Hashanah (Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Atone-
RESURRECTION CERTAINTY Paul declared to those who did not believe that Yeshua had been resurrected: If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:17, 19 NASB). But the apostle concluded unequivocally: But now Messiah has been raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20 TLV). The same apostle asked this rhetorical question: Who will rescue me from this body of death? He answered his own question: Thanks be to God — it is through Messiah Yeshua our Lord! (see Romans 7:24-25 TLV). Messiah has died, Messiah has risen, and Messiah is coming again! Resurrection from the dead awaits all those who believe in Yeshua as Messiah and Lord. Their destiny is fixed: Salvation is assured, and eternal life is secure! Death has been conquered by the one who is Eternal Life, Yeshua HaMashiach.
24 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
Dr. John D. Garr is founder and president of Hebraic Christian Global Community, an Atlanta, GA based organization that promotes the recovery of biblically Hebraic truth and the restoration of the Jewish roots of Christian faith.
YESHUA’S FINAL PASSOVER DVD
GIFT OF $20 OR MORE | ITEM #6081
Passover is a monumental event immersed with symbolism in Jewish history, instituted when God delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. In this inspirational brand-new DVD, filmed on location in Jerusalem in the Upper Room, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis teaches us how to observe the rich traditions of the Passover Seder — just as Yeshua (Jesus) did with His disciples over 2,000 years ago, known as the Last Supper. Discover how the various elements of the Passover Seder all point to the work of Yeshua as the Lamb of God, and learn how to celebrate the Seder meal in your own home. Your spiritual walk will come alive as you see the roots of our New Testament faith revealed in this rich and powerful Jewish celebration.
HIS FINAL FOOTSTEPS: RETRACING THE LAST 24 HOURS OF JESUS’ LIFE DVD
GIFT OF $20 OR MORE | ITEM #6080
The final Passover meal in the Upper Room. The anguish of the Garden of Gethsemane. The betrayal and arrest on the Mount of Olives. The mockery of a trial. The barren hill of execution. These and other spots mark key milestones as Yeshua (Jesus) moved through His final, pivotal hours on earth. In this exciting new DVD presentation filmed on location in Jerusalem, Jonathan Bernis serves as your guide to re-living and understanding the most important 24 hours in human history.
To Order: Call 1-888-921-4582, visit jewishvoicetoday.org, OR use the enclosed reply form. April/May/June 2015
| 25
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or three years Yeshua had ministered throughout the region of Galilee, healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God was at hand. But those last 24 hours of His life, Yeshua endured unimaginable suffering, was judged, tortured, and finally crucified for the sins of the world. Yeshua spent His last 24 hours in Jerusalem at sites that remain today. But where did He go? And what did He do during those last final hours? Mount Zion Those last 24 hours began in the ancient city of Jerusalem at Mount Zion, also known as the Upper Room, where Yeshua celebrated that final Passover meal with His disciples. This was the beginning of the end. (See Mark 14:13-16.) Garden of Gethsemane Following that final Passover meal, Yeshua and the disciples traveled up through the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemane, which is over on the side of the Mount of Olives. This was a peaceful place for Him to get away with the Father to pray. Although divine, He was still human. That prayer strengthened Him for what was to come. (See Matthew 26:39.)
It was here that Yeshua was also betrayed by Judas and arrested, based on the false accusations by religious leaders who wanted Him and His message silenced. (See Matthew 26:47-56.)
House of Caiaphas After His arrest, Yeshua was taken back down the Kidron Valley by the guards of the Sanhedrin into the Upper City to Caiaphas the High Priest’s house to be judged by the Sanhedrin, where He was mocked, tried, and found guilty of blasphemy. Since they had no authority under Roman rule to carry out their sentence, they determined to turn Him over to the Roman officials for judgment. (See Matthew
26:57-68.)
This is also where Peter denied Yeshua three times. (See
Matthew 26:75.)
Antonia Fortress But while the Sanhedrin could mock and torment Yeshua, they had no authority to kill him. So Caiaphas sent Yeshua to Antonia Fortress where the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate lived. It is here in Pilate’s Palace that Yeshua stood before him. (See John 18:28-31.) Herod’s Palace Pilate did not want to kill Yeshua, and found a loophole that took the judgment of a death sentence out of his hands. When he discovered Yeshua was a Galilean, he realized that 26 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
put Yeshua under the jurisdiction of Herod, the Emperor of Judea. They brought Him by armed guard here, but when questioned, Yeshua remained silent. So Herod sent Him back to Pilate. (See Luke 23:6-12.)
Antonia Fortress Yeshua stood once again before Pontius Pilate. Yet Yeshua was not guilty of any crime. But finally, Pilate realized Yeshua might be a threat to the Roman authority because people were following Him, and his job was to put down any rebellion against Rome, there was no king other than Caesar. He agreed to have Yeshua crucified and handed Him over to the Roman soldiers. (See John 18:38-40; John 19:1-2.) Via Dolorosa Here, Yeshua was flogged and beaten and given a crown of thorns. Bleeding and exhausted from being up all night, they gave Him a cross to bear and He was led out of the city to a place called Golgotha (the Place of the Skull) to be crucified – where He laid down His life for us as the Lamb of God. Traditional Golgotha It was here at Golgotha (the Place of the Skulls), also known as Calvary, that Yeshua was crucified with two thieves, one on each side of Him. (See John 19:16-18.) Garden and Grave of Joseph of Arimathea (The Garden Tomb) After Yeshua was pronounced dead, He was taken off of the cross and His body was given to a rich Pharisee, Joseph of Arimathea, and given a proper Jewish burial by both he and Nicodemus. (See John 19:38-42.) It’s not just the burial, but also the resurrection, that our faith is based on. The Gospel, the Good News, is the story of Yeshua coming and dying for our sins, resurrecting from the dead, and ascending to the Father! Yeshua died for our sins, but three days later, rose from the grave! (See 1 Corinthians 15:12-14.)
April/May/June 2015 | 27
F
or three years Yeshua had ministered throughout the region of Galilee, healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God was at hand. But those last 24 hours of His life, Yeshua endured unimaginable suffering, was judged, tortured, and finally crucified for the sins of the world. Yeshua spent His last 24 hours in Jerusalem at sites that remain today. But where did He go? And what did He do during those last final hours? Mount Zion Those last 24 hours began in the ancient city of Jerusalem at Mount Zion, also known as the Upper Room, where Yeshua celebrated that final Passover meal with His disciples. This was the beginning of the end. (See Mark 14:13-16.) Garden of Gethsemane Following that final Passover meal, Yeshua and the disciples traveled up through the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemane, which is over on the side of the Mount of Olives. This was a peaceful place for Him to get away with the Father to pray. Although divine, He was still human. That prayer strengthened Him for what was to come. (See Matthew 26:39.)
It was here that Yeshua was also betrayed by Judas and arrested, based on the false accusations by religious leaders who wanted Him and His message silenced. (See Matthew 26:47-56.)
House of Caiaphas After His arrest, Yeshua was taken back down the Kidron Valley by the guards of the Sanhedrin into the Upper City to Caiaphas the High Priest’s house to be judged by the Sanhedrin, where He was mocked, tried, and found guilty of blasphemy. Since they had no authority under Roman rule to carry out their sentence, they determined to turn Him over to the Roman officials for judgment. (See Matthew
26:57-68.)
This is also where Peter denied Yeshua three times. (See
Matthew 26:75.)
Antonia Fortress But while the Sanhedrin could mock and torment Yeshua, they had no authority to kill him. So Caiaphas sent Yeshua to Antonia Fortress where the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate lived. It is here in Pilate’s Palace that Yeshua stood before him. (See John 18:28-31.) Herod’s Palace Pilate did not want to kill Yeshua, and found a loophole that took the judgment of a death sentence out of his hands. When he discovered Yeshua was a Galilean, he realized that 26 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
put Yeshua under the jurisdiction of Herod, the Emperor of Judea. They brought Him by armed guard here, but when questioned, Yeshua remained silent. So Herod sent Him back to Pilate. (See Luke 23:6-12.)
Antonia Fortress Yeshua stood once again before Pontius Pilate. Yet Yeshua was not guilty of any crime. But finally, Pilate realized Yeshua might be a threat to the Roman authority because people were following Him, and his job was to put down any rebellion against Rome, there was no king other than Caesar. He agreed to have Yeshua crucified and handed Him over to the Roman soldiers. (See John 18:38-40; John 19:1-2.) Via Dolorosa Here, Yeshua was flogged and beaten and given a crown of thorns. Bleeding and exhausted from being up all night, they gave Him a cross to bear and He was led out of the city to a place called Golgotha (the Place of the Skull) to be crucified – where He laid down His life for us as the Lamb of God. Traditional Golgotha It was here at Golgotha (the Place of the Skulls), also known as Calvary, that Yeshua was crucified with two thieves, one on each side of Him. (See John 19:16-18.) Garden and Grave of Joseph of Arimathea (The Garden Tomb) After Yeshua was pronounced dead, He was taken off of the cross and His body was given to a rich Pharisee, Joseph of Arimathea, and given a proper Jewish burial by both he and Nicodemus. (See John 19:38-42.) It’s not just the burial, but also the resurrection, that our faith is based on. The Gospel, the Good News, is the story of Yeshua coming and dying for our sins, resurrecting from the dead, and ascending to the Father! Yeshua died for our sins, but three days later, rose from the grave! (See 1 Corinthians 15:12-14.)
April/May/June 2015 | 27
FIFTY THE MEANING
DAYS OF PENTECOST
LATER By Robert Morris
P
assover (Pesach) and Pentecost are inseparably tied together. As the name implies, the Feast of Pentecost was always celebrated on the fiftieth day after the Passover festival. Pente is the Greek word for “five,” and the suffix koste indicates “times ten.” This feast commemorates God giving the law to Moses on Mt. Sinai fifty days after the exodus from Egypt. As you may know, the number seven appears throughout Scripture, and it symbolizes completion, full maturity or perfection. Thus, God ordained the Feast of Pentecost to occur seven weeks after Passover, plus one day. Because a week is comprised of seven days, Pentecost comes the day after seven times seven days — a perfectly perfect period of time. 28 |
JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
How appropriate this is! For as you are about to see, God ultimately used the divinely ordained Pentecost festival to usher in the Person who would make it possible for every Believer to become mature and complete.
Pentecost Fulfilled First-century Jerusalem was always a busy and crowded place. But during the seasons of the major feasts, Jewish pilgrims from all over the Roman Empire filled the city to overflowing. Never was Jerusalem more packed with people and from a more diverse range of nations than during the eight-week period leading up to Passover and running through Pentecost. This is the setting for the events of the Pentecost Sunday recorded in the opening chapters of Acts. There we read how the sound of a hurricane filled the
room and a visible manifestation of a tongue of fire rested upon each of the 120 individuals present. This resulted in all of them speaking in “unknown tongues” (Acts 2:4). Two miracles seem to be at work here. First, 120 people suddenly began speaking in various heavenly languages they’d never before known. Second, thousands of people heard these individuals speaking in their own native languages. Think about how unifying this event must have been. The throng of people gathered was incredibly diverse. They came from different cultures, backgrounds, nations, and languages — all of which separated and isolated them from each other. Yet suddenly, they came together and shared the same experience — the same wonderful message — as one. This unity, made possible by the Holy Spirit, enabled the
first Yeshua-followers to begin building something of eternal significance. On the day of Pentecost, God came down and removed language as a barrier from knowing Him. By the way, this provides a wonderful preview of heaven, where every tribe, tongue, and nation will gather together, all speaking one language — the language of praise to God. This is precisely what happened on the day of Pentecost.
What Pentecost Means to Us Allow me to tell you something about Pentecost that few people grasp. For the first time since the fall of man in the Garden, the coming of the indwelling Holy Spirit empowered people to walk righteously on this earth. We know that Yeshua ( Jesus) came to make us righteous positionally; in other words, His death and resurrection put us in right April/May/June 2015 | 29
FIFTY THE MEANING
DAYS OF PENTECOST
LATER By Robert Morris
P
assover (Pesach) and Pentecost are inseparably tied together. As the name implies, the Feast of Pentecost was always celebrated on the fiftieth day after the Passover festival. Pente is the Greek word for “five,” and the suffix koste indicates “times ten.” This feast commemorates God giving the law to Moses on Mt. Sinai fifty days after the exodus from Egypt. As you may know, the number seven appears throughout Scripture, and it symbolizes completion, full maturity or perfection. Thus, God ordained the Feast of Pentecost to occur seven weeks after Passover, plus one day. Because a week is comprised of seven days, Pentecost comes the day after seven times seven days — a perfectly perfect period of time. 28 |
JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
How appropriate this is! For as you are about to see, God ultimately used the divinely ordained Pentecost festival to usher in the Person who would make it possible for every Believer to become mature and complete.
Pentecost Fulfilled First-century Jerusalem was always a busy and crowded place. But during the seasons of the major feasts, Jewish pilgrims from all over the Roman Empire filled the city to overflowing. Never was Jerusalem more packed with people and from a more diverse range of nations than during the eight-week period leading up to Passover and running through Pentecost. This is the setting for the events of the Pentecost Sunday recorded in the opening chapters of Acts. There we read how the sound of a hurricane filled the
room and a visible manifestation of a tongue of fire rested upon each of the 120 individuals present. This resulted in all of them speaking in “unknown tongues” (Acts 2:4). Two miracles seem to be at work here. First, 120 people suddenly began speaking in various heavenly languages they’d never before known. Second, thousands of people heard these individuals speaking in their own native languages. Think about how unifying this event must have been. The throng of people gathered was incredibly diverse. They came from different cultures, backgrounds, nations, and languages — all of which separated and isolated them from each other. Yet suddenly, they came together and shared the same experience — the same wonderful message — as one. This unity, made possible by the Holy Spirit, enabled the
first Yeshua-followers to begin building something of eternal significance. On the day of Pentecost, God came down and removed language as a barrier from knowing Him. By the way, this provides a wonderful preview of heaven, where every tribe, tongue, and nation will gather together, all speaking one language — the language of praise to God. This is precisely what happened on the day of Pentecost.
What Pentecost Means to Us Allow me to tell you something about Pentecost that few people grasp. For the first time since the fall of man in the Garden, the coming of the indwelling Holy Spirit empowered people to walk righteously on this earth. We know that Yeshua ( Jesus) came to make us righteous positionally; in other words, His death and resurrection put us in right April/May/June 2015 | 29
The Holy Spirit Changes Everything For the eleven remaining disciples of Jesus and 109 others gathered in the room on Pentecost Sunday, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit changed everything. Before that day, they struggled to understand the Scriptures. Afterward, they realized that the entire Old Testament pointed prophetically and symbolically to the life and redeeming work of Yeshua. What had previously been shrouded in mystery suddenly became completely clear. Before that day, the disciples were timid and afraid —
Robert Morris is the Founding Senior Pastor of Gateway Church, a multi-campus, evangelistic, Spirit-empowered church in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. He is featured on the weekly television program, The Blessed Life, broadcast to approximately 90 million homes in the United States and more than 200 countries around the world. Robert holds a Doctorate of Literature and serves as Chairman of the Board of The King’s University.
THE GOD I NEVER KNEW BOOK
Many find the Holy Spirit mysterious and confounding . . . who is He, and what exactly does He do? In The God I Never Knew, Robert Morris clearly explains that the Holy Spirit’s chief desire is for relationship — to offer us the encouragement and guidance of a trusted friend. Get ready to experience the Holy Spirit in a fresh, new way and meet the God you may have never known.
GIFT OF $40 OR MORE | ITEM #9161
To Order: Call 1-888-921-4582, visit jewishvoicetoday.org, OR use the enclosed reply form.
30 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”—Matthew 25:35-36
Editor’s Note: Pentecost 2015 falls on May 24.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty
ANSWER Call -the-
me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked
hiding in locked rooms and dreading the knock at the door. A little girl had intimidated Peter, the burly fisherman, into swearing and denying he even knew Yeshua. After that remarkable day, the disciples personified boldness and confidence. They proclaimed Yeshua in public squares and synagogues. When arrested and threatened with beatings or worse if they didn’t stop preaching, they shrugged and said, “No can do.” They no longer feared the disapproval of man! The transformation brought by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was nothing short of astonishing. The original celebration of Pentecost celebrated the day God made known His laws by writing them upon tablets of stone. We can celebrate the fulfillment of that feast on Pentecost Sunday — the day God came down and began writing His laws upon reborn human hearts.
VISIT WWW.PLEASEANSWERTHECALL.ORG JOIN US ON ONE OF OUR UPCOMING JEWISH VOICE MINISTRIES 2015 OUTREACHES: JUNE 18-29: MASVINGO, ZIMBABWE OCTOBER 9-19: GONDAR, ETHIOPIA
FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN ALSO CALL: 1-800-299-9374
and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited
standing with God. But we often miss the fact that the Holy Spirit empowers us to live in a way consistent with our righteous position in Yeshua. When the Law was given to Israel through Moses, no one could keep it. The Law gave the Israelites an understanding of what pleased God, but it couldn’t give them the internal ability to live it. With their fallen natures still intact, they simply had no power to keep the Law. However, when the Holy Spirit fills a person’s life, amazing things happen. A previously dead human spirit is regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit writes a new law upon the heart of that Believer. This law isn’t the Ten Commandments; rather, it’s the “Law of Love.” Anyone who fulfills this law will never be guilty of violating the Ten Commandments or displeasing God in any way. In fact, Jesus said the entire teaching of the Law and the prophets could be summed up with “Love God with all your heart,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But that’s not all. When a person receives a full release of the Holy Spirit’s power, he receives the empowerment to walk in love. In other words, you can’t walk righteously without the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit Changes Everything For the eleven remaining disciples of Jesus and 109 others gathered in the room on Pentecost Sunday, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit changed everything. Before that day, they struggled to understand the Scriptures. Afterward, they realized that the entire Old Testament pointed prophetically and symbolically to the life and redeeming work of Yeshua. What had previously been shrouded in mystery suddenly became completely clear. Before that day, the disciples were timid and afraid —
Robert Morris is the Founding Senior Pastor of Gateway Church, a multi-campus, evangelistic, Spirit-empowered church in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. He is featured on the weekly television program, The Blessed Life, broadcast to approximately 90 million homes in the United States and more than 200 countries around the world. Robert holds a Doctorate of Literature and serves as Chairman of the Board of The King’s University.
THE GOD I NEVER KNEW BOOK
Many find the Holy Spirit mysterious and confounding . . . who is He, and what exactly does He do? In The God I Never Knew, Robert Morris clearly explains that the Holy Spirit’s chief desire is for relationship — to offer us the encouragement and guidance of a trusted friend. Get ready to experience the Holy Spirit in a fresh, new way and meet the God you may have never known.
GIFT OF $40 OR MORE | ITEM #9161
To Order: Call 1-888-921-4582, visit jewishvoicetoday.org, OR use the enclosed reply form.
30 | JewishVoiceToday.org • 1-888-921-4582
after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”—Matthew 25:35-36
Editor’s Note: Pentecost 2015 falls on May 24.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty
ANSWER Call -the-
me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked
hiding in locked rooms and dreading the knock at the door. A little girl had intimidated Peter, the burly fisherman, into swearing and denying he even knew Yeshua. After that remarkable day, the disciples personified boldness and confidence. They proclaimed Yeshua in public squares and synagogues. When arrested and threatened with beatings or worse if they didn’t stop preaching, they shrugged and said, “No can do.” They no longer feared the disapproval of man! The transformation brought by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was nothing short of astonishing. The original celebration of Pentecost celebrated the day God made known His laws by writing them upon tablets of stone. We can celebrate the fulfillment of that feast on Pentecost Sunday — the day God came down and began writing His laws upon reborn human hearts.
VISIT WWW.PLEASEANSWERTHECALL.ORG JOIN US ON ONE OF OUR UPCOMING JEWISH VOICE MINISTRIES 2015 OUTREACHES: JUNE 18-29: MASVINGO, ZIMBABWE OCTOBER 9-19: GONDAR, ETHIOPIA
FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN ALSO CALL: 1-800-299-9374
and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited
standing with God. But we often miss the fact that the Holy Spirit empowers us to live in a way consistent with our righteous position in Yeshua. When the Law was given to Israel through Moses, no one could keep it. The Law gave the Israelites an understanding of what pleased God, but it couldn’t give them the internal ability to live it. With their fallen natures still intact, they simply had no power to keep the Law. However, when the Holy Spirit fills a person’s life, amazing things happen. A previously dead human spirit is regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit writes a new law upon the heart of that Believer. This law isn’t the Ten Commandments; rather, it’s the “Law of Love.” Anyone who fulfills this law will never be guilty of violating the Ten Commandments or displeasing God in any way. In fact, Jesus said the entire teaching of the Law and the prophets could be summed up with “Love God with all your heart,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But that’s not all. When a person receives a full release of the Holy Spirit’s power, he receives the empowerment to walk in love. In other words, you can’t walk righteously without the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jewish Voice Ministries Canada • PO Box 476 • Maple Ridge, BC V2X 3P2
John Sample 1234 Main Street Anytown, US 12345
Mystery
CelebrateThe
Miracle PassoverSeas and the
of
on the
Passover on the Seas Cruise April 16-23, 2016
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas St. Martin | St. Thomas | Nassau
Join Rabbi Jonathan Bernis and his family in celebrating this watershed event of Israel’s history, Passover, including a Seder dinner, on the beautiful Caribbean seas.
For more information call 888-435-3787 or visit www.jvpassovercruise.com