Jewish Voice Today, March/April 2012 - Canada Version by Jewish Voice Ministries International

UNDERSTANDING THE

AMERICAN JEWISH PERSPECTIVE

March/April 2012 ryya/!syn/rda Adar/Nisan/Iyar

Jewish Voice Today www.jewishvoicetoday.org Volume 46 | Number 2

Jewish Voice Ministries International

Upcoming 2012 Medical Outreaches

Africa

NEW! Zimbabwe - Lemba Tribe Join us for our pioneer medical mission to the impoverished Lemba tribe of Zimbabwe May 24 – June 4, 2012. This Jewish community in Zimbabwe is composed of tens of thousands of Yemenite Jews, identified as Cohanim, or descendants of Aaron the Priest. Make history with us as we minister through medicine and the Gospel of Yeshua!

Zimbabwe

May 24 - June 4, 2012

Africa Gondar, Ethiopia

Gondar

Minister in the epicenter of Ethiopian Jewry – Gondar, Ethiopia. This city is the site of the historic Operation Moses and Operation Solomon airlift missions that miraculously brought thousands of Beta Israel safely back to the Land of Israel. And now, through a landmark change in Israeli policy, aliyah is open again to this impoverished Jewish remnant, and many more thousands are scheduled to return to Israel very soon. Come minister to these Jewish outcasts through free medical, dental, and eye care, and witness the Lord use you to facilitate physical and spiritual healing in the lives of these precious children of Abraham. No medical training required!

September 28 - October 7, 2012

Bonus excursion to Fasilidas’ Castle!

For more information or to register, visit www.jewishvoice.org/outreach or call 800-299-YESHUA. 2 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

shalom M]L[ Dear Partners and Friends,

od has given Jewish Voice a mandate to proclaim Messiah wherever there are Jewish People, bringing them the message of God’s love, hope, and salvation. Together, you and I have trekked through some of the most rugged terrain in the most remote regions of the world to reach His Precious Remnant with a practical demonstration of God’s love in Yeshua, ministering health and humanitarian care to the most impoverished Jews. We have seen unprecedented numbers of Jewish People come to faith in this generation through glorious International Festivals of Jewish Music & Dance announcing the Good News from the former Soviet Union to India to South America. But what about our neighbors right here in the United States? Historically, the American Jewish community has been largely hardened to the Gospel message. However, I can speak like Paul, and say, “I ask then: Did God reject His people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham...” (Romans 11:1) and indeed there are tens of thousands of Jewish Believers in the U.S., and around 300 Messianic congregations, which is extremely significant in that all came to be within the last fifty years. Yes, God is doing something among the Jews—even in the United States!

Jewish Voice has exciting projects underway that you will be able to be involved with in the near future to reach the Jewish community here in the United States. And we have dedicated this issue to exploring this timely topic to encourage and equip you to answer the call, however God may open the door for you, to take the Good News “to the Jew first.” This is the cry of Paul’s heart to the Believers in Rome. More importantly, it is the cry of God’s own heart. “As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:15)

Jonathan Bernis, President & CEO Jewish Voice Ministries International

Generally speaking, American Jews are not as open to the Gospel as poor Jewish communities in Ethiopia or India. The Western Jew may be put off by Christian terminology, which harkens back to a two thousand year legacy of persecution in the Name of Christ and Christianity. The Western Jew may not see their need for a savior or have an entirely different expectation of Messiah, if any at all. Yet, the biblical call remains the same: “to the Jew first” (Romans 1:16). And so God will make a way—and has made a way with great numbers who come to embrace Yeshua as their Messiah! But, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:14) We must be willing to answer the call and take the Good News not only to the Jews scattered around the world, but to those here in America as well.

Jewish Voice Today

CONTENTS 7 16

18 On Topic 7 Up Front Why American Jews Tend to Be Liberal By Jonathan Bernis

10 Guest Author You're Not Alone By Bill McKay

12 Guest author The Promise Kept: Irrefutable Proof of God By Kevin Geoffrey

14 Guest Author Israel: A Real Course in Miracles

18 Guest Au thor Jerusalem is God's Time Clock By Bill Koenig

20 Guest Author Why the Church Hasn't Been Successful in Reaching Jewish People By Jack Zimmerman

22 Guest Author Nothing Super About Supersessionism! By Dr. Raymond Gannon

By Jack Kinsella

Jewish Holiday & Observance 16 Jewish hol iday Messiah, Our Passover Lamb By Jonathan Bernis

Where to Watch!

Regulars 3 S h a lom By Jonathan Bernis

5 noteworthy By Sarah Weiner

6 PR AI SEWORTHY

28 resources

30 Bro a dca st guide Join us monthly for our 90-minute live, interactive webcast, and get your questions about Israel, Bible prophecy, current events, and theology answered on the show. Please visit www.jewishvoice.org/webcast for the latest information.

4 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

NOTEworthy S

About This Issue

omething unusual is going on in the American Jewish community. They are “outraged ... frenzied ... invoking the name of Hitler in the same sentence with one of their own...” What’s it all about? It seems Rabbi Shmuley Boteach— one of America’s most popular Orthodox rabbis, has discovered that Jesus is thoroughly Jewish, and so has published a book entitled Kosher Jesus, attempting to correct the two thousand year misconception that He started a new anti-Jewish religion. He’s asking Jews to reclaim their long lost brother for Judaism! To say Boteach has stirred up a hornet’s nest is a gross understatement.

His wholly Hebraic context, hopefully leading to productive dialogue and ultimately revelation.

This is one of the many complexities of the multifaceted Jewish community in the U.S. From secular humanist to God-fearing ultra-Orthodox, and everything in between, the Jewish community in America has been characteristically resistant to the Gospel. Yet there is a thriving—and growing— community of Messianic Jewish Believers in America. And apparently there is a new openness, at least among some, to reexamine Yeshua within

“In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Todah Rabah, thank you, to: Publisher

Executive Editor Jonathan Bernis Director of Communications/Publications Mary Ellen Breitwiser Assoc. Ed./ Social Media Specialist Laura Peck Art Director Evie Kriegbaum Graphic Designers Evie Kriegbaum Jennifer Nelson Production Supervisor Kathleen Johnston

Too long have we neglected sharing our most precious message with God’s Chosen People in our own locality. We proclaim the Good News to the Jew first throughout the world. Many of us are bold in sharing our faith with just about any nonJewish soul that happens across our path. But we are apprehensive to approach our Jewish neighbors and friends, perplexed and daunted. We hope to dispel some of that discomfort and mystery with this issue—and to encourage you!

Jewish Voice Ministries International P.O. Box 31998 Phoenix, AZ 85046-1998 USA 602-97l-850l 800-299-YESHUA www.jewishvoice.org Jewish Voice Ministries Canada P.O. Box 476 Maple Ridge, BC V2X 3P2 800-299-YESHUA Jewish Voice Ministries UK P.O. Box 628 Borehamwood, UK WD6 9AT 800-299-YESHUA Magazine questions or comments: magazine@jewishvoice.org Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the New International Version ©2011.

— Sarah Weiner

http://www.facebook.com/JewishVoice

http://www.youtube.com/ jewishvoicetoday

http://www.twitter.com/ jewish_voice

http://jewishvoice. wordpress.com

Search for "JVMI" under Groups

Jewish Voice Today

PRAISEworthy

Comments from Our Readers

Dear Brother Jonathan, Greetings and shalom to you in the name of Yeshua. I am originally from India and am currently a pastor of an Indian church in Atlanta, GA. The other day I watched you on Sid Roth's It's Supernatural television program about the importance of hearing the Scriptures in Hebrew. A woman in my church was dying of leukemia—in fact, on December 13, 2012, doctors gave her only 10-12 days to live. So I ordered the Confessing the Hebrew Scriptures: Adonai (Jehovah Rof-e-cha), The Lord Your Healer set for her. I gave her the CD and asked her to listen to it continually. With our prayers, our faith, and Confessing the Hebrew Scriptures, God healed her. The same doctors told her on December 18 that she does not have any leukemia cells at all. Plus, her body is producing the blood again. She is not dying but will live to declare the works of the Lord! On December 20, she was discharged from the hospital and she came to our church on Sunday, December 25, to share her wonderful testimony. I want to thank you for preparing this CD set. It is anointed and full of power because the Word of God has power. It surely helped this lady in my church and saved her life. Thank you once again. Sincerely,

Confessing the Hebrew Scriptures

The first of the series is Adonai (Jehovah Rof•e•cha), The Lord Your Healer. This first workbook is a compilation of healing Scriptures that contain the English, Hebrew, and transliteration from the Hebrew. Each workbook is also filled with beautiful pictures and an accompanying CD with every Scripture recited in Hebrew by a native Israeli, so you hear the correct pronunciation.

Order #8685 | $40.00 Gift

Pastor Avinash Raiborde

Your Ticket to Global Missions!

India Manipur

In India’s mountainous northeastern sector, thousands of Bnei Menashe (“Children of Manasseh”) live as part of the Hmar and Mizo tribal communities. We live in one of the greatest moments in Bible prophecy as God continues to gather His scattered People back unto Himself! Some 7,000 of the Bnei Menashe have been approved to make aliyah to the Land of Israel. In the meantime, these precious people need medical, dental, and eye care – as well as the life-changing message of Yeshua. Reach them with the tangible love of Yeshua before it’s too late! Come and serve this Lost Tribe in one of the most remote parts of the world through medical missions!

Manipur

October 26 - November 4, 2012 6 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

up f r o n t | J o n at h a n b e r n is

Why American Jews Tend to Be LIBERAL

“The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” —Proverbs 29:7

he predilection of American Jews to embrace liberalism both vexes and perplexes. We want our modern Chosen People to exemplify the “kingdom of priests and holy nation.”¹ God called them to do just that, yet we often find the majority of American Jews on the frontline of liberal social issues that compromise biblical morality. Why? Let’s take a look.

Jewish Voice Today

While traditionally not Torah observant, many of the values and ethics that quicken the liberal heart surprisingly spring from a biblical heritage of social consciousness.

deliver, and answer the cries of the poor. This has become ingrained in the Jewish mindset from time immemorial. Judeo-Christian ethics have deeply impacted the Western world as well, the essence of which is based on the Torah. Into a barbaric world the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob introduced elemental concepts of civilization: “love your neighbor,”² “care for the poor,”³ and “establish justice.”4 Not all American Jews are liberal. Approximately ten percent of the American Jewish community is Orthodox—meaning they believe the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy) to be the Word of God. Many have a vibrant faith and believe prayer touches the heart of God. Generally speaking, the Orthodox and a small percentage of Conservative Jews hold to conservative values and biblical morality.

On the other hand, most American Jews are aligned with Reform or Conservative Judaism, while holding liberal views. While traditionally not Torah observant, many of the values and ethics that quicken the liberal heart surprisingly spring from a biblical heritage of social consciousness. There are countless Scriptures expressing God’s commandments to defend, secure justice for, provide for, remember,

8 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

One of the most famous Jewish Rabbis, Simeon ben Gamaliel, who taught Paul the apostle, said: “The world rests on three things: justice, truth, and peace” (Pirkei Avot 1:18). This exemplifies the Jewish worldview. In the Hebrew Scriptures, Israel is exhorted to walk in righteousness before God. What is righteousness? In Hebraic understanding, righteousness, or tzedakah, is kindness

to the needy, charity, compassion for the suffering, and bringing peace and justice to the world—called tikkun olam—healing the world.

“good” by the world’s standards is not necessarily “good” by God’s standards. Apart from God, we lack the discernment to know the difference. When mankind fell, sin blinded us to spiritual truth. Scripture says that every inclination and thought of man’s heart is only evil.5

people promoting these agendas are by and large motivated by a sincere desire to do good and help their fellow man. But they are sincerely wrong—they have missed the heart of God, as does the Jewish Community so often when moved by passion for man, but not for God.

good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (v. 61:1). Today, portions of that verse have been used in campaigns for various social agendas from samesex marriage to abortion—agendas in direct opposition to God’s Word. The

So how can one know what God’s will is regarding how we fulfill His commandments? Paul gave us a trustworthy formula: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

Socially conscious commandments are not difficult even for the least religious. Contemporary Jews keenly identify with the underdog, borne In Luke 4:18, Yeshua ( Jesus) quoted a God does care deeply for the poor, of their own suffering throughout history. It is perplexing, however, that passage from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the the oppressed, and the brokenhearted Sovereign LORD is on me, because the American Jewish community . . . for justice, mercy, and charity. the LORD has anointed me to preach supports abortion and gay rights, The Scriptures overflow with His a seeming contradiction, compassion and concern for considering the Torah the widow, the orphan, and the The Hebraic heritage subconsciously inspires establishes very impoverished. It’s easy to see clear moral a biblical impetus for Jewish most Jewish People to “do good.” And, involvement in liberal social indeed, the Jewish People have blessed the programs and passion for human world in multitudinous ways. rights.

commandments, instruction and exhortation. It demonstrates that most Jewish People no longer feel bound to the literal interpretation of scripture and in most cases have no tie to their scriptures whatsoever. The only issues of concern are the preservation of the Jewish People and furthering the causes of social justice.

1 Exodus 19:6 2 Leviticus 19:18 3 Proverbs 14:21,31 4 Amos 5:15 5 Genesis 6:5

The Hebraic heritage subconsciously inspires most Jewish People to “do good.” And, indeed, the Jewish People have blessed the world in multitudinous ways. Far disproportionate for their small numbers, the Jewish People have been world leaders in major scientific and medical research and development breakthroughs, have founded medical relief societies, world class hospitals, human rights organizations, and are often among the first on site offering aid when a natural disaster hits a third world country. However, all that is Jewish Voice Today

O n To pic | Bi l l mckay

You’re Not Alone

The entwined history of Jews and Christians has, as a part of its chronicle, remarkable high points and destructive low points in its 2000 years. In fact, the low points in this uneasy relationship far outweigh the best of times for the Jews, as they have lived among the greater Christian populations in Europe and America. This raises a profoundly important question: Why would Christianity, based on the teaching of love and forgiveness, inculcate the values of hatred and discrimination toward the Jewish People, as evidenced by perpetual anti-Semitism? The answer may well lie in the history of “the Church.”

The Trifecta

n 325 A.D. a body of Christian bishops convened in Nicaea in Bithynia (present-day Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine. This ecumenical council was the first effort to attain consensus in Christendom on key theological doctrines, namely the settlement of the Christological issue of the relationship of Jesus to God the Father, among other theological issues of the day.

In the years that followed, the Catholic Church, with the Bishop of Rome as the “head of the Church,” emerged as the dominant religion of Christianity. For the first time in three centuries, after the death and resurrection of the Messiah, spiritual power had been consolidated and the Christian message of good news, organically transmitted from one Believer to the next, was transformed into an institution of religion. Central to the emerging religion was this question: Who represented

10 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

God’s elect or His Chosen People? Historically and biblically, the Jews had carried this title. However, this was now the Gentile age, as the Catholic Church defined it, and if a new religion was to be birthed, a new “elect” must be chosen. So, the Catholic Church leaders turned their attention to the critical issue of bloodline. Who could legally lay claim to the title? If it were to be the Gentiles, then the Jewish line would have to be cut off. Therefore, they legally sought to adjudicate the question: Who killed the Messiah?

In the end, the Catholic Church deemed the Jews “Christ killers.” From this point forward, this decree became the license for every European king, tyrant, mayor, and “village idiot” to inflict retribution on the Jewish People. Wave upon wave of anti-Semitism swept over Europe, all in the name of "Christ," with the explicit use of the Cross as its signature symbol. Thus, the first step in the trifecta was completed: The Jews killed Jesus, singularly, and were, therefore, disinherited. The second step was to move the spiritual capital from Jerusalem to Rome. Then, the final step was in the form of papal art depicting Yeshua as a European Anglo. It would be a great deal easier to arouse the European masses to commit to wholesale antiSemitism if Jesus did not have the physical characteristics of a Middle Eastern Jew. The objective was quite simple when power was usurped through a coup. In the case of a political or military coup, and in the deposing of a king, you must kill off all heirs to the throne. As a result, the “elder Jewish” brother of Christianity must be removed, at all costs. For the next 17 centuries, the theological essence of the “Jew as Christ Killer” was not only codified into law,

but also the lexicon of every European language. As the Catholic Church merged its power with the secular kings of Europe, the various forms of antiSemitism were quite lethal. The result was a great divide between Christian and Jew, which remains until this day. And, more particularly, the Jew will view all of Christianity through this historical prism.

The ‘New’ Promised Land During the great scourge of the Jewish People in England, many Jews were forced to leave the island they called home. Other Jews, to protect their families and modest

wealth, took Christian names and “converted to Christianity.” Norman Podhoretz, the Jewish scholar of the 20th and 21st centuries, researched in his book Why Are Jews Liberal? a profoundly interesting piece of history, related to the English Reformation, as practiced by the Puritans. During this wholly unique period in the English Reformation history, the Puritans had welcomed the Jews as brothers, even to the point that they “regarded the ‘old’ dispensation as binding and even reverted to its practices,” according to Cecil Roth. Podhoretz defined the characteristics of the Puritans who came to America this way: “it is true beyond question that, in sharp contrast to the [Catholic] Christians of Europe, who downplayed the Old Testament and concentrated mainly on the New, the Puritans tended to be more attracted to— and even fixated on—the Old rather than the New.” To prove the extent to which these Pu.ritans were committed to a fully integrated Bible and structure for society, they enacted half of the statues in the Code of 1655 from the Old Testament, while only three percent were from the New Testament—according to historians Max Baker and Paul Masserman. Today, if you travel to the New England states, you will find many towns named directly from the Old Testament. This

(Continued on page 25) Jewish Voice Today

o n to p i c | k e v i n g e o f f r e y

The

Promise Kept: Irrefutable Proof of

hen it comes to proving the existence of God and the truthfulness of His Word, it’s easy to come up short. As Believers in Yeshua, we often present subjective or debatable evidence, such as personal experience, miracles, and fulfillment of Bible prophecy. But demonstrations of power and foreknowledge aren’t necessarily measures of truthfulness. Rather, we trust what someone says when we believe he is true to his word, when we believe he will keep all his promises.

God

So why should we trust that God’s Word is true, that He exists, and that He is who He says He is? Because He has faithfully kept one objective, verifiable, and undebatable promise: He has continued to preserve the Remnant of Israel from antiquity; He endures as the eternal Guardian of the Jewish People. As we fix our eyes on Yeshua—the ultimate fulfillment of all God’s promises—we often fail to see the whole plan of salvation. While the Master Yeshua is clearly the central and

12 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

climactic figure of this story, the Jewish People are primary characters, without whom the entire plot unravels. God’s plan for reconciling all people-groups to Himself hinges on His promise to the People of Israel. From beginning to end, this promise is thoroughly embedded in the Scriptures. Despite Israel’s inevitable, repeated disobedience, the LORD nevertheless vows, “I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my

covenant with them” (Leviticus 26:44). Mosheh (Moses) characterizes God as being “faithful” to His covenant (see Deuteronomy 7:9), declaring to Israel that “he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:8). Specifically of the tribe of Judah, 2 Kings 8:19 proclaims, “Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his By descendants forever.”

people of Israel. Why has the LORD done this? Is it because He loves Jewish People more than all the other nations? He does indeed love the people of Israel, but our preservation is for an even greater purpose: God keeps His promise to the people of Israel so that the nations will know He is God!

earth. Should the Jewish People cease to exist as a recognizable remnant, God is proved a liar—His reputation destroyed among the nations. Despite global dispersion and against all odds, the Jewish People remain. Our existence proves that ADONAI is God; and, indeed, He is true to His Word.

“God did not reject his people [Israel], whom he foreknew . . . for God’s redeeming Israel and prom- gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:2, 29). If God forgets ising to establish her forever, His promises to His people God has married His reputa- Israel, we can forget any hope for By making such a vow to Israel, tion to the fate of the Jewish ourselves. But the Good News the LORD commits Himself to her preservation—God puts His People. The trustworthiness is that He has a plan to save and own name at stake. In 2 Samuel of His Word depends upon the reconcile all peoples back to 7:22-26, David exalts Him for Him. We can trust that He alone destiny of the people of Israel. this promise, professing, “There is God—and that His Word is is no one like you . . . And who is faithful and true—because He like your people Israel—the one nation preserves the Jewish People, just as He on earth that God went out to redeem He declares through the prophet, “It is promised to do. as a people for himself, and to make a not for your sake, people of Israel, that Kevin Geoffrey is the principal laborer of name for himself . . . You have estabI am going to do these things, but for lished your people Israel as your very the sake of my holy name . . . . Then the Perfect Word Ministries, a Messianic Jewish own forever . . . Do as you promised, so nations will know that I am the LORD equipping ministry. Visit Perfect Word that your name will be great forever.” . . . when I am proved holy through you online at www.PerfectWordMinistries.org. By redeeming Israel and promising to before their eyes. For I will take you establish her forever, God has married out of the nations” (Ezekiel 36:22-24). His reputation to the fate of the JewGod promises not only to preserve the ish People. The trustworthiness of His people of Israel, but also to maintain Word depends upon the destiny of the us as a distinct people-group on the

Messianic Mo'adiym Devotional Israel’s feasts, fasts, and appointed times—the Mo’adiym—remind us of Adonai’s dramatic history with His Chosen People. But embedded in the annual cycle is also the story of our lives in Messiah. Let Israel’s appointed times come alive as author Kevin Geoffrey encourages you to develop the daily discipline of devotion.

Order #9301 | $18.00 Gift

Jewish Voice Today

O n to p i c | j a c k k i n s e l l a

ISRAEL:

A Real Course in

Miracles

he modern state of Israel stands as a living monument to the unbreakable Word of God; vibrant and living evidence of God's existence and His continued involvement in the affairs of mankind. The nation of Israel serves as a mile marker on the road to the conclusion of human history. The manner of its restoration is both overtly miraculous and historically fortuitous. By every conventional historical standard, it should not exist. It's continued existence has been under threat every day since it first declared independence.

14 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

But in order for Bible prophecy concerning the Last Days to have any contemporary context, it must exist. Without the existence of a literal, politically viable Jewish State known as “Israel,” none of the prophecies concerning the Last Days and the coming judgment of the nations find any historical context. Whatever is happening on the global stage would then serve no particular prophetic outline and we could draw no particular confidence from seeing it unfold. Allow yourself to dwell, for a moment, on what a monumentally important fact that actually is. Remove the existence of a modern, Jewish state called “Israel” from contemporary history and no other event could have any prophetic relevance. The Arab Spring, the developing conflict with Iran, the collapse of Turkish-Israeli relations, the Russian naval presence off the coast of Syria; these events would be far more terrifying devoid of any prophetic context. But since there is such an entity as Israel, a nation ‘born in a day’ as a Jewish State, against all the odds, we can know that the events that are unfolding in our lifetimes are following a particular script. A script so clearly outlined that we can actually follow along with it as it unfolds. Beginning with the miraculous restoration of the Jewish People to the exact piece of real estate predicted by Scripture, tens of centuries beforehand! Twenty-five hundred years ago, the Prophet Isaiah asked four specific questions: “Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?” (Isaiah 66:8a) These are straightforward questions, and, if they are to be relevant to our understanding, then we should be able to come up with straightforward answers.

Of all those generations across the ages, only you and I can say that we have seen such things as a nation born at once; “yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children” (Isaiah 66:8b). We witnessed within our lifetime “a country born in a day”— that day being December 25, 2001 on the occasion of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Note the precise nature of Isaiah's prophecy of Israel's miraculous restoration. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 43:5-6). Now let's compare Isaiah's vision to the history of modern Israel: • “Brought” from the East: The first wave of Jewish immigration came with the rise of Arab nationalism in the 1920s when entire Jewish communities fled Islamic persecution. • “Gathered” from the West: It was closely followed in the 1930s by Jews fleeing European anti-Semitism and in the 1940s by the influx of survivors of the European Holocaust. • “Given up” by the North: Wholesale Jewish emigration from the extreme north of Israel was restricted by the Soviets until the fall of the USSR in the 1990s. The Russians then gave up their Jews and opened Jewish emigration quotas to the Holy Land. • To the South, “Brought from Afar”: In the early 1990s, growing persecution of Jews, particularly the Ethiopian ‘Lost Tribe,’ resulted in Operation Joshua, a secret airlift of Ethiopian Jews from the Sudan, despite opposition from the rest of the Arab world.

(Continued on page 26)

Q. “Who has heard such a thing?” A. Of all the generations who ever lived from Isaiah until May 14, 1948, only this generation can answer that question, “We Have.” Q. “Who has seen such things?” A. When Isaiah asked that question, circa 680 B.C.— and for another 2,500 years after that, the answer was “nobody.” Jewish Voice Today

j e w i s h h o l i d ay | J o n at h a n b e r n i s

Messiah,

our Passover Lamb

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household . . . . On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance. —Exodus 12:1-3, 12-14 A Seder Plate is the traditional Jewish plate used during the Passover dinner.

A Kiddush Cup is the special goblet used during the Kiddush blessing, or the Hebraic blessing over the wine, at the beginning of Shabbat and before Jewish festival meals. 16 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

he Passover Exodus is the watershed event in Jewish history. Indeed, it is a momentous event for all mankind. However, many Believers may not fully comprehend the relevance of Passover within the context of the majestic atoning work of God. In grasping the profound truths embodied in the familiar Passover story, one can more deeply and fully appreciate the redemption in Messiah Yeshua—Jesus, the Lamb of God. The first Believers observed Passover. The Apostle Paul took the Feast to a deeper level, exhorting believers to grasp its symbolism. As we eat the unleavened bread, we must recognize that leaven, or yeast, symbolizes sin. Sin has a cost—it was because of our sin that Messiah was sacrificed. You are a new creation in Messiah! Therefore, rid yourselves of sin, “for Messiah [Christ], our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

The word Passover in Hebrew is Pesach, which means “to pass over.” On that last night in Egypt, death passed over the homes covered by the blood of the lamb. The Aramaic word for lamb is talya, which can mean either “lamb” or “servant.” Isaiah 53 is one of the most succinct prophetic descriptions of Yeshua, depicting Messiah as a Lamb led to the slaughter. In the New Testament, Yeshua is referred to as “the Lamb” approximately 34 times. Let’s look at some of the extraordinary parallels between Yeshua and the Passover Lamb.

An Unblemished Lamb

“The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect . . .” (Exodus 12:5). The Passover lamb was to be in the prime of life and without blemish. Blemish also symbolizes sin. Yeshua, our final and perfect atonement, lived a sinless life.

We have been redeemed out of sin— not with corruptible things such as silver and gold, “but with the precious blood of Messiah, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19). We have been bought with a price, and the spotless Lamb of God made our redemption sure. According to 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Hallelujah!

A Lamb for Each Household

“. . . each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household” (Exodus 12:3). The Word of God is explicit in the Prophets and in the New Covenant that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Just as each household required a lamb, every individual needs atonement, a sacrifice for his or her sin.

When I See the Blood . . .

“ . . . when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13).

including the Israelites. But God promised: “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13). This is the very center of Passover and of the Gospel. I never learned these things growing up celebrating Passover. Although I was taught about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I never understood that God is alive, and I am a sinner in need of atonement. I never grasped deliverance in a meaningful way. The Church often lacks that appreciation. If we don’t appreciate the Old Covenant Scriptures, then we have missed the deep understanding of God’s character as Deliverer and Provider. This is the heart of what the Passover teaches us, taking us through the story of the deliverance of the Hebrew children by the hand and grace of God— deliverance not only out of Egypt, but also from sin and death—by the blood of the Passover Lamb. To read Jonathan’s full article, go to www.jewishvoice.org/messiah_passover_lamb.

Without the shedding of blood, there is no atonement (Leviticus 17:11). God recognized that no man could keep His Law perfectly. But at the center of His Law is His gracious provision: Life for life. In every Israelite and Egyptian home that first Passover night, a lamb had to be sacrificed to spare the firstborn of each family. Here again is a fundamental principle of the Good News—all have sinned and are guilty. God has pronounced judgment on all, making no distinction between Jew and Gentile. The wages of sin is death. That night the Angel of Death was to smite the firstborn,

JVMI Messianic Passover Seder Kit Make Passover a family tradition! Celebrate this ancient, yet timeless biblical tradition with Jonathan Bernis and his family. Kit includes Messianic Passover DVD, Haggadah, Pesach, Seder Plate, Kiddush Cup, Elijah Cup, 2 candle holders, and Matzah Cover! Jonathan Bernis gives step by step instructions for the Passover Seder meal, and shows how Yeshua (Jesus) is the fulfillment of Passover.

order #3160 | $250.00 GIFT

Jewish Voice Today

O n to p i c | b i l l k o e n i g

s we watch the rapid unfolding of events in Israel, on her borders, and around the Middle East, we need to keep in mind and in our prayers that these times are biblically significant and must happen prior to Yeshua’s return to Jerusalem.

that was written about by the Jewish prophets of the Bible more than 2,000 years ago.

In my final issue of “Koenig’s Eye View from the White House” for 2011, I wrote that U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are personally responsible for the rapid acceleration of most key final-day events—an extraordinarily breathtaking pace

Today, there is a worldwide obsession over the future status of Jerusalem, which will lead to the final battle for Jerusalem—Armageddon.

God will do with those who come against Jerusalem: “On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves . . . On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:3, 9).

Worldwide Obsession with Jerusalem

The world community wants to divide Jerusalem between the Jews and the Arabs of “Palestine.” It also wants to internationalize Jerusalem so it will no longer be called Jerusalem, Israel—just Jerusalem. Regardless, the Bible speaks clearly about what

J e rus a

The Jewish People Will Look Upon the One Whom They Have Pierced I tell my unsaved Jewish friends that the Bible says God will pour out His Spirit, that there will be a mourning for their sins, which will lead them to mourning for Yeshua whom they have pierced, and that Yeshua will return to Jerusalem to begin His 1,000-year earthly reign.

Moreover, I tell them that the Jewish People, who greatly desire peace, will not have lasting peace or see the Messiah until they say,

Is God 18 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

“Blessed is He (Yeshua) that comes in the name of the Lord.” Two Bible passages, in particular, speak of this: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and of supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son” (Zechariah 12:10).

2. The White House and the U.S. State Department have ordered federal government offices to scrub Israel from Jerusalem. 3. The Muslim Brotherhood deputy head, Rashad Bayoumi, told the Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat that the Muslim Brotherhood would not recognize Israel and will work to cancel the 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.

7. Jewish financier George Soros has a plot to collapse the Netanyahu government through funding the J Street lobby and anti-Israel NGOs (non-governmental organizations). 8. The European Union said in December that Israel has no legitimate claim to the land of Judea and Samaria. 9. The Vatican, the World Council of Churches, and the National Council of Churches continue to call on Obama and the world community to pressure Israel to leave Arab land.

. . . the Jewish People, who greatly desire peace, will not have lasting peace or see the Messiah until they say, “Blessed is He (Yeshua) that comes in the name of the Lord.”

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Matthew 23:37-39).

Areas for Prayer Israel is facing the most dangerous time in history because of the following: 1. Hillary Clinton called Israeli settlements “illegitimate” shortly before the United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning continued Israeli settlement expansion as illegal.

4. There has been fallout from the harsh rhetoric of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and fanatical Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad—whose country is determined to develop a nuclear weapon. 5. Some of Israel’s worst enemies are secular leftist Jews in media and politics in Israel and in the media in the United States. 6. There is an ever-increasing international attempt— headquartered in London, England—to delegitimize Israel.

We must follow Psalm 122:6 by continuing to pray for the salvation of the people of Israel and for the peace of Jerusalem. William Koenig is the director of “Koenig International News” (http://watch.org), an Internet news service with readers and e-mail subscribers in 50 states and 105 countries, and has been a White House correspondent since January 2001. Koenig publishes an online weekly news report called “Koenig’s Eye View from the White House” that focuses on biblically relevant world news and White House news from a Christian perspective. He has authored Eye to Eye: Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel, which is in its 14th printing, and published the book in Hebrew.

od's Time Clock Jewish Voice Today

o n to p i c | j a c k z i m m e r m a n

Why the Church Hasn’t Been Successful in Reaching Jewish People Okay, so which do you want to hear first— the good news, or the bad news? Since you can’t choose because you’re not writing this, I’ll do it for you:

The good news?

The Church is discovering her Jewish roots!

The bad news?

The Church is discovering her Jewish roots!

20 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

t was a hot summer night in Arizona, which means you stay indoors and watch TV. Going outside would be an exercise in futility, in this, the only U.S. state where your car overheats even before you start it up! It was on such a night that I was watching a Christian TV show, and the televangelists expressed excitement over discovering that the roots of their faith were, amazingly, Jewish. At one point, as they spoke in depth about the prayer shawl, they took what must have been about 20 of those shawls, placed them on the stage floor, and wiped or “waved” the floor with them as a “holy ritual” unto the Lord. I wonder if they even considered what Jewish People would think if they were watching this. I will tell you. Many Jewish People would have been offended by seeing what they deem a sacred garment being unfurled on a floor where people walk. While the Church today is beginning to explore the Jewish roots, it has not yet also fully come to recognize the importance of sharing the Good News with the very people who gave them those roots in the first place—the Jews. There are a number of reasons for this.

1. Jews need Yeshua; who knew?

There are two popular schools of thought—either the Jews are God’s Chosen People who therefore don’t need Yeshua to receive salvation, or the Jews are God’s cursed people who therefore don’t merit salvation. The Bible discredits both heresies, as Yeshua tells us in John 14:6 that no one comes to the Father except through Him.

2. Share the Good News with Jewish People; but how?

In a recent conversation I had with a pastor of a large church, he echoed the sentiments of many church leaders I’ve spoken with on this subject. They know that Jewish People need Yeshua just like everyone else, but they also know that Jewish People oftentimes need to hear the Gospel presentation from an Old Testament perspective, and they’re not entirely sure how to do that, because no one’s ever come to teach them and their congregation how to go about it. Jewish Voice can help; our speakers (including myself) travel the world and are always more than happy to come to churches to speak in depth about this subject, and on many other topics as well. If your church can accommodate us, we’ll be there!

3. There’s a price to pay for excess baggage.

And it doesn’t only apply to the airlines, folks. Let’s be honest: 2,000 years of anti-Jewish sentiment on the part of the Church hasn’t done much for the cause of bringing Jewish People to Yeshua. I applaud the ever-increasing numbers of churches that are trying to heal the wounds of the past and that make it a point to convey the fact that those who were responsible for Jewish persecution do not fit the definition of a Christian in the first place. But reversing the trend takes time.

4. Jews? What Jews?

I always enjoy sharing the story of a time several years back when I was speaking in a rural town in Washington State, and a well-meaning Christian woman came up to me and asked if I were Jewish. When I replied, “yes,” she said, “Can I touch you?” After pondering this for about five seconds, I said, “I have two questions for you: First, why? . . . and second, where?” It was the first time in her life that she had ever met a Jewish Person! Considering that the vast majority of communities have little or no Jewish population, churches may not see the relevance of trying to reach a people group who don’t even have a presence in their local area. But think about this: Do you notice how there are many churches that post photos of their missionaries who are serving different people groups in different parts of the world? Most of those people groups are not in the church’s immediate community either, yet the church has correctly deduced that those people are in need of hearing the Good News proclaimed. Indeed, when we take a broader look at the Great Commission, we see that Yeshua encouraged His

disciples not only to share the message of salvation within their own communities, but to also go out into all the world to do so.

5. Evangelism? Hey, we got that!

From a reading of Romans 9:1-3, one thing you notice is how ironic it is that the only group Paul mentioned specifically by name as being in the most desperate need of evangelism is the only group that churches somehow manage to avoid evangelizing. Thankfully, there are the exceptions—I’d like to express my profound gratitude here to those denominations who see the need to develop evangelism programs to all people, and that includes the Jews. One such denomination that comes to mind is the Anglican Church of North America. This denomination has made it a priority to share the Good News with Jewish People. They understand that since the Word of God is the same yesterday, today, and always, when God said yesterday He would bless those who bless Israel, the greatest way to bless Israel and her people is by sharing the message of eternal life with Jewish People. If you think the Anglican Church’s idea is a new concept, think again. I leave you with the words of Arthur Glasser, Dean Emeritus of Fuller Seminary, one of the foremost centers of Christian education in the world. He got it. He recognized that the need to share the Good News with Jewish People is a necessary mandate to all of God’s people, as you will read in the following quote: We wish to charge the Church, as a whole, to do more than merely include the Jewish people in their evangelistic outreach. We would encourage an active response to the mandate of Romans 1:16 calling for evangelism “to the Jew first.” For this we have the precedent of a great Jewish missionary, the Apostle Paul. Though sent to the Gentile world, he never relinquished his burden for his own kinsmen after the flesh. Wherever he traveled, he first visited the synagogue before presenting Christ to the Gentiles. So it must be in every generation. We must provide a priority opportunity for our Jewish friends to respond to the Messiah . . . . More; we feel it incumbent on Christians in all traditions to reinstate the work of Jewish evangelism in their missionary obedience. Jewish-oriented programs should be developed. Appropriate agencies for Jewish evangelism should be formed. And churches everywhere should support those existing institutions which are faithfully and lovingly bearing a Christian witness to the Jewish people. Jack Zimmerman is a staff evangelist at Jewish Voice, and an ordained Messianic Jewish rabbi. If you would like Jack to speak at your church, congregation, or event, visit www.jewishvoice.org/speakers.

Jewish Voice Today

O n to p i c | D r . R ay m o n d L . g a n n o n

Nothing Super about

Supersessionism! F

irst century Messianic Jewish relations with both the Jewish and new Gentile Christian communities were soundly established upon the obvious realization that New Covenant Messianic faith was divinely poured forth through a Jewish vessel. The Messianic/Christian debt to Hebrew Scripture, Jewish exegesis, and divine revelation were evident to all Believers. In fact, Jewish-Christian relations, in spite of second and third century Christian elitist assaults upon all things Jewish, continued with good rhythm and solid relationship till late in the fourth century. But the “beginning of the end” of the conviction that Jewish and Christian camps had been birthed from a common spiritual fount took on catastrophic setback from the second century. Students of the history of interfaith relations between Jews and Christians will recall that Justin Martyr crafted his “Dialogue with Trypho the Jew” on the heels of the Bar Kochba uprising in Roman Palestine in 135 C.E. The “Dialogue” was finally published in 150 C.E. some 15 years before Justin’s martyrdom. Here Justin made his strong case for a “New Israel,” a “True Israel,” in replacement of biblical Israel.

Although we find traces of potential insipient warnings against “replacement theology” (Supersessionism) in the Book of Romans, it seems Paul attacks it at its roots and eradicates the problem at least in Rome until well into the second century. But from Justin’s time and forward, an increasingly hostile Christian disposition developed toward not only the Jewish People, the God of the Hebrew Bible (the demiurge), and Jewish cultural expression of any variety, but even Christian antagonism toward the Torah itself. The Hebrew Bible was the only sound historical and theological foundation for Christianity as Paul makes plain. Yet an anti-Hebrew Bible sentiment was deliberately fostered by Marcion, a brilliant businessman and the son of a Christian bishop who chose to castigate all things Jewish on principle. He contended that the New Testament was a revelation of the real God and Father of Yeshua, the loving God of spirit and grace, as opposed to the Jewish God of the Hebrew Bible, a lesser and hateful deity who was quite willing to preoccupy Himself with material creation. Anything associated with Jewish earthly concerns and life on the planet was considered vastly inferior to all things spiritual and heavenly. Jews, Jewish

22 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

religion and culture, even Jewish natural affinity with the Promised Land and patriotism were regarded as carnal, this worldly, inferior, and “Jewish.” Unfortunately, while Marcion and his Gnostic-informed condemnation of the Hebrew Bible was considered heretical and he himself and his doctrines were condemned by church authorities, many Christians and Christian leaders have been seriously impacted by this anti-Hebrew Bible, anti-Jewish practice, and anti-Torah sentiment. Scholars and preachers guilty of iso-gesis (reading things INTO the Scripture that are not there) over the centuries have

attempted to make the New Testament party to that same anti-Hebrew Bible mentality. For historical reasons too complex to explain here, the Church fathers sought to create a new “wall of partition” between Jewish and Christian people. The natural affinity Jews and Christians enjoyed in

Christian negation of all things Jewish assured Jewish resistance to the Gospel message.

This Christian elitist antipathy toward Jews and Judaism became woven into the fabric of Christian theology and thereby into Western civilization. Martin Luther and the other reformers inherited this anti-Jewish theological The Christian negation of posture and cultural prejuLuther, heralded as the all things Jewish assured dice. Father of the Reformation Jewish resistance to the and an avid student of Paul, is credited for his justificaGospel message. tion by faith emphasis as newly discovered in Romans. But in the the second and third centuries alarmed the Church fathers who borrowed from processing of his new insights, he took both Justin and Marcion to support an severe liberties to castigate the Jewish anti-Judaic Christian theology of Israel. People, even Jewish Believers in Yeshua. This would not only result in thousands His instilled cultural dread of Jews and of assaults upon Jewish People over all things Jewish, as fostered both by the next 1,500 years or so, but it also his Augustinian theological traincrippled Christian self-understanding. ing and blatant 16th century cultural prejudices, pushed This result can be portrayed as a onehim into the entirely legged runner attempting to run a unrealistic perspective marathon. He will not only make bad time, he will never make it at of presuming that newly all. God intended for Israel established European and the apostolic fruit of Protestantism was Jewish efforts at winning at risk of being non-Jews to Yeshua fully swalto labor for the Kingdom in total partnership under Yeshua. The

lowed up by massive Christian conversion to Judaism. This bizarre perspective led Luther to craft during the final decade of his life a horrific written sermonic siege upon the Jewish world. That collection informed much of the Western expressions of anti-Semitism over the centuries that followed and has contributed to Islamic attacks upon “All Israel” today. Modern Christians need to repent of ingesting without the constraint of proper investigation all the anti-Semitic heritage that has been passed along as “sound” Christian theological conviction over the last 1,800 years. It is time for the Church to fairly treat the New Testament so as to come to the proper realization it is a Jewish-friendly book that can, as God intended, be utilized to bring “All Israel” to faith in our generation. Raymond L. Gannon (Ph.D., Hebrew University, Jerusalem) has been on the forefront of Jewish evangelism, Messianic congregational planting, and Bible College and Seminary teaching for more than four decades. He is the Chief Academic Officer of the Jewish Voice Messianic Studies Department, directing the Messianic Jewish Studies Program at The King's University as well as the Jewish Voice Institute of Messianic Studies (JVIMS), while also serving as the Vice President of Academic Affairs for the Jewish Voice Messianic Career Institute (MCI).

Jewish Voice Today

Called to Full-Time

Jewish Ministry? The Jewish Voice Messianic Career Institute (MCI) May Be Your Answer! Opening September 2012, this two-year, full-time, Phoenix-based program is a Messianic “West Point” that combines rigorous academic training with practical experience to equip and send out both devoted Messianic Jews and Christians into the Jewish harvest. Six Courses Each in These Academic Subjects: ▶▶ Tanak (Hebrew Scriptures) ▶▶ Brit Chadashah (New Testament) ▶▶ Jewish and Christian History and Culture ▶▶ Practical Theology ▶▶ Hebrew: Modern, Biblical, and Liturgical Plus, Practical Experience: ▶▶ Hands-on experience in various departments at Jewish Voice Ministries International (Outreach, Media, Publications, and more!) ▶▶ Opportunities to serve in local Messianic synagogues

Enrollment is limited, and full-tuition scholarships are available for qualified applicants. Call the Jewish Voice Messianic Career Institute at 602-288-9891, visit www.MessianicCareerInstitute.com, or write Dr. Raymond L. Gannon, Chief Academic Officer, at messianicstudies@jewishvoice.org for more information.

New Revised

Edition!

a rabbi looks at jesus of nazareth With warmth and transparency, Jewish Voice’s own Messianic 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. 240 pages, hardcover.

Order #9090 | $25.00 GIFT

24 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

Gift pricing includes shipping & handling.

Order

Call toll free: 1-888-921-4582 Or shop our secure webstore: www.JewishVoiceToday.org

(Continued from page 11) demonstrates the love and reverence the Puritans had for Jewish history. In contrast to Jews’ historical relationship to Catholic Europe, this was a seismic shift. Building on this foundation, Constitutional framers like Thomas Jefferson fought and won the battle to separate the State from the Church. The effect was a new right—a right to the freedom of religion from the tyranny practiced in the preceding centuries in Europe. The net effect, for the Jewish People, was more freedom and prosperity than they had ever known in Europe. This is not to suggest that America was free from its own unique forms of anti-Semitism. However, in contrast to the centuries of a perfected art of European anti-Semitism, this was the “new” Promised Land for Jewish People.

The Evangelicals and the Jewish People Over the past 30 years, I have had the privilege of traveling to Israel some 68 times. Many of these trips were for the filming of various projects. As a result of the airing of some of our programs on the BBC, Fox Television, and distributed to the PBS audiences, I have been asked to speak to Jewish groups. One such event took place several years ago in the uber-wealthy community of Brentwood, California. I was there to address a group of several hundred Jewish leaders. In the Q & A session following my lecture, I was asked the quintessential pejorative question, from a Jewish perspective: “Do the Evangelicals support Israel just so they can convert them to Christianity?” Needless to say, I took a long and deep breath. I fully understood the implication behind the question. Furthermore, I knew from my years of building deep friendships with American Jews and

Israelis that the Jewish People did not differentiate between Catholic and Protestant. Catholics, and every stripe of the Protestant Reformation, were collectively responsible for the sum of all forms of anti-Semitism of the past 17 centuries.

teaching of St. Paul. This acceptance of Jews, and the teachings of the Old Testament as central to Evangelical theology, is a direct result of the English Reformation and right for common men to read the entire Bible, Old and New, in English.

After several long moments, as I studied the faces in the audience, I decided to answer the question with a question. “Allow me to ask you this: As the Jewish People, you have faced down bloodthirsty tyrants like Haman. You have survived the savagery of the Czars and Cossacks. You found a way to live through and survive the greatest threat to the Jews in all of history by outliving the demonic hatred of Hitler and his minions . . . Now, tell me this: If some little old lady from Alabama comes up to you and tells you that Jesus loves you, in a Southern drawl, are you going to be intimidated and offended that she has attempted to proselytize you? In my opinion, you are well educated, well traveled, and an extraordinarily sophisticated people, and for that matter, tough enough to deal with the words ‘Jesus loves you.’ You said no to Hitler, you said no to the Czars. My sense is that if some kindhearted Christian goes out of his way to share the Gospel, you can say no, as well.”

At the end of the day, Evangelicals welcome all the peoples of the earth, along with Jews, to follow the Messiah. They do not discriminate by race. Furthermore, when it comes to Israel, Evangelicals have not and will not make their support conditioned upon the Jews accepting Jesus as Messiah. From an Evangelical perspective, Israel is the result of a divine and unconditional promise to Abraham and cannot be broken. To put a fine point on it, the Jews of the Old Testament period and the Jews of the 21st century are the Chosen People.

After several seconds of quiet tension, the audience broke into laughter and applause. As I have told countless Jews in my various public appearances and one on one, the Evangelicals support Israel and the Jewish People because of their deep reverence for the Bible. They take the Bible literally as the Word of God. Thus, Christians are commanded to “bless” the Jews. Additionally, Evangelicals, unlike the Catholics of the third century, have no desire to displace the “Elder Brother.” In fact, they wholeheartedly embrace the “Elder Brother” and the teaching that Christianity is a mere branch grafted into the Jewish Olive Tree, per the

As I travel all over the world and meet with Evangelicals from China to the remotest parts of Africa, there is one thing that Evangelicals want the Jews of Israel, America, and the world to know, and it is this: You’re Not Alone, any more. Bill McKay has for more than thirty years thrived as an author, filmmaker, and researcher. As founder of American Trademark Pictures, McKay has produced and written countless television specials, documentaries, radio programs, and docudrama films. In 2006‐2010 his docudrama series Against All Odds: Israel Survives became an international television hit.

Against all odds: Israel survives This 13-part dramatic television series and docudrama for theatrical release, starring former CNN correspondent Michael Greenspan, explores the question: Why has Israel survived and succeeded against all the odds?

Order #6000 | $65.00 gift

Jewish Voice Today

Jewish Voice Institute for Messianic Studies Online Equipping Ministry

ANNOUNCES Completely RE-VAMPED Course Program

Introducing Six New JVIMS Courses in 2012:

• • • • • •

Traditional Jewish Life and Religion Modern Jewish Values and Yeshua Yeshua and the Spirit of Prophecy Christian Zionism and Yeshua Fall Festivals: New Year to Tabernacles Spring Festivals: Passover to Pentecost

(Continued from page 15) Israel's regathering follows Isaiah's exact outline; forced from the East and West, wrested from the grasp of the North and South.

Never in all of recorded history has there been an event more clearly prophesied nor literally fulfilled than the restoration of the Jews to the same piece of geographic real estate from which they had been evicted—not once, but twice. For twenty-five centuries, the prophecies were locked away in a sort of “box” by divine decree. Israel is the key that unlocks the box. When the Prophet Daniel was shown his vision of events concerning the Antichrist and the Last Days, Daniel was stunned at what he saw: “I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, ‘My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?’ He replied, ‘Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end’” (Daniel 12:8-9). Israel's national redemption process began with its national restoration. It is a process that continues until the fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10 at His Second Advent. “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”

Each course consists of seven lectures over a three-week period Learn online through video sessions No quizzes or reading required Only $39 per course Additional courses to be added throughout the year

To get notified by email as courses become available, contact Dr. Raymond L. Gannon at: info@jvims.com 26 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

Israel is God's time clock—its existence was foretold in detail from the point in Israel's history in which its revival seemed the least likely by individuals who had the least reason to expect that prophecy would ever be fulfilled. To underscore its divine importance, God has surrounded the revival of Israel with one miracle after another, so that there would be no mistake. Jesus promised, “This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened” (Matthew 24:34). The clock started ticking on that generation on May 14, 1948. (The nation of Israel will turn 64 next month.) Maranatha! Jack Kinsella is the founder and publisher of the Omega Letter (www.omegaletter. com). Jack is head writer of The Hal Lindsey Report television program and former head writer for This Week in Bible Prophecy. Jack is the author of more than two thousand columns on current events and Bible prophecy.

Pray for the Peace of

Jerusalem:

May they prosper who love you Psalm 122:6 JVMI Speakers Will Equip & Inspire You Invite a Jewish Voice speaker to your church congregation, camp, conference, or special event. Jewish Voice Ministries International brings doctrinally sound, unique, and insightful presentations  to help equip your congregation to build up the body of Messiah (Ephesians 4:12).

Contact

Sample Topics • The Palestinian Myth: Who’s Land Is It Anyway? • The Truth about Islam • Passover Seder and much more. . .

Jewish Voice Ministries International | Church Relations Department

800-299-YESHUA | 602.288.5424 | speakers@jvmi.org | www.jewishvoice.org/speakers

“The Tree of Life Bible is a wonderful new Bible. Jews and Gentiles will love this Bible.” —Daniel Juster, Th.D. Messianic rabbis, leaders, scholars, artists, professors, psalmists, linguists, writers, and parents came together to work on this groundbreaking version that is meant for the entire family to read and enjoy together.

Order #9087 | $20.00 Gift

To order, call toll free: 1-888-921-4582, or shop online at: jewishvoicetoday.org Jewish Voice Today

RESOURCES Pesach: The Feast of Passover Discover the full meaning behind the ancient traditions of this wonderful Jewish celebration in this new minibook from Rabbi Jonathan Bernis. Learn how the feast is celebrated and how the different elements of the Seder point to the work of Yeshua as the Lamb of God.

order #9255 | $10.00 GIFT

Messianic Passover Haggadah Haggadah means, “the telling” and is a Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder. The full color Messianic Passover Haggadah from Jewish Voice is a wonderful tool you can use in your own Passover Seder!

Passover order #9402 | $10.00 GIFT

A Rabbi Looks at Jesus of Nazareth NEW REVISED EDITION!

Rabbi Jonathan Bernis shares a compelling case—with overwhelming evidence that can be traced to the Torah itself—for Jesus as Messiah. 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. 240 pages, hardcover.

Order #9090 | $25.00 GIFT

28 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

order #3160 | $250.00 GIFT

How to Share Yeshua

Discover the steps you can take to share the joy of Yeshua (Jesus) and His gift of grace. You too can be prepared to give a reason for your faith to the Jewish People in your life.

Order #8559 | $15.00 GIFT

Guest Authors Against All Odds: The Feature Film Israel’s rebirth and survival in the 20th century has been called a miracle. Those who were there cite their own experiences as proof. These are their stories. Completed in 2006 and as timely as today’s headlines, Against All Odds: Israel Survives is a powerful and uplifting spiritual journey through Israel’s turbulent history.

order #6001 | $30.00 GIFT

Tree of life messianic family bible

Against All Odds: The Complete First Season Modern-day Israel is truly a divine wonder of the current age. How has it triumphed through four major wars and survived relentless terrorist attacks? Meet the actual people who lived through what can only be described as miracles of biblical proportions, and share their remarkable stories in this 13-episode series. 6 DVD set of the First Complete Season as seen on television. Not Rated.

The new, groundbreaking Tree of Life Messianic Family Bible is the combined work of Messianic rabbis, leaders, scholars, artists, professors, psalmists, linguists, writers, and parents. It is meant for the entire family to read and enjoy together.

order #9087 | $20.00 GIFT

order #6000 | $65.00 GIFT

Order

Gift pricing includes shipping & handling.

Call toll free:

1-888-921-4582

Confessing the Hebrew Scriptures The first of the series is Adonai (Jehovah Rof•e•cha), The Lord Your Healer. This first workbook is a compilation of healing Scriptures that contain the English, Hebrew, and transliteration from the Hebrew. Each workbook is also filled with beautiful pictures and an accompanying CD with every Scripture recited in Hebrew by a native Israeli, so you hear the correct pronunciation.

Order #8685 | $40.00 Gift

Or shop our secure webstore:

www.JewishVoiceToday.org Jewish Voice Today

Where to Watch!

J e w i s h V o i ce w i t h jonat h an b ern i s | b roadcast N E W S

Jewish Voice with Jonathan Bernis

BROADCAST

GUIDE NATIONAL

TV STATION

El Paso, TX KSCE-TV 38 National Angel One National TCC-Church Channel National NRB Network National Cornerstone National TCC-Church Channel National Angel One National CTN National TBN Orlando, FL WTGL National Daystar National WHT National NRB Network National Angel One National Daystar National NRB Network KSCE-TV 38 El Paso, TX Orlando, FL WACX-TV 9 Cleveland, OH WGGN-TV 52 GEB National National GEB National WHT National Angel One National Daystar National NRB Network National GEB National TCC-Church Channel National Angel One Phoenix, AZ KPAZ-TV 21 National GEB National Daystar National Cornerstone CTN National National NRB Network National Angel One KSCE-TV 38 El Paso, TX Orlando, FL WACX-TV 9 National Cornerstone Orlando, FL WTGL Orlando, FL WACX-TV 9

TIME PERIOD

Mon 2:00am (CST) Mon 4:00am (EST) Mon 4:30am (PST) Mon 4:30am (EST) Mon 7:30am (EST) Mon 7:30am (PST) Mon 8:00am (EST) Mon 9:30am (EST) Mon 10:30am (PST) Mon 1:30pm (EST) Mon 3:00pm (CST) Mon 7:30pm (EST) Mon 11:00pm (EST) Tue 8:30am (EST) Tue 10:00am (CST) Tue 6:30pm (EST) Tue 7:30pm (CST) Tue 9:00pm (EST) Tue 7:30pm (EST) Tue 5:00pm (CST) Tue 7:00pm (CST) Wed 1:30am (EST) Wed 8:00am (EST) Wed 12:30pm (CST) Wed 6:30pm (EST) Wed 1:00pm (CST) Thu 8:30am (PST) Thu 8:30am (EST) Thu 9:30am (MST) Thu 11:00am (CST) Thu 12:30pm (CST) Thu 5:30pm (EST) Thu 6:00pm (EST) Fri 4:00am (EST) Fri 8:00am (EST) Fri 8:30am (CST) Fri 11:00am (EST) Fri 11:30am (EST) Fri 12:30pm (EST) Fri 3:00pm (EST)

NATIONAL

TV STATION

National Cornerstone Orlando, FL WACX-TV 9 National Angel One Orlando, FL WTGL National Angel One Philadelphia, PA WFMZ National Cornerstone National TCC-Church Channel Orlando, FL WACX-TV 9 El Paso, TX KSCE-TV 38 National WHT Orlando, FL WTGL National NRB Network National Angel One Cleveland, OH WGGN-TV 52 National GEB

INTERNATIONAL TV STATION

Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada Canada UK UK

Miracle (CJIL) Miracle (CJIL) Miracle (CJIL) Miracle (CJIL) Miracle (CJIL) Miracle (CJIL) Miracle (CJIL) Miracle (CJIL)

KICC TV KICC TV

India/Asia/Israel International Global International Global Russia Russia Russia Russia South America & SW Texas

Miracle Net (MNET) God TV (US) God TV Global God TV (US) God TV Global CNL Russia LIFE TV Russia LIFE TV Russia LIFE TV Russia La Familia/Nacion

TIME PERIOD

Sat 7:30pm (EST)

Sun 12:30am (EST) Sun 1:30am (EST) Sun 7:00am (EST) Sun 10:00am (EST) Sun 9:30am (EST) Sun 12:00pm (EST) Sun 3:00pm (PST) Sun 4:30pm (EST) Sun 5:00pm (CST) Sun 12:00pm (EST) Sun 7:00pm (EST) Sun 7:00pm (EST) Sun 8:30pm (EST) Sun 9:30pm (EST) Sun 12:30pm (CST)

TIME PERIOD

Mon 2:00am (MST) Mon 10:00pm (MST) Tue 10:30am (MST) Tue 9:00pm (MST) Fri 5:00am (MST) Sun 2:00am (MST) Sun 2:30pm (MST) Sun 9:00pm (MST)

Thu 12:30pm London Fri 11:00pm London Wed 7:30am India Tue 12:00pm Tue 12:00pm Thu 12:00pm Thu 12:00pm Sun 11:55am Tue 8:00pm Wed 12:00pm Wed 3:00am Various

www.jewishvoice.org/TVshow | Check with your local service provider for the most current information. 30 JewishVoiceToday.org | March/April 2012

Your Ticket to Global Missions!

Latin America

Mexico City, Mexico

Hear O’ Israel! Festival of Jewish Music & Dance Mexico City

)

exico City is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Latin America, numbering more than 75,000 Jewish People. Come and minister to those who do not yet know that their Messiah has come by joining our evangelistic street outreach team, our altar and prayer intercessory team, and so much more during the three-night Messianic concert event. Be a part of history as God inspires these Jewish hearts through a celebration of Jewish history and heritage and challenges souls through the heart-changing Gospel of Yeshua. It’s a celebration of culture that is guaranteed to change a life – maybe even yours!

August 31 - September 9, 2012 For more information or to register, visit www.jewishvoice.org/outreach or call 1-800-299-YESHUA. Jewish Voice Today

Israel Tour

2012

November 30 - December 11, 2012

My family and I invite you to join us for the tour of a lifetime in the Land where Yeshua walked!

Reserve Your Spot Now! Call: 800-299-YESHUA Email: tours@jewishvoice.org Web: jewishvoice.org/IsraelTour