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Monday, August 13, 2018
Building III Temple of Jerusalem
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Update on the Building of the Third Temple
Those who believe Scripture contains a literal fulfillment of the biblical covenants for the Jewish people and the Land of Israel recognize rebuilding the Temple is part of this promised future. In Jeremiah’s presentation of the New Covenant for Israel, we read:
Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. In those days Judah shall be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she shall be called: the LORD is our righteousness.’ For thus says the LORD, ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to prepare sacrifices continually.
- Jeremiah 33:14–18, NASB
This passage speaks about the Messianic Age when all Israel will be saved and restored to the Land of Israel. At that time, a righteous descendant of David, the Messiah, will sit on the throne in Jerusalem, and the Temple will again stand complete with its Levitical priesthood. If this is to be a future reality, is there any sign of preparation for a third Temple in Israel today?
Since 1987, when the Temple Movement began preparations for the rebuilding of the Third Temple, efforts to see this become a reality in the 21st century have been slowly progressing. While modern Israel and a large percentage of the Jewish people throughout the Diaspora are secular, Orthodox Jews do not believe these people will play a role in the rebuilding of the Temple since it is a spiritual work. It is Orthodox Jews who revived the Sanhedrin, the religious body that supervised the halachic (legal) issues related to the Temple and who intend to see it rebuilt in a proper way.
The importance to Orthodox Jews of rebuilding the Temple lies in its role in the redemption of the world, which they believe can only take place once the Temple is rebuilt. Gershon Salomon is director of the Temple Mount Faithful, an organization that has been trying to prepare Israeli society to accept and promote the rebuilding of the Temple through demonstrations at the Temple site, the construction of a cornerstone for the Third Temple, and the making of various Temple-related utensils. Salomon has said: “[Building the Third Temple] is an act which must be done to complete the redemption of the people of the Bible in the Land of the Bible. I cannot imagine an Israeli State or Israeli life in this country without the Temple Mount in the center of this life.”
However, many religious Jews do not support this idea because they have adopted a Diaspora mentality and a spiritualized way of thinking, which sets aside hope in a literal fulfillment of the biblical prophecies regarding a future Temple. For them, the present political situation on the Temple Mount with Muslims controlling the site is acceptable. Jewish leaders in the Temple Movement believe the Jewish people are not living on the spiritual level God intended because of the absence of the Shekinah (Divine Presence) from the world. Rabbi Chaim Richman, Director of the Temple Institute, which has produced all the ritual vessels necessary for the function of the Temple and works to train priests for this future work, says there is a connection between the need for a new level of spiritual attainment and the rebuilding of the Temple: “The Shekinah is brought about only through the Temple.…In terms of our mission as a people, we cannot in any way reach our spiritual status without the Temple.” For Orthodox Jews committed to reestablishing the Temple, both the present problems of the world and the problems faced by the Jewish people will be solved only by rebuilding.
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Are we any closer to the rebuilding of the Temple today? The world is radically opposed to Israel’s claims in Jerusalem, much less their contested ownership of the Temple Mount. On a practical level, Jews are banned by Israeli law from praying at the site, and those who visit are daily accosted by Muslims, such as the Women in Black, who maintain a constant vigil on Jewish presence at the site. In addition, the Islamic authorities officially deny that a Temple ever existed at the site. Nevertheless, recent developments have contributed to the Temple Movement’s goals and the realization of the rebuilding of the Temple in our lifetime.
Answering the charge of denial a Jewish Temple ever existed on the site, archaeologists discovered in decades-old research that the site of the Al-Aqsa mosque, which Muslims believe was built by Abraham, was once a place for Jewish ritual preparation for entering the Temple. The evidence for this came from a report filed by British archaeologist Robert Hamilton who had documented excavations of the mosque’s foundations after it was destroyed in an earthquake in 1927. He discovered beneath the floor of the mosque the remains of a Jewish miqveh (ritual pool used for purification). It dated to the time of the Second Temple when Jews immersed at this site before entering the Temple precincts. These findings, hidden deep in the British Mandatory archives department because they embarrassed Muslim officials, now provide evidence that the ancient Temple stood on the modern Temple Mount and was a place of Jewish presence.
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Do you want to know how to pray for Israel in greater detail and depth? Jewish Voice Ministries has put together this Intercessory Prayer Guide for Israel that provides focused, targeted requests to help you pray for the nation of God’s People. We hope this prayer guide can help both Messianic Jews and Christians pray their support for Israel.
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Concerning the preparations for the Temple service, the Sanhedrin has taken steps necessary for reinstating future Temple service. One project of the group has been the planting of the Biblical Temple forest which will serve the agricultural needs of the Third Temple. Rabbi Hillel Weiss, spokesman for the Sanhedrin, explained that the Temple provided a link between the land and the Divine: “When people think about sacrifices, they think about animals and blood, but most were from plants grown around Israel.”
Rabbi Richman, also a member of the Sanhedrin, has been heading a project to restore the sacred Red Heifer to Israel. According to Numbers 19, the ashes of the Red Heifer mixed with water are a necessary element for purifying Jews to enable them to do service in the Temple. During the time of the First and Second Temples, a span of approximately 1,000 years, only nine Red Heifers were used in preparing the waters used to purify Jews. According to Jewish tradition, the tenth one will be used by the Messiah. Richman and other rabbis of the Temple Institute are providing halachic supervision and guidance in partnership with an Israeli cattleman who is an expert in the science of animal husbandry. He is utilizing the technique of implanting the frozen embryos of the Red Angus cattle, which originally come from North America, into Israeli domestic cattle. A red heifer cannot be transported to Israel for use in the Red Heifer ceremony, because the animal cannot have ever worn a yoke and must be born in the Land of Israel. The project is the culmination of years of research at the Temple Institute that fuses ancient religious texts and modern science.
The Sanhedrin and the Temple Movement also hold reenactments of Temple ceremonies for the training of those who are from the priestly class known as Kohanim. This training involves special schooling on the duties of the priests, the use of ritual vessels created for use in the Third Temple, and practice on a newly constructed altar of burnt offering. This altar is unique because it was designed to be disassembled and quickly reassembled in its proper permanent location, because the people of Israel are required to build an altar exclusively on the site of the original altar on Mount Moriah, the Temple Mount. When the time is right, it will be re-assembled on the Mount in the Temple, enabling the sacrificial service to be resumed without delay.
"For Orthodox Jews committed to reestablishing the Temple, both the
present problems of the world and the problems faced by the Jewish people
will be solved only by rebuilding."
Another recent rediscovery of the Temple Institute has been the revival of the science of producing biblical crimson. This dye was used in the garments of the High Priest, the parochet (the massive curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place in the Temple), and was an ingredient used in the mixture combined with ashes of the Red Heifer. Professor Zohar Amar of Bar Ilan University discovered that the eggs of the tola’at shani (crimson worm) found in modern Israel would produce the crimson dye.
While the Temple Movement continues to prepare for the rebuilding of the Temple, most understand that some political action must take place to reverse the present situation of control of the Mount by Muslims, in order to allow for Jewish access. This currently may be in process. Concerning the site, Israel’s Supreme Court has stated in its ruling Opinion on the Issue of the Works on the Temple Mount, “The reality on the Temple Mount…is by no means simple. It is extremely delicate and complicated…This is one of those cases in which a judicial ruling is not the reasonable way to decide the dispute, and a decision of this kind goes beyond the boundaries of the law. It is the political echelon, and not the court…that must give content and meaning to the historical call: ‘The Temple Mount is ours’.” In other words, this must be a political, not legal, action. Those who understand Daniel’s prophecy of the seventieth week (Daniel 9:27) know that it is a future political leader, the Antichrist of Revelation 13, who will one day make a deceptive covenant with the Jewish leaders, leading to the rebuilding of the Third Temple.
How might this happen? One possibility was found in an academic book on the politics of the Temple Mount: “Given the emphasis upon the international community’s interest in the sites, under the concept of heritage of humankind, representatives from the international community need to be included as mediators and guarantors. These would likely come from the United Nations (UNESCO) and drawn from regional powers such as the Arab League, NATO, or interested states such as the U.S., the E.U., and Russia…Any proposed legal regime will require interfaith cooperation composed of religious leaders from the region. It may be supplemented by international religious leaders who may serve as mediators.”1 Those who seek to understand biblical prophecy know that the Antichrist will be followed by both political and religious leaders, making this kind of proposal a reality.
It is exciting to see these developments unfold in the Land of Israel regarding the building of a Third Temple as we eagerly watch for the second coming of our Messiah!
1. David Guinn, Protecting Jerusalem’s Holy Sites: A Strategy for
Negotiating a Sacred Peace, Cambridge University Press, 2006,
p. 180-183
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Signs of the Times
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Signs of the Times
Most Believers I speak to today firmly believe we are in the Last Days. Many have become almost obsessed with trying to interpret and unravel the Bible’s mysterious End-Time prophecies, and keep a keen eye on politics and world events—especially those that involve Israel or the Middle East. The news is scrupulously analyzed by many watching for specific prophetic signs: a ten-nation confederacy, the Antichrist’s emergence and identity, the mark of the beast, the rebuilding of the Third Temple, the Bear of the North—Russia— and the cataclysmic rise of catastrophes and natural disasters. Although these signs are indeed found in the Scriptures, they are apocalyptic texts—veiled and cryptic. Not even scholars of eschatology can interpret these texts with a great deal of certainty.
While all the above signs are certainly important, there are other clear signs taking place today that are to varying degrees overlooked or ignored. Yet they are some of the clearest signs we have pointing to the end of the age and the soon return of Yeshua. Indeed, God has given us clear signposts, and He desires we be wise as the men of Issachar, who understood the times . . . (1 Chronicles 12:32 NIV).
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The term Last Days actually has a dual application, referring first to the time period following the death and resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus), and second to the days immediately preceding His return. Looking at Luke 21, one can clearly see this principle: “And while some were talking about the Temple, how it was decorated with beautiful stones and offerings, Yeshua said, ‘As for these things you are looking at, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another. Every one will be torn down!’” (Luke 21:5-6). Herod’s Temple was destroyed and Jerusalem sacked in 70 A.D., fulfilling Yeshua’s words. As you continue reading through the terrible warnings of what is to come, much is applicable to the horrific Roman devastation that occurred at that time. However, verse 24b, “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled,” was not fulfilled until 1967 with the reunification of Jerusalem after the Six-Day War. And verses 25-28 are looking forward to a time yet to come, when Yeshua returns: “There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars. And upon the earth nations will be confused by the roaring of the sea and its waves. People will lose heart from fear and anticipation of what is overtaking the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, stand straight and lift up your heads, because your salvation is near!”
SIGN 1:
A RESTORED ISRAEL AND JEWISH JERUSALEM
A predominant prophetic sign that we are in the “Time of the End” is the re-establishment of Israel, and Jerusalem returning to Jewish sovereignty. These major, and seemingly implausible, events for nearly 2,000 years have to occur before Yeshua’s return. According to the Bible, Yeshua is returning to Israel, and specifically to Jerusalem.
Israel Rebirthed. . . in a Day
After nearly two millennia and a succession of foreign rulers, on May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion declared the restoration of the Jewish State, Israel, saying, “In order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.” Isaiah seemed just as incredulous, challenging: “Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children” (Isaiah 66:8). We have seen it—in our lifetime!
Jerusalem Restored into Jewish Hands
Yeshua himself declared that “Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). In June, 1967 Israel won a miraculous victory by defeating vastly superior Arab armies surrounding her in what came to be known as the Six-Day War. The Jewish people took back the city of Jerusalem after almost 2,000 years, fulfilling this important prophecy. Some argue that because Israel returned sovereignty of the Temple Mount to the Arabs following this victory, this prophecy is not fully realized. I would argue to the contrary.
The Desert Will Bloom and Blossom
The prophet Isaiah saw a time when “The wilderness and dry land will be glad. The desert will rejoice and blossom like a lily” (Isaiah 35:1). It’s almost impossible to believe, but the fledgling State of Israel has developed such revolutionary agricultural methods, that even the sand produces lush crops! In her short time of existence as a modern State, Israel became one of the largest exporters of roses to Europe.
The Hebrew Language Revived
According to the prophet Zephaniah, God would “restore to the people pure speech, so that all of them may call upon the Name of ADONAI and serve Him shoulder to shoulder” (Zephaniah 3:9). In the late 1800s, Russian immigrant to Israel, Eliezer Ben-Yehudah, revived the ancient Hebrew language, giving the returning exiles of Israel a common language.
Israel and Jerusalem are back in Jewish hands. The people of Israel scattered throughout the world are returning to their biblical Land and to their God.
The time of His return is near!
SIGN 2:
ISRAEL SURROUNDED BY CONFLICT AND THE RISE OF GLOBAL ANTI-SEMITISM
Anti-Semitism has existed since the time that Abraham was set apart by God’s call to be a blessing to the families of the earth. There has never been a time when the Jewish people have not been victimized by Satan’s savage attacks against them. Even today in America, the Anti-Defamation League reports the highest level of anti-Semitism since World War II ADL Global 100- Index of anti-Semitism http://www.adl.org).
At its core is Satan fomenting hatred among men against the Children of the God of Israel, generation after generation. He cleverly disguises each campaign with a compelling lie wrapped in a plan designed to rid the world of a perceived ill blamed on the Jews. From the very first attempt to destroy the Jews—Pharaoh’s murder of all the male Hebrew babies—to Herod’s order to kill all male babies under two years old 2,000 years ago, the serpent’s scheme was to defeat God’s plan to bring forth the Messiah of Israel. He failed—miserably!
Yet, the campaign of hatred marches on because the great redemption story is not over. Because the Jewish people and Israel play a major role in Last Days prophecy, Satan is still hard at work opposing God’s plan. The impetus he is using to rally hatred against the Jewish people today is a powerful anti-Israel (and pro-Palestinian) deception, wrapped in false humanitarian claims and causes. Understand: Deception is a hallmark of the Last Days (Matthew 24:11). For the minuscule size of the country, the lack of natural resources, or strategic seaport, one has to question why Israel is always at the center of world controversy—her existence continually hanging in the balance. We see Israel at the epicenter of a boiling cauldron of increasingly violent factions rising up within the vast Arab lands surrounding her. The world has been told, and has almost mindlessly accepted, claims that all unrest in the Middle East is Israel’s fault—that if the Jews would give the Land “back to the Palestinians,” there would be peace in the world, and terrorism would end. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The stage is set to draw all nations into a final cataclysmic showdown in the Middle East; the nations may think it is against Israel, but they will find out it is against her God!
“Moreover, in that day I will make Jerusalem a massive stone for all the people. All who try to lift it will be cut to pieces. Nevertheless, all the nations of the earth will be gathered together against her” (Zechariah 12:3).
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SIGN 3:
THE REGATHERING OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE PHYSICALLY BACK TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL FROM THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH
Israel should not exist. She should have disappeared hundreds, or even thousands, of years ago with the rest of the “ites” of the Bible: the Amalekites, the Hittites, the Canaanites, etc. These and all the other great nations mentioned in Scripture, including the mighty Philistines, have vanished, yet Israel remains—against all odds. For two millennia the Land has been overrun by foreign aggressors, and her people scattered to the far reaches of the earth, and threatened with expulsions, persecution, and annihilation.
Without a homeland until 1948, Israel should have assimilated and ceased to be a recognizable people group. That they did not disappear completely into the cultures in which they settled throughout the world stands as evidence for God’s existence and faithfulness. The Scattered Tribes of Israel are a fascinating mystery to the world, but they are not really lost. The Lord knows where they are. He promised to regather them in the Last Days, and He is doing that in our time!
“’Therefore, the days are quickly coming,’ declares ADONAI, ‘when it will no longer be said. “As ADONAI lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.” Rather, “As ADONAI lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had banished them.” So I will bring them back into their land that I gave to their fathers’” (Jeremiah 16:14-15).
It will also come about in that day that my Lord will again redeem— a second time with His hand— the remnant of His people who remain from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. He will lift up a banner for the nations, and assemble the dispersed of Israel, and gather the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth(Isaiah 11:11-12).
These are the Children of Abraham scattered to Africa, Asia, India, Europe . . . the remote corners of the earth. God is gathering them today, back to Israel—miraculously restored to receive her returning Children: Ethiopian, Chinese, Sephardim, Asian, Russian, and on and on!
Through Jewish Voice you are witnessing this miracle and touching the lives of many of the Remnant of Israel that God is regathering—the Beta Abraham, Beta Israel, and Gefat of Ethiopia; the Yibir Jews of Somaliland; the Lemba Tribe of Zimbabwe; and the Bnei Menashe—the Sons of Manasseh, discovered in far northeastern India!
This aliyah, or return of the Jews to their biblical homeland, is yet another important sign that the Messiah’s return is approaching.
SIGN 4:
THE GOSPEL IS PROCLAIMED TO THE NATIONS
“This Good News of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
The word used in this passage of Scripture is the Greek term ethnos, which actually means “a race,” “a tribe,” or “a people group.” Modern technology makes it possible for the Gospel to be preached to every ethnos—people in the most remote areas of the planet. This is yet another important sign that the Last Days are upon us.
Today the Gospel is being preached to ethnos throughout the world, yet only a handful of ministries are reaching out to the Jews. This is tragic, not only because the Jewish people need to hear the Good News that Messiah has come, but because God has put a high priority on reaching the Children of Israel with the Gospel. Consider Paul’s commitment to this mandate: “After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As was his custom, Paul went to the Jewish people; and for three Shabbatot, he debated the Scriptures with them” (Acts 17:1-2).
Paul not only wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Romans 1:16 NIV), he lived it out on his journeys around the Mediterranean sharing the Gospel. Unfortunately, over the centuries, this mandate to take the Gospel to the Jew first has been lost.
The Gospel is to be preached to the Jew first, and then to the Gentiles. That’s what Paul did, and that’s what we do at Jewish Voice. I believe that every time a Jewish person turns to faith in Yeshua, we move that much closer to Messiah’s return. In fact, Scripture seems to indicate that Jewish people embracing Jesus as Messiah is actually key to His return! “For I tell you, you will not see me again until you [the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem] say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Matthew 23:39 NIV).
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SIGN 5:
THE BLINDNESS COMING OFF THE EYES OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE
“For I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be ignorant of this mystery—lest you be wise in your own eyes—that a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25).
Another astonishing indicator is the phenomena of Jewish people coming to faith in Yeshua all over the world—in numbers not seen since the book of Acts. Through the ministry of Jewish Voice alone, we have seen some 55,000 Jewish people respond to the Gospel since 1999! For more than nineteen centuries, the number of Jews openly professing faith in Yeshua was extremely small, and most were assimilated into the Church. All that changed after 1967. The miraculous return of Jerusalem to the Jewish people sparked a great revival. Often called “The Jesus Movement,” this revival was unique from all previous revivals, as Jews started coming to faith—in significant numbers. The Jesus Movement gave birth to the modern Messianic Movement. Before 1967 there was not a single Messianic Jewish congregation in the world. Today more than 350 Messianic Jewish congregations—nearly 100 in Israel alone—proclaim Messiah with a visibly Jewish witness. And from a trickle over the past 2,000 years, today there are tens of thousands of Jews in the United States who express some level of faith in Yeshua!
In the same way the miraculously restored State of Israel is a visible declaration of divine fulfillment of physical restoration, the Messianic Jewish community is a visible declaration of divine spiritual restoration to all the world. God always keeps His covenants. Satan would like to eradicate the Jewish people, thereby proving God and the Bible untrustworthy, but it will not happen!
God is opening long-blinded eyes and softening thousands of Jewish hearts just as the Scriptures promised. This is an obvious fulfillment of biblical prophecy—and a clear indication that the Last Days are upon us.
Through Jeremiah, God promised Israel a new covenant: “’No longer will each teach his neighbor or each his brother, saying: “Know ADONAI,” for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest.’ It is a declaration of ADONAI. ‘For I will forgive their iniquity, their sin I will remember no more’” (Jeremiah 31:33). At the Last Supper, a Jewish Passover Seder, Yeshua lifted the cup of Redemption and, sharing it, announced it was the cup of the New Covenant in His blood. There is a misconception that all the Jews rejected Jesus. In reality, the entire initial community of faith was Jewish. The Jews took the Gospel to the Gentiles, and eventually the Church became almost entirely Gentile and unrecognizable to the Jewish people. However, we are living in a time of Jewish revival!
IN CONCLUSION
All around us, there are signs that the world is being made ready for Messiah’s return. The most important of these, as we have seen, is the restoration of the people of Israel to a right relationship with God. Do you want to know what’s next? God has promised a glorious salvation for the remnant of Israel!
Then I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication, when they will look toward Me whom they pierced. They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son and grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for a firstborn
- Zechariah 12:10
“In that day a spring will be opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and impurity” (Zechariah 13:1).
I’m convinced that we are not very far away from this time.
Are you eager to see Yeshua’s return? Ask God to give you His heart of love and compassion for His people. Ask Him to give you a burden for their redemption, and ask how He would have you participate in His glorious Last Days’ harvest among His chosen people. You will pray with more passion, develop an urgency to share your faith, and perhaps find doors open to greater involvement in Jewish ministry!
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Jonathan Bernis
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Serving the Scattered tribes of Israel
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Serving the Scattered Tribes of Israel
We’re often asked about the similarities and differences between the communities we serve in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. While there’s not a concise answer to those questions, there is one thing that remains constant: none of the communities are new converts to Rabbinic Judaism.
The most common observation for staff and volunteers during our many medical outreaches is that of the thousands of people we touch from both Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, only some use the word “Jewish.” The primary reason for this is that the oral history for certain groups began long before the term “Jewish” was used to describe the Israelite people who worshipped the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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Still, both countries contain people groups who openly identify as having come from Israel. There are also other groups in Africa, found in countries such as Uganda and Ghana, who have converted to Rabbinical Judaism in recent decades or centuries who currently identify as Jewish, but who are not historically or ethnically part of the Jewish people.
All four groups we serve in Africa can trace their roots to the Land of Israel and a millennia-old Jewish or Hebrew identity. The oral tradition of these communities tells us why they ended up so far away from one another, and their current practices tell us what influence the larger communities in which they now live have had on these Jewish communities.
The Ethiopian Jews we serve are divided into three distinct groups: the Beta Israel, the Beta Abraham, and the Gefat tribe of Southern Ethiopia. Originally from Gondar, Ethiopia, the Beta Israel people trace their heritage to the legendary union of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Although they are often referred to in derogatory terms by those outside of their group, they’ve maintained a Jewish identity both openly and inwardly despite this persecution. The Beta Israel has been recognized by the State of Israel and is to date the only historically Israelite group in Africa to have been accepted for aliyah to Israel.
The Beta Abraham, by contrast, also trace their roots to Gondar, Ethiopia, and the surrounding areas; however, they moved south more recently to Addis Ababa where they encountered severe persecution and were forced to either convert to Orthodox Christianity or give up their farmland. Many, if not most, made public conversions, but continue to maintain their secret Jewish customs and worship at home behind closed doors. This community numbers tens of thousands of people who live in a slum on the edges of Addis Ababa. To date, the Beta Abraham have not been recognized by the State of Israel since the rabbis consider them to have forfeited their Jewishness when they converted—even if these conversions were done under duress. Jewish Voice serves this community as we are certain the Beta Abraham are indeed still Jewish.
The Gefat tribe of Southern Ethiopia also traces their history to the Beta Israel of Gondar, but migrated to the southern reaches of Ethiopia centuries ago, allegedly blowing the shofar as they went. Gefat literally means “the blowers.” They, too, encountered prejudice and persecution amidst the other southern Ethiopian peoples, and most live humble lives on the outskirts of southern Ethiopian cities. They have been given the derogatory name “fuga” by the local community—a play on the word Gefat, which says these people should “just blow away and disappear.” These three Jewish groups may appear to be like others in their culture since circumcision is almost universally practiced as a nation in Ethiopia and most of their fellow citizens also avoid eating meats which are biblically unclean.
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Unlike the Ethiopian Jews who trace their roots to Judah (through Solomon) and Dan (through other oral history), the Lemba in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa trace their tribal lineage to Levi—specifically, to the High Priests in the line of Aaron. The Lemba also trace their roots to Israel. Their oral history tells us they are the long-lost priests and Cohanim of Israel who, together, left Jerusalem because of intermarriage during the times of Ezra and Nehemiah and migrated through Yemen over the Red Sea into Eastern Africa and, eventually, down to Southern Africa where they have now lived for hundreds of years.
The Lemba maintain circumcision rituals for all males in the tribe, even though circumcision is not typically practiced in Zimbabwe. Additionally, they marry only within their tribe, only eat biblically-clean meat slain by Lemba butchers, and maintain secret traditions, which others around them may not observe or learn.
We are honored to serve our African Jewish brothers and sisters in community collaboration between local congregational leadership, local workers, and our international teams. These countries have suffered through drought, disease, unemployment, and food shortages. We’ve been humbled and impressed by the commitment of the teams of dedicated local workers who never complain about the challenges they face.
In places like Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, we’re bringing medicine, LifeStraws®, medical clinics, and the Gospel of Yeshua. Although these outreaches require time and money from our partners and volunteers, everyone looks forward to the day when the Lord restores these scattered Tribes of Israel to the fullness of their identity in Him through Yeshua!
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Lost Tribes of Israel
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The “Lost Tribes of Israel”: One of the Greatest Mysteries of History Revealed
For centuries, explorers, historians, archaeologists, and researchers studied and debated the fate of the fabled “Lost Tribes of Israel”. Following the conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians, most of the members of the ten tribes were scattered throughout the empire. That was followed by the Babylonian captivity, and then still later the Roman dispersion that left few traces of a once great nation God had blessed.
Through the years, the fate of the “Lost Tribes” has been of great interest. There were strange reports and rumors and fanciful theories that piqued interest but did little to add to the truth. Then a series of remarkable discoveries began to be made in places thousands of miles away. People groups were discovered in remote areas that followed many ancient Jewish customs and had tribal traditions and legends that they were connected to Israel. In 1985, when news of the Operation Moses airlift that covertly brought some 8,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel was leaked, it was the first time that many people discovered that the “Lost Tribes” had indeed been found.
God has uniquely positioned and equipped Jewish Voice to reach out to these newly found groups. For many years now, we have been conducting outreaches in remote areas, meeting physical needs of these often poor people groups, and sharing the Gospel of Yeshua. We have seen thousands come to faith in Him during these outreaches.
Today, we are delighted to share with you an update on the status of the scattered Jewish People groups and our work among them in a new edition of The Lost Tribes of Israel photobook. We invite you to join us for a celebration of
God’s preservation of His Chosen People in these wonderful pages.
This stunning coffee table book is filled with beautiful color pictures from different Jewish People groups in Ethiopia, India, and Zimbabwe. You will meet the Beta Abraham, the Gefat, the Lemba, the Beta Israel, and the Bnei Menashe—confirmed by DNA evidence to be descended from the scattered Tribes of Israel. It will give you a new sense of their needs and the doors God has opened for us to reach them.
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Update-The Igbo of Nigeria
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Update - The Igbo of Nigeria
Last February, we went to a group of people in Nigeria who strongly identify with and believe themselves to be descended from the ancient Jewish people of Israel. We were hosted by an organization called the Redeemed Israel Community of Nigeria (RICON). We conducted DNA testing on 124 males identified by RICON (as representative of the Igbo community).
The DNA samples were sent to a trusted DNA lab in the United States. They were then compared to the worldwide data repository of Jewish samples amassed over the past 17 years. This repository includes the datasets of Dr. Michael Hammer, Ph.D. from the University of Arizona’s Anthropology department, along with the sample collection of Dr. Doron Behar, M.D., Ph.D. from Israel. These two scholars are the authors of all the relevant scientific papers on the DNA analysis concerning the Jewish people published over the past 20 years.
After a careful comparison, the lab was not able to find any connection to the samples we collected. Jewish populations from around the world are found in 9 discrete subsets of humanity. These are in the following scientific groups: E1b, G, J1, J2, Q, R1a, R1b, Q and T. The entire sample set collected from the 124 Igbo males are from a different branch, commonly known as E1a, an African branch of the tree, like the E1b mentioned above. However, while the Jewish E1b group is from North Africa (Arab) populations, the samples from the Igbo tribe are from E1a, which is restricted to sub-Saharan African populations.
Our purpose for providing this DNA testing for RICON was to assist them in their pursuit of truth concerning their historical lineage and identity. They are a remarkable group of people, and, although the DNA test results did not support their claim to be descendants of the ancient people of Israel, we consider them our brothers and sisters through our common faith in the Messiah, Yeshua.
Jewish Family Finder DNA Kit
Do you wonder if you might be Jewish? Discover your ethnic and geographic origins with the Family Finder DNA Kit. Created by Family Tree DNA, this analysis can also provide breakthrough to obstacles in finding unknown relatives. Family Finder offers powerful interactive tools to help trace your lineage through time and determine family connections. Everyone has a story. What’s yours? With the world’s most comprehensive DNA matching database discover your roots, connect the dots, and unlock your family history. You will also receive a decorative certificate presenting a summary of your results. Full results will arrive by email. If you would like to receive a printed copy of your full results, a $25 processing fee from Family Tree DNA applies.
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Restoration of All Things
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Restoration Of All Things
God's plan of redemption not only saves us from damnation, it also restores the damage that was caused by sin.
We believe in the biblical principle of restoration. God made everything in the world “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Yet, Adam's sin and Satan's rebellion caused much destruction. God's plan of redemption not only saves us from damnation, it also restores the damage that was caused.
That restoration is first personal. Our spirit, soul, and body are redeemed. However, God's restoration is also general, and includes everything in the world. Personal restoration is better known in the Christian world, while world restoration is better known in the Jewish world. The New Covenant includes both.
The traditional Jewish prayer, “Aleinu” (It is incumbent upon us), which closes every service, three times per day, makes a petition “to repair the world in the kingdom of El Shaddai.” The word here for “repair” is “Tikkun.” [This is the name used for the cooperative ministries with Dan Juster, Don Finto, David Rudolph, Eitan Shishkoff, and Paul Wilbur.]
World restoration (Tikkun Olam) is central not only to the Tikkun ministry, but to the worldview of the kingdom of God. There are five passages in the New Covenant that speak specifically of world restoration.
Matthew 17 – The Church
Romans 11 – The Messianic remnant
Matthew 19 – Natural Creation
Acts 1 – Kingdom of Israel Acts 3 – All Things
MATTHEW 17:11 Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.
Yeshua prophesies that someone in the spirit and power of Elijah will come “first” – that means before Yeshua returns. The “days of Elijah” restoration will take place before the 2nd Coming. The phrase, “all things,” cannot mean all things in the world, because that will only happen after Yeshua returns. This restoration is parallel to the prophecy that “the bride will make herself ready” (Revelation 19:7). The elements of the kingdom of God will be restored within the community of faith before Yeshua returns. When He returns, what is within the people of God will be revealed and given to the nations. A central theme of prophetic ministry in our generation is the restoration of the true Church as we approach the 2nd Coming.
ROMANS 11:15 What will their restoration be but life from the dead?
There will also be a restoration of the Messianic remnant of Israel. This dual restoration can be seen in Revelation 7:4 and 9. The elements to be restored are those found in the early community of faith in the book of Acts. There we see sacrificial love, extravagant giving, bold evangelism, miraculous signs, and unity of the saints.
The end times remnant of Israel will be even stronger than the apostolic community of the first century (Romans 11:12). The revival of the end times will be greater than the revival they experienced (Acts 2:17). The Messianic remnant will be a key element leading to the resurrection of the dead.
MATTHEW 19:28 In the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
As both the international Church and the remnant of Israel come into their fullness (Romans 11:15 and 25), they will together call upon Yeshua to return (Matthew 23:39, Revelation 22:20). At that time, the kingdom of God will be established on the earth for a thousand years. This Millennial kingdom will include two key elements.
The first is “regeneration.” The Hebrew translation says, “renewal of creation.” The Greek original is paliggenesia. Pali means “again” and genesia means “genesis,” like creation in the book of Genesis. Natural creation will be redeemed (Romans 8:19-22). The heavens and earth will be renewed as they were immediately after the flood of Noah (II Peter 3:3-5). People will begin to live longer lives (Isaiah 65:17, 20).
The second element is a worldwide kingdom with its capital in Jerusalem.
ACTS 1:6 Will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?
The apostles expected Yeshua to restore the Davidic kingdom immediately upon His resurrection from the dead. However, He told them they first had to receive the Holy Spirit and preach the gospel to the nations. His kingdom was to be international, not just Israelite; and spiritual, not just governmental. It is a renewal and expansion of the Davidic kingdom (Isaiah 2:2-4). The former dominion will be restored (Micah 4:8).
Yeshua will sit upon His throne in Jerusalem; the apostles will sit on twelve thrones governing the tribes of Israel. Those who have “followed Him” will sit on thrones governing the rest of the nations when Yeshua returns in glory (Matthew 16:27; 19:28; 24:30; 24:46- 47; 25:21; 25:31; 26:64).
ACTS 3:21 Whom the heavens must receive until the time of the restoration of all things; which God has spoken by the mouth of all His prophets since the world began.
Ultimately, God will restore all things. There is nothing that will not be restored. This includes everything planned at creation; everything prophesied to Israel; everything promised to the Church. It includes all things in heaven and earth (Ephesians 1:10). God's commitment to restore all things is a source of great hope and encouragement to us all.
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Asher Intrater
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Israel Holds the Key to WORLD Redemption
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Israel Holds the Key to World Redemption
“I am as likely to reject My people Israel as I am to abolish the laws of nature!”
- God
In a day and age when Israel is being increasingly delegitimized in the press, in politics, and even in the pulpit, God is looking for a people who will carry His heart for Israel. In this short article, I want to give you five rock-solid, biblical reasons why every Believer should stand with Israel. When I say “stand with Israel,” I’m not speaking from a political perspective, but rather from a biblical perspective. If you look at Israel through a political lens, you’ll end up hating Arabs or Jews—or both! But if you look at Israel through a biblical lens, you’ll end up loving both Arabs and Jews.
This is not intended to be an exhaustive study, but rather just some basic principles backed by Scriptural evidence that I think will help equip you to answer those who seek to delegitimize the nation and the people of Israel.
1. God’s Heart is for Israel and the Jewish People!
If the title of this article was “The One Reason Why Every Believer Should Support Israel,” this would be the reason: God’s heart is for Israel and the Jewish people! That really should be good enough for us and should seal the deal. Listen to some of these indisputable statements made by God Himself to Israel and the Jewish people:
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the LORD who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10 NIV).
“I have loved you with an everlasting love …” (Jeremiah 31:3 NIV).
“I will not forget you! See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me” (Isaiah 49:15-16 NIV).
“I am as likely to reject my people Israel as I am to abolish the laws of nature” (Jeremiah 31:36 NLT).
These Scriptures are just a few that scratch the surface of God’s heart and His feelings for Israel. If God is the same yesterday, today and forever, how can we think that He would ever change how He feels about this?
Of course, God’s heart is for every nation of the world. It’s His desire that no one would perish (Jew and Gentile alike), but there is only one people group on this planet that He chose as the agent through whom salvation would come, and that is Israel!
2. It Reconnects Us to Our Heritage, Our Identity and Our Destiny
The Jewish people are the Messiah’s own people because Jesus is Jewish! He wasn’t just Jewish for 33 years and then became a Christian when He ascended to heaven. He was born King of the Jews, He was raised by Torah observant parents, He was called “rabbi” by those who followed His teachings, He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, He died King of the Jews, and He’s returning as the Lion of the tribe of Judah!
Our heritage in the Messiah is a Jewish heritage:
Romans 9:3-5 – “For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ.”
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This beautiful Yemenite shofar is made of a Kudu horn and exquisitely adorned with handcrafted silver plated accents. Let this special shofar serve as a conversation starter and reminder of God calling our hearts to worship Him.
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Ephesians 1:3-5 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in the Messiah…He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus the Messiah to Himself…”
Jeremiah 31:31-34 – “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah … I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
3. We Have Been Grafted in to Provoke Israel to Jealousy
Unfortunately, rather than provoking Israel to jealousy, the Church has been a source of much pain to Jewish people throughout the centuries. In the name of Christianity, Jews have been maligned, persecuted, and even killed by cross-bearing men and women who faithfully attended church on a weekly basis. As a matter of fact, many of the “Church fathers” have actually taught that God was through with Israel and that His promises were now transferred from Israel to the Church.
Romans 11:11 – “I say, then, they [Israel] did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles [nations], to make Israel jealous.”
Romans 11:17-18 – [Paul is speaking to the Gentiles] “…But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.”
Get the Large Silver Trimmed Shofar
This beautiful Yemenite shofar is made of a Kudu horn and exquisitely adorned with handcrafted silver plated accents. Let this special shofar serve as a conversation starter and reminder of God calling our hearts to worship Him.
ADD TO CART
4. Jewish Revival Will Lead to World Revival and the Return of the Messiah
We should stand with Israel because it holds the key to world redemption. As a result of Israel rejecting the Messiah, salvation has come to the Nations of the world. However, Scripture is clear that when Israel accepts their Messiah, it will be life from the dead! Yeshua can’t return until Israel welcomes Him back. Therefore, we must remember that the Gospel is still the power of salvation to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).
Romans 11:11-15 – “Again I ask: Did they [Israel] stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles [nations] to make Israel envious [jealous]. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring! I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles…For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?”
Matthew 23:37-39 – “O 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, but 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.’”
5. The ‘Church’ Has a Debt to Israel Who Brought Them the Messiah
Romans 15:25-27 “…but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to [the Believers in Jerusalem]. For if the [nations] have shared in [Israel’s] spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.”
We entered the Jewish new year with the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, and in this special season of renewal, I want to encourage you with this important fifth point. Amazingly, Paul would travel to the Gentile Believers around the region to collect money for the Believers in Jerusalem. And just as Paul ministered to Israel in material things in order to fulfill a spiritual debt, when you give to organizations that support Israel and her people, you are also fulfilling this Biblical mandate. Together For Israel exists to “partner with the Church for the salvation of Israel” and, by God’s grace, we are seeing people around the globe participate in a supernatural way. When we give financial help to the needy in the Land, we always tell them that it is not from us, but rather from Believers around the world who have a love for the God of Israel.
Get the Large Silver Trimmed Shofar
This beautiful Yemenite shofar is made of a Kudu horn and exquisitely adorned with handcrafted silver plated accents. Let this special shofar serve as a conversation starter and reminder of God calling our hearts to worship Him.
ADD TO CART
Author
Scott Volk
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