Here we see the origin of the name of this feast. It begins with significant numbers. In Hebrew Shavuot means weeks and it can also mean sevens and so the Israelites had to count, from Passover, 7×7 weeks or 49 days plus one, that is 50 days and then celebrate Shavuot. In Greek and English the name Pentecost means 50. But why count 50 days from Passover? Why this number 50?…
According to the words of this teacher (Gamaliel), who was from the sect of the Pharisees and so well-known even in today’s rabbinical Judaism, if this new messianic movement of believers in Yeshua, born 2000 years ago, survives, it is from God.
The Bible says that tomorrow is judgment day, and we don’t just disappear. After death there is a meeting with God. How could they (Pharisees and Herodians) miss out on the resurrection seeing that it is mentioned quite often in the Hebrew Scriptures? It is found in Job, in Isaiah, and in Daniel…
When the Jewish people were taken captive into Babylon, God sent them a message through Jeremiah and told them, “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare”. Jeremiah 19:7 To seek the welfare of the city in Babylon, the place of their exile, meant to pay their taxes as well…
So, when we speak of rest, let us disentangle it from a mere “kick back and relax” mentality. Rest, as the author of Hebrews expounds, constitutes a spiritual recharging that restores us to the glorious presence and intimate fellowship with God. It signifies aligning with our Creator’s purpose for our lives, embarking on a journey of true fulfillment…
Isaiah 5 helps us to more clearly understand Yeshua’s parable for in both Isaiah 5 and Mark 12 we see that the vineyard is the nation of Israel. (…) In Psalm 80:8 we read that the LORD had brought a vine out of Egypt. Also, it was Solomon who spoke of Israel as God’s personal vineyard in Song of songs 8:11. So, while the vineyard is Israel, the winegrowers are the religious leaders. The owner of the vineyard is God Himself. This parable then represents the condemnation of man-made religion…
Israel looks like a country that is moving from being a fully democratic nation to one with a strong religious presence, advocating more and more of Talmudic law (…) this present government may be what is needed to prepare the nation for the building of the Third Temple as well as for the ushering in of the false prophet.
Prayer must be according to the will of God. We read in 1John 5:14, This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. According to His will; this is the first requirement.
Concerning this passage in Mark 11, we read of some commentators who accused Yeshua of being unreasonable for cursing the fig tree since it was not the season for figs (…) when it comes to understanding a difficult text, it is always good to go and ask what the people of that day had to say concerning fig trees…
We are all given that choice between justice or mercy. They say that justice is getting what we deserve, but mercy is not getting what we deserve. This is something Bartimaeus understood by faith…
Let us consider this trilogy of redemption in the first 3 feasts of the biblical calendar in Leviticus 23…
While this is a subject of study all its own, there are just a few points that will be considered here….
What causes an unbelieving heart? One that is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. The term deceitfulness is used of the deceitfulness of wealth or riches, meaning we look to other things to give us life instead of the commands of God. We saw it with Pharaoh…
This past week, two members of the Knesset belonging to this group proposed to make it illegal for people to share the Gospel message in Israel with the threat of imprisonment should they be caught doing it…
A primary reason why God gave the Law was so that we recognize that we are sinners, unable to attain salvation by any merit of our own…
What does this Abraham Family House represent for us? This is another link to the long chain of many prophecies…
As we consider the title Son of Man, there is more to say about how it brings out His power and humility. In this book of Mark, let’s consider the great emphasis on the word hand. He is going to be handed over into the hands of humanity. We remember how He used His hands to deliver, save, and heal so many from disease. Do you remember the manner with which He cured people since the beginning of the book?
As we consider the title Son of Man, there is more to say about how it brings out His power and humility. In this book of Mark, let’s consider the great emphasis on the word hand. He is going to be handed over into the hands of humanity. We remember how He used His hands to deliver, save, and heal so many from disease. Do you remember the manner with which He cured people since the beginning of the book?
This is why salt is good. For everyone will be salted with fire. We can think of the concept of common grace where everyone will be given a chance to attain salvation; everyone will be salted with the fire of cleansing and given the ability to make a decision. But this is not available forever.
As we consider the title Son of Man, there is more to say about how it brings out His power and humility. In this book of Mark, let’s consider the great emphasis on the word hand. He is going to be handed over into the hands of humanity. We remember how He used His hands to deliver, save, and heal so many from disease. Do you remember the manner with which He cured people since the beginning of the book?
What does this Abraham Family House represent for us? This is another link to the long chain of many prophecies…
Anti-Semitism has been and is now growing in churches today. Support for Israel is dwindling at a very fast pace, and dislike for what is Jewish is also growing today, especially among young Christians. This movement is the precursor of the formation of the world religious system described in Revelation 17, which will be utterly anti-Semitic…
Anti-Semitism has been and is now growing in churches today. Support for Israel is dwindling at a very fast pace, and dislike for what is Jewish is also growing today, especially among young Christians. This movement is the precursor of the formation of the world religious system described in Revelation 17, which will be utterly anti-Semitic…
Through Yeshua’s Incarnation, he became a model for humanity. The author of Hebrews applied Psalm 8, a psalm that celebrates humanity, to Yeshua in his Incarnation…
Through Yeshua’s Incarnation, he became a model for humanity. The author of Hebrews applied Psalm 8, a psalm that celebrates humanity, to Yeshua in his Incarnation…
Through Yeshua’s Incarnation, he became a model for humanity. The author of Hebrews applied Psalm 8, a psalm that celebrates humanity, to Yeshua in his Incarnation…
As Yeshua comes down the mountain, His focus is at first on the disciples. In v.16, they are in the midst of a debate with the scribes who found an ideal opportunity to try to undermine the disciples in the eyes of am Yisrael, (the Jewish people) because they were unable to perform a miracle of healing…
What does this Abraham Family House represent for us? This is another link to the long chain of many prophecies…
As Yeshua comes down the mountain, His focus is at first on the disciples. In v.16, they are in the midst of a debate with the scribes who found an ideal opportunity to try to undermine the disciples in the eyes of am Yisrael, (the Jewish people) because they were unable to perform a miracle of healing…
Why was the crowd amazed since Yeshua had not done any miracle or taught anything as of yet since His descent from the mountain? While the word amazed is found 11 times in Mark, it is taken from 4 different Greek words, and this one used here describes the highest level of amazement. It describes an alarmed and fearful reaction
Let us be keenly aware of the presence of the Tri-Unity of God leading to this most important historical event; the resurrection which changed the course of this world…
Our hearts and prayers are for the people of Turkey and Syria where over 41,000 people lost their lives in this massive earthquake… at a time like this, why did God allow this devastation to happen? One thing we can be sure of is that He Himself is also suffering to see so much destruction…
There is something that the Lord says which is of utmost importance when it comes to Yeshua. These words, “Listen to Him” were given at the Transfiguration…
As for the Middle East, it is going deeper into an obvious confrontation between Iran and Israel, as was also prophesied in the account of the War of Gog and Magog…
The word East in Revelation is a combination of two words in the Greek. It is Anatole Helios which means the rising sun…
The great majority of Hebrew Scripture prophecies concerning judgments and wars end with a word of encouragement, just like prophecies concerning the Lord’s coming. We see this same pattern in Mark…
Today, along with the prophets of God, others in the secular world are joining forces to tell us that time is running short.
You must have heard of The Doomsday Clock
What does it mean to be ashamed of Jesus? (Marc 8:34) It means to be embarrassed about our faith. Many hide it. They never speak about it nor demonstrate it because they are ashamed…
28 instead of 300 – Why? There was one event which filled a large part of media coverage last week. It concerned the German…
A survey on Holocaust awareness in the Netherlands revealed quite a disturbing result…
The nature of the Messiah (or the question of “Who is Yeshua”) has been a topic under debate for the past 2000 years, even into our present day. When we read the writings of the early Yeshua-following communities, the question of “Who is Yeshua” resulted in many theories…
What comes next in this gospel is a revolutionary statement from Yeshua. Like the conclusion of a dilemma which began back at the time when the disciples scolded Jesus for having spoken rashly to the Pharisees. Do you remember that? …
They were utterly astonished, that He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak. For they knew it was never done before…
If we were to make a summary of all the signs we have covered up to now, one thing that stands out as the norm, is the constant talk of the upcoming major wars. Yeshua said that before the end, there will be wars and rumors of wars. This is confirmed week after week.
These two numbers 12 & 7 are highly emphasized in this chapter 10 of Genesis. We see this through the 3 sons of Noah, Japhet, Ham and Shem through whom all the nations of the world came.
Hoping and praying that the rest of the year will not be as it began. There is much anger around and one that is especially increasing against Israel…
The word passio, came to be associated with the suffering of the Messiah. You have surely heard of the passion of Christ. This is the compassion we are called to have for the world around us, even for those who do not agree with our faith.
The beginning of a New Year often brings us to consider how fleeting time is. We get settled in our ways and become well engrained into our daily routines until a time like a birthday, an anniversary or a New Year comes around and brings us to ponder, to reflect on the past and on the future as well…
One might wonder what David would have written had he seen what we are able to see today. And considering this universe’s immensity in that the closest star is millions of years away from us, and considering that the Lord, as Creator, is even outside the universe we ask, how can we ever get to Him?
The climax of the story of Joseph is such a powerful passage allowing us to see a foreshadowing of the Messiah’s work.
In the History of the Church there are many legends and traditions which conceal many biblical truths, especially when it comes to Christmas.For instance, how many magi were there? Not three.
In the History of the Church there are many legends and traditions which conceal many biblical truths, especially when it comes to Christmas.For instance, how many magi were there? Not three.
The Jewish oral law, the Mishnah, prohibited shepherds from keeping flocks in much of the land of Israel because of its negative effects on agriculture. Shepherds were given selected areas, far from the cities, in mostly uninhabited regions. So what were they doing there in between Jerusalem and Bethlehem?…
Here is a piece of great archeological news, as it relates to Hanukkah!
So, what is Hanukkah all about? Hanukkah brings us back about 175 years before the first coming of Yeshua and marks a critical phase in the history of Israel, which we commonly call the 400 silent years. However, the feast will show us that those years were anything but silent…
We often speak of the great event, the coming of the Messiah. And seeing that these end time signs are steadily surfacing, we again turn our attention to what will happen to the Jewish people before the Second Coming. The prophecies are clear …
According to a recent study, Israel is ranked as the 5th safest country among the 50 countries in the world most widely visited by tourists. And that means a lot for the more than 2 million tourists who visited Israel between January and October in 2022…
Here we have a woman who is a Hellenist, a Syrian, a Phoenician, and a Canaanite; and she comes to speak to Yeshua in her hostile territory. It would have been very hard to find someone more foreign to Israel than this combination, especially pointing out her Canaanite pedigree. (…) This woman, with all she is, is about to upset their traditional beliefs and reveal the great work of the Spirit of God in an individual…
What we are witnessing today, in the Middle East, and increasingly so, are the early warnings of things to come which Yeshua speaks about in Mark chapter 13, things we will look at in details when we get there…
So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone. The people were trying to make Yeshua the King of Israel by force…
So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone. The people were trying to make Yeshua the King of Israel by force…
What we are witnessing today, in the Middle East, and increasingly so, are the early warnings of things to come which Yeshua speaks about in Mark chapter 13, things we will look at in details when we get there…
So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone. The people were trying to make Yeshua the King of Israel by force…
Every Shabbat in the synagogue, they read prescribed sections from the Torah (the five Books of Moses), called Parsha. This week it is called Parsha Toledot and it brings us a message similar to what we saw in this past week’s message where Peter was walking on the water…
Yeshua was touched by this large crowd and felt compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, so He began to teach them. Perhaps He was teaching them about messianic prophecies, about salvation, or the history of redemption in the Bible. Maybe it was even to save a few of them…
God promised that while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Genesis 8:22
This has challenged so many rabbinical commentators because it clearly says that the God of heaven and earth can physically appear before man…
Mark 6: After Capernaum, the Master heads back to His hometown of Nazareth where He grew up. As we read the account, try to notice the sudden turn of events as His walk towards the tav (cross) begins…
While the changing winds bring us into new directions, there is at the end, nothing really new under the sun… Eccl.1:9b
The Tale of Two Jewish Women We read from Mark 5:25-26 A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured…
Shaking Us From Our Sleep A Message from Mark 5: 1-20 Unshackled by the Messiah Here was a man who lived in the most…
In biblical history, there was always someone even a brother who wanted to take over the blessings from someone else…
How interesting when we can see the direct link between the Bible and what the earth is experiencing right now.
The Lord used very similar warning signs in the Scriptures to caution Israel concerning the impending and approaching wars ahead…
We have seen that since the rejection back in Mark chapter 3, Yeshua began speaking in parables. We read through the Parables of the 4 Soils, of the Lamp, of the Seed, and of the Mustard Seed and saw how Christendom is divided into the Wheat and the Tares, and how the dark side of nominal Christianity will grow to great heights. This group being representative of the majority of people proves very discouraging for believers who seem to be fighting an uphill battle…
Their life’s mandate was to guard this Word and remembering the Russian pogroms is just one of many eras of time when the Jew, in his loyalty put the Word before his very own life. With this type of devotion and trustworthiness, it is no wonder that they have remained the enemy of our enemy Satan…
In the Parable of the Mustard Seed, you have the opposite spectrum of the Visible Church. The mustard seed itself produces weeds, much like the tares and are not associated with any good works…
All will change and everything will become new, with no traces of sin. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. But why a new heaven? Afterall, one may see the heavens today as truly beautiful, especially as we contemplate its immensity by night…
The problem is that in the majority of translations, the word Azazel is translated as scapegoat so the reader does not really know anymore who the goat is or who is the Azazel. We will find out from our text of Leviticus 16 that the Azazel is in fact, not the goat. To avoid much confusion from the translation, let us read from the Schocken Bible, a Jewish literal translation of the Torah. Here the text becomes clearer and the message is indeed very powerful…
During the Yom Kippur service, there is an enigmatic yet powerful book from the Hebrew Bible that is read in its entirety. It is the Book of Jonah. Why do they read this particular book and at such a high moment during the Yom Kippur service, just before the closing of the gate, which is at Ne’ilah, the last service of the day? The reason for its reading could be understood through a simple story which comes to us from centuries ago…
Let me take a moment and share some news from the Temple Mount Institute in Jerusalem, known in Hebrew as Machon HaMikdash (מכון המקדש). This is an organization in Israel focusing on the hope of establishing the Third Temple…
But this is when God found a devout woman named Hannah. We learn that she was barren but because of her faith and her prayers, the LORD miraculously touched her. She gave birth to a son, Samuel. Coming from the priestly line, he would later anoint David as King. The Davidic line would then continue until the last King of Judah – Yeshua the Messiah, who came to save the world.
So the seed is the Word of God, the Word of salvation that is spread everywhere. But like the gift of the manna which fell from the sky, some loved it, while others came to despise it.
Let me take a moment and share some news from the Temple Mount Institute in Jerusalem, known in Hebrew as Machon HaMikdash (מכון המקדש). This is an organization in Israel focusing on the hope of establishing the Third Temple…
Another disturbing survey done this past April, shows that while the US is still pro-Israel, this is dwindling with the younger generation. This confirms another statistic done a few years ago. But here also, the numbers are different. What they found out is that the younger North Americans view Israel unfavorably, with some 60% of young Americans being unsympathetic to Israel.
Seeing it this way, one can see the reason why the Lord is not allowing so many to come closer to the truth. Perhaps it is to give them time to repent so that they will not commit the eternal sin and be doomed for eternity.
Clearly, the Word of God is fully inspired! No other history would be so open and sincere about the weaknesses of its people. Whether it is Israel, or Mary, or Peter, the Bible depicts them as they are so we can learn from them and stay close to God…
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom. 1:16)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom. 1:16)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom. 1:16)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom. 1:16)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom. 1:16)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom. 1:16)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom. 1:16)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom. 1:16)
In the New Testament and also in the Hebrew Scriptures we see divine attributes which are possessed by both God and the Messiah, both these personalities united by a single nature and purpose. This is something quite difficult to explain since it must be grasped by faith…
People often question whether this particular verse speaks of Isaiah the prophet or of Yeshua the Messiah. Chapter 50:4b is part of a larger section of Isaiah, from chapters 40-53 which speak about the Servant of the Lord, the Suffering One, the Righteous and Exalted Servant. Who else but the Servant Himself could claim this description of such perfect a man in character and obedience?…
I am more and more amazed to see how Bible prophecies are meeting up with the present and how so much around us seems to be confirming what the prophets predicted would happen before the Second Coming…
Did you notice that Yeshua did not initiate the interaction at all? The demon did, angrily and with surprise. Why is that? (…) Why couldn’t the demon stay quiet? What disturbed the demon and made it so uncomfortable?…
How do we know that this happened at the time of Shavuot? See what Yeshua told the disciples after they witnessed the salvation of this woman. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. John 4:35. Which harvest was Yeshua referring to?…
This city, the city of God, is the place the Lord chose to build His temple, and to dwell, and a place where He will eventually establish His eternal kingdom, the New Jerusalem…
In the Targum on Ezekiel, that is, in the Aramaic Bible which they used to read in the first century, for the words “put a new spirit within you”, they wrote, “And the Holy Spirit will I put deep inside of you.” I find it so interesting that they use the words Holy Spirit, like John does here. The term Holy Spirit is only mentioned three times in the whole of the Hebrew Scriptures.
After declaring that the coming of the Messiah is likened to a new beginning, like the dawn of a new era, Mark brings us to two crucial passages from the Hebrew Scriptures which also speak of a new beginning in the history of messianic prophecies.
How can one appreciate salvation without seeing the abyss of sin from which we have so graciously been saved? Following the Trail of Blood to the Messiah What do these sacrifices represent? How are they fulfilled today since there is no Temple? That is when the whole Bible directs us to the Messiah…
Israel’s presence at this very time, is fruit of a prophecy that Yeshua gave 2000 years ago. In Mark 13:28 He spoke these words: “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.” This prediction was given in the midst of Jesus’ end time prophecies…
We have often spoken of those rumors of wars around us, and they are roaring louder and louder. Without sounding as too much of an alarmist, it would seem that western countries are increasingly setting themselves up for a major conflict with the East, with Russia at its head…
For many hundreds of years and even up to today, people must have questioned why they should read Mark when there is so little unique information given. Instead, they may choose to only read the fuller accounts. That would be a great mistake! First, by omitting this book, it belittles the divine inspiration of the Scriptures. Would God inspire every word of a gospel to serve no greater purpose?…
After declaring that the coming of the Messiah is likened to a new beginning, like the dawn of a new era, Mark brings us to two crucial passages from the Hebrew Scriptures which also speak of a new beginning in the history of messianic prophecies…
