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JVMI 50th Anniversary: Jewish Voice Ministries International

June 06, 2017

When Louis Kaplan, founder of Jewish Voice Broadcasts (JVB), passed away in 1999, Jonathan Bernis –founder of Hear O’ Israel Ministries – was already serving as JVB’s board-elected Executive Director. The two ministries operated side-by-side through the year 2000, but it was evident that with the same ministry focus, the time had come to merge them.

It’s Official

Birthed from the visions of two men, the labors of many faithful individuals, and most importantly, the assured calling of God, a brand new ministry was emerging. In the first jointly published magazine, in January of 2001, Jonathan Bernis explained:

It is our desire to be the best stewards possible of the time and finances that the Lord has entrusted to us, and we are certain that this merger is the best way to accomplish our mutual calling. We believe that this is a “merger made in Heaven.”

The newly named “Jewish Voice Ministries International” (JVMI), consisted of two departments: Jewish Voice Radio and Television and Hear O’ Israel Festivals.

2001 – Carrying on, with some changes    

Along with the merger, came the opportunity for fresh vision and creativity for the future. The“LeChayim” television show was renamed “The Jewish Voice Broadcast.” They remodeled the television set, and the media department began producing docudramas that re-enacted the personal testimonies of Jewish Believers. Later that year, the Jewish Voice Prophetic Magazine went full-color.

By this time, the number of stations carrying the Jewish Voice radio program had dwindled to just 15. Jonathan and Dennis Phillips, now Director of Media Ministries, chose to cancel the radio program while they carefully evaluated whether or not to restart with a new format. In May 2001, the Jewish Voice radio broadcast went silent, and except for a few special productions, never returned to radio.

Ministry continued all around the globe with festivals, congregational planting, and discipleship. The Media crew produced half-hour specials featuring segments about the growing television ministry as well as footage from the festivals and accompanying humanitarian aid.

Camel

September 11th

In the fall of 2001, as the United States reeled over the attacks of 9/11, Jonathan Bernis helped JVMI partners find their equilibrium with these steadying, encouraging words in the magazine arriving at their doors just six weeks later:

The tragic events of September 11, 2001 have changed our lives forever. Never again will we feel the same sense of security and safety that we have known most or all of our lives living in the United States.… How do we cope with all that is happening? How can we find peace and stability at a time like this? The answer is clear – only through our faith in the Lord….

Faith is a fight. It is the only fight the Believer is called to…. Faith is trusting God in the midst of adversity, tribulation, or danger. Faith will drive out fear.…  Our security must not be rooted in anything this world may provide, but in God alone. Regardless of what may happen, our faith and hope is in our eternal destiny – and that truth will sustain us through any adversity or tragedy we must face.

2002 – Awards and Announcements

In the spring of 2002, the ministry redesigned and changed the name of its magazine to reflect a new day. In Jonathan’s opening letter of the April/May issue, he announced the “slight yet important name change to Jewish Voice Today.”  He explained, “We’ve added Today to our name for a reason…. We do not want to focus only on what the Lord did yesterday with the Jewish people. God is doing miracles today.” He continued, “God is speaking to us today. Biblical history is being written today. [Yeshua] longs for His brethren after the flesh to know Him now, today. Today is the day of Israel’s salvation.”

Also in 2002, the quality productions of the JVMI media team won their first awards. “Holocaust: Journey to Forgiveness – The Rose Price Story” received two Angel Awards and two bronze Telly Awards. The Al Kasha story, “A Perfect Life,” received one silver and two bronze Telly Awards.

Jewish star

In late 2002, Jonathan Bernis made another big announcement:

It brings me great joy to announce that after 42 years of being single, the Lord has brought me a wonderful helpmeet and partner. Her name is Elisangela, and she is a lovely Brazilian Believer that deeply loves the Lord and loves Israel. We will be getting married in Brazil this coming February.

Over the next two years (2003-2004), Jewish Voice hired its first COO, upgraded its website, and grew its intercessory prayer network to 4,000 prayer supporters. The Media department continued to enhance the quality and efficiency of production and introduced closed captioning.

 

2004 – Chira and 20 years

In January of 2004, Chira Kaplan – the woman who worked so tirelessly for love of the Jewish people and her Yeshua – passed away. Jonathan wrote a beautiful tribute honoring her in his opening letter of the March/April issue of Jewish Voice Today magazine.

The year 2004 concluded with Jonathan celebrating 20 years in ministry at a surprise party organized by Elisangela and the JVMI staff. Friends from around the world attended or sent videos, cards, and emails.

 

2005 - “Well, my life has changed forever”

In 2005, the Jewish Voice Today television program first made its way into Israel via the internet on Israelnet.tv, which showed the programs of Messianic ministries. In 2005, Jonathan announced an additional long-sought-after expansion: the program would, at last, begin airing on television stations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East – including Israel.

Jonathan had yet another announcement in 2005. He began his letter in the magazine by proudly saying, “Well, my life has changed forever. At the ripe old age of 45, I am finally a father!” Jonathan and Elisangela’s first child, a daughter they named Liel, was born in March of that year.

 

2006 – Engagements and Canada

Part of the mission of Jewish Voice Ministries is to inspire the Gentile Church to an appreciation for its deep connection to Judaism and a love for the Jewish people. The JVMI Speakers Bureau is an important avenue of this mission. In the summer of 2005, over 115 churches and groups across the country had scheduled meetings or presentations, and the JVMI speaking calendar was booked through the following April. For Passover 2006, Jonathan conducted the first ever valley-wide Passover Seder in the Phoenix area.

Also in 2006, JVMI grew to include Jewish Voice Ministries Canada, a branch of Jewish Voice Ministries International represented with a separate board of directors to help support and facilitate ministry functions there.

From the beginning, Hear O’ Israel Ministries had included humanitarian relief alongside its festivals. As the most intense revival years of post-Soviet Russia were tapering off, the Lord was pointing Jewish Voice toward the poverty-stricken “Lost Tribes” Jews of India and Ethiopia. Jonathan was in Ethiopia to speak at a conference when the Lord impressed upon his heart that Jewish Voice needed to respond in an ongoing way to the immense need Ethiopia. Jewish Voice was being called to Ethiopia.

 

Find out how God led Jonathan Bernis and JVMI into a new ministry direction focusing on humanitarian aid and medical outreaches we are known for today – next month in July’s JVMI 50th Anniversary blog post.

 

Don’t’ miss Flashback Fridays on our Facebook page where you’ll see glimpses of our 50-year journey.

 

Discover the whole inspiring JVMI story with our beautiful, full-color coffee table book, Jewish Voice: A Look at 50 Years. Along with a fascinating narrative chronicling 50 years of ministry, this special edition includes biographies, stories, and reflections from television guests, partners, and staff as well as over 200 photographs.  

 

Join us on the Jewish Voice Blog each month in 2017 as we unfold the Jewish Voice story and piece together for you how two ministries with the same heart merged to become the Jewish Voice Ministries International you know today.

 

Previous JVMI 50th Anniversary blog posts: 

Meet Louis and Chira Kaplan

The Early Years – Jewish Voice Broadcasts

Jonathan Bernis

Hear O’ Israel Ministries

Meeting, Partnering, and Merging

Egyptian Believers In The Crosshairs

June 02, 2017

Bus attack

 

Innocent Believers in Yeshua (Jesus) have been targeted by ISIS in yet another shocking massacre in the Middle East.

This time, the radical Islamic terror group attacked buses carrying Coptic Christians in the Minya region of Egypt, south of Cairo. Twenty-nine people were murdered, including children. And more than 20 others were injured, some critically.

Last Friday’s attack is the latest deadly assault on Coptic Christians in the Middle East’s most populous country.

In an attempt to honor their Islamic faith, the ruthless attackers struck on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Followers of Yeshua under attack

This is the third attack on followers of Yeshua in Egypt in six months. In April, ISIS bombed two Coptic churches on Palm Sunday. In December, a suicide bombing targeted a Cairo church. Together, the attacks killed more than 75 people and wounded scores more.

The Islamic State has vowed more attacks. Egypt has been under a three-month state of emergency ever since.

The slaughter drew immediate condemnation from President Donald Trump, who said, “[The attack] steels our resolve to bring nations together for the righteous purpose of crushing the evil organizations of terror, and exposing their depraved, twisted, and thuggish ideology.”

The killings also brought a quick response from Israel, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to say, “There is no difference between terrorism harming Egypt and terrorism harming other countries. Terror will be beaten more quickly if all countries work against it together.”

The Jerusalem Post reported over the weekend that many Egyptian Believers think their country either does not take their plight seriously or cannot protect them against these determined fanatics. At a service to mourn the dead on Sunday, a relative of one of the victims said, “This is the result of only one thing: negligence – negligence from the government for not punishing these people.”

Egypt is fighting insurgents affiliated with ISIS who have killed hundreds of police and soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is also carrying out rocket attacks against the terrorist group along the southern border of Israel.

ISIS’s “favorite prey"

Coptic Christians are the largest group of Believers in the Middle East, representing about 10 percent of the population in Egypt. Because of this, some observers say it’s no surprise that ISIS is increasingly targeting Christians, calling them infidels and their “favorite prey.” ISIS’s war on Egyptian Christians has an obvious goal: to “encourage” them to leave their homeland under the threat of extermination. This attack won’t be the last.

We need to understand this: ISIS doesn’t merely want to make life difficult for Egyptian Believers; it wants to run them out of the country.

As ISIS amps up the frequency and brutality of its attacks across the Middle East, we must keep our fellow Believers in prayer. You and I might not be in a position to prevent further violence, but we serve a God who can. Let’s stand in union with the faithful in Egypt and pray to Yeshua, the Prince of Peace, for their safety.

Thank you for joining me in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Egypt—AND for partnering with Jewish Voice. Your support helps us continue to spread the Good News of Yeshua to a world in desperate need of His peace and hope. And we are so grateful for you.

As a token of our appreciation for your contribution of $40 or more today, we’ll send you Radical Islam: What You Should Know, an enlightening DVD featuring a panel of experts debating this rising threat and what it means to you. We’ll also send you a little box of powerful encouragement. The Promise Box is filled with 120 promises of God found in Scripture, and will surely be a lasting blessing.

Once again, thank you for coming alongside us in this Kingdom work.

 

God still loves and has a plan for the Jewish people

May 30, 2017

Jerusalem

This year — 2017 — is in many ways a critical time for Jewish people and the nation of Israel.

June 7 marks the 50th anniversary of the recapture of the Old City of Jerusalem by Jewish military forces in the 1967 Six-Day War — the first time the Holy City of God had been completely in Jewish hands in almost 2,000 years.

2017 also is being celebrated as a 50th Jubilee Year in Jerusalem. And it happens to be the 50th anniversary of the US founding of Jewish Voice Ministries International.

It’s particularly important that May-June is the time of Shavuot (Pentecost) in the Jewish calendar. Shavuot — also called the Festival of Weeks — celebrates God’s giving of the Law to the Jewish people through Moses.

Shavuot is recognized as the time when God confirmed His pledge of commitment to the Jewish people. Many Jewish scholars see it as a kind of “wedding anniversary” of the relationship between God and His people.

This “wedding anniversary” of Shavuot is an affirmation that God was and is committed to a continuing relationship with the Jewish people.

And down through history, God has repeatedly demonstrated His commitment to this relationship . . .

  • First by calling Abraham and his descendants to be His chosen people
  • By the miracle of the Exodus, when God brought the Israelites up out of slavery in Egypt
  • Through the giving of the Law through Moses at Mt. Sinai, as celebrated at Shavuot
  • By the coming of the Holy Spirit to the followers of Yeshua on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2)
  • And most recently, through the fulfillment of historic prophesies regarding Israel and Jerusalem

All these events point to the great truth that God still loves and has a plan for the Jewish people, for as Paul — referring to the Jewish people — says in Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

And these events remind us of the need for the Jewish people to fulfill their relationship with God by reclaiming the Messiah and coming to a saving knowledge of Yeshua.

And we who already have accepted Yeshua as Savior, whether Jewish or Gentile, now share in the covenant commitment God gave to and through the Jewish people. Because of that, we now have a responsibility to share the Good News with the world, most especially with the Jewish people who have not yet realized that Yeshua was and is the Messiah they have long awaited.

Jewish Voice Ministries International exists to fulfill this goal — to bring Jewish people to recognize Yeshua as Messiah and to accept Him as Savior.

We do this in many ways. Some of our efforts are directly evangelistic. But most often, we tell Jewish people about Yeshua in the context of caring for their physical needs.

For example, we’re now well into our annual “season” of humanitarian medical clinics among Jewish people in Africa. Jewish Voice works actively in Africa because tribal history and practices, together with genetic testing, demonstrate that many tribes in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and elsewhere are, in fact, of Jewish ancestry — descended from the original Twelve Tribes of Israel.

Many of these Jewish descendants are poor and live in remote areas, with little access to medical care or other basic services. Some are isolated from the surrounding culture, ostracized because of their uniquely Jewish worship and cultural practices.

And all of them are in need of help!

That’s why God has called Jewish Voice Ministries to show His love for these, His people, by providing:

  • Water purifiers to fight disease
  • Medical care for people who have little or no access to doctors
  • Dental care to alleviate pain and save lives threatened by infections
  • Eye care for people who are blind or have limited sight, giving them back their sight by treating cataracts, trachoma, and vitamin A deficiency

These humanitarian ministries are critically important in themselves, and are in obedience to Yeshua’s command that we care for the needs of hurting people. Without the Jewish Voice medical clinics, many of these Jewish people simply would have to continue to live with pain, disease, and blindness.

But — as important as this help is — we are especially committed to meeting these physical needs so we may gain the opportunity to tell these Jewish people about Yeshua the Messiah.

Every patient treated at a Jewish Voice clinic is invited to receive prayer and hear the Good News of Yeshua. To date, the number of people served by our medical clinics is approaching 400,000, while thousands of our patients have reclaimed their Messiah by professing faith in Yeshua!

But none of this would be possible without the prayers and financial support you and other caring partners provide.

This Shavuot season, at this special time when so much is reminding us of God’s plan for the Jewish people, would you give to help them find and reclaim their Messiah?

Would you help share Yeshua with Jewish people who desperately need to hear the Good News, while also helping ease their physical pain?

The average cost of medical, dental, or eye care services through Jewish Voice clinics is only $30 per person. And when Jewish people come for treatment, we have the opportunity to share Yeshua, pray for them, and help them reclaim their Messiah.

If you can give a gift of any size now, I would be pleased to send you a copy of my book A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days. In this book, I draw from both the Old and New Covenant Scriptures to explain the meaning of many of today’s events, and what role each of us has in the End Times.

In addition, if you can give at least $100, I’ll also send you a beautiful reproduction of the Scripture scroll of the book of Ruth. This is especially appropriate now, as the Megillat (scroll) of Ruth is traditionally read aloud at Shavuot. Full of vivid art based on Ruth and both Hebrew and Greek biblical texts, this is a fascinating limited-edition reproduction of a parchment scroll.

NOW is the time for us to share Yeshua with the Jewish people. We must tell them of God’s ultimate plan for them, and help them reclaim their Messiah. Please give generously.

Thank you for your compassion and faithful support, and may God bless you.

 


 

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Shavuot – God Gives

May 25, 2017

Shavuot Greeting

Shavuot – God Gives

 

Shavuot (shah-voo-ote) is one of the seven biblically mandated feasts of Israel. There is to be a holy gathering and no regular work on this day. It is one of the three pilgrimage feasts commanded by God in Deuteronomy 16:16 in which all Jewish men were required to travel to Jerusalem to present their sacrifices to the priests for taking before the Lord.

 

Several names

Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, First Fruits, Harvest Feast, Pentecost. The Jewish holiday that falls on the 6th day of the Hebrew month Sivan goes by several names.

 

Shavuot and the Feast of Weeks

In Leviticus chapter 23, the Israelites were instructed to count seven Sabbaths, seven weeks, from the Sunday after Passover and then bring their offerings. Because the feast’s date is identified by this counting of weeks from Passover, it is called the Feast of Weeks. In Hebrew, the word Shavuot means “weeks.”

 

First Fruits and Harvest Feast

In biblical times, the holiday commemorated the completion of the wheat harvest. It was a time to give thanks to God for His sustaining provision of another harvest. The unique instruction of God for this moed (appointed time) is to offer, along with other burnt offerings, a sacrifice of two loaves of bread baked with hametz, or leaven. Because it is a gift from the first of the grain harvest, Shavuot is also called the Day of First Fruits or the Harvest Feast.

 

Pentecost

Pentecost means “fiftieth” and Shavuot was designated for the Sunday after the seventh Shabbat, or the fiftieth day, from Passover. It was on Shavuot fifty days after Yeshua’s (Jesus’) death and resurrection, and when all Israel was gathered in Jerusalem for this pilgrimage feast, that God miraculously gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell in Believers. For this reason, Shavuot is also called Pentecost and Messianic Jews celebrate the gift of God’s Spirit with Believers.

 

Wheat in burlap sack on table

 

Today

The Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. and the Jewish people were again dispersed throughout the world.  With this, the observance of these appointed times changed. According to the book of Exodus, the giving of the Torah coincides closely with the timing of Shavuot. In the absence of a Temple at which to make sacrifices, today Shavuot commemorates God giving the Torah to His people at Mount Sinai.

 

When God gave the Torah, He revealed more of Himself to the children of Abraham. The people were able to know so much more about the glorious God they served. Following His commandments as given at Sinai set them apart and identified them as His people.

 

Today, Jewish Shavuot celebrations center on reading the Torah. The tradition is to stay up all night long studying it, reciting the Ten Commandments at dawn, and going to synagogue for a service with more readings.

 

His Law in our hearts

 

In Sinai, God wrote His law on tablets of stone. In Jeremiah 31:31-32, He declared there would come a day when He would write His Law upon our hearts. He fulfilled this prophecy on the Shavuot after Yeshua’s death when His Holy Spirit descended like tongues of fire upon the gathered Believers of Acts chapter two. Henceforth, He imparts His Spirit to dwell within every new Believer.

 

Messianic Jews and Shavuot

 

Messianic Jews recognize that through the Torah we see our need for a Savior, and that led us to Messiah Yeshua (Galatians 3:24). At Shavuot, we celebrate God reaching down into human history to reveal Himself through the Torah and also the gift of His very presence with all Believers through His Holy Spirit.  It is a time to dedicate ourselves afresh to growing in His Word and the Spirit, gratitude for His provision, and rejoicing in His presence.

 

What is the Meaning of Shavuot?

Let's see how much you know about this Holiday and what it represents!

Jerusalem Day – She Was There

May 22, 2017

Pray Jerusalem

 

Jerusalem Day - She Was There

Chira had no idea her love for the Jewish people would land her smack in the middle of the Six-Day War in Jerusalem. As a new Believer, she had discovered God’s covenant love for the Jewish people, and they quickly secured a treasured place in her heart as well. She left her native Finland to work at a Finnish boarding school in Jerusalem.  Though bomb shelters and safe rooms had been required by law for every building in Israel since 1951, Chira probably never imagined herself scrambling into one as a fierce war screamed around her.

At the school, Chira was responsible for feeding 30-some students as well as adults. Those responsibilities continued once everyone entered the reinforced safety of the shelter. While airstrikes and artillery boomed above them, the school family hid out together. They didn’t know how long they would have to stay hunkered down and had no idea what the results of the war would be. Chira recalled, “We were lying on the floor in the bomb shelter wondering, ‘Do you think we are in the kingdom of Jordan or are we in the kingdom of Israel?’”

Background to the Six-Day War

In the Independence War in 1948, Jordan captured East Jerusalem and the West Bank. In 1950, they brazenly annexed them as part of Jordan. In 1967, tensions between Israel and the neighboring Arab countries grew increasingly volatile, particularly at the Syrian border to the northeast. From the Golan Heights, Syrian snipers frequently fired down on Israeli farmers below. In April of 1967, Syrian gunners fired on an Israeli tractor farming in the demilitarized zone, and a skirmish ensued. Israel ultimately responded with airstrikes on Syrian military positions and nearby villages.

Several weeks later, Egypt gained false information from Russia that Israel was amassing tens of thousands of troops to attack Syria and march into Damascus. Egypt pulled together its military resources and began positioning them in the Sinai Peninsula at Israel’s southern border. With that, Israel had no choice but to reinforce its own troops at the Sinai border. But in doing so, they sent along a message to Egypt saying, “Israel wants to make it clear to the government of Egypt that it has no aggressive intentions whatsoever against any Arab state at all” (Honest Reporting).

Arab hostility

The message failed to calm the adrenaline now coursing through the Arab nations surrounding Israel. Rather, they escalated their efforts, garnered additional allies, and grew feverishly intent on destroying Israel.

Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel Nasser declared:

The existence of Israel is in itself an aggression…what happened in 1948 was an aggression – an aggression against the Palestinian people. … (the crisis had developed because) Eshkol threatened to march on Damascus, occupy Syria, and overthrow the Syrian regime. It was our duty to come to the aid of our Arab brother. We will not accept any…coexistence with Israel…. Today, the issue is not the establishment of peace between the Arab states and Israel…. The war with Israel is in effect since 1948 (The Six-Day War, Honest Reporting).

Cairo radio carried caustic messages that inflamed the already volatile situation including, “The Zionist barrack in Palestine is about to collapse and be destroyed. Every one of the hundred million Arabs has been living for the past 19 years on one hope – to live to see the day Israel is liquidated…. The sole method we shall apply against Israel is a total war which will result in the extermination of Zionist existence” (The Six-Day War, Honest Reporting).

To the south, east, and north Israel faced roughly 200,000 Arab forces fidgeting with zealous readiness to charge through her borders at any moment. With additional troops to draw from, the Arab alliance outnumbered Israel in soldier-power and had the upper hand with more weapons, tanks, and aircraft as well. Pressed, Israel determined its best defense was offense. On June 5, 1967, Israel launched a surprise attack on Egypt’s air force destroying most of it in just a few hours (The Six-Day War, Honest Reporting).

Jordan engages

Israel appealed to Jordan to stay out of the conflict, but Jordanian military in Tel Aviv repeatedly barraged Jerusalem with artillery fire. Jordan continued its attacks and overtook the United Nations headquarters in Jerusalem. While Chira and the Finnish school residents hunkered down in their shelter, the war raged outside. Israeli troops fought hard to drive back the Jordanians from Jerusalem. “We didn’t know how the border was shifting,” Chira said. As she pondered what kingdom they were in, with deep trust she concluded: “We are in the kingdom of God.”

Israel victorious

Israel overcame Jordan’s forces, and in so doing retook eastern Jerusalem on June 7th. Israeli Prime Minister Moshe Dayan announced:

This morning, the Israel Defense Forces liberated Jerusalem. We have united Jerusalem, the divided capital of Israel. We have returned to the holiest of our holy places, never to part from it again. To our Arab neighbors we extend, also at this hour – and with added emphasis at this hour – our hand in peace. And to our Christian and Muslim fellow citizens, we solemnly promise full religious freedom and rights. We did not come to Jerusalem for the sake of other peoples’ holy places, and not to interfere with the adherents of other faiths, but in order to safeguard its entirety, and to live there together with others, in unity (The Six-Day War, Honest Reporting).

By June 11, the war was over, and for the first time in 2,000 years, Jerusalem was unified under Israel control.

Jerusalem Day

This year marks the 50th anniversary of that historic event. On the 28th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar (May 24, 2017, beginning the evening of May 23), Israel and Jewish people the world over will celebrate Jerusalem Day. Ceremonies and festivities across the nation will commemorate the victory, honor the heroes, and entertain celebrants gathered together all throughout Israel.

Prophetic Significance

It has been fifty years since Jerusalem was released from Gentile rule.

Fifty has always been a notable number in the Bible. Fifty years marked the biblical jubilee year in which servants were freed, debts released, and all property was returned to its original owners. Fifty days after Passover is the Feast of Shavuot, or Feast of Weeks. It is a pilgrimage feast that Jewish people returned to Jerusalem to observe. Fifty days after the resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus), on Shavuot, God bestowed the Holy Spirit to dwell within each Believer.

In Luke chapter 21 Yeshua foretold the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem that would take place in 70 A.D. He went on to speak of the turmoil to occur in the Last Days. And He spoke of Jerusalem: “Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24).

Chira Kaplan was there

Chira

Chira Kaplan, before she married Jewish Voice founder Louis Kaplan, was there in Jerusalem when it came out of Gentile hands. After spending three days and nights huddled together in the bomb shelter, the residents of the Finnish school emerged to a free Jerusalem.

"When the war was over, we had the privilege of walking to the Wailing Wall with the throngs of Jewish people who went into the Old City while there were still snipers, but there were soldiers along the way to protect us. It was the Feast of Shavuot, or Pentecost, a pilgrim feast, and it was very special to be able to experience this moment that Jesus proclaimed when He spoke about the End Times – that Jerusalem would be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. And now, Jerusalem was united and in the hands of Israel, and we went and experienced the same joy as King David when he wrote in a psalm, 'I rejoiced when they said, "Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates O’ Jerusalem"' (Psalm 122:2).

Another fifty-year story

The restoration of Jerusalem to Israel heightened interest in the fledgling nation at the same time the Jesus Movement was drawing many Jewish young people to the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua. It hardly seems a coincidence that just six months before the epic results of the Six-Day War, God led Louis Kaplan, a Messianic Jewish Believer, to launch a ministry focused on reaching Jewish people with the Gospel. The year 2017 marks not only the 50th anniversary of a free Jerusalem but the 50th anniversary of Jewish Voice Ministries as well.

Jonathan Bernis is leading a Jewish Voice tour to Israel during which some 300 guests will join the festivities on Jerusalem Day. Together they’ll celebrate with Israel the jubilee anniversary of Jerusalem’s liberation; prophecy fulfilled and God’s ultimate plan of redemption; His heart to see all Israel saved; and also how He has called JVMI to be a part of bringing that to fruition.
 

PRAY  FOR ISRAEL INFOGRAPHIC 


Congratulations Israel!

Jerusalem Day

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