Your support this Chanukah season will make miracles happen!

Chanukah – the Jewish Festival of Lights – is almost here.

A joyous season for Jewish people everywhere, Chanukah is the time we celebrate God miraculously making one day’s supply of lamp oil last for eight days, so the Temple in Jerusalem could be rededicated.

It was indeed a miracle. Of course, few people in today’s world believe in miracles. Everything, they assume, can be explained by science.

Certainly, we here at Jewish Voice believe in science. That’s why we use the very best doctors and nurses, and the most advanced technology in our Medical Outreach efforts.

But I can tell you from experience: We know miracles still happen. God still proves His love and power in amazing ways, just as He has for thousands of years.

Here’s just one example …

Recently we were finishing up on the last day of a Jewish Voice Medical Outreach in Mudanda, Zimbabwe. As always, we had a prayer tent where we pray for the physical and spiritual needs of the people who come to us. And we share the Good News about the love of Yeshua (Jesus) with them.

At the very end of this last day, a boy of about 16 named Ibrahim poked his head into the prayer tent, as though he were looking for something.

We asked if we could help him, and if he would like us to pray for him – an offer he gladly accepted. He had cotton gauze in his ears and explained he’d suffered from serious ear infections since he was a young child. As a result, Ibrahim had begun to lose his hearing.

Although our doctors had treated Ibrahim and done all they could to help him, they feared he would have permanent hearing loss from the years of infection.

So we began to pray for him. As we prayed, more and more of our team gathered around, adding their prayers.

As we continued to pray for Ibrahim, we had him remove the gauze. At first, he could hear only sounds made very close to his ears. But as we continued praying, his hearing began to noticeably improve – he was able to hear sounds from farther and farther away.

By the time we had finished praying, Ibrahim was able to hear his name spoken from the farthest end of the tent!

All of us – especially Ibrahim – were overjoyed at this miraculous healing!

And through all the smiles and laughter, we gave thanks to Yeshua – the Great Physician who healed again.

It would be one thing if the kind of healing Ibrahim experienced were a solitary incident. But through our many outreach efforts, Jewish Voice workers see miracles of this kind happen over and over again.

Healed bodies. Healed minds. And healed souls, as people – sometimes whole families – come to experience the love and salvation of Jesus through your support.

In fact, we believe in this foundational truth: God WILL heal and WILL save – miraculously, just as He did nearly 2,200 years ago during the incredible events that inspire our upcoming Chanukah observance.

We find He is not only willing but eager, to share His great love with people in need, especially when we’re faithful. He wants us to partner with Him in the generous release of His healing power and salvation. But I believe He expects us to go in faith to Jewish people in need and share with them the Good News of Jesus.

As the apostle Paul wrote to the Believers in Rome:

How then shall they call on the One in whom they have not trusted? And how shall they trust in the One they have not heard of? And how shall they hear without someone proclaiming? And how shall they proclaim unless they are sent? (Romans 10:14-15, TLV)

But for all the dedication of our Jewish Voice staff and volunteers, we can’t do it alone. The prayers and financial support of our generous partners – you and others who care deeply about the Jewish people – are the key.

That’s why I hope you’ll stand with us now by sending a generous year-end Chanukah Miracles gift of support.

Jewish Voice is entering our most critical fundraising season of the year. I’m expecting about 11% of annual giving to come in between now and year’s end. That means we really need to hear from you!

It’s unfortunate that many people in this world – even those who profess to follow Jesus – simply turn away from the great and obvious need around us.

But you and I must not turn away. Instead, together, we must turn TOWARD those in need, especially the poorest of the poor in Jewish communities in remote parts of the world, and do all we can to help them in Jesus’ name.

And always, we do this ministry work with CARE, LOVE and EXCELLENCE, because we believe that’s what Jesus wants for the people He loves and whom we serve.

Now I want to ask you to be part of helping make miracles happen. With your prayers and the most generous end-of-year Chanukah Miracles gift you can send now, you can be a part of God’s next miracles, by sharing physical healing and eternal hope with people like Ibrahim.

Messianic Jews are Jewish people who believe Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah. Some of them celebrate Christmas, but ‒ for a number of reasons ‒ some do not.

Most Messianic Jews do not have a cultural connection to Christmas

For most Jewish Believers in Yeshua, Christmas was not a part of their family traditions. They grew up in homes that observed the Jewish holidays rather than Christmas and Easter. And, after coming to faith in Yeshua, some Messianic Jews do not feel the need to begin celebrating it.

Messianic Jews often celebrate Yeshua’s birth at Chanukah

The Jewish holiday of Chanukah falls near Christmas each year. It commemorates a miracle of light in Israel’s history and is therefore also called the Festival of Light. Chanukah holds rich symbolism that can be seen to point to Yeshua, the Light of the World. This leads many Messianic Jews to honor His coming at Chanukah rather than Christmas.

However, there’s a growing segment of Messianic Jews who grew up in mixed families – Christian and Jewish – and celebrated both Christmas and Chanukah. Mixed-family Messianic Jews likely continue that tradition into their marriages and with their own children.

Christmas adds to a misconception

The Church, in 325 C.E. under Constantine, went to great lengths to separate faith in Yeshua from its natural and biblical Jewish identity. The Crusades further segregated belief in Yeshua from its Jewish foundation by violently persecuting Jewish people if they did not forsake Judaism and “convert” to Christianity.

As a result, the Jewish community views Christmas and Easter as holidays of a different religion that are not for Jewish people. Many Messianic Jews believe that celebrating Christmas could easily contribute to their Jewish families and friends believing that they have “stopped being Jewish" and “converted” to a different religion.

Messianic Jews long for their Jewish brethren to come to faith in Yeshua as the prophesied Messiah, so they are sensitive to anything that hinders openness to Him based on historical realities or perceived misconceptions.

Yeshua was probably not born on Christmas

Most Bible scholars agree that Yeshua was not born on December 25. Based on various scriptural details and time calculations, many believe Yeshua was around the Feast of Booths, or Sukkot (Soo-KOTE), in the fall. Others deduce that it was in the spring, around Passover.

So, why is Yeshua’s birth celebrated on December 25? The date was chosen at a time when Gnosticism was extremely popular. Gnosticism held that only the spirit is good and that all matter is evil, including our bodies. This led to excessive lifestyles: If the body is evil anyway, why not indulge? Gnostics held an annual celebration at the onset of winter, during which followers reveled in the depravities of the material world.

One of the central tenets of faith in Yeshua is that He came in human form. Gnostics, however, denied the birth of Yeshua, saying that He couldn’t be all good if He possessed a body. The Church chose December 25 to celebrate the birth of Messiah as a way to counter Gnosticism.

“It’s not that the Church had any special interest in December 25th,” said Rabbi Jack Zimmerman, a staff member at Jewish Voice Ministries International. “Except, if you wanted to drown out the pagan Gnostics, that was the day to do it. It was when they held their biggest anti-Nativity bash.”

“The good news is that the Church’s plan worked,” Rabbi Jack noted. “God was with the Church when they proclaimed the truth of the Nativity.” Today, December 25 is known for Christmas, and not the pagan festival of Gnosticism.

Regardless of when Yeshua’s actual birth took place, the consensus is that it is not December 25, adding another reason some Messianic Jews are not drawn to observe Christmas.

Messianic Jews observe Messiah’s birth

Messianic Jews honor Yeshua’s birth – just not necessarily at Christmas. The Jewish holidays contain prophetic pictures of Yeshua, making it easy for Messianic Jews to celebrate the Messiah’s coming throughout the year as they observe these biblical Feasts.

Through Yeshua then, let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise ‒ the fruit of lips giving thanks to His name.

―Hebrews 13:15

May your heart be filled with gratitude and overflow with thanks to God ‒ today and every day ‒ for His abundant kindness and love.

Always giving thanks for everything to God the Father, in the name of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

―Ephesians 5:20

A joyous holiday to you!

Breaking Israel News:

• Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman resigned Wednesday over the security cabinet's decision to reach a cease-fire with Hamas

• Many in Israel say the truce with Hamas is tantamount to surrender to terrorists and point out that rockets continue to fly

• More than 460 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip toward southern Israeli communities within 24 hours starting Sunday night

• A 19-year-old soldier was in critical condition after an anti-tank rocket struck a military bus
   
• The army stated that at least 100 rockets had been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, but others caused severe damage
   
• In response to the rocket barrage, Israel Air Force jets, helicopters, and tanks struck more than 160 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets across the Gaza Strip, including three attack tunnels

Meanwhile, Trump imposes ‘toughest-ever’ sanctions on Iran

The new sanctions, which will affect the regime’s banking, energy and shipping industries, went into effect last week.  

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “historic day” and something that “will add a very severe blow to Iran’s terrorist regime.” He previously said Israel was already seeing a positive impact from U.S. economic sanctions that began in August.

To minimize the effect on global oil prices of the latest installment of sanctions, the U.S. granted 180-day waivers to eight countries: China, India, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Greece, Taiwan, and Turkey. This is 12 fewer countries than the Obama administration granted when it imposed similar restrictions on Iran. Turkey has said it won’t comply with the sanctions that it deemed “unbalancing the world.”

“We have the toughest sanctions ever imposed, but on oil we want to go a little bit slower because I don’t want to drive (up) the oil prices in the world,” President Trump told reporters on his way to a campaign event. “I could get the Iran oil down to zero immediately, but it would cause a shock to the market. I don’t want to lift oil prices.”

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters, “The Iranian regime has a choice. It can either do a 180-degree turn from its outlaw course of action and act like a normal country, or it can see its economy crumble.”

Iran Remains Defiant

“We are in (an) economic war situation,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said after the U.S. unveiled the latest sanctions. “We are confronting a bullying enemy. We have to stand to win.”

Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guards’ airspace division, said, “We have managed to make land-to-sea ballistic, not cruise, missiles that can hit any vessel or ship from 700 kilometers.”

That’s 435 miles, up from 180 miles in 2008. This admission supports President Trump’s criticism that the 2015 nuclear deal failed to protect the world from Iran’s ballistic missiles program or its support for terrorist proxies in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and Iran.

Iran has sponsored terrorists and stockpiled weapons inside Gaza, resulting in the Iran-funded Hamas’ barrage of hundreds of rockets into southern Israel on Monday. “Hundreds of Red Alert sirens rang out across Israel, including one as far as the Dead Sea,” reported The Jerusalem Post.

Impact of Sanctions on the World

Reuters reported the day after the latest sanctions that, “Iran said it has so far been able to sell as much oil as it needs and urged European countries opposed to U.S. sanctions to do more to shield Iran.”

Still, Ari Shapiro of NPR reported, “More than a million barrels a day of crude oil have been taken off the global market thanks to the Trump administration's decision to sanction Iranian oil exports.”

“Everyone from China to the U.K. has opposed breaking the nuclear deal to penalize Iran’s regional bad behavior,” wrote Time Magazine's National Security Correspondent W.J. Hennigan on November 8. “And as the 2015 deal showed, getting Iran to back down requires a unified front.”

“The only thing the Iranian leadership deems more dangerous than suffering from sanctions is surrendering to them,” said Ali Vaez, the Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based nonprofit that says it works "to prevent wars and shape policies that will build a more peaceful world.”

“Whether the exemptions, or the willingness of powerhouse Asian countries to help Iran weather the US sanctions, will mean the sanctions are insufficient to change the Islamic Republic’s behavior remains to be seen,” wrote Yonah Jeremy Bob, The Jerusalem Post’s intelligence, terrorism and legal analyst.

Please join us in praying:

• Thanking God that the Trump Administration has taken serious and appropriate steps to stop Iran’s aggression

• That other nations will join the U.S. in efforts to protect Israel from Iran-based terrorism

• For the safety of Israelis targeted by Iran’s proxies
• For Jewish people in Israel and worldwide to accept Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah.

Your gift to Jewish Voice today supports our ministry partners in Israel who actively work for peace. You will help make our Outreaches possible, which deliver medical help and hope to Jewish people and their neighbors in Israel, Africa and throughout the world.

We read “Jesus” in our English Bibles, but what is Jesus’ name in Hebrew?

Jesus’ name in Hebrew is Yehoshua (Yeh-HO-shoo-ah), which, over time, became contracted to the shorter Yeshua (Yeh-SHOO-ah).

What Does Yeshua Mean?

Yehoshua, and therefore Yeshua as well, means “the Lord is salvation.”

In the Greek New Covenant, the word used for Jesus is Iesous (ee-ay-SOOS). Iesous is not a translation of Jesus’ name in Hebrew, but rather it is a transliteration.

A translation takes the meaning of a word in one language and assigns it the equivalent word with the same meaning in a different language. For instance, translated into Spanish, the English word “red” is “roja.”

A transliteration takes the letters of a word from one language and finds like-sounding letters of the second language to create a new word in that language. For example, the English word “baptize” is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizo (bap-TID-zo), meaning to immerse.

In the late 4th century, Jerome translated the Bible into Latin, a manuscript known as the Vulgate. In it, the Greek Iesous became the Latin Iesus. The English Bible eventually changed the Y sound of the Latin I to the letter J, which we now have in Jesus.

So, from Yehoshua/Yeshua – Jesus’ name in Hebrew – we get the Greek transliteration Iesous, which was transliterated into Latin as Iesus and later became the English name, Jesus.

Do we need to use Jesus’ name in Hebrew?

God will hear your prayers whether you use the name Yeshua, Jesus or the Messiah’s equivalent name in another language. We at Jewish Voice prefer to call Him Yeshua for two primary reasons:

Using Jesus’ name in Hebrew highlights the fact that He is Jewish. Much of the Church remains disconnected from the Jewish roots of faith in Yeshua. The Old Covenant promised the Messiah would come from and to the Jewish people. Jesus’ ministry on Earth was directed to the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24 NIV). The apostle Paul declared that the Gospel was for the Jewish people first and also to the Gentiles (Romans 1:16).

The consistent message of the entire Bible is God’s plan of redemption in Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. God reveals it in miraculous and rich ways throughout both Old and New Covenants. Using Jesus’ name in Hebrew helps in a small way to restore the lost connection that many Believers have with the Jewish roots of their faith.

The term Christ has become offensive to the Jewish people. This Anglicized name of Jesus has been so misused across the centuries as so-called members of the “Church” carried out violent pogroms against Jewish people. Marauding mobs traveled far and wide using the name of Christ while wickedly misrepresenting God’s Messiah as they beat, tortured and murdered Jewish people who would not be baptized or convert to “Christianity.”

For Jewish people, the name Jesus can be associated with the violent persecution and anti-Semitism of the Crusades, expulsions from various countries in Europe and the horrors of the Holocaust during which Jewish people were labeled “Christ Killers.”

Yet, Jewish people need Jesus just as the Gentiles do. The Bible is clear that there is only one way anyone can come to God – through faith in His Sent One, the Messiah (John 14:6). This is another reason why we at Jewish Voice prefer to use Jesus’ name in Hebrew: Yeshua.

Learn more:

Who is Yeshua HaMashiach?

10 Biggest Lies about Yeshua, His Jewishness and What Some Call ‘Jewish Christianity’

How did the Jewish Yeshua become the Gentile Jesus?

How to Write Jesus’ name in Hebrew (How would Yeshua have written His name?)

Yeshua HaMashiach – Anointed to Save