“…Each man is to take a lamb for his family… They are to take the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the crossbeam of the houses… When I see the blood, I will pass over you. So there will be no plague among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12: 3, 7, 13).

Passover is the most important Jewish holiday of the year. For the Israelites, Passover led to a new relationship with God as He demonstrated His call upon the Jewish people to be a nation unto Him.

God also placed within Passover a picture of something new He would do in the future. In the Passover lamb, we have an image of the Messiah whose blood established the new covenant by which we can have a relationship with God (Jeremiah 31:31–33, 2 Corinthians 5:17). The apostle Paul proclaims that Yeshua (Jesus) is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).

When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He paved the way for something new – in the immediate, their freedom, and a Land where they could thrive. In the future, He sent Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah to free us from sin and give the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence with those who believe.

Whether God brings us out of troubled times or carries us through them, He often uses such circumstances to open the way for fresh things in our lives. He may want to lead us onto a new path or into a new level of intimacy with Him.

God brings us out and through to pave the way for something new, to lead and bless us.

“Here I am, doing a new thing. Now it is springing up – do you know about it? I will surely make a way in the desert, rivers in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19).

“Then I heard a loud voice in Heaven saying, ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Anointed One, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters—the one who accuses them before our God day and night—has been thrown out. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives even in the face of death.’”

—Revelation 12:10-11 TLV

Chapter 12 of Revelation speaks of the “accuser of the brethren” and the “ancient serpent” or “Satan” being cast down from Heaven to the Earth. Now the point of this section is not to focus on the theological timing of this event, but to draw out how to overcome the evil one.

We see in this chapter that when Believers are faced with the fury of the evil one against them, there is a way to overcome! The Scripture above says that Believers overcome the evil one “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.”  

There is deep meaning to these two statements. One statement is built on the work of another (Yeshua) and an action. The second statement is built upon declaration of our testimony to God’s work in our lives.

1. Overcoming by the blood of the Lamb - Yeshua is our perfect Passover (Pesach) Lamb. He alone has accomplished the work for us, yet we must apply the blood of the Lamb to the doorpost of our hearts and lives to overcome.
2. Overcoming by the word of our testimony - We overcome by faithful commitment to God and by declaring His goodness in our lives. We are even willing to declare that we will not waver from our faith in Yeshua during trials, tribulations or even in the face of death.

I want to encourage you to find hope from this passage. When we apply the blood of Lamb to our hearts and lives and commit to faithfully declaring God’s goodness to us, then we overcome!

Now take some time to carefully reflect on the questions below and journal your answers.

1. What is God saying through His Word?
2. What is God saying to me?
3. How should/can I respond?

Chapter four of Revelation gives us insight into the scene around God’s throne. John says, “immediately he was in the Ruach (Spirit)” and he began to see this eternal reality and scene of worship around God’s throne! Look at what John sees:

“The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes all around and within. They do not rest day or night, chanting,

‘Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh
Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot,
asher haya v’hoveh v’yavo!

Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God of Hosts,
who was and who is
and who is to come!’

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the One seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever. And they throw their crowns down before the throne, chanting,

‘Worthy are You, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
For You created all things,
and because of Your will
they existed and were created!’”

          —Revelation 4:8-11 TLV

What an incredible reality and scene! John says the angels and elders around God’s throne never cease to say that He is Holy, the elders submit to His authority by casting their crowns, and then they proclaim His sovereign rule over all things. I think that we can find hope and ways to overcome difficulty in this life by following the above passage.

1. Seek things above, where Messiah is seated (Colossians 3:1)
2. Focus our minds on things above, not on things on the Earth (Colossians 3:2)
3. Now that our minds are focused on things above, we are ready to join with the heavenly host and PRAISE and PROCLAIM that He is Holy and Worthy
4. Finally, don’t miss this key example from the elders in Heaven: they submit to God’s sovereign rule over all things

If you find yourself with anxiety, fear or uncertainty during these times then follow the example above! Let’s focus our minds on Him so that we can praise and proclaim His holiness even in trying times.

Now take some time to carefully reflect on the questions below and journal your answers.

1. What is God saying through His Word?
2. What is God saying to me?
3. How should/can I respond?

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”

3 John 1:2 (NIV)
 

Shalom!

Weeks ago, before the words “coronavirus,” “pandemic” and “social distancing” became part of our daily language, you could turn on the news at any time and hear what was going on in Israel. Now, everyone is so focused on their own slice of the world that Israel barely gets a mention.

We at Jewish Voice are still paying close attention to Israel and what is happening there. Last week, before the start of Passover, Ezra Benjamin and Carly Berna, two of our Jewish Voice staff members, conducted video interviews with four people very familiar with Israel to get an inside look at the situation.

I strongly encourage you to watch these interviews and learn what is taking place in Israel so you know how you can be praying for the Jewish people in this time of great turmoil - and great opportunity.

Yeshua declares He is our Hope and has Overcome.

“The revelation of Yeshua the Messiah, which God gave Him to show to His servants the things that must soon take place.”

            —Revelation 1:1 TLV

In Revelation chapter 1, we find that God is revealing and has revealed Yeshua our salvation, but he wants us to see Yeshua as not just the suffering servant, but also as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Look how John describes Yeshua and how Yeshua reveals himself to John in this chapter.

John says…

“…Messiah Yeshua, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the Earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, kohanim (priest) to His God and Father—to Him be glory and power forever! Amen!”

            —Revelation 1:5-6 TLV

Yeshua then reveals Himself as…

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says Adonai Elohim, “Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty!”

            —Revelation 1:8 TLV

Next, John begins to describe the revealing of the glorified Messiah…

“I saw One like a Son of Man, clothed in a robe down to His feet, with a golden belt wrapped around His chest. His head and His hair were white like wool, white like snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of rushing waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came forth a sharp, two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at full strength.”

            —Revelation 1:13-16 TLV

John is stunned and even says that he wants to fall down like a dead man, but Yeshua gives John hope, encouragement and inspiration to overcome! Look at what Yeshua says…

“Do not be afraid! I am the First and the Last, and the One who lives. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever! Moreover, I hold the keys of death and Sheol (Hell).”

            —Revelation 1:17b-18 TLV

WOW! Look at how Yeshua teaches us:

• Don't Be Afraid!
• He Lives Forever!
• He holds the keys of death and Sheol!

Yeshua gives us the ultimate way to find hope, encouragement, and the path to overcoming by revealing to us that He lives forever and has all authority in Heaven and on Earth. Yeshua shepherds our lives and hearts by encouraging us to look at His overcoming work! My encouragement to you is, “Don’t be Afraid!” We are in unchartered times in history right now, but that doesn’t mean we need to be fearful or that we do not have a hope; our hope is in Him…He has overcome!

I hope this dive into the beginning of Revelation has inspired and encouraged you.

Now take some time to carefully reflect on the questions below and journal your answers.

1. What is God saying through His Word?
2. What is God saying to me?
3. How should/can I respond?

When we face times of trial or uncertainty in the world as Believers we should first turn to the Scriptures and prayer. We often look at the scriptures as our source of hope, encouragement or to be inspired to overcome. We tend to look in lots of places in the Scriptures other than the book of Revelation as a source of hope. However, I think you can find encouragement and should take time to use this book as a source of inspiration.

In the book of Revelation, we find the world to be in the most dramatic and unique time of history –at the end of the age. Yet the book of Revelation shows when Believers are faced with great adversity, they OVERCOME! If you want to find hope and inspiration for the days we live in now then we should look at the future and apply that wisdom today.

Over the next seven days we will cover:

• Revelation 1 - He is our Hope and Overcomer - Yeshua declares He is our Hope and has Overcome
• Revelation 4 - Finding Hope and Overcoming through Praise and Proclamation
• Revelation 12 - Overcoming by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of our Testimony
• Revelation 15 - Finding Hope and Overcoming through Worship
• Revelation 19 - We have been invited to the Wedding Banquet of the Lamb - Be Encouraged!
• Revelation 22 - Hope and Encouragement found in the Tree of Life
• Revelation 22 - The Spirit and Bride say Come! “Bo Yeshua Bo” (Come Jesus Come)

Join me as we find Hope, Encouragement, and How to Overcome from the Book of Revelation.

Pesach, or Passover, is steeped in biblical history, practice and significance. It is one of the three Feasts for which Jewish men are told to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread following it are a time of remembering God’s deliverance, ceasing from labor and experiencing refreshment. Modern-day celebrations include families and friends gathering not only to share in the Passover Seder but also for traveling, visiting and recreation.

The Passover recorded in the book of Exodus was a very different event. The enslaved, work-weary members of each Jewish household sheltered inside their home that night. They’d shut the door as soon as they’d followed the Lord’s protective mandate to apply the blood of a lamb on their doorframe. Each family in their own home gathered around the table and ate their Passover meal together – while outside, the death angel passed through with one final plague in judgment on Egypt.

This year’s Passover bears eerie yet profound similarities to that long-ago event. All over Israel – in fact, throughout the world – Jewish people will celebrate this Passover limited to their homes. Absent of the usual guests and extended family, members of their households alone will sit around their Seder tables. It will be a very different observance of this familiar Feast.

This, of course, is due to the coronavirus and ensuing mandates that so many nations and cities have established ordering people to “stay home” or “shelter in place.” Virtually all the world will be behind closed doors on Passover, waiting for the threat of death to pass.

Imagine how meaningful this must be for the Jewish people, especially those in the Land of Israel. In a time typically characterized by great celebration and fellowship, this confinement offers an opportunity for a deeper reflection than perhaps ever before on what their ancestors experienced.

Here are a few ways we can pray for the Jewish people during this year’s unique version of a familiar annual event. Please pray for:

• Jewish people to reflect on the meaning of Passover and receive revelation of Yeshua (Jesus) as the Lamb of God
• Believers who will be spending extra time this Passover under the same roof as unsaved household members, that they will be bold in sharing their faith and drawing parallels with the stories of deliverance and redemption found in the book of Exodus and the Gospels
• Believers in Israel and around the world to reach out to Jewish family and friends by phone and online to share the hope of salvation during Passover and this time of isolation
• Jewish people searching for an online Passover experience to encounter live-streamed Messianic Passover Seders and other resources that will point them to Jesus as their deliverer and the way to the Father
• Heart-felt conversations – spurred by any challenges of this time, such as fear, isolation or sickness – to arise about life, death and salvation through God’s appointed sacrifice Yeshua
• Special protection upon the elderly, frail and desperate, as well as front-line caregivers, that God would be merciful, spare lives, and bring about new life through the Good News

Let’s pray:

Father, we are in an unprecedented season for our generation, but You are still the God of miracles. We have heard of Your fame and renown, as in Your deliverance of Your people at Passover. Oh, Lord, renew Your miracles and wonders today, through the healing of nations and individuals, and the spreading of Your Good News worldwide. May revelation of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, as the Lamb of God and Savior spread globally, bringing revival and many, many Jewish people and their neighbors to salvation. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.