Joy and trials don’t seem like words that go together very well. When I think of joy, I think of spending time with my family, hanging out with friends, and celebrating life’s moments with others. Right now, most of us can’t do any of these things because we are in quarantine. We are either alone or with close family and we can’t see or be around other people. It doesn’t feel very joyful. It feels difficult, frustrating and confusing, among many other emotions.

I encourage you as we end this devotional week to join in with all the Believers from history, the great cloud of witnesses, all of Heaven and “set your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Yeshua the Messiah.” (1 Peter 1:13) 

We have come to the last chapter in the book of Revelation, and in this chapter we reach the crescendo of Genesis to Revelation. Now, if you want the full context of this chapter I suggest you read chapters 19-21 first and read chapter 22.

I hope you can find great encouragement in these passages as I have over the years. Yeshua has invited a multitude to His wedding day and it is a glorious day! What He asks of us is to be ready ( live a faithful life of devotion to loving Him and others). When we do this, we are fulfilling good deeds (mitzvah) that make us bright and clean on His wedding day.

I hope you are beginning to see some of the pattern in the book of Revelation that a key element of Heaven and a key element of those who overcome difficulties on Earth both employ worship. If you are finding yourself struggling to overcome difficulties in your life or face the current situation we find ourselves in around the world, might I encourage to use the key element of worship to lift your life and find victory. Join all of Heaven and worship!

“…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).

Revelation 12 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.

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.

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.

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.