Showing posts with label Exodus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Exodus. Show all posts

Friday, April 14, 2017

Redeemed by Jesus. Our Passover Lamb.


Why Jesus is Our Passover Lamb

CBN News Rich Robinson+
In the day to come when your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him…" Exodus 13:14
The number four plays a significant role in Judaism. There are the four species of vegetables for Sukkot; four kingdoms in the book of Daniel; four Torah portions in the tefillin; four Matriarchs. At Passover, we find this number in abundance. In the course of the Seder we have four sons, four cups of wine, four expressions of redemption (Exodus 6:6-7) and perhaps the most famous "four" of all: the Four Questions.
As the Seder developed over the centuries, the Four Questions underwent many changes and were altered as different situations arose.1 For example, originally one question dealt with why we ate roasted meat.2 After the destruction of the Temple, that question was deleted and one about reclining was substituted. Today, the Four Questions (phrased as observations) are asked by the youngest child in the family:
  • Why is this night different from all other nights?
  • On all other nights, we may eat either chometz or matzoh; on this night, only matzoh.
  • On all other nights, we eat all kinds of vegetables; on this night, we must eat maror.
  • On all other nights, we do not dip even once; on this night we dip twice.
  • On all other nights, we may eat either sitting or reclining; on this night, we all recline.
The father then explains the Passover story.
There are other questions that the rabbis could have chosen as well. In the spirit of rabbinical adaptation, here are some additional questions that both children and adults might ponder.
Why do we place three matzos together in one napkin?
There are any number of traditions about this. One tradition holds that they represent the three classes of people in ancient Israel: the Priests, the Levites, and the Israelites. Another tradition teaches that they symbolize the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Yet another explanation is that it is a depiction of the "Three Crowns": the crown of learning, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship.3 And a fourth option is that two of the matzos stand for the two weekly loaves of Exodus 16:22, and the third matzoh represents the special Passover bread called the "bread of affliction."4 And if those are not enough to keep one's imagination running, here's another.
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Sperling suggested that the three matzos stand for the three "measures of the fine meal" which Sarah prepared for Abraham's angelic guests (Genesis 18). The reason for this interpretation lies in the rabbinic tradition that this event occurred on the night of Passover!5 Out of all these explanations, how can we decide which is the right one, or is there yet another?
Why is the middle matzoh, the afikoman, broken in the course of the Seder?
Are we breaking the Levites, or Isaac, or the crown of learning, or one of the guests' cakes, or the bread of affliction? Or are we symbolizing the parting of the Red Sea (another explanation)?6 If any of these explanations are correct, why is the matzoh hidden away, buried under a cushion, and then taken out and eaten by all, as the Sephardic ritual puts it, "in memory of the Passover lamb?"
Where is our pesach, our Passover sacrifice, today?
The Torah prescribes that a lamb is to be sacrificed and eaten every Passover as a memorial of the first Passover lambs which were killed (Deuteronomy 16:1 -8). In reply, it is said that without a Temple we can have no sacrifices—yet some have advocated that the sacrifice still be made in Jerusalem even without a Temple.7 Since the Passover sacrifice, like others, involved the forgiveness of sins, it is important that we do the right thing. Some feel that the pesach had nothing to do with forgiveness. But in Exodus Rabbah 15:12 we read, "I will have pity on you, through the blood of the Passover and the blood of circumcision, and I will forgive you."

Again, Numbers Rabbah 13:20 cites Numbers 7:46, which deals with the sin offering, and then adds, "This was in allusion to the Paschal sacrifice." Clearly the rabbis of this time period regarded the pesach as effecting atonement, and Leviticus 17:11 confirms that "it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul."8 Today, however, we have only a shankbone, the zeroah, as a reminder of the Passover sacrifice, and roasted egg, the chaggigah, in memory of the festival offerings. But nowhere did God say that we could dispense with sacrifice. So, where is our pesach today?
The answers to these questions can be found by examining how and why the Seder observance changed dramatically in the first century.
The Seder Celebrated by Jesus and His Disciples
The "Last Supper" was a Passover meal and seems to have followed much the same order as we find in the Mishnah.
In the New Testament accounts, we find reference to the First Cup, also known as the Cup of Blessing (Luke 22:17); to the breaking of the matzoh (Luke 22:19); to the Third Cup, the Cup of Redemption (Luke 22:20); to reclining (Luke 22:14); to the charoseth or the maror (Matthew 26:23), and to the Hallel (Matthew 26:30).
In particular, the matzoh and the Third Cup are given special significance by Jesus:
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:19-20)
The Passover Lamb
The early Jewish believers in Jesus considered him the fulfillment of the Passover lambs that were yearly sacrificed. Thus Paul, a Jewish Christian who had studied under Rabbi Gamaliel, wrote, "Messiah, our pesach, has been sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). John in his gospel noted that Jesus died at the same time that the Passover lambs were being slaughtered in the Temple (see John 19:14) and that like the Passover lambs, none of his bones were broken (the others being crucified had their leg bones broken by the Romans—John 19:32, 33, 36).

The idea behind all this was that just as the Israelites were redeemed from Egyptian slavery by an unblemished lamb, now men could be freed from slavery to sin by the Messiah, the Lamb of God.
The Cessation of the Temple Sacrifices
The first Christians were considered a part of the Jewish community until the end of the first century when they were expelled by the synagogue. Until the temple was destroyed, these Messianic Jews worshipped regularly with those Jews who didn't believe in the Messiah. In fact, there were entire congregations that worshipped Y'shua and they continued in their observance of the regular Jewish festivals. In such a setting, much interchange of ideas was possible.

Jesus declared over the matzoh, "This is my body." Since the Jewish believers of that time saw Jesus as the Passover lamb, it followed that they would see the matzoh as symbolic of Jesus, the Passover lamb. In turn, with the destruction of the Temple and the cessation of sacrifices, the larger Jewish community might well have adopted the idea that the matzoh commemorated the lamb, even if they discounted the messianic symbolism.
The Afikoman Ceremony
As mentioned earlier, the significance of the middle matzoh and the ceremony connected with it is shrouded in mystery. The derivation of the word afikoman itself sheds some light. The word is usually traced to the Greek epikomion ("dessert") or epikomion("revelry")9. But Dr. David Daube, professor of civil law at Oxford University, derives it from aphikomenos, "the one who has arrived."10 This mystery clears further when one considers the striking parallels between what is done to the middle matzoh (afikoman) and what happened to Jesus.

The afikoman is broken, wrapped in linen cloth, hidden and later brought back. Similarly, after his death, Jesus was wrapped in linen, buried, and resurrected three days later. Is it possible that the current Ashkenazic practice of having children steal the afikoman is a rabbinical refutation of the resurrection, implying that grave-snatchers emptied the tomb?
These factors strongly suggest that the afikoman ceremony was adopted from the Jewish Christians by the larger Jewish community which also adopted the use of the three matzos. Jewish Christians contend that these three matzos represent the tri-une nature of God, and that the afikoman which is broken, buried and brought back dramatically represents Jesus the Messiah.
The question then remains: What will it take to convince you?
Do you want to know Y'shua as your Messiah?
© Jews for Jesus. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Is Franklin Graham Leading an Exodus Out of the Republican Party? - GEORGE THOMAS/CBN CHARISMA NEWS

Graham says he will "be urging Christians to vote, to live out their faith in every part of their lives, and to pray for our nation just as Nehemiah cried out to God to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and restore hope to His people."

Graham says he will "be urging Christians to vote, to live out their faith in every part of their lives, and to pray for our nation just as Nehemiah cried out to God to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and restore hope to His people." (Courtesy)


Is Franklin Graham Leading an Exodus Out of the Republican Party?





Evangelist Franklin Graham is kicking off a national tour of state capitols Tuesday, calling on Christians to repent, pray and uphold Biblical values at home and at the ballot box.
The 50-state tour, called "Decision America Tour 2016," will begin this afternoon on the steps of Des Moines, Iowa's capitol.
On his website, Graham says he will "be urging Christians to vote, to live out their faith in every part of their lives, and to pray for our nation just as Nehemiah cried out to God to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and restore hope to His people."
The trip comes ahead of the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses in which Graham is urging Christians who care about social issues to go to the polls and vote for "godly leaders."
"I believe we are perilously close to the moral tipping point for the survival of the United States of America," Graham wrote in the most recent Decision magazine article. "I refuse to be silent and watch the future of our children and grandchildren be offered up on pagan altars of personal pleasure and immorality."
Graham, son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, is not endorsing any presidential candidate and will not allow any of them to speak at his rallies.
Late last month, Graham told followers on Facebook that he was quitting the Republican Party, partly because the GOP-controlled Congress failed to defund Planned Parenthood.
"I have no hope in the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, or Tea Party to do what is best for America," he wrote on Facebook. "Unless more godly men and women get in this process and change this wicked system, our country is in for trouble."
So will these rallies turn political? Graham insists they won't.
"Some fear I might be leading an exodus out of the Republican Party. That's not my goal at all," he wrote in a recent Facebook post. "I'm not here to hurt the Republican Party or the Democratic Party—I want to help our nation. I want to stand on capitol steps and lead this nation state by state in praying for America."
Graham insists the Decision America Tour is about rallying Christians to pray for their nation.
"We'll be praying for our leaders and praying that God would give us politicians who will stand for Biblical values," Graham said. "I want to challenge Christians to get involved in the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and all others to make a difference, to get engaged at every level and to vote."
"The Bible calls us to be salt and light in this world," he continued. "It's time we got off the sidelines and got involved in actively working and praying to stop the moral decline of this great nation."
You can follow updates on the tour here
For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!
NEW from CHARISMA: Do you want to encounter the Holy Spirit and hear God speak to you? Increase your faith, discover freedom, and draw near to God! Click Here

Decision America Tour Event Draws Only This Many People


Franklin Graham
Franklin Graham kicked off his 50-state Decision America Tour in Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday afternoon. The series of events is meant to call the nation to prayer and to encourage Christians to become more politically engaged. (Video Screenshot Image)
Despite a sunny day, a steady south wind dropped wind chills to just 20° F on the west steps of the Iowa Statehouse on Tuesday afternoon.
That didn't prevent at least 2,000 people from gathering to hear from the Rev. Franklin Graham, who kicked off his Decision America Tour in the capital city of the first-in-the-nation caucus state. Another 1,000 people watched from the warmth of their own homes on a live stream of the event on the Billy Graham Evangelist Association's YouTube channel.
The event has since been archived online for others to view.
Graham opened his speech with a greeting from his father, who at 97 years of age is unable to travel. He then discussed the problems the nation faces.
"No political party is going to be able to turn this around," he told the crowd. "I have no hope in the Democratic Party—listen to me—I have zero hope in the Republican party. I have no hope in Tea Party or any other party. My only hope is in Almighty God and His Son, Jesus Christ. The most important thing we can do as Christians ... is pray."
Graham then spoke about the story of Nehemiah and how it parallels what is happening to America today. He said the steps Nehemiah took should be the template for those who were in attendance:
• prayerfully confess the sins of the nation,
• prayerfully confess one's personal sins,
• prayerfully confess the sins of our fathers,
Graham then asked the audience if their sins were forgiven, and if they really believed it. He said he wanted to be sure that everyone in attendance knew that God loved them, and that they understood the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ.
He then led those in the audience in need of it in a Sinner's Prayer.
Graham next discussed the rise of secularism during the "deep sigh" the nation took following the fall of Communism in the Soviet Union. He said there was little difference between the ideologies, particularly for Christians, and he urged them to fight.
Quoting frequently from his father's past speeches, he laid out a two-point battle plan to fight against the invasion of secularism in the political realm. The first of those is to vote.
"Vote for candidates that stand for biblical truth and biblical principles, and that are willing to live them," he said. "I'm not here to tell you who to vote for. I'm not going to do that ... but I'm asking you to vote. Do it."
The then urged Christians to stand up and answer the call of their communities, their state, and their nation. He said his father believed it was imperative that committed Christians enter public service.
"We need men and women ... of Christian commitment to run for political office this coming year, no matter which political party you belong," he said, quoting from speeches his father made in the 1970s and 1950s. "It is the easiest thing in the world for us, as Christians, to think of national [and] world politics as something only involving men and women of the world. That's where we fail. Our job, as Christians, is to make the impact of Christ felt in every phase of life: religious, social, economic, and political. But we must not do it in our own strength or wisdom. We can only do it as we surrender ourselves completely to God, allowing Him to work in us."
Graham said the choice may not be easy. It may sometimes require choosing the candidate that is closest to the biblical ideal. But, he added, the most important elections are those closest to home: mayors, city council, county commissioner, judges, and school boards.
"Could you imagine, that in the next two or three election cycles, that the majority of mayors and city councils of America were born-again Christians, the impact that would have on our nation and our cities?" he asked. "If men and women of God controlled the school boards of America, think about [the impact] that would have for the next 20 years on the education system of this nation."
Graham urged those who attended the event to go back to their communities and start up prayer groups and to pray for their communities. He also urged them to look for Christians in their communities to persuade to run for office, and to support their campaigns.
In closing, he urged those in attendance to go to the Decision America Tour website and to sign the pledge to both God and country. The pledge incorporates 1 Corinthians 3:11, 2 Chronicles 7:14, and 2 Corinthians 4:5.
Upcoming events include Jan. 12 in Tallahassee, Fla., Jan. 13 in Baton Rouge, La., and Jan. 19 in Concord, N.H.
For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!
NEW from CHARISMA: Do you want to encounter the Holy Spirit and hear God speak to you? Increase your faith, discover freedom, and draw near to God! Click Here

Sunday, June 7, 2015

British Christians Repent for Broken Vows to Israel

Haifa port, Israel

British Christians Repent for Broken Vows to Israel

HAIFA PORT and ATLIT, Israel -- Seventy years have passed since the British government prevented thousands of Jews from reaching their biblical homeland. Now British Christians want to apologize and make amends.

The epic feature film, "Exodus," starring Paul Newman as Ari Ben Canaan, depicts the events that happened around World War II. For 10 years, the British body overseeing pre-state Palestine turned away thousands of Jews trying to escape from Europe.

One of the film's scenes takes place between Newman and co-star Eva Marie Saint, who plays a British nurse named Katherine.

"I'm trying to save a Jewish child," Saint says. "You're late," Canaan tells her. "Lady, you're 10 years late. Almost 2 million Jewish children were butchered like animals because nobody wanted them."

Dock of Tears

The Haifa port was known as the Dock of Tears. From 1938 to 1948, the British prevented more than 90 ships, carrying tens of thousands of Jews fleeing Europe to return to their biblical homeland, from docking there.

"I'm here to commemorate those Jews … who suffered or died as a result of the shameful policies of the British government of the day," Col. Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, told CBN News.

Rosie Ross, founder of a group called "Repairing the Breach, organized the day of repentance.

"We turned them away and put them in camps in Cyprus and in Mauritius and even some of them were returned to deportation camps in Germany and others who weren't turned away from their land were actually incarcerated here in this detention camp," Ross told CBN News.

British Lock Up Thousands of Jews

The British basically locked up thousands of Jewish refugees at the Atlit Detention Camp. They sprayed the newcomers with pesticide, separated the men from the women and sent them to the showers.

It's a part of history lost between World War II and the founding of the Jewish state, but Ross and other British Christians didn't forget.

"This whole period of British history is something that's been on my heart for a long time and the need for people from Britain to really confess and repent for what Britain did at that time," she explained.

Nearly 200 British Christians, as well as Jewish victims of that time, came first to the Haifa port and then to the detention camp for the commemoration.

Joan Thomas from the Ebenezer Emergency Fund led participants in prayer.

"As we have taken up confessions and prayers with deep sorrow for our nations reneging on the Balfour Declaration and turning our back upon the Jewish people," Thomas prayed.

Past Can Be Redeemed

Rev. Alex Jacob with Love Never Fails, a coalition of pro-Israel Christian ministries across the U.K. told participants, "We know that the past cannot be changed, but it can be redeemed."

The British Christians handed out Bibles to mark the incident when a British ship commander ordered the burning of all books in Hebrew and Yiddish, including Jewish Bibles, as told in the book Exodus 1947, by Ruth Gruber.

Survivors attending the memorial had mixed reactions to the Christian appeal.

"If I forgive them, will it raise the dead?" Holocaust survivor Mordechai Libr, one of the Jews who arrived in Israel only to be sent back by the British told CBN News. "There is no forgiveness for this. None. Nothing in the world can bring them back," said Libr who lost his entire family in the Holocaust and survived as a child alone.

Arie Itamar, another Holocaust survivor who arrived on the Exodus ship, was glad to be part of the event.

"I wanted to meet other British people to hear from them what their opinion about the events, and now I see that not only is it a meeting but also for asking for forgiveness," Itamar said. "It is very, very important. I'm very glad to be in this event.

Quota Breached Contract

Keynote speaker Lord Simon Isaacs, the 4th Marquess of Reading, said the quota on immigration breached Britain's contract with the Jewish people.

"That contract was Balfour Declaration 1917, San Remo Treaty in 1920 and that was all ratified in the treaty in Versailles in '23," Isaacs said. "It was the contract that essentially the British government broke."

Isaacs said there were two reasons behind their behavior during the British Mandate: "appeasing the Arabs and a Labor government that was essentially anti-Jewish." He hopes the British government admits its mistake in time for the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration in 2017.

Col. Kemp says there's also a message for today.

"Not to condemn Israel when it shouldn't be condemned, but to stand up for Israel, to support Israel as Israel so often supports us," he said.


Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Israel Photo Trivia ✡ "Look Heavenward and Count" - ISRAEL365

And He took him outside, and He said, "Please look heavenward and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So will be your seed."

GENESIS (15:5)
 

וַיּוֹצֵא אֹתוֹ הַחוּצָה וַיֹּאמֶר הַבֶּט נָא הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וּסְפֹר הַכּוֹכָבִים אִם תּוּכַל לִסְפֹּר אֹתָם וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ

בראשית טו:ה

va-yo-tzay o-to ha-khu-tza va-yo-me ha-bet na ha-sha-mai-y'-ma u-s'-por ha-ko-kha-veem im tu-khal lis-por o-tam va-yo-mer lo ko yi-h'-ye zar-e-kha

Today's Israel Inspiration

Since the Torah is concise and no word is extraneous, our Sages asked what is added by the words "and He took him outside" as it is obvious when looking at the stars that one is outside! Our Sages explain that God meant, “Go out of your astrology,” for you have seen in the stars that you are not destined to have a son. Indeed, Abram will have no son, but Abraham will have a son. Similarly, Sarai will not give birth, but Sarah will give birth. I will give you another name, and your destiny will change" (Rashi on the Midrash). Learn your name in Hebrew and discover your essence.
 

Israel is a Blessed Nation!

What other small country or nation is accomplishing so much for humanity? Promote. Support. Invest. Israel!

Future Redemption Greater than the Exodus?

Blood, Frogs, the Splitting of the Sea … that’s nothing compared to what the Almighty has planned for the future redemption of Israel and the world.
 

The Book of Esther Scroll: Netanyahu's Gift to Congress

This gorgeous, handwritten Megillah scroll is complete with colorful illustrations and the full text of the Book of Esther which we read on Purim. It comes with a gift bag and is a limited edition of 900 numbered copies. Israel’s Prime Minister gave this scroll to US House Speaker John Boehner in his March 2015 visit to the U.S.

Israel Photo Trivia

Paragliding is becoming one of the most popular extreme sports in Israel and gives one an incredible new perspective on the beautiful Land and seas of Israel. Can you guess which body of water is below this paraglider? Send me an email or post on Facebook!
 

Thank You

Today's Scenes and Inspiration is sponsored by Robin Sussman in memory of her parents Sigmund and Barbara Beer. Toda Raba!
 

“A Blessing to Get the Daily News from Israel”

It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365!
 
Blessings to all, Jerusalem & Israel & the Jewish people have been in my heart for quite some time. Often I have said that it is a desire of mine to visit Israel.  Thanks be to God for Bibi Netanyahu's re-election. We live on the small main Island of Shetland with many miles of sea between us & the mainland of Scotland (more or less on the same latitude as Bergen in Norway) but we are always aware of what is taking place in the world.  It's really a blessing to get the daily news from Israel. There is a prayer group here at our home every Thursday evening & always we pray for Israel, the people & the peace of Jerusalem. About 5 years ago my husband named our home, "Shalom". It's a beautiful name which sometimes gives us an opportunity to speak with people when they show interest. Thank you all again. SHALOM, Margaret Sinclair
Shalom,
Rabbi Tuly Weisz
RabbiTuly@Israel365.com
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From the Exodus to Israel 2015

From the Exodus to Israel 2015

JERUSALEM, Israel -- In just a few days, Jews in Israel and around the world will gather with family and friends to retell the story of their deliverance from slavery. As they observe Pesach (Passover) and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, many will turn their hearts toward God.

While everyone celebrates, Israelis soldiers will guard the northern and southern borders. In the north, Lebanon and Syria transfer weaponry across their borders, as Hezbollah fights alongside Bashar Assad's troops. In the south, the Hamas terror group openly speaks of Israel's destruction.

Meanwhile in Switzerland, the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the P5+1, are about to give Iran the green light toward nuclear weapons and regional dominance, though they're not explicitly saying it. Iran reportedly has not backed down from any of its "red lines," including all the components of uranium enrichment.

And in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian Authority-controlled cities in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), leaders of the P.A.'s "unity" government praise acts of "resistance" against the Israeli "occupiers."

Instead of sitting down with Israel to come up with a workable solution, P.A. leaders travel around the world convincing others Israelis are the problem. And they've been pretty effective in Europe and other parts of the world. The P.A. wants the international community to force Israel back to the 1948 armistice lines, once called "Auschwitz borders." It also involves uprooting more than 350,000 Israelis from their homes and communities.

In 2005, under then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the government bulldozed 21 thriving communities in the Gush Katif Settlement Bloc and four in northern Samaria, uprooting some 10,000 people. Instead of moving the peace process forward, Israelis were bombarded with thousands of rockets.

The story of how God brought the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land is one of miracles, obedience and blessing. At the center of everything is God's desire that people know who He is.

Not long after the multitude walked out of Egypt, they heard the rumble of Egyptian chariots. They felt the ground shaking. After a long trek on very little sleep, they came to a seemingly insurmountable barrier: the sea. They despaired, some crying out they would have been better off serving the Egyptians alive.

But God had a different plan and Moses knew He hadn't brought them this far to abandon them.

That message is as relevant today as ever. As the world spins rapidly out of control, God hasn't changed one whit.

That's why Moses instructs the people to teach their children what took place then and to observe Pesach from generation to generation.

"And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, 'This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.' It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord's law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year." (Ex. 13:8-10)

With today's challenges no less daunting, the recounting of the exodus can help people remember that God has not and will not abandon them either.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Is Israel a Fulfillment of Prophecy? - ISRAEL TODAY with Eric Cantor

Is Israel a Fulfillment of Prophecy?

Thursday, December 11, 2014 |  Israel Today Staff
Israel’s increasingly vocal Christian antagonists have been trying to blunt support for the Jewish state by Christian Zionists by teaching that it must not be viewed as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
This despite the wholly unprecedented survival of an exiled people for 2,000 years and the eventual rebirth of their nation, and the fact that all this appears to line up pretty neatly with what the prophets foretold.
The reality is that the rebirth of Israel as a nation-state is the most tangible piece of evidence today that God exists and is faithful to His promises. That some leading Christian figures are teaching the opposite is a big problem, according to Tel Aviv-based Messianic Jewish congregation leader Ron Cantor.
“What is the purpose of prophecy if not to confirm the Word of God,” Cantor wonders rhetorically in a video posted to YouTube (see below).
The trick, of course, is being able to properly discern between what is prophetic and what isn’t. As Cantor goes on to explain, there are a few tests that can determine whether or not something is prophetic.
The first test is time. Despite being repeatedly attacked by numerically-superior enemies, the State of Israel has not only continued to exist these past seven decades, but has today become the region’s strongest economic and military power.
The second test is the direct fulfillment of other related prophecies. Jeremiah 14 speaks of a day when people would no longer chiefly identify God as the One who brought the Israelites out of Egypt, but rather as He who brought them home from the “land of the north.” The massive immigration of Jews from the former Soviet Union, an “exodus” that outnumbered its biblical counterpart, can not but be referring to this event.
“The evidence is pretty overwhelming,” sums up Cantor. “The only way you can conclude that Israel is not a prophetic fulfillment is if you interpret these passages with a preconceived anti-Israel, anti-Jewish bias.”
Check out the full video below:
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Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Exodus: Gods and Kings | Moses' Journey [HD] | 20th Century FOX trailer



Published on Nov 25, 2014
One man will change the world. Watch Christian Bale as Moses in this Exodus: Gods and Kings featurette.

Exodus: Gods and Kings: From acclaimed director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Prometheus) comes the epic adventure "Exodus: Gods and Kings," the story of one man's daring courage to take on the might of an empire. Using state of the art visual effects and 3D immersion, Scott brings new life to the story of the defiant leader Moses (Christian Bale) as he rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses (Joel Edgerton), setting 400,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.

The film's writing credits are: Written by Adam Cooper & Bill Collage and Jeffrey Caine and Steven Zaillian

In Theaters - December 12, 2014

Cast: Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Ben Mendelsohn, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley

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Exodus: Gods and Kings | Moses' Journey [HD] | 20th Century FOX
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