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Most believers appreciate having a clearer understanding of the Scriptures from a Jewish perspective. Explore more about our faith in Jesus from this angle and other topics, including evangelism, Israel, antisemitism, biblical festivals, the international Jewish community, Jewish roots of Christianity, personal testimonies, and prophecy.
DAY 10 Years ago, a Chasidic rabbi taught me the real meaning of Yom Kippur. I was handing out pamphlets about Yeshua the Messiah at a New Jersey college when, all of a sudden, a determined, black-coated, bearded, hat-wearing campus Chasidic rabbi ran towards me and began handing out his…
DAY 9 On the evening initiating the Day of Atonement, Jewish people gather around the world to hear the magnificent fifteenth-century prayer, Kol Nidrei, which is sung at the service. This moving, mournful, and soulful prayer is highly unusual within the Jewish faith, as the purpose of the prayer is to…
DAY 8 Here are three practical steps to begin the process of forgiveness. Begin the process with repentance. Try and see yourselves through the eyes of a holy God and recognize the depth of your sin, your need for forgiveness, and your inability to merit God’s forgiveness through your own…
DAY 7 Let us look at two stories about forgiveness. The first is found in the Bible, and it is one of the greatest parables spoken by Jesus on this issue of forgiveness, which was one of His favorite topics. The second is a well-known encounter experienced between Corrie ten…
DAY 6 Forgiveness of sin is a major theme in the Bible. The Old Testament begins with the story of Adam and Eve sinning and destroying the perfection God originally created. Sin passed from Adam and Eve to their descendants, and the remainder of the biblical story focused on the…
DAY 5 The Al Chet (All Sins) prayer, a liturgical confession of sins, is said ten times during the course of the Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) services. Worshippers recite it during the afternoon prayers on the day before Yom Kippur, just before sunset on Yom Kippur eve, and twice during each of…
DAY 4 Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, described the importance of sacrifice in Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the…
DAY 3 As mentioned before, the sounding of the shofar is one of the unique moments that set Rosh Hashanah apart from the other six biblical festivals. There is so much to learn about the importance of the sounding of the shofar and the lessons God would have us learn…
DAY 2 Traditionally, there are three dominant themes described in Jewish tradition that dominate the liturgy and prayers for Rosh Hashanah. The first theme is kingship (malchuyot), the second is remembrance (zichronot), and the third is the shofar (shofarot). Each of these themes is designed to remind us of God’s purpose and plan…
DAY 1 You will not find the phrase Rosh Hashanah in the Bible. The festival is called Yom Teruah, the Day of the Sounding of the Trumpet. This correctly casts the festival as an attention-grabber for the Jewish people, preparing them for the Day of Atonement, which will be observed ten days later (…
The Jewish context of the life and ministry of Jesus the Messiah is the source of a constantly renewed sense of wonder. We marvel at the mystery of the Incarnation as we contemplate the earthly life of the Lord and the Jewish trappings that accompany it. And we are struck…
The ram’s horn, called the shofar, is blown on the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah). There are many reasons for sounding the shofar that are found in Scripture and in Jewish tradition. In addition to the New Year, the shofar was sounded at the arrival of a visiting dignitary, as…