We've all witnessed the huge demonstrations with an abundance of flag-flying after October 7. Seeing flags flying from high places elicits emotion. They seem to have a potency that's hard to explain. What is it that a bit of brightly colored synthetic material evokes? Flying the flag The urge to put a flag in high places is strong. Whether it's the top of Mount Everest or on the surface of the moon, man seems compelled by this desire to put his mark, to make his claim. It's as if marking territory, claiming victory. For this reason the determination of pro-Palestinian protesters climbing monum ..read more

Is “Christ” the family name of Jesus? Mr. Christ? That's what the students were wondering as they began their class on the New Testament in a secular Israeli university. You can't blame them for the confusion because the word Christ doesn't appear in the Hebrew translation of the New Testament at all. “Christ” is from the Greek word, “Christos”. In Hebrew, that word is “Moshiach”, or Messiah. Yes, the word “Christ” quite literally, and very simply, means “Messiah”. It didn't take long for the Israeli students to wrap their heads around the concept, since the meaning of the Hebrew word for Chr ..read more

There is a lot of biblical prophecy that speaks about Jesus. But I think it's fair to say most people are blind to the double meaning in those passages. Many believers would cite Isaiah 53 as an obvious example of a biblical prophet speaking of the promised Messiah. We could also talk about the numerous other prophecies concerning His birth and early life, matters over which the man Jesus of Nazareth could have no control: The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) He would be from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10) He could come out of Egypt ..read more

As if there wasn't enough confusion from Christians who think the church has replaced Israel, we now have a whole new brand of error arising with the “Hebrew Israelites” who believe it is they who are the true Jews. Although the (deeply antisemitic) cult has gained a lot of traction in the wake of Ye West's recent ravings, the movement has been steadily growing for some time now. The claim is that the kind of Jews Hitler was determined to extinguish are the “synagogue of Satan” and not really Jewish at all. Hitler would kill anyone with a Jewish grandparent, and as such Israel welcomes ev ..read more

In contrast to many other countries, abortion is not a hotly debated subject in Israel. Perhaps because it is so very prevalent, it has just become quietly accepted. Although 40% of the Israelis questioned believed abortion to be wrong,1 there are up to a staggering 40,000 abortions every year in a population of only 9 million people.2  That's close to two million babies who have been killed in their mother's wombs since the nation's formation in 1948. Religious Jewish and Muslim leaders may occasionally make statements against abortion, but do not campaign agains ..read more

“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn” (Zech 12:10). According to the Talmud and Medieval Jewish interpretation, the “pierced one” is the Messiah son of Joseph, a great leader who will be the only one killed in this final battle (Zech 12:1-9). But nowhere in this chapter or in book of Zechariah are there verses about a future mi ..read more

“In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them…. I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn” (Zech 12:8, 10). The sudden switch in pronouns from “me” (“they will look on ..read more

“After a rally today calling for death to Jews, rape of Jewish women and my husband was assaulted, we are considering a move to Israel. I don’t think Canada is the place to raise my kids. Antisemitism is out of control. We are not religious, both speak fluent Hebrew. We have three kids. I have no idea where to begin. Any advice would be great.” 1 It’s really saying something when a tiny country that gets regularly pelted with rockets is considered the safest place for Jewish people to be in the world. But that’s where we are.  Antisemitism is spinning way out of control. It wasn’t ..read more

Twenty years ago, there were just a few dozen Messianic soldiers serving in the IDF. Today, according to our research, some 150 Israeli believers join the army each year as another 150 leave, and at in any given time there are about 450-500 Messianic soldiers in active service. When talking to Israelis in their 20’s or 30’s about Jesus, some have already heard a bit about our faith while they were in the army through the witness of Messianic soldiers serving alongside them. There was a time when Jewish followers of Jesus wouldn’t be trusted in the Israeli military, but we have never been grant ..read more

“The colour immediately attracted our attention, but we found it hard to believe that we had found true purple from such an ancient period”. Professor Erez Ben Yosef from Tel Aviv University and an expert in Iron Age was thrilled to share what they’d found recently here in Israel.1  The ongoing excavation work has been revealing all sort of treasures in the Timna Valley, which lies between Jerusalem and the Red Sea. Timna hosts ancient copper mines, thought to have belonged to King Solomon at one point,2 and today you can visit a life-size model of the Tabernacle there. Which turns out to ..read more