Messiah Podcast

Around the world, followers of Yeshua are reconnecting with their Jewish roots, learning the Scriptures from a Jewish perspective and rekindling the church’s ancient relationship with Israel. One expression of this reconnection has been through music, as Jewish songs, psalms, and prayers slowly make their way back into expressions of faith in Yeshua. Our guest today is Joshua Aaron, renowned Messianic Jewish Israeli-American musician and worship leader, and he’s going to tell us his vision of the nations coming together for Israel.

–  Highlights –

• Joshua Aaron's music career began as a song writer. He released his first album “Bo Yeshua” in 2009, but his big breakthrough came with the release of “How Great Is Our God” in Hebrew.
• An appreciation for Judaism and his Jewish heritage came from Joshua’s mother and grandmother, culminating in moving his young family to Israel in 2009.
• With a daughter in the Israel Defense Force and more teenage kids to go into the Israeli military in the near future, the war with Hamas has been particularly emotional.Joshua immigrated back to Israel as a professional musician and is “one of those crazy Jews who believes in Jesus.”
• Joshua Aaron incorporates various middle eastern and exotic instruments that reflect the music of world cultures past and present with songs hitting #1 in world genre on iTunes charts.Joshua leads a Torah Club in Israel, providing a space for families in the Galilee to study the Bible from a Messianic perspective and explore the deeper scriptural meaning behind their faith.
• Joshua Aaron has developed a close-friend connection with Aaron Shust over the past few years, collaborating on music composition and live concerts together, with Shust providing musical arrangements.
• Is it possible to avoid being corrupted and retain the heart motivations in the music industry?Gather the Nations is a non-profit organization intent on uniting the nations toward Israel through the universal language of music and worship. The organization is having an inspirational impact through concert events around the world and practical impact through the donation of instruments and the start of a music school for orphans in Kenya.

–  Resources –

Gather the Nations

Joshua Aaron Music

–  Who is Messiah Podcast?  –

Messiah Podcast is a production of First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ), a Messianic Jewish education organization dedicated to reconciling disciples of Yeshua with God's prophetic promises to Israel. 

Messiah Podcast is made possible by the generosity of our First Fruits of Zion Friends. FFOZ Friends help advance our mission while gaining access to exclusive Messianic Jewish teachings and resources. If you want to partner with us in spreading the message of the kingdom to all nations, become an FFOZ Friend today.

Every year around the world, millions of Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah. This year, it’s probably going to feel a little different. As ancient echoes of widespread anti-Semitism, anti-Judaism, and anti-Zionism seem to be resounding again in the present time, the Jewish battle for survival against the Seleucid Empire finds its eerie, parallel expression in yet another conflict between Israel and her neighbors. Our guests today are First Fruits of Zion Senior Educator Aaron Eby and his wife, Rachel, and they’re going to tell us all about Hanukkah.

–  Topics –

• What is Hanukkah?
• Is Hanukkah the Jewish Christmas?
• Candles, songs, prayers, menorahs, dreidels, latkes, sufganiyot, presents, and other traditions that enhance the holiday. The trick to frying the perfect latke. Food is such a central part of creating lasting memories.
• What does Hanukkah look like for a Messianic Jewish family?
• Traditional Jewish observance of the holliday.
• What historical event does Hanukkah recall?
• Why didn’t the book of Maccabees make it into the Hebrew Bible?
• What would have happened if the Jews had not defeated the Greek army?
• How does Messianic faith in Yeshua enhance the holiday?
• How can followers of Yeshua who are not Jewish connect to the Jewish holiday?
• The oft repeated battle for the survival of Judaism and the Jewish people.
• What are the most meaningful elements of the holiday?

–  Resource  –

Light: A Hanukkah Anthology

–  Who is Messiah Podcast?  –

Messiah Podcast is a production of First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ), a Messianic Jewish education organization dedicated to reconciling disciples of Yeshua with God's prophetic promises to Israel. 

Messiah Podcast is made possible by the generosity of our First Fruits of Zion Friends. FFOZ Friends help advance our mission while gaining access to exclusive Messianic Jewish teachings and resources. If you want to partner with us in spreading the message of the kingdom to all nations, become an FFOZ Friend today.

The Bible has a lot to say about the end times, and Israel is always at the center of God’s plan. However, Islam has its own apocalyptic narrative. Our guest today, John Harrigan, draws upon his personal experience and theological expertise to help us understand what is fueling the anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic jihad amongst the Arab nations in the Middle East. We’re also joined by First Fruits of Zion’s director of education, D. Thomas Lancaster.You’re listening to Messiah Podcast, where Jesus is Jewish, and that changes everything. Messiah Podcast is a production of First Fruits of Zion.

–  Highlights –

• The future of the Apocalyptic Gospel Podcast.A Jew, a progressive liberal, and a Hamas terrorist walk into a bar. What happens next?
• Hamas and Iran are enemies but unite around their common arch enemy of Israel.
• A derivative of Marxism is leading the global narrative and identifies all social conflicts as a struggle of the socioeconomically oppressed against an oppressor. Is the church drifting toward or away from support of Israel?
• A shift that is taking place due to a departure from dispensational theology.
• Modern progressive politics is causing dramatic shifts in the western church.
• What is “realized eschatology” and why is it wrong?
• Comparisons of the Greek, Roman, and Jewish eschatological perspectives.
• Theological wrestling with the dichotomy between physical and spiritual redemption.
• Theological differences result in beliefs about how the promises of the Bible find their fulfillment.What happens when Christian theology meets with ideas of Jewish people obtaining a homeland in Palestine, Aliyah, Zionism, and the formation of the modern State of Israel?
• Dispensationalism is the belief in two separate redemptive programs: one for the Jews and one for the Gentiles.
• Apocalyptic expectations within Islam and the establishment of a world caliphate. The younger Arab generation is seeing a greater secularization due to its interface with the modern western world. How to bring the gospel to the modern middle-eastern Arab world.
• What does God want us to be doing with all the chaos going on in the world?

–  Resources  –

Extending Mercy to the Gentiles
The Jewish Apocalyptic Trajectory of Pauline Discipleship By: John P. Harrigan

The Gospel of Christ Crucified:
A Theology of Suffering before GloryBy: John P. Harrigan

Apocalyptic Gospel Podcast

–  Who is Messiah Podcast?  –

Messiah Podcast is a production of First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ), a Messianic Jewish education organization dedicated to reconciling disciples of Yeshua with God's prophetic promises to Israel. 

Messiah Podcast is made possible by the generosity of our First Fruits of Zion Friends. FFOZ Friends help advance our mission while gaining access to exclusive Messianic Jewish teachings and resources. If you want to partner with us in spreading the message of the kingdom to all nations, become an FFOZ Friend today.

The October 7 terrorist attacks in the land of Israel have provoked endless discussion attempting to provide historical context for the current conflict. Whether Israelis or Palestinians ultimately shoulder the blame is the question occupying our minds and television screens right now. Our guest today is Jeremiah Michael from the Bram Center for Messianic Jewish Learning in Jerusalem. He’s here to give us one piece of the puzzle: Christian supersessionism, its connection to European and Islamic anti-Semitism, and how it has obscured the relationship between the people of Israel and the land of Israel throughout history, denying the right of the Jewish people to exercise sovereignty over the land God promised them. 

–  Highlights –

• Recounting personal family experiences from Jerusalem on October 7.
• A spirit of national unity has taken over the State of Israel.
• The promises of God to the Jewish people for the physical Jewish homeland.
• Does God have a unique chosen people and a chosen land?Christian supersessionists claim that the Jewish people who have rejected Jesus can no longer lay claim to the geographical land that is known as Israel.
• Extra-biblical evidence for the presence of Jewish people in the land of Israel from the ancient time of the Babylonians.
• After all the foreign conquerors drove Jews into exile, did Constantine improve the situation for Jewish people in their ancient homeland?
• Islam began as a heretical offshoot of Christianity.Jerusalem has not always been integral to Islamic tradition.
• How did Jerusalem and the land of Israel become integral to the Islamic tradition?
• How did the Christian Crusades shape modern views of the land of Israel?
• What if the Crusaders took back the land of Israel in order to give it to the Jewish people and stand by their side as defenders of the Jewish people’s divine right to the land?
• Both Christianity and Islam were established on the basis of supersessionism. Widespread support of Hamas’ attack on Israel by both Arabs and Christians.

–  Resources –

Dr. Brown Responds to Jeff Durbin and Apologia Radio About Israel and Jewish Identity

–  Who is Messiah Podcast?  –

Messiah Podcast is a production of First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ), a Messianic Jewish education organization dedicated to reconciling disciples of Yeshua with God's prophetic promises to Israel. 

Messiah Podcast is made possible by the generosity of our First Fruits of Zion Friends. FFOZ Friends help advance our mission while gaining access to exclusive Messianic Jewish teachings and resources. If you want to partner with us in spreading the message of the kingdom to all nations, become an FFOZ Friend today.

As the people of Israel find themselves yet again at the center of global attention since the terrorist incursion of October 7, the nations are in an uproar. With pressure on Israel from all sides, those of us who stand with the Jewish people are wondering what we can do to help. Our guest today is Joshua Waller, whose organization, HaYovel, is providing real, tangible aid to Jewish people in Judea and Samaria. We’re also privileged to have Boaz Michael, founder and director of First Fruits of Zion, here with us today. 

–  Highlights –

• The origin story and inspiration behind the Waller family moving to Israel and starting HaYovel to work alongside Israeli farmers.
• Is HaYovel a missionary organization disguised as Christian supporters of Jewish people in Israel?
• HaYovel and First Fruits of Zion share a camaraderie in working toward the fulfillment of a positive kingdom-building future outlined by the ancient prophets of Israel.
• Pro-Israel Christians have an opportunity to become active, “boots-on-the-ground” Zionists through involvement with HaYovel.
• In 2023, through HaYovel, the nations helped Judea and Samaria to plant 20,000 new vines and trees and harvested 150 tons of grapes.
• HaYovel is currently the only international organization providing support and aid to the 500,000 Israeli residents of Judea and Samaria and is working tirelessly to increase global support.
• What have Jewish/Arab relations been like in Samaria before Hamas invaded southern Israel, and what are relations like currently?
• How are the Arabs of Judea and Samaria similar to or different from those in the Gaza Strip?
• What and who are the Palestinians? Would a two-state solution solve the problems?
• Are we moving toward the disastrous biblical prophecies of Armageddon or are the redemption and early fulfillment of the Bible’s positive prophecies possible?
• This is a time to take action and stand up with and for the Jewish people wherever you are, speaking the truth in whatever form possible to combat the lies and hatred coming against God’s chosen people. 
• Operation Ittai is an initiative of HaYovel in cooperation with the governors in the Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria to airdrop needed supplies and equipment to the fourth front in the current war—the front in the heartland of the Holy Land.

–  Resources  –

Operation Ittai

HaYovel

The Israel Guys

Messiah Online

HaYesod

– Additional Recommended Donation Links –

One Family

Friends of the IDF

United Hatzalah

Magen David Adom

–  Who is Messiah Podcast?  –

Messiah Podcast is a production of First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ), a Messianic Jewish education organization dedicated to reconciling disciples of Yeshua with God's prophetic promises to Israel. 

Messiah Podcast is made possible by the generosity of our First Fruits of Zion Friends. FFOZ Friends help advance our mission while gaining access to exclusive Messianic Jewish teachings and resources. If you want to partner with us in spreading the message of the kingdom to all nations, become an FFOZ Friend today.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded Israel, striking soft targets, killing civilians, and sparking a conflict that has left thousands dead. As tensions in the region escalate, the rest of the world is left wondering—what happens next? Our guest today is the founder and director of First Fruits of Zion, Boaz Michael, who is here from Jerusalem to give us the latest. 

–  Highlights –

• The state of the First Fruits of Zion staff in Israel.
• The internet is rampant with misinformation that needs to be debunked.
• Details of the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel. Who is Hamas, what is their history, and how did they come to power? What is the emotional and psychological state of the people of Israel now?
• A personal experience of hosting a displaced family and facilitating peace for them.
• The nation of Israel rallies together in a spirit of unity.
• Stories of tragedy, terror, and heroism.
• History of some of the kibbutzim and moshavim communities that were attacked.
• History of the conquest and surrender of portions of land, including the Sinai and Gaza. Is “land for peace” a historically viable solution? The largest reserve call-up in Israel’s history.
• The nature and character of the IDF as a defense force.
• The prophetic, biblical, and spiritual dimensions of current events.
• The redemption process involves a cycle of revelation and concealment.
• How can this tragedy be part of the process of redemption?
• What will be the long-term implications of this war?
• Strengthening the resolve and rationale of Israelis to continue residing in the land is reflected in the resolve and rationale for Gentiles to attach themselves to the Jewish people and stand up for the people of Israel.
• Defending our defenders by being informed with facts and accurate news and spreading truth to your sphere of influence. How to stand with Israel in solidarity.
• How replacement theology has brought us to this point in history and how we can have a direct impact on the global conflict and bring the world one step closer to the final redemption.
• Donate to reputable organizations with integrity. Some options are included in the show notes.

– Episode Resources –

One Family

Friends of the IDF

United Hatzalah

Magen David Adom

Israel on Google Maps

The Dawn of Redemption, Rabbi Ya’akov Filber

HaYesod

Our Wars Have Names, Boaz Michael

In a Time of War, D. Thomas Lancaster

–  Who is Messiah Podcast?  –

Messiah Podcast is a production of First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ), a Messianic Jewish education organization dedicated to reconciling disciples of Yeshua with God's prophetic promises to Israel. 

Messiah Podcast is made possible by the generosity of our First Fruits of Zion Friends. FFOZ Friends help advance our mission while gaining access to exclusive Messianic Jewish teachings and resources. If you want to partner with us in spreading the message of the kingdom to all nations, become an FFOZ Friend today.

The Old Testament. You’ve heard that it’s irrelevant; you’ve heard that it was superseded by the New Testament; you’ve heard that none of its laws and rituals are relevant today. But what if I told you that the Old Testament, properly understood, is the key to the New Testament and that it reveals God’s plan, his character, and his will to all of his people today? First Fruits of Zion has a small-group Bible study program designed to help you understand the first five books of the Bible on their own terms. It’s called Torah Club, and we have the author, D. Thomas Lancaster, and the director of Torah Club, Damian Eisner, here to tell us all about it. 

–  Highlights –

• What is Torah Club?
• What makes Torah Club different from every other small-group Bible study?
• Is the Old Testament even relevant any longer for Christians in the twenty-first century?
• How does knowing the historical context of first-century Judaism help disciples of Jesus?
• Understanding the Jewish people is critical to understanding the Jewish Scriptures.
• All about the Jewish annual reading cycle.
• Join us with a year of learning through the first five books of the Bible with “Unrolling the Scroll.”
• How to start a Torah Club or join a Torah Club?
• How will Torah Club help make the world a better place?
• What can a student hope to take away from a year of study from Genesis through Deuteronomy?

–  Resources –

Torah Club

HaYesod

–  Who is Messiah Podcast?  –

Messiah Podcast is a production of First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ), a Messianic Jewish education organization dedicated to reconciling disciples of Yeshua with God's prophetic promises to Israel. 

Messiah Podcast is made possible by the generosity of our First Fruits of Zion Friends. FFOZ Friends help advance our mission while gaining access to exclusive Messianic Jewish teachings and resources. If you want to partner with us in spreading the message of the kingdom to all nations, become an FFOZ Friend today.

Have you ever found a Bible verse confusing or frustrating? Or found two Bible verses that seem to contradict each other? Have you ever felt like something was missing from your toolbox during your Bible study? First Fruits of Zion has just rereleased a ten-week course designed to give you the tools you need to interpret the Bible in its original language, context, culture, time, and place. It’s called HaYesod: The Foundation, and the author, D. Thomas Lancaster, and principal instructor, Aaron Eby, are here to tell us all about it. 

–  Highlights –

• The inspiration behind the original creation of the HaYesod discipleship course in the 1990s.
• HaYesod means “The Foundation” and is a teaching series that lays a solid foundation of faith with a biblical understanding of the land, the people, and the Scriptures of Israel.
• HaYesod is a tool to equip believers to access the Messianic Jewish understanding of the Scriptures and to know Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, better.
• What is the benefit of understanding the Scriptures from a Messianic Jewish perspective?
• Many elements of traditional Christian interpretation of the Bible contain holes that have created instability in the faith of many believers.
• What changes have been made to the new version of HaYesod compared to older renderings?
• Why are the people of Israel the foundation of the Bible?
• The kingdom perspective of the gospel Yeshua taught.HaYesod is not designed to turn Christians into Jews.HaYesod is designed to inspire active discipleship to Jesus.
• What is distinction theology as a theological structure within HaYesod?
• Does First Fruits of Zion teach that Gentiles shouldn’t keep the Torah?
• HaYesod is a course consisting of ten video lessons filmed in a studio and on location throughout the land of Israel. An extensive workbook can be purchased to assist the learning process.
• How can students access the course individually or study as a group?Torah Club is a weekly international Bible study network that is a great way to continue learning after HaYesod: The Foundation.

–  Resources – 

HaYesod

Torah Club

–  Who is Messiah Podcast?  –

Messiah Podcast is a production of First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ), a Messianic Jewish education organization dedicated to reconciling disciples of Yeshua with God's prophetic promises to Israel. 

Messiah Podcast is made possible by the generosity of our First Fruits of Zion Friends. FFOZ Friends help advance our mission while gaining access to exclusive Messianic Jewish teachings and resources. If you want to partner with us in spreading the message of the kingdom to all nations, become an FFOZ Friend today.

Rosh HaShanah is a prominent Jewish holiday with many layers of significance. On the agricultural calendar, it represents the planting of cereal grains with the hope and prayer that the spring harvest will be successful. On a spiritual level, it represents the “sowing” of good deeds with the hope of a sweet year to come. Finally, it hints at events to come—the second coming, the final judgment, and the end of the world as we know it.

 – Highlights –

• What is the the biblical calendar?
• There are layers of meaning in the calendar including agricultural, historical, and prophetic.
• What is Rosh HaShanah about?
• What are some of the ways the Jewish people observe Rosh HaShanah?
• How Rosh HaShanah came to be known as the Day of Judgment.
• The parables of Yeshua are rich with Fall holiday themes.
• The season of repentance is a time for repentance, prayer, and charity.
• The Day of Judgment contains themes of the fear of God and drawing close to God.
• An annual accounting in the Fall holidays is a rehearsal for the final judgment at the end of time.
• All about the shofar: the Rosh HaShanah trumpet.
• Is there a connection between the shofar and the “last trump” spoken of by the Apostle Paul?
• How Jewish months were determined in biblical times
• The three books opened before the heavenly court on the high holidays.
• What does Rosh HaShanah teach us about the Great Tribulation and the Rapture?
• An overview of the end times from a Messianic Jewish perspective.

–  Resources – 

The Holy Days, D. Thomas Lancaster

HaYesod, The Festivals 

–  Who is Messiah Podcast?  –

Messiah Podcast is a production of First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ), a Messianic Jewish education organization dedicated to reconciling disciples of Yeshua with God's prophetic promises to Israel. 

Messiah Podcast is made possible by the generosity of our First Fruits of Zion Friends. FFOZ Friends help advance our mission while gaining access to exclusive Messianic Jewish teachings and resources. If you want to partner with us in spreading the message of the kingdom to all nations, become an FFOZ Friend today.

Can Jewish people keep the Old Testament law and their ancient traditions while following Jesus as their rabbi and Messiah? This phenomenon has been happening all over the world, and it’s called Messianic Judaism. Jacob Fronczak is joined by Stephanie Hamman and Aaron Eby, two Messianic Jews, to explore the origin, purpose, and destiny of Messianic Judaism and explain why it’s a foretaste of the kingdom of heaven.

–  Highlights –

• What is Messianic Judaism? Steph and Aaron provide definitions of Messianic Judaism.
• Why is Messianic Judaism controversial within both Christianity and Judaism?
• How does distinction theology bring correction to replacement theology?
• Where do we find the basis for the existence of Messianic Judaism in the Bible?
• Why shouldn’t Jews who come to faith in Jesus convert to become Christians?
• Messianic Judaism is the practice of Judaism combined with a faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
• Messianic Judaism is not about recovering a first-century faith and practice while ignoring the development of modern Judaism.
• When did Messianic Judaism begin? Who were the first Messianic Jews? Did it start with Jews for Jesus?
• The emergence of Christianity out of Messianic Judaism?
• What is the spectrum of what it might look like for people who practice Messianic Judaism?
• How did the development of Judaism through the modern Enlightenment Era impact Messianic Judaism?
• Can Jews who believe in Jesus practice Judaism and observe the Torah?
• Does Messianic Judaism primarily exist as a way to missionize Jews?
• Who were the Messianic Jewish luminaries from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries who shaped modern Messianic Judaism?

–  Resources –

Messianic Jewish Luminaries

Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations

Messiah Magazine

–  Who is Messiah Podcast?  –

Messiah Podcast is a production of First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ), a Messianic Jewish education organization dedicated to reconciling disciples of Yeshua with God's prophetic promises to Israel. 

Messiah Podcast is made possible by the generosity of our First Fruits of Zion Friends. FFOZ Friends help advance our mission while gaining access to exclusive Messianic Jewish teachings and resources. If you want to partner with us in spreading the message of the kingdom to all nations, become an FFOZ Friend today.