Aspects of Chanukah

 

Chanukah is upon us again, and with it the traditional customs, but more so the recounting of the Maccabees' bravery in overcoming the oppressors of the Jewish nation, the purification of the temple and mainly the altar, the miracle of the crus of oil, and so on. All this is not without challenging questions as to the veracity of the oil miracle, the nature and behavior of the Hasmonean family, and the outcome of the successful uprising, which ultimately failed, etc. Yet should we not be honoring all those who gave their lives for Zion's sake, the land, Jerusalem, and for the preservation of our national identity, not only those from the era of the Greeks but also those who returned from Babylon? This article looks at Chanukah in a new and more positive light.  May we also, Jew or Christian Zionist, take a stand to preserve what the Elohim of Israel has begun in the restoration of the whole house of Israel today.  With the celebration serving as a centerpiece, let us delve into an earlier era, preceding the Chanukah events of the 2nd century B.C. According to the Hebrew calendar (being in and of itself another controversial topic that we must lay aside), Chanukah starts on the 24th of the 9th month (Kislev).  In the 6th century B.C. Haggai, who prophesied during the return from the Babylonian exile and saw the start of the building of the second temple, refers to this date three times in his very short book. The essence of Haggai's message was to scold the people for delaying the construction of YHVH's house.  "Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,' says YHVH" (Haggai 1:8), which is but one example of Haggai's exhortations. "Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of YHVH their Elohim, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as YHVH their Elohim had sent him; and the people feared the presence of YHVH" (Haggai 1:12). Haggai's instructions were heeded. But it seems that the words that YHVH put in His mouth were not only for his contemporaries but also contained future scenarios, such as: "For thus says YHVH of hosts: 'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land, and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says YHVH of hosts" (Haggai 2:6-7).  Continuing to declare the words of YHVH, Haggai does so specifically on the 24th of the 9th month (again, a date that is mentioned not just once but three times!) Two of these messages are significant but somewhat veiled: "Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the YHVH's temple was laid –" (Haggai 2:18).  And, "And again the word of YHVH came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, ‘'Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying: 'I will shake heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them; The horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. 'In that day,' says YHVH of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,' says YHVH, 'and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,' says YHVH of hosts" (Haggai 2:20-23).    Even if these prophecies were partially fulfilled during Haggai's lifetime or thereafter, which was a season of restoring Jewish nationalism (sans sovereignty), they cast a more significant vision than for that time. The central place occupied by the people and nation of YHVH, and their influence over "heaven and earth" and "kingdoms" cannot be missed in these utterances. At the same time, and touching upon some of the same issues as Haggai, is the prophet Zechariah. He, of course, was given many more messages in a variety of ways. Among his prophecies, some for his day and some for a later time, he dealt with the immediate state of his people and the emerging restoration of Zionism and nationalism (ref. Zechariah 8). Zechariah highlights what was to become one of the main symbols of Chanukah: the menorah. This he does in his very momentous and familiar depiction of a vision in which he saw a candelabra flanked by two olive trees (ref. Zechariah 4). The backdrop of this vision also serves as its context, i.e., the meaning of these two olive trees. Both the high priest, Joshua, and the Jewish governor, Zerubbabel, who hailed from the house of David, are mentioned as the "sons of fresh oil" or "anointed ones" – sons of yitzhar. This vision is followed, later on, by a promise that the positions of authority that they represent will be united (and as we know, there is only One who can hold both these offices). "Thus says YHVH of hosts, saying: 'Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, and He shall build the temple of YHVH. Yes, He shall build the temple of YHVH. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both" (Zechariah 6:12-13).   We thus see how the vision expands, as it touches (Chanukah's) 'oil', the 'menorah', and the olive trees that pour their oil into it (the Menorah). All of this symbolizes the dual authority of the Messiah and that of Israel's two houses. The picture broadens and increases from 'mere' nationalism and sovereignty to the Kingdom and its Head (not to mention the emphatic descriptions of the collaboration of Judah and Israel and their joint tasks in Zech. 9:13-10:12). Another aspect of the Chanuka story is the enemy whose defeat is the "reason for the season".  Antiochus Epiphanes and the historical background that brought him to the foreground are meticulously and prophetically described by Daniel in chapter 11 of his book. This particular character and his depiction by Daniel sheds light on what is still to take place upon the rise of an entity that will be in the likeness of Antiochus. Daniel is thus granting knowledge and discernment to those who will need them when YHVH's arch-enemy attempts to take full control of humanity.

---

 [EF1]

I am the Truth

 In my last letter, I stated the following: “So why would we, in any given moment, engage ourselves and our emotions in unknown future events disrupting our present relationship with He Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life?"  This was, of course, part of a quote from John 14:6 where Yeshua declared to Thomas: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (v. 6). As I continued to ponder these words, what stood out were the first two words: “I am”.  These words form a statement of personal identity as if to say, this is who I am as a being (or an entity). Yeshua further stated: "'If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.' Philip said to Him, 'Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.' Yeshua said to him, 'Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, 'Show us the Father '? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works” (John 14:7-10 emphases added).  This statement is so profound that, like Philip (or even the rest of the disciples), our natural minds cannot grasp the true essence as to the oneness of the Father-Son relationship.

In this article, I want to highlight Yeshua as the “I am the Truth”. This ‘concept’ was amplified in our local Monday night meeting while we were studying the “church of Pergamum” (Revelation 2:12-17).  What remains of the ancient city of Pergamum is in modern-day Turkey. In its heyday, Pergamum was noted for being the place of the “throne [or authority] of Satan” (v. 13). Verse 16 describes Yeshua as having a double-edged sword in His mouth.  Why does Yeshua’s mouth constitute a weapon? Let’s look at the following description of Satan:  “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies"(John 8:44 emphasis added).  This means that Satan steals, kills and destroys" (ref. John 10:10) with the sword of his mouth.  Yeshua, on the other hand, is the epitome of Truth.

Thus, ‘Yeshua the Truth’ will unavoidably be in conflict with Satan, whose sword is the embodiment of the “Lie”.  The mention of Satan’s throne indicates that the believers in Pergamum were engaged in a battle between two kingdoms, one of truth and the other of lies.  We all know about the power of spoken words: “Life and death are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21).   The comparison of the tongue to a sword is found in Psalm 57:4: “My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword”.  The mouth seems to be like an arsenal of weapons. (Perhaps the end-time battle will take the form of the mouth of the Dragon fighting the mouth of Yeshua.)

As to the Pergamum community, mention is made of those in their midst who are likened to Balaam, a greedy diviner who was hired by Balak to curse Israel but ended up blessing them (ref. Rev. 2:14; Num. 22-24). Ultimately, though, he did teach Balak to cause Israel to eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual sin, and thus, they brought the curse upon themselves (Num. 25:1ff). Another subtle inference to what can be construed as a form of a throne is in connection to the Nicolaitans, who are also addressed here. These were proud, self-righteous religious leaders who set themselves up, striving to lord it over others.  In his 3rd epistle, John refers to such a person and his mode of action: “Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.  For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, neither does he himself receive the brethren, and he forbids those who desire to do so, and puts them out of the church.  Beloved, do not imitate what is evil” (vs. 9-11 emphasis added).

 “We know that we are of Elohim, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.  And we know that the Son of Elohim has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Yeshua the Messiah. This is the true Elohim and eternal life” (1^st John 5:19-20).

Let us pray: “O Father send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill, and to Your dwelling places” (Psalm 43:3).

As an example of this battle as it wages today, go to the following letter by Dennis Prager to Candace Owens:

https://www.prageru.com/dennis-pragers-letter-to-candace-owens

A Now Moment in Life

 The other day, an old friend and I had our weekly meeting.  He helps me with my Hebrew, and I help him with issues of the faith. Although he has been a believer for many years now, because of ADD and other comprehension difficulties, he has a hard time with abstract biblical concepts.  Even though he is familiar with many of the biblical stories and believes the gospel, his grasp is restricted to a more child-like faith. On the other hand, his wife is a firm believer with extensive knowledge of the scriptures.  She also keeps up with events unfolding in today's world and relates them to biblical prophecy, especially the end times.

Before our recent meeting, his wife compared my friend to one of the five proverbial virgins who did not have enough oil in their lamps to make it to the midnight hour.  Along with that observation, she exhorted him to take an interest in Matthew 24’s end-time description and in Revelation.  My friend told me frankly and straightforwardly that he wasn’t interested in these speculations and interpretations of biblical events pertaining to the future, and that even if he did, what does it have to do with oil…. ?!

For my part, I wasn’t about to try to convince him that looking into the future for fearful disasters would help him fill his lamp.  But I did say that he needed to understand his present moment-by-moment relationship with Yeshua and the Father in the Holy Spirit. Having an awareness that He never leaves or forsakes us and that He is present with us, pouring out His oil of love and embracing us with His faithfulness, we will be experiencing His kingdom of peace and contentment.

In the wake of these shared thoughts, I asked my friend how he felt. He responded positively, stating that these words made him feel good.   I continued to ask him to think about a news article concerning an asteroid that was supposed to hit the Earth, causing many to die. I then asked how that made him feel.  His reply was like any of us would respond, scared, fearful, and ill at ease.  So why would we, in any given moment, engage ourselves and our emotions in unknown future events distracting our present relationship with He Who is the Way, the Truth, and our Life?  We can only know His present Presence in a moment-by-moment conscious awareness. This is why Yeshua instructed His followers in Matthew 6:25-34: “For this reason, I say to you, do not be anxious for your life… Are you not worth much more than they [birds]?  "And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span?  And why are you anxious about clothing?... "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.   Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

"He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27-28).  

Yeshua admonishes us to be careful and discern what we draw from the past or speculate about the future and then bring into our present thought life.  When we seek Him first, above all else, we are set on the Way that leads to the Truth and Life that make up Elohim's Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. Being in a state of worship, we are known in YHVH's present presence, allowing us to partake of His goodness and faithfulness, which yields the fruit of the Spirit. Children typically live in the moment with very little care about the past or future. This is one of the reasons why Yeshua states so emphatically: "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven and, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3;19:14).