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Tag Archives: Menorah

Light of The World (Sequel To: The Incomparable Power & Authority of Jesus Christ)

31 Saturday Dec 2022

Posted by garybowers in Devotional / Misc

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Hanukkah, Menorah

Today’s Eye of Prophecy article is the second one published on New Year’s Eve since this website began in July 2013 (all articles are posted on Saturdays).

The first New Year’s Eve article (2016): Hanukkah … The Festival Born of a Prophecy!

Here is an excerpt from that article (in italics):

Last week’s Eye of Prophecy article (The Virgin Birth … How and Why?) was posted on Christmas Eve, which “just happened” this year to occur on the first day (eve) of Hanukkah. This week’s article falls on the final (eighth) day of what some say is the most widely celebrated festival of the Jews, religious and secular alike.

Note: Those dates in 2016 were quite close to this year’s celebration of Hanukkah and Christmas. On the Jewish calendar, the eight-day festivity of Hannukah always begins on the 25th day of Kislev, a month which overlaps the Gregorian calendar months of November and December. Interestingly, Christmas also falls on the 25th day (December). This year (2022) the 25th of Kislev matched December 19th (the first full day of Hannukah) with the holiday ending this past Monday (12-26-2022).

Returning to the excerpt from Hanukkah … The Festival Born of a Prophecy:

Based on the title of today’s article, you might get the impression that Hanukkah was predicted in Scripture by one or more of the Old Testament prophets. It was not, at least not the results of the Maccabean Jewish victory over an evil Syrian ruler. Those results were twofold, constituting the essence of this remarkable Jewish holiday. (A) Restoration and rededication of the Jewish Temple after the Jews defeated the Syrian/Greeks against all odds; (B) One day’s supply of the sacred oil used to light the Menorah, lasting for eight days until more purified olive oil could be produced.

Thus, respectively, in direct connection to A and B in the preceding paragraph, Hanukkah is referred to as the: Festival of Dedication or Festival of Lights. Hanukkah is the Hebrew word meaning “dedication.” Although the 2nd Temple was later destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, observant Jews still emphasize dedication (loyal observance) of their lives to the principles of holiness (consecrated separation) found in the civil, ceremonial, and moral features of the Law of Moses. Hanukkah serves as a serious but also festive reminder of this dedication.

Yet, when it comes to the equally vital component part of the Mosaic Law (Levitical Sacrificial System), the Jews are unfortunately in denial that there is no atonement for sin without the sacrificial shedding of innocent (animal) blood. Instead of recognizing and accepting the New Covenant established through the once for all substitutionary sacrifice of their very Messiah (Yeshua), they hope that mitzvot (good deeds … acts of love and giving) will merit salvation.

(I would encourage you to read the trilogy of Eye of Prophecy articles entitled: Where is the Temple? I, II, III. Posted in November and December 2014).

HOWEVER, the sequence of events that produced the marvel of Hanukkah were, in fact, predicted by the prophet Daniel some 370 years before they took place, including dramatic details about the malicious Syrian ruler who would devastate Israel and profane the Temple.

That Syrian ruler was Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a prototype of the Antichrist to come during the beginning of the seven—year Great Tribulation soon after the Rapture takes place. Then later in that article we examined the true Christ.

(Depiction of Judah Maccabee, the Menorah, and a Priest Holding Torah Scrolls … After the Amazing Victory over Antiochus IV and Recapture / Restoration of the 2nd Temple)

The Messianic Menorah Light of the World

Except for the Ark of the Covenant in Solomon’s Temple, the Menorah was considered the most (at least one of the most) prominent parts of Jewish worship. Because the Ark of the Covenant had vanished during Babylon’s conquest of the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the early 6th century B.C., the Menorah became the centerpiece of the Second Temple rebuilt in the latter part of that century.

Essentially, the Menorah represented the light of God’s Word and God’s presence with life-giving instructions to and interaction with his people—under the Old Covenant of Law (Torah).

Subsequently, as prophesied by Jeremiah (31:33-34), there would be a New Covenant. About 500 years later the Living Word of God, Jesus of Nazareth, started and finished this glorious New Covenant of Grace (Hebrews 12:2).

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God… And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full and grace and truth” (John 1:1-2 & 14, NASB).

Listen to these poignant yet powerful words of Jesus just hours before he would be crucified as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world: “He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it into pieces and gave it to the disciples saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ After supper he took another cup of wine and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you’” (Luke 22:19-20).

Three days later, Messiah Jesus convincingly confirmed (sealed) the New Covenant when he arose from the dead!

Said God the Father about (to) the coming Messiah: “…and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons” (Isaiah 42:6-7).

Jesus of Nazareth, “…fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah: ‘In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined’” (Matthew 4:14-16).

(*Note: Zebulun and Naphtali are two of Jacob’s twelve sons. God, himself, assigned a portion of the Promised Land to each of the twelve sons (tribes). Jesus grew up in Nazareth, which is located within the territory allocated to Zebulun, very close to where it borders the tribal land of Naphtali.)

The light of the Menorah represented Israel’s coming Messiah, who would bring the life-giving light of God’s salvation to the Jew first, then to the Gentile (Romans 1:16).

Whereas the original expression (meaning) of Hanukkah was the Festival of Dedication, the more common and contemporary designation is Festival of Lights. Lighting the Menorah candles and giving of presents are the two most significant highlights of this joyous Jewish Holiday.

(Traditional lighting of the Menorah during Hanukkah or Chanukah–another spelling)

However, the main miracle of Hanukkah was God’s dramatic deliverance of his people (led by the Maccabees) against overwhelming military odds. With God’s sovereign intervention supernaturally repeated during and after Israel’s rebirth as a nation through victories in four wars (1948, 1956, 1967, 1973).

And what would Christmas be without the two most significant features: Christmas lights and Christmas gifts (presents). With both activities in remembrance of and reverence for God’s Son, (Christ) Jesus, coming to earth to deliver us from the penalty of our sins (hell and eternal separation from God) and to give us (light the way to) eternal life in heaven by simply believing and receiving him as Savior and Lord.

As with Hannukah, Christmas consists of two main miracles: (1) The Virgin birth of Jesus … Son of God and Son of Man. (2) Resurrection from the grave following his sacrificial death on the cross. Which is why he was born in the first place.

Yeshua, himself, celebrated Hanukkah.

“It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. The people surrounded him and asked, ‘How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’

“Jesus replied, ‘I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish … for my Father has given them to me … No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one’” (John 10:22-30).

At that point the people picked up stones to kill Jesus; because he, in no uncertain terms, claimed to be God (equal to God as His Son). Previously, Jesus had made the same claim to another crowd who also wanted to stone him to death when he said: “…I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM!” (John 8:58).

There was no misunderstanding of Jesus’s words. When he said, “I AM,” he voiced the sacred name of God, YHWH (Yahweh).

In the scene of John Chapter 10, Jesus went on to affirm and defend the truth of who he was. Listen to his words: “But if I do his (Father-God) work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father” (John 10:38, italics for emphasis, parenthesis mine).

Before the Hanukkah scene, Jesus declared, “…I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12).

And again, in John’s Gospel:

The Menorah that was to be continually burning (lit) has long been gone since the 2nd Temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70. Yet the Light of the World is alive and well and will never be extinguished. Now it is the Kingdom of Heaven in hearts of believers the world over, both Jew and Gentile. Soon it will be the Kingdom of God physically on earth headquartered in Jerusalem. With Messiah Jesus, the King of all kings, ruling and reigning—His light shining radiantly to drive out the darkness of wickedness and corruption that constantly covers this planet.

The Incomparable Power and Authority of Jesus Christ

The original Eye of Prophecy article with that title was posted on 5-28-2016. It began with:

Power: “Possession of control, authority, or influence over others…” (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).

Authority: “Power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior; freedom granted by one in authority; convincing force” (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).

Right or wrong, positive or negative … we’ve all been influenced, to some degree or another, by the authority of our mothers, fathers, teachers, clergy, coaches, and government officials.

Unfortunately, national and international leaders through the centuries have been mostly power-hungry tyrants, who often lead their people to a precarious pinnacle of peace and prosperity, only to plunge them to the depths of despair and destruction. Even the few benevolent rulers still had their limitations and human weaknesses. And no matter how much morality, integrity, and capability that caring leaders possess, their good intentions are all too often compromised (if not ignored) by the people under their authority. There is, after all, an abundance of greed, envy, selfishness, and indiscriminate pursuit of pleasure and popularity within the best of societies.

Incomparable: “Eminent beyond comparison; matchless; not suitable for comparison” (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary). Matchless: “Having no equal; peerless.”

When incomparable (utmost positive connotation of the word) is combined with power and authority, we get the best form of influence and inspiration imaginable, that one person can have on another.

The following paragraph is a quote from the Eye of Prophecy article, Kingdom of God, posted 1-17-2015.

“Isn’t that what most people want? They want law, order, equality, safety, peace. And they want someone who has the kind of authority to realize those dreams, but also someone who is kind and considerate with that authority. One who truly cares about people and what’s best for them, who can rule and judge with impartiality and kindness. A truly wise and benevolent King whose attributes perfectly reflect who and what he is: Love, Truth, Justice, Mercy.”

Concerning judgement or forgiveness, light or darkness, life or death, Jesus declared passionately and with authority to Nicodemus, but also the whole world:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe had been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John 3:16-20, NASB).

Listed to this powerful but also poignant prophecy of the last days from Isaiah:

“Arise Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance” (Isaiah 60:1-3, emphasis added … in other O.T. passages we find that the attraction of Jerusalem’s light is none other than the Messiah).

I believe it’s safe to say that there is as much darkness in this (soon-to-be) 23rd year of the 21st century as there ever has been, even to include two world wars of the 20th century. The kind of moral and mystical darkness that would be prevalent during the last days of the end times. It will get exponentially worse during the Great Tribulation.

Said the Apostle Paul to Timothy:

Once again, quoting Jesus: But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me.

Jesus’s many miracles were proof positive that he was/is the Son of God, the Messiah/Savior of Jew and Gentile alike. Yet so many in this secular world of ours (including those who “act religious”) diminish or dismiss out of hand the unsurpassed power and authority of Jesus Christ. Thereby, spurning God’s love for them and His desire that they look and listen to His Son Jesus—the Light of the World and the Voice of Truth.

The remainder of this article will be a modified revisit of and sequel to the original article posted in 2016 (The Incomparable Power and Authority of Jesus Christ) including the following:

Let’s take an up-close and personal look at some amazing things that only one man in history has done or can do. If you answer no or even maybe to each of the questions alongside the matchless achievements, I respectfully challenge you to ask yourself the question, “Why not?” First, because you honestly owe it to yourself. Second, because it is literally a matter of eternal life or death. It’s that serious.

(*Note: “I don’t know,” is the same as, “No”)

If one man had the incomparable power and authority to:

Control and Command the Laws of Nature and Physics—Would You Listen to Him?

Five Thousand Hungry Men … So Little Food:

“For there were about 5,000 men there. Jesus replied, ‘Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.’ So the people all sat down. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!” (Luke 9:14-17).

Five thousand men plus thousands more women and children, all who had listened intently to Jesus were getting very hungry. Only five loaves and two fish were available. But the disciples listened to Jesus and the crowd listened to the disciples, and the rest is history. This is one of my all-time favorite miracles of Jesus that stretches my imagination to the breaking point. Not my belief, only my imagination!

Around 3:00 the following morning we find Jesus walking on the tempestuous sea of Galilee, telling his panic-stricken disciples in a storm-tossed boat, thinking that they were about to drown and that Jesus must be “a ghost:”

“Don’t be afraid… Take courage, I am here!”

Peter mustered enough courage to step out of the boat and took a few steps on the water toward Jesus. “But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me, Lord!’ he shouted.

“Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. ‘You have so little faith,’ Jesus said. ‘Why did you doubt me?’ When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshipped him. ‘You really are the Son of God!’ they exclaimed” (Matthew 14:27-33).

Would you lend and bend your ear to Jesus when he says, “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life” (John 5:24).

When Jesus was miraculously transfigured on the mountain revealing his divine glorified essence, not long before he gave his body and blood as a redemptive sacrifice on the cross, God, the Father declared: “…This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him” (Matthew 17:5, emphasis added).

There were other spectacular events in which Jesus supernaturally altered the course of nature to demonstrate his power and authority over physical laws of our universe and earth, such as turning water into wine and commanding another vicious storm on the Sea of Galilee to, “Silence, be still!”

Immediately the winds and the waves ceased. Said the disciples in utter astonishment: “Who is this man? … Even the wind and waves obey him!” (Mark 4:35-41, for the entire episode).

He can do that because:

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see…. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together… For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ” (Colossians 1:15-17 & 19).

If one man had the incomparable power and authority to:

Cure Incurable Diseases, Heal Untreatable Deformities & Forgive Sins—Would You Believe and Receive Him as Lord & Savior?

A Paralyzed Man Lowered through the Roof of a House:

“When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’

“But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, ‘What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!’

“Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, ‘Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man, Your sins are forgiven, or Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.’ Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!’

“And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, ‘We’ve never seen anything like this before!’” (Mark 2:1-12).

You think!

Jesus performed countless miracles that had never been seen before. Incurable diseases, inoperable disabilities, irreversible blindness and deafness, and irrevocable death itself were no match for the matchless Son of David, Son of Man, and Son of God. Have you ever considered that Israel must have had the healthiest population of any nation on earth during Jesus’s time of preaching, teaching, transforming (the laws of nature) and healing?!

When Jesus asked them whether it was more difficult for him to tell the paralytic that his sins were forgiven or to instantly heal the man’s untreatable condition, he knew how they would react. They would conclude that it’s easy for anyone to say someone’s sins can be forgiven. Those are just words, and in this case words of blasphemy, for only God can forgive sins.

Which was exactly the point! By merely speaking the words, Jesus right in front of them told the crippled man to stand up and go home. Only God has that kind of power! And only God has the authority to forgive sins.

So, then, just who might Jesus be?

The paralyzed man and his four companions knew and believed Jesus was the Messiah. As did many in the crowd before and after what Jesus said and did.

And so do all we who have been saved by Jesus, the light of the world. Through what is truly Amazing Grace: Once we were blind, but now we can see (See the exclusive way, the universal truth, and the eternal life that is found only in Messiah Jesus).

What more or better proof did the religious leaders need? Sadly, they, like so many religious or irreligious leaders and their followers today, deny the authority and power Jesus has to forgive their sins—if they would only believe in him and his atoning sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood…” (Romans 3:23-25).

Often, the Bible compares human beings to sheep. If we’re totally honest with ourselves, there’s nothing wrong or even baaaad … about that analogy! We act like sheep when we do things without thinking them through or even when we know what to do or which way to go, and we do and go the opposite. How many times have you thought or said, “I can’t believe I did (said) that!” Or “that wasn’t me.” And “what was I thinking?” Or speaking of someone else, “He was out of his head.” And “she was beside herself.”

In the phenomenal passages of Isaiah Chapters 52 and 53 which details the coming of the suffering Messiah to this world—fulfilled in every detail by Jesus of Nazareth—we read:

“The Lord is my Shepherd…” (Psalm 23).

If one man had the incomparable power and authority to:

Raise the Dead—Would You Trust Him for Eternal Life?

Two Sisters Mourning over the Heartbreaking Death of Their Brother:

“When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days … many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss … Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died…’” (John 11:17-21).

“Jesus told her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ ‘Yes,’ Martha said, ‘he will rise when everyone else rises at the last day’” (Verses 23-24).

Martha knew something about the final resurrection, but she didn’t fully comprehend that bodily resurrection was possible only by and through Jesus the Messiah.

“Jesus told her, ‘I AM the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?’” (Verses 25-26, italics and capitalized for emphasis).

When Jesus put it that way, Martha understood what we all must grasp if we are going to be among those resurrected by the permanent power and awesome authority of Jesus Christ at the rapture. Whether dead or alive, all believers will be transformed with brand new (resurrected) bodies.

Martha accepted Jesus’s authority and she replied with these remarkable words of trust:

“Yes, Lord … I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God” (Verse 27).

Jesus then went to the tomb where Lazarus had been buried four days earlier and proceeded to do exactly what he said he would do and could do. With power and authority, “Jesus shouted, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, ‘Unwrap him and let him go!’” (Verses 43-44).

Jesus was involved in another resurrection from the dead … his own!

“But very early on Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb … They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.

“The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, ‘Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!’” (Luke 24:1-6a).

Things to Ponder

Would you listen to some of Jesus’s final words before he ascended back to heaven following his resurrection:

“And he said, ‘Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem. There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent’” (Luke 24:46-48, repentance means changing your mind, especially about Jesus as Savior and Lord—the Messiah).

Do you believe in and trust Christ Jesus—his incomparable power and authority to forgive your sins (past, present, and future), heal your heart, and change your eternal address (destiny) from hell to heaven?

I certainly do. Because all the Lord’s promises are precious and true. They are totally trustworthy. Many powerful prophecies have come to pass precisely as God said they would. Why shouldn’t this one, the glorious Rapture:

“We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words” (I Thessalonians 4:15-18).

And yet another magnificent promise, replete with power and authority:

“But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It (the transformation, not the whole event of the Rapture) will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed …

“Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’” (I Corinthians 15:51-55, parenthesis mine).

Jesus holds those keys because he has the incomparable power and authority to do just that!

If you haven’t, reach out to Jesus. He’ll turn the key that will close the gate of hell and open the gate of heaven for you.

Jesus loves you and wants to personally light up your world!

Listen to him!

Hanukkah & Christmas / Do They Have Anything in Common?

22 Saturday Dec 2018

Posted by garybowers in Devotional / Misc

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Menorah

Tis the season for Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

These two glad greetings and good-byes are still echoed globally in homes, in churches and synagogues, on the streets, in the market places, and even the halls of some governments … except for the “politically correct” Happy Holidays among us.

It has been said that Hanukkah is the Jewish Christmas. Is it?

An immediate reaction would be: No way. Not if you’re Jewish, especially an observant Jew!

However, a 2013 poll disclosed that 32% of American Jews put up Christmas trees. Also, 34% of the Jews interviewed said it’s possible to believe that Jesus is Messiah and still be Jewish.

Please see Eye of Prophecy article: Jewish Christians / Christian Jews … An Oxymoron? Posted 6-30-18. With the summary conclusion that the most Jewish thing a Jew can do is to embrace Jesus as Messiah Savior; as did thousands upon thousands in the first century. Tens of thousands of (Messianic) Jews world-wide are Jewish Christians, many of whom currently celebrate both holidays.

After all, Jesus was a Jew through and through. He was a descendant of King David from the tribe of Judah. He taught in the Temple and synagogues; observed Sabbath and the Jewish festivals, including Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah).

Did you know that several Jewish composers have written Christmas songs?! And several Jewish singers have performed these songs. One of them is regarded as the greatest song ever sung (most played): White Christmas. Composed by Irving Berlin and originally sung by Bing Crosby in the hit movie Holiday Inn (1942). Granted, however, none of these (that I know of) Jewish composed carols such as Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer or a Holly Jolly Christmas contain any reference to Jesus, in contrast to traditional sacred Christmas songs. Like: Joy to the World or O Come All Ye Faithful.

Equally intriguing: Not only Gentile and Messianic Jewish believers in Christ Jesus, but also millions of unbelievers the world over sing or listen to both sacred and secular Christmas songs. They, too, exchange gifts and put up Christmas trees and lights, although the 21st century trend is to call them Holiday trees and lights.

And not only people sing these songs.

Hark … the Herald Angels Sing!

A Connection Between Hanukkah and Christmas?

At face value there doesn’t appear to be any correlation between the two.

Hanukkah is the commemoration of the successful Jewish Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Dynasty under the rule of Antiochus Epiphanies IV in the 2nd century B.C. Not long before this uprising, Antiochus had desecrated the Jewish Temple, killed some 40,000 Jews, and enslaved another 40,000. The Maccabean victory is still considered one of the greatest military upsets of all time—not unlike the miraculous Israeli victory in their 1948 War of Independence against overwhelming odds of five Arab armies. Or their spectacular victory in just six days of June 1967.

A second miracle remembered during Hanukkah was a one-day supply of the sacred oil used to light the seven Menorah lamps, that lasted for eight days. Thus, the traditional Hanukkah Menorah of eight lamps or candles … nine including the candle that lights the other eight. As originally ordained by God (Exodus 25), the Menorah had seven lamps, shaped from one solid piece of gold! However, because the Menorah was to be kept in the Temple and not duplicated, Jewish tradition holds that other menorahs could have fewer or extra stems, but not seven.

So, we ponder the question: What, if anything, does Hanukkah have in common with Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ (Immanuel … God Incarnate with us)? If so, what is the significance of this correlation(s)?

Based on Biblical evidence and secular history, I firmly believe there are parallels between the two. Just like the seven God-instituted Biblical festivals bear a significant prophetic relationship to the First and Second Advents of the Messiah (Jesus).

Refer to Eye of Prophecy article: Messiah and the Jewish Festivals … An Extraordinary Connection! (Posted 9-24-16).

Followed by five consecutive articles that explain in detail these correlations for all seven festivals. Each of these memorial feasts were harbingers of who and what the Messiah is and will do for his people and the whole world. Such as the (Passover) “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Proclaimed by John the Baptist, the next prophet after Malachi. And to fulfill the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) as the Messiah who will dwell (tabernacle) among us upon his return.

Two Clear Correlations between Christmas and Hanukkah

(1) Physical Parallel

Physical, in the sense of proximity—the day of the month and time of the year when both are observed.

The celebration of Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of Kislev (Jewish calendar). On that day the Jews (after defeating the Greek/Syrian armies) began the cleansing and rededication of the 2nd Temple, which had been desecrated by Antiochus IV.

The Hebrew month of Kislev overlaps the months of late November and all of December on the Gregorian (Gentile) calendar. Although Hanukkah almost always pre-dates Christmas, the first day of Hanukkah matched perfectly with Christmas Eve in 2016, something that hadn’t occurred since 1978.

Christmas is observed on December 25th. As some may know, the historical choice of that date was both complicated and somewhat arbitrary. And is most likely not the actual day that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Some Bible scholars, including me, strongly believe that Jesus was born between mid-September and mid-October, probably during the week-long Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot). The important thing: there is a day to remember this magnificent milestone of human history.

In 336 A.D, the Roman Emperor Constantine—the first Christian Caesar (whether a true Christian or one in name only is still debated)—chose December 25th from among other dates as the day to remember the birth of Messiah Jesus. A few years later, Pope Julius I declared December 25th as the official day of Christmas.

The historical evidence also suggests that one of the factors in choosing the 25th day of December was because Hanukkah (referred to as the Festival of Lights by Historian Josephus …the Books of the Maccabees called it the Dedication, the Hebrew meaning of Hanukkah) also began on the 25th day … of Kislev.

(2) Spiritual Parallel

Summed up in one word: LIGHT.

The kind of light that is often expressed by the spoken and written word in the spiritual sense of light and darkness.

It is God’s light—through His truth that would illuminate mankind—revealed to the Jews then extended to the Gentiles. Reflected literally and symbolically in the original Menorah, which also represented the (purifying) fire of God’s holiness.

Most Jewish Rabbis—both past and present—agree that God made Israel his special possession to bring the light of God’s Attributes and Word to Israel and through Israel to the nations. They are right about their status as God’s chosen people … the Jews. However, they see this light exclusively in the context of the Old Covenant Mosaic Law. They still deny that God’s New Covenant prophesied by Jeremiah has been implemented, because they do not believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah.

Since the first century birth, life, death, resurrection, return of Jesus to heaven, and the ensuing Christian faith (that most Jews regard exclusively as Gentile) embraced by hundreds of millions claiming Jesus is the Messiah and Savior, Judaism was forced to reinterpret (misinterpret) several Messianic passages of the Old Testament. Such as Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 49, and others.

Another reason is that the different sects of Judaism and even those within sects don’t agree on just how much the Messiah can or will do for Israel upon his appearance … according to Judaism, one and only arrival. Whether he is Divine or merely a man. And what or how much the Jews must do to prepare for or (some say) even precipitate Messiah’s appearance.

The second-most visited Eye of Prophecy article of the 275 posted to date (Where is Messiah? Is He Already Here? June 2016) begins as follows:

Globally, especially in Israel, both religious and secular Jews are longing for redemption.

Yet, they do not all agree on the scope of this redemption. Will it be individual, national, or both? Will it be physical, spiritual, or both? Orthodox Jews, particularly Rabbis, contend that penitence is a prerequisite to their redemption. But they differ on what constitutes repentance … to what degree or for what exactly should they repent. Most Jews simply don’t know what’s expected of them, if anything.

In general terms, it is Biblically true that Israel was to be a light to the Gentiles. Yet originally (Genesis 3:15) and ultimately (Israel didn’t obey the Lord, let alone disseminate the light of God’s Word to the Gentiles) the Messiah who would come from the descendants of Abraham would be that LIGHT. The Jews themselves, both religious and irreligious, need that same light (of salvation). The miracle that produced the Hanukkah lights would herald an even greater miracle when the Christmas Light of the World was born of a Virgin.

A pivotal passage referred to often by many Jewish rabbis is found in Isaiah. Usually, however, they ascribe and promote the subject of this passage as Israel, not the Messiah, himself—despite the clear use of the personal pronouns “I” and “me.” Or the fact that Israel is the object of what the personal Messiah would accomplish. At the very least, they confine the subject of the passage to Israel.

Here are the words of Messiah, who speaks not only to Israel but the entire world:

“Listen to me, all you distant lands! Pay attention, you who are far away! The Lord called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name…. He said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory’” (Isaiah 49:1 & 3).

You are my servant Israel is interpreted as the nation of Israel by rabbis. Whereas, this is the case in, for example, Isaiah Chapter 41, it is not the correct application in Chapter 49. For three main reasons: (1) Isaiah 49 is clearly identifying an individual (Messiah) via personal pronouns, as already indicated; (2) The Messiah here is identified as Israel itself because he is the exclusive essence of and composite hope for Israel’s redemption and restoration, as well as the Gentiles; (3) The fact that Israel cannot save or restore herself back to God.

To further establish point #3, let’s continue the passage:

“And now the Lord speaks—the one who formed me (back to the personal pronoun depicting Messiah) in my mother’s womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him…. He says, ‘You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth’” (Isaiah 49:5-6, italics for emphasis, parenthesis mine).

If Israel is the subject of this passage, then the following portion of this passage would read: who commissioned Israel to bring Israel back to him (God the Father). According to the Bible, Israel saving herself is both physically and spiritually impossible. Beginning with the Exodus, Scripture time and time again reveals that only the Lord could (ultimately) deliver Israel from her enemies and from herself. The latter part is why the Lord replaced the Old Covenant of the Law with the New Covenant of Grace—as prophetically announced by Jeremiah (Chapter 31).

This same analysis applies to the next portion of the passage that states, “You (the Messiah) will do more than restore the people of Israel to me.”

If the I, Me, and You of this passage is Israel, then the sentence would read: Israel will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. Which is nonsensical.

Thus, it is Messiah (Jesus) and only he who will bring light and salvation to both Israel and the (Gentile) nations.

Arguably, the most well-known Messianic passage in the Old Testament is Isaiah Chapter 53; although some observant Jews do not consider the chapter Messianic, as such. Those who consent to Chapter 53 as Messianic, do so by realizing that the description of the Lord’s suffering servant begins in the last three verses of Chapter 52. With verse 15 plainly referring to the Messiah:

“And he will startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence…” And before that verse 13: “…he will be highly exalted.”

And verse 14 says:

(God sometimes refers to Israel as his son, daughter, servant, special possession, chosen ones, but not as “a man”)

The last part of Isaiah Chapter 52 and all of Chapter 53 is both a sorrowful description of the suffering Messiah and a glorious account of what that suffering would accomplish. But Judaism has been unable to reconcile this passage (and a few others) with the Messianic promises of Israel’s conquering King who will rescue Israel from her enemies and establish God’s Kingdom on earth through Israel. To the extent that many Rabbis believe there will be two Messiahs, not just one.

See Eye of Prophecy article, More Than One Messiah? Posted 12-5-15).

In Isaiah Chapter 53, Judaism (particularly after Jesus Christ changed the very keeping of time when he came to this earth) also substitutes the nation of Israel for what is an unambiguous depiction of Messiah.

If I counted correctly, there is the amazing total of 37 references in Isaiah 53 to God’s suffering servant (Messiah) using the personal pronouns, he, him, or his (a total of 45 if you start with Isaiah 52:13). Moreover, there is the same scenario so evident in Psalm 49 that we just covered: Israel cannot save itself and certainly not atone for her own sins, individually or nationally.

“…And because of his experience (Messiah’s suffering and death on a cross— “pierced for our rebellion” Isaiah 53:5), my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins” (Isaiah 53:11, parenthesis mine).

Under the New Covenant: Messiah himself would (once for all) bear all their sins. Because the Lord, “…laid on him the sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Biblical salvation is the only way to a right standing with God—sins forgiven for all time, with eternal life in heaven awaiting those who simply say, “Yes,” to Messiah Jesus. Who agree with the Lord: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

No one on this planet—past, present or future—can save themselves; no matter what we think, say, or do. Salvation is a gift to be received, not merited or inherited.

Scripture declares that: “The Lord is Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6 & 33:16). We have none of our own.

The Lights of Hanukkah

Rabbis (correctly) contend that the event of Hanukkah was pivotal in reaffirming God’s destiny for Israel by accomplishing two things of great significance: (A) Reestablished Israel to a greater degree of national autonomy not experienced since before the Babylonian exile. (B) Rededication of the Temple as the center of Jewish worship; thereby, renewing the tenets of Judaism on a national level. It was a victory over the secular Greek Hellenism of the time that threatened to assimilate the Jewish religion and the Jews themselves into pagan Gentile culture.

However, the Maccabean revival didn’t last much longer than the spiritual turnaround of the Jews after Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s time. When Jesus arrived, Judaism had splintered even more into rival sects (Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots, and others), each claiming religious or secular authority (or both) over Israel; and each adjusting to the Roman subjugation of Israel in their own way. These dichotomies and divisions led directly to the zealot’s revolt of 66 A.D. that ended in the greatest tragedy experienced by Israel until the Holocaust.

All because God’s chosen people (as a whole) flatly rejected Jesus’s claim that he was the Messiah (the Light of the World). A claim confirmed by his numerous miracles that had never been seen before; and his teaching with power and authority that amazed both the secular and religious among them.

Messiah Jesus … Light of the World

He spoke these words during one of his many visits to the Temple. Specifically, he was in the Court of Woman near burning candles that symbolized the pillar of fire that protected and guided God’s people in the wilderness.

Not long after declaring that he was the light of the world, we find Jesus observing Hanukkah.

“It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. The people surrounded him and asked, ‘How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly’” (John 10:22-24).

*Note: Like the religious leaders repeatedly demanding heavenly signs from Jesus to prove he was the Messiah, the people in the Temple also had seen Jesus’s many miracles and/or heard his astonishing messages. Reading on:

“Jesus replied, ‘I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is in the work I do in my Father’s name. But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me … The Father and I are one” (John 10:25-28 & 30).

Then Jesus said in that same scene: “But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father” (Verse 38).

Those (his sheep) who believed and received Jesus as Lord and Savior knew he was the Messiah.

They believed not only with their eyes, but with their mind and heart. He was the superior Prophet spoken of by Moses, the Great Shepherd, Immanuel, the living Word of God, the Menorah Light of the World, and all the other things written about and names given to him by God the Father through the prophets. John began his New Covenant Gospel with this magnificent tribute to Messiah Jesus:

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God…. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it” (John 1:1-2, 4-5).

The brutal death of Messiah Jesus did not silence him nor extinguish the light of God’s salvation through him. In fact, it purchased and sealed that redemption for all who would believe in him.

Satan did not defeat him. Death would not finish him. The grave could not hold him.

He is who said he is. Because:

If Hanukkah is so highly regarded, then why disregard (to the point of denial) the illuminating light of Jesus’s miraculous Virgin birth, his astounding teachings and miracles, and (most of all) his supernatural resurrection from the dead?

Didn’t both Hanukkah and Christmas occur after the canon of the Old Testament was complete; after God stopped speaking to his people for over 400 years?

There is another stunning prophecy that has been regrettably overlooked by millions of Jews and even dismissed by nearly all (non-Messianic) rabbis. A prophecy that is seldom spoken of by rabbis or written about in Jewish literature … be it books, articles, or commentaries. One that documents beyond all doubt that Messiah (first) arrived in Israel long ago. Here is another excerpt from: Where is Messiah? Is He Already Here? (which focuses on just a portion of one verse of the totality of these powerful prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27):

After this period of 483 years, “…the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple…” (Daniel 9:26)

Daniel’s prophecy is unambiguously clear: The Messiah would appear before the destruction of the Temple, which took place in 70 AD. And that’s exactly what occurred … Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection some 40 years before the Romans sacked Jerusalem, which irrefutably validates the accuracy of Daniel’s prophecy.

Whereas, the religious leaders and people of Jesus’s time scorned him for the reasons given thus far—most prominent of which was ignoring the plain evidence for the time of Messiah’s appearance and marginalizing or outright rejecting his teachings and miracles—all those who deny that he is Messiah after the Temple was destroyed have no grounds whatsoever to refute the Messiahship of Jesus.

Why?

Because they have the 20/20 hindsight of history, right up to the present day. The Messiah would come at the end of 483 years, exactly when Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem … hailed by the people as the Son of David, the Messiah.

Then the Messiah would be killed BEFORE the Temple was destroyed by the armies of a ruler who would arise (shortly) AFTER Messiah arrived and was killed.

According to the time-line of Daniel’s prophecy, there is no way that the Messiah could (first advent) arrive on the scene of history AFTER the Temple was destroyed.

As Zola Levitt, a well-known Messianic Jew used to say: “And that’s all there is to that.”

The Severe Consequences of Israel’s Missed Opportunity

God’s precious promises of end-times redemption and restoration for his special possession Israel are already in the making, beginning prominently with the 20th century rebirth of Israel and the ancient Hebrew language.

But for now, it is as it was in the first century when the Jewish Apostle Paul penned these words:

“Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share then they finally accept it” (Romans 11:11-12).

Then Paul states: “…Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of the Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved…” (Romans 11:25-26).

In the previous Eye of Prophecy article posted 12-8-18 (Peace Between Israel & Judah … Then World Peace!), I quoted Jesus’s compassionate words for his people not long before his crucifixion.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate (predicting the Roman sack of Jerusalem). For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Matthew 23:37-39, parenthesis mine).

Luke’s Gospel presents part of Jesus’s words not recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, also concerning what would happen to Israel at the hands of the Romans and why.

“But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. ‘How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. Before long (less than 40 years would transpire) your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation’” (Luke 19:41-44, italics for emphasis, parenthesis mine).

Most Jews in today’s world, particularly the observant, are still turning down God’s offer of salvation through the New Covenant that Jesus brought to them and the whole world. It’s no coincidence whatsoever that the curtain which separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple interior was suddenly torn in two as Jesus died on the cross. (See Eye of Prophecy articles. The Cross and the Torn Curtain I & II … posted 2-6 & 2-13-16).

It was another of God’s manifest miracles to demonstrate that anyone can come directly to Him any time and any place through His Son, Messiah Jesus. The barrier (curtain) between God and people and between Jew and Gentile was removed when Jesus sacrificially gave his life as a once for all atonement for Jew and Gentile alike.

The torn curtain was only the beginning. Less than 40 years later, the Temple itself was demolished and the Levitical Sacrificial System ended when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. As noted, Jesus even predicted this horrific event, even though it broke his heart that it would happen and the reason why.

As Jesus Mourned for Israel, So Israel Will Mourn for Him

Whether Gentile or (especially) Jew, have you considered the question of why Israel will mourn over Messiah’s appearance? Yes, that will take place.

Which is unfathomable—considering numerous Biblical prophecies and the modern-day fact that nearly every Jew, religious or irreligious, longs for and will rejoice greatly when Messiah appears (returns).

Why would they mourn over such a fantastic life-saving (literally) event? There is no reasonable explanation for such a response … save one.

The prophet Zechariah graphically portrays the initial sorrow of Israel when they see their Messiah and gives the (one) reason for that grief. It is anguish so deep and distressing that: “All Israel will mourn, each clan by itself, and with the husbands separate from their wives…” (Zechariah 12:12).

Sorrow so painful that the Jews must be alone for a while to bear it.

The Pre-Incarnate Messiah himself explains the reason by speaking in both the first and second person.

“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died” (Zechariah 12:10).

Near the end of the Great Tribulation, the remnant of Israel will see and acknowledge their (the) Messiah. Who is the Son of Man, Son of David, and Son of God (Psalm 110) whom King David prophesied would be “pierced” (hands and feet … Psalm 22:16).

Confirmed by Isaiah: “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins…” (Isaiah 53:5).

None other than Jesus of Nazareth.

“Away with him, they yelled. ‘Away with him! Crucify him!’

‘What? Crucify your king?’ Pilate asked.

‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the leading priests shouted back.

“Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified.

“There they (the Romans) nailed him to the cross…” (John 19:15-16 &18a, parenthesis mine).

But when the mourning is over, there will be jubilation despite Jerusalem surrounded by a huge Gentile coalition of armies (led by Antichrist). Messiah Jesus will rally the people and their soldiers (IDF) and they will rally around him.

“The Lord will give victory to the rest of Judah first, before Jerusalem, so that the people of Jerusalem and the royal line of David will not have greater honor than the rest of Judah. On that day the Lord will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be a mighty as King David! And the royal descendants will be like God, like the angel of the Lord (a title found throughout the Old Testament for the Pre-Incarnate Messiah) who goes before them! For on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:7-9, parenthesis mine).

The final victory will be won as dramatically depicted in Revelation 19. Please see Eye of Prophecy article: Armageddon and Messiah’s Return … An Amazing Sequence of Events. Posted 2-3-18.

“And so all Israel will be saved…” (Romans 11:26a).

Things to Ponder

As said before in some articles: I love the Lord and His Word, and I love Israel and the Jews.

Every morning I conclude my Bible and prayer time with: “Sha’alu Shalom Yerushalayim; beshem Yeshua HaMashiach” (I pray for the peace of Jerusalem, in the name of Jesus the Messiah).

To pray for such peace is to pray for Messiah’s return, when all Israel will be saved—physically and spiritually.

To echo the passionate hope of the Jewish Pharisee Saul who met the risen Messiah Jesus and was supernaturally saved; born-again as are all who place their trust in Jesus’s sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection. Whom the Lord renamed Paul and appointed him to be a witness first to Israel, then to the Gentiles. Said Paul:

“…the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved” (Romans 10:1).

For God’s people to finally see and receive the light of their salvation—Messiah Jesus.

When that happens: “…All the world will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel” (Isaiah 49:26).

He is the mighty Triune God, whose Royal Son the nations will obey (Psalm 2).

The Royal Son, born on Christmas Day.

Messiah Jesus is the Menorah Light of the World. Both Christmas and Hanukkah are special seasonal times to light up the world with the truth of God’s redemptive rescue.

Hanukkah was celebrated earlier this month (12-3 through 12-10).

Christmas is just three days away.

A time to gaze at the lights and gladly give gifts. In remembrance of the most brilliant light to ever shine and the greatest gift ever given. The gift that keeps on giving … forever!

Hanukkah … The Festival Born of a Prophecy!

31 Saturday Dec 2016

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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Festival of Lights, Maccabees, Menorah

Hanukkah in History

Last week’s Eye of Prophecy article (The Virgin Birth … How and Why?) was posted on Christmas Eve, which “just happened” this year to occur on the first day (eve) of Hanukkah. This week’s article falls on the final (eighth) day of what some say is the most widely celebrated festival of the Jews, religious and secular alike. On most Jewish calendars you’ll find the oft used Hebrew spelling of this happy holiday … Chanukah. That’s because of the more accurate pronunciation of the hard “Ch” syllable (Kahnukkah), instead of the soft “hah” sound.

Like Purim that is normally observed in the Gregorian calendar month of February, Hanukkah is not one of the Biblical festivals required by God as given in the Mosaic Law. Whereas Purim was (Biblically) instituted by Mordecai and Queen Esther as an annual Jewish observance, Hanukkah is not found in Scripture. It wasn’t even recorded in any extra-Biblical Jewish religious literature; although the secular Jewish historian Titus Flavius Josephus provided a narrative of this event in his book, Jewish Antiquities XII. However, the circumstances surrounding Hanukkah were added to the Jewish Talmud (written collection of Jewish oral teachings and history) some 600 years after the time of the Maccabees.

Rather, we find Hanukkah’s captivating chronicle through the Books of the First and Second Maccabees, which are not part of the Biblical canon; but are considered by many Biblical scholars as historically accurate. Why the story of the Maccabean revolt that led to the “miracle of Hanukkah” is not part of the Old Testament Bible, would take far more time/space than this week’s article can afford. Thus, I’ll offer just two brief reasons:

(1) It occurred some 250 years after God’s last appointed prophet (Malachi) spoke God’s words to his people. The composite four-hundred year span of God’s silence was a transition time between the Old Covenant of the Law and New Covenant of Grace. Not until the next Jewish prophet John the Baptist prepared the way for the Messiah of the New Covenant, did God reveal himself again to the Jews and also, this time, to the whole world.

(2) Due largely to reason number one, God chose (for other reasons known only to him) not to directly inspire the recording of the events leading to Hanukkah through any of God’s chosen authors of New Testament times/books.

Based on the title of today’s article, you might get the impression that Hanukkah was predicted in Scripture by one or more of the Old Testament prophets. It was not, at least not the results of the Maccabean Jewish victory over an evil Syrian ruler. Those results were twofold, constituting the essence of this remarkable Jewish holiday. They were (A) Restoration and rededication of the Jewish Temple after the Jews defeated the Syrian/Greeks against all odds; (B) One day’s supply of the sacred oil used to light the Menorah, lasting for eight days until more purified olive oil could be produced.

menorah1-jpglarge

(Replica of the Original Biblical Menorah … During a Trip to Israel, I Stood Next to This Menorah in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem)

Thus, respectively, in direct connection to A and B listed in the preceding paragraph, Hanukkah is also referred to as the: Festival of Dedication and Festival of Lights. Hanukkah is the Hebrew word meaning “dedication.” Although the 2nd Temple was later destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, observant Jews still emphasize dedication (loyal observance) of their lives to the principles of holiness (consecrated separation) found in the civil, ceremonial, and moral features of the Law of Moses. Hanukkah serves as a serious but also festive reminder of this dedication.

Yet, when it comes to the equally vital component part of the Mosaic Law (Levitical Sacrificial System), the Jews are unfortunately in denial that there is no atonement for sin without the sacrificial shedding of innocent (animal) blood. Instead of recognizing and accepting the New Covenant established through the once for all substitutionary sacrifice of their very Messiah (Yeshua), they hope that mitzvot (good deeds … acts of love and giving) will merit salvation.

(I would encourage you to read the trilogy of Eye of Prophecy articles entitled: Where is the Temple? I, II, III. Posted in November and December, 2014).

HOWEVER, the sequence of events that produced the marvel of Hanukkah were, in fact, predicted by the prophet Daniel some 370 years before they took place, including dramatic details about the malicious Syrian ruler who would devastate Israel and profane the Temple. Followed by even more amazing information about another wicked tyrant (the little horn of Daniel Chapter 7 and the beast of Revelation 13 & 17 … Antichrist Nero) who would follow in the warped footsteps of his evil archetype predecessor. Hanukkah was a direct result of this fulfilled prophecy.

The original Kingdom that would split into four parts—one of which this 2nd century BC Syrian despot would rule over—was also prophesied by Daniel.

Alexander the Great

It all began when Alexander the Great soundly defeated the Persians, spelling the end to an empire even greater than that of Babylon, at least in terms of longevity. In 334 BC, Alexander launched a campaign that would engulf most of the civilized world, establishing a Grecian dynasty that would last some 300 years with ongoing influence of Greek civilization in the Roman Empire for another 500 years. Alexander’s realm would not be equaled until the Roman Empire reached its zenith. Yet even Rome was heavily saturated with Greek language and culture.

220px-alexanderthegreat_bust

(Bust of Alexander the Great)

Alexander died a mysterious death in June, 323 B.C. at the young age of 32. History is unclear whether he was murdered (poison) or died from natural causes (fever). Yet his passing was so abruptly unexpected that no heir had been appointed to his domain. Subsequently, the Grecian Empire was divided into four regions: Ptolemy of Egypt; Seleucid of Mesopotamia and Central Asia; Pergamon; and Macedon. It’s the Ptolemaic and Seleucid dynasties that are referenced in Daniel Chapter 11, long before they came into existence.

The Greek empire was one of the four world kingdoms revealed by God to Daniel in the form of four “huge beasts.”

“Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast” (Daniel 7:6).

These four beasts were initially in the form of a four-part statue seen in a dream by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel Chapter 2). The figurative imagery recorded by Daniel clearly matches subsequent world history, confirming that the third beast was Greece.

Later, Daniel is given more information about the great ruler of this third empire, which history also affirms as none other than Alexander the Great. Included in this subsequent revelation to Daniel (which I strongly believe was given by the Pre-Incarnate Messiah Jesus), were meticulous details to confirm the (four-part) division of the third beast—the leopard (four wings and four heads). Plus intricate details of ensuing rulers of the Ptolemaic and Seleucid domains, specifically Antiochus IV Epiphanes; followed by an evil despot (Antichrist) who would be even more ruthless than Antiochus.

Concerning Alexander the Great and the dominant Grecian Empire, we read:

“Then a mighty king will rise to power who will rule with great authority and accomplish everything he sets out to do. But at the height of his power, his kingdom will be broken apart and divided into four parts. It will not be ruled by the king’s descendants, nor will the kingdom hold the authority it once had. For his empire will be uprooted and given to others” (Daniel 11:3-4).

Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Time/space does not allow us to cover the first part of Daniel Chapter 11 through verse 27, which predicted what history has termed, “The Seleucid Wars” that culminated in 198 BC between Egypt and Syria. The armies of Seleucid King Antiochus III defeated Ptolemy V and took over Judea and Samaria, which had been part of the Ptolemaic realm. Instead, we will fast forward to 175 BC, when Antiochus IV ascended the Seleucid throne.

Antiochus IV arrogantly added Epiphanes to his name, which means, “manifest god.” He and his subsequent counterpart (Antichrist) Nero considered themselves divine, God on earth. He was the first Seleucid king to have his divine image printed on coinage. Later, Caesar Nero did the same thing.

en-coin-of-antiochus

(Antiochus IV Coinage)

To assert his power and enhance his sphere of influence and to prevent King Ptolemy VI of Egypt from expanding the Ptolemaic dynasty, Antiochus IV launched a preemptive strike against Egypt in 170 BC, conquering all of the Egyptian kingdom except Alexandria. This is precisely what Daniel said would happen. As was Antiochus’ second campaign against Egypt predicted by Daniel.

In Antiochus’s first campaign, “The king of the north will then return home with great riches. On the way he will set himself against the people of the holy covenant, doing much damage before continuing his journey” (Daniel 11:28).

The “people of the holy covenant” were the Jews (Israel). During his return home from Egypt, Antiochus IV made it clear that he would do something about this stubborn people, most of whom refused to yield to his authority, and resisted assimilation into the Greek Hellenistic culture that he was trying to instill throughout as much of the territories conquered by Alexander as possible. Unlike his predecessor, Antiochus III, who allowed the Jews extensive sovereignty under their High Priest, Antiochus IV began a pernicious persecution of the Jews to force Greek Hellenization on them.

However, to avoid antagonizing the new burgeoning empire of Rome, which supported the Ptolemaic realm, Antiochus withdrew his armies from Egypt and left Ptolemy VI as a puppet king. But this megalomaniac tyrant couldn’t keep his autocratic face out of the picture. With an apparent assumption that Rome would no longer interfere, in 168 BC he led a second assault on Egypt, and also sent a large naval fleet to Cyprus. Before Antiochus IV reached Alexandria, a Roman ambassador warned him to withdraw or risk a war with the Roman Republic.

We read on: “Then at the appointed time he will once again invade the south, but this time the result will be different. For warships from western coastlands will scare him off, and he will withdraw and return home. But he will vent his anger against the people of the holy covenant and reward those who forsake the covenant” (Daniel 11:29).

Antiochus was humiliated by his failed plans to again invade Egypt. He threw a temper tantrum and decided to take out his “tail-between-the-legs” retreat on the Jews. He would ratchet up the time table of a more peaceful integration of Hellenism into Jewish culture. Through brutal force he would bring an end to Judaism in Judea and Samaria. Whether he thought of it or not, his intentions were every bit as malevolent as the Persian ruler Haman, whose sadistic strategy was genocide of the Jews. Antiochus IV became further enraged when he learned that Jason, the Jewish High Priest that he had deposed, had initiated a surprise attack against Menelaus, the high priest appointed by Antiochus IV.

He ordered a halt to all Jewish sacrifices and worship rites in the Temple, commanding the Jews to worship Zeus. When they refused, Antiochus IV dispatched his armies to crush what he considered an insubordinate Jewish revolt against his kingdom.

Even if you know little about Antiochus IV, you probably have read or heard that during this onslaught against the Jews his troops ransacked the Holy Temple, and sacrificed a pig to the Greek god Zeus on the altar in the Holy of Holies. What occurred in 168-167 BC is one of the bloodiest, saddest chapters of Jewish history. But out of it came one of the greatest triumphs and miracles ever experienced by the Jews. Which is what the celebration of Hanukkah is all about.

Here is an account of Antiochus’ brutality:

“When these happenings were reported to the king, he thought that Judea was in revolt. Raging like a wild animal, he set out from Egypt and took Jerusalem by storm. He ordered his soldiers to cut down without mercy those whom they met and to slay those who took refuge in their houses. There was a massacre of young and old, a killing of women and children, a slaughter of virgins and infants. In the space of three days, eighty thousand were lost, forty thousand meeting a violent death, and the same number being sold into slavery” (2 Maccabees 5:11-14).

Antiochus IV’s atrocious actions fulfilled Daniel’s amazingly accurate prophecy.

“His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the daily sacrifices, and set up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration” (Daniel 11:31).

idol-image-of-zeus-in-temple

(Depiction of Zeus Erected by Antiochus IV in the Jewish Temple)

There’s More!

Before we examine the following verse 32 of Daniel’s remarkable prophecies, let’s look at an excerpt from a Wikipedia article concerning Antiochus IV and the Maccabean revolt that began not long after Antiochus desecrated the Temple, then slaughtered and enslaved tens of thousands of Jews.

“Traditionally, as expressed in the First and Second Books of the Maccabees, the Maccabean Revolt was painted as a national resistance to a foreign political and cultural oppression. In modern times, however, scholars have argued that the king was instead intervening in a civil war between the traditionalist Jews in the country and the Hellenized Jews in Jerusalem. According to Joseph P. Schultz: ‘Modern scholarship on the other hand considers the Maccabean revolt less as an uprising against foreign oppression than as a civil war between the orthodox and reformist parties in the Jewish camp.’”

Still referring to the actions of the “king of the north” (Antiochus IV), Daniel goes on to say:

“He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him” (Daniel 11:32).

For modern scholars to contend that Antiochus IV Epiphanes was simply “intervening in a civil war” between the Hellenistic Jews and the observant religious Jews of Israel is an oversimplification; it is not an accurate analysis of everything that actually took place. Nor does it track with Scripture’s preview of what would occur, i.e. “the people who know their God will … resist him” (the king of the north which would be Antiochus IV).

These people who know their God were the Maccabees representing Jews who remained faithful to God. Their resistance was directly against Antiochus IV; only indirectly against the Hellenistic Jews (those who have violated the covenant). It was the Hellenistic Jews that Antiochus IV would, “flatter and win over.” Likewise, Antiochus military assault against Israel was designed to stop the Maccabees in their revolutionary tracks, not to preemptively intervene in what may have become a full-fledged Jewish civil war.

At the very least, the modern view of Antiochus’s reason for invading Israel ignores the clear historical record of his virulent hatred of the Jews, expressed in his contempt for the sacred sites and rites of the Jewish faith. Nevertheless, Antiochus courted those Jews who agreed with him that Israel should incorporate Greek philosophy and culture into Israel, even if it meant compromising the Mosaic Law as the governing influence over Jewish life in Israel. However, even the Hellenistic Jews were appalled at the Temple’s desecration and the blatant religious, political, and cultural subjugation of the Jews, whether secular or religious.

Thus, his so-called “intervention into a Jewish civil war” was much more than merely taking sides with the Hellenists. It’s clear that he was infuriated by any Jewish attempt to undermine his authority over Judea/Samaria. He couldn’t have cared less whether the hiloni (secular) Jews or the haredi, masorti (observant, traditional) Jews would have fought and prevailed one against the other. He wanted all of Israel under his thumb.

Daniel says that the people who know their God would be strong and would resist him (Antiochus IV). Which is exactly what the Maccabees were and did. Much like King David and his group of 600 faithful soldiers; then his band of Thirty of Israel’s mightiest warriors led by the even more elite Three, accomplished in Israel before and after David ascended to the throne. The military exploits and fighting skill of these men of valor became legendary with the Jews and with their enemies. As did the extra-Biblical account of the Maccabees and their warriors.

The Maccabean Revolt

Until the ascension of Antiochus IV to the Seleucid throne, the observant Jews had, for the most part, been given sufficient freedom and flexibility to practice their Judaic faith.

But enough was enough. It was absolute anathema to both religious and secular Jews for anyone (let alone a Gentile ruler) to desecrate their sacred Temple and to bring a screeching halt to their religious practices, no matter the degree of observance among varying Jewish factions and sects.

In description of Antiochus IV and his armed invasion of Jerusalem under the pretense of helping the secular faction called the Tobiads—which supported the Hellenistic Jews in particular and the Ptolemaic realm in general—the ancient Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote:

“The king being thereto disposed beforehand, complied with them, and came upon the Jews with a great army, and took their city by force, and slew a great multitude of those that favored Ptolemy, and sent out his soldiers to plunder them without mercy. He also spoiled the temple, and put a stop to the constant practice of a daily sacrifice of expiation for three years and six months.”

*Note: Josephus description of this king being “thereto disposed beforehand” validates the premise that Antiochus already had a mindset disposition toward conquest of the Jews.

Here is yet another remarkable correlation between Antiochus Epiphanes’ 3 ½ year reign over Israel and the future ruler also mentioned in Daniel Chapter 11 (Antichrist Nero) who would break a seven-year pact with Israel half way through that treaty, resulting in cessation of Jewish sacrifices and desecration of the (3rd) rebuilt Temple… 42 months as prophesied in Daniel Chapter 9. And as confirmed by Revelation Chapter 13.

Even though the Shekinah glory of God no longer filled the Temple, it was more than many Jews could bear to be deprived their right of circumcision and for pigs to be offered as sacrifices to the Greek god Zeus in the Temple itself. With unrelenting conditions and with ruthless enforcement, Antiochus IV had done away with Judaism. Even the great empires of Assyria and Babylon that had conquered and exiled the Jews; and Persia and Greece (until Antiochus IV) that had reigned over Israel, permitted the Jews to practice their faith.

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(Depiction of the Abominable Sacrifice of a Pig on the Temple Altar)

Against overwhelming odds, a Jewish priest Mattathias (Mattiyahu) and his five sons led a revolt against Antiochus IV. When Mattathias died in 166 BC, his son Judah took his place as leader of the rebellion. Less than a year later, against all odds the Jews had soundly defeated the armies of Antiochus IV, recaptured Jerusalem, liberated Temple Mount, cleansed and rededicated the Temple, and reinstated Judaism and the sacrificial system.

That is one of two reasons the Jews instituted this wonderful festival of Hanukkah … which, as indicated, means dedication. Most Jews, but not all, consider this military triumph a miracle in the same vein as Gideon’s amazing rout of the Midianites and modern Israel’s stunning triumph over insurmountable Arab military might in her 1948 War of Independence.

However, all Jews who know anything about the desecration of the 2nd Temple by the most appalling of all Gentile kings ever to rise against Israel (rabbinical sources refer to Antiochus IV as, harasha, “the wicked”) agree that the second reason for celebrating Hanukkah is based on a miracle. There simply is no normal or natural explanation for what took place.

Judah Maccabee commissioned resumption of Temple proceedings which began on the 25th day of Kislev, 165 BC.

*Note: Kislev is the Jewish month that overlaps the Gregorian calendar of November and December. The first full day of Hanukkah is the 25th of Kislev; however, a Jewish day begins at sundown the previous day. Thus, Hanukkah this year (2016) actually began on December 24th. I suppose we could call Kislev 24th, Hanukkah Eve.

But first things first: the treasured Menorah (lamps of which were to be kept burning day and night) must be relit, for it was God’s holy light to illuminate the Temple. In hindsight, this was a shortsighted (or short lighted, if you will!) plan. There had not been sufficient time allowed to produce enough pure (holy) olive oil expressly refined from pressed olives and dedicated by the high priest for the Menorah.

Each branch of today’s menorahs contain candles; whereas, the stem branches of the original Menorah in the Tabernacle and then the Temple were lamp cups in which olive oil was poured and then ignited.

Miracle of the Kosher Oil

According to the story, there was only one flask of consecrated oil … enough to last one full day. Yet, the priests decided to light the Menorah anyway, then wait to start it again after more oil was produced. Evidently, they were so excited and determined to resume Temple rites that they were willing to temporarily waive the requirement that the Menorah lamps must be kept burning continually.

But they didn’t need to light the menorah again. That one flask lasted for seven more days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of kosher oil for the menorah!

Although the First Book of Maccabees records the eight-day celebration that began annually for the re-dedication of the Temple and altar, it does not mention the miracle of the oil. But the Jewish Talmud does, which nearly all scholars acknowledge as a historically accurate compilation of Jewish vocal traditions.

Thus, Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Dedication, and also the Festival of Lights.

Jews in Israel and all over the world light the candles of the Menorah, one each day for the eight days that the oil kept burning. Special foods cooked in oil to commemorate the miracle are eaten, such as Latkes (potato pancakes) and doughnuts.

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(Modern Day Hanukkah Celebration and Menorah)

Down through the centuries Jews have debated whether Hanukkah is a religious festival (Holy Day) or just a national secular holiday. True, it is not a festival specifically ordained by the Lord to be observed, as commanded by God for the seven holy festivals. Please refer to a series of five Eye of Prophecy articles on these seven Jewish Festivals and how each feast points to Messiah Jesus. You can find them in the Eye of Prophecy archives, posted 9-24-16 through 10-22-16.

However, Hanukkah is definitely connected to God’s ultimate plan to preserve his chosen people the Jews and his special possession Israel until the time of their final redemption. This joyous festival is a direct result of Daniel’s prophecy concerning the third of the four Gentile nations, Greece. Then more specifically the evil tyrant Antiochus IV tirade against the Jews that is also a foreshadow of the Antichrist who will turn on the Jews half way through the Great Tribulation.

Like Purim, Hanukkah remembers God’s miraculous deliverance of the Jews from disaster at the hands of wicked men and nations that sought to destroy Judaism and even eliminate the Jews (genocide) from the face of the earth. No different than the insidious plot of Muslim nations in today’s world, especially Iran.

The Messianic Menorah Light

Most of all, the light of the Menorah represents Israel’s coming Messiah, who would bring the light of God’s salvation to the Jew first, then to the Gentile (Romans 1:16).

Yeshua, himself, celebrated Hanukkah. In fact, other than his crucifixion trial in which Caiaphas the Jewish High Priest insisted that Jesus answer his question, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God” (Matthew 26:63); and Pontius Pilate posing a similar question, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (John 18:33), an incident that occurred in the Temple was the most notable interrogation of and challenge to Jesus’ Messiahship.

“It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. The people surrounded him and asked, ‘How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’

“Jesus replied, ‘I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish … for my Father has given them to me … No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one’” (John 10:22-30).

At that point the people picked up stones to kill Jesus; because he, in no uncertain terms, claimed to be God (equal to God as His Son). Previously, Jesus had made the same claim to another crowd who also wanted to stone him to death when he said: “…I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!” (John 8:58).

There was no misunderstanding of Jesus’s words. When he said, “I AM,” he voiced the sacred name of God, YHWH (Yahweh).

In the scene of John Chapter 10, Jesus went on to confirm and defend the truth of who he was. Listen to his words:

“…Why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God?’ After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. But if do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father” (John 10:36-38).

Not long after that Jesus would perform another mighty miracle by raising Lazarus from the dead. And just a few days later, Jesus would prove beyond any doubt whatsoever that he was Messiah, the Son of God, the Light of the world, when he arose from his own grave!

Before the scene during Hanukkah, Jesus declared, “…I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12).

471689861_640

The Apostle John was only one of many who witnessed the powerful miracles of Jesus and listened to his words of life. Beyond any doubt, John and others knew that Jesus was the Messiah, that he was Divine, just like Isaiah said Messiah would be (Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Isaiah 9:6).

Thus, John began his gospel with this powerful proclamation:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1-5, NASB).

The Fall of Nations … The Rise of Israel

What about the fate of Antiochus IV Epiphanes?

After this vile ruler dispatched one of his commanders, Lysias, to fight the Maccabees, he set sail with the rest of his forces to do battle with King Mithridates I of Parthia who had made war against the Greeks.

The Second Book of Maccabees records that he contracted some incurable disease, then (in an implied weakened condition), “fell out of his chariot as it was rushing along, and the fall was so hard as to torture every limb of his body.” The writer of Maccabees and apparently most Jews of the time attributed the spectacular Maccabean victory against the forces of Antiochus as well as his untimely death to, “…the all-seeing Lord, the God of Israel, struck him an incurable and unseen blow.”

Antiochus IV and his Seleucid dynasty went the way of even greater empires that tormented, terrorized, and toppled the Jews. The once mighty nations of Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome are no more. Hitler’s Third Reich that mercilessly slaughtered six million Jews and Stalin’s Communist Russia that relentlessly persecuted the Jews are gone.

But Israel was reborn from the floods of dispersion and he fires of Nazi death camps. Their ashes of defeat have turned into the beauty of a strong and vibrant nation … the only democratic country in the Middle East. Their people thrive despite acts of terrorism, UN anti-Israeli resolutions, and threats of annihilation by Muslim nations. They have won four conventional wars against Arab forces much stronger than Israel.

I’ve said it before, and will say it again: What God says will happen, happens. What he says he will do, he does. Miracles and 100% fulfilled prophecies (which also are miracles) separate the true and living God of the Bible and the Judeo/Christian faith from all other religions like Islam; but also from Godless philosophies, which are also religions (a belief system), such as communism and human secularism.

Moreover, the Christian faith is not nor should be separate from the Jewish belief and trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, the Christian faith is an extension, a completion, and a culmination of God’s majestic plan for the human race. The New Covenant of Grace fulfilled and replaced the Old Covenant of the Law, because God’s chosen people could not and would not keep that Law. Only one Man did that … Messiah Jesus. His once for all sacrificial atonement for sin is what makes Jew and Gentile united—one new person in Messiah (Ephesians 2:14-16).

17_jews-gentiles-one-body

Things to Ponder

This year’s Hanukkah is poignantly relevant to Israel’s destiny in two observable ways. (1) It’s no coincidence that Hanukkah began on Christmas Eve this year, the first time since 1978. I believe this is a strong signal that their Messiah (and ours as believers in Christ Jesus), the Light of the World, is soon to come again and make all things right in this war-torn, weary, wicked world in which we live.

(2) Another reprehensible UN resolution (# 2334) was passed on the Jewish Sabbath, which began on December 23rd, the day before Hanukkah began. It was yet another attempt to discredit and delegitimize Jewish settlements in the so-called West Bank (Judea and Samaria … rightfully Jewish land); and also to denigrate and demonize the State of Israel as a whole and the Jewish people individually.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already responded in meaningful ways, including the call back of Israeli Ambassadors from some of the nations that voted yes to the resolution. Perhaps the boldest and most expressive reply of all was to change his plans and participate in the second day lighting of the Menorah in the Old City of Jerusalem.

He said, “I did not plan to be here this evening, but in light of the UN resolution, I thought that there was no better place to light the second Chanukah candle than the Western Wall … And here I would like to light Chanukah candles on behalf of the Glory of Israel. Happy Chanukah.”

And this recent letter from an Israeli soldier to President Obama (in italics):

Dear Mr. President,

You may deny our right to our homeland. You may try to rewrite our history. Just know that we are the most resilient people this world has ever seen. Our lighting of the menorah is proof of that fact. This time will be no different. Not yourself, not the UN, not the terror that you have given legitimacy to. No one will defeat us.

Jews light the menorah to celebrate restoration of Jewish control over Jerusalem and the Temple Mount—thousands of years ago. We were small and vastly outnumbered, but that did not stop us. We came together and we returned to our capital. Our home.

I have no doubt that the lights of our menorah will dispel all darkness. It will lighten the path to overcoming the endless Israel and Jew hatred. It will inspire us, and inspire our Jewish people. It will strengthen the brave men and women of the Israel Defense Forces. It will bring us together once again, and we will return to our capital. Our home.

Happy Chanukah!

Leibel A. Mangel

On this last day of the Festival of Lights—along with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the brave Israeli soldier—I, too, wish you a,

Happy Hanukkah!

And,

Happy New Year!

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  • Melchizedek … A Man of Mystery!
  • Merry Christmas … What’s It All About?
  • Messiah and the Jewish Festivals … An Extraordinary Connection!
  • Messiah’s Amazing Appearances Before He Was Born
  • Messiah’s Arrival … On Whose Authority?
  • Messiah’s Ascension & Coronation … Seen Long Before It Happened!
  • Messiah’s Millennial Reign … Incredible Changes on Earth
  • Messiah’s Number & Its Prophetic Value
  • Messiah’s Return & The Rapture (Same or Separate Events?)
  • Messianic Jews … Who Are They?
  • Modern Day Antichrist?
  • Moral Equivalency
  • More Palestinian Lies
  • More Than One Messiah?
  • Moses & Elijah vs. Antichrist & The False Prophet
  • Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem … A Broken Promise?
  • NERO & The Remarkable Revival of His Name
  • O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!
  • Old & New Testament Saints … Is There a Difference?
  • One Global Language … Coming Soon! (Part I)
  • One Global Language … Coming Soon! (Part II)
  • One Hundred Forty-Four Thousand Messianic Jews … Part I
  • One Hundred Forty-Four Thousand Messianic Jews … Part II
  • One Nation Under (the wrath of) God
  • One World Government?
  • One World Religion?
  • Palestine or Israel? Which Is It? / Your Answer May Be In Jeopardy!
  • Palestinian Propaganda Is Pure Poison
  • Palestinian Refugees… Are They Really Refugees?
  • Palestinian Terrorism & UN Resolutions … Neither Will Defeat Israel
  • Palestinian Terror Tunnels & Poetic Justice
  • Passover & Messiah Are Inseparable!
  • Passover … an Enduring Legacy
  • Peace Between Israel and Judah … Then World Peace!
  • Peace on Earth … Is It Really Possible?
  • Peace or a Palestinian State … Which Will It Be?
  • Powerful Proof of Messiah’s Identity & Arrival in The First Century!
  • Preach the Gospel … But Not to the Jews!
  • Prince of Peace
  • Prophecy & A Jewish Holiday
  • Prophetic Fate of Israel’s Friends and Foes
  • Prophetic Implications of the Fires in Israel (Part I)
  • Prophetic Implications of the Fires in Israel (Part II)
  • Proportional Warfare
  • Reappearance of Satan, a Roman Emperor & Two Ancient Prophets … Bodily!
  • Reappearance of the Beast (Antichrist)
  • Reexamination of Messiah’s Imminent Return & The Omega Generation
  • Remember December (Kislev) … A Hidden Gem of Prophecy!
  • Removing Christ From Christmas … What Are The Consequences?
  • Replacement Theology (Part I)
  • Replacement Theology (Part II)
  • Resurrections / How Many Will There Be? One, Two, Or Could There Be Three?
  • Rome and Jerusalem … friends or foes?
  • Russia & Iran versus Israel
  • Russia’s Shocking Invasion of Ukraine … A Preview of Gog/Magog’s Attack on Israel?
  • Salvation … “To The Jew First!”
  • Satan in Bodily Form … When & Why (Part I)
  • Satan in Bodily Form … When & Why (Part II)
  • Scripture Says Everyone Will Die / But What About the Rapture?
  • Separation of Church and State … For or Against? (Part I)
  • Separation of Church and State … For or Against? (Part II)
  • Sequel to Stunning Catastrophes & Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation
  • Seven Essentials of The Rapture (Part I)
  • Seven Essentials of the Rapture (Part II)
  • Seven Times Seven (to the 4th power)! Part I
  • Seven Times Seven (to the 4th power)! Part II
  • Seven Times Seven (to the 4th power)! Part III
  • Seven Wonders of The Millennium
  • Seven Wonders of The Millennium (Part II)
  • Shameful Saga of the Great City (Revelation 17)
  • Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation
  • Significant Sets of Twos in the Bible
  • Six Million Reasons … To Trust the Bible
  • Soon Comes the Antichrist … Straight From the Abyss (Part I)
  • Soon Comes the Antichrist … Straight From the Abyss (Part II)
  • Spiritual Bodies … A Contradiction of Terms? (Part I)
  • Spiritual Bodies … A Contradiction of Terms? (Part II)
  • Stand Still & Watch God Fight for Israel!
  • Stunning Catastrophes of the Tribulation / Their Timing & Purpose
  • Sudden Appearance of Antichrist … Why So Different?
  • Sukkot … The Forever Festival!
  • Superhuman Bodies for Believers / How & Why?
  • Tell a Big Lie Long Enough….
  • Terror, Terror, Terror (Part II)
  • Terror, Terror, Terror! (Part I)
  • The “Right of Return” … For Palestinians or Jews?
  • The Ark of the Covenant … Part I
  • The Ark of the Covenant … Part II
  • The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation (Part I)
  • The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation (Part II)
  • The Beast and His Name
  • The Birth of a Nation
  • The Child of Promise (Part I)
  • The Child of Promise (Part II)
  • The Cross and the Torn Curtain (Part I)
  • The Cross and the Torn Curtain (Part II)
  • The End of the Age … how close are we?
  • The False Prophet (Part I)
  • The False Prophet (Part II)
  • The Final Treaty of Rome … Part I
  • The Final Treaty of Rome … Part II
  • The Gog/Magog Countdown Has Begun!
  • The Heart & Soul of Israel
  • The Incomparable Power and Authority of Jesus Christ
  • The Jewish Dichotomy In & Outside Israel
  • The Legacy of Temple Mount
  • The Legendary Return of Nero
  • The Liberation of Jerusalem
  • The Magnificent Millennial Reign of Believers with Messiah
  • The Most Panoramic Prophecy in the Bible (Part I)
  • The Most Panoramic Prophecy in the Bible (Part II)
  • The Most Significant End-Times Sign Of All
  • The Myth of Al Aqsa Mosque
  • The Number of the Beast
  • The Omega Generation
  • The Peace Treaty That Will Guarantee War
  • The Phenomenal Thousand Years/One Day Parallel
  • The Prince and the People That Destroyed the Jewish Temple / Who Were They?
  • The Prophetic Endgame of Gog/Magog
  • The Rapture / Before or After The Great Tribulation?
  • The Real Reason for Palestinian Terrorism
  • The Reign of Terror
  • The Remarkable Rebirth of a Nation
  • The Rest of the Story … Bibi’s Speech to the United Nations
  • The Right to Life?
  • The Russians Are Coming!
  • The Seal of Approval
  • The Second Exodus
  • The Seven Year Treaty
  • The Shout Heard Around the World
  • The Shroud of Turin … Real or Fake? / A Decisive Answer
  • The Shroud of Turin … Real or Fake? / A Decisive Answer (Part II)
  • The Terrible Trio of Gog and Magog
  • The Three Greatest Trials of All Time
  • The Tremendous Transfiguration of Believers!
  • The Two Witnesses (Part I)
  • The Two Witnesses (Part II)
  • The Two Witnesses (Part III)
  • The Vatican and Islam … A Perfect Match for Antichrist
  • The Virgin Birth of Messiah … How and Why?
  • The Whole Truth
  • The Woman and the Beast
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part II)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part III)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part IV)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part V)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part VI)
  • The Wonder Of It All … Birth of the Child!
  • The World Wants a Messiah … But It Needs (The) Messiah
  • There’s No Place Like Homs
  • There’s Resurrection; And There’s Resurrection!
  • Three … A Divine Number of God!
  • Times of & Fullness of the Gentiles … What Do They Mean?
  • To Be or Not To Be … in Heaven?
  • To Be Or Not To Be … In Heaven? (A Revisit)
  • Trump, Cyrus, and the Jewish Temple
  • Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part I … Turmoil)
  • Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part II … Tragedy)
  • Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part III … Terror)
  • Two-State Solution & The Seven-Year Treaty … Impossible?
  • Two Thirds of the Jews Killed … Past or Future?
  • U.S. President Agrees with God … Jerusalem Is Israel’s Capital!
  • Under the Radar
  • UNESCO / “Theatre of the Absurd” Against Israel
  • United Nations Downsizing of Israel (Resolution 2334)
  • Value of Prophecy
  • West Bank or Judea/Samaria? What’s In A Name?
  • What Is A Saint?
  • What Is Done To Israel Will Be Done In Return / The Iran Nuclear Deal
  • What Is Done to Israel Will Be Done in Return / Dangers of a Divided Jerusalem
  • What is Palestine & Who Is A Palestinian?
  • What is the Rapture?
  • What Is The Unpardonable Sin?
  • When the Rapture?
  • Where is Messiah … Is He Already Here?
  • Where Is The Temple? Part I
  • Where Is The Temple? Part II
  • Where is the Temple? Part III
  • Who is Messiah?
  • Who Is the Antichrist & How Will He Appear (Part I)
  • Who Is The Antichrist & How Will He Appear? (Part II)
  • Who the Rapture?
  • Whom Do You Most Want To See In Heaven?
  • Why the Rapture?
  • Why the Rapture? (A Revisit)
  • Why The World Idolizes Antichrist & How It Reacts To The Tribulation
  • Wiles of the Woman
  • Will All Children Be Taken in The Rapture?
  • Will Believers Go Through the Great Tribulation? (Part I)
  • Will Believers Go Through The Great Tribulation? (Part II)
  • Will There Still Be Unbelievers Throughout Eternity?
  • Yom Kippur / With Or Without Atonement?
  • Zechariah’s Dramatic Description of Antichrist’s Fatal Wounds

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