Shalom to all who reads.
This is from my 2001 file as Yahveh was bringing me out of the church of man and into his fellowship.
This email being addressed to those who have been taught with the Goyim mind frame so in light of this there is use of terms and misuse of Yeshua’s proper name that stemmed from this very history indeed.
We pray that others can come to the knowledge as we have.
Thanks be to Yahveh for the giving of His Word (In spoken –“Yahveh Said Let there be light”. In written –“I will give you the stone tablets with the Torah and the mitzvot I have written on them, so you can teach them.” And in body – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning All things came to be through him, and without him nothing made had being. In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. The light shines in darkness, and the darkness has not suppressed it.
The Word became a human being and lived with us, and we saw his Sh’khinah, The Sh’khinah of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.”)
HAPPY HANUKAH
In the past few weeks you may have received e-mail from me in hopes to share my studies and love for Christ with you. I plan on continuing to share with those who want to learn as much about our savior and walk in His steps.
If at some time you do not want to receive any further emails, send me a reply with the words (shake of the dust!) in the subject line and I will remove you from my list.
Finding out the hard way that some not knowing history and scriptures can get real nasty and down right mad when they don’t understand what you are doing.
The past few weeks have been a real experience for me and my family.
This letter is to take away the lack of knowledge of
HANUKAH - THE FEAST OF REDEDICATING THE TEMPLE
"And it was at Jerusalem, the Feast of Dedication (Hanukah), and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the Temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about him, and said to him, 'How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Messiah, tell us plainly?' Jesus answered them, "I told you, and ye believed not: The works that I do in my Father's name these bear witness of me."' John 10:22-25
It is obvious from the context that Jesus was visiting the Temple during Hanukah. Hanukah was a holiday that was instituted after the Israeli victory over the Greek-Syrians in the Maccabean Revolt, when the Jews gained victory over their oppressors. This occurred in 165 BC, in a period of time known as the Inter-Testamental period, that is, after the Old Testament was written, but prior to Jesus. Therefore, it is not mentioned in the Tanakh. This story is told in the Apocrypha, which is a set of good Jewish books not found in Jewish Bibles.
Hundreds of years before, in about 333 BC, Alexander the Great and his armies had conquered the Middle East, including Israel, and went on to conquer additional land, even to the Indus River in India. Although Alexander promoted Greek religion and culture, he didn't force it on his subjects. Alexander died at the age of only 33 after which his huge empire was split into four much smaller empires to be ruled over by his four generals. Those who came after Alexander were much less tolerant of non-Greek cultures and religion.
Israel was on a Land bridge" highly prized by the Ptolemy dynasty that ruled Egypt, and by the Selucid Dynasty that ruled the Syrian portion of the divided Greek Empire. Eventually, the Selucids gained the upper hand, and conquered Israel. Antiochus IV came to rule over Israel. He was an extremely cruel and intolerant king. He forbade circumcision, Sabbath observance, reading of Torah, or celebration of the Feasts. The penalty for observing these commandments of God was death. He encouraged Greek culture and religion, and found many Jews who willingly and even happily collaborated to turn Israel into a Greek society.
The pagans had defiled the Temple, even sacrificing a pig on the altar. The Jews, under the Hasmonean leadership of Mattathias and his sons, eventually won a miraculous victory over the pagans. According to legend, when they went to re-light the Ner Tamid (Eternal Light) of the Temple, they discovered a vial of oil which was only adequate to keep the light burning for one day. Nevertheless, they re-light the Ner Tamid, and began a search for sanctified oil that could keep the Ner Tamid burning. The search took 8 days, during which time the Ner Tamid miraculously kept burning.
The military victory of the few against the many was down-played. However, Zecheriah 4:6 is still quoted during Hanukah: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."
There is another reason for de-emphasizing the military victory: The Hasmonean Dynasty was originally anti-assimilationist. They preserved Jewish religion and fought off pagan religious influences. Jews were again free to celebrate their faith without pagan influences.
However, future generations of the Hasmonean Dynasty became pro-assimilationist. They promoted Greek culture, Greek language, and even Greek religion. As a result, the Talmud is very quiet about the Hasmoneans, sort of ignoring a family that started out good, but went bad, succumbing to the paganism in the world at that time.
Hanukah comes at a time of the year when Christians are celebrating Christmas. As a result, it is often identified as a sort of Jewish Christmas. Actually, Hanukah was celebrated for hundreds of years before Christmas was first celebrated, and therefore has no historical relationship with Christmas. The story of the vial of oil lasting for 8 days can't begin to compare with the appeal of the story of the virgin birth of a baby in a manger. Besides Yeshua (Jesus) wasn't even born in December. In all likelihood, he was born on the first day of Sukkot, roughly late September or early October. The December 25 date was originally a pagan holiday called Saturnalia or the solar feast of Natalis Invicti - the Nativity of the Unconquered Sun (We will look at that at a later time.)
Moreover, as we celebrate the re-dedication of the Temple, we do so with the knowledge that the Temple was completely destroyed in 70 AD. So we end up celebrating a Temple that no longer exists.
We are not completely without a Temple. Paul spoke of our bodies as being temples of the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit): "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which is what you are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." I Cor 3:16-19a
Also: "Do you not know that your bodies are the members of Messiah? Shall I then take the members of Messiah and make them members of a harlot? May it never be! What? Do you not know that he which is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For He says, The two shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24).' But the one who joins himself to God is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is without the body, but he that commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:15-20.
"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what partnership has Messiah with Beliel, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of God..." 2 Corinthians 6:14-16a.
Let us today rededicate our temples, our bodies, which are the temples of the Ruakh HaKodesh. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1
Antiquities of the Jews - Book XII
CONTAINING THE INTERVAL OF A HUNDRED AND SEVENTY YEARS.
FROM THE DEATH OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT TO THE DEATH OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.
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CHAPTER 5.
HOW, UPON THE QUARRELS ONE AGAINST ANOTHER ABOUT THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD ANTIOCHUS MADE AN EXPEDITION AGAINST JERUSALEM, TOOK THE CITY AND PILLAGED THE TEMPLES. AND DISTRESSED THE JEWS' AS ALSO HOW MANY OF THE JEWS FORSOOK THE LAWS OF THEIR COUNTRY; AND HOW THE SAMARITANS FOLLOWED THE CUSTOMS OF THE GREEKS AND NAMED THEIR TEMPLE AT MOUNT GERIZZIM THE TEMPLE OF JUPITER HELLENIUS.
4. Now it came to pass, after two years, in the hundred forty and fifth year, on the twenty-fifth day of that month which is by us called Chasleu, and by the Macedonians Apelleus, in the hundred and fifty-third olympiad, that the king came up to Jerusalem, and, pretending peace, he got possession of the city by treachery; at which time he spared not so much as those that admitted him into it, on account of the riches that lay in the temple; but, led by his covetous inclination, (for he saw there was in it a great deal of gold, and many ornaments that had been dedicated to it of very great value,) and in order to plunder its wealth, he ventured to break the league he had made. So he left the temple bare, and took away the golden candlesticks, and the golden altar [of incense], and table [of shew-bread], and the altar [of burnt-offering]; and did not abstain from even the veils, which were made of fine linen and scarlet. He also emptied it of its secret treasures, and left nothing at all remaining; and by this means cast the Jews into great lamentation, for he forbade them to offer those daily sacrifices which they used to offer to God, according to the law. And when he had pillaged the whole city, some of the inhabitants he slew, and some he carried captive, together with their wives and children, so that the multitude of those captives that were taken alive amounted to about ten thousand. He also burnt down the finest buildings; and when he had overthrown the city walls, he built a citadel in the lower part of the city, (17) for the place was high, and overlooked the temple; on which account he fortified it with high walls and towers, and put into it a garrison of Macedonians. However, in that citadel dwelt the impious and wicked part of the [Jewish] multitude, from whom it proved that the citizens suffered many and sore calamities. And when the king had built an idol altar upon God's altar, he slew swine upon it, and so offered a sacrifice neither according to the law, nor the Jewish religious worship in that country. He also compelled them to forsake the worship which they paid their own God, and to adore those whom he took to be gods; and made them build temples, and raise idol altars in every city and village, and offer swine upon them every day. He also commanded them not to circumcise their sons, and threatened to punish any that should be found to have transgressed his injunction. He also appointed overseers, who should compel them to do what he commanded. And indeed many Jews there were who complied with the king's commands, either voluntarily, or out of fear of the penalty that was denounced. But the best men, and those of the noblest souls, did not regard him, but did pay a greater respect to the customs of their country than concern as to the punishment which he threatened to the disobedient; on which account they every day underwent great miseries and bitter torments; for they were whipped with rods, and their bodies were torn to pieces, and were crucified, while they were still alive, and breathed. They also strangled those women and their sons whom they had circumcised, as the king had appointed, hanging their sons about their necks as they were upon the crosses. And if there were any sacred book of the law found, it was destroyed, and those with whom they were found miserably perished also.
CHAPTER 7.
HOW JUDAS OVERTHREW THE FORCES OF APOLLONIUS AND SERON AND KILLED THE GENERALS OF THEIR ARMIES THEMSELVES; AND HOW WHEN, A LITTLE WHILE AFTERWARDS LYSIAS AND GORGIAS WERE BEATEN HE WENT UP TO JERUSALEM AND PURIFIED THE TEMPLE.
6. When therefore the generals of Antiochus's armies had been beaten so often, Judas assembled the people together, and told them, that after these many victories which God had given them, they ought to go up to Jerusalem, and purify the temple, and offer the appointed sacrifices. But as soon as he, with the whole multitude, was come to Jerusalem, and found the temple deserted, and its gates burnt down, and plants growing in the temple of their own accord, on account of its desertion, he and those that were with him began to lament, and were quite confounded at the sight of the temple; so he chose out some of his soldiers, and gave them order to fight against those guards that were in the citadel, until he should have purified the temple. When therefore he had carefully purged it, and had brought in new vessels, the candlestick, the table [of shew-bread], and the altar [of incense], which were made of gold, he hung up the veils at the gates, and added doors to them. He also took down the altar [of burnt-offering], and built a new one of stones that he gathered together, and not of such as were hewn with iron tools. So on the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu, which the Macedonians call Apeliens, they lighted the lamps that were on the candlestick, and offered incense upon the altar [of incense], and laid the loaves upon the table [of shew-bread], and offered burnt-offerings upon the new altar [of burnt-offering]. Now it so fell out, that these things were done on the very same day on which their Divine worship had fallen off, and was reduced to a profane and common use, after three years' time; for so it was, that the temple was made desolate by Antiochus, and so continued for three years. This desolation happened to the temple in the hundred forty and fifth year, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Apeliens, and on the hundred fifty and third olympiad: but it was dedicated anew, on the same day, the twenty-fifth of the month Apeliens, on the hundred and forty-eighth year, and on the hundred and fifty-fourth olympiad. And this desolation came to pass according to the prophecy of Daniel, which was given four hundred and eight years before; for he declared that the Macedonians would dissolve that worship [for some time].
7. Now Judas celebrated the festival of the restoration of the sacrifices of the temple for eight days, and omitted no sort of pleasures thereon; but he feasted them upon very rich and splendid sacrifices; and he honored God, and delighted them by hymns and psalms. Nay, they were so very glad at the revival of their customs, when, after a long time of intermission, they unexpectedly had regained the freedom of their worship, that they made it a law for their posterity, that they should keep a festival, on account of the restoration of their temple worship, for eight days. And from that time to this we celebrate this festival, and call it Lights. I suppose the reason was, because this liberty beyond our hopes appeared to us; and that thence was the name given to that festival. Judas also rebuilt the walls round about the city, and reared towers of great height against the incursions of enemies, and set guards therein. He also fortified the city Bethsura that it might serve as a citadel against any distresses that might come from our enemies.
Michael J. Jackson
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