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Lessons from Hanukah and the Maccabees

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You probably have heard about Hanukah, the winter festival of the Jews in which they light the menorah. However, you probably don’t know the story of the Maccabees behind it. There is lots to learn.

First, I tell you the basic history, and then a little about how the rabbis interpret it, and how the Jews celebrate today. Then, I offer some thought questions.

The wildest thing is how it parallels today! Stick with it to the end. Then, really think. What were the issues then? Now? So, what does it mean to be faithful to YHWH?

Notice, that the Macabees were lauded for serving the good of the whole even at cost to themselves. But wouldn’t have the Antiochus officials said that they should have Hellenized and gone along, and given them more money? Sometimes you judge how much someone has contributed by how much they lost and not how much they gained.

Teaser: I didn’t find the miracle of the oil in I Maccabees.  Not in II Maccabees. Hmmm. But I did read about the Battle of Emmaus! Wow!

More resources.

  1. Get the text.

2. Rabbi Sobel gives you amazing number study  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVjpUHT_slE  

My A&P and messianic friends will like this.

3. Here is the consensus rabbinical explanation. (So very funny: I asked a respected rabbi here this question and he referred me to Rabbi Google. I figured I had so little knowledge that such would not be a reliable source. Was he perhaps unwilling to face public pressure because the people like Hanukah? I may never know.)

https://www.myjewishlearning.com › article › transforming-hanukkah
Why Were the Rabbis So Uncomfortable With the Maccabees?
That being the case, why do the Rabbis decide to focus entirely on this miracle of the oil? The 16th-century Maharal of Prague, Rabbi Judah Loew, offers a concise answer to this puzzling rabbinical emphasis on the miracle of the oil: The main reason that the days of Hanukkah were instituted was to celebrate the victory over the Greeks.
4. Here is the Lubavitcher word on the holiday. They are very conservative, millenial, and evangelistic.
https://www.chabad.org › holidays › chanukah › article_cdo › aid › 4588772 › jewish › 13-Facts-About-the-Maccabees-Every-Jew-Should-Know.htm

13 Facts About the Maccabees Every Jew Should Know

13 Facts About the Maccabees Every Jew Should Know By Menachem Posner 1. The Maccabees Are the Heroes of Chanukah The Maccabees were Jewish fighters who led the revolt against the Syrian Greek ruling class, who had suppressed Jewish religion in an effort to spread their Hellenistic customs and idolatrous beliefs.
Controversial Issues Current Events Feasts of Israel Moedim

Do the The Feasts of Israel Have Prophetic Meaning?

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Do the The Feasts of Israel Have Prophetic Meaning? Is it legitimate to try to find prophetic meaning in the “Feasts of Israel”  (or better named the “moedim” the appointed times of God)?  Shouldn’t we just take the Scripture at face value? Who is to say what they mean? And then, if we do take any meaning, isn’t that an open door for people to “find” some future prophetic meaning?

HOW THIS CAME UP

In a messianic group I visit this was the question posed. First time it was posed, rather than asserted. As a question, it is worthy of being answered. Are there “types and shadows” in the Bible. Is it legitimate to find allegorical meaning? Do these scripture speak of a time beyond the basic commandment? Is there possibly future prophetic meaning?

We can answer all of these questions surely and definitely, based on the text of the Bible, especially the New Testament. Yes, the Bible itself witnessed to, in clear language, that the Old Testament, the Torah especially, was written with types and shadows in mind. Yes, the Bible itself gives examples of finding allegorical or typological meaning in Scripture, and in the moedim in particular.

WHAT ABOUT FALSE PROPHETS?

Having said that yes, there are prophetic meanings, does not mean that ANY BODY AND ANY interpretation is correct. There is a pattern, a trajectory, and other Scriptures. Standard hermeneutical rules apply. Nevertheless, yes, there are prophetic meanings in the text. And most especially, yes, the feasts do have prophetic meanings — of course!

CALL TO A DECISION — FOR JESUS

Scripture is deep. Those who want to reduce it to face value want to do so because they want to control it. They want to justify themselves. Those, who look deeply into Scripture will find more. Think Jesus speaking to the pharisees. Think the Bereans. Love the scripture; love to hear the Spirit; focus on Jesus!  It is all about Jesus. It is not about the law. It is not even about the text, as precious as it is. It is about Jesus. (And  it is not so much about us as it is about Jesus, the Pattern Son.)

Controversial Issues Current Events Holidays Moedim Repentance

Day of Atonement : What is Sin?

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There seems to be quite a lot of confusion about what sin is, how sin is best dealt with, and to what extent gentiles should keep the Mosaic Law. All answered here. And a great time to answer them, as we approach the Day of Atonement.

The Day of Atonement is a moed, an appointed time, one of the “7 feasts of Israel”, and appointment of the people with God.  The Day of Atonement a time to repent, to seek forgiveness of God, to reconcile with God and with others.

I will cover the basic scriptures on this topic from Torah, cover briefly the consensus Jewish thinking and the Chabad/Lubavitcher viewpoint. Then, let’s go into the New Testament about what sin is and how sin is best dealt with.

SHOULD WE KEEP THE LAW? IS SIN MERELY FAILURE TO KEEP TORAH?

We should have a great deal of respect and gratitude for Torah and Tanakh, for without them, we could not understand Jesus/Yeshua. On the other hand, we should not trample the greater gift of Jesus/Yeshua.  Nor should we think we, in our unlettered and prideful state are so much smarter than Peter, James, and John, or Paul. Let’s consider what all of these teachers had to say, shall we?

We will find that both in original Hebrew thinking and in New Testament thinking that sin is “missing the mark.”  What mark? For Paul: the glory of God. High mark. So, how would be come up to that bar? Only Jesus Christ/ Yeshua HaMesiach/Son of God could help us that far up.

This is not rabbinic thought. Nor is it sloppy Christian “messianic”  — shall we say messy legalism.My position is we should have more respect for the Jewish traditions today, more learning about the Torah, and a full understanding of our own New Testament. We get into trouble when the unlearned take part of a Scripture and blithely take away others’ faith. They feel very spiritual and righTeous doing so, but…. the results are very regrettable, first for others who are made worried… but later themselves when they find they have disrespected Jesus.

RETURNING TO THE FAITH; RECONCILING WITH GOD

Today I am most concerned to help concerned Christians back to settled faith, and comfort in the grace of God, after they have been pummeled and battered by ignorant messy-anic folks who want to make them feel guilty because they are not fully keeping the Mosaic law. Sin is much more than merely transgressing the Mosaic Law. It is pretty hard to keep the Mosaic Law. Always was. particularly, now when there is not Temple and no sacrifice.

Sin is bad and we should acknowledge that sin exists. This failure to acknowledge sin is rampant. Sin is foolish, harmful, but also knowing about sin is an opportunity to return to God. Wonderful Hasidic wisdom.  But the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, our wonderful Messiah who is more than we ever imagined, has come and invited us into His own righteousness. This is the wonder. Let’s not overlook that. This is the awesomeness of the sonship message. It is all of grace; it is all of faith; it is not without works.

https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2093-atonement-day-of

https://www.reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/yom-kippur/yom-kippur-customs-and-rituals

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/177886/jewish/What-Is-Yom-Kippur.htm

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2830/jewish/What-Is-Sin.htm

https://free.messianicbible.com/tag/kol-nidre/#.YzbaPUzMI5s

https://perrystone.org/the-day-of-atonement-leviticus-chapter-16/

Controversial Issues Current Events Maturity Moedim Snship Soul winning

FEASTS OF TRUMPETS

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Seeing so much hunger and hearing so little good teaching,  I have posted an audio file on the Feast of Trumpets, more commonly known as Rosh HaShannah. I have defined the Feast of Trumpets, relayed the relevant Scriptures, or most of them, and applied it. The trumpet announces the presence of royalty, war, warning, and worship. Brief discussion of various eschatologies. Invites you to learn more of the Word of God. Equips preachers. Encourages you to worship, service, and evangelism.

 

SOURCE ALLUDED TO FOR REFERENCE

When does “the last trump” sound? The Rapture, the Second Coming, or some other time?

Dr. Showers argues that “the last trump” Paul is referring back to I Cor 14 when he mentions a military trumpet. In this case, the last trumpet is the call for men at war to stop fighting, or a watchman to finish his time at post. Either way, “the last trump” means “time of rest.” This makes sense, especially since we have a seen a difference between the last trump and the Great Trumpet.

There is much discussion about the Trumpet of the Rapture being or not being the 7th Trumpet in the book of Revelation. Some people read that the Rapture happens between the letters to the church and what John sees in heaven, making the “come up hither” be the same as the Rapture. At any rate, the idea that the “last trump” is a call to rest works very well with the theme of the Feasts of Trumpets being about preaching in the church age.

RULING

Amir Tsarfati gave a wonderful teaching on the timeline on Sept 24th, but marred it by at the very end of the Q&A time calling out and lumping together that Kingdom now and the 7m teaching and those who think they will make things better and thus bring back the Messiah. These camps are not the same, except that they are more optimistic and therefor more willing to grow and work. They have on their side “the Kingdom is within/among you.”

Since I had enjoyed Amir’s teaching that day, I was momentarily confused. I sought God. Here is the scripture that came to me as an answer ; “The wheat and the tares grow together.”  So, yes the world is dark… but that doesn’t mean we have to be pessimistic and throw down our weapons and just wait for a rescue. No.  Now we are the technon, the teenagers. Then we will be like Him: grown son. For we shall see Him as He is. Division in the camp is a trick of the enemy. We need all that the Body has to be a full Body. Each piece has a revelation and they will fit together like a puzzle.

Sam Fife said, correctly, that preaching against error in other camps makes more error.

Okay, so, Sharon, what are you doing? I am preaching truth in my camp, as respectfully as possible. And erring on the respectful side, too, I think. I get attacked for speaking truth, but when I do, I check to be sure I was as loving and soft as possible,  grieve over those who are inclined to attack others, and then I roll my hurt upon Jesus.

 

IMPORTANT RESOURCEs TO BUY, READ, APPLY

CF DO NOT LEAVE QUIETLY by Mario Murillo  This book is an excellent real time application guide for how to “trumpet” in the current situation. We must speak up, for the Lord, for the church, and for ourselves …. just as Paul did when asked to leave the jail in Phillippi .

Here is a similar place to jump in, and a model to follow, of Christian “speaking up” or “trumpeting forth.”  https://lancewallnau.com/episode-750-the-revival-we-seek-is-breaking-out-in-local-territories-like-this/

Someone else, more from a political angle, or at least a different faith angle, chimes in: get active. https://rumble.com/v1l4vm1-a-letter-to-americas-churches.-eric-metaxas-with-sebastian-gorka-one-on-one.html?mref=7x15j&mc=b4trb

Hear is a prayer confession offered for our nation. Kenneth Copeland was saying back in 2011 or so that we needed to start voting and getting involved. Now, he has the www.govictory online channel with the FlashPoint show bi-weekly, twice daily news, and election watch shows. Copeland’s theology might not be your cup of tea, but you have to admit that the current criticism against him: that he claimed it was the devil trying to …. “squeal” the election and destroy our children…. is sort of illustrative of his being entirely correct on at least these 2 points.