Understanding The Spiritual Essence Of The Celebration
by Josh Thompson
In order to be as personal as possible this article will be addressing the reader in a rather informal manner. This article’s purpose is to be straightforward and honest; therefore I am stating right away that I have an agenda. My threefold agenda is as follows: 1. Educate the clueless 2. Inform the misinformed. 3. Encourage the believer. My heart’s desire is to challenge any and all preconceived misunderstandings a person may be harboring in regards to this time of year; specifically the Festival of Chanukkah. My plea to you, the reader is; allow the Ruach HaKodesh/Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of His Word in your heart. If the truth of His Word is allowed to take root and form a foundation within your very being, then you will become more than just a hearer of His Word, but a doer.
Introduction
“Trust in YHWH will all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes: fear YHWH, and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7
When I was a child the above excerpt from the book of Proverbs used to be something I had to repeat every week, several times a week. Most small Christian Schools have a school verse, in which, the student body is required to memorize and recite just about every day. In fact, whenever we misbehaved this passage was the favorite sentence writing choice among our teachers. The guilty student would be made to legibly write this passage however many times the teacher would prescribe. We were not allowed to participate in anything “fun” until the punishment was written in full. I personally exhibited a youthful disregard for the school’s scriptural trademark until those in authority forced me to literally take note, at least 50 – 100xs. The result of this endless repetition is that I cannot dismiss this text from Proverbs. Even if someone were to remove my brain these verses would still be imprinted on the scroll of my heart. Now you can see why this text from Proverbs used to annoy me to no end. However, with time and maturity, YHWH is able to take something ordinary and make it extraordinary. The festival of Chanukkah exemplifies my experience with the above three verses in the sense that most people believe Chanukkah is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated by “nonbelievers” (specifically Judah/the Jews) who needed something to do while the rest of the “believing” world celebrates Christmas. This could not be further form the truth.
Chanukkah is NOT a replacement for Christmas; however Chanukkah (for many) is just like my school’s scriptural slogan. As Christmas approaches many professing “believers” in Yeshua/Jesus are scurrying about trying to prepare for all the festivities when suddenly they confront a holiday they know little about. For only a moment their busy day slows to a halt while they are being impressed by someone in authority (aka The Lord/Yahweh) to be mindful of something they have heard about most of their lives, but never given a second thought. As I said above, Chanukkah is not an annoying holiday instituted by Judah/the Jews as a replacement for Christmas. In fact, without Chanukkah there would be no Christmas as we know it today! The historical events surrounding Chanukkah happened in the 2nd century BC. The Birth of Yeshua/Jesus occurred in the 1st century CE, some 150 – 200 years later. Placing this in perspective, the Untied States is only 222 years old counting from the inauguration of the 1st president to the current administration. Believing that Judah/the Jews invented this holiday as a Christmas rebuttal is mere ignorance of historical fact mingled with cultural bias. Search your heart! Have you ever internally or externally made any derogatory remarks against Judah/the Jews regarding their lifestyle? I would dare say most of the “Christian” world harbors a submerged resentment that is based in their own misunderstandings toward Judah/the Jews. Let’s review Proverbs 3:5-7 and change one word; maybe this will illuminate your subconscious as it did me.
“Trust in YHWH will all your heart; and lean not on your own misunderstandings. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes: fear YHWH, and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7- emphasis mine
Have you noticed my agenda? To put it plainly, my intention is to illuminate the truth by exposing any and all “misunderstandings” surrounding the festival of Chanukkah and the Jewish House of Israel. Many years have past since I last stepped foot in that humble Christian School of my youth, however, as I’ve matured the Ruach HaKodesh/Holy Spirit has taught me to sit still and grasp the truth concealed in the content of my school’s memory verse. I pray the Ruach HaKodesh/Holy Spirit does the same for you!
Fear, Knowledge and Forgetfulness
Now, faith is… the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Recognize this verse? (Hebrews 11:1) The key word here is NOW. As this article continues I will be covering a few scriptural facts in hope of making clear any and all misunderstandings. You must NOW choose for yourself; will you continue stumbling over your own misunderstandings or will you NOW allow YHWH/The Lord to direct your paths?
Today’s society abounds with technological knowledge, scientific knowledge, medical knowledge, interpersonal knowledge, and the list of corporeal awareness goes on and on. However, what knowledge is missing? The prophet Hosea states,
“My/Yahweh’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6
Proverbs states,
“The fear of Yahweh/the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7
Hosea concludes by stating,
“Seeing you have forgotten the Torah/Instruction of Your Elohim/God, I will also forget your children.” Hosea 4:6
There is a correlation between fear, knowledge and forgetfulness. “Believers” all over the world are crying out to Yahweh/the Lord desiring to hear His voice and see His greatness on a large scale, however it would appear nothing is happening. Perception tries to become truth. Nonetheless, in the end/Latter Day’s truth exists and perception vanishes. We are living in the days of Noah. Few fear Yahweh/the Lord, therefore Yahweh’s/the Lord’s knowledge is concealed in only a few. Most “Christians” have been blinded by cultural customs instituted by Torahless/Lawless individuals and religious systems. This scheme of forgetfulness has a mastermind, aka hasatan/the devil. The Torah/Bible is full of what I call, “Road Signs”. As we traverse the interstate of LIFE, Father Yahweh/the Lord gives us loving lifestyle reminders. King Solomon, a man full of Yahweh’s/the Lord’s spirit of wisdom in the pinnacle of his life, gives us an unvarnished definition of what it means to fear Yahweh/the Lord.
“The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the perverted mouth, that do I hate.” Proverbs 8:13
The correlation between those who fear Yahweh/the Lord and those who have the knowledge of Yahweh/the Lord continues to be made clear in Proverbs,
“The fear of Yahweh/the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Set Apart/Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10
As you can see, there is an abundance of scriptures that speak of the interrelation between the fear of Yahweh/The Lord and the knowledge of Yahweh/the Lord, but how should a person who wants to fear Yahweh/the Lord and know Yahweh/the Lord conduct their life? In other words what type of lifestyle should they endure?
“That you might fear Yahweh your God, to guard His statutes and commandments, which I command you, you, and your son, and your son’s son, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged.” Deuteronomy 6:2
*[I would suggest reading Deuteronomy chapters 28 – 30 to receive a better understanding of the consequences of sin/curse verses and the results of obedience/blessing.]
Let’s make a declaration right here and right now! After reading this paragraph would you please stop and pray to Yahweh/The Lord asking Him to forgive you and your generations of disobedience. Ask Him to circumcise your heart and save you and your descendants from a life of disobedience perpetrated by the lies of hasatan. Let us remember John 8:44 towards the end of the verse, “…hasatan is a liar and the father of it.” Let us also establish a definition for sin. Believe it or not Yochanon/John the disciple of Yeshua/Jesus gives us a clear-cut definition for sin:
“Anyone who commits sin violates Torah/the Law, for sin is the transgression of Torah/the Law.” I John 3:4
“Be not deceived. Yahweh/The Lord will not be insulted for whatever a man chooses; the results of that choice will come into existence.” Galatians 6:7
My paraphrasing of Galatians 6:7 is done to illustrate a spiritual and physical rule or law. Everything we choose to do has a result, this is why our loving heavenly Father went ahead and gave us a blueprint to live by. The problem we all face is hidden in the background.
The Torah, the Word, the Light
Yeshua/Jesus is the light of the world. Wow, what a familiar yet misunderstood statement. The Light exposes the darkness! Again, a powerful yet misunderstood statement. Chanukkah is the festival of lights! Are you sensing a pattern? All of humanity is guilty, at one time or another, of speaking common scriptural phrases without understanding the scope of what’s really being said. The same can be said of common cultural sayings/phrases. If only believers in Yeshua/Jesus could really understand the depths of what they’re saying when they quote the declarative sentence, “Yeshua/Jesus is the Light of the world”, or “The Light exposes the darkness”, then this world would be a much more Yahweh obedient place. Time to connect the dots!
“For You are My Lamp, O YHWH: and YHWH will lighten my darkness.” II Samuel 22:29
“For Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
“For the mitzvah/commandment is a lamp; and the Torah/the Law is light; and reproofs of discipline are the way of life.” Proverbs 6:23
“They that forsake the Torah/the Law praise the wicked: but such as guard the Torah/the Law contend with them.” Proverbs 28:4
“He that turns away his ear from hearing the Torah/the Law, even his prayer shall be repulsive.” Proverbs 28:9
Go back and re-read these verses and make sure you recognize the connection between the Torah/the Law, the Word, and the Light. All of these words are used synonymously throughout scripture. Here’s the catch! These three words materialize in the person Yeshua/Jesus, and are demonstrated in a people…Israel. It may seem that I have used too much scripture to make my point. However, it is a difficult thing to pick just a few scripture verses when the entire Torah/Bible communicates this gospel. The eternal nature of the Torah/Bible is essential in understanding the eternal character of Yeshua/Jesus/the Living Torah. The Written Torah and the Living can never be separated, even though mankind exhaustively tries to do that very thing. NOW, let’s connect the Word, the Torah and the Light to Yeshua/Jesus. Remember, I am choosing only a few scriptures that illustrate my intentions. There are countless other scriptures that confirm this truth.
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with YHWH, and the Word was YHWH. The same was in the beginning with YHWH. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was chayyim/life; and the chayyim was the Light of men. And the Light shines in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His Glory as of the only brought forth of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-5, 14
Then spoke Yeshua/Jesus again to them, saying, I am the Light of this world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life.” John 8:12
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and esteem Your Father who is in the heavens. Think not that I have come to destroy the Torah/the law or the neviim/prophets: I have not come to destroy, but to completely reveal it in its intended fullness. For truly I say to you, until the current heavens and earth pass away, not one yud/jot or one nekudah/tittle shall by any means pass from the Torah, until all be implemented/fulfilled. Whoever therefore shall break one of the least Torah commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven: but whoever shall do and teach the commands, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew5: 16-19
“To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of hasatan to YHWH, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them who are set-apart/holy by faith that is in Me.” Acts 26:18
One could spend hours examining these scriptures; however, the connection is in plain view:
The Word = Torah = Light = Yeshua/Jesus
It does not matter where you place the equal signs, these words are always and forever echad/unified. No one can separate these words and suggest they denote something or someone else! How does this relate to Chanukkah, the Festival of Lights? Be still and steadfast! The connection is mentioned in previous paragraphs, but the details are looming in paragraphs yet to come. One more parallel must be discussed before we move on to a more detailed look at the events preceding Chanukkah, for now we must understand the spiritual causes and effects.
What have we learned? What do the scriptures tell us about the Word, The Torah and the Light? In a nutshell we have learned that the Word is a lamp and a light [this is typified in the Menorah]. Also, YHWH’s command is a lamp and His Torah/Law is a light. Those that forsake the Torah praise the wicked. Take note, to forsake the Torah means prior knowledge and understanding of the Torah is present, but a choice was made to turn away. Those that do this are in effect exalting wickedness. Therefore the prayers of those who turn away from the Torah are repulsive to YHWH. What else have we attained? We now know the Word, the Light and the Torah all carry the same connotation. What makes this even better is that Yeshua/Jesus is their corporeal embodiment. It is absolutely amazing how the Ruach HaKodesh/Holy Spirit over a space of thousands of years, (from Moses to David to John) impelled men to pen scripture that inferred the Mashiach/Messiah to come would be the personification of the words they were writing down. John was able to write in hindsight, after spending much time with Mashiach Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah. We cannot loose track of the fact that Yeshua is the Light that exposes the darkness of the enemy. Yeshua is the Light, as such, He guides all those who are seeking the Truth to His Word, which is absolute Truth. Yeshua, through His Word, lovingly admonishes His people to obey His Torah/Law/Instructions. Remember, Yeshua is the same yesterday, today, forever; all may change, but Yeshua never does. He is The Word! He is The Light! He is The Truth! He is The Torah!
The Darkness
We have hit a grand slam regarding Yeshua as the Word, the Light and the Torah, NOW we have to discuss the darkness. I am going to discuss the darkness by comparing it to its opposite…the Light. Keep in mind; the Word and the Torah come from and are Yeshua, therefore the Light encompasses all of the above. Question: Is it possible to measure darkness? Is darkness more powerful than Light? Does darkness depend on Light for its very existence? Physically speaking, darkness cannot be measured; the absence of Light is all that can be measured. It has been said that when there is absolutely no light in an area the darkness can be felt and it has a suffocating effect. It is this type of darkness the Egyptians experienced as one of the plagues recorded in the book of Shemot/Exodus. Let’s simplify this a little bit. Light is to darkness as air is to man; conversely darkness is to Light as man is to air. What am I saying? When Light increases darkness disappears, and when Light decreases darkness reappears. Darkness is totally dependant on light for its very existence. In like manner air sustains man; man does not sustain air. When air is present man lives. However when air begins to decrease, man begins to die. Man’s very existence is dependant upon air. The very opposite is true in that Light is not dependant upon darkness and air is not dependant upon man. Therefore Light and air are mutually exclusive from their counterparts.
What are the spiritual ramifications between Light and Darkness? Again, Yeshua is the Light of this world. He is contained within His people, Israel. (Col. 1:27 & Ps. 22:3). His people are His House where He dwells (I Cor. 3:16 and Ex. 25:8). We are the flashlight and He is the batteries, therefore we contain the Light Source, which is Yeshua. This is where things can get a little tricky. It is left up to us to turn the flashlight on or to leave the flashlight off. Enter hasatan,
“…A liar and the father of it.” John 8:44
He would like you to believe that the darkness can overcome the Light, and that the Light is completely contingent upon the darkness. He wants to bring you down into his pit. Think about the Light of Life YHWH has placed in you. From the beginning hasatan has lied to every generation, starting with Adam all the way to the present. He desires you to be as tormented as he is and will be. He knows his fate and wants as many as possible to experience his darkness in this life and in the next. Remember hasatan is not only a liar but also a thief (John 10:10). What do thieves do? They counterfeit the truth so they can take what you have. Let’s give a for instance! When YHWH gives you joy, which is your strength (Neh. 8:10), hasatan desires to take it by presenting you with something that seems more attractive. If you accept, then he has effectively stolen the gift YHWH has so lovingly given to you and replaced it with something not real. Hasatan resides over a kingdom of fantasy or make believe. This is why the entertainment industry is so successful. One of his main weapons of warfare is distraction. His formula is as follows:
Time + Propaganda = Conformity
Propaganda is nothing more than counterfeit information designed to mislead, and distributed with the purpose to deceive. I believe the point has been made, but what about scriptural proof? If you remember at the beginning of this article I spoke of something hidden in the background, that something is really someone, hasatan. He hides himself in plain sight. Remember, the people of YHWH are perishing for lack of knowledge. This is knowledge of YHWH, which can only be attained by those who fear YHWH. Those who fear YHWH hate evil. However YHWH’s people over time are baited with propaganda, thereby becoming confused and disoriented. They become lost and ensnared, because hasatan is likened to a hunter that conceals a pit and waits for the unsuspecting prey (Isaiah 14:15, Psalm 40:2, I Peter 5:8). YHWH’s heart’s desire is for His people to ascend and keep ascending all the way to His Holy Mountain where He will teach them His Torah (Is. 2:2-3). YHWH’s people are exhorted to be doers of His Word not just hearers (James 1:22). When YHWH’s people reject the doing of His Word they have then fallen into hasatan’s pit. While in the pit there is no Light, only darkness in every direction. This darkness is so thick that it begins to suffocate the victim.
We must remember hasatan is the antithesis of Yeshua. Yeshua is the Torah/the Law, and hasatan is the evil/lawless one. Yeshua is the Light and hasatan is the darkness. Here’s a very bold anti-conventional church doctrine statement: hasatan is to blame for all the iniquity/Torahlessness in the world. He brought it into the world, therefore the blame solely rests on him. This is why his punishment has been determined since the foundations of the world. His eternal destiny has been determined for him; he cannot escape. However, and this is a big however, humanity is held responsible for all covenant relationships. When people submit to hasatan they most certainly enter a covenant relationship with someone who is eternally cursed, thereby inheriting all the curses their behavior warrants. The consequences of all possible “bad” behaviors are illuminated throughout YHWH’s Word, specifically the foundation of the scriptures known as the Torah proper or the first five books of the Bible. Humanity has always had a choice to make and that choice is life or death, blessing or curse, Messiah/Yeshua or anti-messiah/hasatan (Deut. 28-30). Remember the definition of sin:
“Sin is the transgression of the Torah/the Law.” (I John 3:4)
Also, YHWH’s Torah/Law proper is contained in the first five books of the Bible. Since the coming of Yeshua, the whole of scripture, Genesis to Revelation, may now be considered Torah in general. However, the root of all scripture is found within those first five books…the Torah proper. NOW, let’s read the scriptures below concerning the darkness, the pit and hasatan.
Darkness and Torahlessness:
“There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity/Torahlessness may hide themselves.” Job 34:22
“And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from Me, you workers of darkenss/iniquity/Torahlessness.” Matthew 7:23
“What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind them with ropes made of lies, who drag wickedness behind them like a cart. They even mock God and say, “Hurry up and do something! We want to see what You can do. Let the Holy One of Israel carry out His plan, for we want to know what it is.” What sorrow for those who say evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.” Isaiah 5:18-21
“He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because He has not believed in the Name of the only brought forth Son of YHWH. And this is the condemnation, that Light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were/are evil. For everyone that does evil hates the Light, neither comes to the Light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he that does truth comes to the Light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are done through Elohim/God.” John 3:18-21- emphasis mine
“The night is far spent, the Day is at hand: let us therefore throw off the deeds of darkness, and let us put on the tallit/armor/covering of Light.” Romans 13:12- emphasis mine
“Learn to discern what is acceptable to YHWH. And have no friendship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather condemn them.” Ephesians 5: 10-111- emphasis mine
May I remind everyone that these are but a few of the many scriptures found throughout the entire Torah/Bible in general that speak of the topic at hand. For those who are really being stirred by the Ruach HaKodesh/Holy Spirit please stop and read OUT LOUD Ephesians chapter 5. Be very deliberate and take your time. When you have read this chapter, STOP, and ask Abba YHWH to write His truth on your heart, instead of formulating your own opinion. Remember, over the millennia many people have lived and died passing down religions that are full of good intentions based upon their own loose interpretations. This inheritance is a combustible mixture of truth and lie, masterminded by the father of lies, and has caused more division and death than any other one thing in history. Hasatan receives much joy by sowing mixed seed. What do I mean? His doctrine or gospel is to mix good and evil, (hence the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil) which is why he is so successful. His success is hinged on this premise: Surround evil with good, saturate evil with good, and then scatter this mixture across time. By doing this people never think it possible and rarely make the connection that their own behaviors are “unfruitful deeds of darkness”.
Upon reading the scriptures, do you have trouble understanding what you have read? There are a few reasons for this; however the reason I will shed light upon is first on the list. That is pride which is rooted in deceit (Matthew 6:21-23). Hasatan uses the deceitfulness of sin and the deceitfulness of your own heart (Jeremiah 17:9-10) to con you into believing that your lifestyle and behaviors are different than that of the wicked people mentioned throughout the scriptures. That somehow your religious practices are far more superior and holier than those who preceded you (Proverbs 21:2). That deceitful dragon of old has spread his lies so thoroughly that many professing “Bible Believers” are fully persuaded that they are living a set apart lifestyle unto YHWH, when they are really living ancient pagan religious practices that have been adopted into a “christian” setting (Revelation 12). When you claim to be a follower of Yeshua/Jesus yet in the same breath reject His Instructions, you are in effect willingly identifying yourself as a Goy/Gentile/someone lost in the nations. This is an oxymoron, a contradictory thought pattern set in motion many generations ago by you know who…hasatan. I hope you have made the connection:
Darkness = evil/iniquity/sin = Torahlessness = the counterfeit nature of hasatan
Important Fact: The Torah/Bible was specifically written to Israel, but is also for whosever will. Meaning, YHWH is in covenant relationship with a “set apart” group of people that are called to shine the light of Yeshua/Jesus to the nations of the world (Isaiah 42:6), therefore this group of people (Israel) is held to a standard of living founded in the Word of YHWH. Whosoever will may come and be apart of Israel, however those who choose this path are bound by every covenant word spoken in the Torah/Bible. Those who reject or are unaware of this path are known as the Gentiles/Goyim/the nations. If you profess to be a believer in Yeshua/Jesus, then it is impossible to remain a Gentile/Goy (Ephesians chapter 2). NOW, let’s look at some scriptures that speak of hasatan’s character and the place he calls home…the PIT.
Hasatan and the Pit
“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” I Samuel 15:23
“You shall not suffer a witch to live.” Exodus 22:18
“This our son is stubborn and rebellious…And all the men of the city shall stone him with stones, that he dies.” Deuteronomy 21: 18-21
“…And the earth opens her mouth, and swallows them up, with all that pertains to them, and they shall go down into the grave/pit; then you will understand that these men have provoked YHWH…And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up.” Numbers 16:30-33.
“And YHWH overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the armies of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not even one of them alive.” Exodus 14:26-28- emphasis mine
“Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O Yah, and whom You teach out of Your Torah; that You may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be dug for the wicked.” Psalms 94:12-13- emphasis mine
“He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaks a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.” Ecclesiastes 10:8- emphasis mine
“For the grave cannot praise You, death cannot celebrate You: they that go down in the pit cannot hope for Your truth.” Isaiah 38:18- emphasis mine
“Whoever causes a righteous one to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit.” Proverbs 28:10- emphasis mine
“And I saw a heavenly messenger come down from the heavens, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, who is satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years are fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed for a short season…And satan that deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire and brimstone…And shall be tormented day and night forever… And whoever was not found written in the Scroll of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.” Revelation 20:1-3, 10-15- emphasis mine
What can we glean from these scriptures? One thing is for certain, those who are reveling in rebellion and stubbornness are nowhere near YHWH’s Kingdom! In fact, it is these specific sins that carry a death penalty for those who have allowed them to fully develop within their heart. This is why hasatan is cursed to eternal torment in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10). Reference Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 31 to further understand the rebellious nature of hasatan, which is personified in particular kings and kingdoms on the earth. Remember those who reject YHWH’s Word and call His Word burdensome are trapped in a pit of their own devises coordinated by the one and only hasatan (Jeremiah 23:33-40). Remember this Simple verse:
“SUBMIT therefore to YHWH, resist hasatan, and he will flee from you.” Ya’akov/James 4:7- emphasis mine
]The key word is SUBMIT. What exactly does YHWH mean by SUBMIT? I’m glad you asked, because this is the part where Chanukkah begins to make sense.
Chanukkah Summary:
Here’s a surprise! After all this research and typing I’m not going to tell the historical Chanukkah story per se, because I already have in it’s spiritual essence. For those that want to learn all about the specific physical details surrounding Chanukkah, there is a link provided at the end of this summary. I feel brother Judah should communicate the story of Chanukkah in it’s historical setting, because they tell it a lot better than I do and they’ve earned it.
Is anyone misunderstanding the ending? Allow me to make things perfectly clear. Chanukkah is more than a festival of lights or dedication. It’s much, much more! Chanukkah is a celebration of THE LIGHT defeating the darkness! It’s a celebration of Life overcoming death! It’s a celebration of the Torah overthrowing religion. It’s celebrating The Word, Yeshua vanquishing the devices of hasatan against all odds. It’s about the Southern House of Judah keeping their identity and living their destiny. The House of Judah’s identity is wrapped up in one word, TORAH. They are unique from every other nation and this is why they are hated and despised. If they had not guarded the Torah with such passion and zeal, what would have happened? Had they not stood their ground against the evil plot of the Greek armies, where would the world be? I dare say had Judah been assimilated or annihilated like hasatan had planned, there would be no Mary and Joseph. There would be no Bethlehem, only a shrine to zeus or another false Greek mighty one. CHRISTIANITY AS WE KNOW IT WOULD NOT EXIST, or it would at least be drastically different. Yeshua/Jesus would not have been able to come as He did for there would be no one [the tribe of Judah] to come through. YHWH would have had to find another way. The number one thing on hasatan’s to do list has always been…destroy Judah.
Why? Because Judah guards the Torah. Judah keeps the Word/Torah safe by living it. For sure they have taken many liberties, but not as many as the Christian religions of the world. Hasatan was and is keenly aware of several things: First, he knows about the prophecies concerning the Northern House of Israel and how YHWH is going to re-gather them from the four corners of the earth (Jeremiah 23). He now knows that YHWH sent His Word/Yeshua for the direct purpose of dying so that the kingdom (specifically the Northern House of Israel) would have life (Jeremiah 31 & Matthew 15:24). When Yeshua resurrected, He not only resurrected Himself, but a whole nation. If it were not for Judah and the protection of the Torah nothing would be the way it is today. Hasatan tried his best to eradicate Judah (the Torah Protectors), because he knows a house divided cannot stand (Mark 3:25). Hasatan knows his sentence; he knows his day is coming. He is strenuously trying to keep the Northern House mixed in the nations and to terminate Judah, which means the end of the Torah. If he could accomplish this he would then be able to prolong his inevitable Lake of Fire future. YHWH would have to figure something else out. Praise be to YHWH that He is Sovereign and hasatan is nothing more than a rebellious created being with many limitations. His days are numbered, and Chanukkah is a yearly reminder of a true turning point in history when hasatan had all the odds stacked in his favor but to no avail. What could have been never happened, and no one seems to care except a remnant group of returning Israelites from the Northern House and their brother Judah.
The Northern House of Israel [the non-Jewish house] must never forget the sacrifice made by our brother Judah for the Torah. It’s because of Judah’s sacrifice that the Whole House of Israel was able to receive the eternal sacrifice of Yeshua HaMashiach/Jesus the Messiah. The facts are in: Chanukkah is more than a Jewish replacement holiday for Christmas, yet Chanukkah will eventually replace Christmas. Why? Because Chanukkah is forever connected with the salvation of Torah and Judah. Judah is contained within the Torah, therefore both are eternal. Christmas is not contained within the Torah, but has its roots in the paganistic practices of false religions. It was Constantine, the 4th century leader of Rome and founder of the Catholic/Universal church system, that used syncretism [the defining of something old and giving it a new name…in this case paganistic practice with so-called Christian words] The result? It made Christmas…literally Christ-mass in essence temporal, which means it has an end. Every tradition of man is fleeting, only the Word of YHWH is eternal (Isaiah 40:8).
The Kingdom is near! Yeshua’s sacrifice some 2,000 years ago solidified His position as King of Israel. NOW, faith is… We wait and prepare ourselves, because a remnant people from both Houses of Israel are about to be reunited as both Torah and prophecy have promised. When that happens the dragon of old (hasatan) will try to keep the King from coming, but he will again have his plans spoiled (Revelation 12). All we can do is shomer/guard the Torah of YHWH, and have the testimony of Yeshua the Messiah; for this is the same thing Judah had to do during the days of the very first Chanukkah. (Revelation 12:17 & 14:12) It is why we today must still support our Jewish brothers and join with them to uphold the ways of YHWH in an ever darkening world. In the end, just like in the original Chanukkah, the Light will overcome the darkness. King Messiah will return and take up His throne in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem!
“Trust in YHWH will all your heart; and lean not on your own understandings. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes: fear YHWH, and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7.
Josh Thompson
12/2011
http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102978/jewish/The-Story-of-Chanukah.htm