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Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:31:39 GMT

Season of Repentance

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:21:27 GMT

This, the month of Tishre in the Hebrew calendar, ushers in a season of repentance. Beginning with the first of Tishre, referred to as the Feast of Trumpets and Rosh Hashanah, the signal to awake and repent--the sounding of the shofar--is heard around the world. The sound is a warning that now is the time to turn back to God and to serve the King with complete obedience. Despite the gravity and somberness of this time, we are comforted by the knowledge of God's attributes of mercy, compassion and loving kindness. Just as His judgement is sure, so is His forgiveness of the repentant sinner! This year, my understanding of repentance has changed and been expanded. In the past, I equated repentance with saying sorry and asking for forgiveness, resting in the assumption that Jesus forgives all and will take care of my sins for me. Today I realize that Jesus' main message, His gospel, has largely been ignored or misapplied. He taught us to "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand." He commanded us to repent, but what does that mean? I see repentance now not merely as saying sorry, but as a commitment to applying the "victory in Jesus power" to my life and fighting to overcome the habits of sin in my life. Repentance is more than a head and heart acknowledgement of sin, it is a hand and mouth effort to control our sinful flesh. We see this precept in action when Jesus interacts with the adulterous woman. She first acknowledges her sin, then He offers forgiveness with the command to "Go and sin no more." It is expected that if she is truly repentant, she will not commit this same sin again. I have always rested in the belief that Jesus paid it all, did it all, loves it all and forgives it all. Though there are aspects of truth to be found within these statements, the fact remains that Jesus cannot do it all for us. He cannot make repentance on our behalf. That is something only the individual can and must do if he desires right standing with God. This was His urgent plea to people where He went and when He taught. Paul echoes this message by declaring "throughout all the region of Judea and to the Gentiles, that the people should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance." (Acts 26:20) This is the time when "Sorry" just isn't enough, and by itself can't make things right. The repentance is our part, the forgiveness is God's.

The great sages of Judaism (which was the religion of Jesus and the first-century believers) have many wonderful teachings about the power of repentance and the importance of turning back to the ways of God. I pray the following quote helps strengthen your commitment to overcoming sin during this season of repentance!

"Great is repentance, for it reaches to the Throne of Glory. Great is repentance, for it makes the Redemption by the Messiah to come near. Great is repentance, for it lengthens the years of a man's life." (Yoma 86a)

Chanukah for Christians?

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 18:25:33 GMT

Hanukkah: Its History and Relevance

Dana Burkinshaw

Hanukkah? Isn't that a Jewish holiday? What relevance does it have for followers of the Savior today?

In order to understand the "what" and "why" of Hanukkah, one must first become acquainted with significant events that occurred in the period between the Tanakh (Old Testament) and the Apostles.

The conquests of Alexander the Great of Macedon brought him into possession of Eretz-Yisra'el (the Land of Israel) in 332 BCE.

On Alexander's death in 323 BCE, his empire began to break up. For a time his generals maintained the fiction of a regency while maneuvering for strategic advantages. Two of Alexander's generals, Seleucus and Ptolemy, established dynasties (the Seleucids in Syria and the Ptolemies in Egypt). These two powers struggled for control of Eretz-Yisra'el, which changed hands between Antigonus (who controlled Asia Minor) and Ptolemy (who ruled Egypt) before the latter held it. Daniel 11 traces the external history of the Ptolemaic-Seleucid rivalry for Eretz-Yisra'el.

The century of Ptolemaic rule in Eretz-Yisra'el appears not to have been unpleasant for the Jews. Politically it was a time of peace, for the Egyptian-Syrian rivalry did not greatly affect the interior.

The Seleucid ruler Antiochus III the Great (223-187 BCE) brought the period of peace to an end in 219. After several attempts he finally wrested Eretz-Yisra'el from Egypt about the turn of the century.

In 174 BCE, Jason (Y'hoshua), brother of the high priest Onias III, secured appointment as high priest from Antiochus IV (175-163 BCE) with the payment of a large bribe. It seems Onias III was murdered in Antioch (II Macc. 4:33ff.) and that his son, Onias IV, who would have been the legitimate high priest, fled to Egypt.

The process of Hellenization in Jerusalem accelerated under Jason. He changed the constitution of Jerusalem from that of a temple-state to a Greek city-state with council, citizen list, gymnasium, and ephebeia (an educational institution for Greek citizen-aristocrats). To dramatize these changes, the city was renamed Antioch. The high priest was now a Jewish official. The old orthodox Jews were scandalized to see the young aristocrats in Jerusalem wearing the broad-brimmed Greek hat, to hear of the young priests hastening to finish their duties at the Temple so that they could go exercise naked in the Greek manner at the gymnasium, and, worst of all, to learn that some youths underwent an operation to hide their circumcision so as not to be ridiculed by Greeks (I Macc. 1:13-15; II Macc. 4:10-17).

The Seleucids needed money, and rich Jews wanted power in Jerusalem. Menelaus (Menachem) represented the extreme Hellenizers who could not be content even with the collaborator Jason. Menelaus, on no ancestral grounds, offered a higher sum of money for the high priesthood. Such "piety" could not go unrewarded and he was appointed. The Torah-loving Jews were exasperated. A clear division appeared between the Hellenizers, who supported Greek culture, and the Hasidim (the "pious"), leaders among the people who were loyal to the Torah and the Covenant. The course of events soon eroded any middle ground.

Antiochus IV, escorted by Menelaus, plundered the Temple at Jerusalem in 169 BCE to help finance his plans against Egypt. In 168 BCE, while returning from a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Egyptians, Antiochus interpreted a squabble between Menelaus and Jason as a revolt against his throne and took harsh vengeance. The walls of Jerusalem were broken down, a new citadel (the Acra) was erected to dominate the Temple area, and a garrison was stationed there converting the city into a military settlement. Menelaus and the Jewish Hellenizers collaborated with the military settlers in modifying the Temple service into the worship of the Semitic "Lord of Heaven" (Baal Shamayim), who was identified with the Greek god Zeus.

Antiochus IV in 168 or 167 BCE issued decrees prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion: the Scriptures were to be destroyed, the Sabbath and festivals were no longer to be observed, kosher diets were to be abolished, and circumcision was no longer to be practiced (I Macc. 1:41-64). Moreover, at the end of 167, a smaller altar was erected on the top of the great altar of burnt offering, and as the supreme insult to Judaism swine were sacrificed on it. There was justification for Antiochus' contemporaries making a pun on his title Epiphanes ("God Manifest") by referring to him as Epimanes ("the mad man").

When representatives of the Seleucid government came to the Judean village of Modin and sought to persuade the priest Mattathias (Mattityahu) as the leading citizen to set an example by sacrificing to the pagan gods, Mattathias not only refused but also killed a Jew who stepped forward to comply with the royal request; in addition, he killed the king's officer. Mattathias and his sons then fled to the hills of Judea and called upon all those zealous for the Torah of their fathers to rally to them. This family soon gained leadership of an organized resistance movement.

Before his death, Mattathias in 166 or 165 BCE gave the leadership to Judas (Y'hudah), one of his five sons. Judas bore the nickname "Maccabee" (the "hammer"), a name that was popularly given to his brothers and their descendants and the resistance movement as a whole. The family, however, is more accurately named Hasmonean from an ancestor Hashmon, and their period may be better termed the Hasmonean period.

From their strongholds in the wilderness, Judas and his followers carried on a guerilla campaign, raiding villages, overthrowing pagan altars, killing Jews who were Hellenist sympathizers, and circumcising children. The pious cast their lot with Judas, and the resistance movement assumed the character of a holy war.

Judas proved himself a master of guerilla tactics. With a knowledge of the countryside and fresh support with each new success, he defeated every Syrian detachment sent after him. The need for troops in the east against the Parthians and internal conflicts kept the Syrians from throwing their full force against the Jewish insurgents.

After three years of fighting, Judas finally led his people to victory, capturing the Temple mount in 165 BCE. However, the once magnificent Temple lay in ruin, despicably desecrated by Syrian soldiers. The idol altar was dumped in an "unclean place" (valley of Hinnom?), and the sacred furniture was restored. According to the sad note of I Maccabees 4:40, the altar of burnt offering that had been defiled was dismantled and the stones deposited "in a convenient place on the Temple hill until there should come a prophet to tell what to do with them." This was one indication of the realization during this period that prophecy had ceased.

A new altar built according to the directions in the Torah was set up. On the twenty-fifth of Kislev, 164 BCE, (Dec. 14 of that year) the third anniversary of the profanation of the altar, the daily burnt offering was resumed. In commemoration of the event, a new eight-day festival was added to the Jewish religious calendar, Hanukkah (or "Dedication"), commonly called the Feast of Lights. For the year 5765 on the Hebrew calendar, Hanukkah begins after sundown on December 7, 2004.

Hanukkah is a commemoration of two miracles: 1) the military victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucids, in which God delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, and 2) the miracle through which the oil in the Menorah burned for eight days rather than one.

Throughout the ages, Hanukkah has signified the miraculous triumph of the weak over the strong, the pure over the impure, the righteous over the wicked. Whenever the integrity of the Jewish people is under siege, no matter how dark the night, the Hanukkah lights proclaim with confidence that the dawn of deliverance is near.

A central part of the daily service in the Temple was the kindling of the brilliant lights of the Menorah, When the Temple was about to be rededicated after the victory of the Maccabees, only one small cruse of the pure, sacred olive oil was found. It was only one day's supply, and they knew it would take more than a week for the special process required to prepare more oil.

Undaunted, in joy and thanksgiving, the Maccabees lit the lamps of the Menorah with the small amount of oil and dedicated the Holy Temple anew. Miraculously, as if in confirmation of the power of their faith, the oil did not burn out, and the flames shone brightly for eight full days.

Why take note of events that transpired centuries ago? Would it really matter if the Maccabees had lost? If the world had become Jewless under Antiochus, the results would have been devastating for humanity.

A Jewless world from 165 BCE would mean that many reading this article might not be here today. Besides the many Jewish doctors who have routinely saved lives, Jewish people discovered many life-saving medicines. A Jewless world would also mean the loss of rich music, art, and literature.

Had the Maccabees lost, America might have lost the American Revolution. A Jewish man named Hayam Solomon heavily financed that war, leaving him penniless. And had the American colonists lost, life would be extremely different today.

Yet something far greater transcends even those legitimate consequences. If the Jewish people had been destroyed in 165 BCE, no special Jewish baby named Yeshua could have been born in Bethlehem some 160 years later.

And if Yeshua had not come, mankind would be hopelessly and eternally lost in its trespasses and sins. Gone would be the Messianic hope and all it entails.

Yochanan (John) 10:22-30 indicates that Hanukkah was an integral part of the life of the Master Yeshua. The passage begins by establishing the time frame: "At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter and Yeshua was walking in the Temple in the portico of Solomon."

Yeshua chose this particular occasion to issue a definitive proclamation of His Messiahship: "I and the Father are one."

Even the customs and traditions associated with Hanukkah illustrate the truths that Yeshua taught. He identified Himself as "the Light of the world" (Matt. 8:12). But He elsewhere informed His talmidim (disciples), "You are the light of the world" (Matt. 5:14). The eight candles of the Hanukkah celebration are lighted with a ninth shammash ("servant") candle. Yeshua explained that He came as a servant (Mark 10:45) and that He would empower His followers to be lights to others (Matt. 5:14-16; John 14:12).

The sequence in which the Hanukkah candles are lighted is also significant. One candle is lit the on the first night, two candles the second night, and so on until all eight candles are lighted. But on each successive night a more recently lighted candle is always lit before a previously lighted candle. For example, on the eighth night of Hanukkah the candles are lit in this order: eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. This practice creates a vivid picture of Yeshua's teaching that "the first shall be last" (Matt. 19:30; 20:16; Mark 9:35; 10:31; Luke 13:30).

Don't miss out on the many valuable lessons provided for you in the celebration of Hanukkah! This year Hanukkah starts Friday evening, December 15th and last until December 23rd.

Must You Tarry, Lord?

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 22:32:39 GMT

This week has brought to light many suffering hurting people in my circle of friends and family. Thinking about death, pain, and the effects of sin has a way of stirring our hearts to cry out to the Lord for His return. Questions such as, "How long Lord?" "Why do you not return and set things right?" "What more must we do to hasten your return?" reverberate through my mind as my soul longs to be reunited with my Creator, Savior and King. This story encouraged me today. May you also be encouraged and strengthened in your resolve to remain faithful to Him!

The Power of Hope

A king was betrothed, and soon after he set forth on a long journey. Days, months and years passed, without any word from him. His intended waited for him sorrowfully but without abandoning hope for his return. The girl's companions then said with pretended compassion and spiteful glee, "Poor girl! It seems your love has forgotten all about you and will never come back." Disconsolate and stung by their jibes, the girl wrapped herself in her grief and wept much when she was alone... She then picked up the last letter the King had sent her, in which he swore that he would ever remain true and faithful to her. Rereading it her heart once more became serene, her spirits lifted and she continued to wait patiently for his return. After many years the King came home. Amazed, he asked his intended, "How was it possible for you to remain faithful to me so long?"
"My King," she answered rejoicing, "I had your letter and I believed in you." And thus too it has been with Israel and the nations of the earth. These say mockingly to the Jews, "Your G-d has abandoned you." Israel, thereupon, yields himself to solitude. Sad and lamenting he reads in the g-dly pages of the Torah the sacred promise of redemption, consoles himself and derives new strength from it. When the day of redemption comes G-d will surely turn His face to the abandoned and will ask, "How could you have remained true to me for so long?" And Israel will answer, "Your commandment was your pledge to me."
-From the Talmud. Translated from an adaptation by Leo Tolstoy.

What Would Jesus Do?

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 15:17:06 GMT

Remember the popular fad of the WWJD bracelets? I think it was a great idea. The only problem was it made an outward statement without any inward change. If those who wore the bracelets really thought and studied about what Jesus did--how he lived, what He taught--then their lives would have looked drastically different. If Jesus was the Word made flesh and He was sinless in His obedience to God's commands, then He didn't live or teach contrary to the Word of God, for He IS the Word of God. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Jesus did not teach, live, or teach others to live contrary to Himself! Keeping that in mind, what would Jesus do in regards to Halloween? Would He bend the rules a little and conform to this world for the sake of some free candy and cute costumes? If we are called to be like Him, then it is our obligation to face this issue and seek to imitate Him in this area. Let's seek out the truth of What Would Jesus Do, not What we Want Jesus to Do. The following article explores this question.

Should Christians Observe Halloween?
By Robin Sampson

Halloween is not just a time for cornstalks, pumpkins, apples and cute costumes. There is much, much more. Before deciding to celebrate or not celebrate any holiday, it is important to understand the history of that holiday.

Halloween’s roots come from the ancient Celts, a tribe living on the British isles in northern France from 200 B.C. to about 200 A.D.

They were first described as a fierce, warlike, terrifying people, many of whom would have strings of human heads tied on their bridles.Halloween was their main holiday, called Samhain. A festival that honored Samhain, the Celtic lord of death. The celebration marked the beginning of the season of cold, darkness, and decay. The Celtics related this with human death; they believed the Samhain allowed souls of the dead to return to their earthly homes for that evening. On the evening of the festival, the Druids, the priest and teachers of the Celts, ordered the people to put out their hearth fires.

The Druids built a huge New Year's bonfire of oak branches, which they considered sacrificed. They burned animals, crops, and even human beings as sacrifices. Then each family re-lit their hearth fire from the New Year's fire. The lighted Jack-O-Lanterns used today are symbols of fires and torches. During the celebration people wore costumes made of animal heads and skins. They told fortunes by examining the remains of the sacrifices.

These pagan Celts believed that evil spirits lurked about as the sun god grew pale and the Samhain grew stronger. The Celts believed the evil spirits would come to your house and you treat them or they would trick you.

The Romans conquered the Celts in A.D. 43 and ruled what is now Great Britain for about 400 years. During this period, two Roman autumn festivals were combined with the Celtic festival of Samhain. Both pagan rituals, one of them, called Feraila, was held in late October to honor the dead. The other festival honored Pomona, the Roman Goddess of fruit and trees. Apples became associated with Halloween because of this festival.

Regional Halloween customs developed among various groups of Celts. In Ireland, for example, people begged for food in a parade that honored Muck Olla, their sun god. The leader of the parade wore a white robe and the head of an animal. In England, families sat by the fire and told stories while they ate treats such as apples and nuts.

In the United States, many early American settlers brought with them various customs such as the above. However, because of Christianity among so many of the settlers, Halloween celebrations were not celebrated until the 1800s when several immigrants from Ireland and Scotland introduced their Halloween customs.

All Saints Day, a day the seventh century church set aside for memory of early Christians who died for their beliefs, was first celebrated in the month of May. By the year 900 the date was combined with the pagan rituals to be celebrated November 1. Another name for All Saints Day was All Hallows. October 31 was known as All Hallows Eve which was shortened to Halloween. The church made a grave mistake trying to combine pagan worship with Christianity. This is not scriptural! Because of that unwise decision, Halloween remains a holiday in America today.

Scriptures warn us that the sins of the fathers are visited upon the third and fourth generations. “You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me.”
Exodus 20:5

Those who disregard God’s warning and make contact with occult spirits risk terrible repercussions in the form of misery, sickness, insanity and even early death.

Why do people living in this age, especially Christians, desire to be a part of any pagan worship? This pagan belief, even celebrated by Christian churches, celebrates the union of gods and a goddess in the universe that supposedly control the seasons, bring fertility to crops and animals, and bestow magical powers on their followers.

What Does God Say About Halloween?

Joshua 24:14

Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
Click to read the rest of the Joshua 24

Halloween is not just a time for cornstalks, pumpkins, apples and cute costumes. Witches have eight special holidays during the year. Halloween is their day above all days. Witchcraft is not child’s play. It is an abomination to the Lord. Johanna Michaleson, former occultist and author of The Beautiful Side of Evil said, “For a true Christian to participate in the ancient trappings of Halloween is as incongruous as for a committed Satanist coming from blood sacrifices on Christmas Eve to set up a nativity scene in his living room singing Silent Night, Holy Night with sincere devotion to baby Jesus!”

Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be imitators of God. Our Lord Jesus would not go to a party to honor the feast of the Samhain. Moses did not come down from Mount Sinai and combine the Israelites Passover holiday with the idol worship that was going on.

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people. Therefore Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you."

The verse says, “come out from among them, says the Lord.” Does that mean come out from among them--but don’t deprive your children from all that fun and candy -- celebrate the same pagan ritual in your church building? The Bible is very clear about Christians being involved in such celebrations. Ephesians 5:8-11 says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”

One thing Halloween should not be for the Christian is a time of fear. It should be a time to rejoice in the fact that “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8. This is a time of spiritual warfare. October 31 should be spent in prayer for the community and children; a time of worship by singing praise to the Lord. This can be a good time to teach our children to sacrifice by not sharing in the rituals because you love the Lord. Whatever your family decides to do on this day, ask yourself, “Does it glorify the Lord? Would the Savior take part?"

“…they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons."

Dreams Do Come True!

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 20:25:57 GMT

I am going to Israel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next month the man of my dreams is taking me to the land of my dreams! We will be spending 12 days in the Holy Land seeing the sites, experiencing the culture, and showing our solidarity with the people of Israel. We will be spending 3-4 days in Jerusalem and hope to meet up with Michael, so if you'd like to send him something we'd be happy to hand deliver it. We are so thankful to our family and friends for agreeing to watch the children. Knowing that they will be loved and protected while we are away gives us great peace and comfort. What a blessing from the Lord! More details to come.

I am going to Israel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...And the Word became flesh!

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 19:28:26 GMT

It has been a really long time since my last post! Life has been good. God has been faithful. This time of year is wonderful. I can appreciate why it is referred to as the "Season of Joy." We truly have much to be joyful about. The Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) is coming to an end and I don't want the chance to share with you this timely information regarding the Word becoming flesh. I am providing an article written by a fellow believer who expresses his thoughts on the subject much better than I could. Explore. Examine. Enjoy!

Sukkot and the Birth of the Messiah

by Aaron Eby

The earliest Christians did not observe "Christmas" on December 25. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the earliest documentation of a December 25 reckoning of the Messiah's birth dates back to the fourth century.1And at that time, it was one of a multitude of theoretical dates. In fact, the Catholic Encyclopedia indicates that the traditional date is probably based on Mithraism:

The well-known solar feast, however, of Natalis Invicti, celebrated on 25 December, has a strong claim on the responsibility for our December date [of Christmas].2
The 25 December was observed as [Mithra's] birthday, the Natalis Invicti, the rebirth of the winter-sun, unconquered by the rigours of the season.3

This is not to say that people who celebrate the Messiah's birth on December 25 are worshiping the pagan sun god Mithra. Many people are able to avoid the commercialism, materialism, stress, and cultural baggage of the day and focus on Jesus' birth. The arrival of the Messiah is definitely something worth celebrating. Yet, wouldn't it be better if we could celebrate on a date derived from the Scriptures themselves?

It is probably not possible to be absolutely certain about the historical date of the Messiah's birth. Yet, there are some clues we can put together from the Scriptures that may lead us to a reasonable guess.

The Priestly Service of Zechariah

John the Baptist's father, Zechariah, was a priest in the division of Aviyah.

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Aviyah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. (Luke 1:5)

The order of the divisions can be found in 1 Chronicles 24:7-18. Aviyah was the eighth priestly division.

Now the first lot came out for Yehoyariv, the second for Yedaiah,
the third for Harim, the fourth for Seorim,
the fifth for Malkiyah, the sixth for Miyamin,
the seventh for Hakotz, the eighth for Aviyah,
the ninth for Yeshua, the tenth for Shechoniah,
the eleventh for Eliashiv, the twelfth for Yakim,
the thirteenth for Huppah, the fourteenth for Yeshevav,
the fifteenth for Bilgah, the sixteenth for Immer,
the seventeenth for Hezir, the eighteenth for Happitzetz,
the nineteenth for Petachiah, the twentieth for Yechezkel,
the twenty-first for Yachin, the twenty-second for Gamul,
the twenty-third for Delaiah, the twenty-fourth for Maaziah.

According to traditional sources, the priests each served for a duration of one week at a time.4 We might assume that the rotation began with the first Sabbath of the month of Nisan (in the spring), and all priests were present for three holidays (Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles), which would delay the rotation schedule.5

If this is true, Zechariah's service would have been the 8th week of regular scheduled service. However, the holidays of Passover and Pentecost would have interrupted the schedule, meaning that Zechariah's service would have fallen on the 10th week of the year. (This lands in the middle of the month of Sivan, in early summer.) At the beginning of the 11th week, he would begin to return home.

When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home. After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant...(Luke 1:23-24)

How long after Zechariah's service did his wife conceive? It is not possible to know for certain. It appears to have been shortly afterward. For the sake of argument, to allow for travel time and the biological clock, let us assume that two weeks passed. This places John's conception at the 13th week. (This is about the beginning of Tammuz, mid summer.)

Human gestation takes roughly 40 weeks, or ten lunar months. John's birth would fall in the middle of the month of Nisan, precisely the time of the Passover holiday.

This timing would be significant: Jewish tradition holds that the before the Messiah is revealed, he would be preceded by Elijah the Prophet. The Gospel accounts reflect this belief, and identify John the Baptist as the one who would come "in the spirit and power of Elijah"6 and prepare the way for the Messiah7. Jewish tradition (at least in modern times) also holds that Elijah will arrive on Passover, and so it is customary during the Passover meal to set a place for him in expectation, and open the door to see if he has arrived.

The Gospel account indicates that Yeshua (Jesus) was conceived six months after John.8 Exactly six months after Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles occurs, known in Hebrew as Sukkot.

The Census

Yeshua was born while Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem because of a census.9 Some point to the likelihood of a census occurring at a certain time of year as a means of accepting or rejecting a particular birth-timing theory. The problem with this approach is that a census in those days took more than a day or even a season. Depending on the scale, it could have taken many months or even a year to complete!

Bethlehem is quite close to Jerusalem, but a long journey away from Nazareth in Galilee. It is unlikely that Joseph would have brought Mary on this arduous journey during the final stretch of her pregnancy just for the census. The most convenient time to stop in Bethlehem for the census would be during the pilgrimage festivals, when it is already required for a person to be present in Jerusalem. Because of Bethlehem's proximity to Jerusalem, it most likely would have been very crowded at the time.

Sukkot: God Dwelling With Us

While it is clearly a real possibility that Yeshua was born on Sukkot, the calculations we made are very sketchy. The margin of error is much too great for anyone to be dogmatic about it. In fact, since there are only 24 courses of priests, each division would have served more than once in a year.

On the other hand, even if Yeshua was not born on Sukkot, this Biblical holiday is still the perfect time to celebrate it!

The themes of Sukkot correspond significantly to the coming of the Messiah. On Sukkot, we are commanded to leave the luxury and protection of our homes and live in temporary shelters.10 Not only do the shelters lack modern convenience, they don't even protect against rain, since the roof must be made of a loose layer of vegetation sparse enough that the stars must be visible from inside.11 In the same way, the Messiah emptied himself of his former state,12 and took on the temporary shelter of a human body.

On Sukkot, we celebrate the presence of God dwelling with us. It reminds us of the wandering in the wilderness, when the pillar of cloud and the fire by night led and protected the camp of Israel, and the glory of God dwelt manifestly in the Tabernacle. When Yeshua lived on earth, people experienced the presence of God through him. He is like the Tabernacle, in that "in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells."13 As the apostle John explained,

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

The word "dwelt" is best understood as "to set up a tabernacle." The Greek word is εσκηωσεν eskenosen, the lexical form being σκηνοω skeno'o. It is related to the word σκηνη skene, a word that is used in the Apostolic Writings for the Tabernacle (Hebrew: משכן mishkan) in the wilderness. It is also used to represent the Hebrew word סכה sukkah, the name for the shelters built on this holiday. In fact, the holiday of the Feast of Tabernacles is called in the book of John σκηνοπηγιαskenopegia (literally "shelter-making"), from the same root.

It is no coincidence that when King Solomon dedicated the Temple that he had built to the LORD, and the thick glory cloud filled the Sanctuary, it was during the festival of Sukkot.14

Joy

Joy is a highly prominent theme of Sukkot. It is the most joyful holiday in the biblical calendar. Jewish tradition gives Sukkot the title "the season of our joy." What could be more joyous than the coming of the Messiah? Indeed, we see the Gospel account of Yeshua's birth being an occasion of joy. Zechariah 14 indicates that Sukkot will be the predominant festival in the millennial era, when the Messiah is on earth again.15

The Fullness of Time

Paul mentioned the birth of the Messiah when he said:

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law. (Galatians 4:4)

"The fullness of the time" is a Hebrew idiom (מלואת הימים melot hayamim, literally "the fullness of the days") that simply means "the appropriate time" or "the completion of the duration." It is used in the Tanach as well as other places in the Apostolic Writings.16

The First Century was the fullness of time, and people knew it. The air was charged with messianic fervor, with many people claiming to be the anointed one of God.

There is no doubt that the Messiah's arrival occurred at a point of culmination in history. Matthew seems to be driving at that when he begins his account with the analysis of Yeshua's genealogy:

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:17)

Matthew's reference to the number fourteen is not insignificant. It was well understood in those days that Israel's generations resembled the waxing and waning of the moon.17 Abraham represents the first sliver of light in a dark world. With each generation, the light of the knowledge of God increased, fully culminating in the generations of David and Solomon. Then, Solomon's heart turned astray, and the light gradually faded until the time of the Babylonian exile. But Matthew follows the pattern further, and communicates to us that with the beginning of the return from captivity it was as if the moon was renewed, and the light gradually increased until the time of the Messiah's coming.

Similarly, Sukkot is a time of fullness in the biblical calendar. It falls on the full moon of the seventh month.18 Seven is a number that represents fullness and completion in biblical numerology.

The festival of Sukkot lasts seven days. On it, a total of seventy bulls are offered as sacrifices, beginning with thirteen on the first day, and counting down each day, until seven bulls are offered on the last day.19 It is the culmination of the biblical festivals, and it is the final harvest celebration.

The Sabbath is the culmination of the week. Sukkot is like the Sabbath of the holidays. This can be seen in the Temple service: on the Sabbath, the sacrifices that are offered every day are doubled.20 On Sukkot, sacrifices that are offered on every festival are doubled.21

The Messiah was born at a point of culmination in history. It seems fitting that we should celebrate his birth at a point of culmination in the biblical calendar.

The Second Adam

The imagery of Sukkot is reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve dwelled in the very presence of God. Fruit was their food, and the branches of trees formed the roof over their heads. They basked in the shelter and protection of God.

How appropriate then, that we celebrate the coming of the Second Adam on a day that represents a return to the Garden of Eden!

Circumcision

And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21)
Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, "On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD. On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work." (Leviticus 23:34-36)

A Jewish male child is circumcised on the eighth day following his birth. As it happens, the eighth day following the holiday of Sukkot is another related holiday. The Torah indicates that Sukkot is a seven-day holiday, but it says that the eighth day is a special Sabbath and an assembly. No name is given for this mysterious holiday other than the Eighth Day Assembly (Hebrew: שמיני עצרת Shemini Atzeret). This holiday marks the beginning of the rainy season.

Conception

We can deduce the approximate time of conception of Yeshua by subtracting 40 weeks from the time of birth. As it turns out, the festival of Chanukah occurs exactly at this time. It is a holiday that lasts eight days.

Chanukah means "Dedication." It is the Feast of Dedication mentioned in John 10:22. This winter holiday commemorates the time when a Jewish rebel army, led by Judah the Maccabee, successfully revolted against the Syrian-Greeks. Their king, Antiochus Epiphanes, had erected an altar to Zeus in the Holy Temple, and forbid practice or study of the Torah. After defeating the Syrian-Greek army, they rededicated the Temple to God.

On this holiday, the story is told that at the time they dedicated the Temple, they had only one day's supply of consecrated oil for use in the seven-branched lamp, called the menorah. Miraculously, the single day's supply lasted for eight days.

In ancient Jewish literature, Torah teachers, Jerusalem, the Temple, and the light of the menorah are all known as the "light of the world,"22 because they represent the mysterious light at the beginning of creation. Yeshua also referred to himself as the Light of the World,23 and John employs this imagery in the prologue to his gospel.

Born on Holidays

The chances that he was born precisely on the holiday of Sukkot seem rather slim from our initial calculation. But it is an interesting fact that Jewish tradition teaches that many of the righteous were born on holidays. David, for example, is believed to have been born on Shavu'ot (Pentecost).24 Some say that Abraham and Jacob were born on Rosh Hashanah (The Feast of Trumpets or New Year), and Isaac on Passover.25 In addition, it is believed that if a person died on the same day that he was born, then he lived out the full term of his life. Yeshua's mortal life was cut short on Passover, six months prior to Sukkot.

Shadows of Messiah

Should it surprise us that the Messiah could have been born on a significant day of the biblical calendar? It is certainly one of the most significant events in all of human history. The death and resurrection, as well as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit are also significant events, and they occurred during holidays. This is consistent with what we learn from the Apostle Paul, that the festivals are "a shadow of the coming things."26

Celebrate Sukkot!

As it was said before, the Messiah's birth is worth setting aside time to celebrate. Sadly, December 25 is overrun by commercialism and stress. All the while, this appointment on God's calendar has been there, with deep biblical symbolism and insights into the Messiah. And ironically, many churches even hold fall harvest celebrations just to pass the time, even though they are completely fabricated and devoid of spiritual depth.

Things are changing. There are actually many churches and congregations that have begun to celebrate Sukkot, just as there are some that hold Passover seder meals. It's a great time to experience the presence of God in a deeper and more intimate way and to follow in the footsteps of Yeshua.

Footnotes:

1. "Christmas." The Catholic Encyclopedia. 1913.

2. "Christmas." The Catholic Encyclopedia. 1913.

3. "Mithraism." The Catholic Encyclopedia. 1913.

4. b. Ta'anit 26a. The week long period of service seems also to be referenced in 1 Chronicles 9:25 and 2 Chronicles 23:8.

5. We really must acknowledge that these are assumptions. Though it is widely claimed that the priestly rotation started each year with the month of Nisan, and that all priests were on duty for the pilgrimage festivals (thus delaying the rotation), there is no primary source supporting these claims. The Mishnah is often credited, but no specific reference or quote is ever cited. A clear alternate possiblity is that the priestly rotation was not based on the time of year, but the divisions simply returned every 24 weeks, regardless of leap years and holidays.

6. Luke 1:17.

7. Based on Malachi 4:5.

8. Luke 1:26,36.

9. Luke 2:1-6.

10. Leviticus 23:42-43.

11. b. Sukkah 22b.

12. Philippians 2:7.

13. Colossians 2:9.

14. 1 Kings 8:2.

15. Zechariah 14:16.

16. Leviticus 8:33, 12:4,6; Numbers 6:5,13; Esther 1:5.

17. Shemot Rabbah 15.

18. Leviticus 23:34,39; Numbers 29:12.

19. Numbers 29:12-32.

20. Numbers 28:3,9-10.

21. Numbers 28:19,27, 29:2,8,12.

22. Bereshit Rabbah 59, Bava Batra 4a. See also the piyyut offered during the Yotzer Or blessing on Sukkot.

23. John 8:12.

24. Tosafot on Chagiga 17a, Sha'arei Teshuvah to Orach Hayyim, 494.

25. Rosh Hashanah 10b, 11a.

26. Colossians 2:17.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Sat, 12 Aug 2006 17:22:58 GMT

The Face of a Hero

By Chana Weisberg

Roi Klein

Roi Klein.

It is a name that until a few days ago held no meaning to me. He was a complete stranger, about whom I had never heard and whom I had never met.

Yet an image of the last seconds of his life won't leave my mind.

Roi was a son. He was a brother. He was a husband to Sara and a father to three-year-old Gilad and one-year-old Yoav.

But most of all, Roi was a hero for all of us. He was a face and a name to the many Jewish heroes spanning the generations.

Roi's funeral was last Thursday (July 27), the day that would have been his 31st birthday.

Major Roi Klein was a Golani brigade deputy commander. He was killed last Wednesday, in an ambush among the houses of Bint Jbail, a large village in southern Lebanon. Hezbullah terrorists killed eight soldiers, including Roi, and injured nearly two dozen.

There were two other soldiers next to Roi. A hand grenade was thrown at them and Roi shouted, "Grenade!" He then threw his body over it, sacrificing his life for the sake of his soldiers, who later attributed being alive to his act of selflessness.

In his last seconds of life, Roi mustered the strength to shout "Shema Yisroel" the prayer that Jews have prayed for centuries, declaring our belief in G-d and in a better world; the prayer that so many Jewish martyrs throughout the generations called out as they were being led to their deaths.

My mind can't stop conjuring what it must have been like in those last seconds of his life, when Roi made the split-second decision to jump on the grenade. I imagine Roi seeing his beloved family in his mind's eye--his wife, and their two young children who would now grow up knowing him only from stories that they'd be told or from pictures that they'd be shown.

I imagine Roi thinking about his grieving elderly parents; of his mother, Shoshana whose voice cracked at her son's grave as she cried out, "The pain is unbearable... We will look after the children and raise them according to what you left behind…"

And I imagine Roi seeing the West Bank hilltop settlement of Eli that he and his wife idealistically made their home, despite those who wished to dismantle it.

It was for these loved one that Roi served in the special units of the Paratroop and Golani brigades. It was for them, and for the ideals represented by the Shema Yisroel prayer, that Roi diligently and courageously pursued his army service, advancing to the point where he would have been promoted to battalion commander.

What a colossal contrast between Roi and his enemy.

Roi was there to ensure a peaceful existence of his people in their homeland. He was there to safeguard the innocent lives of his children and his nation. To ensure that people could live in their homes in peace and tranquility. To guarantee that they could continue their ordinary day to day activities. Activities like shopping in a mall without being blown to bits, like eating a family meal together in a pizza shop without worrying about flying shrapnel, like praying in a synagogue without having to run for cover in a bomb shelter, or like sending their children on a school bus without thoughts of bullets penetrating within.

Roi was there to defend his people against those that vowed their destruction. Even in his death, he sacrificed his own life to ensure that two of his comrades could live.

I picture his enemy, too, in my mind. He is there to cause as much death, devastation and destruction as he possibly can. He is eager to send his young, strapped with explosive bombs and stuffed with nails on missions of "suicide bombings," as long as in their death they murder as many Jews as possible with them. He is launching rocket after rocket into densely populated Jewish cities so that hospitals healing the sick and homes housing the elderly will be destroyed together with the lives of those inside.

Roi's enemy was willing to die to bring death and mourning to as many as possible; Roi was willing to die to ensure life and liberty for others, to preserve a world in which Jews could pray to G-d in their synagogues, perform G-d's commandments and make our world a better, more moral and more conscientious place.

This is the third time in this last century that the Jewish people have found themselves on the front lines against those who sought their annihilation.

For the Nazis, the Jew was a racial impurity to be exterminated like insects. For the Soviet communists, the Jewish religion was a thorn in their sides to be eradicated. And for the Islamic extremists, the Jew and his state must be eliminated from the face of the earth.

Less than a century has passed since Jews fell in the Soviet gulag with the chant of Shema in their mouths for the mere "crime" of observing Kosher or Shabbat in their private lives. Just over a half a century has passed the echo of the Shema resonated in the Nazi gas chambers where Jews were suffocated and then burnt to ashes in the crematoriums just because they were born as Jews.

And now Roi Klein followed in the path of these martyrs, dying with the cry of Shema on his lips in the act of defending his people from those who, yet again, wish to destroy them.

Roi is no stranger after all. He is each of our husbands, sons and brothers. His face is the face of each of our heroes and martyrs.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however. . . Heb. 12:1!

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 02:39:40 GMT

Just a thought for those out there who have bought in to the popular doctrine of "peace and prosperity" aka "if you are living right, your life will be blessed with physical and financial blessings and if you are suffering or struggling, you must have some sin in your life" mentality (Olsteen, Dollar, & numerous other TV evangelists teach along these lines).Rabbi Lazer Brody(to many known as Rabbi Rambo) writes:

(Bechukotai, 114) states: "How beloved are the children of Israel before the Holy One, blessed be He! He desires to reprove them and to lead them on the straight path, like a loving father who wields a rod in hand in order to lead the son on the straight path, so that the son shall not stray to the right or to the left, as it is written (Proverbs, 3:12), "Adonai reproves those that He loves, and like a father, mollifies the child."

Ponder the above proverb for a moment. If Adonai reproves those that He loves, inversely, He doesn't reprove those that He hates! If so, a life devoid of trials and tribulations is not a very good sign.

My encouragement to you who are struggling, or are discouraged, is to not listen to the advice of such people, for they are looking only at outward circumstances and not at the inward work of shaping and molding that the Lord is doing in your life. Knowing that the Lord loves you and is doing everything for your benefit makes life not only bearable, but meaningful. Know that Adonai is training you to love him fully. Our part is to be repentant(if needed), teachable, and obedient to His will. A loving parent disciplines a child out of love, but a smart child doesn't put the parent in a situation where the parent has to wield the rod! Be glad! Take joy in your trials. Rest assured that you are the clay in the potter's hand and he desires to work out all your weaknesses and impurities and produce a vessel of strength and beauty!

And You Think Our National Leader Has Issues!

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 13:25:02 GMT

Yesterday was the Jewish day of mourning known as Tisha B'Av(the 9th of the month of Av). This day in history has been wrought with tragic events regarding the Jewish nation.

The Israelites were told by the Lord that because of the bad report of the spies they would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land.
The destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE
The destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE
The expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492
The Warsaw Ghetto imprisonment at the start of the Holocaust.

In light of this, the following comments made by Israeli PM Olmert could not have occurred at a more inappropriate time.

Caution: The following contains disturbing scenes

Yesterday, Emuna News reported Olmert's willingness to post Egyptians and Saudis on our northern border. Today, influential voices in Egypt are calling to scrap all peace agreements with Israel.

Olmert, like a bull in a fine-china shop destroying everything in its path, took the verbal insanity a step further. While welcoming the participation of German soldiers in a stabilization force in South Lebanon, he said, "There is no other nation that Israel considers more of a friend than Germany!"

The blood of 6,000,000 Jews cries out of the ground. The memories of survivors who haven't had a decent night's sleep in the last 61 years testify against you, Mr. Prime Minister. You have no right to speak for Israel, for we don't agree with you, with your ego-sick anti-Torah leadership, with your plans for withdrawal from Jewish lands, or with your expression of love with Germany. Here's why, in case you don't remember:

German soldier publicly humiliating Polish Jew by cutting off his beard in public, 1939

German soldiers marching Dutch Jews off for deportation to death camps, 1941

German soldier executing Ukranian Jew outside the town of Yanov, halfway between Breslev and Berditchev. The dead Jew then fell into a pit that became a mass grave of 2,500 Jews. I have visited this gravesite several times, for my father's family comes from Yanov. To this day, there are eyewitnesses in Yanov that remember this black day of May 31, 1942, or 14 Sivan, 5702.

German's herding Jews into a cattle car on the way to the "final solution" in the gas chambers, Poland, 1942

The final solution - corpses in Auschwitz, 1945

Survivors of Buchenwald concentration camp, 1945

Are you willing to call the Germans our best friends? Do you believe that the sons and grandsons of Amalek have changed their skins? I certainly don't; I'm sorry to say that I've been to Germany a dozen times - they're still Germans.

May Hashem help us survive this long diaspora and to keep the torch of Torah alive until Moshiach comes to lead our people to the full redemption in our holy Land of Israel, quickly and in our lifetime, amen.

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight!" Isaiah 5:20-21

Images courtesy of Yad Vashem Memorial, Jerusalem and University of South Florida