From: Eddie Chumney
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: Hanukkah Lessons for Today
HANUKKAH LESSONS FOR TODAY
by
Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l
(PART 1 OF 2)
Dear Mishpochah (family):
This is the season of the year when believers in Yeshua as
Messiah who embrace the Hebraic roots of their faith are celebrating
Hanukkah. Why do believers in Yeshua as Messiah who embrace their
Hebraic heritage celebrate Hanukkah? What are the lessons for today?
THE BACKGROUND OF HANUKKAH IN DANIEL
While Hanukkah is an extra-Biblical holiday (not found
in the annual Festivals listed in Leviticus / Vayikra 23), the
background for celebrating Hanukkah is found in the book of Daniel.
The lessons of Hanukkah are related to the issues and events that are
associated with the end of days and the tribulation period. How is
this so?
BIBLICAL HISTORY IS PROPHECY
In studying the events recorded in the Torah, there is a
rabbinic principle which teaches that:
"The events in the lives of the Patriarchs are prophecies of what
will happen to their descendents"
For example, when Abraham went to Egypt and returned to
the land of Israel this was a prophecy that the descendents of
Abraham would do the same.
ABRAHAM WENT TO EGYPT
KJV Genesis 12:10 And there was a famine in the land: and ABRAM WENT
down into EGYPT to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the
land.
A PLAGUE WAS UPON PHARAOH
KJV Genesis 12:17 And the LORD PLAGUED PHARAOH and his house with
great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.
ABRAHAM LEFT EGYPT WITH GREAT POSSESSIONS
KJV Genesis 12:20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and
they sent him away, and his wife, and ALL THAT HE HAD.
ABRAHAM'S DESCENDENTS GO TO EGYPT
KJV Genesis 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that THY
SEED shall be a stranger in A LAND that is NOT theirs, and shall serve
them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
KJV Genesis 46:2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the
night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
KJV Genesis 46:3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear
not to GO DOWN into EGYPT; for I will there make of thee a great
nation:
PHARAOH AND EGYPT ARE JUDGED
KJV Genesis 15:14 And also THAT NATION, whom they shall serve, will I
JUDGE: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
KJV Exodus 3:20 And I will stretch out my hand, and SMITE EGYPT with
all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he
will let you go.
KJV Exodus 9:13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the
morning, and stand before PHARAOH, and SAY unto HIM, Thus saith the
LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
KJV Exodus 9:14 For I will at this time SEND all MY PLAGUES upon thine
heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest
know that there is none like me in all the earth.
THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL LEFT EGYPT WITH GREAT POSSESSIONS
KJV Genesis 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I
judge: and afterward shall they COME OUT with GREAT SUBSTANCE.
KJV Exodus 3:21 And I will give this people favour in the sight of the
Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall NOT
GO EMPTY:
KJV Exodus 12:36 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of
the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they
required. And they SPOILED the EGYPTIANS.
JOSEPH REUNITING WITH HIS BROTHERS IS PROPHECY
OF THE TWO HOUSES OF ISRAEL BEING UNITED IN THE END OF DAYS
When the Jewish people read the Torah portion when Joseph is
united with his brothers, they read from the prophets the
reunification of Ephraim and Judah from Ezekiel 37:15-28.
Parashat Vayigash. Torah: Genesis 44:18-47:27
Haftorah: Ezekiel 37:15-28
THE EPYPTIAN REDEMPTION IS PROPHECY
OF THE MESSIANIC REDEMPTION
KJV Hosea 2:14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her
into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
KJV Hosea 2:15 And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the
valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in
the days of her youth, and AS IN THE DAY when she CAME UP out of the
LAND of EGYPT.
KJV Micah 7:14 Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine
heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel:
let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
KJV Micah 7:15 ACCORDING to the DAYS of thy COMING OUT of the LAND of
EGYPT will I shew unto him marvellous things.
BIBLICAL HISTORY IS PROPHECY
This princple is also specified in the book of Ecclesiastes.
KJV Ecclesiastes 1:9 The THING that HATH BEEN, it is that which SHALL
BE; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is
no new thing under the sun.
KJV Ecclesiastes 3:15 That which hath been IS NOW; and that which is
to be hath ALREADY BEEN; and God requireth that which is past.
THE HISTORY OF HANUKKAH
The book of Daniel refers to the historical background
of the lessons for Hanukkah today.
In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar was a dream of an image which
represented major world kingdoms until the coming of the Messianic
Era.
KJV Daniel 2:32 This image's head was of FINE GOLD, his breast and his
arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
#1) The GOLDEN HEAD of the image was BABYLON (Daniel 2:36-38)
KJV Daniel 2:36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation
thereof before the king.
KJV Daniel 2:37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of
heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
KJV Daniel 2:38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts
of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine
hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of
gold.
#2) The breast of arms and silver represented the Medes / Persians.
KJV Daniel 2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to
thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over
all the earth.
This is repeated in Daniel 8 as the image of a ram.
KJV Daniel 8:20 The RAM which thou sawest having two horns are the
KINGS of MEDIA and PERSIA.
#3) The belly and thighs of brass represented the Greek Empire.
This is repeated in Daniel 8 as the image of the goat.
KJV Daniel 8:21 And the rough GOAT is the KING of GRECIA: and the
great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
The Babylonian Empire was defeated by the Media / Persian Empire.
The Media / Persian Empire was defeated by the Greek Empire.
The battle between the Media / Persian Empire and the Greek Empire
is mentioned in Daniel 8. In Daniel 8, the Media / Persian Empire is
represented as a ram. The Greek empire is repesented as a goat.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT: RULER OF THE GREEK EMPIRE
Alexander the great was the ruler over the Greek empire when it
defeated the Media / Persian empire. Alexander is referred to as the
'great king' in Daniel 8:21.
KJV Daniel 8:5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from
the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground:
and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
KJV Daniel 8:21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the
great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
ALEXANDER'S KINGDOM IS DIVIDED
After defeating the Media / Persian empire, Alexander's
Greek Empire was divided following his death in 323 B.C.E at the age of
32. His kingdom was divided between his four generals.
KJV Daniel 8:22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it,
FOUR KINGDOMS shall stand up OUT of THE NATION, but not in his power.
These four generals were:
#1) Lysimachus
#2) Cassander
#3) Ptolemy I Soter
#4) Seleucus I Nicator
The Ptolemy empire ruled the area of Eypt. They are
referred to in the book of Daniel as the 'Kings of the South'.
The Seleucid empire ruled the area of Syria. They are
referred to in the book of Daniel as the 'Kings of the North'.
The Ptolemy and Seleucid empire fought each other and the
battleground was often in the land of Israel.
THE RISE OF ANTIOCHUS IV EPIPHANES
One of the Seleucid rulers was Antiochus IV Epiphanes. He
ruled from 175 - 163 B.C.E. Antiochus IV is the 'little horn'
mentioned in Daniel 8.
KJV Daniel 8:8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was
strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up FOUR NOTABLE
ones toward the four winds of heaven.
KJV Daniel 8:9 And out of ONE of THEM came forth a LITTLE HORN, which
waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and
toward the pleasant land.
THE PTOLEMY EMPIRE (Kings of the South) - Egypt
1) Ptolemy I Soter (323 - 285) B.C.E.
2) Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285 - 245) B.C.E.
3) Ptolemy III Euergetes (245-221) B.C.E.
4) Ptolemy IV Philopator (221 - 203) B.C.E.
5) Ptolemy V Epiphanes (203 - 181) B.C.E.
6) Ptolemy VI Philometor (181 - 145) B.C.E.
THE SELEUCID EMPIRE (Kings of the South) - Syria
1) Seleucus I Nicator (312 - 281) B.C.E.
2) Antiochus I Soter (281 - 262) B.C.E.
3) Antiochus II Theos (262 - 246) B.C.E.
4) Seleucus II Callinicus (246 - 226) B.C.E.
5) Seleucus III Ceraunus (226 - 223) B.C.E.
6) Antiochus III (223 - 187) B.C.E.
7) Seleucus IV Philopator (187 - 175) B.C.E.
8) Antiochus IV Epiphanes (174 - 163) B.C.E.
KJV Daniel 11:5 And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of
his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his
dominion shall be a great dominion.
This refers to Ptolemy 1 Soter.
KJV Daniel 11:6 And in the end of years they shall join themselves
together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king
of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power
of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be
given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he
that strengthened her in these times.
This refers to the marriage between the daughters of Ptolemy II
Philadelphus and Antiochus II Theos.
KJV Daniel 11:7 But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in
his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the
fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and
shall prevail:
KJV Daniel 11:8 And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods,
with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of
gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.
KJV Daniel 11:9 So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom,
and shall return into his own land.
This refers to the wars between Ptolemy II Euergetes and Seleucus II
Callinicus.
KJV Daniel 11:10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble
a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and
overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up,
even to his fortress.
This refers to Seleucus III Ceraunus.
KJV Daniel 11:11 And the king of the south shall be moved with choler,
and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the
north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude
shall be given into his hand.
KJV Daniel 11:12 And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart
shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he
shall not be strengthened by it.
KJV Daniel 11:13 For the king of the north shall return, and shall set
forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come
after certain years with a great army and with much riches.
This refers to war between Ptolemy IV Philopator and Antiochus III.
KJV Daniel 11:14 And in those times there shall many stand up against
the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt
themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall.
KJV Daniel 11:15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a
mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south
shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be
any strength to withstand.
KJV Daniel 11:16 But he that cometh against him shall do according to
his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in
the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.
KJV Daniel 11:17 He shall also set his face to enter with the strength
of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and
he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall
not stand on his side, neither be for him.
This refers to the wars and marriage between Ptolemy IV Philopator,
Ptolemy V Epiphanes and Antiochus III.
Daniel 11:21-35 speaks to the events concerning Antiochus IV
Epiphanes.
THE SPREAD OF GREEK CULTURE AND INFLUENCE
Alexander the Great believed that the Greek culture could unify
the world. Alexander founded a new city in each country of his empire
that would serve as a model for the furtherance of the Greek culture.
Public buildings, gymnasiums, open-air theatres, the spread of
Greek-names, Greek dress and a common language were all products and
desires of the Greek empire. The acceptance and furtherance of
Greek culture and values is known as "Hellenism".
THE WORSHIP OF HELLENISM TODAY
.
Today, the USA and the Western world is fighting a war of
terrorism. VICTORY in the war against terrorism is the spread and
acceptance of the Hellenistic culture and values of the west. The
"Hellenistic" values that the west is parading as the ultimate
victory in the war against terrorism is called, "Democracy and
Freedom". The building that is planned to be built in New York city
to replace the twin towers is called the "Freedom Tower".
Meanwhile this "Democracy and Freedom" culture is trying at the
same time to erode our "Judeo-Christian" values which is rooted in
Torah and Yeshua the Messiah.
Today, the western world is seeking to impose the same values
to the rest of the world while at the same time seeking to erode and
ultimately to eliminate our religious values and freedom.
This is one of the historical lessons we learn from the rise of
Greek empire and the influence of Hellenism.
ANTIOCHUS IV SEES HIMSELF ON PAR WITH GOD
KJV Daniel 8:8 Therefore the he goat
waxed very great: and when he was strong, the GREAT HORN was BROKEN;
and for it came up FOUR NOTABLE ONES toward the four winds of heaven.
KJV Daniel 8:9 And out of ONE of THEM came forth a LITTLE HORN, which
waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and
toward the pleasant land.
The "little horn" is Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
Epiphanes means 'God made manifest'. Antiochus IV viewed himself as
being on par with God.
KJV Daniel 8:10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it
cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped
upon them.
KJV Daniel 8:11 Yea, he MAGNIFIED HIMSELF even to the prince of the
host ...
THE PROPHECIES OF DANIEL ARE DETAILED IN THE BOOK OF MACCABEES
THE DEATH OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT
1 Maccabees 1:7 So Alexander reigned twelves years, and then died.
THE RISE OF THE RULE AND REIGN OF ANTIOCHUS IV EPIPHANES
1 Maccabees 1:10 And there came out of them a wicked root Antiochus surnamed
Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been an hostage at Rome,
and he reigned in the hundred and thirty and seventh year of the
kingdom of the Greeks.
ANTIOCHUS IV DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE
1 Maccabees 1:20 And after that Antiochus had smitten Egypt, he returned again in
the hundred forty and third year, and went up against Israel and
Jerusalem with a great multitude,
1 Maccabees 1:21 And entered proudly into the
sanctuary, and took away the golden altar, and the candlestick of
light, and all the vessels thereof,
1 Maccabees 1:22 And the table of the
shewbread, and the pouring vessels, and the vials. and the censers of
gold, and the veil, and the crown, and the golden ornaments that were
before the temple, all which he pulled off.
1 Maccabees 1:23 He took also the
silver and the gold, and the precious vessels: also he took the hidden
treasures which he found.
1 Maccabees 1: 24 And when he had taken all away, he went
into his own land, having made a great massacre, and spoken very
proudly.
1 Maccabees 1:25: Therefore there was a great mourning in Israel, in every
place where they were;
THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
KJV Daniel 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall
pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily
sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
1 Maccabees 1:54: Now the fifteenth day of the month Kislev, in the
hundred forty and fifth year, they set up the abomination of
desolation upon the altar, and builded idol altars throughout the
cities of Juda on every side;
1 Maccabees 1:55 And burnt incense at the doors of their houses, and
in the streets.
1 Maccabees 1:59 Now the five and twentieth day of the month they did sacrifice
upon the idol altar, which was upon the altar of God.
The abomination of desolation refers to a statue of the Greek
god Zeus that was placed in the temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
In the Encyclopedia Judaica under the article, "Abomination
of Desolation" it says that:
' In rabbinic literature, the rabbis as a whole consider the
expression abomination of desolation refers to the desecration of the
Temple by the erection of a Zeus statue in its sacred precincts by
Antiochus IV Epiphanes.'
THROUGH PEACE HE DECEIVED MANY
KJV Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to
prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by
PEACE shall DESTROY MANY ...
1 Maccabees 1:29 And after two years fully expired the king sent his chief
collector of tribute unto the cities of Juda, who came unto Jerusalem
with a great multitude,
1 Maccabees 1:30 And SPAKE PEACEABLE WORDS unto them, but
all was DECEIT: for when they had given him credence, he fell suddenly
upon the city, and smote it very sore, and DESTROYED MUCH PEOPLE of
Israel.
1 Maccabees 1:31 And when he had taken the spoils of the city, he set it on
fire, and pulled down the houses and walls thereof on every side.
1 Maccabees 1:32 But the women and children took they captive, and possessed the
cattle.
ANTIOCHUS IV DOES WICKEDLY AGAINST THE COVENANT
KJV Daniel 11:32 And such as do WICKEDLY AGAINST the COVENANT shall he
corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be
strong, and do exploits.
THE COVENANT = Following Torah
DO WICKEDLY against THE COVENANT = Being ANTI-TORAH
THE ANTI-TORAH DECREES OF ANTIOCHUS IV
In order to try to make Hellenism and the Greek culture supreme,
Antiochus IV issued DECREES AGAINST FOLLOWING the TORAH. These decrees
consisted of:
#1) It was FORBIDDEN to keep the weekly Biblical Sabbath
#2) It was FORBIDDEN to celebrate the annual Biblical Festivals
#3) It was FORBIDDEN to circumcise your sons
#4) You were ENCOURAGED to eat pig and UNCLEAN animals
#5) You were ENCOURAGED to set up idols
FORBIDDEN TO FOLLOW TORAH
1 Maccabees 1:57: And whosoever was found with any the book of the testament, or if
any committed to the law, the king's commandment was, that they should
put him to death.
DECREE TO FOLLOW THE GREEK CULTURE
1 Maccabees 1:41 Moreover king Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom, that all
should be one people,
Today, there is a cry to win the battle against the
war on terrorism. This battle cry and symbol of triumph is called,
'Freedom and democracy". Today, the 'idol' of freedom and democracy
is worshipped ABOVE the Judeo-Christian values rooted in the Bible.
ACCEPTANCE OF THE GREEK CULTURE
1 Maccabees 1:42 And every one should leave his laws: so all the heathen agreed
according to the commandment of the king.
1 Maccabees 1:43 Yea, many also of the Israelites consented to his
religion, and sacrificed unto idols, and profaned the sabbath.
1 Maccabees 1:44 For the king had
sent letters by messengers unto Jerusalem and the cities of Juda that
they should follow the strange laws of the land,
Recently, the nation of France was voting on outlawing
all forms of religious symbolic expression in schools. In the USA,
the courts are ruling (the decrees of the king in the days of old)
more and more that religious symbolic expression in public forums is
"unconstitutional".
FORBIDDEN TO OBSERVE SABBATH AND FESTIVAL DAYS
1 Maccabees 1:45 And forbid burnt
offerings, and sacrifice, and drink offerings, in the temple; and that
they should PROFANE the SABBATHS and FESTIVAL DAYS:
1 Maccabees 1:46 And pollutethe sanctuary and holy people:
COMMANDS TO EAT UNCLEAN FOOD
1 Maccabees 1:47 Set up altars, and groves, and
chapels of idols, and sacrifice swine's flesh, and UNCLEAN beasts:
FORBIDDEN TO CIRCUMCISE THEIR SONS
1 Maccabees 1:48 That they should also leave their CHILDREN UNCIRCUMCISED, and make
their souls abominable with all manner of uncleanness and profanation:
1 Maccabees 1:60 At which time according to the commandment they PUT
to DEATH certain WOMEN, that had CAUSED their CHILDREN to be
CIRCUMCISED.
1 Maccabees 1:61 And they hanged the infants about their necks, and rifled their
houses, and slew them that had circumcised them.
YESHUA KEPT HANUKKAH
KJV John 10:22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication,
and it was winter.
The "feast of dedication" is Hanukkah. Hanukkah means,
"dedication".
HANUKKAH REPEATED IN THE END OF DAYS
When studying Bible prophecy, MANY in traditional
Christianity like to study the book of Daniel and Matthew 24.
However, I have NEVER heard "evangelical Christianity" explain the
prophecies of Daniel and Matthew 24 through the eyes and issues of
Hanukkah. Why? Traditional Christianity doesn't celebrate Hanukkah.
They are IGNORANT of the events surrounding Hanukkah. Therefore,
there is a BLINDNESS of UNDERSTANDING in this area.
MATTHEW 24: WHAT IS THE SIGN OF YOUR COMING?
Yeshua was asked in Matthew 24 about the sign of His coming
and the Messianic Era by His disciples.
KJV Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples
came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?
and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
SIGN: PEOPLE NOT FOLLOWING TORAH
KJV Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity <458> shall abound, the love of many
shall wax cold.
458 anomia {an-om-ee'-ah} from 459; TDNT -
AV - iniquity 12, unrighteousness 1, transgress the law
INIQUITY = Strong's 458 = Greek word 'Anomia' = Transgress the Torah
KJV 1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law:
for sin is the transgression of the law <458>.
TRANSGRESS THE TORAH = Strong's 458 = Greek word 'Anomia'
In the days of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Maccabean
revolt, Antiochus IV Epiphanes made a decree to FORBID following
TORAH.
MANY / MOST who expressed faith in YHVH accepted the
decree. A REMNANT would NOT accept the decree.
Messiah said that a sign of His coming is that MANY would
NOT be following Torah.
SIGN: THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
KJV Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of
desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place,
(whoso readeth, let him understand:)
HISTORICALLY, Yeshua was referring to the idol of Zeus set up
by Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the Temple.
THE PERSECUTED FLEE INTO THE MOUNTAINS
KJV Matthew 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the
mountains:
The Maccabees fled into the wilderness when encountering the
abomination of dessolation.
1 Maccabees 2:18 Now therefore come thou first, and fulfil the king's commandment,
like as all the heathen have done, yea, and the men of Juda also, and
such as remain at Jerusalem: so shalt thou and thy house be in the
number of the king's friends, and thou and thy children shall be
honoured with silver and gold, and many rewards.
1 Maccabees 2:19: Then Mattathias
answered and spake with a loud voice, Though all the nations that are
under the king's dominion obey him, and fall away every one from the
religion of their fathers, and give consent to his commandments:
1 Maccabees 2:20: Yet will I and my sons and my brethren walk in the covenant of our
fathers.
1 Maccabees 2:21: God forbid that we should forsake the law and the
ordinances.
1 Maccabees 2:22: We will not hearken to the king's words, to go from
our religion, either on the right hand, or the left.
1 Maccabees 2:27: And Mattathias cried throughout the city with a loud voice,
saying, Whosoever is zealous of the law, and maintaineth the covenant,
let him follow me.
1 Maccabees 2:28: So he and his sons FLED into the MOUNTAINS, and
left all that ever they had in the city.
WHEN YOU FLEE DON'T TAKE YOUR BELONGINGS
KJV Matthew 24:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to
take any thing out of his house:
KJV Matthew 24:18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to
take his clothes.
When the Maccabees fled into the wilderness, they didn't take
their belongings.
1 Maccabees 2:28: So he and his sons fled into the mountains, and
LEFT ALL that ever they had IN THE CITY.
PRAY THAT YOUR FLIGHT IS NOT ON THE SABBATH
KJV Matthew 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter,
neither on the sabbath day:
In fleeing into the mountains, there was a battle with the Greek
army on the Sabbath day and many who fled to the mountains were slain
on the Sabbath day.
1 Maccabees 2:29 Then many that sought after justice and judgment went down into
the wilderness, to dwell there:
1 Maccabees 2:30 Both they, and their children, and
their wives; and their cattle; because afflictions increased sore upon
them.
1 Maccabees 2:31 Now when it was told the king's servants, and the host that
was at Jerusalem, in the city of David, that certain men, who had
broken the king's commandment, were gone down into the secret places
in the wilderness,
1 Maccabees 2:32 They pursued after them a great number, and
having overtaken them, they camped against them, and MADE WAR against
them on THE SABBATH DAY.
1 Maccabees 2:33 And they said unto them, Let that which
ye have done hitherto suffice; come forth, and do according to the
commandment of the king, and ye shall live.
1 Maccabees 2:34 But they said, We will
not come forth, neither will we do the king's commandment, to profane
the sabbath day.
1 Maccabees 2:35 So then they gave them the battle with all speed.
1 Maccabees 2:36 Howbeit they answered them not, neither cast they a stone at them,
nor stopped the places where they lay hid;
1 Maccabees 2:37 But said, Let us die
all in our innocency: heaven and earth will testify for us, that ye
put us to death wrongfully.
1 Maccabees 2:38 So they rose up against them in BATTLE
on the SABBATH, and they SLEW THEM, with their wives and children and
their cattle, to the number of a thousand people.
PRAY THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE A YOUNG CHILD OF CIRCUMCISION AGE
KJV Matthew 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them
that give suck in those days!
Those who had young children and who desired to have them
circumcised were killed.
1 Maccabees 1:59: Now the five and twentieth day of the month they did sacrifice
upon the idol altar, which was upon the altar of God.
1 Maccabees 1:60: At which time according to the commandment they put
to DEATH certain WOMEN, that had CAUSED their CHILDREN to be
CIRCUMCISED.
1 Maccabees 1:61 And they HANGED
the INFANTS about their necks, and rifled their houses, and SLEW THEM
that had CIRCUMCISED THEM.
THE END OF DAYS AND HANUKKAH
When speaking about what to expect in the end of days (Matthew
24) (prior to the Messianic Era), Yeshua referred to the events in Daniel and
the events surrounding the story of Hanukkah to give understanding
regarding those days. If you don't celebrate and understand Hanukkah,
you won't understand the end-time teachings of the Messiah.
(END PART 1 OF 2)
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