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1) Zion is
the people of the God of Israel |
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2) Zion
is the land of Israel |
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The Torah goes forth from Zion |
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4) Zion
is the fulfullment of the covenant made with Abraham |
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5) Zion
is the end of the exile of Jacob |
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6) Zion
is the Messianic Era |
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7) Zion
is Yeshua redeeming and dwelling with His people |
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Isaiah 51:16 And I have put my words in thy
mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant
the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, You art
my people. |
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Joel 2:1
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all
the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD comes for it
is nigh at hand; |
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Isaiah 2:3 And many people shall go and say,
Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD to the house of the
God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his
paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the Torah and the word of the LORD
from Jerusalem. |
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Psalm 147:2 The LORD does build up Jerusalem: he
gathers together the outcasts of Israel. |
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Isaiah 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign for
the nations and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel and gather together
the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. |
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Psalm
102:13 You will arise and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her,
yea, the set time is come. |
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Psalm 102:16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, he
shall appear in his glory. |
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Isaiah 8:17 And I will wait upon the LORD that
hides his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him. |
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Isaiah 8:18 Behold, I and the children whom the
LORD has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts
which dwells in mount Zion. |
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Joel 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion … |
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1 Peter 2:5 Ye also as lively stones are built
up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Yeshua HaMashiach. |
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1 Peter 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in
the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious:
and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. |
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Zechariah 9:13 When I have bent Judah for me,
filled the bow with Ephraim and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy
sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. |
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Deuteronomy 7:16 And you shall consume all the
people which the LORD your God shall deliver thee; your eye shall have no
pity upon them: neither shall you serve their gods; for that will be a
snare unto thee. |
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Deuteronomy 7:22 And the LORD thy God will put
out those nations before you by little and little: you may not consume them
at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee. |
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Deuteronomy 28:64 And the LORD shall scatter you
among all people from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and
there you shall serve other gods which neither you nor your fathers have
known even wood and stone. |
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Ezekiel 34:5 And they were scattered because there
is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field when
they were scattered. |
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Daniel 2:1 And in the second year of the reign
of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams wherewith his spirit was troubled
and his sleep brake from him. |
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Daniel 2:2 Then the king commanded to call the
magicians and the astrologers and the sorcerers and the Chaldeans for to show
the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. |
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Daniel 2:3 And the king said unto them, I have
dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. |
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Daniel 2:19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel
in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. |
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Daniel 2:24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch
whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and
said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before
the king and I will show unto the king the interpretation. |
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Daniel 2:25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before
the king in haste and said thus unto him I have found a man of the captives
of Judah that will make known unto the king the interpretation. |
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Daniel 2:31 You, O king, saw and behold a great
image. This great image whose brightness was excellent stood before thee;
and the form thereof was terrible. |
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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 |
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Daniel 2:33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron
and part of clay. |
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Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass,
the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the
chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that
no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great
mountain and filled the whole earth. |
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Daniel 8:1 In the third year of the reign of
king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel after that
which appeared unto me at the first. |
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Daniel 8:16 And I heard a man's voice between the
banks of Ulai, which called and said Gabriel make this man to understand
the vision. |
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Daniel 8:19 And he said, Behold, I will make
thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time
appointed the end shall be. |
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Daniel 8:3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw and
behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two
horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up
last. |
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Daniel 8:4 I saw the ram pushing westward and
northward and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him neither was
there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his
will and became great. |
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Daniel 8:20 The ram which you saw having two horns
are the kings of Media and Persia. |
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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. |
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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. |
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The notable horn of the Grecian empire in Daniel
8:5 refers to Alexander the Great. Alexander lives from 365 BC – 323
BC. As a young boy, Alexander
studied the writings of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. At age 20, Alexander become the king of
the Greek state Macedonia. Later he went to war and conquered the Persian
empire. |
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Alexander believed that the Greek culture could unify
the world. He 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 theaters, the spread of Greek names, Greek
dress, and a common language all were by-products of the rule of the Greek
empire. The spread of the Greek culture was known as Hellenism. |
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Daniel 8:6 And he came to the ram that had two horns
which I had seen standing before the river and ran unto him in the fury of
his power. |
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Daniel 8:7 And I saw him come close unto the
ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram and brake
his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but
he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none
that could deliver the ram out of his hand. |
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Daniel 8:8 Therefore the he goat waxed very
great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken … |
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Alexander the Great died at the age of 32. His
kingdom was divided among four of his generals. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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Antiochus IV portrayed as Zeus |
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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. |
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The Syrian area north of the Galilee was ruled
by the Greek General Seleucus I. The area south of Israel in Egypt was
ruled by the Greek General Ptolemy I. |
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Israel lay in the middle between the struggle
and fight between the Greek rulers of Syria and Egypt. An eventual Seleucid
ruler known as Antiochus Epiphanes IV set out to destroy the Greek ruler in
Egypt and Israel became the battleground. |
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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 |
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Daniel 8:23 And in the latter time of their
kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance
and understanding dark sentences shall stand up. |
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Daniel 8:24 And his power shall be mighty but
not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper
and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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1 Maccabees 1:25 Therefore there was a great
mourning in Israel in every place where they were |
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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: he shall also stand up against the
Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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Daniel 8:11 Yea, he magnified himself even to
the prince of the host and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away and
the place of his sanctuary was cast down. |
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Daniel 8:12 And an host was given him against
the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression and it cast down the truth
to the ground; and it practised and prospered. |
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The daily sacrifice was stopped |
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by Antiochus IV on Kislev 25, 168 BC |
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1 Maccabees 1:54 Now the fifteenth day of the month
Casleu, 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; |
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1 Maccabees 1:56 And when they had rent in
pieces the books of the law which they found, they burnt them with fire. |
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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. |
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Daniel 11:31 And arms shall stand on his par,
and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength and shall take away the
daily sacrifice and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate. |
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Antiochus IV erected an altar of the god Zeus
(Greek) in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and sacrificed a pig upon it. |
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Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination
of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place
(whoso reads let him understand:) |
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Matthew 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee
into the mountains: |
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Source: Jewish Encyclopedia |
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The rabbis as a whole consider that 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 Epiphanes. |
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Some rabbis, however, see in it an allusion to
Manasseh, who, as related in II Chron. 33:7, set up "a carved image .
. . in the house of God" (Yer. Ta'anit, iv. 68a, and Rashi on the
passage in Babli, ibid. 28b). |
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Source: Jewish Encyclopedia |
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An expression occurring in Matthew 24:15 and
Mark 13:14 [‘abomination of desolation’] … |
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The context of these passages leaves no room for
doubt as to what was intended by this somewhat odd expression; namely, the transformation,
by Antiochus Epiphanes, of the sacred Temple at Jerusalem into a heathen
one. In both Biblical and rabbinical Hebrew abomination is a familiar term
for an idol (I Kings 11:5; II Kings 13:13) |
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1 Maccabees 2:1 In those days arose Mattathias
the son of John, the son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib from
Jerusalem, and dwelt in Modin. |
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1 Maccabees 2:2 And he had five sons, Joannan,
called Caddis: |
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1 Maccabees 2:3 Simon; called Thassi: |
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1 Maccabees 2:4 Judas, who was called Maccabeus: |
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1 Maccabees 2:5 Eleazar, called Avaran: and
Jonathan, whose surname was Apphus. |
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1 Maccabees 2:6 And when he saw the blasphemies
that were committed in Juda and Jerusalem |
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1 Maccabees 2:27 And Mattathias cried throughout
the city with a loud voice, saying, Whosoever is zealous of the law and
maintains the covenant, let him follow me. |
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1 Maccabees 2:28 So he and his sons fled into
the mountains and left all that ever they had in the city. |
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British Stamp 1984 – European Parliament |
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Tower of Babel - Peter Brueghel - 1563 |
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Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia |
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Around 200 BC/BCE, Jews lived as an autonomous
people in the land of Israel, which at this time was controlled by the Seleucid
King of Syria. The Jewish people paid taxes to Syria and accepted its legal
authority and by and large were free to follow their own faith maintain
their own jobs and engage in trade. |
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Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia |
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By 180 BC/BCE, Antiochus IV Epiphanes ascended
to the Seleucid throne. At first little changed but under his reign Jews
were gradually forced to violate the precepts of their faith. Jews rebelled
at having to do this. Under the reign of Antiochus IV, the Temple in Jerusalem
was looted, Jews were massacred and Judaism was effectively outlawed. |
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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. |
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1 Maccabees 1:41 Moreover king Antiochus wrote
to his whole kingdom that all should be one people |
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1 Maccabees 1:42 And every one should leave his laws:
so all the heathen agreed according to the commandment of the king. |
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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 |
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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: |
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1 Maccabees 1:47 … and sacrifice swine's flesh
and unclean beasts: |
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1 Maccabees 1:49 To the end they might forget
the law and change all the ordinances. |
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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 |
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1 Maccabees 1:50 And whosoever would not do
according to the commandment of the king, he said, he should die. |
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1 Maccabees 1:51 In the selfsame manner wrote he
to his whole kingdom and appointed overseers over all the people commanding
the cities of Juda to sacrifice, city by city. |
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Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia |
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In 167 BC/BCE, Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus
erected in the Temple. Mattathias, a Jewish priest, and his five sons John,
Simon, Eleazar, Jonathan, and Judah led a rebellion against Antiochus.
Judah became known as Judah Maccabee (Judah The Hammer). By 166 BC/BCE,
Mattathias had died, and Judah took his place as leader. |
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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: |
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1 Maccabees 2:20 Yet will I and my sons and my
brethren walk in the covenant of our fathers. |
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1 Maccabees 2:21 God forbid that we should
forsake the law and the ordinances. |
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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. |
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1 Maccabees 2:49 Now when the time drew near
that Mattathias should die, he said unto his sons, Now hath pride and
rebuke gotten strength, and the time of destruction and the wrath of
indignation: |
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1 Maccabees 2:50 Now therefore, my sons, be ye zealous
for the law and give your lives for the covenant of your fathers. |
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Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia |
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The name Maccabee probably means "hammer"
and is properly applied only to the first leader of the revolt, Judas,
third son of the priest Mattathias. The name Maccabee also might derived
from the battle cry of the revolt, Me Kumocha B'elim, YHVH ("Who is
like you among the heavenly powers, YHVH ! " - Exodus 15:11). |
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In Hebrew, the first letters of this four word
slogan form the acronym MKBY (Mem, Kaf, Bet and Yud). This became
synonymous with the revolt. Its most famous warrior was Judah the Maccabee.
The name came to be used for his brothers as well which accounts for the
title of the book. |
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Exodus 15:11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD,
among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises,
doing wonders? |
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hk'moK'
ymi hw"hy> ~liaeB' hk'mok'-ymi Exodus 15:11 |
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`al,p, hfe[o tL{hit. ar'An vd,QoB; rD'a.n< |
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Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia |
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By 165 BC/BCE, the Jewish revolt against the
Seleucid monarchy was successful. The Temple was liberated and rededicated. |
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Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia |
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The festival of Hanukkah was instituted by Judah
Maccabee and his brothers to celebrate this event. (1 Maccabees 4:59).
After having recovered Jerusalem and the Temple, Judah ordered the Temple
to be cleansed, a new altar to be built in place of the polluted one, and
new holy vessels to be made (1 Maccabees 4:36). When the fire had been
kindled anew upon the altar and the lamps of the candlestick lit, the dedication
of the altar was celebrated for eight days amid sacrifices and songs. |
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1 Maccabees 4:36 Then said Judas and his
brethren, Behold, our enemies are discomfited: let us go up to cleanse and dedicate
the sanctuary. |
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1 Maccabees 4:37 Upon this all the host
assembled themselves together, and went up into mount zion. |
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1 Maccabees 4:38 And when they saw the sanctuary
desolate and the altar profaned and the gates burned up and shrubs growing
in the courts as in a forest or in one of the mountains, yea, and the
priests' chambers pulled down; |
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1 Maccabees 4:42 So he chose priests of blameless
conversation such as had pleasure in the law: |
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1 Maccabees 4:43 Who cleansed the sanctuary and
bare out the defiled stones into an unclean place. |
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1 Maccabees 4:48 And made up the sanctuary and
the things that were within the temple and hallowed the courts. |
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1 Maccabees 4:52 Now on the five and twentieth
day of the ninth month which is called the month Casleu, in the hundred
forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes in the morning |
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1 Maccabees 4:53 And offered sacrifice according
to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings which they had made. |
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1 Maccabees 4:56 And so they kept the dedication
of the altar eight days and offered burnt offerings with gladness and
sacrificed the sacrifice of deliverance and praise. |
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1 Maccabees 4:59 Moreover Judas and his brethren
with the whole congregation of Israel ordained that the days of the dedication
of the altar should be kept in their season from year to year by the space
of eight days from the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu with
mirth and gladness. |
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Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia |
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A number of historians believe that the reason
for the eight day celebration was that the first Hanukkah was in effect a belated
celebration of the festival of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles (2 Maccabees
1:9 and 2 Maccabees 10:6). |
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During the war the Jews were not able to
celebrate Sukkot properly. Sukkot also lasts for eight days, and was a
holiday in which the lighting of lamps played a prominent part during the
Second Temple period (Suk.v. 2-4). Lights were also kindled in the household
and the popular name of the festival was, therefore, according to Josephus
([1] Jewish Antiquities 12. 7, § 7, #323) the "Festival of Lights"
("And from that time to this we celebrate this festival and call it
Lights"). |
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2 Maccabees 1:9 And now see that you keep the feast
of tabernacles in the month Casleu. |
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2 Maccabees 10:5 Now upon the same day that the strangers
profaned the temple, on the very same day it was cleansed again, even the five
and twentieth day of the same month which is Casleu. |
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2 Maccabees 10:6 And they kept the eight days
with gladness, as in the feast of the tabernacles, remembering that not
long afore they had held the feast of the tabernacles, when as they
wandered in the mountains and dens like beasts. |
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2 Maccabees 10:7 Therefore they bare branches,
and fair boughs, and palms also, and sang psalms unto him that had given
them good success in cleansing his place. |
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2 Maccabees 10:8 They ordained also by a common statute
and decree, That every year those days should be kept of the whole nation
of the Jews. |
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Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia |
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It has been noted that Jewish festivals are connected
to the harvesting of the Biblical seven fruits which Israel was famed for. Pesach
is a celebration of the barley harvest, Shavuoth of the wheat, Sukkoth of
the figs, dates, pomegranates and grapes, and Hanukkah of the olives. The olive
harvest is in November and olive oil would be ready in time for Hanukkah in
December. |
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Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia |
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The Talmud (Shabbat 21b) says that after the
occupiers had been driven from the Temple, the Maccabees went in to take
down the pagan statues and restore the Temple. They discovered that most of
the ritual items had been profaned. They sought ritually purified olive oil
to light a Menorah to rededicate the Temple. |
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However, they found only enough oil for a single
day. They lit this and went about purifying new oil. Miraculously, that tiny
amount of oil burned for the eight days it took to have new oil pressed and
made ready. It is for this reason that Jews light a candle each night of
the festival. |
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Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia |
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The miracle of Hanukkah is referred to in the Talmud,
but not in the books of the Maccabees. This holiday marks the defeat of Seleucid
forces who had tried to prevent Israel from practising Judaism. Judah
Maccabee and his brothers destroyed overwhelming forces, and rededicated
the Temple. The eight-day festival is marked by the kindling of lights with
a special menorah known in modern Hebrew as a hanukiah. |
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Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia |
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In the Talmud two customs are presented. It was
usual either to display eight lamps on the first night of the festival, and
to reduce the number on each successive night or to begin with one lamp the
first night increasing the number till the eighth night. |
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The followers of Shammai favored the former
custom; the followers of Hillel advocated the latter (Talmud, tractate
Shabbat 21b). Josephus believed that the lights were symbolic of the
liberty obtained by the Jews on the day that Hanukkah commemorates. |
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One of the best known symbols of Hanukkah is the
Dreidel. A dreidel is a four sided top with a Hebrew letter on each side. The four letters are: |
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SHIN, HEY, GIMEL,
NUN |
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These letters mean "A Great Miracle
Happened There.” In Israel the dreidel is a bit different in that their
letters mean " A Miracle Happened HERE!" |
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The dreidel game was popular during the rule of Antiochus
before the Maccabees' revolt, a time when soldiers executed any Jews who
were caught practicing their religion. |
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When pious Jews gathered to study the Torah,
they had the top ready in case they heard soliders approaching. If the
soldiers appeared, they would hide the holy scriptures and pretend to play
with the dreidel. |
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1) People
should not follow Torah |
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2) People
should not circumcise their children |
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3) People
should not celebrate the Sabbath |
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4) People
should not keep the Festivals |
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5)
Sacrifices should not be made in the Temple |
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6) People
should be free to eat pig |
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2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you,
brethren, by the coming of our Lord Yeshua Messiah and by our gathering
together unto him |
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2 Thessalonians 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken
in mind or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as
from us, as that the day of Messiah is at hand. |
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2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by
any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away
first and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition; |
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2 Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposes and exalts
himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he as
God sits in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. |
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1 John 4:3 And every spirit that confesses not
that Yeshua Messiah is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit
of antichrist whereof ye have heard that it should come and even now
already is it in the world. |
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1 Maccabees 1:41 Moreover king Antiochus wrote
to his whole kingdom that all should be one people |
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1 Maccabees 1:42 And every one should leave his laws
… |
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1 Maccabees 1:49 To the end they might forget
the law and change all the ordinances. |
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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 |
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1 Maccabees 1:48 That they should also leave
their children uncircumcised … |
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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 |
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1 Maccabees 1:45 And forbid … that they should
profane the sabbaths and festival days: |
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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 |
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1 Maccabees 1:45 And forbid burnt offerings, and
sacrifice and drink offerings in the temple |
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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 |
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1 Maccabees 1:45 … sacrifice swine's flesh and unclean
beasts: |
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Ecclesiastes 1:9 The thing that has 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. |
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Ecclesiastes 3:15 That which has been is now;
and that which is to be has already been; and God requires that which is past. |
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Zechariah 9:13 When I have bent Judah for me,
filled the bow with Ephraim and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy
sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. |
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Source: Jewish Encyclopedia |
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[Hellenism is the word] used to express the assimilation,
especially by the Jews, of Greek speech, manners and culture from the
fourth century B.C. through the first centuries of the common era. |
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The victorious campaign of Alexander the Great
had linked the East to the West. The victory was not simply a political
one. Its spiritual influence was much greater. The Greek language became a
common language for nearer Asia and with the language went Greek culture,
Greek art, and Greek thought. |
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Source: Jewish Encyclopedia |
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The Hellenic influence pervaded everything and
even in the very strongholds of Judaism it modified the organization of the
state, the laws, and public affairs, art, science, and industry, affecting
even the ordinary things of life and the common associations of the people. |
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By the introduction of Grecian art a door was
opened to debauchery and riotous living; and though Judaism was hardly
menaced by the introduction of direct idolatry, the connection of this
culture with sublimated Greek polytheism became a real danger to the Jewish
religion. |
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Source: Jewish Encyclopedia |
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For this reason the Hellenists are called
("wicked men"; 1 Macc. 1:11), or ("wicked and ungodly men"
1 Macc 7:5). |
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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. |
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1 Maccabees 1:11 In those days went there out of
Israel wicked men, who persuaded many, saying, Let us go and make a covenant
with the heathen that are round about us: for since we departed from them
we have had much sorrow. |
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1 Maccabees 1:12 So this device pleased them
well. |
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1 Maccabees 1:13 Then certain of the people were
so forward herein, that they went to the king, who gave them licence to do
after the ordinances of the heathen: |
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1 Maccabees 1:14 Whereupon they built a place of
exercise at Jerusalem according to the customs of the heathen: |
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1 Maccabees 1:15 And made themselves uncircumcised
and forsook the holy covenant, and joined themselves to the heathen and
were sold to do mischief |
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1 Maccabees 1:41 Moreover king Antiochus wrote
to his whole kingdom that all should be one people |
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1 Maccabees 1:42 And every one should leave his laws:
so all the heathen agreed according to the commandment of the king. |
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1 Maccabees 1:43 Yea, many also of the Israelites
consented to his religion and sacrificed unto idols and profaned the
sabbath. |
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Source:
Jewish Encyclopedia |
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The term 'democracy - or more precisely, the
original (ancient Greek) version of the word - was coined in ancient Athens
in the 5th century BC. That state is generally seen as the earliest example
of a system corresponding to some of the modern notions of democratic rule. |
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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: he shall also stand up against the
Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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1) Biblical
Zionists (Ephraim and Judah) standing for Torah |
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2) Biblical
Zionists (Ephraim and Judah) standing for the land of Israel |
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3) The end
of the exile of Jacob |
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4) The coming
of King Messiah and the Messianic Age |
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Jeremiah 31:6 For there shall be a day, that the
watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye and let us go up to Zion
unto the LORD our God. |
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Psalm 121:4 Behold, he that keeps Israel shall neither
slumber nor sleep. |
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Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
they shall prosper that love thee. |
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On-Line Orders |
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www.hebroots.org/hhmi.html |
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Notes