WHAT COMES AFTER CHANUKAH

With Chanukah 2023 (5784) in the books I was thinking about the New Year. For the Maccabees the "religious new year" started on the 1st of Nisan, the Passover month.  That is actually the beginning of the ecclesiastical New Year. 

Looking back to look ahead reminds me of the prophet Daniel, especially around "the holidays."

The biblical prophet Daniel described a vision of future historical events. Daniel foresaw the fall of Persia and the rise of Greece. That's the history of Alexander the Great. 

Daniel also foresaw the breakup of Greece into four kingdoms that occurred when Alexander died and his two sons were murdered. He even singled out one of the kingdoms which was lead by Antiochus Epiphanes IV.  Daniel also foresaw his fall. 

Then came Chanukah, and it was winter in Jerusalem. The Maccabees defeated Antiochus. That victory is the basis for Chanukah, which always falls on the 25th of Kislev, around December, when it is winter.

Let's read how Daniel described it...

Daniel 8:15-22 TLV

“Now it happened that while I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, behold, standing before me was one with the appearance of a man. Then I heard a human voice coming from between the banks of the Ulai, calling out saying, ‘Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.’ “He came near to where I was standing, and as he approached I was terrified and fell on my face. But he said to me, ‘Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.’ “While he was speaking to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and stood me up, and said: ‘Behold, I am going to inform you about what will happen later in the time of wrath, for the vision pertains to the appointed time of the end. The ram that you saw with the two horns stands for the kings of Media and Persia. The buck, the male goat, is the king of Greece; and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. The four horns that replaced the one that was broken represent four kingdoms that will arise from this nation, though not with its power. 

167 bce historically, after the Maccabees defeated Antiochus, Jews took back the Temple and freed the Land. In order to deter the Greeks from coming back and ensure their safety, Judaea put it's faith in Rome and made the first ever treaty with the Roman Republic. 

After the fall of Antiochus, Judaea started a very prosperous period known as the Hasmonean dynasty. This was the ruling dynasty of Judea and surrounding regions during the Hellenistic times of the Second Temple period, from circa 140 bce to 37 bce.

Rome was strengthened too from this relationship with Judaea. For a time Israel was blessed and the Roman Republic benefited from Judaea!  We saw the rise of the Roman Empire which began in 27 bce.

Just before the time of Rome's expansion from a Republic to the Roman Empire, Rome appointed "Herod the Great" as king of Judaea. Herod's rein went from ~ 37- 4 bce. Herod went on a building spree, including a large expansion of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple was raised, enlarged, and faced with white stone.  It was truly a sight!! He also built huge palaces, Masada* and Caesarea MaMaritima.

* This is a picture of my family with my son Alex and the Torah at the altar in the temple on the top of Masada which was built by King Herod. Alex had a bar Mitzvah ceremony at our temple in Poughkeepsie. Then we all went to Israel thanks to my parents. 

King Herod and Israel were under the thumb of the new and more powerful Roman Emperor and all that brought. Daniel foresaw the end of Antiochus and rise of Rome and the Roman Emperor.  Let's read how Daniel described it...

Daniel 8:23-25

“‘Now toward the end of their reign, when the measure of transgressions is completed, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. His power will be mighty, but it will not be by his strength alone. He will cause extraordinary devastation, and succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy both the powerful and the holy people. By his cunning he will cause deceit to prosper under his hand and he will consider himself superior. He will destroy many, taking them unaware. He will even stand up against the Prince of princes, yet he will be broken, but not by human hands. 

Daniel was very disturbed by his vision. Daniel put it this way...

Daniel 8.26-27

“Now the vision of the evenings and mornings that has been told to you is true, but seal up the vision for it concerns many days from now.’ “Then I, Daniel, was stricken and languished for days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business, but I was astounded at the vision and no one could explain it." 

Here's an interesting fact about Chanukah that is actually recorded in the Books of the Maccabees. After the Maccabees' great victory, when the Jews dedicated (Chanukah) the temple and annointed the altar with the Shemen Hamashiach (anointing oil for Messiah), Judah Maccabee declared to all the land to "remember the 13th of the month of Adar and Mordecai Day." That is a direct reference to the Fast of Esther and Purim!  Low & behold, that is actually the next big Jewish holiday after Chanukah. Purim begins on the evening of March 23rd in 2024. 

Now you now what comes after Chanukah!  Purim is another "holiday" with an evil man who tried to wipe out the Jews. Haman was a figure like Antiochus. Like in the story of Chanukah, the Jews turn the tables on him.  Purim follows Chanukah on the Jewish calendar, but what follows in Daniel's prophecy is a more evil and powerful figure. 

The times described in Daniel 11 are "end-times" that even Daniel didn't understand.  

Daniel 12:3-4

'Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those who turn many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, close up the words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will run back and forth and knowledge will increase.’ 

Do you understand what Daniel is saying?!

Daniel 12:8-10 

Now I heard, but I did not understand. So I said, ‘My Lord, what will be the outcome of these things?’ Then he said: “Go your way, Daniel. For the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly. None of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand. 

For times such as these, keep in mind that the Lord is our Shepherd the Shepherd knows his Sheep!  We can take comfort in Psalms...

Psalms 23:

A psalm of David. ADONAI is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me: Your rod and Your staff comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of ADONAI forever. 

HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Epilogue:

I've been blogging for 12+ years and have written nearly 450 posts. Over that times I have written several about Chanukah.  Here are links to most of them:  

It Takes a Hammer to Drive a Nail

The Moriah Plant

Hanukkah and 8

Miracle of Miracles 

Did God Plan Hanukkah 

Hanukkah Trivia

To my Christian friends, I encourage you to read John 10. For a more in depth explanation there are many pastors who teach about Daniel and Antiochus. Here is an example: 

History and Prophecy (Part 1)

History and Prophecy (Part 2)

GLORY TO GOD

Kabbalistic Tree of Life

Isaiah 60:1-2 TLV

Arise, shine, for your light has come! The glory of ADONAI has risen on you. For behold, darkness covers the earth, and deep darkness the peoples. But ADONAI will arise upon you, and His glory will appear over you. 

The word "Glory" has special meaning and significance in both Judaism and Christianity. Christmas is a good day to ponder this relationship. Here is what I surmised.

Given the supernatural quality of the birth and death of Yeshua I decided to turn to kabbalistic sources for the Jewish viewpoint. That is why I included the Kabbalah Tree of Life illustration above.

My knowledge of Kabbalah is miniscule, so pardon my limited ability to explain what I am trying to share. 

The Hebrew word for Glory is Tiferet - Hebrew: תִּפְאֶרֶת  - Lit. 'beauty, glory, adornment. On Kabbalah's¹ Tree of Life, Tiferet is the sixth Sefira. In the Jewish Kabbalah, the Sephiroth spheres on the Tree represent emenations of God in the human psyche. In Kabbalah all things are linked to God through these emanations. The lines connecting the spheres are pathways. There is a hierarchical aspect to the Tree with the bottom of the diagram being akin to the base of a tree and the top being the crown.

The sphere of Tiferet/Glory has the common association of "Spirituality", "Balance", "Integration", "Beauty", "Miracles", and "Compassion." You can see Tiferet (Glory) at the center of the Tree.

Tiferet is the force that integrates the Sefira of Chesed ("Kindness") and Gevurah ("Strength, also called Din, "Judgement"). Those two forces are, respectively, expansive (giving) and restrictive (receiving). Either of them without the other could not manifest the flow of Divine energy; they must be balanced in perfect proportion by balancing compassion with discipline/judgment.

Notice in the Tree of Life image above that the Tiferet occupies a place on the middle pillar and it takes a central place in the lower face of the Tree of Life.  It has both a higher and lower reflection.

Tiferet is unique amongst the Sephirot as it is connected to all the other Sephirot except Malkuth.

Malkuth means Kingdom and is associated with the realm of matter/earth and relates to the physical world.

The Tiferet's position down the center indicates to many Kabbalists that it is somewhat of a "converting" Sephirot as all the other words cross over the middle path via Tiferet (Glory). 

With Christmas upon, here are some scriptures with the word glory.  

John 1:14, NKJV

It is written, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Luke 2:14-20

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth shalom to men of good will.” And when the angels departed from them into the heavens, the shepherds were saying to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which ADONAI has made known to us!” So they hurried off and found Miriam and Joseph, and the Baby lying in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the word that had been spoken to them concerning this Child. And all those who heard were amazed at the things the shepherds told them. But Miriam treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, just as they had been told."

Shechinah Glory

The rabbis teach us that the Word of God is referred to as the Shechinah (שכינה) pronounced Shekhina in English. The word derives from the root Shechen (שכן), which means to dwell.  The term is used to describe God’s manifest glory or His visible presence in the creation.

There is an important Jewish book attributed to a 1st-century rabbinic sage named Nehunya ben HaKanah (a contemporary of Yochanan ben Zakai) that is called the Sefer HaBahir (Hebrew: סֵפֶר הַבָּהִיר) "Book of Clarity" or "Book of Illumination."

During the period of the "early church," this 1st Century Rabbinic sage Nehunya ben HaKanah said: “God is the place of the world.” The sages further articulate that the part of the Divine sphere that interacts with man is the Shechinah. This interaction represents God in the lower spheres, which some refer to as the natural realm. 

Isaiah 40:22 

“He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.”

In the Bahir, a mystical religious text attributed to this same 1st-century rabbinic sage Nehunya ben HaKanah, it states that the Sixth Sephirot is the adorned, glorious, delightful throne of glory, the house of the world to come. It's place is engraved in wisdom as it says 'God said: Let there be light, and there was light.'

John 3:19-21 TLV

“Now this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world and men loved the darkness instead of the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. But whoever practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be made known that his deeds have been accomplished in God.”

Again, on the kabbalistic Tree of Life, to the left of 

Tiferet is the word Gevurah which is the emenation of judgment. To the right is the word Chesed which is the emenation lovingkindness. There are other fascinating relationships on the Tree as well -- even the Hebrew letters in the pathways have a meaning.  

Frankly, as I meditate on this matter there is much more than I have the room or words to express in this post.  There are many online resources available about Kabbalah. I would just caution the reader to seek reputable credible sources. Here is an introduction to the Tree of Life.

There are many aspects of Kabbalah which correspond to an understanding of Yeshua.  For more on this refer to this article:

Jesus and the Mysteries of Kabbalah 

For an overview of Kabbalah watch this video.

The Book of Zohar -- Kabbalah Explained Simply

Finally, to help explain Christmas in a very ironic way I am going to share a very Jewish article from a Hassidic website.  I put a link to it here: 

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/147415/jewish/Make-Your-Own-Sanctuary.htm

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

- John 3:16

Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah! "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth shalom to men of good will.”

Epilogue:

By Rabbi and acclaimed author on the topic Kabbalah Tzvi Freeman:

"As much as the human soul yearns to rise up and merge within the light of its Creator, so much more so does the Infinite Creator yearn to be found within the human soul.

If so, what force could stand between them? What could hold back the Creator’s infinite light?

Only His desire that this union occur with our consent, that we be the ones to crack open the door.

Even when the soul’s yearning has faded, forsaking its Beloved, wrestling itself from His love and even openly rebelling…even then, He cries out to us and knocks on our door.

“Open for me just an infinitesimal pinhole,” G‑d pleads, “and I will open for you a vast, infinite portal to all My love, from My very core of being.”

In order to experience spiritual evolution one forms intentions for connection with the Devine. It seems to me that this invitation to receive understanding from the Creator is essential to both Judaism and Christianity.  

"God is unseeable, and yet, he invites us to look for him. God is incomprehensible, and yet he invites us to know him.”

Isaiah 60:19-22 TLV

"No more will the sun be your light by day, nor the glow of the moon be your light, but ADONAI will be your everlasting light, and your God for your glory. No more will your sun set, nor will your moon wane, for ADONAI will be your everlasting light, as the days of your mourning end. Then your people will all be righteous. They will possess the land forever— the branch of His planting, the work of My hands— that I may be glorified. The smallest will become a thousand, and the least a mighty nation. I, ADONAI, will hasten it in its time.” 

Epilogue:

I wrote a blog post about 7 months after this one the I think relates to this. Click here to read "The Perfector."

THE CANARY IS WARNING US

An accomplice of a thief is his own enemy. He hears the oath but says nothing. 

- Proverbs 29:24 TLV

Antisemitism has shot up to levels not seen since the 1930's. This should tell all of us that our society and the world are in very serious trouble. 

Jews are the scapegoat for the ills of society.  Jews are like some sort of supernatural thermometer.  A thermometer doesn't cause the temperature; It is a means of telling the temperature.  So it is with Jews and the level of sickness in society.  That's why they call us Jews the "canary in the coal mine." 

There is always antisemitism but very high levels of it are generally limited to certain countries or regions.  Today it's a worldwide phenomenon. 

At the same time that the antisemitism gauge is flashing red warning signals, we have a worldwide leadership vacuum. 

There is a lack of strong ethical moral leadership in the world. In America we have a President who get's confused laying a wreath on Veterans Day and can't find his way off stage. In Europe there is no central leader.  

Invented the first air pump and
used it to study the phenomenon
of a vacuum in the 1600's.

The combination of a very ill society and a leadership vacuum is a very risky and dangerous situation!  This combination sets the stage for a charismatic leader with oratory talents and the ability to capture and channel the passions of the populous.  Such an individual can rapidly rise to power. They can seemingly come out of nowhere and quickly command the masses!

The question is which side will they appeal to? Will they give voice to and unite the angry antisemitic population and propell the world into darkness? Or will they seek to return us to a better place?  Will they have good or evil intentions?  

The world, societies and each of us has to choose. When it comes to good and evil there is no middle. We have to pick a side.  It is time to recognize the consequences of our choices.  When dealing with true evil the options are never easy and good people often have to do things they never would otherwise.  We need to have the courage to take uncomfortable actions.

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak.  Not to act is to act."  Dietrich Bonhoeffer

There is an opening for both a messiah figure as well as an anti-messiah figure.  Surely, deception will be at work.  Will you be able to tell the difference? Don't be so sure!!

"For not only one (enemy) has risen up against us to destroy us, but in every generation they rise up to destroy us."  From the Vehi Shamda passage in the Passover Haggadah 

Living Water

Mount of Olives, Jerusalem 

Living Water in Hebrew is מַֽיִם־חַיִּ֖ים mayim-ḥayyîm. The expression "Living Water" appears in both the Tenach and the New Testament.  What is it?

To be a living water means constantly being in a state of refreshing, replenishing, and refilling. 

In Hebrew culture, the term "living waters" described pure, flowing water untouched by human hands. Living water is naturally filtered through rock which removes impurities while leaving behind beneficial minerals like magnesium, calcium and bicarbonate. Magnesium plays many crucial roles in the body, such as supporting muscle and nerve function and energy production.

The prophet Zechariah described Jerusalem as a source of "living water," "half [flowing] east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter" (Zechariah 14:8). The city of Jerusalem was abundantly supplied with water by many conduits and subterranean channels. 

Zechariah 14:4 prophesied  "On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward."

In Ezekiel 47, the prophet speaks of waters that heal and promote life.  "...wherever the stream flows they shall be healed and live." (Verse 9) Ezekiel continues to describe waters with a special nature. In Verse 12 he says "the waters will emanate from the Sanctuary, and its fruit shall be for food and its leaves for a cure." These waters "will grow every tree for food; its leaf will not wither, neither will its fruit end; month after month its fruits will ripen."  Surely these are living waters. 

In Jeremiah 2:13 and 17:13, the prophet describes God as "the spring of living water," who has been forsaken by his chosen people Israel. 

Water from the Rock sustained the children of Israel during The Exodus from Egypt. Water from the Rock of Miriam supplied living waters to millions of people and their livestock too. 

At the end of their journey after Miriam died the Rock went dry and the people rumbled greatly. Adonai instructed Moses to speak to the Rock rather than to strike it as he had in the past along the way when water was needed. 

Numbers 20:7-12 TLV

ADONAI spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the staff and gather the assembly, you and your brother Aaron. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will give out its water. You will bring out water from the rock, and you will give the community something to drink, along with their livestock.” So Moses took the staff from before the presence of ADONAI, just as He had commanded him. Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock. He said, “Listen now, you rebels! Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with the staff. Water gushed out and the community and its livestock drank. But ADONAI said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in Me so as to esteem Me as holy in the eyes of Bnei-Yisrael, therefore you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given to them.”

Moses paid high price for his disobedience and lapse of faith. 

Why did God want Moses to speak to the rock? Was He seeking a different means for a relationship? Was God seeking to display something to the people? Why did Moses strike the Rock in a deed that seemed to signify anger or perhaps fear that with his sister Miriam dead the Rock would not perform?  Even Moses did not seem to understand. As it says in Deuteronomy 29:2-3 - "the great trials that your eyes saw, those great signs and wonders. But to this day ADONAI has not given you a heart to know, or eyes to see, or ears to hear."

Fortunately God's Everlasting Covenant with Abraham remained intact. Sustaining Waters flowed from the Rock and the Israelites continued on their path to the land that God showed and promised to Abraham.

In the New Testament, Yeshua claims to be the "Living Water." Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman saying, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

The Gosple of John, chapter 7 verse 37-38 Yeshua says, 

"On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Yeshua stood up and cried out loudly, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, ‘out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 

Note: The "last day of the great Feast" is Shemini Atzeret. That is the day Hamas attacked Israel and massacred Jews.

The Jews would not have survived 40 years in a desert without Water from the Rock. There would have been no life in Jerusalem without מַֽיִם־חַיִּ֖ים mayim-ḥayyîm.  

I shutter to think of our world today without faithful believers in Salvation (Yeshua). There are only about 15 million Jews against a world of 8 billion wanting to destroy us and Israel. For survival Jews and Israel are depending on the prayers and support of believers.  The source of the living waters promises eternal life for all. 

Am Yisrael Chai!

IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE

 

A Tzadik is someone who is righteous. Tzedaka means charity or good deeds.  These both have their root in the word justice - צֶ֥דֶק

The bible says:

"Justice, justice you must pursue, so that you may live and possess the land that ADONAI your God is giving you." Deuteronomy 16:20

צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף לְמַ֤עַן תִּֽחְיֶה֙ וְיָֽרַשְׁתָּ֣ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ

Notice the word for justice is repeated 2x. That is a significant! God emphasizes that way.

In war the army - the  commanders and soldiers -  are prosecutor, judge and executioner.  Death sentences are handed out and exercised with no "due process." The accused enemy has no "defence lawyer." There is no "judge" overseeing matters. The "execution" is carried out on the spot with no opportunity to appeal.

Israel doesn't start wars but once it goes to war it operates by principles of the laws of war.  Israel goes above and beyond those laws and to great lengths to avoid civilian deaths. 

Hamas, on the other hand, is the antithesis. Their ways are the direct opposite.  They are the manifestation of "evil." Israel uses violence -- Hamas literally IS "violence." 

That is why this war is different than a war to settle a dispute. This war won't determine whether the Palestinians have a territory or state.  This war is not only to defeat an enemy. This is a war to blot out the enemy.  

The historical tragedy is that Israel missed it's chance to do so.

1 Samuel 15:1-3 TLV

Then Samuel said to Saul, “ADONAI sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, listen to the voice of the words of ADONAI! Thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot: ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Now go and strike down Amalek and put all he has under the ban of destruction—so have no pity on him; but kill both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’” 

Sadly, a war cannot blot out "evil." A war cannot end "violence."  As history shows, there is no war that ends all wars. The ideology of Amalek, Haman, the Nazis and Hamas will still exist after this current war is over.  

Israel will forever need to fight. Israel will have to go on pursuing justice so that Jews may live and possess the land that ADONAI our God gave us. 

Until ...

Isaiah 2:2-4

It will come to pass in the last days that the mountain of ADONAI’s House will stand firm as head of the mountains and will be exalted above the hills. So all nations will flow to it. Then many peoples will go and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of ADONAI, to the House of the God of Jacob! Then He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths.” For Torah will go forth from Zion and the word of ADONAI from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and decide for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor will they learn war any more. 

Am Yisrael Chai! 

Epilogue:

IRAN IS FIGHTING A GLOBAL JIHAD WAR -- A RELIGIOUS WAR AGAINST EVERYTHING THE WEST STANDS FOR.

"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire

“The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he is the good guy”—Ken Ammi

Jordan Peterson breaks it down extremely well. 

https://youtu.be/3s-22sMkYAs?si=nRWR67N9awGk6yVU

A SUPERNATURAL BATTLE

In Lebanon, Iran, London and elsewhere there have been massive crowds of bloody thirsty haters calling for the destruction of Israel and the killing of every Jew on the planet.  Even in the USA we see disturbing evidence of large scale antisemitism.  

We have national leaders in Muslim countries blaming Israel for the massacre of Israelies. Russia and China are siding with Israel's enemies. Many are starting to wonder about the times we are in. 

Israel's last major war, fifty years ago in 1973 started on Yom Kippur. The war Israel is in now started on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, which landed on October 7th. It is no accident that Iran and Hamas chose to attack Israel on this special holiday.  

Sukkot is a seven (7) day Jewish holiday. It is the last of the fall festivals in the bible. Sukkot goes right into the most joyous day in the Jewish calendar called Shemini Atzeret. The Book of Leviticus 23.36 declares this day, the eighth day to be a Holy Convocation.

Evil Chose the Most Joyous Day

Integral to all the festivals on the Jewish calendar – Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot is the mitzvah to rejoice. The Torah enjoins us to "Rejoice on your festivals!" Of all the festivals, however, only Sukkot is described as "the season of our rejoicing." The joy of Sukkot eclipses the joy of the other festivals as evidenced by Sukkot's nightly "Water Drawing Celebrations."

Then, on the last day of the Great Feast, there's the utterly unbridled joy of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (Joy of Torah), which surpasses even the joy of Sukkot.  

The Evil that is Hamas (violence and hate) sought to rob, steal and destroy Israel's joy!

8 IS SPECIAL! 

Creation lasted 6 days and the 7th day God reserved for Rest, the Sabbath. 8 represents a new beginning, a new order or a new creation. 8 has a supernatural quality.  

Seven is solid, perfect. 7 represents the natural order. 7 days in a week. 7 colors in a rainbow. 7 notes of the diatonic scale make one complete octave. 7 branches on the Temple menorah with 7 candles to illuminate the natural world with the glow of Light. 

While 7 symbolizes perfection, 8 has supernatural associations. Judaism teaches that eight symbolizes that which is beyond natural limits and higher than the natural order. 8 transcends the natural. 8 is infinite. 

After Sukkot and the 7 days of the Feast of Tabernacles, is the 8th day and the holiday of Shemini Atzeret, called the Last Great Day. It is also called Hoshana Raba, the day of "Great Salvation." 

On the previous 7 days the temple priests gathered water from the Pool of Siloam. On Hoshana Raba, the 8th day, is the ritual of the great outpouring of the spiritual waters.

Jubilee - 50 - Pentecost

Jews literally count every day during the 7 weeks (Seven 7's) before Pentecost/Revelation at Sinai.  It is called "counting the Omer." Then something supernatural happens on the 50th day. There is a great outpouring.  After 7 Shmita Years (seven periods of seven years) is the Jubilee. 

Jews who practice Kabbalah, work on perfecting 7 emotions: love, fear, compassion, ambition, humility, bonding and receptiveness (one emotion per week). Perfection leads to transcendence. 

New Beginning

Eight symbolizes a new beginning. God saved eight people on the ark in order to have a new beginning for mankind after the flood. Jews perform the brit milah, circumcision, on the 8th day of a new baby boy's life.  

Hanukkah, the holiday to rededicate the Temple to God after the Maccabees miraculous victory, lasts 8 days. According to most scholars, Hanukkah was born out of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, an eight day celebration. So the Maccabees rededicated the Temple and immediately set out to celebrate for eight days.

Psalm 27 is read at the end of Sukkot, which is the day Hamas attacked Israel. Read this prophetic Psalm. 

Iran and Hamas's choice to massacre Jews on Shemini Atzeret is an attack on Christians too. In the Gosple of John, chapter 7 verse 37-38 it says, 

"On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Yeshua stood up and cried out loudly, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, ‘out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 

A Supernatural Battle

The 8th day, the last and greatest day of the Feast, Hoshana Raba, is when Iran and Hamas attacked Israel.  The day Jews are rejoicing in order to bring the Great Salvation, the ultimate evil, Hamas, strikes. Think about that! 

This attack marks a key moment in a battle between Supernatural Good and Supernatural Evil. It is a battle that is as old as Mankind on earth.  The Evil of Antisemitism is evidence of this battle. It is the only logical explanation for Antisemitism. 

This battle has a Supernatural origin and it will have a Supernatural ending.  When this battle comes to an end there will be a new beginning. 

The Torah tells how it all began. The Prophets and Writings foretold the future. The Book of Revelation tells us how it ends. Then there will be Supernatural New Beginning.  The earth will be born again. 

DEMONS, DIVISION AND DESTRUCTION

Abraham Lincoln in May 1858

President Lincoln's second inaugural address became one of the best-known of his career. It begins with the following words, which became the best-known passage of the speech, 

"A house divided against itself, cannot stand."

CAN PARALLELS BE MADE BETWEEN CURRENT EVENTS AND BIBLE PROPHECY? 

Even though Abraham Lincoln's famous line drew from the bible he stopped short of suggesting that the Civil War would end our Nation. As horrific as that period in history was, evidently Lincoln knew he was not living in "End-Times." 

There was more to Lincoln's famous quote, "A house divided against itself, cannot stand."

In this blog post I explored what Lincoln didn't say and what the biblical and prophectic implications may be.

President Lincoln drew from the bible verse Matthew 12.25, which contains the words, "... every city or house divided against itself will not stand." 

Lincoln went on to say:

"I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.

I do not expect the Union to be dissolved - I do not expect the house to fall - but I do expect it will cease to be divided.

It will become all one thing, or all the other."

The Civil War to settle the future of the "House" over the matter of slavery was possibly the most perilous and difficult period our nation has faced. 

Although Lincoln drew from the Book of Matthew, there are some distinctions I would like to call to our attention. Lincoln spoke of the "Divided House" -- our government. Lincoln believed the Union, our Nation would endure. He actually said so in his very next words. The Nation would settle the division in the House one way or the other. 

I think Lincoln was also implying through means of punctuation, a simple comma, that how we settled the division in the House would ultimately determine whether or not the Nation would be destroyed.  I will come back to this point at the end. 

I think there is a parallel to be drawn to today's House, the People's House of Representatives. The division could not be more obvious looking at the tally of the recent vote for the new Speaker.

The Democrat party has moved to the far Left. It is increasingly standing on a more Socialist Platform. In fact, many in the party aspire to Democratic Socialism. Biden's campaign slogan "Build Back Better" mirrors the globalist agenda, which aims to rebuild America based on a new more Socialist vision and values.

In sharp contrast, the new Conservative House Speaker, Mike Johnson, stated his core principles which mirror the Founding principles of our nation including but not limited to: Judeo-Christian values, meritocracy and excellence, fiscal responsibility, sovereignty and security, etc. 

Our House is clearly divided with no apparent willingness for Democrats to come back to the Center. One has to wonder whether our House can stand.  

Following Lincoln's line of reasoning, the House is either going to "Build Back Better" or "Make America Great Again." The USA is either going to go in the direction of Socialism and follow the "One World Order" vision put forth by the Global Elite at the World Economic Forum (WEF) OR we are going to return to the core values that made our Country great. 

There is a more ominous dimension to where our Nation stands in my opinion.  Perhaps it even explains why "America" is not in the bible. To appreciate my concern, which is shared by tens of millions of Americans, we have to look at the full biblical verse from which Lincoln paraphrased. 

Lincoln left out the preceeding words in the same sentence from the bible that his famous quote is from. The full passage of Matthew 12:25 TLV reads as follows:

Knowing their thoughts, Yeshua said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. - 

Evidently Lincoln saw slavery as a matter that would be resolved in order for the House to Stand. But Lincoln believed the Nation, the Union, would endure. 

If the expression "Kingdom divided" can be applied to a nation, then I think the consequences spoken of in Matthew are more drastic. 

In the biblical Book of Matthew, Yeshua speaks of the destruction of the Nation.  Ancient Israel was divided over Yeshua, and 40 years after his crucifixion the Kingdom was destroyed. The Roman wars began, the 2nd Temple was destroyed and Jews were slaughtered or take off as slaves. 

It wasn't until when America was founded that Jewish and Christian values came back together. Thus we are a nation built on Judeo-Christian values.  America paved the way for the prophecy of Israel being created in "one day":

Isaiah 66:8 TLV

"Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children."

If America played such a key role in bible prophecy, it seems to me that being a divided nation like Yeshua described is to risk destruction.  

Here is the full actual bible verse that Lincoln's famous quote is drawn from. 

Matthew 12:22-28 TLV

Then a demon-plagued man, who was blind and mute, was brought to Yeshua; and He healed him, so that he spoke and saw. All the crowds were astounded and saying, “This can’t be Ben-David, can it?” But hearing this, the Pharisees said, “This fellow drives out demons only by beelzebul, the ruler of demons.” Knowing their thoughts, Yeshua said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If satan drives out satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the Ruach Elohim, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 

Yeshua turns the Pharisees argument on it's head. Afterwhich Yeshua accuses them of being an "evil and adulterous generation." Yeshua said "Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed." Is that where we are? 

If America has turned it's back on God and turned away from our Founding Judeo-Christian values, what can we expect will happen? This is how the demons come in.  I realize how crazy it sounds to think that demon spirits have anything to do with the division and destruction of America. All I will say is that religion in general sounds crazy so why not at least hear the theory about demon spirits before you excuse it. 

In his book "The Return of the gods," author and Messianic Jewish Rabbi Jonathan Cahn writes about what is happening politically and spiritually in the USA. He explains how these events parallel what happened in Israel.  

I want to come back to what Lincoln actually said for one last but profound question. After the sentence about a divided house, Lincoln said, 

"I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free."

Why did Lincoln insert a comma??  Did Lincoln have a prophetic vision of the future and was the comma a clue?

If parallels to current events and bible prophecy can be made, then at this point I say WATCH DAMASCUS.