Hanukkah

Reuven And Mary Lou Doron

Hayfield Minnesota USA

December 16, 2006

"Israel is not only the thermometer for the spiritual condition of the world, it is also the thermostat."

"Therefore, since we receive a Kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:28-29

As the world goes into another calendar year, and as the birth pains of Messiah continue to intensify, we all must look to God for His Word and the power of His Spirit to guide and guard us in our service and obedience to Him. None of us have gone this way before, and we must be paying special attention to His voice.

Israel is not only the thermometer for the spiritual condition of the world, it is also the thermostat, the trigger, if you will, in the hand of God as He guides this age toward the fullness of the harvest and the coming of His Kingdom. If this is so, then strategic and political developments in and around Israel indicate that increasing shaking and challenges are on the horizon, and that we who are called by His Name ought to be more dedicated today to His calling than we were yesterday.

THE FEAST OF DEDICATION (HANUKKAH)

"Hanukkah, is a national commemorative celebration of cleansing and rededication."

"At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, 'How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.' Jesus answered them, 'I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me.'" John 10:22-25

Hanukkah, meaning "dedication" in Hebrew, (though not one of the Biblical Feasts of the Lord), is a national commemorative celebration of the cleansing and rededication of the second Temple in Jerusalem, by the Maccabees during the second century BC. Jesus Himself observed this feast, and used this special occasion as a platform for a prophetic "hint" as to His true Messianic identity.

For nearly one hundred years, the Maccabean dynasty had kept Judea free from Greek pagan domination. Their short reign ended disastrously with Rome's invasion of Jerusalem at 67 BC, but it began with such incredible faith, sacrifice, and courage, and the echoes of their deeds reverberate down the centuries until today.

THE BATTLE WITH HUMANISM & PAGANISM

Antiochus Epiphanes, a Syrian/Greek king who reigned during the second century BC, enforced the humanistic agenda of Greece upon the God-fearing Jewish population of Israel. Antiochus captured Jerusalem, slew 80,000 of her Jewish residents, and sold a like number into slavery. He then removed the sacred vessels from the Temple, slaughtered a pig on the altar of burnt offering, and defiled the entire complex by sprinkling swine broth all over the grounds and buildings. Daily sacrifices and worship services ceased altogether as the nation's spiritual heart was assaulted and dishonored.

Seeking to erase the Jewish national life, Antiochus forbade the worship of God, circumcision, the keeping of the Sabbath, and the observance of the Feasts under the pain of torture and death. The books of the Law and the prophets were destroyed, the Temple was converted to host pagan ceremonies, and a statue of Jupiter was erected on the altar. Antiochus' agenda was calculated and straightforward--wiping out the nation of Israel as a distinct people group who are defined by their faith in the One True God.

Submitting to his pagan policies would mean only one thing--the annihilation of the people of God and the cessation of God's plan of redemption for the world. Without a people, a Temple, and a living body of faith, there would be no Messiah. The stakes were high, as hell raged against the nearing fulfillment of the prophecies announcing the birth of the Savior, and the enemy worked hard to stop God's salvation purpose by eradicating the people through whom the Messiah was to be born.

With incredible courage and sacrifice, a priestly family under the headship of Matthias and his son Judah "the Maccabee" ("Sledge Hammer" in Hebrew), led a fierce national uprising that eventually overpowered the world's greatest military (at that time) and overthrew Greece's Hellenistic rule. The land and the people were safe again; ready to receive the seed of God who was promised to be born to the house of David in the land of Judah.

A TEMPLE MADE READY FOR GOD

"There can be no true worship in the courts of the Lord without first driving the enemy out."

Liberating Jerusalem and the Temple was the ultimate goal of the campaign to secure Jewish survival and sovereignty. Once the Syrian forces were driven out, the Maccabees tore down the pagan idols, cleansed the altar, purified the instruments of worship, and prepared to offer acceptable sacrifices to God.

However, they had enough consecrated oil to rekindle the Eternal Light in the Holy Place for only one day, and messengers were sent to the countryside to collect, press, and consecrate a new supply of oil. Miraculously, the lamp remained lit for eight full days, illuminating the inner sanctuary until the messengers returned with a fresh supply of oil.

The story of Hanukkah is the testimony of the faith, courage, determination, and sacrifice that are needed to liberate, cleanse, and rededicate a defiled temple for a holy purpose. Then, as well as today, there can be no true worship in the courts of the Lord without first driving the enemy out, casting down the idols of humanism and paganism, cleansing the altar from polluted sacrifices, and rededicating oneself as an instrument of worship.

Without the historic Hanukkah, Israel's persevering faith and the Maccabees' fierce spirit, Jesus would not have had the promised human cradle to be born into. Without Hanukkah, none of the hundreds of Messianic prophecies that had to find their fulfillment in the Lord's Davidic lineage could have been fulfilled.

Without Hanukkah there would have been no Mary to conceive God's Son, no Joseph to provide for her, no Bethlehem for Him to be born in, no shepherds to hear the angelic proclamation, no Simeon or Anna to prophesy at His dedication, no Nazareth to be His childhood home, no John the Baptist to prepare His way, no Temple courts to teach in, no disciples to follow Him, no Golgotha to be crucified at, and no tomb to rise from. Without Hanukkah, there would have been no Jesus and no Christmas.

YOUR PERSONAL HANUKKAH

"Is your heart a ready Temple for the Lord?"

Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, was essential in order to ensure the first coming of God's Son. The land, the people, and the Temple had to be ready to receive their King, even though they did not know Him yet. His second coming in the power and glory of His Kingdom will be in a similar manner, only far more spectacular, visible, and dreadful to those who are not prepared for or expecting His appearing. Once again, the Temple of God, this time the Temple of His Spirit, must be fought for, liberated, cleansed, and rededicated to receive our King.

Is your heart a ready Temple for the Lord? Your marriage? Your family? Is there worship, prayer, and exaltation in your courts, or are you oppressed under the heavy yoke of pagan idols and enslaved to humanistic principles?

As in the past, the "Maccabee" of God, the "Sledge Hammer" of the Almighty, will fall with crushing blows upon the enemies of your soul. And though status quo religiosity hates conflict and shuns confrontation and the loss of this world's acceptance, God, who fights for you, will ensure your freedom and your place in His rededicated courts.

As the Jewish community worldwide soon lights the Hanukkah candles, sings songs of victory, exchanges gifts, eats festive foods, and recites the great miracle of the oil, won't you join them in spirit and in truth looking for the liberation, cleansing, and dedication of the Temple of your heart? May this Christmas season be filled not only with the wonder and marvel of Emmanuel's first coming, but also with the preparation of His Temple for His second coming.

"'Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,' says the LORD of hosts.

But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness" Malachi 3:1-3.

We bless you as you hearken to God's voice and as His Word is active in you.

In His grace,

Reuven and Mary Lou Doron
One New Man Call
P.O. Box 164
Hayfield, MN 55940 USA
OneNewManMail@aol.com