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Matthew 24:15
So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand) … From Cain to Nebuchadnezzar, everyone who tried to conquer the Jewish, the People of the Covenant, did it forcefully through land and military conquest. In his Jewish Antiquities, Flavius Josephus gives a detailed account of Alexander the Great's visit to Jerusalem and the transpiring events that caused him not to invade and destroy it. Even though Alexander the Great did not conduct a military campaign against Jerusalem, the Hellenic empire is responsible for the historically most successful conquest of the People of God, and that through cultural assimilation. The Western philosophical Greek is as opposite to the Eastern covenantal Jew as day is opposite from night, but is commonly said, 'opposites attract!' When Israel had gotten truly addicted to Hellenism and even had a Greek appointed corrupt Jewish High-Priest, all Antiochus Epiphanes thought he had to do was to send his emissary with a list of reforms to put all of Judaism into his evil hands. He didn't expect the Maccabee revolt. From where I stand, the Maccabees may have won the war and rededicated the Temple, Antiochus Epiphanes may be dead, but the form of Anti-Semitism that he taught is still alive and vibrant. In his great graciousness and compassion Hashem gave us His Messiah. This Jewish, Righteous, and Torah-observant Messiah was high-jacked by Greco-Roman believers who in less than two hundred years displayed Him as a Roman god dressed as a Greek Adonis teaching Greek philosophy. Under a twisted ignorant interpretation of Paul's epistles, this identity theft of our Messiah included the same set of religious reforms initiated by Antiochus Epiphanes which are to stop observing the Sabbath, practicing circumcision, eating according to biblical dietary laws, and studying theology as per the Torah. As a Jewish believer, I find myself in awe that today, my non-Jewish brothers live by the same religious reforms as those pushed by Antiochus Epiphanes and even find myself shunned from their fellowship as one whose, to say the least, theology is overly influenced by Judaism. I wonder what Yeshua would think of the fact that if I want fellowship with non-Jewish believers, I have to live by Antiochus Epiphanes rules. It may be OK for others, but Jewish believers need another Chanukah revolt where with Matthias Maccabee we say "NO" to Antiochus Epiphanes' rules and live our faith in Messiah according to the terms of the covenant Hashem gave to His people. Maybe that Day will be the Day of Messiah. May Hashem give us another Matthias Maccabee who will stand for us and lead us into the cultural battle to defeat Antiochus Epiphanes once and for all! May it be soon Abba, even in our days.
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John 10:10-11, 22
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, Tonight is the first night of Chanukah. This evening the majority of Jews around the world, believers and non-believers alike, will remember this joyous event by lighting the first candle of the nine branch candelabrum. Since this week we are also looking at the story of Joseph, let us find a connection. Just like there are many foreshadows of Messiah, there are also many foreshadows of the Anti-Messiah. Like many did before him and others continued after him, Antiochus Epiphanes established himself on the world of his day to bring darkness, fear, sorrow and perdition to God’s people. Joseph on the other hand was established on the world of his day to bring light, safety, joy, and the redemption of God’s people. We could therefore think of the story of Joseph as a ‘Chanukah’ in reverse. Our Master Yeshua taught us that Chanukah was a foreshadow of events yet to come (Matthew 24:15-31). When He went to Jerusalem to celebrate this glorious festival He used the opportunity to teach us about the evil one, about the false shepherd and the thief that will one day manifest himself and devour God’s flock (John 10:1-22). Yes, there will be another ‘Chanukah’. Its story echoes the ones of Passover with Moses, and that of Purim with Mordechai and Queen Esther. At that time, may we remember that as there was a Pharaoh, a Haman, and an Antiochus Epiphanes who all willed the annihilation of God’s people if they did not conform, there will also be a Moses, a Mordechai, and a Mathias Maccabee who will rescue us away from the hands of the Evil One. Yes, at that time The Good Shepherd, Our Mashiach, like David of old who killed a lion and bear to protect the flocks of his father (1 Samuel 17:34-36), will come and rescue us from the hands the Evil One. May we when that time comes be found on the right side of History! John 10:10-11, 22
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, Tonight is the first night of Chanukah. This evening the majority of Jews around the world, believers and non-believers alike, will remember this joyous event by lighting the first candle of the nine branch candelabrum. Since this week we are also looking at the story of Joseph, let us find a connection. Just like there are many foreshadows of Messiah, there are also many foreshadows of the Anti-Messiah. Like many did before him and others continued after him, Antiochus Epiphanes established himself on the world of his day to bring darkness, fear, sorrow and perdition to God’s people. Joseph on the other hand was also established on the world of his day, but he brought light, safety, joy and redemption to God’s people. We could therefore think of the story of Joseph as a ‘Chanukah’ in reverse. Our Master Yeshua taught us that Chanukah was a foreshadow of events yet to come (Matthew 24:15-31). When He went to Jerusalem to celebrate this glorious festival He used the opportunity to teach us about the evil one, about the false shepherd and the thief that will one day manifest himself and devour God’s flock (John 10:1-22). Yes, there will be another ‘Chanukah’. Its story echoes the ones of Passover with Moses and of Purim with Mordechai and Queen Ester. At that time, may we remember then that as there was a Pharaoh, a Haman and an Antiochus Epiphanes who all willed the annihilation of God’s people if they did not conform to the world around them, there will also be a Moses, a Mordechai and a Mathias Maccabee who will rescue us away from the hands of the Evil One. Yes, at that time The Good Shepherd Our Messiah, like David of old who killed a lion and bear to protect the flocks (1 Samuel 17:34-36), will come and rescue God’s children from the hands the Evil One. May we at that time be found on the right side of History! |
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