Below is a response we received regarding "Should
Believers Observe Hanukkah?", which we thought you all might enjoy. It
contains some more profitable insight.......
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2008 1:58 PM
Subject: RE: Should Believers Observe Hanukkah?
Shlama to you all--
Very
nice study. I should point out two things:
1) Hanukkah was
optional feast happening in the RAINY SEASON, an extremely unpleasant time to
travel 90 miles from Galilee to Jerusalem. There is NO WAY Y'shua would
have walked in all that mud all that distance to Jerusalem at all if he had a
problem with Hanukkah. He simply would have stayed home in Galilee, as we
know he did at other times of the year when he was not required to go up for a
Great Feast. The very idea that he "happened to be in Jerusalem on that
day" is therefore absolutely ludicrous. Anyone who says this obviously has
zero appreciation of the logistics involved. To see just how nasty
this time of year is, let's see this from Ezra:
Ezra 10:6-14
6 Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and
went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no
food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness
of the exiles. 7 A proclamation was then issued throughout
Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem.
8 Anyone who failed to appear within three days would
forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and
elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.
9 Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin
had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all
the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly
distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. 10 Then
Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful; you have
married foreign women, adding to Israel's guilt. 11 Now
make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers, and do his will.
Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives."
12 The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: "You are
right! We must do as you say. 13 But there are many people here and it
is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot
be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this
thing. 14 Let our officials act for the
whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman
come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the
fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us."
Again,
do we really think Y'shua just "happened" to make this journey at this time of
year because he wanted a casual tour of Jerusalem? I don't think
so.
And that brings me to this:
2) The Aramaic of
John's Gospel contains a huge clue about the importance of Hanukkah. Every
part of Y'shua's life has resonance in an ancient moed. He was born
between Yom Kippur and the start of Sukkot, he is crucified at Pesach, rises on
Bikurrim and ascends towards the end of the omer count, with the Ruach HaKodesh
coming at Shavuot. I think the evidence for a birth around Sukkot is very
solid and I won't detail it here. Suffice to say for now both the astronomical
evidence of the sole king's star that the Magi would have tracked for 2 years
starting at 7 BCE had to be Jupiter, and we know when that emerged from behind
the sun and stopped over Bethlehem. That timing also synchs well with what we
know about when Abijah course served 15 months prior to the birth. Combine
this with Luke's commentary that Y'shua was "about thirty" during the 15th year
of Tiberius (going with co regency with Augustus in CE 12 and agreeing with
John's comment that the same year was 46 years after the Temple was expanded by
herod in 19 BCE), and ALL these lines converge with 27 CE as the initial
ministry year and 5 BCE as the birth. Plus, tell your friend that shepherds
NEVER "abide in the fields" with their sheep in Jerusalem after mid
November. They are sheltered in the rainy season, for obvious
reasons. 9 months before Sukkot brings us to a Hanukkah CONCEPTION, the
light of the world coming forth during the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah. Whether
the Talmud, Josephus or Macabbees is 100% correct in all details misses the
point. The point is that Y'shua believed it and proved as such. He is our
halachic master and I defer to him. Finally, the phrase in John 1:9 has another
clue. The Aramaic reads, nohra d'shrara d'menhar (light of truth that
shines). Now take the first and last words:
NOHRA
MENHAR
Now reverse them:
MENHAR NOHRA
The
word MENORAH literally means "from light/flame"--appropriate for a
candlestick. The word HAR in the middle of the phrase may be a reference
to the light of MOUNT (har) Sinai that Y'shua certified with his
Transifiguration with Moshe and Elijah later on another HAR, or the HAR where he
delivered his Sermon. Whatever the case may be, I have doubt in my mind
that Yochanan embedded this clue on purpose.
Not a required feast
to be sure, but hardly irrelevant either.
THE TIME
IS NOW. The Aramaic English New Testament -- MARI, the
Peshitta English Aramaic Critical Edition (PEACE) for the Renewed
Covenant is finally here! Not just an interlinear with all
original Aramaic readings properly restored, MARI/PEACE is an unprecedented
translation and encyclopedia of Nazarene faith, history and halacha! This
vital work has been years in the making! See the difference for yourself
at www.aent.org!
SIGNS
OF THE CROSS readers! PLEASE note that Amazon and Borders
websites are no longer offering my first book. This was due to
unreasonable fee increases that Xlibris Press was demanding, but the bookstore
websites don't say this but simply have an exorbitant price ($175 and up) for
the book. If you still want to order "Signs of the Cross" please do so
directly from www.xlibris.com for best
price and availability.
Completely Updated with Many Exciting New
Features! The Paperback Edition of Ruach Qadim, from Tushiyah
Press, is now available. Explore the exciting evidence of Aramaic orignality for
22 New Testament books and see how their clear readings can change your life!
NOW AVAILABLE! Volume 2- The Path to Life. The sequel to Ruach
Qadim, Path to Life, picks up where the original left off.
Fresh Aramaic insights on the remaining 5 NT books and a massive new study on
the Virgin Birth are just a few of the new features that await you! Go to
www.tushiyah.org for more details!
As always please respect Shabbat
day purchase restrictions with respect to all my products! Todah rabba and
may YHWH enrich you all greatly!