Shalom Haverim V’ Mishpochah (Hello friends and family),
After our awesome adventure in Greece, Ephesus, and Israel, it is good to be back home and investing in a different part of our ministry assignment. My New Year’s prayer for you and our ZLM community is that you will find spiritual increase, answered prayers, and divine purpose.
The month of December and the Hebrew month Kislev contain two festivals. Jesus celebrated one: Hanukkah—The Feast of Dedication (John 10:22). The other—Christmas—He did not. These two holidays often overlap, with Christmas Day falling during the eight days of Hanukkah. In the West, with all the commercialism for Christmas and the proximity of the two festivals, Hanukkah has been dubbed the “Jewish Christmas.”
Grecian Desecration of Temple by Antiochus Epiphanes IV
The old joke, that I heard as a kid in New York, was how lucky we Jews
were to have “our Christmas” for eight days. It was a bald-faced
attempt of minority Jews at feeling equal to the majority population.
Our envy stemmed from the deluge of Christmas presents to the children,
never mind that we did not necessarily receive a flow of gifts for
eight days (if we received any at all). A deeper analysis of these
festivals reveals insights into the events that they each commemorate.
Hanukkah commemorates the victory of the Hashmoneans (a group of priestly warriors and their supporters) against the despotic Greek king Antiochus. He ruled Israel circa 170 B.C.
In keeping with the Greek mentality, he strove to Hellenize the country by prohibiting Jewish religious practice. Antiochus entered the Temple in Jerusalem and placed statues of the Greek deities on the altar. The story handed down through the generations also claims that he sacrificed a sow on the altar of God. Antiochus named himself “Epiphanes,” meaning the “greatest,” but the Jews secretly called him “Epimanes,” meaning “madman.”
It seems that every generation gives rise to a demonically inspired
world leader who tries to “wipe Israel off the map.” The current
Islamic leaders who share that goal have raised a gargantuan army of
homicide bombers and indoctrinated them with the same hatred that
motivated Antiochus. Instead of a sow on the altar, they train—no, they
perversely induce—young people to worship death and cry, “Allahu akbar”
as they murder Jews (and sometimes Christians or anyone else in the
way).
Western media attempt to sanitize “Allahu akbar” to mean “God is
great,” as if it is a generic misunderstanding of the nature of the God
of Abraham. It is not. That cry is more accurately translated “Allah
(the desert moon god of Arabia, who has no relation to
Jehovah/Yahweh/Adonai) is greater!” Greater than the God of the “people
of the book”—the Jews and Christians. Greater than the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Israel. Greater than the God who, according to Christians,
has a Son. They are declaring, “Allah is greater.” Like Antiochus
proclaimed himself. Like Haman, Herod, and Hitler—usurpers all, who
dare to claim superiority to the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth.
With God’s help, the Jewish forces prevailed (Baruch Ha Shem!—Praise His Name!) and exiled the Greek rulers. When they entered the Temple, they found it polluted by idols. Jewish leaders immediately began to purify it. Before the rededication, they wanted to kindle the Menorah (candelabra) but discovered that they had only one small flask of the pure olive oil required for the candelabra, sufficient for one day. That small amount of oil miraculously burned for eight days, allowing the Jews to process new, ritually pure oil. An eight-day holiday was then instituted to commemorate the victory over the Greek rulers and the subsequent miracle of the oil. Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication, slowly gained acceptance among the Jewish people. On each of the eight nights, Jews light candles to commemorate the light that burned miraculously for eight days.
Hanukkah is not a biblically mandated festival, nor is Christmas established in the New Testament as a feast. It is also improbable that Yeshua was born in December, which is the middle of winter in Israel. The events surrounding His birth point to the spring or fall as more likely; possibly in the fall, coinciding with the festival of Tabernacles (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23). Both festivals have in common a lack of scriptural authority establishing them as official holidays. Although they each mark a miraculous event, they were originally accepted and celebrated by custom, and eventually evolved into universally accepted feasts.
December/Kislev contains the winter solstice: the shortest, darkest day
of winter. Critics of Christmas often point out this timing and the
connection to old, pagan Greco/Roman festivals. Nevertheless, Christmas
contains deep spiritual lessons and should not be disregarded.
Hanukkah is not a scriptural holiday; it falls between the two biblical festivals of Tabernacles and Passover. Hanukkah is a holiday of lights. In the middle of the deepest darkness of winter, we learn that the light of the candelabra shines and lights the world. The candelsticks represent the light of Torah, God’s Word that illuminates the dark world around us. This lesson helps us to rededicate ourselves to the Lord. For those who know Yeshua, it is a time to recommit to Him.
The biblical festivals with all their various ceremonies illuminate God’s greatness. Through all the elements we use during the festivals—e.g., the four species (Lev. 23:40), the sukkot (booths), shofar (ram’s horn trumpet), matzoh (unleavened bread), the elements of the Seder (Ex.12)—we can experience God and rejoice easily.
In a time of darkness, however, it may be difficult to see God and His miracles. Hanukkah reminds us that God is with us even in the time of darkness. “In His light we see light” (Psalm 36:9). Perhaps the recent headlines got you down: the political and economic news, and the wars and rumors of wars can be overwhelming. Especially as the nations dance around the hate-crazed Iranian regime, one can become discouraged.
Now is a good time to let the Light of the Lord shine!
In the concentration camp at Auschwitz, the inmates were starving and every scrap of food became an issue of life or death. Some winters, people hoarded their miniscule margarine rations so that during the festival of Hanukkah they could kindle the Hanukkah candles and pray a blessing over them. The remembrance of the original, divine Hanukkah intervention lifted the spirits of the prisoners. The saying “a great miracle happened there” reminded the Jewish victims of the Nazis that God was alive and, at least for then, so were they. In the hellish, bleak darkness, they were comforted with generational memories of a God Who still does miracles! (Please see the book Meshumed.
Several years ago, I had the honor of writing the first draft for a
screenplay based on the life of Joseph Bau. You may know him from
Schindler’s List as the young man whose wedding (in the film version)
was held in Schindler’s factory. In the midst of director Steven
Spielberg’s brilliant portrayal of the Nazi horror, Joseph and Rachel’s
wedding became a respite for the viewer, who otherwise was
continuously assaulted by the images of Hitler’s madness. The Baus
miraculously survived, and he became a celebrated illustrator in
Israel, where he raised two wonderful daughters. One of the early
scenes in his autobiography, which I adapted for the screen, was a
Hanukkah story. Bau recounts how the Hanukkah lights led him and his
brother through the snowy, frozen Polish night to safety. What a
picture of our Messiah! He leads us through the cold and dark to His
shining warmth.
Another Holocaust survivor recounted how he was so despondent that he planned to commit suicide by throwing himself onto the electric fence surrounding the camp. On his way to the fence, he heard a small group of people singing the old Hanukkah hymn, “Maoz Tzur” (Rock of Ages—not the traditional Christian hymn), which predicts the great national salvation of the Jewish people. It gave him strength and hope. He went back and survived; he also went on to Israel and a real life. Again, the light of God overcame the darkness (John 1:4, 5).
Yeshua made a point of coming to the Temple on the Feast of Dedication. It was winter, and yet He was in Jerusalem during Hanukkah. He may have stayed in Jerusalem from the Feast of Tabernacles or (even more difficult) made the journey again from Galilee to Jerusalem. He proclaimed on that occasion that He and His Father are one (John 10:30). He proclaimed His Messianic role publicly, thus giving the Jewish people—and ultimately the world—hope of that light to lighten the darkness of sin and suffering that pervades the world. He is truly the light of the world. (John 8:12). At Hanukkah, the Jews have “light and gladness and joy” (Esther 8:16).
At Christmas, all mankind can attain that same blessing and more as
they receive the One of whom it is written, “the light to them that are
in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way
of peace.” (Luke 1:79)
The relationship between these two holidays is another significant example of the seamless connection between the Hebrew Scriptures (Tanach) and the New Testament (B’rit Hadashah).
Frankly, without Hanukkah, there would be no Christmas!
God preserved the Jewish people and the Temple service during the time of the Maccabees. In that preservation, the Messianic line was also preserved once again, and the Messiah / Yeshua came into this world a Jewish Mashiach and Savior of mankind. In His sovereign foreknowledge, God always kept the door open for His plan of salvation. Truly, “He opens the door no man can shut…” (Is. 22:22; Rev. 3:7–8).
Open doors can be history-changing. The television series Ruth—Your People Shall Be My People, currently airing on Zola Levitt Presents and at www.levitt.tv, illustrates an open door that forever changed Katharine’s and my world. When God led Ruth into the families of Naomi and then Boaz, He overturned prejudice and set up prophecy fulfillment on many levels. After Ruth concludes, and before the networks become exclusively High Definition (HD), we will reprise some of Zola’s finest teaching, beginning with his eleven-part classic on the Seven Feasts of Israel, The Holy Days of Our Lord. I invite you to tune in and let our shows fill you with the Light! The January schedule of programs follows:
- Redemption (Ruth 4:5–13).
- God is open to including a gentile like Ruth into the family of Israel and the lineage of the Messiah. Ruth’s story is a picture of the full restoration available to us because of the blood of Yeshua. Messianic Believers from Russia, Sasha and Anya, bless us with their music.
- Future of Hope (Ruth 4:14–17).
- Ruth and Boaz get married and raise a family. Naomi’s life was changed from tragedy and bitterness to one of restoration and hope. Yeshua wants to do the same for each of us.
We break from Ruth for two weeks in order to preview the coming year and share insights gleaned from our most recent tour to Greece during the unrest there:
- More Things to Come.
- From the Mount of Olives, Myles, Katharine, and Sandra preview programs you will see in 2012 and discuss the future of the ministry.
- The Kings of the Earth Look Up.
- Greek riots, prophecy. Rioting in Athens is the backdrop for explaining how current events are fitting into Biblical prophecy. Avner Boskey brings his insights.
Then we begin a grand finale encore of Zola’s best teaching. He’s going
to be back on your TV screen for a couple of memorable months, so you
may want to set your DVRs and VCRs and invite your friends to watch.
- The Holy Days of Our Lord—Overview.
- Myles and Katharine present an encore performance of this classic series on the Seven Feasts of Israel. From the Mount of Olives, Zola gave a summary of the festivals that the Lord established for the Chosen People in Leviticus 23. Zola interviewed Dan Hendrickson, who explained how rabbinical Jews view each of the feasts.
No matter how often I study or teach the Feasts, there is always an increase of understanding and revelation. Please join us for these last lessons with Zola.
We are excited about the upcoming TV series, Acts: Then and Now… The Story Continues. In it, we journey through the Middle East, teach where Paul taught, and meet key leaders in the living Body of Messiah in Israel, which is alive and well! These programs will greatly encourage you.
Our Fall Tour to Greece and the Holy Land was unbelievable! Though
Katharine and I have been to Israel many times, this trip enriched us
beyond expectation. I hope you’ll join us on one of the three tours
this year. Our spring tour leaves on March 11 and returns on the 21st.
If you choose the Petra extension, you’ll visit the rose-red city and
fly home on the 25th.
If you’re interested in this tour or the ones in summer or next fall, contact our tour manager, Tracie, at 214-696-9760 or at travel@levitt.com. You may also answer many of your questions by visiting our website: www.levitt.com/tours.
May 2012 bring true peace, that which surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7). Let those of us who know that Yeshua was both Lord and Messiah remember that it is He who was born a Light to lighten the gentiles and the Glory of His people Israel (Luke 2:32).
Until next time, please Sha’alu Shalom Yerushalayim… “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem!”
Your friend and messenger,
Myles
P.S. Thank you for watching Zola Levitt Presents and supporting this
outreach. Your prayers and financial gifts are vital. Katharine and I
are fully committed to teaching one of the most significant messages
for today. The world is slipping further into darkness, which makes the
message of the Kingdom of God even brighter by comparison (Isaiah
60:1–3).
Dear Myles,
The miracles celebrated by Hanukkah and Christmas illustrate the power of God to light even our darkest hours.
“Here is my gift for January. Please use it to show Jews and Christians that God is sending us all the same message of love and eternal life.”
A special book containing the major prophecies of the Messiah, along with color photos and Holy Land maps from our television series of the same name. It is extremely important that we are able to prove the coming of Messiah from Old Testament Scripture, thus showing objective evidence that our Lord is indeed “The Prophesied Messiah.” One of our all-time most popular books.
Remarkable stories of Orthodox Jews who accepted their Messiah even in the concentration camps of World War II Europe! Some of the most dramatic testimonies in print.
In this “after-Christmas musical,” Zola narrates the moving story of Simeon, the aged-but-faithful servant who waited to see the Messiah face-to-face.
