Biblical covenants. A boring subject? Not at all! Rather, it is a key, fundamental aspect of the reconciliation process between God/YHVH Elohim and man, as well as the salvation path YHVH has laid out in the Bible starting with Abraham and ending with Yeshua the Messiah. An understanding of covenantal relationship will gain you a fuller comprehension of the character of the YHVH Elohim, his integrity and unconditional love for people plus a deeper love for him and his word including Yeshua, the Word of Elohim who was made flesh.
YHVH dwells in a high place (heaven), which is often metaphorically represented as a mountain in the Scriptures. It’s high because it’s higher than man and this earth. Mount Sinai was where YHVH spoke to the Israelites from. Moses had to ascend the mountain to come into YHVH’s Presence. The temple in Jerusalem was YHVH’s abiding place among his people. One always wentup to Jerusalem to meet with Elohim at this appointed times. When Yeshua returns, the righteous, newly resurrected saints will go up to meet him — the king. In the Millennium, all nations will go up to Jerusalem to meet YHVH on his feast days.
In Psalms chapters 15 and 24, David asks the question: Who may ascend into the hill of YHVH and abide in the holy place of YHVH’s tabernacle?
YHVH, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; he who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear YHVH; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change; he who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. (Ps 15:1–4)
Who may ascend into the hill of YHVH? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from YHVH, and righteousness from the Elohim of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face. Selah. Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? YHVH strong and mighty, YHVH mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? YHVH of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah (Ps 24:3–10)
What keeps us from the presence of YHVH? It is obvious from this question that not everyone has the right to go up into YHVH’s presence. YHVH as the Almighty Holy King of the universe has established the criteria for who may or may not come up to meet him. Only those people who meet his condition will he allow into his high and most holy presence. Only those who have been imprisoned and blinded by their own pride think that they can waltz into the King’s presence anytime and in any way. This is impudent and presumptive self-delusion. The fact is that YHVH sets the rules and standards, not men. Only those who have died to their own pride and have humbly submitted themselves to do the will of Elohim will he allow into his presence.
Do we really want to do the will of YHVH? Or are we listening to the lie of the serpent who tempted the first man to give in to the lust of his flesh and eyes and the pride of life when he questioned the word of Elohim and said, “Hath God [really] said?” That is to say, you do not really have to obey YHVH. You can pick and choose for yourself what you want to do or not do with regard to his commandments.
The older generation of carnal man Israelites couldn’t enter the Promised Land because of their stiff necks and hard hearts of rebellion and wilfulness. When it suited them, they obeyed YHVH. When it didn’t, the did not. Like our ancient forefathers who died in the wilderness, we need to have the hard and fallow ground of our unrepentant and prideful hearts needs tilled up (Jer 4:3; Hos 10:12). Our hearts need to be circumcised. The filth of this world that has wrapped itself around us needs to be cut off. We need to be cut to the heart and repent of for disobeying our Creator and Father in heaven (Acts 2:37). We need to put off our lukewarm, carnal Laodicean ways (Rev 3:15–20).
We must ask ourselves an important question: Is Yeshua really the Lord or Master of my life, and do I really obey him, or only when it doesn’t get in the way of the things I would rather do?
YHVH-Yeshua is coming back for a bride spotless and loyal bride who has not defiled herself by fornicating with the world and its ways. A bride who will follow the Lamb of Elohim—her Heavenly Bridegroom wherever he goes (Rev 14:4). What does it really mean to follow the Lamb wherever he goes?
Yeshua demands that he be first in the life of his disciples—his betrothed bride. What did Yeshua mean when he said, Lose your life (John 12:25), deny yourself to the exclusion of all others, pick you cross and follow me (Matt 16:24)? This involves a serious commitment and is much more than a mere casual acquaintance.
There is a group of saints in the last days who will be walking righteously with Yeshua. They are the 144,000 king-priests of righteousness, who are not defiled or spiritually polluted by this world (Rev 14:4). They have YHVH Elohim’s seal of approval and ownership stamped on their foreheads (Rev 7:2–4). They keep the commandments of YHVH and have the testimony or faith of Yeshua (Rev 12:17; 14:12). This is the real bride of Yeshua! He is not coming back to marry a phony, hypocritical cold-hearted, lukewarm bride who is only halfheartedly committed to following him. YHVH will allow the former, not the latter into his presence.
The message of the cross of Jesus/Yeshua is a radical, life-changing one. It is a path that is counter-intuitive and often opposite to how the world does things. It’s not about going along (with the world) to get along, or about being popular with men, but rather aligning oneself with the values and ways of heaven. It is NOT about churches, denominations, rituals or men’s traditions, but something much higher! It’s not about a religion, but a relationship with the Creator of the universe. The way of the cross will transport one into a spiritual dimension that will take one past the impenetrable brick wall called death and into a life of immortality in the kingdom of heaven. This video reveals this hidden and often misunderstood path of how to pick up your cross and follow Yeshua into the blessed dimension of the divine.
This video is also available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify Podcasts.
On Apple Podcasts: Find us by using the key search words “Hoshana Rabbah Biblical Resources”.
In Christianity, the symbol of the cross of Jesus Christ or Yeshua the Messiah is everywhere: on church steeples, in churches, on gravestones, hanging from the review mirror of cars, tattooed onto people’s bodies, hanging around the necks of millions of Christians worldwide, behind church pulpits and in countless other places. Moreover, the cross is mentioned from pulpits the world over again and again. But one message concerning the cross is not popular and hardly ever mentioned: it is “the way of the cross.” What is the way of the cross?
The way of the cross is not a popular message. In fact, it might even turn a lot of potential Christians off to the message of the gospel. For example, a popular Christian evangelistic tract starts out with the following words: “Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” While this is certainly true, it is not the whole story about the Christian walk. Yeshua never made such a statement to his disciples, for, in a sense, to do so would have constituted a form of false advertising. A bait and switch tactic. Following Yeshua is not easy; rather, it is a rigorous against many adversaries and is full of difficulties. No. Yeshua’s message to his disciples upon calling and then commissioning them was slightly, no radically different, than what contemporary Christianity typically promotes to new converts. By contrast, Yeshua declared,
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! (Matt 10:16–25)
Yeshua was a realist who was not known for sugarcoating the hard facts of the truth, and as if to make following him even less palatable, we then went on to say,
Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW’; and ‘A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THOSE OF HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matt 10:34–39)
The way of the cross is the way of Yeshua, the way of suffering, death, sorrow, persecution, rejection, grief and tribulation. It is a path that is necessary to walk if one is going to follow him, how to be his true disciple and to receive unimaginable rewards in the life to come. The way of the cross, like so many other aspects of Yeshua teachings was radical and life-changing. In fact, it often involves doing the opposite of what most humans want to do. Heaven’s way of doing things is almost always contrary to man’s way. In the kingdom of Elohim, for example, the way down is the way up. Thus, to embrace the cross is to walk in the footsteps of Yeshua the Messiah. In fact, it is the duty and destiny of his disciples to learn (this does not come automatically or naturally!) to enjoy the ride downward in anticipation of glorious future trek upward into the presence of our Father in heaven. What does this really mean? Yeshua set us the example to follow.
Let this mind be in you which was also in the Messiah Jesus, who, being in the form of Elohim, did not consider it robbery to be equal with Elohim, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore Elohim also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Yeshua every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Yeshua the Messiah is Lord, to the glory of Elohim the Father. (Phil 2:5–8)
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Yeshua, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. (Heb 12:1–4)
The Way of the Cross Brings Heaven and Earth Together
The cross was a unique way of death and emblematic of what followers of Yeshua must go through in order to be reconciled to YHVH Elohim through the death of Yeshua on the cross. The cross as a means of death is highly metaphorical and symbolic of much. It suspended between heaven and earth like a bridge for man to walk on to reach Elohim in heaven. The vertical of heaven and horizontal of earth are brought together in the cross’ literal configuration, for Yeshua the Messiah as the central figure on the cross was the nexus or connecting point between the earth and heaven.
To the casual observer, Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that occurs around Christmas-time and has something to do with lighting a menorah-like candelabra, and somehow relates to some important event that occurred a long time ago in Jewish history. Some Bible teachers even claim that Hanukkah is pagan-based holiday that in some way honors the demonic sun god of antiquity. But as we shall see below, there is a hidden truth behind the Hanukkah holiday that the devil doesn’t want people to know about. In fact, by the end of this study, you will hopefully see that Hanukkah celebrates the truth of the Messiah’s incarnation better than Christmas ever did and minus all the pagan trappings. You’ve probably never heard this before and wonder how this could be, so read on.
Anyone who has barely scratched the surface of the historical origins of Christmas’ realizes that they are profane and unbiblical. Christmas is the Christianization of some vile pagan traditions based on celebrating the winter solstice in honor of the demonic sun god through lewd and drunken, orgiastic and satanic rituals. Though the tradition of the Christmas tree came later, it is rooted in pre-Christian sex worship rituals that come straight out of demonic sun god worship, and is something that the Bible in many places condemns and forbids the saints from practicing.
Hanukkah, on the other hand, doesn’t share Christmas’ pagan origins. Rather, this holiday links back directly to one of YHVH’s seven commanded biblical festivals. Though Hanukkah isn’t a commanded biblical holiday, and is of man’s creation, it still has prophetic implications that are worth noting. What’s more, it doesn’t carry the pagan baggage the Christian holidays like Christmas, Easter, Lent, All Saints Day (i.e. Halloween) and the others all do.
In our study of the origins of Hanukkah, let’s first demonstrate that a correlative link exists between the biblical fall festival of Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:33–43) and Hanukkah. How is this? Interestingly, both Hanukkah and Sukkot along with the Eighth Day last for eight days. According to the intertestamental book of Maccabees, Hanukkah was a second, belated Feast of Tabernacles (Heb. Sukkot and the Eighth Day (Heb. Shemini Atzeret; see 1 Macc 4:44–59; 2 Macc 1:7–9; 10:1–8). After the Jews defeated the Greeks’ attempt to destroy Judaism and the Jewish people, the Jews had to cleanse and reconsecrate their temple from pagan defilement before again worshipping YHVH there. The temple wasn’t ready to be rededicated at the biblically prescribed time of Sukkot in the seventh month of the biblical calendar (in September/October), which is when Solomon dedicated the first temple (2 Chr 5:3; 7:8–9). Instead, the Jews rededicated the cleansed temple roughly two months later in the ninth month (in December), and they celebrated a belated or second Sukkot roughly two months later after the temple was finally cleansed.
Moreover, the extra biblical tradition of lighting of giant menorahs was a major aspect of Sukkot’s joyous celebration for the second temple Jews (The Temple, p. 224ff, by Alfred Edersheim). Yeshua seems to make reference to this celebration of light involving menorahs when he entered the temple on the last great day or seventh day of Sukkot (called Hoshana Rabbah). At this very time, Yeshua refers to himself as the (true) light of the world (John 8:12 cp. John 7:12).The lighting of an eight-branched candelabra at Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, seems to reflects this Jewish tradition of lighting menorahs during Sukkot. It also speaks of the miracle of the light of YHVH’s Torah-truth being preserved in Israel despite the heathen’s attempt to stamp it out.
Interestingly, the timing of Hanukkah also relates to Yeshua who is the light of the world (John 8:12). There is strong biblical evidence to suggest that Yeshua was born at the biblical festival of Sukkot in the early fall. If this is the case, Yeshua would have been conceived in the virgin Mary’s womb by the Spirit of Elohim nine months earlier in our month of December at the time of Hanukkah. The Bible teaches that human life begins at conception (Exod 21:22; Ps 139:13–16; Jer 1:5; Luke 1:15, 41, 44), not at birth as we in the West typically view it. Therefore, Yeshua’s life really started when he was conceived in Mary’s womb, not when he was born. Therefore, in Hebraic thought, Christmas isn’t really celebrating the beginning of Yeshua’s life or incarnation. Hanukkah does!
Despite the fact that Christmas misses the mark in celebrating the beginning of Yeshua’s life, Hanukkah and Christmas share something in common. They both celebrate the coming of Yeshua, the Word of Elohim from heaven to this earth to be the light of the world to show man the way to the Father in heaven. Sadly, Christmas is the Christianization of some horrific pagan holidays to arrive at this truth. Hanukkah, however, carries none of this ungodly baggage, as we have attempted to demonstrate so far in this short study.
Why did the Jews choose the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month on which to rededicate the temple? Did this timing have something to do with the winter solstice as the December 25 timing of Christmas does and as some Bible teachers suggest? Absolutely not. There is actually a connection between the timing of Hanukkah (which by the way usually starts well before the winter solstice) and an important historical event that occurred in Israel’s history. It also relates to a Messianic prophecy having to do with the coming of the promised Messiah into the world. This we see in the biblical book of Haggai. This tiny book records that on the day just before what would later become known as Hanukkah or the Feast of Dedication (i.e. the twenty-fourth day of the biblical ninth month, which is called Chislev or Kislev), the cornerstone to the second temple was laid (Hag 2:19). This is the same temple that the idolatrous Greeks would desecrate some 350 years later. Therefore the Maccabeean Jews had solid biblical precedence for choosing the date of Kislev 25 to start celebrating the eight day holiday of Hanukkah or the Feast of Dedication, for this was the day after the prophetic decree went out to lay the cornerstone for that very temple 350 years earlier. Therefore, it appears that the Maccabeean Jews merged the timing of the commencement of the second temple’s construction with the idea that the Solomon’s temple was dedicated on Sukkot. But since temple has been defiled by the Greeks and was not in a purified state to be able to celebrate Sukkot in the fall, they first purified it, then they celebrated a belated Sukkot-type celebration in the ninth month starting on Kislev 25, which became known as the Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah.
Furthermore, when Haggai the prophet records the laying of the cornerstone for the second temple, he also speaks about the Desire of All Nations—another name for Yeshua the Messiah—coming to that very temple and filling it with his glory (Hag 2:7). This is the greater reason why this temple had to be built! The Messiah needed a temple to come to, so that many biblical prophecies about him could be fulfilled. Moreover, in verse nine, Haggai prophesies that the glory of the second temple would be greater than that of Solomon’s temple. How is this? From a physical perspective this is hard to understand, since Solomon’s temple contained billions of dollars worth of gold alone. The second temple could hardly compare to the glorious and extravagant riches of the first temple. Yet considering that this would be the temple to which the Messiah, the Son of Elohim, would come, YHVH through the prophet could indeed predict that “the glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former” (Hag 2:9), since Yeshua the Messiah and Creator of all things is infinitely greater than any temple made by men.
Finally, John, the Gospel writer, in a sense, confirms Haggai’s prophecy when he records a curious double entendre statement that Yeshua made. While at the second temple, Yeshua predicted the temple’s destruction and its raising up again in three days. Those around him thought he was referring to the destruction and rebuilding of the actual physical second temple. John, however, informs us that Yeshua’s prophecy was instead referring to the temple of his body, which would be destroyed at his crucifixion and then raised up or resurrected after three days in the grave (John 2:19–22). As the cornerstone for the second temple (the very temple to which Yeshua came on the Feast of Dedication in John 10:22) was laid at Hanukkah time, so Yeshua who is the Rock of our salvation (Deut 32:15; Pss 62:2; 89:26) and our Chief Cornerstone (Eph 2:20; 1 Pet 2:6) was miraculously conceived at this very time by Elohim in the womb of the virgin Mary. He was then born nine months later at Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles. It was at Sukkot, nine months after Hanukkah, that Yeshua the Messiah or Immanuel (or El [God] with man) was born in human likeness and came to dwell or tabernacle with men in a human body (1 John 1:1, 14).
This then is the greater and glorious story behind the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah that has been hidden for millennia!
