pagan celebrations in God’s Temple | sapphirethroneministries

“And He said to them, ‘You are from beneath; I AM from above. You are of this world; I AM NOT OF THIS WORLD” (John 8:23_NKJV). The third Hanukkah “I AM” statement of Yeshua is “I am not of this world,” which dovetails with our second Hanukkah “I AM” statements in John 8:23 “I am from above.”

Please recall that the passage John 8:12 through John 10:42 portrays Yeshua (Jesus) during the Feast of Dedication. In Hebrew, the word for dedication or re-dedication is “Hanukkah.” Yesterday, I gave you a head start for today’s devotional reading by asking you to ponder the Antichrist that opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4_KJV).

We are going to illustrate Yeshua’s “I am not of this world” statement through the intense history of Hanukkah itself, especially the incredible story about Chana and her seven sons. Unlike the miracle of oil legend, the story of Chana and her seven sons truly happened. It’s recorded in the Book of Second Maccabees Chapter 7 and elsewhere.

Before we can get into Chana’s story, we need to understand what was happening in Israel at the time. Amazingly, Daniel had foretold of the Antichrist that arose during the actual events of the Hanukkah 300 years before. Within the history of Hanukkah is the most precise revelation about what is going to happen in the end times and how to overcome. In fact, for our day, we didn’t have the markers on the calendar to be able to calculate the fulfillment of the Antichrist being revealed until both Purim and Hanukkah were put in place. Messiah Yeshua tells us that the Abomination of Desolation is going to happen again to a greater degree, and He refers back to the first fulfillment of the Antichrist: “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), … For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:15,21_NKJV). Please refer to CHOOSE BEAUTY OR THE BEAST => https://santatizing.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/choose-beauty-or-the-beast/.

There’s a blueprint for the end times in the story of Hanukkah, so pay attention. It was a time when Israel had been restored and God’s people had a temple. Never forget that we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). It was a time when a new civilization rose up – the Syrian-Greeks – who wanted everyone to be part of the same one world system. This new One World Order had an Antichrist – Antiochus Epiphanes IV – who demanded that everyone follow the ways of the Greeks, and solely worship the gods of the Greeks. Antiochus sent out a royal decree that every nation must give up its traditions and its gods to all be one in a New World Order. Everyone did, except Is-real.

Therefore, the Antichrist Antiochus vowed to wipe this stubborn people and their faith off the face of the map. Always keep in mind that had not Judah the Maccabee and his band of faithful men taken their courageous stand against the Antichrist of their day and had not overcome overwhelming odds to save their culture and religion from utter annihilation, both Judaism and Christianity most likely would not exist today. The enemy of our souls knew that the Messiah was coming then, and he knows that the Messiah is coming again very soon. Before the Messiah came the first time, there is an attempt made to destroy the faith of Is-real and make everyone apostate.

It is at this point that the first Antichrist Antiochus goes into God’s Temple and sets up an idol in His Holy Place. Some say it was a statue of Zeus put on God’s Altar. Some say it was Jupiter. In a sense, it really doesn’t matter, because both of them were Greek sun gods. It wasn’t a coincidence that this idol was set up in 168 BC on Jupiter’s Winter Festival, which was the 15^th of Kislev which happened to be the 25^th of December that year. Throughout antiquity, all pagan sun gods’ birthdays were celebrated on the ancient Winter Solstice – December 25^th. So, the Antichrist Antiochus sets up an image on Christmas Day; then later sacrifices a pig on God’s Altar, as a sign of utmost contempt. This is when the Antichrist abolishes all sacrifices (i.e., wholehearted worship) to the Most High God, as foretold in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11); and makes God’s Temple a pagan temple. For greater detail, please refer to JOURNEY TO BECOME HIS BRIDE #1 and #2 => https://santatizing.wordpress.com/2014/12/15/journey-to-become-his-bride-story-of-hanukkah-1/ and https://santatizing.wordpress.com/2014/12/15/journey-to-become-his-bride-story-of-hanukkah-2-battle-to-re-dedicate-gods-altar/. And/or the SANTA-TIZING videos #5 and #6 => https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdhOh4iRD6c and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-qVfQtUaKA.

We should look for an actual manifestation of the Antichrist again, but don’t forget that the spirit of the Antichrist is already at work affecting our lives today. So, the Dwelling Place of God (which you are) becomes unholy. There are pagan celebrations in God’s Temple; therefore, the light that is in God’s Temple is in fact darkness /. Sexual immorality and every kind of defilement is instituted as worship in pagan temple that used to be God’s, and God’s people (the Jews in the Hanukkah story) can’t even go up to their Temple. [If you are reading this post as a devotional reading, you might want to censor the following for little ears, because things are going to get very graphic right quick.]

This is when the Antichrist ramps up persecuting God’s people, and the story of Chana and her seven sons comes into play. The Antichrist Antiochus takes four deliberate steps to forcibly make the people of the Book Greeks (i.e., hellenize them):

[1] Removal of the righteous high priest (seat of power) for one that would do man’s (the Antichrist’s) bidding.

[2] Dissolve the Biblical Calendar to remove God instilling holiness into time. The Antichrist forbid observance of seventh-day Sabbath, new moon celebrations, and biblical festivals that kept God’s people’s weeks, months and years holy.

[3] Forbid the Word of God (i.e., Torah) and keeping kosher (i.e., respecting the sanctity of life). Pigs blood was poured unto Torah Scrolls and these books were burnt.

[4] Forbid circumcision. If a family circumcised their baby on the eighth day, as a physical sign of their Abrahamic Covenant, the baby was killed and hung around the neck of the mother; then the mother was hung from gallows in the town square.

This is when Chana and her seven sons are chosen by Phillip the governor of Judea to set an example. Although Antiochus IV was on his way to Antioch in Syria, he turned back due to various resistance events, including the recent martyrdom of Elazar the Kohen. Chana and all seven of her sons were corporately and publicly brought to Antiochus Epiphanes IV. Then one-by-one Chana’s sons were personally brought before him from oldest to youngest. King Antiochus thought he could win these youngsters over through flattery and bribes, but he had not counted on the steadfastly righteous Chana and her rightly bringing up her sons in the way that they should go.

The eldest son responded to Antiochus: “Why do you trouble yourself with long conversations, to speak of and teach us the religions of your abominations? Our forefathers have already taught us God’s Torah. We stand ready to ascend to God, for we welcome death for the sake of God and His Torah [first five books of the Bible]. So we have promised our forefathers! Why need you speak more? Dispatch us speedily to HASHEM (YHVH) our God – kill us!”

Hearing the eldest son’s words, the king flew into a rage. He commanded that an iron frying pan be brought and put on the fire. He ordered his servant to cut off the boy’s tongue, hands and feet, flay the skin of his head, and place everything upon the frying pan over the fire while his brothers and mother were forced to watched. Then the victim – still alive – was put in a copper pot over burning coals. The Antichrist was so cruel that as the eldest son was about to die, he commanded Phillip to remove the pot from fire so that he would not die rapidly.

The Antichrist’s hope to intimidate Chana and her remaining sons didn’t work. One-by-one they affirmed their belief in the Most High God and their refusal to worship another. They all suffered the same gruesome death on the same day, except Chana’s youngest seven-year-old son suffered the most.

The governor of Judea and King Antiochus were crestfallen that their plan had not worked. A woman and her six young sons appeared to triumph over them. When Antiochus asked that the seventh brother be brought to him, he implored the little boy: “Do my will and I swear to you I will appoint you as my viceroy; you will reign over my entire kingdom. You will be wealthy, with gold and silver and many possessions.” The 70-year-old Antichrist was willing to give a 7-year-old his entire worldly kingdom, if only he would deny his faith and eat pig’s meat.

This little mighty man of valor showed everyone that “I am not of this world” when he refused the Antichrist, being encouraged by his mom: “The assurances of man are vain and empty – they will not avail nor give success. It is nothing compared to the everlasting world to come. Now my son! Let not this merciless tyrant reassure you with deceitful promises, do not rely on his pronouncements – for what can he give you? What can a human give, who has no control over his own body, over his own life?” When Chana’s youngest emphatically refused to defile the Name, the Antichrist flew into a rage and commanded that Chana’s last son be more brutally beaten than the others, then he was killed in the same way as is brothers.

Chana, unique in her devotion, being pious and pure, stood over the seven bodies of her sons strewn about the earth and she lifted her hands skyward. Chana prayed: “My heart exults in HASHEM. My pride is uplifted through my God, for through my sons He has chosen to reconsider His wrath against His people, that they may again be His servants. My mouth opens wide against my enemies, for they were unable to entice even one of my sons to turn to the service of their delusions (i.e., idols) which are of no avail and save not, for they are as nought. There is none as holy as HASHEM, and none but He is the savior of the souls trusting in Him.” When Chana finishes pouring out her heart, some versions say that her soul departed. Some sources say that Chana ascended a roof after her sons were brutally murdered and she threw herself off. Some say that Chana lost her sanity and committed suicide. Thus, the incredible price paid by one to be one with the Messiah who declares “I am not of this world.”

NOTE: The above post can be used as today’s devotional if you so choose, or you can use the one already provided => https://santatizing.wordpress.com/2017/01/01/hanukkah-devotional-reading-night-3-eyes-to-see/ with general guidelines for kindling of lights and the blessings => https://santatizing.wordpress.com/2017/01/01/general-guidelines-for-celebrating-hanukkah-kindling-lights-blessings/. An entire instructional package has been provided for the entire eight-days of Hanukkah here => https://sapphirethroneministries.wordpress.com/2017/12/05/have-a-hearty-hanukkah/.

If you choose to use today’s STM post for your devotional, the following are some suggested questions that covers all ages from toddlers to full-blown sons of God.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

[1] Who was the first Antichrist prophesied by Daniel? Answer: Antiochus Epiphanes IV, a Seleucid (Syrian-Greek) General and King.

[2] What were the four things that the Antichrist did to forcibly convert God’s people to make then join his diabolical One World Order? Answer:

(1) Remove the righteous high priest, i.e., Jesus from the throne in your heart.

(2) Change the times of God’s Biblical Calendar.

(3) Forbid the Word of God.

(4) Forbid circumcision – signs of God’s covenants.

[3] What spoke most to you about Chana and her seven sons faithful and true witness?

SOURCE for Chana and her Seven Sons Story: “Chanukah – It’s History, Observance, and Significance” published by Mesorah Publications. The ArtScroll Mesorah Series.

Happy Hearty Hanukkah!!!

Robin Main

www.sapphirethroneministries.com
www.santa-tizing.com
www.mysticmentoring.com

Written December 14, 2017 – Sapphire Throne Ministries – Robin Main. Copyrighted – If you are going to copy this, please copy it right by giving attributions to this source.

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DOING WHAT JESUS DID – “I AM NOT OF THIS WORLD” – HANUKKAH NIGHT 3