Hanukkah: History, Observance and Prophetic Implications – Part 2

Yeshua’s Observance of Hanukkah: “Are you the Messiah?”

(There has been a lot of discussion of Hanukkah here and elsewhere on facebook lately.  I think many miss the deeper implications of this minor Festival which Yeshua is recorded as celebrating with His disciples in Jerusalem, John chapter 10)

The book of John records Yeshua going to Jerusalem to observe Hanukkah. Hanukkah begins on 25 Kislev two months and two days after the end of the Feast of Tabernacles.  (This year Hanukkah begins at local sunset on December 20^th.) During this Feast of Tabernacles, Yeshua declared that He was the Living Water which was synonymous with declaring that He was the Messiah.

John 7:37-38 MKJV 37 And in the last day of the great feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."

The temple guards who were appointed to arrest Him came back empty-handed declaring that no one ever spoke the way He did (John 7:45-46). He said He was the Light of the World (John 8:12), declared that He existed before Abraham (John 8:58), showed Himself the righteous judge in the case of the woman caught in adultery (john 8:1-12), and healed a man born blind (John 9:1-12).At the end of the Feast of Tabernacles after Yeshua healed the man born blind, the people were divided about who Yeshua was. Some said he had a demon and others believed He was the Messiah.

John 10:19-21 MKJV 19 Then a division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 20 And many of them said, He has a demon and is insane. Why do you hear him? 21 Others said, These are not words of one who has been possessed by a demon. A demon is not able to open the eyes of blind ones.

When Yeshua returned to Jerusalem two months later for Hanukah, they were still talking about who He was.

John 10:22-24 MKJV 22 And the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's Porch. 24 Then the Jews encircled Him and said to Him, How long do you make us doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.

During Yeshua’s time, they celebrated Hanukkah as the rededication and purification of the temple and as a reprise of the Feast of Tabernacles.  This Messiah the Jewish people were looking for would deliver them like Judah Maccabees did 200 years earlier. They are anticipating and looking for the Messiah who would rid them of Rome and all her false gods. They are asking, “Are you the one? Are you going to deliver us like Judah Maccabees?”

Yeshua’s answer is that He did tell them but they didn’t believe.

John 10:25a MKJV 25 Jesus answered them, I told you and you did not believe.

What exactly did Yeshua tell them? Again, we look back to the Feast of Tabernacles just a few weeks earlier. Like Hanukkah is a reprise of Feast of Tabernacles so is Yeshua’s teaching. He told them He was the Good Shepherd spoken of by Isaiah and Ezekiel and that He would lay down His life for His sheep.

John 10:11-18 MKJV 11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 But he who is a hireling and not the shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away. And the wolf catches them and scatters the sheep. 13 The hireling flees, because he is a hireling and does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the Good Shepherd, and I know those that are Mine, and I am known by those who are Mine. 15 Even as the Father knows Me, I also know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep who are not of this fold. I must also lead those, and they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one flock, one Shepherd. 17 Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I might take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down from Myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again. I have received this commandment from My Father.

Isaiah 40:11 MKJV 11 He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those with young.

Ezekiel 34:12 MKJV 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his scattered sheep, so I will seek out My sheep and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

There at Hanukkah, Yeshua told them that they were not His sheep. His sheep know His voice.

John 10:25-30 MKJV 25 Jesus answered them, I told you and you did not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you did not believe because you are not of My sheep. As I said to you, 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give to them eternal life, and they shall never ever perish, and not anyone shall pluck them out of My hand. 29 My Father who gave them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one!

Yeshua concludes with the statement that the Father gave the sheep to Him and that He and the Father are one. This is prophesied by Isaiah as he writes of the seven spirits of God.

Isaiah 11:1-2 MKJV 1 And a Shoot goes out from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.

In the Revelation, John writes that these seven spirits of God are an integral part of Yeshua the Lamb.

Revelation 5:6 KJV 6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

John the Baptist witnessed and testified that Yeshua is the one prophesied by Isaiah.

John 1:32-34 MKJV 32 And John bore record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and He abode on Him. 33 And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water, that One said to me, Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon Him, He is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. 34 And I saw and bore record that this is the Son of God.

After Yeshua’s statement, the Jewish people questioning Him made up their minds. Yeshua is not the Messiah; He is a false prophet, a false Messiah!

John 10:33 MKJV 33 The Jews answered Him, saying, We do not stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy, and because you, being a man, make yourself God.

Yeshua did not claim that He was the Father, but that He and the Father were one. In Yeshua’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prays that believers may be one as He and the Father are one.

John 17:22-23 MKJV 22 And I have given them the glory which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one, 23 I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.

He lived in submission to the Father.

John 7:16 MKJV 16 Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.

John 5:19 MKJV 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself but what He sees the Father do. For whatever things He does, these also the Son does likewise.

John 14:10 MKJV 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak of Myself, but the Father who dwells in Me, He does the works.

His actions are the actions of a true prophet; He speaks only the words the Father gives Him and does the work God gave Him to do. In contrast, the priests who advocated Hellenism and supported Antiochus IV Epiphanes fit the description of false prophets.

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 MKJV 1 If a prophet rises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder which he foretold to you occurs, saying, Let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us serve them, 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. 5 And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slaves, to thrust you out of the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put the evil away from the midst of you.    

Yeshua’s actions and words fit the description of the prophet like Moses that God would raise up for them.

Deuteronomy 18:17-20 MKJV 17 And the LORD said to me, They have spoken well what they have spoken. 18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brothers, one like you, and will put My words in His mouth. And He shall speak to them all that I shall command Him. 19 And it shall happen, whatever man will not listen to My words which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who shall presume to speak a word in My name which I have not commanded him to speak or who shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

Yeshua answered His detractors by quoting Psalm 82:6.

John 10:34-36 MKJV 34 Jesus answered them, Has it not written in your law, "I said, You are gods?" 35 If He called those gods with whom the Word of God was, and the Scripture cannot be broken, 36 do you say of Him whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world, You blaspheme, because I said, I am the Son of God?

Psalm 82:6 is referring to those put in authority over others, specifically judges who oppressed the poor, orphans and widows.

Psalms 82:1-8 MKJV 1 A Psalm of Asaph. God stands in the congregation of God; in the midst of the gods He judges. 2 How long will you judge unjustly and lift up the faces of the wicked? Selah. 3 Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4 Deliver the poor and needy; save them out of the hand of the wicked. 5 They neither know nor will understand; they walk on in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 I have said, You are gods; and all of you sons of the Most High. 7 But you shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; for You shall inherit in all nations.

Yeshua is saying that those who act as representatives of God are commonly called gods or sons of God, so how can they say He blasphemes by calling Himself the Son of God? In this Psalm, the judges are called gods and sons of the Most High. Most High is another name for God. Yeshua could have picked other passages that referred to judges as gods and those in authority as sons of God but He picked this passage because it contrasts those who judge wrongly with the judgment promised by the Messiah. It is another way of saying the same thing Ezekiel did about the good shepherd and the bad shepherds. The passage in Isaiah about the seven spirits resting on the Branch of Jesse continues to say that He, the branch, will judge righteously.

Isaiah 11:3-4 MKJV 3 And He is made to breathe in the fear of the LORD. And He shall not judge according to the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears. 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and shall decide with uprightness for the meek of the earth. And He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

Yeshua reaches out one more time to those who are not His sheep that perhaps they will hear His voice and come to Him for everlasting life. He tells His questioners to observe and believe the works that He does.

John 10:37-38 MKJV 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me. 38 But if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works so that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.

But the works that the Jewish people were looking for were those of a conquering king like Judah Maccabeus the hero of Hanukah. Judah’s actions are described in 1 Macabbees.

1 Macabbees 3: 3-9 He extended the fame of his people. He put on the breastplate like a giant and girded on his war harness; he engaged in battle after battle, protecting the ranks with his sword. He was like a lion’s whelp roaring over its prey. He pursued and tracked down the renegades, he consigned those who troubled his people to the flames. Renegades were abashed for terror of him, all evildoers were utterly confounded, and deliverance went forward under his leadership. He brought bitterness to many a king and rejoicing to Jacob by his deeds, his memory is blessed for ever and ever. He went through the towns of Judah and utterly destroyed the infidels in them, turning wrath away from Israel. His name resounded to the ends of the earth and he rallied those who were on the point of perishing.

They were not looking for a Messiah who would suffer and die for them. Yeshua left and went down to the Jordan where many joined Him and believed in Him there. As we celebrate Hanukkah, we can proclaim our faith in Yeshua. We can light the Hanukkiah to celebrate the miracle of new birth displaying the light for all to see. Just like Yeshua told his questioners to examine the works He does and see if they are from the father, we too need to do the good works the father gives us to do.

Matthew 5:16 MKJV 16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

שלום ברוך

Shalom and be blessed

Dan & Brenda Cathcart

Visit our web site at www.moedministries.com

Hanukkah: History, Observance and Prophetic Implications - Part 1

The minor Jewish Festival of Hanukkah begins at local sunset December 20^th.  When we think of Hanukkah, we think of the eight branched candlestick called the hanukkiah and playing dreidels. We might even think of the modern practice of giving a gift on each of the eight days of Hanukkah. As we approach the days of Hanukkah, what is this Festival all about and what are the reasons to celebrate it? What does this festival really mean to the Christian? How should we celebrate it? So our goal with this 4 part series is to answer these questions. We’ll start with part 1 by looking at the history of Hanukkah.  Part 2, we will look at Yeshua’s observance, answering the question “Are you the Messiah?” Part 3 will examine Yeshua’s warnings about false Messiahs and false prophets.  And part 4 we will examine Yeshua’s 2^nd coming in relation to Hanukkah.

The actual holiday of Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the temple after it desecration by the forces of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The word Hanukkah means dedication. Some words we can associate with Hanukkah are rededication, renewal, courage and hope. Keep these words in mind as we move through this series and learn more about Hanukkah, its history, observance in the time of Yeshua and its prophetic implications.

A. History:

The events giving rise to the festival of Hanukkah began after the fall of the Grecian Empire under Alexander the Great. His kingdom was split into four parts two of which are of interest prophetically. The first was the Ptolemaic dynasty which mainly ruled over Egypt but had interests in Asia Minor. The second was the Seleucid Empire which ruled over Syria and the heart of the old Assyrian and Babylonian Empires. Daniel prophesies about these two empires in the book of Daniel chapters 8 and 11. The King of the South is the Ptolemaic Empire and the King of the North is the Seleucid Empire. Right in between these two empires is the land of Israel. The Ptolemy’s wanted access to their interests in Asia Minor and the Seleucids wanted to reestablish Alexander’s Empire. The traditional Jews preferred the rule of the Ptolemy’s because they allowed those under their rule to practice their own religions and traditions. The “modern” Jew of the day, like much of the ancient world, were enamored of the Greek or Hellenistic philosophy and wanted to be like the rest of the world. They preferred the Seleucids who forced those under their rule to worship the Greek gods. This tug-of-war continued from 312 B.C. until 163 B.C. when Judah Maccabees defeated Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the leader of the Seleucid Empire at the time. 

The story of Hanukkah begins when Antiochus IV Epiphanes finally begins to win against Egypt. Egypt, however, had enlisted the aid of Rome who arrived just in time to kick Antiochus out of Egypt. In his rage on his way back north through Israel, he uses the dissension of the Jewish people as an excuse to attack Jerusalem, massacre 80,000 people and set up an altar to Zeus on the altar of God in the Temple. There the priests were forced to sacrifice swine to Zeus. This is the abomination of Desolation spoken of in Daniel 11:31-31

Daniel 11:30-31 MKJV 30 For the ships of Kittim shall come against him. And he shall be grieved and return, and have fury against the holy covenant. So he shall do; he shall even return and give heed to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 And forces will stand from him, and they will profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and shall remove the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the desolating abomination.

The first sacrifices of swine on the altar of Zeus happened on 25 Kislev, 167 B.C. which is in the middle of December. It is very likely that this event happened on the winter solstice which was a major pagan holiday. It is certain that this event happened when physical darkness was greater than light. The moon was waning, on its last sliver by the 25^th of the month. The sun was at or near its winter solstice and the hours of daylight were at the fewest of the year. Spiritual darkness was also at its peak with many of the Jewish people embracing Hellenism and the gods of the Greeks.

Antiochus left his generals in charge and returned to battle against parts of Asia Minor. The generals set up altars in the towns of Israel and forced the people to sacrifice swine on the altars and eat the meat. In the town of Modein, a priest named Mattathias had five sons. They slew the Jewish priest who was selected for the honor of sacrificing the swine and then killed the general. Mattathias and his sons fled into the wilderness encouraging those who followed the God of their fathers to flee also and join them. Those who fled into the desert were pursued by Antiochus’ troops who found them hiding in caves. On the Sabbath, they were given an ultimatum to either come out and surrender and eat pork or be killed. Being devout Jews and since it was the Sabbath, they didn’t fight back. Antiochus’ troops slaughtered over 1,000 men, women and children that day. Others managed to flee to join Mattathias.

It was at that time, that Mattathias, acting in his role as a priest, ruled that it was okay to defend oneself on the Sabbath. This rule holds to this day.

Mattathias died after the first year of the fight leaving his son Simon in charge of government operations and Judah called Maccabees, the Hammer, in charge of the army. Judah and his brothers defeated Antiochus’ armies and drove them out of Israel. They put those of their own countrymen who colluded with Antiochus to death and purified the Land. On 25 Kislev exactly two years after its desecration, Judah Maccabees and the Jewish people rededicated the temple to God. Arthur Waskow, in his book Seasons of Our Joy, comments on their choosing the exact same date for the dedication.

“And it is a short leap to surmise that the Maccabees, when they took the anniversary of that day as the rededication, were rededicating not only the temple but the day itself to Jewish holiness; were capturing a pagan solstice festival that had won wide support among partially Hellenized Jews, in order to make it a day of God’s victory over paganism.”

The desecrated altar of God was torn down and a new one built. They restored the broken menorah and prepared to light it. The Bread of the Presence was set out. According to later Jewish tradition, there was not enough of the sacred oil found to keep the menorah lit for the seven days required to rededicate the Temple. The priests chose to light the menorah anyway and it stayed lit for the seven days of rededication plus the one additional day needed before new holy oil could be ready. Thus, we have the miracle of Hanukkah.

But the miracle is not just of the oil; it is of the miraculous victory of Israel over Antiochus. Judah and his brothers faced overwhelming odds in their battles. There was no human way that tiny Israel could defeat the armies thrown against her. Just like in the time of Judges, God acted on the side of His people.

In the book of Maccabees chapter 4, the eight days are decreed as being a reprise of the Feast of Sukkot and its eighth day Shimeni Atzerat.

“The joyful celebration lasted for eight days; it was like the Feast of Huts (Sukkot), for they recalled how, only a short time before, they had kept that feast while they were living like wild animals in the mountains and caves; and so they carried garlanded wands and branches with their fruits as well as palm fronds, and the chanted hymns to the One who had so triumphantly achieved the purification of his own temple.”

Additional detail of the War of the Maccabees can be found in Josephus’ The Antiquities of the Jews, Book 12 and 1 and 2 Maccabees.

Today, Hanukah is celebrated for eight days with a special nine-branched candelabrum called a hanukkiah. The victory of Judah Maccabees over Antiochus’ forces is down played. We don’t have to look far for the reason; the early Rabbis wrote during the first to third century when similar revolts led to the destruction of the temple and exile from Jerusalem. Also, the Maccabees themselves became corrupt fighting over the kingship which ultimately brought in the Romans to decide the issue. Today the Jewish people emphasize the spiritual with the eight branches of the hanukkiah representing the eight-day miracle of oil. The ninth candle, called the “shamash” or servant candle, is used to light the other candles.  The lighted candles symbolize bringing light into a darkened world. On the first day of Hanukkah, one candle is lit with the shamash. Each day one more candle is lit until, on the eighth day, all candles are lit. The hanukkiah is not to be hidden; it is displayed on a porch or in a window to proclaim the miracle to all who pass by.

We can celebrate Hanukkah as a rededication of our own lives as a living temple holy to God.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 MKJV 16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God shall destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which you are.

We can celebrate Hanukkah as we anticipate God’s final victory over the forces that come against Jerusalem in the last days. Though it looks like certain destruction for Jerusalem, God acts on the side of His people.

Zechariah 12:8-9 NKJV 8 "In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the LORD before them. 9 "It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

שלום ברוך

Shalom and be blessed

Dan and Brenda Cathcart

Visit our website at www.moedministries.com

Reason Three for Christians to Celebrate Hanukkah

(This year Hanukkah begins at local sunset on December 20th.  The following is an excerpt from our book "Reasons For Christians To Celebrate The Biblical Feasts". The book is available from www.amazon.com and through the bookstore at www.moedministries.com.  It makes a great gift!)

The third reason to celebrate Hanukkah is that the events commemorated by Hanukkah are spoken of by Jesus as having future prophetic significance. The words He speaks to His disciples telling them of the signs of His coming and the end of the world resound with Hanukkah language. First, Jesus speaks of another abomination of desolation. Then He goes on to invoke images of the horror inflicted on the Jewish people during the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

Matthew 24:15-21 MKJV 15 Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand). 16 Then let those in Judea flee into the mountains. 17 Let him on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house; 18 nor let him in the field turn back to take his clothes. 19 And woe to those who are with child, and to those who give suck in those days! 20 But pray that your flight is not in the winter, nor on the sabbath day; 21 for then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be.

Antiochus set up an altar to Zeus over the altar of God in the Temple.

I Maccabees 1:57-59, 62 On the fifteenth day of Chislev in the year one hundred and forty-five (December 8, 167 B.C.) the king erected the abomination of desolation above the altar; and artars were built in the surrounding towns of Judah and incense offered at the doors of houses and in the streets. On the twenty-fifth of the month sacrifice was offered on the altar erected over the altar of holocaust.

Those in Judea fled into the wilderness taking most of their possessions with them. They were pursued and attacked on the Sabbath.

1 Maccabees 2:29-30, 32, 38 At this many who were concerned for virtue and justice went down to the desert and stayed there, taking with them their sons, their wives and their cattle, for the burden of their wrongs had become unendurable. A strong detachment went after them, and when it came up with them ranged itself agaist them in battle formation, preparing to attack them on the Sabbath day. The attack was pressed home on the Sabbath itself, and they were slaughtered with their wives and children and cattle, to the number of one thousand persons.

Those in Jerusalem didn’t fare any better. In fact the slaughter there was even worse.

2 Maccabees 5:24-27 The king also sent the mysarch Appolonius at the head of an army twenty-two thousand strong, with orders to put to death all men in their prime and to sell the women and children. Arriving in Jerusalem and posing as a man of peace, this man waited until the holy day of the Sabbath and then, taking advantage of the Jews as they rested from work, ordered his men to parade fully armed; all those who came out to watch he put to the sword; then running through the city with his armed troops, he cut down an immense number of people.

Josephus writes that ten thousand women and children were sold into slavery on that day and the temple was totally plundered of all its wealth. Those who resisted by reading or even having a Torah scroll, by observing the Sabbath, or circumcising their sons died a horrific death. This was especially true of women who circumcised their babies. Josephus records in The Antiquities of the Jews, Book 12, Chapter 5, line 256:

“…for they were wipped with rods and their bodies were torn to pieces, and were crucified while they were till alive and breathed; they also strangled those women and their sons whom they had circumcised, as the king had appointed, hanging their sons about their necks as they were upon the crosses.”

The words of Jesus in Matthew 24 match that day in December exactly. The abomination of desolation was set up in the temple in the winter. The people were horrible attacked on the Sabbath more than once. And woe to the women! Those who circumcised their infant sons died grievous deaths.  As horrible as those days were, Jesus said the days leading up to His return would be even worse. He warns them not to try to bring their possessions with them but to flee immediately. He says that THEN shall be great tribulation worse than has ever been seen before. The events December 167 B.C. foreshadow the events of the great tribulation. Antiochus IV Epiphanes is a shadow of the Antichrist. His reign name of Epiphanes means “God Manifest.” Paul tells us that the Antichrist will set himself up as God.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 MKJV 3 Let not anyone deceive you by any means. For that Day shall not come unless there first comes a falling away, and the man of sin shall be revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself forth, that he is God.

Judah Maccabeus is a shadow of Jesus. Jesus is of the line of David of the tribe of Judah. Jacob’s blessing over Judah includes describing him as a lion.

Genesis 49:9 MKJV 9 Judah is a lion's whelp. My son, you have gone up from the prey. He stooped, he crouched like a lion; and like a lioness, who shall rouse him?

Judah Maccabeus is described similarly in I Maccabees.

I Macabbees 3: 3-4 He extended the fame of his people. He put on the breastplate like a giant and girded on his war harness; he engaged in battle after battle, protecting the ranks with his sword. He was like a lion’s whelp roaring over its prey.

Jesus is a priest on the order of Melchizedek. Judah Maccabeus is a priest of the line of Aaron. Judah ruled over Israel at the time of the rededication of the temple. Jesus will rule over Israel and the whole world. He is the one who will build the third temple of God.

We can celebrate Hanukkah as we look forward to Jesus’ return, learning and watching so that we are not caught sleeping or unaware. We light the Hanukkiah to remind us that we are of the light and need to keep watch for the signs of His coming.

1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 MKJV 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the Day should overtake you like a thief. 5 You are all the sons of light and the sons of the day. We are not of the night, or of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us watch and be calm.

שלום ברוך

Shalom and Be Blessed

Dan and Brenda Cathcart

Please visit our website at www.moedministries.com.

Reason Two for Christians to Celebrate Hanukkah

(This year Hanukkah begins at local sunset on December 20th.  The following is an excerpt from our book "Reasons For Christians To Celebrate The Biblical Feasts". The book is available from www.amazon.com and through the bookstore at www.moedministries.com)

Although Hanukkah is not one of the "official" Feasts of the LORD given in the Torah, there are tremendous prophetic implications concerning Yeshua's return contained in this traditional festival.  The Gospel of John records that Yeshua was present in Jerusalem at least once at the time of Hanukkah in chapter 10.  In Matthew 24:15 Yeshua makes reference to Daniel 11:31; 12:11, the "abomination of desolation".  This is a direct reference to the history behind the festival of Hanukkah. (see the book of the Maccabees)  Daniel prophesies about the rise of the Greek empire by Alexander the Great, Alexander’s early death, and the dividing of his kingdom into four separate kingdoms.

Daniel 8:19-22 MKJV 19 And he said, Behold, I will make you know what shall happen in the last end of the indignation. For it is for the time appointed for the end. 20 The ram which you saw having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the shaggy goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 And as for that being broken, and four stood up in its place; four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in its power.

Two of the four kingdoms are of interest prophetically. These are Seleucus and Ptolemy. Selucus and the kingdom he establishes is the king of the north in Daniel chapter 11. His kingdom is Syria, the heart of the old Babylonian and Assyrian Empires, and parts of Asia Minor. Ptolemy is the king of the south and his kingdom is the greater Egyptian region but he also had interests in Asia Minor. These two kingdoms will fight over and through the land of Israel from the death of Alexander in 323 B.C. to the death of Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 163 B.C. Daniel chapter 11 chronicles the back and forth relationship between these to kingdoms.[i]

The following list gives the verse in Daniel 11 followed by the King of the North and the King of the South referenced in the verse.

Daniel 11

1. 5 Seleucus I Nacator (312 to 281 B.C.) Ptolemy I Soter (323-285 B.C.)
2. Not referenced Antiochus I Soter (281-262 B.C.) Ptolemy II (285-246 B.C.)
3. 6 Antiochus II Theos (262-246 B.C.) Ptolemy II
4. 7-9 Seleucus II Callinicus (246-227B.C.) Ptolemy III (246-221 B.C.)
5. 10 Seleucus III Soter (227-223 B.C.) Ptolemy III
6. 10-11, 13 Antiochus III the Great (223-187 B.C.) Ptolemy IV
7. 15-19 Antiochus III Ptolemy V
8. 20 Seleucus IV Philopater
9. 21-32 Antiochus IV Epiphanes Ptolemy Philopater

The Ptolemies started out with control of Israel. They were lenient rulers allowing those under their rule to practice their own religion without interference. However the Seleucids were intent on “civilizing” or Hellenizing those under their rule. They pushed the worship of the Greek gods and renamed cities to reflect the new regime. Antiochus III the Great drove the Ptolemies out of Israel and began the Hellenizing process of Israel. It was Antiochus IV Epiphanes, however, who issued an edict forbidding the worship of any but the Greek gods. As you can imagine this did not sit well with most of the Israelites. Needless to say, the province of Israel was not highly regarded by Antiochus.

After one of his forays against Egypt while returning to his own land, he plundered the Temple of God on his way.

Daniel 11:28 MKJV 28 And he shall return to his land with great riches. And his heart shall be against the holy covenant. And he will act, and he shall return to his land.

Two years later, he again attacks Egypt. When it appears that he will finally triumph against Egypt, Rome steps in and gives him a choice to return to his own land or face the power of Rome. Enraged, he returns to his land. This time when he goes through Israel, he murders 80,000 people with the help of the Jews who have been Hellenized. He sets up an altar to Zeus over God’s altar.  This is called the abomination of desolation.

Daniel 11:29-31 MKJV 29 At the time appointed he shall return and come against the south. But it shall not be as the former or as the latter. 30 For the ships of Kittim shall come against him. And he shall be grieved and return, and have fury against the holy covenant. So he shall do; he shall even return and give heed to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 And forces will stand from him, and they will profane the sanctuary, the fortress, and shall remove the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the desolating abomination.

The family of Mattathias, a priest from Modein, rises up against Antiochus and his generals. Mattathias’ son Judah leads the battles against Antiochus’ forces. They win time after time against overwhelming odds. The defeat of Antiochus’ forces at the hands of Israel brought about the decline and fall of the Seleucid Empire.

Daniel 11:32 NKJV 32 "Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.

Hanukkah commemorates Israel’s victory over Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the rededication of the second temple. The hanukkiah is lit after dark and placed in a window or even better on a porch where all who pass by can see it. It is a proclamation of the miracles God performed in driving the forces of Antiochus out of Israel and destroying the Seleucid Empire.

What miracles has God done in your life? What miracles on the scale of the battles against Antiochus IV Epiphanes will God again do at the time of the end? We can light the candles of the Hanukkiah to remember what God has done in each of our lives, chief of which is bringing us into His glorious Light.

John 12:46 NKJV 46 "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

We can light the candles of the Hanukkiah in anticipation of when Jesus will return bringing light into the darkness once more.

Revelation 21:23 NKJV 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.

שלום ברוך

Shalom and Be Blessed

Dan and Brenda Cathcart

Brenda and I are hosting an in-depth study of the Feasts of the LORD in our home group each Erev Shabbat.  You can join us in this study on-line via our web site at www.moedministries.com where the videos of each session are linked.  The Student Workbook is available in the web store. 

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[i] Moore, Beth, Daniel: lives of Integrity Words of Prophecy; Lifeway Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 2006

Reason One for Christians to Celebrate Hanukkah

(This year Hanukkah begins at local sunset on December 20th.  The following is an excerpt from our book "Reasons For Christians To Celebrate The Biblical Feasts". The book is available from www.amazon.com and through the bookstore at www.moedministries.com)

The first reason to celebrate Hanukkah is that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah. His observance is recorded in the book of John. The word Hanukkah means dedication and its observance is in the winter.

John 10:22-23 KJV 22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.

Much of Jesus’ ministry was in the area around the Sea of Galilee with only occasional visits to Jerusalem. John records Jesus in Jerusalem only at the Feasts of the LORD. Yet John records this visit to Jerusalem that is not on one of the Feasts ordained by God in Leviticus 23.  What is special about this particular Hanukkah?

First, it follows the very eventful Feast of Tabernacles during which Jesus stood in the middle of the Ceremony of Water Pouring  and declared that He was the Living Water. (John 7:37-38) The temple guards who were appointed to arrest Him came back empty-handed declaring that no one ever spoke the way He did (John 7:45-46). He said He was the Light of the World (John 8:12), declared that He existed before Abraham (John 8:58), and healed a man born blind (John 9:1-12). He said He was the Good Shepherd spoken of by Isaiah (Isaiah 40:11) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 34). As a result, many believed He was the Messiah and many did not (John 10:19-21).

The following spring, Jesus would again go to Jerusalem; this time to die as the Passover Lamb that would take away the sins of the world. He would fulfill His words spoken during that eventful Feast of Tabernacles that He was indeed the Good Shepherd who would lay down His life for His sheep (John 10:14-18).

So, what is Jesus teaching during Hanukkah? What message is He trying to communicate? The Jewish people of Jerusalem come to Him and ask, “Are you the one?” Since this is Hanukkah, thoughts of the great hero Judah Maccabeus must have been foremost on their minds. “Are you the Messiah who will deliver us from Rome like Judah Maccabeus delivered us from Antiochus Epiphanes?” Jesus continues His teaching from the Feast of Tabernacles, “I am the Good Shepherd.” He is not coming at this time in the manner of a Judah Maccabeus.

John 10:25-29 MKJV 25 Jesus answered them, I told you and you did not believe.

The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you did not believe because you are not of My sheep. As I said to you, 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give to them eternal life, and they shall never ever perish, and not anyone shall pluck them out of My hand. 29 My Father who gave them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand.

Sadly, many of Jesus’ questioners reject His words and conclude that He is not the Messiah.

John 10:31-33 MKJV 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, I have shown you many good works from My Father; for which of these do you stone Me? 33 The Jews answered Him, saying, We do not stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy, and because you, being a man, make yourself God.

But Jesus is reaching out one last time to those who will hear His voice and come to Him for everlasting life.

John 10:37-38 MKJV 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me. 38 But if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works so that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.

Afterwards, Jesus leaves Jerusalem and goes to the same place where John baptized across the Jordan. Jesus goes back to where His ministry began and many came to Him there.

John 10:40-42 MKJV 40 And He went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John baptized at the first, and He stayed there. 41 And many came to Him and said, John indeed did no miracle, but all things that John said concerning this One were true. 42 And many believed on Him there.

Their belief in Him would be tested that very spring at Passover. Who will they say He is then?

Hanukah celebrates the rededication of the temple after it was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes. Jewish tradition says that there was not enough holy oil to keep the temple menorah lit for the eight days needed for the rededication of the temple. They lit the menorah anyway and the oil lasted through all eight days until new oil could be made and consecrated. The special nine-branched hanukkiah is lit to declare the miracles of Hanukah—both the miraculous victories through Judah Maccabeus and of the oil.

Christians can light the Hanukkiah as a rededication of their own lives as the living temple of God, to live a life of holiness.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 MKJV 16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God shall destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which you are.

Christians can light the Hanukkiah to celebrate the miracle of new birth displaying the light for all to see. Just like Jesus told his questioners to examine the works He does and see if they are from the father, we too need to do the good works the father gives us to do.

Matthew 5:16 MKJV 16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

As we celebrate Hanukkah, who do you say He is?

שלום ברוך

Shalom and Be Blessed

Dan and Brenda Cathcart

Please visit our website at www.moedministries.com

These are the Generations (Toldot): the Story of Our Redemption

This weeks Torah Portion is called Toldot.  It is from Genesis 25:19-28:9.  The title Toldot is Hebrew for “generations”.  There is a very interesting thing about the word Toldot in the Torah and the genealogy which follows.  There is a hidden message here, only to be found by searching the Torah in the original Hebrew language and culture.

After God created the heavens and sanctified the seventh day, He concludes with the words, “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created.” The Hebrew word translated as generations is toldot, תולדות, spelled from right to left with tav, vav, lamed, dalet, vav, tav beginning and ending with a vav and tav. The next time the scriptures the phrase “these are the generations” is used, it is about the generations of Adam after Adam and Eve sin and are kicked out of the Garden of Eden. This time the word toldot is spelled with the second “vav” missing from the word, like so: תולדת. This is called a defective spelling. This is one of the “jots and tittles” spoken of by Yeshua in Matthew chapter 5. Yeshua tells us that these jots and tittles are important and that not one of them will pass away from the scriptures. Jots and Tittles are only found in the original Hebrew language and are not translated to your English Bible. So what is the meaning of this particular defective spelling?

In Hebrew, each letter began as a pictogram and each word is made up of a set of pictures. The word picture of the complete spelling of toldot shows that the covenant is attached on both sides of the shepherd leading the way through the doorway.  With the second “vav” missing in the defective spelling, our side of the covenant is blocked off. Sin has disconnected us from the doorway to the Shepherd.  We can do nothing to restore our relationship with God. We need a redeemer that only He can provide.

The meanings of the names of the ten generations of Adam tell us of God’s plan to bring a redeemer.

(# references are from the Strong's Concordance and Dictionary)

Adam: mankind:

#120 from #119; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.

Seth:  appointed to

#8352.  Sheth,  (shayth) from #7896; put, i.e. substituted;

#7896.  shiyth,  (sheeth) a primitive root; to place (in a very wide application):--apply, appoint, array, bring, consider, lay (up), let alone

Enos: feeble, frail, mortality

#582.  'enowsh,  en-oshe' a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified #120); hence, a man in general (singly or collectively):

#605.  'anash,  aw-nash' a primitive root; to be frail, feeble

Cainan: a fixed dwelling place

#7018.  Qeynan,  kay-nawn' from the same as #7064; fixed

#7064.  qen,  kane contracted from #7077; a nest (as fixed), sometimes including the nestlings; figuratively, a chamber or dwelling:--nest, room.

Mahalaleel: God who is praised

#4111.   Mahalal'el,  mah-hal-al-ale' from #4110 and #410; praise of God

Jared: come down, descends

#3382.  Yered,  yeh'-red from #3381; a descent

#3381.  dry  yarad,  yaw-rad' a primitive root; to descend

Enoch:  instruct, train up

#2585.  Chanowk,  khan-oke' from #2596; initiated

#2596.  chanak,  khaw-nak' a primitive root; properly, to narrow (compare 2614); figuratively, to initiate or discipline:--dedicate, train up.

Methusalah: a man sent forth

#4968.  Methuwshelach,  (meth-oo-sheh'-lakh) from #4962 and #7973; man of a dart

#4962 math: from the same as #4970; properly, an adult (as of full length); by implication, a man

#37973.  shelach, from #7971; a missile of attack #7971.  shalach,  (shaw-lakh') a primitive root; to send away, for, or out

Lamech:  beaten, smitten, and tortured

#3929 from #4347.  makkah,  mak-kaw' or (masculine) makkeh {muk-keh'}; (plural only) from #5221; a blow; by implication, a wound; figuratively, carnage, also pestilence:--beaten, blow, plague, slaughter, smote, X sore, stripe, stroke, wound((-ed))

Noah:  rest, a quiet peace

#5146 Noach,  (no'-akh) the same as #5118; rest

#5118 nuwach,  (noo'-akh) or nowach {no'-akh}; from #5117; quiet peace

The generations of Adam read, “Mankind is appointed to feeble, frail mortality, a fixed dwelling place. God who is praised comes down to instruct as a man sent forth to be beaten, smitten, tortured bringing comfort, a quiet peace.”

God promises a redeemer who will come and take our punishment for sin on Himself bringing us into God’s rest. But each time the Bible uses the phrase “these are the generations” the spelling remains defective. The Bible uses the defective spelling a total of eleven times, ten times in Genesis and once in Numbers. Eleven is the number of defect, disorder or imperfection. We see this in the twelve sons of Jacob. When Joseph was in slavery in Egypt there were only eleven sons. In the words of Judah, “one is no more” and Jacob continued to grieve. When Judas Iscariot betrayed Yeshua, the perfect number of twelve disciples dropped to eleven. Before the Holy Spirit fell on the Feast of Weeks, the remaining eleven appointed a man to take Judas’ place so they would be prepared to be witnesses to all they had seen. (Acts 1:16-22)

The defective spelling remained until the line of the redeemer was in sight and God was ready to reveal more of His redemption plan. We see the first glimmer of the redeemer in the book of Ruth which is all about a kinsman redeemer named Boaz. As the book of Ruth closes, the Bible uses the phrase “these are the generations” once again in relation to the generations of Perez.

The original Hebrew manuscripts now spell Toledot with the full spelling, the second Vav is restored. The meanings of the names of the generations of Perez to David, speak of Yeshua as the firstborn of the resurrection, continue with the promise of our resurrection and eternity with God and Yeshua.

Peretz: The one who breaks out

#6556 from #6555; a break (literally or figuratively):--breach, breaking forth

Hezron: a walled courtyard

#2696.  from #2691; court-yard;

#2691. a yard (as enclosed by a fence); also a hamlet (as similarly surrounded with walls)

Ram: high, exalted

#7410 active participle of #7311; high, from #7311 a primitive root; to be high actively, to rise or raise bring up, exalt

Aminidab: a people impelled, a people who volunteer freely

#5992. from #5971 and #5068; people of liberality:

#5068: to impel; hence, to volunteer (as a soldier), to present spontaneously:--offer freely

Nahshon: the one who whispers, prognosticate, predict from the signs

#5177. enchant, whisper from #5172

#5172: to prognosticate: predict from the signs (Dictionary.com definition for prognosticate)

Salmon: invested with garments

#8012 from #8008; investiture

#8008: a dress, clothes, garment, raiment

Boaz: with strength (According to Jewish Encyclopedia)

Obed: servant, worshiper

#5744 active participle of #5647; serving

#5647: to work, bondsmen, servant, worshipper

Jesse: exist, to be

#3448 from the same as #3426

#3426: exist; entity; used adverbially or as a copula for the substantive verb, there is or are, or any other form of the verb to be

David: beloved

#1732. from the same as #1730; loving

#1730: to love; by implication, a love- token, lover, friend; (well-) beloved

The generations of Peretz read, “One who breaks out of the walled courtyard, high and exalted, (with) a people impelled, a people who offer themselves freely (to) the one who whispers, predicted from the signs. (They are) invested with garments of strength, servants and worshippers, existing to be beloved.”

Yeshua breaks out of the grave into new life. When He comes again, we will go with Him experiencing our own resurrection and our transformation. And we will forever be with the LORD.

Micah 2:12-13 NKJV 12 "I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, Like a flock in the midst of their pasture; They shall make a loud noise because of so many people. 13 The one who breaks open will come up before them; They will break out, Pass through the gate, And go out by it; Their king will pass before them, With the LORD at their head."

שלום ברוך

Shalom and Be Blessed

Dan & Brenda Cathcart

Please visit our web site at: www.moedministries.com

The Sabbath: A Divine Appointment or a Day of Your Choosing?

It was Yeshua’s custom to be in the Temple or Synagogue on the Sabbath.

Luke 4:16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And, as His custom was, He went in to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.  (MKJV)

If we want to do the things that our Messiah would do, would it not make sense for us to also gather together on the Sabbath?  If it was His custom to be with the people of God in the synagogue on the Sabbath, and if we are His disciples, should we not do what he taught us to do?  And before we change or stop doing what He did, shouldn’t there be a clear instruction in scripture to do so?  By what authority then, do we disregard a key commandment of God and an example set fourth by Yeshua Himself?  For many of us, these questions are purely rhetorical.

The Sabbath is the first Divine Appointment given in the Torah

Leviticus 23:1-3 NKJV 1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. 3 'Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.

There is not one single hint in the scriptures that the Sabbath was abolished or changed to Sunday, the first day of the week.  Yeshua Himself gives a clear and direct statement concerning all the commandments of God’s word in Matthew 5:17-20.

Matthew 5:17 Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.  18 For truly I say to you, Till the heaven and the earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the law until all is fulfilled.  19 Therefore whoever shall break one of these commandments, the least, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.  20 For I say to you that unless your righteousness shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven.   (MKJV)

There are many who argue that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday by Yeshua’s death and resurrection since He was resurrected on the first day of the week, ie: Sunday.  This assertion is based only on tradition begun in the 4^th century by order of the Roman Emperor Constantine and has nothing to do with scripture. If Sunday was to be the new Sabbath day, then why is it that the seventh day Sabbath, that is Saturday, is clearly practiced during the millennium when Yeshua returns to earth?  Look at Ezekiel where the temple of the LORD is described.  This is a future Temple that has yet to be built in Jerusalem.  It is the Temple of the millennium!

Eze 45:17 It will be the duty of the prince to provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings at the festivals, the New Moons and the Sabbaths-- at all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He will provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to make atonement for the house of Israel.  (NIV)

When you read the entire passage in Ezekiel and other passages of scripture concerning the millennium, you see that the Sabbath, as well as all of the Feasts of the LORD, and the sacrificial system as well, is restored at this time in the Temple at Jerusalem!  The Prince of Peace, who is Yeshua the Messiah, reigns from Jerusalem for a thousand years!  Again consider the question, if Yeshua abolished or changed the Sabbath or any of the other appointed Feasts by His death on the cross, then why is it “reestablished” during the millennium?

According to the scriptures, the Sabbath was clearly in place while Yeshua was here on earth and He kept the Sabbath “as was His custom”.  And the Sabbath will be in place during the millennium when He returns to reign in Jerusalem.  So on what basis is the Sabbath suspended during the interim?

The Apostle Paul kept the Sabbath and he kept the Torah.  Look at Acts 17:1-2

Acts 17:1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.  2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures.  (NIV)

The passage in Romans chapter 14 verses 5 & 6 is often sited as “proof” that the Sabbath was done away with. 

Romans 14:5-6 MKJV 5 One indeed esteems a day above another day; and another esteems every day alike. Let each one be fully assured in his own mind. 6 He who regards the day regards it to the Lord; and he not regarding the day, does not regard it to the Lord. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, does not eat to the Lord, and gives God thanks.

The Sabbath may not be the “day” Paul is referring to here at all.  Paul could just as likely be addressing the Roman believers who were arguing about which day the Feast of Weeks fell on.  This was a hot button issue in his day among the Rabbis and teachers of the Torah, primarily between those in the land and those in the Diaspora: between the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  It pitted one group against another in petty arguments.  In several chapters in this section of Romans, Paul is calling for unity among believers on a variety of issues and calling for the believers to come together in love and respect.

Some other references in scripture to the first day of the week are found in Acts 20:7 and in 1 Cor 16:1-3.

Ac 20:7 And on the first of the week, the disciples having been assembled to break bread, being about to depart on the morrow, Paul reasoned to them. And he continued his speech until midnight.

1Cor 16:1 And concerning the collection for the saints, as I charged the churches of Galatia, so also you do.  2 On the first day of the week let each of you put by himself, storing up what ever he is prospered, so that there may be no collections when I come.  3 And when I come, whomever you shall approve by your letters, I will send them to bring your gift to Jerusalem.  (MKJV)

We must remember that a “day” on the Biblical calendar begins at sunset.  So the first day of the week would begin at sunset on Saturday.  It was a long standing tradition is to end the Sabbath with a shared meal, the “breaking of bread”.  Paul engaged in teaching and studying with the believers after this end of Sabbath meal. Also it was a tradition as well not to engage in collecting monies on the Sabbath or buying and selling since this is part of everyday work. 

The scriptures are full of examples of the Sabbath being kept by the Apostles as well as Yeshua Himself.  What is decidedly lacking is any clear statement that the Sabbath was done away with or moved to the first day of the week.  Ask yourself this, why would God abolish something that He gave to us to experience joy and gladness and fellowship with Him?  Why would He establish the Sabbath as an “perpetual covenant”, and then abolish it only to reestablish it later? 

Exodus 31:16-17 NKJV 16 'Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 'It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”

The Sabbath is not just for the Children of Israel but for all who call upon the name of the LORD.

Isaiah 56:6-7 NKJV 6 "Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants-Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant- 7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations."

Meeting in worship of God and studying God’s word on the first day of the week, or any day of the week, is permissible as Paul did on many occasions.  We just should not confuse it with the Sabbath.

שלום ברוך

Shalom and Be Blessed

Dan & Brenda Cathcart

Please visit our web site at www.moedministries.com.