HOLYDAYS
JEWISH/PAGAN
REAL/COUNTERFEIT
PROPHECY FULFILLED
PURIM is a very interesting festival that I will write on later, but I would like to add now that this is a festival to celebrate being poor. Who would of thought to celebrate being poor? Yet, the reason for this is because when you are poor on earth it means you have great riches in Heaven.
Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah or Hanukah),
is an annual festival of the Jews celebrated on eight successive days to honor the restoration of divine worship in the Temple after it had been defiled by heathens. The return of their religious liberty was to them as life from the dead and, in remembrance of it, they kept an annual holiday on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev. Kislev is the third month of the Jewish calendar corresponding, approximately, to early December in the Gregorian calendar. Jesus kept this festival. The principal source for the story of Hanukkah is found in the Talmud.
The biggest lesson of Hanukkah was the power of the spirit, the ability of God's people to live by God's commands. …Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts (Zech. 4:6). In between the Testaments, around 164 b.c., the Maccabees (or Hasmoneans), led by Judah Maccabee, wrested Judea from the rule of the Seleucids-Syrian rulers who supported the spread of Greek religion and culture. Hanukkah commemorates the recapture of Jerusalem by the Maccabees and the establishment of the Temple. The Temple had been profaned by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, king of Syria and overlord of Palestine. The Maccabees ruled Judea until Herod took power in 37 b.c.e.
Hanukkah centers around a nine-branch menorah. The Temple menorah has seven branches. The Hanukkah menorah has nine branches, eight to remember the eight days of Hanukkah and one is the shamus, the candle used to light the other candles (this is usually either higher or separate from the other eight branches).
Jewish tradition sought to embellish these days of celebration. It is the practice to have festive meals for the eight days, and in addition to Latkes, jelly doughnuts fried in oil became popular. (Both symbolize the miracle of the oil.) Other popular sources of joy are the Hanukkah gifts and Hanukkah gelt (money.) The major ritual ceremony of the holiday is the lighting of the Hanukkah menorah. The eight days are marked by prayers of thanksgiving, special songs of praise (for the miracles and redemption), the Shmoneh Esrei (the central silent prayer) three times a day, and grace after meals.
Lighting the Candles
Some Jews light one candle the first night and add one additional light every subsequent night. Others Jews start with all eight candles lit and decrease one every night.
Since the object of the lighting is to publicize the miracle, the candles are usually placed near windows: to remind others of the holiday and the redemption. It is customary to light the candles right after sundown. After the destruction of the temple the menorah became the most important Jewish pictorial motif: what had been a holy implement became the symbol of Judaism. The main prophetic reading of Hanukkah is the prophecy of Zechariah, which ends, "…Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts" (Zech. 4:6).
Hallel
A Hallel is a song of praise celebrating God's mighty acts on behalf of His Chosen People, the nation of Israel. The complete text of the song is contained in Psalms 115 through 118. The complete HALLEL is recited in the morning service throughout the eight days of Chanukah.
Al Hanisim
The prayer of "Al Hanisim," in which we give thanks to God for all the miracles of Chanukah, is recited in the Shmone Esrei (Amidah) as well as in the Birkat Hamazon (grace after meal) each day of Chanukah.
Reading the Torah
The Torah is read each day of Chanukah, specifically, the story of the dedication of the Tabernacle in the desert and the special gifts donated by the leaders of each of the twelve tribes of Israel in connection with the dedication. This Torah portion is read on Chanukah because the Tabernacle was completed on the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the same day in which the miracle of Chanukah took place close to one thousand years later.
Spinning the Dreidel
Those who would like to quickly part with their gelt play the game of Dreidel (spinning top). On the Dreidel are Hebrew letters Nune, Gimel, Shin, and Hay. On the surface, those letters stand for "Nes Gadol Hayah Sham - A great miracle happened there" Each player puts the same amount of something- nuts, raisins, pennies, or chocolate coins in the middle, which is called "the pot". Play proceeds clockwise around the circle of players. Each player takes a turn spinning the Dreidel. Whatever the Dreidel lands on decides what you are to do.
HAY: you get half of the pot.
GIMEL: you get ALL of the pot.
NUNE: you get nothing.
SHIN: you must put 1 (nut, or raising, or penny, etc.) in the pot.
Whoever has the most in the end wins! The Rabbis are opposed to gambling games and it became customary to give any Dreidel money to charity.
The Messiah in Hanukkah
The law did not require Jews to be at the Temple in Jerusalem, as this was not one of the pilgrimage festivals. Every one observed it in his own place, not as a holy time. Jesus was there that He might improve those eight days of holiday for good purposes.
Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch when the Sadduciens asked him "How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ tell us." They pretended to want to know the truth, as if they were ready to embrace it; but it was not their intention. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (John 10:25-27). He had told them, and they believed not; why then should they be told again, merely to gratify their curiosity?
Miracles
Hanukkah's theme is of a miracle. During Hanukkah Jesus spoke of His miracles: If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him (John 10:37-38). Jesus wanted the people of his day to see His miracles and believe in Him as a result. His miracles point to his divine and messianic identity. In this way Yeshua personifies the message of Hanukkah: God actively involved in the affairs of his people. Hanukkah reminds us that God is a God of miracles, not just of concept and religious ideals. He has broken through into human history and continues to do so today. All of us who know Yeshua can speak of God's working in our lives (Gilman 1995).
Jesus is the Light of the World
Jesus preached three sermons in which he declared Himself the "light of the world," and all three could have been during Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. (It is not clear from the text when this incident happened, but it was some time between the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah); both of these celebrations focused on light).
Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them (John 12:35-36).
Just before Jesus announced that He was the Light of the world, Jesus had shone upon the conscience of those who accused the adulteress. Read the story in John Chapter 8. John also records Jesus healing a blind man (9:1-12) at about the same time (8:12 and 9:5) that Jesus declared himself to be the Light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing (John 9:5-7).
End Times
The story of Hanukkah can be compared with end-time happenings described in the books of Revelation and Daniel. Antiochus is a type of the antichrist. Just as happened under the rule of Antiochus, Daniel prophesied in Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The same powers promoted by Antiochus are in the world today. Worldwide immorality, and idolatry are the norm. We must come out and be separate. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. The deceiver stands waiting to devour in this present culture (2 Cor. 6:16-17).
Was Jesus Conceived on Hanukkah?
Many believe that our Messiah, the "light of the world," was conceived on the festival of lights-Hanukkah. The Bible does not specifically say the date of Jesus' birth. It was not during the winter months because the sheep were in the pasture (Luke 2:8). A study of the time of the conception of John the Baptist reveals he was conceived about Sivan 30, the eleventh week (Luke 1:8-13, 24). Adding forty weeks, for a normal pregnancy reveals that John the Baptist was born on or about Passover (Nisan 14). Six months after John's conception, Mary conceived Jesus (Luke 1:26-33); therefore Jesus would have been conceived six months after Sivan 30 in the month of Kislev-Hanukkah. Was the "light of the world," conceived on the festival of lights? Starting at Hanukah, which begins on Kislev 25 and continues for eight days, and counting through the nine months of Mary's pregnancy, one arrives at the approximate time of the birth of Jesus at the Festival of Tabernacles. (See the Tabernacle chapter.)
Hanukkah Blessings
The first blessing thanks God for the commandment to "kindle the Hanukkah lights." We therefore recite the blessing before lighting the candles, and then proceed to carry out the commandment. The second blessing praises God for the miracle the candles publicize, and is therefore said as the candles are being lit.
Hold the lit shamash in your right hand and say:
1. Ba-ruch a-ta A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ha-olam, a-sher kid-sha-nu be-mitz-vo-tav ve-tzi-va-nu le-had-lik ner shel cha-nu-kah.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah.
2. Ba-ruch a-ta A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ha-olam, she-a-sa ni-sim la- avo-tei-nu ba-ya-mim ha-hem ba-zman ha-zeh.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our ancestors, at this season, in days past.
3.On the first night of Hanukkah we add the following "shehechiyanu" blessing, signifying that it is the first time that we have lit the Hanukkah lights this season:
Ba-ruch a-ta A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ha-olam, she-he-chi-yanu ve-kiy'manu ve-higi-anu la'zman ha'zeh
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who gave us life and kept us and delivered us to this time.
Lighting the Menorah
On the first night of Hanukkah, a single candle (or oil wick) is lit, on the far right side of the menorah. On each successive night an additional candle is added, from right to left (two candles lit on the second night, three on the third...) until finally, on the eighth night, all eight candles are lit. It is customary to light from left to right, with the newest candle lit first. Kindly allow the candles to burn themselves out.
The candles are lit by a "shamash" or service candle, which after being used to light the other candles, takes its own special place on the menorah - usually in a place slightly set apart from the rest.
When To Light
The candles are lit starting at nightfall, and should burn for at least half an hour. On Friday afternoon, the candles are traditionally lit before sunset, to avoid lighting on the Sabbath. By putting longer candles in the menorah (or thick Shabbat candles on tin foil), the lights will still be burning after it grows dark.
Where To Light
The glowing Hanukkah candles are meant to advertise the holiday's miracles. That's why some people erect towering menorahs in shopping centers, hotels and town squares.
At home, some families put the lit menorah in the window where passers-by can see their light, while others place the menorah where family members can best enjoy it.
And afterwards...
Got all that? Don't worry, there are eight nights to get it right!
After lighting all the candles of the day, it's traditional to sing upbeat Hanukkah hymns like "Ha'Nerot Ha'Lalu (Those Candles) or Maoz Tzur (Rock of Strength). Then enjoy homemade latkes with sour cream and apple sauce (we'll save the miracle of cholesterol for next week).If you decide to celebrate Hanukkah in your home you'll need a menorah. Beautiful multi-colored Israeli-made candles are available for those who light menorahs. Any library or bookstore should have a good selection of illustrated books telling the story of Hanukkah for children.
Have festive meals for the eight days, say silent prayer three times a day and each night while lighting the menorah, talk to your children about Jesus being the light.
Blessings for Lighting the Candles
1. Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Chanukah.
2. Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who wrought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.
3. The following blessing is said only on the first evening (or the first time one kindles the lights this Chanukah):
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive, and has preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season.
After Kindling the Lights the Hallalu is Recited. The Hallalu: "We kindle these lights (to commemorate) the saving acts, miracles and wonders which You have performed for our forefathers, in those days at this time, through Your holy kohanim. Throughout the eight days of Chanukah, these lights are sacred, and we are not permitted to make use of them, but only to look at them, in order to offer thanks and praise to Your great Name for Your miracles, for Your wonders and for Your salvations."
Work
Hanukkah is not considered sacred, so all work is allowed during the eight-day period except for the weekly Sabbath.
Gifts
Gift giving on each of the eight nights is an American tradition that probably came from the pressures American Jews faced from their children missing Christmas. If you'd like to give a small gift each night, or a large gift the first or last night of Hanukkah, it is up to your family. Create your own family tradition.
Each night read verses about the light, the commentary, and talk of the different symbolism.
SOME LIGHT VERSE(S) FOR YOUR HANUKAH CELEBRATION
by Glen Penton
"God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all."
(I John 1:5)
At the burning bush He brought that brightness to Moses.
There He identified Himself with His Jewish People so the Light would be theirs. A few weeks later every Jewish home had Light while the Egyptians were plunged into miserable darkness. In the ancient Near East (as in many cultures today), people were terrified of darkness. No one, no matter how poor or sick, would ever fail to make sure that he or she had a small, olive-oil lamp burning all night where they were sleeping. In that culture, if you approached someone's house at night and no lamp was burning, you could know for certain that no one was alive in that house. Either they had all gone somewhere else or they were all dead. That is why all the figurative references to light or lamps in the Bible refer to life. (Some of them have other meanings also, but they all make some reference to life.)
In the desert God was a Light all night to His People in the pillar of fire.
In His Tent He symbolized Himself by a seven-branched, solid gold menorah (lampstand).
In the Land, He gave the prophet Isaiah messages about that Light:
"Come on, Family of Jacob, and let's walk in the Lord's Light." (Isaiah 2:5)
Look at your Jewish brothers and sisters this Hanukah season and see the slight flicker of the flame that lit up Moses's face. Then let your Light shine until our People come to the Light of Israel and the spark becomes a bright glow. Most Jews don't really know that the Light is there. Someday, He says,
"The People will wander through the Land, discouraged and hungry.
In their hunger and their anger they will curse their King and their God.
They may look up to the sky or stare at the ground,
but they will see nothing but trouble and darkness,
terrifying darkness into which they are being driven.
There will be no way to escape this time of trouble.
First lightly, then very heavily,
He brought these troubles on the Zebulun and Naphtali areas of Israel,
and the coastal strip and the east bank of the Jordan River and Galilee of the Gentiles
[and on all Israel.
But] the People who walk in darkness will see the Great Light.
On those who live in the Land of Death's Darkness the Light will shine." (Isaiah 8:21-9:2)
"Who among you is serious about the Lord and obeys His Servant?
Even if you walk a dark road with no glimmer of light,
Trust in the Lord Himself, and count on your God." (Isaiah 50:10)
And to Jerusalem He says,
"Get up and shine, for your Light has come,
And the Majesty of the Lord will dawn upon you.
Look, darkness will cover the Land.
The peoples in awful dark stand.
But the Lord will dawn on you,
And His Majesty shine from you.
By your Light the nations will walk,
And kings by the brightness of your Dawn." (Isaiah 60:1-3)
"But to you who are serious about Me [God says] the Sun of Righteousness will dawn;
And healing is in its beams....
Because of the tender mercies of our God,
By which the rising sun will come to us from heaven,
To shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death,
To guide our feet in the path of shalom." (Malachi 4:2, Luke 1:78-79)
That is the message of Hanukah, the Festival of Lights.
God has begun to bring His Light to Israel, and He says,
"For Zion's sake I will not be silent,
And for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet,
Until her righteousness shines out like sunrise,
And her salvation like a blazing torch." (Isaiah 62:1)
Her blazing torch shows Lady Liberty to be a counterfeit.
Hanukkah
by David Brown
The word "Hanukkah" (also spelled "Chanukah") actually means dedication, and refers to the rededication of the temple on 25 Kislev 165 BC, after it had been desecrated by the Syrian King Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus attempted to force his own Greek culture and pagan religion on the people of Judea, going as far as to erect an altar of Zeus in the Holy Temple, and even sacrificing a pig on the altar. Of course, the Jewish people were outraged, and staged a successful rebellion led by Judah Maccabee. (You can read about this in the book of Maccabees. Although Jews and Protestant Christians do not consider this book a part of the Bible, it is a useful historical source). As soon as the war was over, the Maccabees returned to Jerusalem and cleansed the Temple. Afterward, they held a service of dedication -- the first Hanukkah!
According to the Talmud, when the temple was being restored, there was only enough oil found to last for one day, and yet, by some miraculous provision of God, the oil lasted for eight days -- long enough for a new batch to be prepared.
Hanukkah Customs
Hanukkiah
The most visible aspect of the observance of Hanukkah is lighting of the special Hanukkah Menorah , also called a Hanukkiah. As opposed to the seven candlesticks of the Temple Menorah, the Hanukkiah has nine candles (or sometimes oil lamps), one of which always stands out from the others, usually higher, or off to one side. (Other than this there are no restrictions on the shape of a Hanukkiah, so Jewish artists can exercise a great deal of creativity in designing them. You can find Hanukkiot made of practically every material and in every shape and style you can imagine!) The lamp which stands out is called the Shamash in Hebrew, or Shamus in Yiddish. The shamash is lit first and used to light the remaining lamps, one for each day that the temple menorah miraculously stayed lit. The light is supposed to be displayed prominently -- in a window or on the stoop -- where all who pass by will see it and be reminded of the Miracle. It is worthwhile, if you ever find yourself in Jerusalem over the holiday, to take an evening stroll through the religious neighborhood of Mea Shearim, where you will find such lights beckoning from every home.
It is from this practice that the Feast of Hanukkah derives it second name -- the Festival of Lights!
The Dreidl (svivon)
Another symbol of Hanukkah is the dreidl. A dreidl is a four-sided top with one of the Hebrew letters Nun, Gimel, Heh, and Shin on each side. The letters stand for the phrase Nes Gadol Hayah Sham-- "A great miracle happened there." But they also stand for the instructions to a game which is played with the top, and so (or so they say), the dreidl was used as a teaching tool in disguise, because in times and places where the Jewish people were forbidden to teach their religion, the dreidl could be passed off as an innocent toy. (In Israel the letters are Nun, Gimmel, Heh and Peh, for "Nes Gadol Hayah Poh!" -- "A great miracle happened here"!)
Gifts & Treats
Children get "Hanukkah-Gelt" (Hanukkah Money) and/or Hanukkah presents at this time of year. It is a school holiday. Among the Ashkenazim (Jews of East European extraction), it is traditional to eat <latkes (potato pancakes) and applesauce. In Israel, sufganiyot -- a kind of doughnut without the hole, covered in powdered sugar -- are also traditional at Hanukkah.
Importance
Hanukkah is actually a relatively minor holiday on the Jewish calendar, and yet it is probably the best known among American non-Jews, perhaps because the date often happens to coincide more-or-less with the Christmas season.
Unlike Passover and Yom Kippur, which were Biblical holidays which God gave to Moses at Sinai, Hanukkah is a relatively new holiday, dating back only to 165 BC. It is not even mentioned in the Jewish Bible, as it commemorates an event which took place during the time between the closing of the Tanakh (what Christians call the "Old Testament") and the writing of the New Covenant Scriptures about Yeshua and his followers.
It does appear however in the New Testament. By the time of Yeshua, Hanukkah had become a regular holiday, as is mentioned in the Gospel of John:
"John 10:22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication (i.e., Hanukkah), and it was winter."
Hanukkah and the Prophet Daniel
Although Hanukkah is not recorded in the Jewish Bible as history, the principal historic events were foretold by the prophet Daniel. In the eighth chapter of the Book of Daniel, this wise man of God relates a dream he had in the year 551 BC, in the Days of Belshazzar king of Babylon. He said he saw a shaggy goat with a conspicuous horn rising up out of the West and flying across the earth to fight with a ram who had figured earlier in the dream. The goat won this battle and "became very great" but the large horn was broken off at the height of his power, and replaced by four smaller horns. Out of one of these horns came another horn, which grew and advanced toward "the Beautiful Land" (i.e., the Land of Israel).
"It vaunted itself against the very chief of the host [army]; on its account the regular offering was suspended, and His holy place was abandoned" "How long will the regular offering be forsaken because of the transgression? . . . For twenty three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed." -- Daniel 8: 9-14
In verse 20, the angel Gabriel explains that the ram was the Medo-Persian empire, and the shaggy goat was the king of Greece, and the large horn the first King. The four horns were the four lesser kings who would succeed him. The angel does not provide the names of these kings, who had not yet been born when all of this was written, yet it is easy to see in retrospect that the "First King" of Greece refers to Alexander the Great, who conquered the known world of his day, overthrowing the Medo-Persian empire (the Ram). History tells us that Alexander died young ("was broken off at the height of his power") and his empire was divided into four separate Kingdoms, called the Seleucid Kingdoms. One of these was the Kingdom of Syria, our of which Antiochus Epiphanes arose and advanced against "the beautiful land" and vaunted himself against God, causing the sacrifice to be forsaken. Three years later (2,300 evening and morning sacrifices later), the sanctuary was cleansed and rededicated -- the first Hanukkah.
Hanukkah and the Last Days
The New Testament, though written after the time of Antiochus and the Maccabees, makes allusions to the book of Daniel that show similar events would occur again. Yeshua himself warned about "the abomination that causes desolation spoken of through the prophet Daniel" as something yet to take place. (Matt 24:16) Indeed, in 70 AD the Romans again desecrated the Temple, first by placing pagan images there, and then by completely destroying the building. The New Testament book of Revelation refers to images of "the beast" (Antichrist, or the ultimate false Messiah) which will be erected. (Rev. 13:14)
Messianic Significance
Some Messianic and other Christian Bible scholars see in the Jewish Holiday calendar a parallel to God's plan for human history. Passover, of course, is closely related to the offering of Yeshua as the Ultimate "Pesach," and Shavuot corresponds to the giving of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the New Covenant, just as before Messiah, Shavuot had stood for the giving of the Torah and the beginning of the Old Covenant. These connections are clear from the New Covenant Scriptures, but some thinkers have extended the parallel between the Jewish Holidays and such milestones of history on into the future. Rosh Hashana (the Feast of Trumpets) is thus paired with the coming rapture, and Sukkoth with the coming Kingdom of Messiah. Hanukkah is sometimes associated with Eternity in the "New Heaven" to be created after the end of Messianic Kingdom (Rev. 20:7 ff.) which could be thought of as the cleansing and "rededication" of the entire Universe as the new Temple of God.
Who will be there in eternity with God? Let's look back at what Yeshua said in the temple one Hanukkah in his own day:
The Jews gathered around him saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.":
Yeshua answered, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. " -- John 10:27-29
Yeshua clearly believed that he was more than "a good teacher," but the very key to eternal life. It is also interesting that the book of John, the only New Testament book to mention Hanukkah, is also full of references to "light." Yeshua himself is identified as the "Light of the World." (John 8:12, John 9:5) His story would be fascinating reading for the Festival of Lights!
Rosh Hashana THE NEW YEAR
Among the many traditions of Rosh Hashana are:
dipping of bread into honey after kiddush and ha-Motzi, as a symbol of the hope that the new year will be sweet. dipping pieces of apple into honey, for the same reason. Also, the apple is said to symbolize the Divine Presence.
use of round loaf of bread instead of the usual braided hallah. Some say the round shape symbolizes a crown.
avoidance of nuts (I don't mean people who think they saw Elvis on the subway, but actual "nuts." This is because the numerical value of the Hebrew word for "nut" is the same as the word for "sin.")
Tashlikh ceremony, in which "sins" are ceremoniously tossed into a river and washed away, as penitential prayers are said.
The Shofar
The most obvious distinguishing feature of Rosh Hashana is the blowing of the shofar, or ram's horn. The Biblical name for this holiday is in fact Zichron Teruah (Remembrance of the shofar blast), or Yom Teruah. (Day of the shofar blast). In some English Bibles it is called The Feast of Trumpets.
Over a thousand years ago, the great Jewish sage Saadia Gaon came up with ten reasons for sounding the Shofar:
The shofar is associated with the coronation of a King.
The shofar heralds the beginning of the penitential period
The Torah was given amid blasts of a shofar
The prophets compare their message to blasts of shofar
It is a reminder of the Conquering armies that destroyed the temple
It is a reminder of the Substitutionary Sacrifice of the ram for Isaac
It fills one with Awe-Amos 3:6
It is associated with Judgment Day-Zephaniah. 1:14, 16
It heralds the Messianic Age, Isaiah 27:13
It heralds the Resurrection
Significance
Unlike Passover, the Bible does not clearly identify Rosh Hashana with a historical event, so we must look to tradition to discover its significance.
According to Talmudic tradition, the Ten Days of Awe which begin at Rosh Hashana are the time in which God determines the fate of each human being. On Rosh Hashana, the wholly righteous are supposedly inscribed in the Sefer ha-Hayyim, or Book of Life, while the wholly wicked are inscribed in the Book of Death. The fate of all others hangs in the balance until Yom Kippur. Consequently, it is a time for introspection, for taking stock of one's behavior over the past year and making amends for any wrongdoing.
The Book of Life in the Bible
In chapter 32 of the book of Exodus we find the first hint of the book of life. Moses has been on the mountain receiving the Torah while the people of Israel waited below. Seeing that Moses was taking a long time in returning, the people gave up waiting and made themselves a golden calf to worship, thus incurring the wrath of God. Moses asks to be "blotted out of the book" if God will not forgive the sins of the people. (See also Deut. 9:13)
There are a number of other references in the Tanakh which mention God blotting out or not blotting out someone from the Book. In Psalm 51:3/2, David asks to have his sins blotted out. Psalm 69:29/28 uses the exact phrase "Book of Life" See also 2 Kings 14:27, Psalm 9:5/6.
Rosh Hashana in the Bible
The Torah does not use the term "Rosh Hashana," but calls this holiday Yom Teruah, The Day of the Sounding of the Shofar. According to Leviticus 23:23-25, it was to be celebrated by blowing a shofar, or ram's horn, by resting from all work, and by calling a holy assembly, and presenting an offering. The offering is described in Numbers 29:2-6. In Nehemiah 8:2-9 we find Ezra reading the Torah to the assembled people of Israel on this date.
Psalms 93-100 are also believed to have been composed for Rosh Hashana.
Modern Observance and Jewish Tradition
In modern Jewish observance of Rosh Hashana, the principal themes are:
Repentance (Teshuvah in Hebrew -- literally "turning back" to God)
Redemption -- restoration of a severed relationship with God
The coming of Messiah
Judgment
Creation.
The Coming Messiah
The following quotes underscore the theme of the coming Messiah in Rosh Hashana tradition:
"The sounding of the shofar is related to the Messianic theme, and in one tradition, Rosh Hashana is said to be the time of the ultimate redemption."-Philip Sigal
"The prayers . . . in many ways allude to God's enthronement, for the kingship of Heaven materializes with the advent of Messiah, who presides over the last judgment."-Philip Sigal
The Brit Ha-Hadashah (New Testament) also associates the sound of the shofar with the coming of Messiah. Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, a book of the Brit Ha-Hadashah, tells us:
"For the Lord himself (i.e., Yeshua ha-Mashiach) will come down from heaven, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call (Tekiat Shofar) of God, and the dead in the Messiah (i.e., those who believed in Yeshua and have died) will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. . . ." -- I Thessalonians 4:16 - 17.
(Believers refer to this coming event as the "Rapture," from the Latin word for "caught up." )
The description of Things to Come given in the Brit ha-Hadashah fits well with all the modern themes of Rosh Hashana. In order to participate in the Rapture, one must 1) Repent: Turn away from sin and toward God. Then you will be personally 2) Redeemed. The soul will be redeemed immediately, and your body on that day when 3) The Messiah comes again and "we shall all be changed/ we shall be like him as he is!" (1 Corinthians 15:51, I John 3:2) and therefore ready for the (4) Judgment.(Revelation 20:11-15) before the world is 5) created anew (Revelation 21).
The Book of Life in the Brit ha-Hadashah
The Concept of the Book of Life is found in the New Covenant Scriptures as well. In Philippians 4:3, Paul mentions his faithful colaborers as being written in the book of Life. The book of Revelation, dedicated to the themes of judgment and the coming Messiah, contains several references to the "Book of Life."
Revelation 3:5 - "he who overcomes" will not be blotted out
Revelation 13:8 -- All who are not written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb will worship the beast.
Revelation 17:8 -- All who are not written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb will be astonished at the beast.
Revelation 20:12 -- Judgment by the Book.
Revelation 20:15 -- All who are not found in the book are thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:27 -- Those who are in the Book will enter the New Jerusalem.
Tashlikh--
One very interesting ceremony of Rosh Hashana is the custom of Tashlikh. In a Tashlikh service, worshippers go to a body of water such as a stream or an ocean, and toss the contents of their pockets into it while reciting passages such as Micah 7:19, ("You will hurl (Tashlikh) all their sins into the depths of the sea.") as a symbol of sin being swallowed up in forgiveness.
A New Covenant
This is not the only place in the Tanakh where God speaks of such total forgiveness for his people. Jeremiah 31:34 says: "For I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more." Only one verse before, God declares that one day he will make a New Covenant (Brit Hadashah) with Israel, and put his Torah in their minds and write it on their hearts:
"See, a time is coming -- declares the LORD -- when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers, when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, a covenant which they broke, so that I rejected them -- declares the LORD."
What is this "New Covenant"? What is to be the basis of Atonement under it?
The Torah teaches that atonement requires the shedding of blood, i.e. a sacrifice. (Leviticus 17:11). Yet, there is no more temple in which to make the sacrifice, so how can there be atonement? It is impossible to keep the Torah completely as long as there is no temple. The rabbis declared that prayers would take the place of the sacrifices, but is that really enough? If prayer is as good as sacrifice, why did God ever demand sacrifice in the first place? Would HaShem allow the temple -- so central to his service -- to be taken away for so long without putting an alternative plan in place? Hass ve'halilah! If God has allowed the temple to lie in ruins for so long, could it be that it is because he has provided another way?
Suppose someone you know to be reliable gives you directions to someplace and you suddenly find yourself at a dead end. You know the directions are good, so you back up to see if you missed a turn somewhere. Those directions are the Torah and the prophets. The dead end is the Hurban. The missed turn is the New Covenant -- one that doesn't need a physical temple, because the ultimate sacrifice has already been made, making all other sacrifice obsolete. The Hebrew prophets predicted that a "Righteous Servant" would some day make such a sacrifice. (Isaiah 53:6, 8, 12)
"And the LORD visited upon him the guilt of us all." -- Isaiah 53:6 (JPS)
"My righteous servant makes the many righteous, It is their punishment that he bears" -- Isaiah 53:11 (JPS)
"For he was cut off from the land of the living Through the sin of my people, who deserved the punishment" -- Isaiah 53:8 (JPS)
"he bore the guilt of the many And made intercession for sinners." -- Isaiah 53:12 (JPS)
We believe that Yeshua is that Righteous Servant (what other candidates are there?), and that his Atonement is the basis of the New Covenant spoken of by Jeremiah. If the New Testament ("Testament" is simply another word for Covenant or Brit) is true, it proves that God has not abandoned Am Yisroel. We believe that God has come in person to rescue his people from their sins as a prerequisite to the final restoration of Israel to the Land, when HaShem Himself will rule over them as King. Marana Tha!*
*(Aramaic for "Our Lord, Come!")
Passover Overview
The name of the festival, Pesach in Hebrew, passing over or protection, is derived from the instructions given to Moses by God (Ex. 6:6-8). Moses was chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. God commanded Moses to tell the children of Israel, Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD (Ex. 6:6-8).
Passover is the time of beginnings for Israel. This festival ushers in the coming of spring on the Jewish calendar. It is celebrated on the fourteenth1 day of Abib (the first month of the Jewish religious calendar, later called Nisan). Each of the three pilgrimage festivals Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles has an agricultural basis as well as an historical significance. Many different things are celebrated during Passover. A few of these include: the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the growing season; the new lambing time, and the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt during Passover.
It cannot be overemphasized as to how foundational Passover is in God's eternal redemption plan. Only Nisan can be the first month in God's calendar. Though other cycles and other aspects of life in the LORD are important, it is the sacrifice of the Lamb that gives it all meaning. Except for the sacrifice of the Passover and the blood on the doorposts, Israel would have suffered the same fate as the Egyptians. The promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would have then become void. With no Passover sacrifice and with no blood on the doorposts, then no Torah could have been given and no other celebrations could have followed. Apart from the sacrifice of the Passover and the blood on the door posts, there would have been no basis for Messiah, our Passover, to be sacrificed on the anniversary of that momentous occasion. We would have no hope and remain dead in our sins; however, the command was obeyed and deliverance was accomplished. Indeed, for us, this is most certainly the first of all the months, the first month of the year, truly the real beginning of all spiritual life (Michael 1996).
God directs parents, this special night of the year, to take on the role of teacher, and pass down His story of the exodus from Egypt to future generations. This ceremony not only looks back to the miraculous story of God delivering His people, but it also presents the promise of Messiah's death and resurrection. It is an exciting experience centering on a mixture of ritual foods. The matzah, bitter herbs, wine, and the rest, provide a lasting link through the march of history.
Israel's Redemption from Egypt (Exodus 1:1-18:27)
The Old Testament story of Passover has more light, more splendor, more vividness, and a richer application to life than any other story in the book of Exodus. Moses and his brother Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him that the Lord said to let the Israelites go. Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites, even for a brief visit to the desert to worship their God. In fact, he made life for the Israelite slaves even worse. Moses had warned Pharaoh that God would send a series of plagues upon Egypt unless the people were freed.
God sent the plagues to show the people that He is the one true God. He confronted the things that the Egyptians called gods. The ten plagues were righteous plagues, and justly inflicted upon the Egyptians because each plague had something to do with the false gods that the Egyptians worshipped. God makes those false things that we worship a burden to us.
The word plague is from the Hebrew word oth, which means "sign". The Egyptians believed in magic. They were always trying to override the laws of nature to perform their "tricks" God used the laws of nature to bring about His signs and wonders.
The entire episode of the plagues is supposed to have happened within eight to ten months. Each of the plagues spoke as a sign to the Egyptians, showing them that He is greater than their so-called gods. The first three plagues affected all the people, even the Hebrews. The next three plagues were much more intense and only happened to the Egyptians (I will put a division between my people and thy people v. 23). Before each plague, God commanded Moses and Aaron to warn Pharaoh, Let My people go or I [God] will bring a plague upon you. Before each plague, for three weeks, Moses warned Pharaoh. The actual plague lasted one week.
Seder
During the Passover celebration, Jews and Christians remember this great event by eating special foods associated with the bitterness of slavery and the sweetness of freedom. The entire meal, called the seder, is eaten as the story of Israel's freedom is told. Everything in the Seder is directed toward the prime command from the Bible: And thou shall shew thy son in that day saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt (Exod. 13:8). See a Messianic Seder Process in the next chapter.
Redemption
The great miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea is the climax of the departure from Egypt and the inspiring wonder that forged a group of slaves into a nation. The redemption from Egypt is not only that of Israel but also a salvation by faith in general. The celebration of redemption from Egypt will be a pattern for salvation from all other evil.
During this God-ordained night we celebrate the doctrines of our salvation. Thus, like ancient Israel, we are sovereignty brought to the edge of the "sea" with no hope except to trust His deliverance and to follow Him. We marvel at His overwhelming sufficiency. Like ancient Israel, when we trust Him for deliverance and walk through the "sea" with Him, we end up singing and dancing on the other side. That's Pesach! (Berkowitz 1996)
Pesach will begin on the following days on the American calendar:
March 28, 2002 (Jewish Year 5762)
April 17, 2003 (Jewish Year 5763)
April 6, 2004 (Jewish Year 5764)
Note: A day on the Jewish calendar begins at sunset. When a date is given for a Jewish holiday, the holiday actually begins at sundown on the preceding day.
Feast Of The Tabernacles (Ingathering) Overview
The Feast of Tabernacles is a week-long autumn harvest festival. Tabernacles is also known as the Feast of the Ingathering, Feast of the Booths, Sukkoth, Succoth, or Sukkot (variations in spellings occur because these words are transliterations of the Hebrew word pronounced "Sue-coat"). The two days following the festival are separate holidays, Shemini Atzeret and Simkhat Torah, but are commonly thought of as part of the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Feast of Tabernacles was the final and most important holiday of the year. The importance of this festival is indicated by the statement, "This is to be a lasting ordinance." The divine pronouncement, "I am the Lord your God," concludes this section on the holidays of the seventh month. The Feast of Tabernacles begins five days after Yom Kippur on the fifteenth of Tishri (September or October). It is a drastic change from one of the most solemn holidays in our year to one of the most joyous. The word Sukkoth means "booths," and refers to the temporary dwellings that Jews are commanded to live in during this holiday, just as the Jews did in the wilderness. The Feast of Tabernacles lasts for seven days and ends on the twenty-first day (3x7) of the Hebrew month of Tishri, which is Israel's seventh month.
This holiday has a dual significance: historical and agricultural (just as Passover and Pentecost). Historically, it was to be kept in remembrance of the dwelling in tents in the wilderness for the forty-year period during which the children of Israel were wandering in the desert.
It is expounded in Leviticus 23:43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
What were they to remember?
Matthew Henry's commentary explains,
1.) The meanness of their beginning, and the low and desolate state out of which God advanced that people. Note: Those that are comfortably fixed ought often to call to mind their former unsettled state, when they were but little in their own eyes. 2.) The mercy of God to them, that, when they dwelt in tabernacles, God not only set up a tabernacle for Himself among them, but, with the utmost care and tenderness imaginable, hung a canopy over them, even the cloud that sheltered them from the heat of the sun. God's former mercies to us and our fathers ought to be kept in everlasting remembrance. The eighth day was the great day of this holiday, because then they returned to their own houses again, and remembered how, after they had long dwelt in tents in the wilderness, at length they came to a happy settlement in the land of promise, where they dwelt in goodly houses. And they would the more sensibly value and be thankful for the comforts and conveniences of their houses when they had been seven days dwelling in booths. It is good for those that have ease and plenty sometimes to learn what it is to endure hardness.
They were to keep this holiday in thankfulness to God for all the increase of the year; however, the emphasis is that Israel's life rested upon redemption which in its ultimate meaning is the forgiveness of sin. This fact separates this holiday from the harvest festivals of the neighboring nations whose roots lay in the mythological activity of the gods.
Was the first Thanksgiving a Feast of Tabernacles Celebration?
Many Americans, upon seeing a decorated sukkah for the first time, remark on how much the sukkah (and the holiday generally) reminds them of Thanksgiving. The American pilgrims, who originated the Thanksgiving holiday, were deeply religious people. As they were trying to find a way to express their thanks for their survival and for the harvest, it is quite possible that they looked to the Bible (Leviticus 23:39) for an appropriate way of celebrating and based their holiday in part on the Feast of Tabernacles.
Note: celebrating Thanksgiving on the third Thursday of November was established by the American government and may not necessarily coincide with the pilgrim's first observance.
Rosh Hashana (Feast of Trumpets) Overview
The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) was celebrated at the beginning of the month Tishri, the first month of the civil year. It was one of the seven days of holy convocation. Tishri is the seventh month of the Biblical calendar, and as such parallels the Sabbath as a special and holy time to seek God. The previous month of Elul is the time of preparation just as Friday is the Day of Preparation for Shabbat. This season is a time of reflection, contemplation, and putting things in order and getting right our relationship with God.
God named the other holidays, Sabbath, Passover, Day of Atonement, etc.; however, this holiday has no name. It's simply referred to as Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar), so it became known as the Feast of Trumpets, a special day calling attention to the coming holy day-the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). A shofar (ram's horn) is blown during the Feast of Trumpets service.
Leviticus 23 calls the blowing of trumpets a memorial but does not say what it is a memorial of. Many believe it is a memorial of God's grace to Abraham when He substituted a ram to be sacrificed instead of Isaac (Gen. 22). It is also regarded by both Jews and Christians as a memorial of the creation of the world, at which the sons of God shouted for joy (Job 38:7). This holiday was the new year's day, on which the people rejoiced in a grateful remembrance of God's benefits and implored His blessing for the future year.
The Feast of Trumpets and Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) are the holiest days of the Jewish year. These ten days are called the Days of Awe or High Holy Days. Unlike other holy days, they do not celebrate a season or historical event. This season is a time for looking inward to spiritual growth. The themes surrounding this holiday include:
Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah literally is "Head or beginning of the year.") God's Royalty (Coronation Day)
Day of Judgment
Remembrance (Yom Ha-Zikaron, the day of remembrance)
Birthday of the world
New Year
The Feast of Trumpets is the Jewish New Year. There is little resemblance between the Feast of Trumpets, one of the holiest days of the year, and a typical New Year's Eve midnight drinking party. It is a celebration of the earth's physical birthday on Tishri 1, the seventh month of the religious calendar, the first month of the civil calendar. It is the first of the fall holidays and usually occurs in September.
Judaism has several different new years. This is similar to the calendar year starting in January, the new school year starting in September, and many businesses starting fiscal years in July and September. In Judaism, Nisan 1 is the new year for the purpose of counting the reign of kings and months on the calendar. Regardless when the king became ruler, the coronation was on Tishri 1. Elul 1 (in August) is the new year for the tithing of animals. Shevat 15 (in February) is the new year for trees (determining when first fruits can be eaten, etc.), and Tishri 1, the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) is the new year for years.
Coronation Day
Another theme of this holiday is God's royalty. The Jewish liturgical tradition has preserved tunes for many of the prayers that aptly accompany what the Chassidim called "Coronation Day." The shofar, in this light, announces God's Kingship: With trumpets and sound of cornet [shofar] make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King (Ps. 98:6). Through repentance we become God's subjects. It is said that the day that God manifests His Royalty, the day He created His world, is also naturally the day He sits in judgment. Coronation Day is a joyous day and world celebration.
Judgment Day
The history of the Feast of Trumpets as a "Day of Judgment" is from the legend that God sits in judgment between the New Year and the Day of Atonement over mankind to determine fates for the coming year. This symbolism is drawn upon to great effect by the authors of the liturgical poems written to heighten the prayers of the season. The sages say that destiny - whether financial, physical, or other- is pre-ordained on one day each year for the entire duration of that year (Talmud Rosh Hashanah).
It is said that on this day God has three books that are opened. Those who have returned to God are written in the Book of Righteousness. All other people are divided into two groups. The first is the wholly wicked whose names are written in the Book of the Wholly Wicked. The other group are considered intermediates. They are people who have not been judged and have ten more days to repent. If they repent by the Day of Atonement their names will be written in the Book of Righteousness. Hosea 14:1-9 expresses this theme.
The sages of the Jerusalem Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 1:3) say, "Normally, someone standing in judgment would dress somberly, cloaking himself in black robes and not trim his beard. After all, he does not know how it will turn out. Israel is different, though. We dress in white and cloak ourselves in white and trim our beards and eat and drink and are joyous for we know that God will do miracles for us. Being judged by God is at once an awesome thing - He knows all - but He is a merciful God. Even judgment itself need not be devoid of joy (Talmud Rosh Hashanah 1:3).
Remembrance
The theme of "remembered" is thought to be from God remembering Sarah and Hannah. A Talmudic dictum (Rosh Hashanah 10b) says that on Yom Teruah, Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah were "remembered."
Birthday of the World
Jewish tradition believes this day is the birthday of the world because the first part of Genesis, Bereishit, "in the beginning," when changed around, read Aleph b' Tishri, or "on the first of Tishri." Therefore the Feast Of Trumpets is known as the birthday of the world (Adapted Chumney 1994).
The Shofar
The shofar has always had a special place for the Hebrew people. Trumpets were of a great variety of forms, and were made of diverse materials. Some were made of silver (Num. 10:2) and were used only by the priests in announcing the approach of festivals and in giving signals of war. Some were also made of rams' horns (Josh. 6:8). They were blown at special festivals, and to herald the arrival of special seasons (Lev. 23:24; 25:9, 1 Chron. 15:24, 2 Chron. 29:27, Ps. 81:3 98:6). Trumpets are among the symbols used in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 1:10 8:2) (Bushnell 1995).
Specific uses for the shofar:
It was sounded to bring Moses to the top of the mountain to receive the Commandments. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up (Ex. 19:19-20).
It was a signal during time of war. And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them (Judges 3:27).
It was blown at the start of the Jubilee year. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land (Lev. 25:9).
It was blown during coronation services of a new King. And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon (1 Kings 1:34).
It is a sign of the regathering of dispersed Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem (Isa. 27:13).
It was sounded as a warning of danger. Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid… (Amos 3:6).
And the greatest anticipation of all is the day of the arrival of the Messiah. And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south (Zech. 9:14).
Hanukkah Overview
Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah or Hanukah), is an annual festival of the Jews celebrated on eight successive days to honor the restoration of divine worship in the Temple after it had been defiled by heathens. The return of their religious liberty was to them as life from the dead and, in remembrance of it, they kept an annual holiday on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev. Kislev is the third month of the Jewish calendar corresponding, approximately, to early December in the Gregorian calendar. Jesus kept this festival. The principal source for the story of Hanukkah is found in the Talmud.
The biggest lesson of Hanukkah was the power of the spirit, the ability of God's people to live by God's commands. …Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts (Zech. 4:6). In between the Testaments, around 164 b.c., the Maccabees (or Hasmoneans), led by Judah Maccabee, wrested Judea from the rule of the Seleucids-Syrian rulers who supported the spread of Greek religion and culture. Hanukkah commemorates the recapture of Jerusalem by the Maccabees and the establishment of the Temple. The Temple had been profaned by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, king of Syria and overlord of Palestine. The Maccabees ruled Judea until Herod took power in 37 b.c.e.
Hanukkah centers around a nine-branch menorah. The Temple menorah has seven branches. The Hanukkah menorah has nine branches, eight to remember the eight days of Hanukkah and one is the shamus, the candle used to light the other candles (this is usually either higher or separate from the other eight branches).
Pentecost or Shavuot Overview
There are many names for the Feast of Weeks. It is identified in the Old Testament as the Feast of Weeks (Ex. 34:22) and the Feast of Harvest (Ex. 23:16). As explained in the previous chapter, this feast is referred to as Latter Firstfruits. The Hebrew name is Shavuot (pronounced sha-voo-ote). The Greek name Pentecost is only found in the New Testament (Acts 2:1).
Pentecost is a major festival and has a dual significance: historical and agricultural, just as Passover and Tabernacles. Unlike Passover and Tabernacles, it is observed for only two days (only one in the Reform Movement). Pentecost marks the end of the barley harvest and beginning of the wheat harvest. Counting the days from the second day of Passover to Pentecost is called the "Counting of the Omer" (see previous chapter). The cutting of the omer of the new barley marked the beginning of the counting period; on the fiftieth day, Pentecost is observed. Pentecost is a Greek word meaning fiftieth.
Pentecost is considered the closing festival of the Passover season (Ex. 34:22; Lev. 23:15; Deut. 16:9-10). This day is further referred to as "latter firstfruits" of the spring harvest. The "early firstfruits" (barley) were waved before the Lord during the Feast of Firstfruits (see Passover chapter) and the "latter firstfruits" (wheat) were offered unto the Lord during the Feast of Weeks. It is also referred to as the Day of the Congregation (Deuteronomy 18:16). Another name is Atserret, meaning stop or cease or conclusion of seven weeks of counting.
Pentecost is the only festival for which no specific date is given in the Bible. Rather, the people were instructed to count seven weeks "...from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf [omer] of the wave offering (Lev. 23:15). This holiday occurs in the months of May or June on the American calendar. It is the successful conclusion of the first wheat-growing season and the anniversary celebration of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.
It is a celebration to reawaken and strengthen personal relationships with God by rededication to the observance and study of the Torah - the most precious heritage. When Yahweh revealed Himself on Mount Sinai, His people heard His voice proclaiming the Ten Commandments. Then the Israelites pledged their allegiance to Yahweh by saying, "…All that the Lord has hath said will we do and be obedient" (Exod. 24:7).
Passover freed God's people physically from bondage, but the giving of the Torah on Shavuot redeemed us spiritually from our bondage to idolatry and immorality. The Torah contains the Five Book of Moses, the Prophets, and the Writings.
First Pentacost Pentacost after Jesus Christ
The Commandments given The Holy Spirit given
50 days from the crossing of the Red Sea 50 days from the resurrection of Christ
Law of Yahweh written in stone Law of Yahweh written on our hearts
Three thousand slain Three thousand saved
The letter of the law The Spirit of The Law
2000
Purim March 21, 2000
Passover April 20- 27, 2000
Shavuot June 9, 2000
Rosh HaShanah September 30, 2000
Yom Kippur October 9, 2000
Sukkot October 14, 2000
Simhat Torah October 22, 2000
Hanukkah December 22, 2000
2001
Tubeshvat February 8, 2001
Purim March 9, 2001
Passover April 8-14, 2001
Yom Haatzmaut April 26, 2001
Lag b'omer May 11, 2001
Shavuot May 28, 2001
Tisha b'av July 29, 2001
Rosh HaShanah September 18-19, 2001
Yom Kippur September 27, 2001
Sukkot October 2-9, 2001
Hanukkah December 10-17, 2001
2002
Tubeshvat January 28, 2002
Purim February 26, 2002
Passover March 28 - April 3, 2002
Yom Haatzmaut April 17, 2002
Lag b'omer April 30, 2002
Shavuot May 17, 2002
Tisha b'av July 18, 2002
Rosh HaShanah September 7-8, 2002
Yom Kippur September 16, 2002
Sukkot September 21-28, 2002
Hanukkah November 30 - December 7, 2002
2003
Tubeshvat January 18, 2003
Purim March 18, 2003
Passover April 17 -23, 2003
Yom Haatzmaut May 7, 2003
Shavuot June 6, 2003
Tisha b'av August 7, 2003
Rosh HaShanah September 27, 2003
Yom Kippur October 6, 2003
Sukkot October 11, 2003
Hanukkah December 20 - 27, 2003
This has nothing to do with Jesus' birthday nor with Christianity at all. Here is what the Christmas Tree represents.
It is a celebration of New York, our government, and the sun god known by many different names.
It is symbolic of The Yew Tree (Yew for York), Nimrod (Freemasonry & The Pentagon), Jezebel (Lady Liberty)
and Nebuchadnezzar (The Twins & The Pentagon).
WHAT IS THE ANGEL FOR ON TOP OF THE TREE? SEE THE BOOK OF DANIEL
Also, if you will look in the Book of Revelations, Christmas & St. Nick & those who celebrate such things (prounced together Satanic) are spoken of as the Nicoliatians and in these pagan holidays idols are worshipped and food (turkeys & hams) is eaten that has been sacrificed to idols.
Easter is a celebration & worship of the fertility goddess. This is the reason for the eggs and the rabbits.
Whether or not our children are "missing out" on these holidays as we might think, we must ask ourselves one question,
Is it worth the Kingdom of Heaven?
