Dear Family in the Messiah Yeshua! Greetings and blessings to you from your brothers and sisters at “Holy Land Ministries”, Israel!
We are now approaching into the Feast of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of rededication, also called, the Festival of Lights.
Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Jewish month Kislev and lasts for eight days. This year it falls at nightfall on December 18th, 2022 and ends with the nightfall on December 26th 2022 according to the Gregorian calendar.
As most of you know, Hanukkah commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Jerusalem Temple at the beginning of Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the second century BCE.
This event clearly reveals the handwriting of the Almighty, since the “revolt” was carried out by a tiny group of Jewish believers, lead by a Jewish country priest and his five sons, who opposed the military power of the earthly ruling empire of those days.
As we again delve into and reflect on the history of those ancient events, we see more and more its prophetic meaning and the pattern of its ultimate fulfillment in the days to come.
Hanukkah – the Festival of Lights, its meaning and its lessons, is reminding us again about the call and commandment given to us by our blessed Messiah: ” You are the light of the world” Matthew 5:14
May all of us, Yeshua’s disciples, by His Spirit and strength, continue to spread Messiah’s message and light into this dark and suffering world even till His Glorious Return and the establishment of His Everlasting Kingdom.
“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it”.
John 1:5
As usual, we would like to share with you the reflections on Hanukkah of our Israeli rabbi and dear brother in Messiah Yeshua:
בס״ד
Hanukkah 5783
A Festival of Change
King David wrote a special Psalm for the dedication of the Temple. This is the thirtieth Psalm. Most people think that David wrote this Psalm for the dedication of the first Temple, but when examining the Psalm, one finds that there is an emphasis on resurrection and victory. This should cause the reader to understand that David wrote this Psalm not for the dedication of the first Temple, but for the Temple that will be established for the Millennial Kingdom. The portion of this Psalm that I would like to focus upon is near to the conclusion of the Psalm.
הָפַכְתָּ מִסְפְּדִי, לְמָחוֹל לִי: פִּתַּחְתָּ שַׂקִּי; וַתְּאַזְּרֵנִי שִׂמְחָה. פסוק י״ב
“You have turned my mourning into dance; You have opened my sackcloth and You have girded me with gladness.” Psalm 30:11
When one enters into a New Covenant relationship with G-d through faith in Messiah Yeshua, he will not only become a new creation, but specifically a Kingdom creation.
This means that he will be committed to those things which relate to the Kingdom of G-d. Yeshua stated, “Blessed are the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6
This promise of being filled will only be realized in its full sense after the Kingdom is established. What King David is revealing to the reader is that when the Millennial Temple is dedicated, then all of the House of David will experience those things mentioned in Psalm 30. The term the House of David, is found in prophecy and does not relate to the biological family of David; for the name David, after the death of King David, frequently refers to the Messiah. Hence, the House of David is actually all individuals who have received by faith Yeshua as the Messiah. These people can fully expect to receive all the promises and blessings of the Kingdom. For the purpose of this article, I would like to concentrate upon what is said in verse 12 (11 in English) of Psalm 30.
The first word which appears in this verse is הָפַכְתָּ and it relates to a change taking place. The word has a sense of overturning something and bringing about an entirely new reality. Based upon the context for the verse, this change involves an ending of mourning מִסְפְּדִי. Mourning is connected to death and there is an inherent relationship between death and sin. In other words, for the one who has received the New Covenant, there will no longer be any of the effects of sin including death in the Kingdom. Instead of expressing the intense sorrow that is felt when a loved one dies, believers will rise up to dance מָחוֹל in the Kingdom. This dancing relates to worship and is an expression of thanksgiving to G-d for the new condition that will characterize the Kingdom; namely, joy.
In the second half of the verse, there is a continuation of the same theme, victory over the emotions which both sin and death bring upon an individual. Here, David states that G-d has opened his sackcloth פִּתַּחְתָּ שַׂקִּי. Sackcloth was put on by one who was repenting of sin or to show the grief of mourning due to death of a loved one. The opening of the sackcloth and the girding of gladness relate to a Kingdom change which will occur for those inhabiting the Kingdom of G-d. All of these things foreshadow what will take place once the Kingdom is established and is inaugurated. The Messiah will establish the Kingdom at His Seconding Coming at the end of Daniel’s 70th week. However, the Kingdom will not be inaugurated until later.
Daniel’s 70th week is broken into two equal periods of time, each lasting three and a half years. This period is also said to be forty-two months or 1,260 days. There are two very relevant verses found in Daniel chapter 12.
יא וּמֵעֵת הוּסַר הַתָּמִיד, וְלָתֵת שִׁקּוּץ שֹׁמֵם–יָמִים, אֶלֶף מָאתַיִם וְתִשְׁעִים. יב אַשְׁרֵי הַמְחַכֶּה, וְיַגִּיעַ: לְיָמִים–אֶלֶף, שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שְׁלֹשִׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה. פסוקים י״א-י״ב
״And from the time the daily sacrifice was removed, and the giving of the Abomination of Desolation, days 1,290. Blessed is the one who is waiting and arrived at days 1,335.” Daniel 12:11-12
It is very significant that the period of an additional seventy-five days is broken up into two allotments and the first being thirty days. The number thirty relates to death as when both Aaron and Miriam died in the wilderness, the Children of Israel mourned them for thirty days each. Similarly, when Judas betrayed Yeshua and He was arrested and sentenced to death, Judas received thirty pieces of silver. The reader is also told in Luke’s genealogy about the Messiah, that Yeshua began His ministry at approximately thirty years of age. This informs the reader that His ministry was to lay down His life (to die upon the Cross).
Although in regard to the Rapture no one other than G-d knows the day or the hour, there is no such statement concerning the Second Coming. After Yeshua comes at the end of Daniel’s 70th week, there will be thirty days for mourning. This is also mentioned in Zechariah 12:10-12, where there will be great mourning in Jerusalem. After this mourning period, there are an additional forty-five days in order to arrive at 1,335 days. In total, there are seventy-five days added to the expected 1,260. This number contains a message to the reader. According to the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Septuagint, seventy-five individuals from the house of Jacob went down to Egypt. This number does not include Joseph, who was already in Egypt, nor Jacob himself. Likewise, when examining Luke’s genealogy, one finds that there are exactly seventy-five names mentioned when not counting Yeshua or G-d. The seventy-five Israelites who went down to Egypt formed the basis for those who were redeemed approximately four hundred years later.
It is very interesting that between Yom Kippur and Hanukkah there are also seventy-five days. In preparation for Yom Kippur, people immerse themselves (a type of baptism), wanting to rid themselves of sin and uncleanness. There it is most important that one reads,
א בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, יִהְיֶה מָקוֹר נִפְתָּח, לְבֵית דָּוִיד, וּלְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם–לְחַטַּאת, וּלְנִדָּה.
“On that day, a fountain (a source of water) was opened for the House of David and the ones who dwell in Jerusalem, for sin and impurity.” Zechariah 13:1
The most likely time for this immersion is indeed Yom Kippur, as at this Appointed Time Jewish Law requires one to immerse himself in observance of this Festival Day. From Yom Kippur moving ahead seventy-five days one does indeed arrive at 1,335 days and another significant time, Hanukkah. The question which one needs to ask himself is what must be done for the Kingdom to begin? After the immersion, which will be to remember the work of the Messiah, His death, burial, and resurrection; Messiah will enter into the Holy of Holies to complete the dedication process and the Kingdom will indeed begin. In regard to this, there is an interesting verse from the book of Haggai.
גָּדוֹל יִהְיֶה כְּבוֹד הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה הָאַחֲרוֹן, מִן-הָרִאשׁוֹן–אָמַר, יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת; וּבַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה אֶתֵּן שָׁלוֹם, נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת. ב.ט
“Great will be the glory of this Final Temple, more than the First, said the L-rd of Hosts; and in this place I will give peace, declares the L-rd of Hosts.” Haggai 2:9
From this verse, one learns that the Millennial Temple will be greater than the First Temple and when this Temple is functioning in the Millennial Kingdom, there will be שָׁלוֹם peace, i.e. the fulfilment of the will of G-d. What is the proper way to understand these things? John’s Gospel offers much wisdom to the believer to assist him to comprehend what must take place. In John 10:22-24, Yeshua is in Solomon’s Hall, the closest place to the Holy of Holies in which one can be who is not a Priest or a Levite. He is then surrounded by leaders who ask Him how long will He keep them in confusion. They want to know if He is the Messiah or not. They are not looking for a verbal answer; rather, for Him to enter the Holy of Holies. This Yeshua will do, but such an event is not for His First Coming, but when He returns at the end of Daniel’s 70th week. It will be at this time that He will enter into the Holy of Holies and the Millennial Kingdom will begin. This gives a future significance to Hanukkah for believers in Yeshua which teaches us the best is yet to come for us.
Shalom and Happy Hanukkah.
Dear Friends, please continue to pray for the Lord’s guidance and strength in our ministry to the poor and needy.
In this work we are constantly involved with many confused and suffering people, going through all kind of trials and life challenges. Among them are the disabled, refugees, new immigrants, the terminally ill and others who are facing the hardships of life, and seeking for comfort and relief in the middle of their painful reality.
The Light and the Message of our Messiah is the only remedy and solution for all these desperate and weary people.
For obvious reasons, we cannot describe all the situations and stories of the dear people that the Lord brings along our path and into our shelters.
We will only share about a few for whom we ask you to join us in prayer at this time.
Please pray with us for Boris Litvak, former resident of our shelter in Ashqelon who stayed with us about three years ago.
Boris is a Jewish immigrant from Ukraine. He is an older person and handicapped, he cannot walk and needs round-the-clock care.
Boris stayed with us till we were able to admit him into a local assisted living accommodation with medical supervision. Though all these physical challenges and medical condition do not make Boris’s life easy, his coming to Israel is indeed a fulfillment of the prophecy and the Lord’s will is being performed in Boris’s life.
“See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame,”… Jeremiah 31:8 (a )
We continue to visit Boris at his new accommodation, seeking to help with his practical needs where needed. Actually at this time, we are discussing the cost of his dentures with the social worker there, as this is not included in the national medical insurance in Israel. But for now, Boris’s physical condition is stable and in spite of his disability he is pretty strong for his age. Our fervent prayer is for Boris’s spiritual condition.
Please pray with us for the Messiah’s abundant grace in the life of this precious Jewish man.
Like many other people, born during the Soviet Communist Empire at that time in history, he had lived a hard life, full of suffering and deprivation, but the worst thing is that Boris, like many others of that generation, for his whole life was a victim of aggressive atheistic propaganda, which was instilled in the people there from early childhood.
While staying with us, in the shelter, Boris was hearing the Word of G-d and receiving His healing love and power, he even asked us to help him with the Baptism preparation. But since we had to move him into the government medical facilities, he has consequently found himself in a totally different environment, he feels very lonely and isolated from the spiritual atmosphere and the support he had with the believers.
Dear Family, please pray that in spite of his situation, Boris will experience the presence of the Holy Spirit, His wonderful comfort, healing and Shalom, “the peace of G-d, which surpasses all understanding, and will guard his heart and mind through Messiah Yeshua” according to Philippians 4:7; for the gift of repentance for Boris, cleansing his soul and for his new birth created by the Messiah Yeshua.
Another person, for whom we are asking your special prayers at this time is Vyacheslav. Please continue to pray for Vyacheslav and his family, whose story we have shared in details in previous report.
Just to remind you, shortly, Vyacheslav is one of our dear wards, (he is almost ninety), We supply him with hot meals and visit him at home. This last summer Vyacheslav fell and broke his hip. Since then he has undergone many surgeries and survived various medical complications. Due to all these circumstances and his age, he was on the verge of death for the last few months.
All the doctors treating Vyacheslav are sincerely surprised that he is still alive and even slowly recovers in spite of their negative prognosis.
We know why it is so. Our ministry team in Israel, and many of you, have been fervently praying for his healing and recovery, and he still needs to make peace with G-d and enter into a covenant relationship with our Blessed Messiah Yeshua!
Dear Family, please join us in prayer for Vyacheslav, who is now discharged from the hospital and at home. He is gradually recovering from many complicated surgeries, which by the doctors estimation, would be a critical blow for a young and strong man!
“The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27 NKJV
As we are just beginning to realize, all these crisis and heart breaking circumstances that we constantly witness as we are trying to serve so many different people in so many different situations, are the necessary tools and sometimes the only tools, that are designed to bring true hope, hunger and longing for the Messiah’s wonderful light and His glorious Kingdom.
Please keep in your prayers our regular Shabbat gathering (“Kabbalat Shabbat” Receiving Shabbat) and Messiah’s presence in it!
As we have shared frequently in our reports, most of the people who are staying in our shelters, and coming to celebrate Shabbat with us, have never experienced it before.
Though most of these dear people whom we meet and host in Israel, are Jewish by blood, and usually come here on the “Law of Return”, they know very little about the basic foundations of the Jewish Faith, and even less about the Messiah of Israel.
This is one reason why seek to invite our shelter guests and other new Jewish immigrants to “Kabbalat Shabbat” and show them in practice the significance of the Fourth Commandment and explain about the eternal covenant of the L-rd with His people.
25“Thus says the LORD: ‘If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth, 26 then I will cast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his descendants to be rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will cause their captives to return, and will have mercy on them.’ ” Jeremiah 33:25-26 NKJV
Happy Hanukkah to you, dear Family!
Holy Land Ministries 