Hebrew Roots

Hebrew Roots
Exploring the Hebrew Roots of the Faith

Issue 98-4; Vol. 3, No. 3

Elul, 5999; Tishri, 6000*

September/October, 1998

* This is our best guess based on Biblical chronology. (See Issue 97-2 for details.)

Sha1om Aleichem,

    Peace be unto you. May the agape love of Abba (our Father in heaven) and our Lord and Savior Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) completely surround you at all times, so that you will enjoy the wonderful comfort that only He can give you in times of affliction.

    As we prepare this issue, it seems that the world stands on the brink of some events that may change the life circumstances of each and every person on the face of the earth. The financial markets of the world seem poised to take the inevitable dive that will have to come eventually. But equally, if not more frightening, is the specter of global terrorism carried out by any number of underground groups who are dedicated to seeing the destruction of the "American way of
life," which they view (and often rightly so) as a threat to their traditional life styles, values and (especially) to their religious persuasions.

    Will this be the year that the forces of destruction begin to come together in the way the so many have predicted, so many times in the past? Or will it be another false alarm, and will the world, led by the United States and a strengthened and united Europe, provide the financial and military might necessary to pull us all back from the edge? Only time will tell.

    All over this country there are people who are preparing themselves for what they believe to be the inevitable downfall of modern civilization. Many are moving ‘back to the land,’ where they are in the process of stockpiling food, saving seeds for planting, raising animals, laying up supplies of wood for fuel and trying to find ways to supply their energy needs if the electrical grid should fail. They come from all walks of life, and from all religious and ethnic backgrounds.
    Many of these people are home schooling their children because they do not like what is being taught in the public schools, and they do not approve of the social values their children would learn from other children in that environment. Television has been removed from many of the homes, and is being replaced by family storytelling, singing and Bible reading.
    One interesting aspect of this ‘back to the land’ phenomena, is that it cuts across many of the social and religious barriers that are common to the United States. If and when the time comes when there is no food available in the markets, it will not matter if a man is rich or poor, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish. Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Pagan or Atheist; for no one will eat unless they have prepared ahead of time, or unless their neighbors are willing to help them out. At that time communities will have to learn how to work and function together; otherwise they will self destruct.

    Part of the American myth is that of the ‘rugged individualist,’ the man who did not need anyone else, but was completely self-sufficient. This idea was made popular in thousands of novels and movies known as ‘Westerns.’ Yes there were a few mountain men’ who traveled and lived pretty much alone in those early years, but for the vast majority of people who emigrated west, and populated the continental United States and Canada, the preferred way to travel and live was in communities.
    We have learned from our ancestors that we need community, preferably community with people of similar mind and values, although that is not strictly necessary and was not always the case in our early history. Home fellowship groups can provide a modern day basis for such community, but only if the members are committed to the concept of community and are willing to work hard at accomplishing it.
    True community takes into consideration the differences of people, and allows for a certain amount of freedom. If everyone believes and acts exactly the same, what one has is ‘affinity’ but not ‘community.’ A true part of learning to live in community is gaining skill in how to deal righteously with differences of opinions and values.

In our secluded part of the country we find a whole community of people who share our values of lifestyle, education, and preparedness (for the most part), but who do not share all of the same religious values. If indeed the crash of modern civilization occurs soon, we may very well find ourselves in a position where we will need to rely upon our good relationship with others for our very survival, for while preparation is important, the bottom line is this: no one can adequately prepare for a three and one-half year tribulation period must less one of seven years.
We believe that it is time for all of us to consider and pray about these matters, for we all need ‘community’ to see us through the rough times ahead. This current economic and terrorist threat may soon pass and be forgotten, however, there is a day coming when it will not pass but will strike with fury. That will indeed be a day of trial and testing for all, especially the Bride of Messiah.

    On August 29, 1998 we participated in a Biblical Seminar which was sponsored by the Church of God of Everett, Washington. We must say that it has truly been one of our personal highlights for 1998. About one hundred people attended, coming from a number of different religious backgrounds and affiliations. The overall topic was Preparing the Bride of Messiah. We wish to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the members of the Church of God, Everett that made this event so very special, and to our good friend Lee Lisman for participating with us on the program.
    What was most impressive was the beautifully warm expressions of agape love that permeated our entire day. Of course there were disagreements about certain scriptural interpretations, but there was absolutely no disagreeableness on the part of anyone with whom we came into contact.
    Many of the people who attended are former members of large corporate organizations, who have experienced a number of very great hurts over the past few years. They have seen their beloved church organizations rent by extreme doctrinal changes that were forced upon the brethren through authoritarian, hierarchical leadership. Yet it is apparent that our Father (Abba) has blessed these folks by helping them see that it is time to move forward in a spirit of love and optimism.
    If any of you are feeling depressed and hurt about your past religious affiliations, we encourage you to persevere and look to our Savior for comfort, for He is wonderfully able to comfort us in all of our afflictions.

    Almost everyone is at least somewhat familiar with the festival of Hanukkah but few realize that it is mentioned in the New Testament. Our lead article, The Feast of Dedication, explores this holiday period and its many meanings, including how Yeshua is closely connected with it.
    Alfred Edersheim, a nineteenth century Jewish Believer, has cataloged many of the Old Testament scriptures that make reference to the Messiah. In this issue we begin a series of articles that will explore each of these prophecies in detail. This series is entitled: The Messiah Prophecies.
    The culmination of the festival of Succoth (The Feast of Tabernacles) includes Simhat Torah (Seem-hot Toe-rah = Rejoicing in the Torah). This is the time when we begin anew the Torah readings for the coming year by starting in the book of Genesis. For your convenience we have prepared the weekly readings in a separate pamphlet. This special edition of the Weekly Torah Readings will allow you to keep them tucked away in your Bible for ready reference. It is included with this issue.
    In addition, we are also producing a special edition of Scripture readings for the eight days of Hanukkah. If you would like a copy, please indicate so on the enclosed Offer Form.

    Again we offer two taped messages, available to anyone wishing to request them. The first is entitled: Who Is a Jew? We are seeing an ever rising tide of anti-Jewish sentiment in this country and around the world. Some are teaching absolute untruths about the Jewish people and their origins. It is our hope that this message will bring a more rational understanding to this very touchy subject.
    The second tape is a continuation of the Roots of the Faith series. It is entitled Joseph, A Type of Messiah. It examines the life of Joseph, showing how many of the events in his life were prophetic mirrors of the real Messiah, Yeshua.
    If you would like either or both of these tapes and/or the Hanukkah Scripture Readings, please return the enclosed order form with the appropriate boxes checked.

Hebrew Roots is supported entirely by the prayers and freewill donations of it’s subscribers. It is published several times a year by Dean & Susan Wheelock. Subscriptions are free (based on availability of funds) to anyone who sincerely desires to "...grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ..."
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The Feast of Dedication
Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem,
And it was winter.
And Jesus walked in the temple,
In Solomon’s porch.
John 10:22-23

There are a number of festivals which the Jewish people celebrate that are not explicitly commanded to be observed by the Scriptures. One of the better known of these festivals is called Hanukkah (sometimes spelled ‘Chanukah’). The hebrew word Hanukkah means; ‘initiation, consecration or dedication," and our Savior, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah), was at the Temple during its celebration on at least one occasion:

And what a celebration it would have been, for Hanukkah was the major festival observed by the Jewish people during the winter months. But more important than the festivities was the fact that Hanakkah marked the anniversary of the cleansing of the Temple after it had be desecrated by the enemy of the Jewish people, Antiochus Epiphanies. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days beginning on the 25th (lay of Kislev, the ninth month on the Hebrew calendar. Kislev corresponds with the Roman calendar month of December. In 1995, hanukkah will begin at sundown on December 13th and end at sundown on December 21st.
While Hanukkah is a well known Jewish festival, the question remains, does it have any relevance for Believers in Yeshua? Why was Yeshua at the Temple during its observance? Are there important lessons to be learned from its observance? Is it permissible for Believers to observe this festival? These are important questions Which need to be answered honestly. It is clear that Hanukkah is not a ‘commanded’ festival, like those of Leviticus 23, but it does have great relevance to an understanding of the person and ministry of Yeshua.

It is impossible to understand the festival of Hanukkah properly without at least some knowledge of the rich history and tradition that surrounds it.

The captivity of the house of Judah came about because they had lost the knowledge of their one true and eternal God, and how to properly worship Him. It had all been prophesied beforehand:

Originally, it had been the duty of the Priests and Levites to train the people in how to properly worship the Eternal God and how to conduct their lives according to Torah.

Because of the fact that God saw fit to destroy the Temple and take the people (especially the leaders) into captivity, it is obvious the Priests and Levites had failed in that charge.

    About the year 538 BCE (Before the Common Era), the Jewish people began returning to Jerusalem and its surrounding territories from their captivity in Babylon. in the process of time they began work on the rebuilding, of the Temple, which had been destroyed by the Babylonian king, Nebuchanezzer, in 586 BCE. Among those who returned were Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, though not all at the same time.
    It was Ezra, (who did not return until 457 BCE) who really set the tone for Judaism for the next 500 plus years. Being both a Priest and a Scribe, he organized the Great Assembly (the forerunner to the Great Sanhedrin), founded the local synagogue system, and was primarily responsible for determining which of the ancient writings should be considered Holy Scripture. Ezra also had a profound effect on how worship was to be conducted in the Temple and how study was to be organized in the synagogue.
    Ezra, and the other religious leaders of that time, recognized that the house of Judah had been taken captive, and Solomon’s Temple destroyed, for two primary sins; breaking the Sabbath and idolatry. It was understood by the sages of Ezra’s day, that both of these grievous sins were a result of lack of proper training and understanding on the part of both the priests and the peopie. They bad fallen into these two sinful patterns because the were not properly trained in the Scriptures, especially the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. Ezra himself was a Priest, so he knew it was his obligation to properly instruct the people, otherwise he would be rejected by God just like his predecessors. Therefore, Ezra set about to make sure that never again would the children of Israel have to suffer rejection by God because they had fallen into idolatry as a result of improper or inadequate instruction. *
[* The Jewish sages teach that the first Temple was destroyed for idolatry and Sabbath breaking, while the second Temple was destroyed because of lack of love.]

For this reason, Ezra began, what is today known as the Synagogue system. Synagogues were established in each community to be centers for Torah instruction. An observant Jew would go to the Synagogue in order to learn how to worship God and properly obey the instructions of the Torah, but he would go to the Temple when he wanted to worship God. It is significant to note that in Jerusalem there was a room set aside for a synagogue within the very walls of the Temple.
For Jews who resided too far away from Jerusalem to make pilgrimage to the Temple on a regular basis, the Synagogue did become a center for worship as well as study. So it was that the local synagogue became the very center of Jewish life, especially in the Diaspora (the areas of the world to which Jews had been dispersed). The synagogue not only established a place for instruction in the Torah; it also provided a school for the children, a place of worship, and a social center for the people of the community.

    The Synagogue system served the Jewish people well for quite a long time. But in 336 BCE a new element was introduced into the Middle East. A twenty year old man named Alexander, the son of Philip of Macedonia, began a series of conquests that would, in just a few years time, make him ruler of the known world. During his conquests, Alexander stopped over in Jerusalem and visited the Temple. It is said that Alexander was impressed by the Jewish people, by their Temple, and especially by their laws, which made for a well ordered and civil society. He was very generous with the Jews, not bringing any destruction upon their nation and, as a result, many Jewish boys began to carry the name Alexander in honor of this ‘great’ man.
    However, Alexander was to have a very short life. He died in 323 BCE, still in his early thirties, having no more nations to conquer. Knowing that he was going to die, Alexander made provision for his empire to be divided into four parts, giving rule for each division into the hands of his four most trusted generals. Judea found itself right between two of those parts; Egypt, ruled by the Ptolemy family, and Syria, ruled by the Selucids. The land of the Jews was first given to Egypt but later (about 200 BCE) was transferred over to the Syrians. All during this time, the governance of the province of Judea was given to the High Priest.
    Needless to say, after a period of time the four divisions began to war with one another. As a result, Judea and Jerusalem often found themselves in the middle of armed conflict between the Ptoleinies and the Selucids.

    In ancient times Judea and the Galilee sat astride a major highway of the world called the Via Maris. This was the route by which all commerce between Egypt and the eastern nations (Babylonia, Persia, Parthia, etc.) passed. The Jewish people were in constant contact with the movers and shakers of that day, all of whom had adopted the refined culture of the Greeks, called Hellenism. This new culture proved to be a greater threat to the Jews than did the vast armies of Greece.
    Greek Hellenism had great appeal, especially to those who wished to break out of their cycle of poverty and join the growing middle class. To many, it seemed far superior to the culture of the nomadic tribes of the desert or the empires of the east. As a result, many of the more educated Jews were attracted to Hellenism. They began to abandon theft own culture and to give up their peculiar form of worship of the one true God, as set forth in the Scriptures.
    Greek became the universal language, and truly educated people felt compelled to learn it. Once a person knew the Greek language it opened up a whole new world of thought, for the Greeks were very proud of their ‘philosophic’ traditions, their literature, music, and drama. Likewise, the rich Hellenists began to collect works of art, patterned after Greek art and sculpture. One of the favorite forms of sculpture emphasized the beauty of the human body, without clothes.

Perhaps the ultimate rejection of the religion of the Jews came when many of the young men began to frequent the gymnasium. This was a building dedicated to the male human body. Competitive games were devised which required much training. All of the games were played in the nude. Some of the young Jewish men were embarrassed to participate, not because they were required to participate in the nude but because their male organ carried the distinct feature of having been circumcised. The Greeks looked upon circumcision as a barbarous practice, for it disfigured the human body, which they worshipped. Because of this attitude, many of the young Jewish Hellenists underwent a very painful operation (called epispasm) to remove their circumcision, thus casting aside one of the major tenets of their religion.
Even at the Temple itself, many of the priests and Levites began to accept the Hellenistic culture. The High Priest Joshua had his name changed to Jason, the Greek form. A gymnasium was built next to the Temple and actually, over a period of time, became more popular than Temple worship. Once again, many of the Jewish people were turning away from God and following after their own lusts, this time drifting into a Hellenistic form of idolatry.

In the great overall scheme of God’s plan it really does not matter whether the leadership of a nation (or church for that matter) rejects God or falls away from true worship. The fact of the matter is, the Eternal God will always keep at least a remnant of people to himself who have not allowed themselves to be polluted. Elijah had to learn this lesson when he was running from King Ahab.

In Judea and the Galilee, during the second century BCE, there were still thousands of Jews who rejected this new culture, who wished to maintain the old ways and the righteous practices they had learned in the synagogues and performed at the Temple. Yet it was difficult to withstand the onslaught of new ideas. After all, the entirety of the world was being caught up in this new way of thinking and acting, and it seemed so good on the surface.
One could say, in retrospect, that the synagogue system which Ezra had established did serve the Jewish people well. For it was out of those many local synagogues that an army was eventually gathered to fight this internal disease called Hellenism.

    In 176 BCE Antiochus IV ascended the throne of the Selucid empire in Syria. He proclaimed himself a god and called himself Ephiphanes which means, God made manifest.’ (Later on his detractors came to call him Epimanes which means ‘crazy one or ‘deluded one.’)
    Jason (formerly Joshua), the High Priest of the Temple, went to Antiochus and promised a complete Ilellenization of the Jews if Antiochus would grant him full power in Judea. However, a war broke out between Syria and Egypt and Jason went over to the Egyptian side. Antiochus won the war and replaced Jason with another priest named Menelaus. It was Menelaus who gave Antiochus most of the Temple treasury and permitted him to first enter the Holy of Holies.
    Once again war broke out between Syria and Egypt. This time Rome intervened to stop it and Antiochus turned back from Egypt a very angry man. He took his anger out upon the Jewish people and the city of Jerusalem. (There is nothing new tinder the sun.) Despite the encroachment of Hellenism the Jews would still not defend themselves on the Sabbath day. Antiochus, knowing this, chose that very day to enter Jerusalem and butcher thousands of Jewish people; men, women and children. He tore down the city walls, and determined that he was going to ram Hellenization down their throats.
    It was during this terrifying event that Antiochus once again entered the Temple. This time he had a statue of Zeus placed in the Temple Court. lie also demanded that other gods in the Greek pantheon be worshipped, especially Athena and Dionysus. Then he ordered that pigs be sacrificed on the alter of the Temple, clearly an abomination to both God and the observant Jews. The day this catastrophic event took place was on the 25th of Kislev in the year 167 BCE.
    Upon the suggestion of Menelaus, Antiochus forbade the study of Torah, Sabbath observance became a crime, and circumcision was forbidden; all upon penalty of death. It is said that when babies were discovered to have been circumcised, the Syrian soldiers would kill the child and hang him around the neck of his mother. Often times a Jew, who insisted on continuing in traditional observance, would be taken to the edge of the Temple wall and cast down to his death.
    It was not only Jerusalem that was destined to suffer, for neither was the rest of Judca or the Galilee spared. A decree went out that a heathen altar was to be erected in every town. All Jews were required to prostrate themselves before the pagan god and to offer swine’s flesh. Refusal was punishable by death. If these edicts had been fully carried out, it would have meant the end of the Jewish religion in the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Just as God raised up Elijah, when his prophecy and leadership were needed, so God raised up a family of brave and stalwart men to be used by Him to cleanse the land. Their family name was Hasmon (Has-mohn). They lived in a small community west of Jerusalem called Modin (Mow-dean). The father’s name was Mattathias. He had five sons who were named: John,* Shimon, Judah, Eleazar and Yochanan.*
[* John and Yochanan are really the same name, so both may have been named Yochanan. This was not uncommon at that time. Consider all of the many Miriams or Marys in the gospel accounts.]

Mattathias was a descendant of Aaron, so all of these men were of the Priestly line, although not of the line of Zadok, the righteous priest appointed by King David. (All high Priests were supposed to come from the lineage of Zadok.) The family of Hasmon had not taken up with the Hellenistic ways which many of their brother priests had embraced. They remained faithful to the Torah and thereby faithful also to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The next part of the story began when a Syrian official came to the city of Modin and had a pagan altar erected. He commanded the men of the town to come forward and sacrifice the flesh of a pig on the altar to show their allegiance to Antiochus Ephiphanes, to the Greek Empire, and to the Hellenistic culture.
The entire story is recounted in the Apocryphal books of I and II Maccabees. Since the Jews have never considered these books to be a part of Holy Scripture, the original Hebrew versions have been lost. The only ancient copies remaining are in the Greek language and they have been preserved as a part of the Bible used by the Roman Catholic Church. Thus, if it had not been for the Catholic Church these ‘Jewish’ books may well have been lost entirely.

The Syrian official had all of the people of Modin assemble before the altar. lie invited the men to come forward and make the pig offering to the pagan god Dagon. The official began by turning to Mattathias, the priest and leader of the community, saying:

This defiant speech of Mattathias was not accepted by all the people of the town, for one of the local men proceeded to come forth to the altar for the purpose of performing the idolatrous sacrifice as the king had commanded.

An army was formed by Mattathias and his sons. Also, a very important decision was made. The observant Jews of Jerusalem had been slaughtered without resistance because the Syrians attacked them on the Sabbath day. They believed the Torah forbid them to fight on the Sabbath. However, Mattathias and his sons took counsel an(l determined that it was not forbidden to defend one’s self on the Sabbath. for the law of life takes precedence over the law of the Sabbath. Therefore, the [Jasinoncans decided to defend themselves if attacked on the Sabbath, but determined they would not initiate any attacks of their own on the seventh day.
A number of battles followed. The Hasmoneans, knowing they were outnumbered, would lure the Syrian soldiers out of the open desert and into the mountain passes. There, they fought a guerrilla war and were able to prevail against their enemy. however, they were not able to recapture any cities.

Mattathias, the father of the clan, was an old man. He did not have the strength to continue leading an army that had to live in the mountains and the desert. As he came to the point of death, realizing that the success of their venture rested solely in the hands of God, Mattathias gave a stirring call to action:

Mattathias did not chose his firstborn son to replace himself as leader of the army. Rather, he chose Judah, whose surname was Maccabee, to become the leader. There is some disagreement about the origin of the name ‘Maccabce.’ The most common explanation is that it means: "hammer," and that Judah was chosen to be the leader because of his strength in both body and character. Another explanation has the word Maccahee being an acronym for a scripture they had written on the banner they carried into battle:

A transliteration of the Hebrew would read as follows: "Mee khamok-hah ba-elim YHVH" ‘The first letter of each hebrew word in this phrase spells Maccabee.
Judab Maccabee proved to be every bit the leader that his father had hoped for. He led the army into numerous battles that finally culminated in the retaking of Jerusalem. As they entered Jerusalem they found the city, and especially the Temple itself, in terrible straits.

The army of the Maccabees were men of action. They did not lament long, btit set to work to repair the Temple and the altar. They found that the altar itself had been profaned by the blood and fat of burning pig flesh, so they took counsel and decided to tear it down. They stored the stones of that altar in a single place, until a prophet should come that could give them an answer as to how they were to be cleansed or disposed of properly.

Then they took new stones and built a new altar, patterned exactly after the one that had been dismantled.

The priests appointed by Judah Maccabee then performed a dedication ceremony in the newly cleansed Temple for an eight day period. This corresponded in length to the examples that had been set for the dedication of the first Temple in the days of Solomon. (See I Kings 8.)