A History Lesson from Chanukah

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Ecc 1:9

Chanukah (a.k.a. Hanukah) is an eight day Jewish festival that celebrates the defeat of the Greco-Syrian army led by Antiochus Epiphanes in 165 B.C. Antiochus is widely believed to be a fore-type of the antichrist.

After the death of Alexander the Great, his kingdom was divided among four of his generals. Antiochus ruled the Middle Eastern portion of Alexander’s empire beginning in 175 B.C. After conquering most of the Middle Eastern lands and Israel he took control of the Temple in Jerusalem defiling it by sacrificing unclean animals upon the altar. In addition he decreed that all his subjects must present themselves four times per year to pay homage to him. Most bible scholars agree that this was a type of the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel (Dan 11:31). This event was part of the historical record when Jesus spoke of a future abomination of desolation in Matthew 24:15 (also Mark 13:14).

After Antiochus had desecrated the Temple, a small group of faithful Jews, known as the Maccabees, rebelled and ultimately defeated Antiochus and rededicated the Jerusalem Temple. I’m sure that many of you know these general facts about Chanukah but here are some interesting facts that you may not have known.

Ruth Matar of Women in Green in Israel has written a fascinating column in Arutz Sheva detailing the true history of the Maccabeean revolt. You may read her column here> Chanukah 2005

It seems the faithful Jews were forced to fight not only the foreign invaders of Antiochus but also against many of their own Jewish countrymen. Quoting from the article, there was an " … internal conflict between the Jews who wanted to remain Jews and the Jews who wanted to be like all the other nations, to adopt their customs, their dress and their religion; i.e., the Hellenists.

The real battle of the Maccabees was not only against the Syrian-Greek army of Antiochus. It was also against their fellow Jews, who were willing to sell out their identity, the Holy Temple and to allow Jerusalem to become a Greek city. All this in order to obtain for themselves "the good life" and to become "enlightened citizens of the world."

Ruth goes on to explain that Antiochus persecution against the faithful Jews was actually encouraged by the corrupt priests and religious leaders of Judaism. They did this in order to ingratiate themselves with the secular ruler so that they could retain their positions of power and influence.

What does any of this have to do with the 21^st century church in America? Plenty!

Bible prophecy is a series of repeating events. What has been is what shall be. The key to understanding future prophecy is to understand the past. Antiochus was a fore-type of the antichrist but he wasn’t the first. In the days of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar played a similar role. Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and set up a golden image of himself, decreeing that all must worship the image. This same sequence of events played out again in 70 A.D. as the Roman army destroyed the Jerusalem Temple, killed millions of Jews and demanded they worship the emperor as God.

And so today, in A.D. 2005 we are on the verge of another abomination of desolation that will once again make barren the temple of God in the earth. We will soon witness the ultimate fulfillment of Daniels prophecy.

And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. Dan 12:9-10

Today, God is calling his people out of the apostate religious system known as the church. As I said before, history repeats. When Jesus came the first time he did the same thing. The religious system of His day was completely apostate. He called out those who had ears to hear. He chose a group of disciples, trained them for three and a half years and then turned them loose to proclaim the true gospel to the world.

The disciples faced great persecution from their fellow Jews. Just like the Maccabeean’s faced persecution from apostate corrupt religious leaders, so did the first century Apostles. It was corrupt religious leaders, afraid of losing their positions and power who influenced the Romans to crucify Jesus. It was Jewish religious leaders, like Paul before his conversion who persecuted and killed Jewish converts to Christianity. And in the coming days, faithful Christians will face their greatest threats from their own corrupt religious leaders.

Would you like another scriptural basis for this? Let’s look at the book of Ezra.

During the time of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon had taken all of Israel captive. After 70 years a small remnant of these Jewish captives were allowed by Cyrus (the King at that time) to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. The book of Ezra relates the story of this first fruits company.

Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. Ezr 1:2-3

This group was led by Zerubbabel (the name means “born at Babel, ie. Babylon”) and Ezra. Later another group led by Nehemiah also came to complete the work of rebuilding the temple.

Here is an interesting parallel to the story of the Maccabee’s. There was, at that time, a group of people in the Jerusalem are who were mixed Jews. They were not true Jews but had some Jewish blood and practiced some of the Jewish religious customs mixed in with their own pagan worship. These people were actually adversaries but came to Zerubbabel and offered their assistance in the work.

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel; Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us. Ezr 4:1-4

These adversaries claimed to worship the same God as the remnant. They offered to help. But when they were not allowed to help guess what they did.

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. Ezr 4:4-5

Do you see it? They launched a persecution against the people even going so far as to write letters to the King falsely accusing the remnant of traitorous conduct. As I said, history repeats. What has been done shall be done. Just like the persecutors of the faithful Jews in the time of Antiochus, just like the persecution in the time of the first century church, we will soon face a similar persecution brought about by corrupt apostate religious leaders.

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 1Cor 10:12

Today God is calling forth a first fruits company, a remnant of faithful Christians to begin rebuilding the temple. Only this time it is not a temple made with hands.

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1Cor 3:16

This remnant will later be joined by a larger group. Ultimately God will use this group to once again proclaim the true gospel to the world including all those people who are currently in captivity to the apostate religious system. Just like before, this group will be opposed by faithless, corrupt religious leaders who refuse to give up their earthly kingdoms. Just like the Hellenists of 175 B.C. they want to hang on to “the good life” and be known as “enlightened citizens of the world”.

Look around. Do you see anything like this happening today? Do you see an alliance forming between the top religious leaders and government leaders? Do you see religious leaders using the power of government to remake society in their own image? Are the religious leaders of today encouraging their followers to rely on the power of government to accomplish the purposes of God in the earth?

If you see what I see, perhaps you too are part of that first fruits company that is called to rebuild the Temple of God in the earth. If you do have ears to hear and eyes to see then you must heed the call. Forsake your earthly kingdom for a better inheritance. Lay down your life. Take up your cross which is the gospel, and follow Him.

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Rev 18:4

Printer Friendly Version

Steve Lumbley 2005 www.apostasywatch.com
This article may be reproduced and distributed free of charge as long as it remains in its original form.
Home