Editor’s Note: Editor’s Note: This article was previously published on September 16, 2021. This year (2023), the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tishrei runs from the evening of September 24 until sunset on September 25.

Background to Yom Kippur:

The Temple Mount and the tension surrounding this particular location are common themes of contemporary discussions concerning the Modern State of Israel. However, when the people of Israel came out of Egypt (Exodus 12:33-14:31), they did not have a fixed location in which they would worship God. In fact, the building of the first Israelite Temple, which was ultimately established on what we now know as the Temple Mount, did not start until 480 years after the Israelite’s Exodus from Egypt. This project was undertaken by King Solomon (1 Kings 6:1)—the third king of the nation of Israel.

Nevertheless, prior to the existence of a permanent Temple building, the people still worshiped. In Exodus 25-40, God gives instructions to the people of Israel regarding the construction of a portable tabernacle—and all of its component parts—as a place of worship and sacrificial activity. The people transported the Tabernacle with them during the wilderness wanderings, prior to entering the Promised Land.

Subsequent to the instructions relating to the building of the Tabernacle came very specific commands pertaining to the regulation of sacrifices in the Tabernacle (Leviticus 1-7). These sacrifices were performed by priests who interceded between humankind and God by implementing divine instruction on behalf of the people. Aaron (Moses’ brother) and his sons were divinely appointed and inaugurated as the leaders of the community of priests (Leviticus 8-9).

Yet, immediately following their call to the priesthood, the book of Leviticus relates the account of the death of Aaron’s two sons—Nadab and Abihu—by the hand of God (10:1). The text does not explicitly state why God put these two men to death. They were apparently guilty of entering the tabernacle and making an offering in a manner that was not ordained by God (cf. 10:2).

This episode is presented as the historical foundation for the instruction presented in Leviticus 16:1-2 relating to the Day of the Atonement. In short, as a preface to the instructions for Yom Kippur, God declares to Aaron through Moses, “You are going to atone for your sin and the sin of your community exactly the way I am about to command you so that you do not die like your sons died.” The following provides a summary of the rest of the events that were to take place on Yom Kippur that are crucial to our understanding of the significance of this day.

Summary of Biblical Yom Kippur:

Initially, the high priest would enter the Holy Place of the Tabernacle with offerings of a bull and a ram. He was then commanded to remove his ordinary, yet majestic, priestly garb and dress in holy, simple linen vestments after properly bathing his body. After taking two more goats from the congregation to serve as sin offerings, the high priest would offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and his family, prior to making atonement for the people. He then entered the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood of the bull that was sacrificed on his behalf, on and in front of the mercy seat—the place where God’s presence was manifested (16:3-6, 11, 14).

This initial stage of the Day of Atonement is extremely important in that the high priest—the person who was chosen by God to intermediate between God and the community of Israel—demonstrated his own shortcomings. The need for the priest to bathe his body is the typical example of his constant need to renew the physical body in order for it to thrive. The sin offering that the high priest offered for himself was representative of (even) the high priest’s need to be cleansed of his sin. It indicated the necessity of the priest to attend to his own spiritual need prior to interceding on behalf of his community.

Next, the high priest was commanded to take two goats and cast lots over them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. God determined, through the casting of lots, which of these two goats was to be offered as a sin offering to the Lord (16:7-9). After this goat was killed, its blood was taken into the Holy of Holies and was sprinkled on and in front of the mercy seat. In this way, atonement was made by the high priest for the Tabernacle as well as on behalf of the people (16:15-16). The high priest then spread the blood of the bull he sacrificed for himself and the goat he sacrificed on behalf of the people on the horns of another altar, outside of the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle complex (16:18).

The sprinkling of the blood in different areas of the Tabernacle indicated that God permitted the high priest to enter into His presence to make atonement for himself, the people and the Tabernacle (which was defiled by the sin of the people) ONLY through the death of a substitute. That is to say, the life of the animal was sacrificed in order for there to be communion with God. These were God’s terms of worship. The people, through the priest, could only receive the forgiveness of their sin through the blood of a sacrifice (17:11).

In the midst of all of the blood sprinkling, there is a somewhat unexpected turn of events. Just when one might expect more bloodshed, the high priest is instructed to lay his hands on the head of the goat, that was not fated to death by the casting of lots, and confess the transgressions of the people. This act seemingly represents the transmitting of the sin of the people onto the goat. That goat—traditionally known as the “scapegoat,” though not without dispute—was taken by a helper and set free into the wilderness, evidently carrying away the sin of the people (16:20-22).

The last stage of the day was one of cleansing. The high priest was instructed to enter the tent of meeting, take off all of his garments and leave them there. The high priest was to bathe, get dressed in (presumably) his normal garments, and then make another sacrifice for himself and for the people. The person who was responsible for letting the goat go alive was also to purify himself. Lastly, all of the remains of the sacrifices were taken outside of the camp of the people of Israel and burned. The person who was responsible for burning the remains of the sacrifices was also commanded to purify himself (16:23-28).

Problems with Yom Kippur:

Since June 19, 2007—the day in which the first iPhone was released—I have consistently yearned to possess every generation of the iPhone. Ten years later, 18 different iPhone models have been produced with the latest and best being the iPhone X. At this point in history, it is possible to look back at the first generation of the iPhone, and while recognizing its splendor at the time of its debut, also acknowledge that it is not a desirable phone at this juncture. The reason is that there were several, if not many, shortcomings inherent to the original model.

For example, the first generation of the iPhone could not multitask in the manner in which it is possible on almost every phone nowadays. It was not possible to copy and paste text; third party applications could not be downloaded; there was no GPS system; the camera did not have a flash; it could not video record; the screen was minute compared to the screens on current phones; and the absolute best model had a memory of only 16GB. In light of all of these deficiencies, the best way to evaluate the value of the current iPhone X is by looking at the shortcomings of the initial model and reflecting upon how those shortcomings foreshadowed a greater end result.

Likewise, there were indeed shortcomings in the original High Holy day of Yom Kippur that foreshadowed a greater end result. God gave the people of Israel specific instructions for the Day of Atonement that contained certain inadequacies, implying the necessity for the atonement of sin in a more excellent manner. There are at least four main issues that arise with regard to the atonement for sin as depicted in Leviticus 16:

1) The Temporary Nature of the Atonement:
Why did the people have to continually sacrifice in order to atone for their sin? Why couldn’t their sin be atoned for once and for all?

2) The Blood of Animals:
How could the blood of animals take away the sin of humans? These first two issues bring to mind the inextricable connection between sacrificial activity and a physical Tabernacle or Temple. According to the Law set out in Leviticus 16, the people needed an actual location to carry out the sacrifices necessary in order to comply with God’s commands for legitimate atonement. Does the absence of a Tabernacle or a Temple—as is the present state of affairs—eliminate the possibility for the remission of sin?

3) The Imperfection of the Priesthood:
The priests had to perpetually sacrifice for themselves, symbolizing the guilt of the intermediator that was to represent the people to God, and God to the people. The priest had his own issue with sin, requiring him to sacrifice for his own sin before he could sacrifice for the sin of others. Aaron was indeed imperfect (cf. the Golden Calf narrative in Exodus 32), as were his sons (see above, e.g. Nadab and Abihu). This begs the question: Could there ever be forgiveness of sin by means of an innocent mediator as opposed to the guilty interceding on behalf of the guilty?

4) The Affliction of the People:
Is the self-affliction of the people related to the forgiveness of sin?

Christ in Yom Kippur.

This past summer, my family spent about seven weeks in Israel. Upon returning home, we were greeted by an enormous underground beehive in our front yard.This beehive grew to be extremely problematic because it was located about 10 feet from the front porch, meaning that we would have to pass many bees upon exiting the front door. I am as incompetent as anyone when it comes to problems with bees, so in my mind, I was sure I could eliminate the problem by killing the bees.

Our family and friends subsequently conducted a series of experiments with the intent of eliminating the bee problem. The experiments consisted of: spraying entire cans of bee spray on the bees, covering the bees with dirt, pouring water on the bees and even running over the bees with the lawnmower. To our dismay, the bees insisted upon endlessly occupying our front yard.

In reality, we were not addressing the source of the problem.

The reason the bees persisted in holding our family hostage was that their hive remained relatively unscathed. Despite our repeated attempts to resolve the matter by facilitating the demise of our unwanted neighbors, our solution to the problem was only representative of what needed to be accomplished. The problem continued to return after an hour, a day or a week. In order to obtain true liberation from the threat of the bees, something greater needed to happen. We needed to deal with the root of the issue—the underground beehive.

Correspondingly, atonement through the blood of animals could not truly eliminate humankind’s plight stemming from their sin. The high priests—impaired by the depravity of their own transgressions—were incapable of interceding in a manner worthy of absolute divine sanction. Thus, it was commanded that sacrifices be repeatedly carried out so that atonement could be made for sin, regardless of how much the people of Israel afflicted themselves.

These systemic inadequacies relating to Yom Kippur foreshadowed a day in which the shortcomings would be perfected—namely, through the person and the work of Jesus the Messiah. Jesus perfected the imperfections of Yom Kippur. This is an implicit message read through the pages of the New Testament.

However, Jesus is explicitly stated to be the culmination of the sacrificial system in Hebrews 7:26-27: “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.”

Jesus is the Perfect High Priest.

As we see in this passage from Hebrews, Jesus is “holy.” By His divine character, He is set apart for the service of God the Father. Jesus is “innocent.” He is without any deficiencies and completely blameless. Jesus is “unstained.” He is perfectly free from the character flaws and blemishes with which all of the previous high priests struggled as a result of their sin. Jesus is “separated from sinners.” He is completely disconnected from the sinful nature. Because of who He is and what He has done, Jesus is rightfully “exalted above the heavens.”

By virtue of these attributes and His exalted position, Jesus is the only Perfect High Priest who does not need “to offer sacrifices daily, first for His own sins and then for those of the people.” Jesus was not guilty of any sin as He offered a blood sacrifice for the remission (cancellation) of sin, thereby being the only one who ever lived who could serve as a perfect intermediator between God and humankind.

Jesus is the Perfect Sacrifice.

Notice that in Hebrews 7:27, Jesus functions in two roles:

1) Jesus is the Priest:
Jesus is the subject of the final phrase. He is the one that is carrying out the act of sacrificing. This is what Jesus did on the cross.

2) Jesus is the Sacrifice:
Jesus is the direct object of the final phrase of Hebrews 7:27. He is the one being sacrificed. This is what Jesus did on the cross. When Jesus was on the cross, He exclaimed, “It is finished” (John 19:30). These words indicated that the ultimate sacrifice had been offered. There was no longer a need for any other priest or sacrifice because Jesus, the Perfect Priest, perfectly offered Himself as the Perfect Sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1-4).

The Levitical high priest could only offer the blood of animals, which never truly removed sin, but rather, temporarily covered human sin. Our High Priest, Jesus, offered Himself as a blameless sacrifice on behalf of humanity, alone in the heavenly Holy of Holies, suffering an agonizing death, so that He could serve as an impeccable mediator between humankind and God. As a result of His actions, the veil of the Temple was torn (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45), giving all who are covered by His blood access to the Holy of Holies and, thereby, the presence of the Most High God.

Louis Goldberg summarizes: “…The Mediator of the New Covenant, in His ministry, did not have to confess His sin because there was no sin in Him. Jesus the Messiah, acting in the capacity of High Priest, was holy, innocent, undefiled; He did not have to offer sacrifices before He could minister for us, taking our place perfectly before the exalted and holy God. Jesus alone faultlessly bridges the infinite gap between God and man, and because of His death, He can give us His life.”¹

The events that were commanded by God on Yom Kippur were signs of even greater things. They were representative of what the perfect High Priest Jesus would do in the heavenly Holy of Holies, satisfying the wrath of God toward sin by taking it upon Himself, spilling His own blood, and suffering the death penalty on the cross. Our sin was transferred to Jesus, paid for by His blood, and completely taken away (Hebrews 9:11-14; cf. Leviticus 16:20-22).

Conclusion: Affliction vs. Familiarity

The old adage “familiarity breeds contempt” seems to be why God commanded the people to afflict themselves in Leviticus 16 in addition to the other sacrificial obligations of Yom Kippur. Consider this fact: The people of Israel actually had the presence of the living God dwelling among them in the Tabernacle, and subsequently, in the Temple (cf. 2 Chronicles 5:14). This is the type of experience that might have become humdrum, and consequently, the people could have become complacent in their worship. Nevertheless, when the Day of Atonement came around, and with it multiple sacrifices to atone for the sin of the community, the people were reminded of who they were before a perfect God. Seeing what God required to make atonement as a result of the gravity of their sin, the people’s self-affliction was to serve as an additional reminder for them not to sin against God.

Nevertheless, believers in Jesus have no contemporary mandate to afflict ourselves on any particular day. Now, it is by looking at Jesus and how He intentionally permitted Himself to be afflicted, that we are reminded of the gravity of our sin.

God is not vindictive toward humankind but rather has established a way in which people can come to Him, completely liberated of their sin. God is not resentful and angry at human beings but rather has always loved those whom He created in His image. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, God has created a way for us to recognize Him and love Him back. In this, God has demonstrated that He indeed has never wanted anyone to perish in their sin but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9; cf. 1 Timothy 2:3-4).

It is because of God’s love exhibited through Jesus that humankind is not currently called to afflict our soul. Rather, we experience the affliction of our souls by fixing our eyes on the cross of Jesus. We meditate on the affliction He underwent, suffering mental and physical anguish, and eventually being put to death so that we might live. Our soul cannot be any more afflicted than that of Jesus who willingly died for humanity, suffering the wrath of God for sin that He did not commit.

An inadequate understanding of the ancient Israelite sacrificial system necessarily leads to an incomplete understanding of Jesus’ work for humanity. Because of this, we treasure every single page of written correspondence we have received from God. All of Scripture is relevant, and there is no section of Scripture that deserves to be read with my fantasy fiction attitude.

Yom Kippur is not simply another important Jewish holiday that Christians witness from a distance. Yom Kippur is a day in which we are reminded what the blood of Jesus actually did—and thereby, what it means to humankind. Jesus’ blood provided absolute forgiveness of sin, so that by looking to Him as our great High Priest, and believing in Him as our perfect sacrifice, we have the privilege of entering into the Holy of Holies and communing with the Most High God.

¹ Louis Goldberg, Leviticus, p. 85

Editor’s Note: This article was previously published on September 15, 2021. This year (2023), the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tishrei runs from the evening of September 24 until sunset on September 25.

Biblical Law and My Contempt for Fantasy Literature

Watching, reading or listening to fantasy literature are insufferable experiences for me. I do not like The Lord of the Rings; I have a difficult time following The Chronicles of Narnia; Harry Potter is frustrating to me. It is safe to say that I simply do not appreciate, nor do I really see any value in, the fantasy genre.

I have tried to engage with this material—whether through obtaining the books, or mostly, by viewing the movie versions of these stories. I have repeatedly tried to watch The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. I fall asleep. I have all of The Chronicles of Narnia on my bookshelf. They have been there for years.

I cannot—for the life of me—get into these stories.

I’ve started to realize why I have a difficult time appreciating fantasy; I do not care for anything that I perceive as not immediately applicable to life. Once a child goes into a closet and enters another world, or an 11-year-old boy starts to ride on a broomstick, I completely lose focus. Since these types of things simply do not happen in reality, I find myself questioning why I would fiddle with watching/reading these stories.

I know, beloved reader, that you might be angling your mouse toward the corner of this page, ready to dismiss the rest of this article because of my criticism of a genre that so many Christians hold close to their hearts—But, I beg you not to leave!

My contempt for fantasy literature is an apt illustration of what I (a professor of Old Testament) perceives to be a prominent Evangelical view toward many sections of the Old Testament. This perspective is especially typical as it pertains to sections of the Hebrew Bible that relate to Biblical Law. Christians tend to approach reading sections of the Old Testament like I approach reading fantasy literature, determining that this text does not immediately apply to our lives and, therefore, questioning why we would waste our time reading it.

However, it is not cogent for Evangelicals to, on the one hand, claim to hold the verbal plenary inspiration view of Scripture while, on the other hand, undermine the significance of portions of Scripture we may perceive to be irrelevant to our lives.

Perhaps we need to change the way we look at Biblical Law. I would suggest that there is no Biblical book in which a change of paradigm is more necessary concerning application for the church than Leviticus.

Why Read Leviticus?

Why would we ever want to read the book of Leviticus? Well, the following is a non-comprehensive summary of one of the more important reasons.

Those who have read through the book of Leviticus cannot help but notice how much blood is mentioned or alluded to through sacrifice. This coincides with the book’s extensive emphasis on the sacrificial system that God gave through Moses to his brother Aaron (the first high priest), and thereby, to Ancient Israel. One of the main focuses of the book of Leviticus is how the priests were to intercede on behalf of the people of Israel by performing blood sacrifices for the remission of sin (Leviticus 4-7; cf. 17:11, 14). This sacrificial activity comes to a pinnacle on the High Holy day of Yom Kippur—The Day of Atonement (Hebrew: Yom “Day”, HaKippurim “The Atonement(s)” [literally “sin coverings”]).

But what can we as Christians learn from the Day of Atonement? Isn’t Yom Kippur exclusively a Jewish holiday?

Yes, Yom Kippur is a Jewish holiday. But rather than this fact reducing the significance of the Day of Atonement for Christians, it drastically increases the importance. One of the main reasons for this heightened significance is that all of the writers of the New Testament—except for Luke—were Jews. Because of this fact, the motifs of sacrifice, blood, priesthood, intercession and remission of sins (evident in the book of Leviticus, and especially on the Day of Atonement) are all conspicuously present in the New Testament.

When one studies the Biblical passages concerning Yom Kippur, it becomes evident that it is absolutely necessary to understand aspects of the book of Leviticus in order to grasp the completed work of Jesus on the cross. Jesus’ work on the cross was the climax of that which was depicted during the Yom Kippur High Holy Day. Comparing and contrasting Leviticus 16 with select passages from the New Testament demonstrates the ultimate and perfect culmination of Yom Kippur by Jesus the Messiah.

Yom Kippur among Jews Today

The 10th day of the Jewish month of Tishrei runs this year from the evening of September 29 until sunset on September 30 on our Gregorian calendar. Many Jewish people consider this the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, despite the fact that the consequences for dishonoring the Sabbath are more severe than the consequences for violating Yom Kippur (death [cf. Numbers 15:32-36] as compared to excommunication [cf. Leviticus 23:29]). Many Jewish people who are not normally religious, or even traditional, observe Yom Kippur. Jewish men don a yarmulke/kippa on their heads, wear white clothes to symbolize purity and spend much of their day praying in a local synagogue where there are five prayer services, confessing the sin of the Jewish community. During one of these Yom Kippur prayer services (the Minchah [“Offering”]), the book of Jonah is read to communicate the idea that humankind can turn back to God after having been disobedient.

Observant Jewish people refrain from enjoyable activities in honor of God’s command to afflict oneself on this day (cf. Leviticus 16:29, 31; 23:27, 32; Numbers 29:7). They fast for at least 25 hours (all boys age 13 and over, and girls age 12 and over), many even refraining from drinking water during this fast (cf. Isaiah 58:3, 5; Psalm 35:13). Jewish people refrain from sexual relations; they refrain from bathing or anointing their bodies (i.e. with lotions, creams, perfumes, etc.); they refrain from wearing leather shoes (something that was once considered a luxury), and they undergo a period of intense soul searching.

There are two main greetings that are common among Jewish people that observe Yom Kippur. Since Yom Kippur is a day in which people fast, Jewish people will say tzom qal (צום קל “light fast” [i.e. “may you have an easy fast”]) to each other in order to express their desire for their companions’ day of fasting to be as easy as possible for them.

The other greeting has a bit more of a spiritual ring. Because Yom Kippur is an occasion on which Jewish people pray for forgiveness, others in their community wish them well by stating “g’mar chatimah tovah” (גמר חתימה טובה) which, loosely translated, expresses the wish that one “be sealed in the book of life for good.”

After hearing all of this, you might be thinking, “Wow! Why do our Jewish friends intentionally put themselves through so much discomfort on this day?”

Surely, there is some Jewish interpretation as to how one is to afflict oneself on Yom Kippur. Nevertheless, what is interesting is that God is the one who instilled the requirement for hardship on this day in Leviticus 16. The Israelite people were under a divine imperative to intentionally create physical and mental distress for themselves on Yom Kippur. This is the only day on the Jewish calendar in which people were/are commanded to afflict themselves.

Why would God ever command people to afflict themselves on the Day of Atonement? Where can Christ be seen in all of this? What can Christians gain from a better understanding of Yom Kippur?

In order to tackle these difficult questions brought about by God’s command for the Israelites to afflict themselves on Yom Kippur, we shall review the history regarding the emergence of the Day of Atonement, the reason it was observed, and why it was intended to be memorialized for subsequent generations. Enjoy the second part of this in-depth look at Yom Kippur in my next post!

Saturday, April 27, a tragic shooting occurred at Chabad Synagogue in Poway, California, —just a few miles down the road from our church, Maranatha Chapel. One woman died, and three other people are wounded, including Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, whose hand was torn by bullets. Worshipers were celebrating the last day of Passover.

Rabbi Goldstein is a friend of mine.

We met in the early 90s shortly after I had traveled to Israel. I brought home a bumper sticker that said, in Hebrew, “The Messiah Is Coming Soon!” and put it on my car. The Rabbi was driving behind me one day and saw it; he followed me and pulled into the parking lot of our church right behind me.

He got out of his car, walked over to meet me and introduced himself.

“Where did you get that bumper sticker?” he asked.

“Israel!” I answered.

“Why did you put it on your car? You are a Christian!?” he asked, assuming so since I had pulled into a church.

I told him, “Not only am I a Christian, I’m the pastor here.” He broke out in a huge smile, and said, “Let’s go to coffee and talk!”, which, of course, we did. We have been friends ever since.

I shared my faith in Jesus as the Messiah, and that I believe He is coming back soon. He shared with me that while He doesn’t believe in Jesus, He does believe the Messiah is coming soon. He said, “We will know who Messiah is then, for sure!”

That was the beginning of a long and wonderful friendship. His congregation holds an annual fundraiser called “The Friendship Circle,” which goes toward helping disabled children in our community. Our church has helped support that cause for years.

Rabbi Goldstein is in stable condition after extensive hand surgery and has been released from the hospital.

I texted the Rabbi and received a text back, in which he said, “Ray, tell your congregation thank you for their love and prayers. It is a miracle by God’s grace that I am alive.”

He is grieving over the loss of a long time friend and pioneering member of Chabad of Poway, the woman who died from gunshot wounds. He is very concerned for her family, the other two wounded victims, as well as the trauma suffered by his congregation. But he vows to stay strong!

We are shocked and horrified by this act of anti-Semitism in our beautiful county of San Diego. Please continue to pray with us for the Rabbi as well as his family and congregation.

Love and blessings from Maranatha Chapel.

In part one of this series, we looked at the historical background that led to the feast of Hanukkah. A tumultuous period in Jewish history that climaxed with the Maccabean rebellion, rededication of the Temple, lighting of the Menorah, and ultimately, Jewish independence from a tyrannical ruler who sought their destruction.

Although Hanukkah is not a biblically mandated feast in the Torah, and considered only a minor holiday in Israel today, there is much more to this holiday than candles and delicious doughnuts.¹

Fulfillment of Prophecy

Although keeping the feast is never commanded, the events at the center of the feast are prophesied in the Bible. In the book of Daniel, there are prophecies about the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. It says that, “Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate” (Daniel 11:31). The abomination refers to the statue of Zeus that Antiochus had installed in the Holy Place. Elsewhere the prophet Daniel specifically mentions the time when the Temple will be rededicated – the events remembered at Hanukkah: “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state” (Daniel 8:14). Far from being a curiosity of Jewish history, the Lord Jesus referenced these events in order to warn his disciples that history will once again repeat itself in the last days. He told them that if they should see “the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (Matthew 24:15) they should flee Jerusalem.

The Messianic Light

In the Gospel of John, we see the life of Christ organized theologically around the feasts of Israel. It was during the final days of the feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) that Jesus entered the Temple courtyards and first proclaimed, “I am the light of the word” (John 8:12). Such a declaration would have had enormous impact, as during this time, there was a lamp-lighting ceremony in the courtyards where four 75 foot menorahs were lit at night. Josephus records that the light from the menorahs was so bright that it lit up all of Jerusalem. Shortly after this, John’s Gospel records Jesus again entering the Temple, this time at another celebration of light, the feast of Hanukkah (dedication) (John 10:22-42). In the pursuing dialogue with the Jews, he makes the remarkable statement that, “I and the father are one” (John 10:30). Most likely a reference to the Shema – “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4) and an implicit proclamation of His deity. Interestingly, this was also said to be the battle cry of the Maccabees when they attacked the enemies ranks.

During this season, Jesus presented Himself as the One true God who is the Light of the world. This is all the more relevant for Christians as we celebrate the incarnation during the advent season. The prologue of John’s gospel describes the mystery of God’s incarnation using the motif of light: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5). Jesus is also described as “the true light, which gives light to every man” (John 1:9).

Glory for Israel and a Light for the Gentiles

During the eight days of Hanukkah, it is customary to light a nine-branched Hanukkiah (candelabra) from right to left. The candles must be lit using the center candle which is designated as the “servant” candle. It is easy to see the spiritual significance attributed to this act by those who follow Jesus. The servant candle gives light to all the others. These Hanukkah lights point us to the Light of the World who was Himself a servant according to the prophecy of Isaiah 52:13-53:12. Jesus said that the Son of Man “came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). In the New Testament nativity narrative, the Messiah is called “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:32).

The prophet Isaiah, who predicted Messiah’s redemptive work, first spoke of this when he said, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness on them light has shone” (Isaiah 9:2). Here we again see how this messianic imagery of light connects with Christmas, as a few verses down in the same chapter, we have one of the most common scriptures used at Christmas that speaks of a child being born who will be the one to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy and lead men out of darkness into light: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…and his name shall be called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). He will be none other than the Word made Flesh (John 1:14) who gives light to every man.

Shine Brightly

So, this season let us remember that God is faithful to His promise to preserve His people; He is the true Light of the World, and it is through Him that all people have the light of life (John 8:12). May we shine this light brightly during the dark winter months. Jewish Christian scholar Alfred Edersheim exhorts us with these words:

“But to us all, whatever our special views or conclusions may be, Christ is the true Temple, and His Incarnation the real Dedication of the Temple. God grant that from our homes the true Light of Christ, ‘a light to lighten the Gentiles,’ may shine forth into the wintery darkness of the heathen world, and also ‘so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven.’”²

Chag Urim Sameach

Merry Christmas

Notes:

¹ It is customary to eat sufganiot (deep-fried jam doughnuts) at this time.

² Edersheim, Alfred. The Leisure Hour. London, No 1147, Dec 20th, 1873. Pg. 810-812.

As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we should remember that this momentous event is the culmination of a rich prophetic tradition, which has its roots deeply planted in Jewish soil. The birth of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of messianic prophecy. The Jewish Messiah, born from the line of David, in the town of Bethlehem, has come. At this same time of year, Jews around the world celebrate the festival of Hanukkah, often called the festival of lights. There is much that we can learn from each other during these times that will enrich our understanding of the Scriptures and the holiday season.

Darkest Before the Dawn

Unfortunately, the richness of this festival is often lost on a Christian audience who lacks a proper understanding of the historical context. This history has impacted Jewish identity and thought ever since. It is important we do not lose this aspect of our Judeo-Christian heritage and the ability to see how it connects to the Messiah at this time of year.

In the year 175 BC, a largely unknown time “between the testaments” for many Christians, a man named Antiochus IV ascended to the throne of the Greek Empire. He was an eccentric ruler known for his cruelty. He took the title Antiochus Epiphanes (“God manifest”). A title that should grab our attention as we celebrate Emmanuel – “God with us.” However, this self-appointed divine title didn’t fit well with many, and he was often given the nickname Antiochus Epimanes (“The Mad One”), a play on the word Epiphanes. Antiochus was especially cruel toward the Jewish people outlawing many Jewish laws and customs. Upon hearing premature reports of Antiochus’ demise, the Jews revolted in a failed attempt to take back Jerusalem. The book of Maccabees records:

“When news of what had happened reached the king, he took it to mean that Judea was in revolt. So, raging inwardly, he left Egypt and took the city by storm. And he commanded his soldiers to cut down relentlessly everyone they met and to slay those who went into the houses. Then there was killing of young and old, destruction of boys, women, and children, and slaughter of virgins and infants. Within the total of three days eighty thousand were destroyed, forty thousand in hand-to-hand fighting; and as many were sold into slavery as were slain” (2 Maccabees 5:11-14).

Antiochus went to great lengths in his attempt to Hellenize the Jewish people and destroy their unique identity. He outlawed sabbath observance and the festivals; he confiscated Torah and Jewish books, put his own priests in the temple who filled it with idols, and often murdered people as well. The final act for the Jews was when he desecrated the Holy Temple. Josephus records:

“And when the king had built an idol altar upon God’s Altar, he slew a swine upon it, and so offered a sacrifice neither according to the law, nor the Jewish religious worship in that country. He also compelled them to forsake the worship which they paid their own God, and to adore those whom he took to be gods, and made them build temples, and raise idol altars, in every city and village, and offer swine upon them every day. He also commanded them not to circumcise their sons and threatened to punish any that should be found to have transgressed his injunction.” (Antiquities of the Jews 6:12).

The Revolution Begins

One of these cities was called Modi’in, and when the Greek soldiers arrived, they built an alter and insisted that the priests sacrifice a pig on it. The priest of this city was called Mattathias; he had five sons. He refused to do what the soldiers asked, and instead, he turned on the soldiers and killed them, knocked down the pagan alter and cried out; “Follow me, all of you who are for God’s law and stand by the covenant” (1 Maccabees 2:27).

These words inspired a rebellion. Mattathias and his sons fled to the mountains followed by the faithful of Israel. Mattathias was now the leader of a rebel army. Using the terrain and local knowledge to their advantage, they engaged in guerrilla warfare against the enemy. At his death, he handed over control of the Jewish resistance to one of his sons – Judas. His courageous leadership, powerful speeches, along with his faithfulness to the Torah, earned him the name Judas the Maccabee (Y’hudhah HaMakabi) – a nickname meaning the Hammer!

Cleansing the Temple

After many victories, Judas set his sights on Jerusalem, in order to purify the Temple. Finding the Holy Temple in an appalling condition Judas and his followers began to purify the Temple. Upon construction of a new menorah for the temple they found only a single cruse of oil with the seal of the high priest on it. This was enough oil to keep it burning for only one day, and it would take seven days to prepare a fresh supply of kosher oil. The Talmud (Shabbat 21b) records that a miracle occurred, and they were able to light the menorah for eight days with this tiny amount.¹ Thus, the festival also became known as the Festival of Lights. The feast of Hanukkah (meaning dedication) begins on the 25th of Kislev and lasts eight days. The message of Hanukkah is one of redemption, sacrifice and faithfulness. With the menorah once again lit in the Temple Israel could fulfill her purpose and become “a light for the nations” (Isaiah 49:6).

This is where we begin to see the deeper meaning in the Festival of Lights and how this prophecy of Isaiah would be fulfilled. Israel was soon to bring a servant into this world who would be the true light of life (John 8:12). This is our link with the Christmas season; If God had not intervened to preserve Jewish identity, there would not have been a Jewish virgin called Miriam to bring the promised child into this dark world. As it is often said; without Hanukkah there would be no Christmas.

We will continue with part two for the conclusion of the story.

Notes:

¹ This traditional part of the story is debated amongst historians as the “miracle of oil” is not recorded in the Book of Maccabees or by Josephus.

Israel is a people, I realized. Not just “the Holy Land.” Not merely a prophetic clock on the wall.

Israel is a people whose history is the foundation of our faith and whose future will help determine our own.

Israel is a nation of people with a story, and God was telling me to “step into the story.

The Church, over the centuries, has been systematically removed from her Hebrew roots, at great loss to our understanding of Scripture. It is time to reconnect. I ended a chapter of my book, “The Holy Land Key,” with this observation: “My journey to understanding Israel is far from over. I recently learned that Hebrew rabbinical traditions teach there are seventy layers of meaning to sacred Scripture—‘seventy faces of Torah’—and that we really only dabble in the first few. I am eager to go deeper.”¹

To overcome this loss and to go deeper, I began to study scripture, from a Hebrew point of view, to a degree I had not done before. As I added The Complete Jewish Bible as well as Jewish and Messianic commentaries to my resources, I began to examine not only the original language but more of the context and history as well. I learned the significance of Jewish feasts and holy days ordained in Scripture. As Christians, we are not under a law, nor obliged to observe any of these practices. But some, like the seven Feasts of the Lord ordained in Leviticus 23, are filled with prophetic meaning and revelations of Jesus the Messiah.

To ignore them is to miss out on a significant part of God’s Word!

Leviticus 23: 1-2, “The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.” God’s appointed feasts. The word feasts in Hebrew is moed, meaning, “ A divine appointment; also a signal, appointed beforehand.”² The Hebrew word for convocation is miqra, which means, “A public meeting or [dress] rehearsal.”³ Do you know that four of the seven Feasts are exact dress rehearsals of Jesus’ death and resurrection, followed by Pentecost and the birth of the Church? The other three feasts foreshadow the rapture of the Church, the Lord’s return, and the bringing home of a harvest of souls.

Every year now, September finds our congregation and hundreds of guests blowing shofars and dancing to Middle Eastern music, as we celebrate the Feast of Trumpets, a joyous celebration of what is to come.
The feasts have been dress rehearsals for centuries of the first and second coming of Jesus the Messiah.

Signs and Signals

Even the story of creation takes on added layers of meaning with deeper study. At the dawn of first light, God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky…and let them be for signs and seasons” (Genesis 1:14).

What signs was He referring to?

Signs in Genesis comes from the Hebrew, oth, which means, “Signal” (literally or figuratively), a distinguishing mark or miracle, a remembrance, omen, banner, warning or proof.⁴

” In the ancient Hebrew pictorial language, the word oth was interpreted as the “leader nailed to the cross.” The signs in the stars were always meant to point us to the redemption of the human race. God declared that Yeshua, the Lamb of God, was slain from the foundations of the world (Revelation 13:8). The story was always there, and from the beginning; God put the story in the heavens for us to know.

When I first taught the book of Genesis as a young pastor, I relished in creation and was satisfied to know that God created heavenly lights to order the universe. But I didn’t realize that they had an equally important job: To communicate, to signal creation when something important is happening. To be part of God’s revelation before the written word came through Moses. Some traditions and historians credit Seth, the son of Adam, as the first astronomer.⁵

A Day of Mourning

A significant Jewish holy day is the Ninth of Av on the Jewish calendar. Also known as Tisha B’Av, it is the day observant Jews around the world mourn and remember the drastic events that have shaped their national consciousness—and their faith. The list of remarkable events that have afflicted the Jews on this date begins with the destruction of the Temple on the Ninth of Av, 586 BC, up to the recent expulsion of Jews from Gaza on the Ninth of Av 2005.

These events not only altered the course of Jewish history, but also set the Jews on a path that would coincide again and again with world changing events.

In close proximity to the Ninth of Av, on the Hebrew calendar, is Elul, the 30 day period of meditation and repentance that precedes the 10 days between the Feast of Trumpets and the national day of repentance, the Feast of Atonement—totaling 40 days.

Moses spent 40 days on the mountain, receiving God’s Word.

Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness. Forty days is no coincidence.

Then there is the mostly forgotten (until recently), Shemitah year, set apart by God as a Sabbath year for the land and finances (see Deuteronomy 15:1; Leviticus 25:3-4). My congregation has responded enthusiastically to “going deeper” in studying familiar stories. I hear things like, ”Now I get it!” For example, the story of Abraham and Isaac where God said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love… and offer him as a burnt offering ” (Genesis 22:2).

How can we grasp what God asked Abraham to do — or Abraham’s willingness to comply?

Even the most faithful believers struggle with what today would be labeled insanity or worse. In Hebrew commentaries, the rabbis emphasize that Abraham lived in a culture immersed in the idolatry of human sacrifice. The story of Isaac becomes a striking demonstration against human sacrifice.

The divine intervention to stop the sacrifice was more astonishing than the order to carry it out. God was showing Abraham and his descendants how God abhors human sacrifice. A slightly different twist to the story, as told from the rabbis’ point of view with a context that surprised a lot of my congregation and helped them understand Abraham’s behavior. Yet, not detracting from the powerful foreshadowing of the only human sacrifice God ever allowed, His only begotten and beloved Son.⁶

As I continue to go deeper into the layers of God’s Word, my Jewish brothers and sisters have blessed me with their perspective of our faith and our Messiah.

This article barely dips into the spiritual treasures waiting for us in the Hebrew language and culture.

I encourage every believer to “step into the story” of our faith and of the people God chose. Read Scripture with an eye for the Hebrew context and meaning. Study the holy days and feasts (“Feasts of the Lord” by Rosenthal and Howard is a good place to start). Visit sites like Hebrew for Christians or Maranatha Chapel’s website and learn about the Nehemiah Project, our outreach and support of the Jewish people.

Jesus was born and nurtured in Jewish tradition. I want to embrace what He knew and understand the promises and prophecies He alone fulfilled. I have a ways to go, but what a wonderful, rich journey it is.
A more in-depth discussion of these topics and more can be found in Pastor Ray’s book, “The Holy Land Key.”

¹ See Stephen M. Wylen, The Seventy Faces of Torah, the Jewish Way of Reading the Sacred Scriptures (Mahwah, New Jersey: Paulist Press, 2005). See also John J. Parsons, Seventy Faces of Torah.
² James Strong, Abingdon’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1894, reprint, Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1986), 83, ref.4150, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary.

³ Strong, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, 94, refs.4744,7121, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary
⁴ James Strong, Abingdon’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1894, reprint, Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1986), 11, Hebrew dictionary section, ref. 226.
⁵ Flavius Josephus, The Life and Works of Flavius Josephus, translated by William Whiston (Philadelphia, Pa.: The John C. Winston Company, 1737), Book 1. Ch. 2, 36. ⁶ https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/Vayera/Akedah/akedah.html