THE FEAST OF LIGHTS

or Hanukkah is a commentary about the cleansing of God’s Temple by Judas Maccabeus in 164 BC.  He had reclaimed God's Temple from pagan defilement. God's people Israel cleansed away the unclean sacrifices and worship according to the Creator God's Covenant Law. Jesus called this pagan defilement of the temple the "abomination of desolation" (Dan 9:27, 11:31, 12:11, Mt 24:15). Then they celebrated for 8 days as in the Feast of Tabernacles (2 Maccabees 10 in Apocrypha).

  

Any time we mix impure teachings, offerings, or worship with His Laws we mix His holiness with sin. (Lev 11:44, 19:2, 1Pet 1:13-16).  Paul talls us our bodies are the temple of God (1 Cor 6:19).

God’s temple must be kept cleansed from defilement.  St. Paul commands us to cleanse the temple of our bodies from all defilement of flesh and spirit in New Testament teachings (1 Cor 6:19-20, 2 Cor 6:14-7:1).

Israel commemorates the rededication of the temple in 165 AD after it had been defiled by pagan worship.

This theme of eliminating any teachings or worship which is from the world is a theme all the way through the Bible.  Moses told God's people, Israel to choose God's laws or some other laws but remember they were choosing "life and good" or "death and evil " (Dt 30:15-20).

In the Exodus from bondage and slavery in Egypt God's people Israel were told to follow the pillar of Light to Canaan the Promised Land (Ex 13:21, 14:20, 24), Jn 1:4-5, 9-12, Jn 3:19-21).

IN the New Testament, Jesus told His people living in Capernaum that the Light had come to them (Jesus settled there) and they did not follow the Light to repent (Math 4:12-16, Is 9:1, Mt 11:20:24). This is the FINAL JUDGMENT for Capernaum!

This number 8 symbolizes a new beginning we have after seeing the Light from Jesus, the only 1 source of light for the center of our life.

The man Israel was the son of Abraham, our Father of Faith who was given the promise of an inheritance from the Lord.  All who join God’s people Israel  have that promise, because God never changes and His Word never changes (Gen 12: 1-3, Mal 3:6).

       Jesus is the Light of the world.  We are to follow Him. Jesus said, THE JUDGMENT is whether are we growing to the light so that our deeds may be exposed, or try to hide our deeds from the Light because our deeds are evil (Jn 1:9, 3:18-21, 1Jn 1:5-7). 

WHEN WE SEE JESUS AS OUR SAVIOR, HE SENDS THE HOLY SPIRIT TO LIVE IN US - WE ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD.  IT NEEDS TO BE CLEANSED TO BE PURE AND HOLY For Him (Jn 16:7-15, 1Cor 6:19-20, 2Cor 6:14-7:1).

Jesus attended this feast, called the Feast of Dedication. He said, the works that we do in Our Father’s name, these bear witness of Jesus (Jn 10:22-25, Heb 9:1).  He talked often about how our deeds reveal our true heart’s beliefs.

For more Bible Studies in harmony with the whole Bible go to;

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