God Bless you, Carole Mayfield
26. Does God have a specific plan for the Gentile nations which is found in Scripture?
Witnessing to Jewish People Part - 2
This is part two of a three part series by Marty Zide in how to witness to Jewish people. If you have never studies Jewish history may I encourage you. It will greatly enrich your understanding of our heritage, this part covers so much about the Gentiles as we are referred to.
God Bless you, Carole Mayfield
26. Does God have a specific plan for the Gentile nations which is found in Scripture?
Different empires will rise to power during this time.
To get a clear picture of this, we need to take a look at a
portion of scripture in Daniel. The best thing to do would be to read all of
Daniel 2:31-45. For our present purpose, we will quote parts of it.
The text goes on and gives the interpretation of the dream
that Nebuchadnezzar had. Notice that the Times of the Gentiles begins with the
Babylonian empire and will come to an end when the stone that is cut without
hands comes and crushes the gentile world powers that will be in existence at
that time. We will now look at the interpretation? The interpretation is given
in verses 37-45.
27.
Does God have a specific plan for the Church which is found in Scripture? Jewish
people have a great misunderstanding about the Church as you could well
understand. Therefore, it is important that we understand the Bible’s teaching
about it. When Jesus the Messiah told Peter, "I will build My Church"
He revealed one of the most important reasons for the incarnation. Although the
Church is not mentioned in the Old Testament, the plan and purpose for the Body
of Christ is clearly spelled out for us in the New Testament. Before we begin
looking at the specific prophecies concerning the Church, it's important that
we have an understanding of what the Church is. The Church as used in our study
is referring to the Body of Christ, which is made up of all true believers.
The Bible clearly teaches that when a person places true
saving faith in Jesus, they become a member of the Body of Christ. The mystery
is that both Jewish people and Gentiles are members of the very same body. This
was something that was not revealed in the Old Testament, it is a New Testament
mystery. As one thinks about the
Body of Christ, one could ask, "How is a person placed into the
Body?" Paul gives us the clear answer in his first letter to the
Corinthians.
The first great event for the Church in the future as we saw
last time was the rapture, but what happens to the Church after that?
Rev. 19:6-9 - And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great
multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of
thunder, saying, ¶ "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty,
reigns. "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the
marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." And
it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the
fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. And he *said to me,
"Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the
Lamb.'" And he *said to me, "These are true words of God."
Eph. 5:25-33 - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ
also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her,
having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might
present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or
any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless. So husbands ought
also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife
loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes
it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For
this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his
wife; and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am
speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each
individual among you also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife
see to it that she respect her husband.
The marriage is only for the bride of Christ. The bride is
made up of Church saints, those who were saved from the beginning of the Church
(the day of Pentecost) until the rapture. According to Daniel 12:1-3, Israel
and the O.T. saints will not be resurrected until the second advent. Are they
going to miss out on anything. Not really. But, scripture does teach that the
Church is a unique group of believers. There is a difference between the
marriage of the Lamb and the marriage supper. The marriage of the Lamb is an
event that has particular reference to the Church and it takes place in heaven.
According to Matt. 22:1-14, Matt. 25:1-13, and Luke 14:15-24, the marriage
supper is an event which takes place on the earth. The wedding supper is a
parable which pictures Israel and the Gentiles being invited to salvation during
the tribulation period.
28.
What are some of the items that Jewish people use as a part of their religion?
Mezuzah
The scroll must be handwritten in a special style of writing
and must be placed in the case to fulfill the commandment. The case and scroll
are then nailed or affixed to the right side doorpost on an angle, with a small
ceremony called Chanukkat Ha-Bayit (dedication of the house - yes, this is the
same word as Chanukkah, the holiday celebrating the rededication of the Temple
after the Maccabean revolt). A brief blessing is recited.
Why is the mezuzah affixed at an angle? The rabbis could not
decide whether it should be placed horizontally or vertically, so they
compromised!
Every time you pass through a door with a mezuzah on it, you
are supposed to touch the mezuzah and then kiss the fingers that touched it,
expressing love and respect for God and his commandments and reminding yourself
of the commandments contained within them. Usually it is those who are more
religious who do this. It is proper to remove a mezuzah when you move. If you
leave it in place, the subsequent owner may treat it with disrespect, and this
would be a grave sin.
Like the mezuzah, tefillin are meant to remind them of God's
commandments. At weekday morning services, one case is tied to the arm, with
the scrolls at the biceps and leather straps extending down the arm to the
hand, then another case is tied to the head, with the case on the forehead and
the straps hanging down over the shoulders. Appropriate blessings are recited
during this process. The tefillin are removed at the conclusion of the morning
services.
This commandment only applies to four-cornered garments,
which were common in biblical times but are not common anymore. Observant
Jewish men commonly wear a special four-cornered garment, similar to a poncho,
called a tallit katan, so that they will have the opportunity to fulfill this
important commandment. The tallit katan is worn under the shirt, with the
tzitzit hanging out so they can be seen. A four-cornered prayer shawl called a
tallit (pictured) is worn by adult men during morning services, along with the
tefillin. There is a complex procedure for tying the knots of the tzitzit,
filled with religious and numerological significance.
The lamp stand in today's synagogues, called the ner tamid
(lit. the continual lamp; usually translated as the eternal flame), symbolizes
the menorah.
The nine-branched menorah used on Chanukkah is commonly
patterned after this menorah. Chanukkah commemorates the rededication of the
Temple after the Jewish people got it back from Antiochus Epiphanes.
It is an ancient practice for Jewish people to cover their
heads during prayer. This probably derives from the fact that in Eastern
cultures, it is a sign of respect to cover the head (the custom in Western
cultures is the opposite: it is a sign of respect to remove one's hat). Thus, by
covering the head during prayer, one showed respect for God. In addition, in
ancient Rome, servants were required to cover their heads while free men did
not; thus, Jewish people covered their heads to show that they were servants of
God. Whatever the reason given, however, covering the head has always been
regarded more as a custom rather than a commandment.
Scholars such as Franz Rosenzweig have attributed deep
theological significance to the symbol. For example, some note that the top
triangle strives upward, toward God, while the lower triangle strives downward,
toward the real world. Some note that the intertwining makes the triangles
inseparable, like the Jewish people. Some say that the three sides represent
the three types of Jews: Kohanim, Levites and Israel. While these theories are
theologically interesting, they have little basis in historical fact.
The symbol of intertwined equilateral triangles is a common
one in the Middle East and North Africa, and is thought to bring good luck. It
appears occasionally in early Jewish artwork, but never as an exclusively
Jewish symbol. The nearest thing to an "official" Jewish symbol at
the time was the menorah.
In the middle ages, Jews often were required to wear badges
to identify themselves as Jews, much as they were in Nazi Germany, but these
Jewish badges were not always the familiar Magen David. For example, a
fifteenth century painting by Nuno Goncalves features a rabbi wearing a
six-pointed badge that looks more or less like an asterisk.
In the 17th century, it became a popular practice to put
Magen Davids on the outside of synagogues, to identify them as Jewish houses of
worship in much the same way that a cross identified a Christian house of
worship; however, I have never seen any explanation of why this symbol was
chosen, rather than some other symbol.
The Magen David gained popularity as a symbol of Judaism
when it was adopted as the emblem of the Zionist movement in 1897, but the
symbol continued to be controversial for many years afterward. When the modern
state of Israel was founded, there was much debate over whether this symbol
should be used on the flag.
Today, the Magen David is a universally recognized symbol of
Jewry. It appears on the flag of the state of Israel, and the Israeli
equivalent of the Red Cross is known as the Red Magen David.
29. Jewish
people do not go to church. Where do they go to as a part of their Jewish
belief?
Shul, Synagogue, Temple
There are actually several different terms for a Jewish
place of worship and you can tell a lot about people by the terms they use.
The Hebrew term is beit k'nesset (literally, House of
Assembly), although you will rarely hear this term used in conversation in
English.
The Orthodox and Chasidim (the very religious) typically use
the word "shul," which is Yiddish. The word is derived from a German
word meaning "school," and emphasizes the synagogue's role as a place
of study.
Conservative Jewish people usually use the word
"synagogue," which is actually a Greek translation of Beit K'nesset
and means "place of assembly" (it's related to the word
"synod").
Reform Jewish people use the word "temple,"
because they consider every one of their meeting places to be equivalent to, or
a replacement for, The Temple.
A synagogue is usually also a “beit midrash,” a house of
study. Contrary to popular belief, Jewish education does not end at the age of
bar mitzvah (thirteen). For the observant Jewish person the study of sacred
texts is a life-long task. Thus, a synagogue normally has a well-stocked
library of sacred Jewish texts for members of the community to study. It is
also the place where children receive their basic religious education.
Most synagogues also have a social hall for religious and
non-religious activities. The synagogue often functions as a sort of town hall
where matters of importance to the community can be discussed.
In addition, the synagogue functions as a social welfare
agency, collecting and dispensing money and other items for the aid of the poor
and needy within the community.
30.
What is the calendar like that the Jewish people use? The
Jewish Calendar "When is Hanukkah this year?" “When is
Passover this year?” Jewish holidays do not change from year to year. Holidays
are celebrated on the same day of the Jewish calendar every year, but the
Jewish year is not the same length as a year on the Gregorian (solar) calendar
used by most of the western world, so the date shifts on the Gregorian
calendar.
The problem with strictly lunar calendars is that there are
approximately 12.4 lunar months in every solar year, so a 12-month lunar
calendar loses about 11 days every year and a 13-month lunar gains about 19
days every year. The months on such a calendar "drift" relative to
the solar year.
The names of the months of the Jewish calendar were adopted
during the time of Ezra, after the return from the Babylonian exile. The names
are actually Babylonian month names, brought back to Israel by the returning
exiles. Note that most of the Bible refers to months by number, not by name.
31. What do Jewish people
believe and is it important for us to have a basic knowledge of what the person
believes to whom we are witnessing?
32. Do
the Jewish people have a standard belief system? The
material presented in this answer is from a Jewish (not Messianic) perspective.
This information will be helpful for you to know what Jewish people believe.
Judaism has no dogma, no formal set of beliefs that one must
hold to be Jewish. In Judaism, actions are far more important than beliefs,
although there is certainly a place for belief within Judaism.
The closest that anyone has ever come to creating a
widely-accepted list of Jewish beliefs is Rambam's thirteen principles of
faith. He thought they were the minimum requirements of Jewish belief. They
are:
1. God exists
Unlike many other religions, Judaism does not focus much on
abstract cosmological concepts. Although Jews have certainly considered the
nature of God, man, the universe, life and the afterlife at great length, there
is no mandated, official, definitive belief on these subjects, outside of the
very general concepts discussed above. There is substantial room for personal
opinion on all of these matters, because Judaism is more concerned about
actions than beliefs.
Judaism focuses on relationships: the relationship between
God and mankind, between God and the Jewish nation, between the Jewish nation
and the land of Israel, and between human beings. Our scriptures tell the story
of the development of these relationships, from the time of creation, through
the creation of the relationship between God and Abraham, to the creation of
the relationship between God and the Jewish people, and forward. The scriptures
also specify the mutual obligations created by these relationships, although
various movements of Judaism disagree about the nature of these obligations.
Some say they are absolute, unchanging laws from God (Orthodox); some say they
are laws from God that change and evolve over time (Conservative); some say
that they are guidelines that you can choose whether or not to follow (Reform).
33.
What are some common saying in Judaism? The
material presented here is from a Jewish (not Messianic) perspective. This
information will be helpful for you to know what Jewish people believe.
What is the proper Jewish thing to say when someone tells
you she's pregnant? How do you wish someone a happy holiday in Hebrew? Below
are some common Jewish phrases and expressions to answer these questions and
more.
34.
What is the Torah and the Tanakh? The
material presented here is from a Jewish (not Messianic) perspective. This
information will be helpful for you to know what Jewish people believe.
Ketuvim.
The scrolls are kept in a cabinet in the synagogue called an
"ark," meaning "holy cabinet."
Jewish scriptures are sometimes bound in a form that
corresponds to the division into weekly readings. Scriptures bound in this way
are generally referred to as a chumash. The word "chumash" comes from
the Hebrew word meaning five, and refers to the five books of the Torah. A
portion of the Torah is read each week during the service and in a year’s time
the entire Torah will be read. Then the whole process begins again. Torah
scrolls are greatly respected by Jewish people. In fact there is a holiday that
is celebrated that shows this. It is called “Simkhat Torah,” which means
"Rejoicing in the Torah."
35. What
are some of the Jewish Holidays that are celebrated through out the year?
There is, however, one important similarity between the
Jewish New Year and the American one: Many Americans use the New Year as a time
to plan a better life, making "resolutions." Likewise, the Jewish New
Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past
year and planning the changes to make in the new year.
The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25.
Lev. 23:24-25 - "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying,
'In the seventh month on the first of the month, you shall have a rest, a
reminder by blowing {of trumpets}, a holy convocation. 'You shall not do any laborious
work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord.'"
During this time the shofar is sounded. The shofar is a
ram's horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important
observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the
synagogue. The Bible gives no specific reason for this practice. One that has
been suggested is that the shofar's sound is a call to repentance. The shofar
is not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat.
No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Much of the day is
spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded. In
fact, there is a special prayer book called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holidays.
Another popular observance during this holiday is eating
apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year.
Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh
("casting off"). Jewish people walk to flowing water, such as a creek
or river, on the afternoon of the first day and empty our pockets into the
river, symbolically casting off our sins. This practice is not discussed in the
Bible, but is a long-standing custom.
Religious services for the holiday focus on the concept of
God's sovereignty.
The common greeting at this time is L'shanah tovah
("for a good year"). This is a shortening of "L'shanah tovah
tikatev v'taihatem" (or to women, "L'shanah tovah tikatevi
v'taihatemi"), which means "May you be inscribed and sealed for a
good year."
You may notice that the Bible speaks of Rosh Hashanah as
occurring on the first day of the seventh month. The first month of the Jewish
calendar is Nissan, occurring in March and April. Why, then, does the Jewish
"new year" occur in Tishri, the seventh month?
Judaism has several different "new years," a
concept which may seem strange at first, but think of it this way: the American
"new year" starts in January, but the new "school year"
starts in September, and many businesses have "fiscal years" that
start at various times of the year.
Lev. 23:26-28 - And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
"On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement;
it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and
present an offering by fire to the Lord. "Neither shall you do any work on
this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf
before the Lord your God.
The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of
Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day
set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past
year. This day is, essentially, your last appeal, your last chance to change
the judgment, to demonstrate your repentance and make amends.
Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed
on that day. It is well-known that you are supposed to refrain from eating and
drinking (even water) on Yom Kippur. It is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning
before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on
the day of Yom Kippur.
Most of the holiday is spent in the synagogue, in prayer. In
Orthodox synagogues, services begin early in the morning (8 or 9 AM) and
continue until about 3 PM. People then usually go home for an afternoon nap and
return around 5 or 6 PM for the afternoon and evening services, which continue
until nightfall. The services end at nightfall, with the blowing of the tekiah
gedolah, a long blast on the shofar.
It is customary to wear white on the holiday, which
symbolizes purity and calls to mind the promise that our sins shall be made as
white as snow (Is. 1:18). Some people wear a kittel, the white robe in which
the dead are buried.
The evening service that begins Yom Kippur is commonly known
as Kol Nidre, named for the prayer that begins the service. "Kol
nidre" means "all vows."
There are two basic parts of this confession: Ashamnu, a
shorter, more general list (we have been treasonable, we have been aggressive,
we have been slanderous.), and Al Chet, a longer and more specific list (for
the sin we sinned before you forcibly or willingly, and for the sin we sinned
before you by acting callously.) Frequent petitions for forgiveness are
interspersed in these prayers. There's also a catch-all confession:
"Forgive us the breach of positive commands and negative commands, whether
or not they involve an act, whether or not they are known to us."
It is interesting to note that these confessions do not
specifically address the kinds of ritual sins that some people think are the
be-all-and-end-all of Judaism. The vast majority of the sins enumerated involve
mistreatment of other people, most of them by speech (offensive speech,
scoffing, slander, talebearing, and swearing falsely, to name a few). These all
come into the category of sin known as "lashon ha-ra" (lit: the evil
tongue), which is considered a very serious sin in Judaism.
The concluding service of Yom Kippur, known as Ne'ilah, is
one unique to the day. It usually runs about 1 hour long. The ark (a cabinet
where the scrolls of the Torah are kept) is kept open throughout this service,
thus you must stand throughout the service. There is a tone of desperation in
the prayers of this service. The service is sometimes referred to as the
closing of the gates; think of it as the "last chance" to get in a
good word before the holiday ends. The service ends with a very long blast of
the shofar. After Yom Kippur, one should begin preparing for the next holiday,
Sukkot, which begins five days later.
The word "Sukkot" means "booths," and
refers to the temporary dwellings that Jewish people are commanded to live in
during this holiday. It is more recognizable as "The Feast of
Tabernacles." The holiday commemorates the forty-year period during which
the children of Israel were wandering in the desert, & living in temporary
shelters. The festival of Sukkot is instituted in Leviticus 23:33.
Lev. 23:33-34 - Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak
to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the
Feast of Booths for seven days to the Lord.
During this holiday, Jewish people are commanded to dwell in
temporary shelters, as our ancestors did in the wilderness. The commandment to
"dwell" in a sukkah can be fulfilled by eating all of one's meals
there; however, if the weather, climate, and one's health permit, one should
live in the sukkah as much as possible, including sleeping in it.
A sukkah must have at least three walls covered with a
material that will not blow away in the wind. The roof of the sukkah must be
left loose, not tied together or tied down. The roofing material must be placed
sparsely enough that rain can get in, and preferably sparsely enough that the
stars can be seen.
It is common practice to decorate the sukkah. In the United
States, Jewish people commonly hang dried squash and corn in the sukkah to
decorate it. Building and decorating a sukkah is a fun, family project, much
like decorating the Christmas tree.
Many Americans, upon seeing a decorated sukkah for the first
time, remark on how much the sukkah (and the holiday generally) reminds them of
Thanksgiving. This is not entirely coincidental. It is possible that the
pilgrims, who originated the Thanksgiving holiday, were influenced by the
Bible’s teaching on Sukkot. When they were trying to find a way to express
their thanks for their survival and for the harvest, they looked to the Bible
for an appropriate way of celebrating and based their holiday in part on
Sukkot.
Another observance related to Sukkot involves what are known
as The Four Species (arba minim in Hebrew). Jewish people are commanded to take
four plants and use them to "rejoice before the Lord." The four
species in question are a citrus fruit (which is native to Israel), a palm
branch, two willow branches and three myrtle branches. The six branches are
bound together and referred to collectively as the lulav. The citrus fruit is
held separately. With these four species in hand, one recites a blessing and
waves the species in all six directions (east, south, west, north, up, and
down, symbolizing the fact that God is everywhere).
The four species are also held during the Hallel prayer in
religious services, and are held during processions around the bimah (the
pedestal where the Torah is read) each day during the holiday. These
processions commemorate similar processions around the alter of the ancient
Temple in Jerusalem. The processions are known as Hoshanahs, because while the
procession is made, we recite a prayer with the refrain, "Hosha na!"
(please save us!). On the seventh day of Sukkot, seven circuits are made. For
this reason, the seventh day of Sukkot is known as Hoshanah Rabbah (the great
Hoshanah).
Jesus was present in the Temple on the last day of this
feast. On the last day, water was drawn from the pool of Siloam and a ceremony
was held in the Temple. The crowds were present and were watching as the
priests poured the water taken from the pool into a basin near the alter. It
was at this point that Jesus made the statement as found in John 7:37-38.
Shemini Atzeret literally means "the assembly of the
eighth (day)." Rabbinic literature explains the holiday this way: God is
like a host, who invites us as visitors for a limited time, but when the time
comes for us to leave, He has enjoyed himself so much that He asks us to stay
another day.
The annual cycle of weekly Torah readings is completed at
this time. The last Torah portion is read, then immediately the first chapter
of Genesis is read, reminding us that the Torah is a circle, and never ends.
This completion of the readings is a time of great celebration. There are
processions around the synagogue carrying Torahs and plenty of high-spirited
singing & dancing. As many people as possible are given the honor of
carrying a Torah scroll in these processions. This aspect of the holiday is
known as Simkhat Torah, which means "Rejoicing in the Torah."
In some synagogues, confirmation ceremonies or ceremonies
marking the beginning of a child's Jewish education are also held.
The story of Purim is told in the book of Esther. The heroes
of the story are Esther, and her cousin Mordecai, who raised her as if she were
his daughter. Esther was taken to the house of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, to
become part of his harem. King Ahasuerus loved Esther more than his other women
and made Esther queen, but the king did not know that Esther was Jewish,
because Mordecai told her not to reveal her nationality.
The villain of the story is Haman, an arrogant advisor to
the king. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai refused to bow down to him, so
Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people. In a speech that is all too
familiar to Jewish people, Haman told the king, "There is a certain people
scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your
realm. Their laws are different from those of every other people's, and they do
not observe the king's laws; therefore it is not befitting the king to tolerate
them." Esther 3:8. The king gave the fate of the Jewish people to Haman,
to do as he pleased to them. Haman planned to exterminate all of the Jewish
people.
Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of
the Jewish people. This was a dangerous thing for Esther to do, because anyone
who came into the king's presence without being summoned could be put to death,
and she had not been summoned. Esther fasted for three days to prepare herself,
then went into the king. He welcomed her. Later, she told him of Haman's plot
against her people. The Jewish people were saved, and Haman was hanged on the
gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai.
Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of Adar, which is
usually in March. The 13th of Adar is the day that Haman chose for the
extermination of the Jewish people, and the day that the Jews battled their
enemies for their lives. On the day afterwards, the 14th, they celebrated their
survival.
The word "Purim" means "lots" and refers
to the lottery that Haman used to choose the date for the massacre.
The primary commandment related to Purim is to hear the
reading of the book of Esther. It is customary to boo, hiss, stamp feet and
rattle noisemakers whenever the name of Haman is mentioned in the service. The
purpose of this custom is to "blot out the name of Haman."
It is customary to hold carnival-like celebrations on Purim,
to perform plays and parodies.
More than a century later, a successor of Alexander,
Antiochus Epiphanes was in control of the region. He began to oppress the
Jewish people severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring
Jewish people, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating
the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs on the altar. Antiochus was
opposed by Mattathias and his son Judah Maccabee. The revolution succeeded and
the Temple was rededicated.
According to tradition, at the time of the rededication,
there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Oil was
needed for the menorah in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the
night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet
miraculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh
supply of oil for the menorah. This tradition is usually taught as fact,
however, it tells us that eight days were simply chosen as the time of
celebration.
It is traditional to eat fried foods on Hanukkah because of
the significance of oil to the holiday. This usually includes latkes
(pronounced "lot-kuhs."
Another tradition of the holiday is playing dreidel, a game
played with a square top. Most people play for chocolate coins. A dreidel is
marked with four Hebrew letters: Nun, Gimmel, Heh and Shin. This stands for the
Hebrew phrase "nes gadol hayah sham", meaning a great miracle
happened there.
Passover. In
looking back over the history of the Jewish nation, it's possible to think of
several instances where God miraculously delivered His people. Many come to
mind, but one stands out in a particular way. This event was so special that
God never wanted the Jewish people to ever forget it. In fact, God declared
that every year a remembrance feast should be held so as to keep it before
their minds. I'm referring to Passover.
What is it about the Passover that makes it such a special
celebration? The great message of Passover is one of deliverance of the
first-born from death. The Torah tells us in Exodus 12 that the only way for
the first-born to escape death was for there to be some blood from a lamb
applied to the two doorposts and lintel. As the death angel passed over the
land of Egypt, all the first-born who were in a house that did not have the
blood applied properly would die. There was nothing else that the death angel
was looking for besides the blood. He was not looking for the first-born's good
works or good life, but the lamb's blood. This occasion was certainly an
unforgettable event.
However, as momentous as this event was, it pales when
compared to another deliverance that the Passover was foreshadowing. I'm
speaking of the deliverance from the consequences of sin. It's true, we are not
slaves in Egypt who are in need of deliverance, but every single one of us is
in need of being forgiven of our sins. Whether we know it or not, we are born
slaves of sin and will suffer the eternal consequences if our sins are not
forgiven. What is it that makes forgiveness possible? Just as blood from a lamb
brought deliverance for the first-born in Egypt, it is blood from a lamb that
forgives all sin. But, this is not blood from just any lamb. It's the blood of
the Lamb of God, the Messiah Jesus. All through the Old Testament, He is foreshadowed
as the one who would one day shed His blood and make forgiveness possible. Just
as God was looking for blood on the doorposts and lintel, He is looking to see
if the blood of the Messiah Jesus has been applied to your heart by faith and
trust in Him. The first-born had to totally trust in the lamb's blood for
deliverance from physical death. People need to totally trust in the blood of
the Messiah Jesus for deliverance from spiritual death. Why blood? Leviticus
17:11 of the Old Covenant tells us that the only atonement for sin is in the
blood.
Another important item in the Passover is matzo. Matzo, or
unleavened bread, is used during Passover for seven days, because God
instructed Moses to do so in the Torah, in Exodus 12:15. The Jewish people had
to leave Egypt quickly, and because of that, there was no time for making
leavened bread.
The matzo is used at different times during Passover. The
most important time it's used is when three pieces of matzo are put into a
unity pouch which has three compartments.
The middle piece of matzo is broken and wrapped in a napkin,
or cloth. It is then hidden and searched for, and then ransomed from the child
who finds it. The three pieces represent the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. The Son, the middle piece was broken.
The middle piece of matzo is called the Afikomen, which
means "I come" in Greek. We know the Messiah did come. The Rabbis say
that the Afikomen represents dessert, since it's the last solid food eaten at
the Passover. Psalms tell us to "Taste and see that the Lord is good,
blessed is the man who trusts in Him." That is the real spiritual food - -
trusting in the Messiah Jesus.
To reiterate, the middle piece of matzo is removed from the
unity pouch, broken, wrapped up, hidden, found, and ransomed from a child after
the meal. This part of the ceremony illustrates how the Son came to the earth
as the Messiah. He was broken (died), wrapped up, hidden away (buried), and
brought back to life (resurrected). He was broken for you and me.
Isaiah 53:5 tells us "He was pierced for our
transgressions,. and by His stripes, we are healed." This is pictured in
the matzo by its holes and stripes.
By the way, if you have not personally partaken of this
Bread of Life, take the Messiah Jesus as a free gift. He will give you eternal
life and forgive you of all of your sin.
Every night, from the second night of Passover to the night
before Shavu'ot, Jewish people recite a blessing and state the count of the
omer in both weeks and days. So on the 16th day, one would say "Today is
sixteen days, which is two weeks and two days of the Omer."
The counting is intended to remind Jewish people of the link
between Passover, which commemorates the Exodus, and Shavu'ot, which
commemorates the giving of the Torah. It reminds them that the redemption from
slavery was not complete until they received the Torah.
This period is a time of partial mourning, during which
weddings, parties, and dinners with dancing are not conducted. The 33rd day of
the Omer (the eighteenth of Iyar) is a minor holiday commemorating a break in
the plague. The holiday is known as Lag b'Omer. The mourning practices of the
omer period are lifted on that date. The word "Lag" is not really a
word; it is the number 33 in Hebrew, as if you were to call the Fourth of July
"Iv July" (IV being 4 in Roman numerals).
The period from Passover to Shavu'ot is a time of great anticipation.
Jewish people count each of the days from the second day of Passover to the day
before Shavu'ot, 49 days or 7 full weeks, hence the name of the festival.
Shavu'ot is also sometimes known as Pentecost, because it falls on the 50th
day.
Shavu'ot is always on the 6th of Sivan (the 6th and 7th)
outside of Israel. Work is not permitted during Shavu'ot. It is customary to
stay up the entire first night of Shavu'ot and study Torah, then pray as early
as possible in the morning.
It is customary to eat a dairy meal at least once during
Shavu'ot. There are varying opinions as to why this is done. Some say it is a
reminder of the promise regarding the land of Israel, a land flowing with
"milk and honey." According to another view, it is because our ancestors
had just received the Torah (and the dietary laws therein), and did not have
both meat and dairy dishes available. The book of Ruth is read at this time.
Again, there are varying reasons given for this custom, and none seems to be
definitive.
God Bless you, Carole Mayfield
26. Does God have a specific plan for the Gentile nations which is found in Scripture?
