An Inoffensive Jesus

Why do people love manger scenes?

Many people love manger scenes, even people that do not call themselves Christians.

Every year around Christmas, people start celebrating the birth of the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ).  This is true, even by those who know when he was born, and that it was definitely not in December.

They love the entire idea of his birth happening on a silent night, when all was calm and all was bright.  They love to see the shepherds kneeling at the manger.  They love seeing wise men gathered around the manger presenting their gifts to the newborn king.

It does not seem to matter to them, that the wise men went to the house when he was a toddler (Matthew 2:9-11).  Nor does it phase them a bit, that the wise men indicated the Man of Truth was two years old when they came seeking him (Matthew 2:16).

Their motto seems to be, "never let the facts get in the way of a good story".

However, it is not the shepherds, or the wise men, or Joseph, or Mary, who are the star of the manger scene.  It is not even the star that often hangs over the manger, that is the star of the manger scene.  It is the baby Jesus, who is the star of the manger scene.  This is what people love most about manger scenes.

Most people love the baby Jesus.

The baby Jesus does not convict them of their sin.  The baby Jesus never said anything that might offend them.  The baby Jesus does not demand any change in how they live their lives.

The baby Jesus in the manger scene is an inoffensive Jesus!

However, the Man of Truth did not stay a baby, but grew up to become a man.  Even as a man, he was not really offensive as long as he fulfilled the role that others expected of him.  Everyone loved him as long as he remained an inoffensive Jesus (Luke 2:52).

However, this inoffensive Jesus only existed until the Man of Truth began to fulfill his purpose.

The Man of Truth came to cause division (Matthew 10:34-35).  The Man of Truth came to do the will of the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) - not to please other people (John 6:38).

The Man of Truth came to be downright offensive to many.

The Man of Truth called the corrupt religious leaders a bunch of blind guides right in front of the people that they led (Matthew 23:16-22).  He called them a bunch of hypocrites out loud and in public (Matthew 23:23-28).  He let everyone know that their religious leaders were like their fathers who killed the Prophets of Truth (Matthew 23:29-32).  He exposed them for the snakes that they really were (Matthew 23:33).

The Man of Truth spoke parables against these religious leaders (Luke 20:9-19).  He accused them of not believing the words of Moses (John 5:45-47).

The Man of Truth was downright offensive to the religious leaders of his day.

The Man of Truth caused controversy by purposely ignoring the Sabbath rules of these religious leaders  (Matthew 12:1-8).  He caused controversy by purposely healing on the Sabbath in a meeting they ran (Matthew 12:9-14).  He caused controversy by commanding people to do things contrary to their teachings on the Sabbath (John 5:8-10).

The Man of Truth was downright offensive in his disregard for the expectations of others.

It did not stop there.

The Man of Truth told people that they would be judged by their intentions, not just their actions (Matthew 5:27-28).  He told those who were divorced and remarried, that they were in an adulterous relationship (Matthew 5:31-32).  He told people that they were going to Hell, because they did not repent (Matthew 11:23).  He told people that they were children of the Father of Lies (HaShatan aka Satan Aka The Devil) (John 8:44).

The Man of Truth brought up the sin of the woman at the well (John 4:16-18).  He healed a lame man and then told him to sin no more, so that something worse did not happen to him (John 5:13-15).  He delivered a woman caught in adultery from being stoned, and then told her that she had to sin no more (John 8:3-11).

The Man of Truth was downright offensive to the regular people of his day.

However, there was more!

He dined with tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:10-11).  He purposely had his followers break the traditions of his own people (Mark 7:2-4).  He spent the night with those that his own people despised (John 4:9-40).

The Man of Truth was downright offensive to the social norms of his day.

The Man of Truth would not recognize the authority of the religious leaders to put him on trial (John 18:19-23).  He refused to do as the King of Galilee desired (Luke 23:7-9).  He told the Roman governor that he had no real power to do anything to him (John 19:10-11).

The Man of Truth was downright offensive to those in positions of authority.

The Man of Truth is not an inoffensive Jesus!

The Man of Truth demands true repentance (Matthew 4:17).  He demands that his followers chose him over their families (Matthew 10:36-37).  He demands that his followers be willing to die on his behalf (Matthew 10:38-39).  He demands that his followers endure tribulation to follow him (Matthew 24:9-13).  He demands that his followers prove their love for him by obeying him (John 14:21).

So, the Good News about the Man of Truth is an offense to everyone who rejects these demands.

The Man of Truth is not an inoffensive Jesus!

In like manner, there are no inoffensive followers of the Man of Truth (Luke 6:22-23).  They will offend people if they follow him (John 15:18-20).

The truth is that there is not an inoffensive you!

The truth is you are either going to offend the Father of Truth or you are going to offend the world (James 4:4).

Do not offend the Father of Truth, who can kill you and then cast you into Hell (Luke 12:5).  It is better to offend people than to offend the Father of Truth (Acts 5:29). You can be certain that the Man of Truth will judge everyone who offends the Father of Truth, because the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Acts 17:31).

So, follow the Man of Truth, not that inoffensive Jesus - who only lives in imaginary manger scenes at Christmas time.

Come into the House by committing to obeying the Man of Truth in everything, because you believe that his Father raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9).

Come into the House of Truth!

Chanukah

Should Christians celebrate Chanukah?

In 2002 AD, I was reading the Gospel of John.  It caught my attention that the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication in the Winter (John 10:22-23).

I had read this verse many times before, but for some reason it just stood out.  I had read a little about this Feast of Dedication before.  Here is what I knew at the time.

This Feast of Dedication was to commemorate the renewal of the dedication of the Temple by the Maccabees.  The dedication of the Temple had to be renewed, after it had been cleansed of the desecration caused by Antiochus Epiphanes.

Still, I felt like it needed to be examined further.

The Gospel of John uses feasts observed in Jerusalem as the basis for establishing a time line of events.  All of the other feasts in the Gospel of John were the Feasts of Truth (Moedim aka Feasts of the Father of Truth) that form The Greatest Play Ever.  So, there must have been something significant about this feast for the Man of Truth to go all the way to Jerusalem in the Winter to be there for it.

(The Man of Truth only went to Jerusalem for feasts in the Renewed Covenant (B'rit Chadashah aka The New Testament).  The rest of the time he was always outside of Jerusalem, mostly in Galilee.)

I decided that if the Man of Truth thought that this feast of dedication was important enough to take time to celebrate it, then I wanted to do so also.  After all, I want to be like him in every possible way.

So, I started investigating to find out if anyone still celebrated this feast of dedication and how they celebrated it.

Soon, I learned that it was called Chanukah (which literally means "dedication" in Hebrew) and was still celebrated by Jews.  (Not surprising, since the Man of Truth is a Jew.)

I knew something about Chanukah from reading the Jerusalem Post, but I had not known that Chanukah had anything to do with the Man of Truth.  So, I started with investigating it further.

I learned that it was celebrated over a period of eight nights, by lighting candles on a special nine branch candelabra called a Chanukiah.  Also people played a game with a top called a dreidel each night, usually for chocolate coins covered in gold foil called gelt (literally "gold" in Yiddish).  Also people ate fried food for all eight days, especially latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly donuts).  Lastly, I learned that people gave presents to each other for all eight nights!

This giving presents for all eight nights alarmed me.  Every year, I had to struggle to manage to get gifts for my family for one day at Christmas.

However, I was determined to do this to be more like the Man of Truth.  So, I asked the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) for help in obtaining gifts for all eight nights and acquiring the things needed to celebrate it.  I had never seen any of this stuff in the Christian bookstores.

I went on-line and found where I could get a Chanukiah from a Judaica store, so I ordered one.  However, I did not see any dreidels.  I was not sure what to do.

When my wife got back from Wal-mart, the Impossible Girl showed me this top that she had found next to our car in the parking lot.  It had a Winnie the Pooh character and a Hebrew letter on each of the four sides.

As usual when we find something like this, we called the lost and found department to let them know what we found.  They said that no one had reported anything like that missing, but they would call us if anyone did.   We were never called about it, so now we had a dreidel, but still did not know how to use it.

However, my other daughter had just gotten an American Girl book about a Jewish immigrant girl.  It told us how to play.

We also learned that there was a dreidel song.  We modified it to our situation, so that it went like this:

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel
Savannah found you on the way
Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel
Miranda taught us how to play

Next, I set out buying gifts.  I did not have a lot of money, so I decided to take what I had and buy one gift for each family member.  I decided that if the Father of Truth was really in this, then He would provide the rest of the gifts.

I started with the a town of Bethlehem display set that my wife wanted to put up for Christmas.  (This was not a manger scene, but a village with eight buildings and figurines of livestock, shepherds, wise men, and the family of the Man of Truth.)

After my Chanukiah arrived, I was ready to use it, although I was not sure exactly how.  I went on-line to find out.

I soon learned that there was a lot of disagreement on this, particularly on the candles.

There was disagreement about the colors of the candles.  Some insisted that they all had to be white, while others insisted that they could be any color but white.  Among the color candle camp, there were those that insisted that they candles each had to be a different color, while other insisted that they must all be the same color.  There was disagreement about rather to start with eight candles on the first night and count down each night; or to start with one candle the first night and count up each night.

About the only thing that there seem to be any agreement on was that the center candle was lit first, and then used to light the other candles in a right to left order, like when you read Hebrew.

I was not surprised.  I had been chatting with Rabbis in Israel about the identity of the Messiah in chat rooms for more than five years by that time.  If there was anything that I learned from doing that, it was this:  Ask two Rabbis the same question, and they will give you three conflicting answers.

So, the day after Thanksgiving, the first day of Chanukah that year, I gave everyone their first Chanukah gift.  The Father of Truth supplied us with gifts each day, often through the mail from total strangers.

(I later learned that the gift giving was an American tradition, but people outside the US have started doing it as well.  We are Americans, so we decided to continue to do so as long as the Father of Truth would give us the ability to do so - without borrowing money.)

At first, each person gave each other person a gift each night, but eventually we were being overwhelmed with gifts.  (It got to the point that we were each getting fifty-six gifts, some small but a few large.)  We finally had to make a rule of one gift per person per night.  We mixed up who gives who a gift each night instead.

The Father of Truth supplied us with gifts for each night of Chanukah for the next sixteen years.  Not once, has there been a Chanukah when there were not enough gifts - without borrowing any money.  This was even true for four years of unemployment during the Obama years.

It has been as if the Father of Truth has placed His stamp of Approval on the celebration of Chanukah.

Still, I have been having some questions about celebrating Chanukah lately.  Perhaps, it is just because I am cautious about anything associated with the Rabbis.  After all, when it comes to many things, the Rabbis are liars.  Unfortunately, it is not as simple as the Rabbis are always wrong about everything all the time.

I have also read the objections of believers who say that the Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him) should not celebrate Chanukah.   They have raised up some interesting points, but those points are worth examining deeper to test their validity.

After all, our faith is not built upon personal experiences or opinions, but on the Word of Truth.

So, it is time to sort the fact from the fiction to see rather or not the Children of Truth should celebrate Chanukah.  We will do this by testing the validity of many of these objections by answering questions.

Was the Man of Truth in Jerusalem during Chanukah?

It is true that the word "feast" is not in the Greek text of John 10:22.  There is only the Greek word for dedication, "Egkainia".  This Greek word only appears hear in the Renewed Covenant.

However, this Greek word is the translation of the Hebrew word for dedication, "Chanukah", in the Septuagint every place that it is used.  For example, Chanukah is translated as Egkainia when the Altar was dedicated in the wilderness.

So, John 10:22 would literally be translated as "it was at Chanukah in Jerusalem, and it was winter."

The Man of Truth was definitely in Jerusalem during Chanukah.

Were the Jews that confronted the Man of Truth at the porch of Solomon unclean from celebrating Chanukah?

While the Porch of Solomon was in the Court of the Gentiles, it did not mean that the Jews who were there were unclean.  The only way to reach the court of the Israelites, where only clean Jewish men could go, was to go through the Court of the Gentiles, and then through the Court of the Women, where only clean Jewish women could go.

The Porch of Solomon was where anyone could teach or preach to those in the Temple.  This is where Peter the Jew (Sh'mon aka Simeon aka Simon aka Cephas aka The Apostle Peter) preached to the Jewish crowd after the lame man at the Beautiful Gate was healed (Acts 3:10-12).  This is where the Apostles of Truth performed signs and wonders among the Jewish people (Acts 5:12).

So, these Jews confronting the Man of Truth at the porch of Solomon is not proof that they were unclean from anything.

Did the Man of Truth come into the Temple to rebuke the observation of Chanukah?

When the Man of Truth came to the Porch of Solomon, he was confronted over his claim to be the Messiah of Israel (John 10:24).  It was his claim to be the Messiah of Israel that they could not bear to hear, because they were not part of his sheep (John 10:25-26).

This crowd had no power to stone him for making this claim (John 10:31-39).  In fact, it was not even in the power of Pilate to crucify the Man of Truth (John 19:10-11).

So, it is certain that these Jews could not stop the Man of Truth from entering the court of the Israelites to rebuke the celebration of Chanukah.

The Man of Truth did all that the Father of Truth sent him to do (John 5:36).  No one ever stopped him from doing anything that His Father told him to do.
 
So, we can be sure that the Man of Truth did not come into the Temple during Chanukah to rebuke the observation of Chanukah.

Why did the Man of Truth come into the Temple during Chanukah?

The Man of Truth came into the Temple after giving sight to the man born blind (John 10:21).

The light of the body of that man was his eyes (Matthew 6:22).  The Man of Truth gave light to that man to show that he was the Light of the World (John 9:5-7).

So, the Man of Truth came into the Temple, when the Festival of Lights was being celebrated, because he had given light to a blind man during Chanukah.  All of this was done to give witness that he was the Light of the World.

At the very least, he was redeeming the time by taking advantage of the celebration of Chanukah.

Are the Feasts of Truth (Moedim aka Feasts of the Father of Truth) the only celebrations allowed by the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law)?

In the Original Covenant (Tanakh aka The Old Testament), there are three Hebrew words that are usually translated as "Feast" in the King James Version (KJV).  There is a corresponding Greek word for each of these Hebrew words in the Renewed Covenant, that are also usually translated as "Feast" in the KJV.

The first thing that has to be understood is the word "Feast" in the KJV.  The word had several related meanings when the KJV was translated.  These meanings included a celebration, and a religious observation, along with a big meal with many people.

So, the original meaning becomes obscured since three distinct Hebrew words were all translated into the same English word.  Things become clearer if we translate those words into English words or phrases that match the meaning of each word.

These three words, with the English translation that best conveys their meaning are:

1) Mishteh - A regular celebration.  For example, a birthday celebration.
2) Moed - An appointment.  For example, a doctor appointment.
3) Chag (Pronounced K'hawg and rhymes with Dawg.) - A religious celebration.  For example, the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).

There are no commandments to observe any regular celebration (Mishteh) in the Law of Truth. However, there are many examples of the Children of Truth throwing and participating in these regular celebrations, starting with Abraham (Abram) and ending with the Man of Truth.

There are eleven events that are called an appointment (Moed) commanded in the Law of Truth.  Seven of those are the Feasts of Truth that occur every year, and the rest occur in different cycles.

There are three of the Feasts of Truth that are called a religious celebration (Chag) in the Law of Truth.  However, they are not the only days treated as a religious celebration in the Law of Truth, nor are they the only days called a Chag in the Book of Truth (The Bible).

The truth is that there is no commandment in the Law of Truth to only celebrate those three Feasts of Truth that are called a Chag.  There are many other things that the Children of Truth can celebrate as well without violating the Law of Truth.

What can be called a Chag?

Like many things, the answer is defined by context.

In the context of modern Hebrew, Chag means "holiday". 

However, just like modern English, the idea of  "holiday" no longer means exclusively a religious celebration, like when "holiday" meant "holy day".   For example, Israelis apply the word "Chag" to Yom Ha'atzmaut  (Israel Independence Day), just like Americans apply the word "holiday" to American Independence Day.

So in that sense, any celebration could be called a Chag in modern Hebrew, particularly a celebration that occurs yearly.  Since Chanukah occurs yearly, it is correct in modern Hebrew to apply the word "Chag" to Chanukah.

However, this is not the case in the Hebrew used in the Original Covenant, where Chag means specifically a religious celebration.  In that context, Chag cannot be applied to a national celebration like Israel Independence Day.

So, the best way to determine what can be called a Chag in the context of the Original Covenant, is to look at how it was used in the Original Covenant.

Is Chag only applied to the Feasts of Truth in the Original Covenant?

Chag is used in the Original Covenant of two related religious celebrations, besides three of the Feasts of Truth .
The first one is when Aaron set up worship of the Golden Calf and called it a Chag of the Father of Truth.  The second one is when Jeroboam set up worship of the two Golden Calves as an alternative Chag to the Feast of Tabernacles.

In both of these cases, a Chag was declared to turn people away from the Father of Truth and to idol worship.

The Father of Truth put His stamp of disapproval on the Chag declared by Aaron when He sent destruction upon the participants (Exodus 32:26-35).  He put His put His stamp of disapproval on the Chag declared by Jeroboam (Yeroboam) when He pronounced destruction upon the participants (1 Kings 13:1-5).

Did the Father of Truth condemn every Chag, other than the Feasts of Truth?

There was one more place in in the Original Covenant where Chag is used of a religious celebration, besides three of the Feasts of Truth.  This is the Chag declared by King Solomon (Shlomo).  This Chag was for the Dedication (Chanukah) of the Temple.  This Chag was a one week extension for the Dedication (Chanukah) of the Temple that preceded the Feast of Tabernacles.

This Chag was declared to turn people to the Father of Truth.

The Father of Truth put His stamp of approval on Solomon declaring this Chanukah to be a Chag when the Temple was filled with His glory (1 Kings 8:10-13).  The Father of Truth put His stamp of approval on Solomon declaring this Chanukah to be a Chag when He sent fire down from Heaven to consume the sacrifices (2 Chronicles 7:1-3).

This Chag was not like the Chag declared by Aaron before him, or the Chag declared by Jeroboam after him.  Solomon had not call this Chag, a Chag of the Father of Truth.  Solomon had not declare this Chag to be an alternative to any of the Feasts of Truth.  So, Solomon did not violate the Law of Truth by declaring this Chag.

So, even though this Chag was not declared in the Law of Truth, but declared by a man, the Father of Truth still put His stamp of approval upon calling this Chanukah a Chag.

So, it was certainly alright to call that Chanukah a Chag.

Is it alright to call modern Chanukah a Chag?

So, what about the Chanukah that people celebrate today?  Can Chag be applied to Chanukah today in the context of the Original Covenant?

Solomon was not only doing nothing contrary to the Law of Truth when he called that Chanukah a Chag.  The Law of Truth had even set the precedent of there being a Chag besides the three Feasts of Truth called a Chag, without using the word Chag. 

(The day of the New Moon is plainly a Chag, even though the word Chag is not applied to it.  If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, swims like a duck, and flies like a duck, then it is probably a duck.  The same principle applies to a Chag.)

Solomon was not the first to institute Chanukah for the people of Israel, when the Temple was dedicated.  Moses was the first to do so, when the Tabernacle was dedicated.

The head of each of the twelve tribes of Israel participated in that first Chanukah declared by Moses (Numbers 7:11-88).

Each tribe was represented when they participated in the Chanukah of the Altar.  Each tribe participated in a twelve day religious celebration where they gave extra sacrifices for that Chanukah.  They each donated the really good dishes and utensils for use in that Chanukah.  They donated large amounts of premium meat to be eaten at that Chanukah.

So, Solomon was following this pattern when he declared a week long Chag for the Chanukah of the Altar in his day.

Also, his father, King David, had written a Psalm for the Chanukah of his own house.  He wrote this Chanukah song under the inspiration of the Father of Truth, for that is how all scripture was given (2 Timothy 3:16).

Centuries after Solomon, when the Temple was rebuilt, The Jews had another Chanukah of the Temple.  Once again, large amounts of premium meats were donated by the twelve tribes of Israel to celebrate Chanukah.

(People from all twelve tribes of Israel are called Jews, because Jew means from the country of Judea (Judah).  It does not mean from the tribe of Judah.)

This Chanukah was declared by Ezra and celebrated by the Jews in the twelfth month called Adar, because that is when the Temple was ready to be dedicated (Ezra 6:15-16).  This Chanukah was also a religious celebration that required the priests and Levites to be carried out (Ezra 6:17-18).

This Chanukah was also a Chag, since it meets the definition of a Chag.

After the Chanukah of the rebuilt Temple, when the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt, Nehemiah (Nechemyah) declared another Chanukah celebration with gladness (Sameach).

At this Chanukah celebration there was music, singers, priests, Levites, and the rest of the people of Judah participating in religious services (Nehemiah 12:26-30).  At this Chanukah celebration, the party covered Jerusalem and the sound of celebration could be heard for miles (Nehemiah 12:31-43).

So, without a doubt this Chanukah was a religious celebration, a Chag, even if the word Chag was not used.

Not only that, but the word Sameach was used to describe it.  It would have been perfectly acceptable in the context of the Original Covenant for people to have greeted each other with "Chag Chanukah Sameach".

The Chanukah that was declared when the Temple was dedicated again, after it had been cleansed from the desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes centuries later, was simply following the same pattern as each previous Chanukah.

The modern Chanukah is a religious celebration declared by the Maccabees for the Chanukah of the Temple.  This is no different than the ones before it that were declared by Moses or Solomon or Ezra.

The Maccabees had the same authority as these other men.  They were prophesied about in the book of Daniel.  They were the people who knew the Father of Truth, and did exploits to restore worship of the Father of Truth, after the Temple was desecrated (Daniel 11:30-33).

So it is perfectly in line with the context of the Original Covenant to apply the word Chag to the modern Chanukah.  It is even in line with the context of the Original Covenant to even greet each other with "Chag Chanukah Sameach".

Can a yearly celebration be added without violating the Law of Truth?

The Mishteh of Purim had its date established by the actions of the enemies of the Jews, who worshiped idols.

Haman, the enemy of Mordecai, chose the days in the month of Adar to destroy the Jews across the Persian Empire by casting lots (Esther 3:6-8).

However, the days when that their enemies had chosen to destroy the Jewish people became the days that the Jews destroyed their enemies (Esther 9:1-16).  The days that the Jews celebrated their victory, were the days after they destroyed their enemies (Esther 9:17-19).

Mordecai established that the Jews throughout the Persian Empire should have a yearly celebration in the month Adar, to remember their deliverance from their enemies (Esther 9:20-22).  This yearly observation of Purim was ratified by the Jewish people as a celebration to be kept by their descendants (Esther 9:23-28).  Mordecai and Queen Esther then confirmed that this yearly Mishteh of Purim at the appointed time (Esther 9:29-32).

This Mishteh is celebrated by giving gifts (Esther 9:22).

Mordecai, Esther, and the Jewish people were able to add this yearly celebration of Purim without violating the Law of Truth, because they did not call it a celebration that He commanded, or substitute it for a celebration that He commanded.  They set aside a yearly celebration to remember how the Father of Truth had delivered the Jewish people from those who hated them.  This celebration is for turning people back to the Father of Truth.

The Father of Truth put His stamp of approval on the Mishteh of Purim by including the book of Esther in the Original Covenant. Any idea that it does not belong there is from the Father of Lies (HaShatan aka Satan Aka The Devil).

The Father of Truth is not so weak that He has not been up to the task of preserving His word.  There are no added books that somehow made it into the Book of Truth, just as there are no books missing from the Book of Truth.  The Book of Truth is the indestructible book that contains the incorruptible Word.

In the exact same way as Purim, Chanukah was declared a yearly celebration of the deliverance of the Jews by the Maccabees and ratified the Jewish people.

In the exact same way as Purim, the date of Chanukah was determined by the actions of the enemies of the Jews.

In the exact same way as Purim, the Maccabees and the Jewish people were able to add this yearly religious celebration of Chanukah, without violating the Law of Truth, because they did not call it a celebration that He commanded, or substitute it for a celebration that He commanded.  They set aside a yearly celebration to remember how the Father of Truth had delivered the Jewish people from those who hated them.  This celebration is for turning people back to the Father of Truth.

In the exact same way as Purim, the Father of Lights (another name for the Father of Truth) has put His stamp of approval upon Chanukah by sending the Man of Truth to Jerusalem to reveal himself as the Light of the World during the Festival of Lights (another name for Chanukah).

In the exact same way as Purim, Chanukah is celebrated by giving gifts.

Why is there any controversy about celebrating Chanukah?

Some people object, because the descendants of the Maccabees became corrupt.  This is a nonsense objection, for the descendants of King David became corrupt not long after he died.  In fact, only forty years after he died, his kingdom was divided into two kingdoms as punishment for that corruption (1 Kings 11:10-12).

Things becoming corrupted after a good beginning is a consistent pattern throughout the Book of Truth.

Any corruption of Chanukah is due to the Rabbis.  They have corrupted Chanukah just like they have corrupted many of the Feasts of Truth.  For example, they have corrupted the Feast of Trumpets by having people say "Happy New Year", when it is not the New Year defined in the Law of Truth.

Among the ways that they have corrupted Chanukah is by making claims in the prayers spoken during the lighting of the candles on the Chanukiah, that the Father of Truth commanded the Jewish people to light those candles.  The Father of Truth gave no such commandment.

So, when we light the candles, we say "Blessed be the Father of Lights who commanded us to be a light in this world, just as His Son is the Light of the World".

This restores the purpose of Chanukah turning people to the Father of Truth, for it based on His word.

The Children of Truth really are commanded to be a light in this world (Matthew 5:14-16).  The Father of Truth really is the Father of Lights (James 1:17).  They really are to be like the Man of Truth in this world (1 John 4:15-17).

Is Chanukah meant to be celebrated by Christians?

Purim was meant to be celebrated by Jews and by those who join themselves to Jews (Esther 9:27).

The Children of Truth are the true Jews, for the true Jew is someone who has had their heart circumcised (Romans 2:29).

The Gentile Children of Truth have been grafted into the Jewish people (Romans 11:13-17).  They have been made part of the commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:11-13).

So, it's not just a Jewish thing to celebrate Chanukah

Like the Maccabees, the Children of Truth should be dedicating the Temple as well.  Like the Maccabees, they should be declaring that resistance is essential when the world tries to squeeze them into its mold.

They should therefore heed the warning of the Mensch who killed Christmas, and celebrate Chanukah, instead of being part of the global Christmas party.

After all, Chanukah is the story behind the story of the birth of the Man of Truth.  The gift of the Maccabees was preserving the things in the land of Israel that made the Good News possible.

The Maccabees set the expectation of the faithful Prophet of Truth, who would point them to the Messiah of Israel.  Matthias the Maccabee was the faithful priest, who prepared the way for John the Baptist (Yochanon the Mikvah Man) to baptize people in the wilderness.

Chanukah is about how the Maccabees helped spread the Gospel by preparing the Jewish world for the rapid spread of the Gospel.

So, Chanukah is definitely meant to be celebrated by Christians.

Of course, there is nothing to celebrate, until you come into the House of Truth.  To really celebrate Chanukah, you must first come into the House of Truth.  Chanukah is devoid of real meaning, until you become like the Maccabees by knowing the Father of Truth. 

The only way to know the Father of Truth is by knowing the Man of Truth (Matthew 11:27).  You need to make the Man of Truth the King of your life, because you believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9).

Come into the House of Truth!

Celebrate!

What celebrations should believers celebrate?

I have met believers who say that the Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him) should not celebrate anything except the Feasts of Truth (Moedim aka Feasts of the Father of Truth).

The Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) does say that these belong to Him (Leviticus 23:4).

So, they teach that the Children of Truth should only observe the Feast of Truth found in Leviticus 23.

This doctrine is built upon these assumptions:

1) The Feasts of Truth are the only celebrations in the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law) that belong to the Father of Truth.
2) The Father of Truth condemns all other celebrations in the Book of Truth (The Bible). 
3) No other types of celebrations were carried out by the Children of Truth in the Book of Truth (The Bible).

We are commanded to test everything against the Word of Truth, and keep what that is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

So, we will test these assumptions to see if they are valid by finding the answers to relevant questions.  We will begin with understanding what is meant by a "Feast" in the Book of Truth.

What is a Chag?

One of the Hebrew words translated as "Feast" is "Chag".  (Pronounced K'hawg and rhymes with Dawg.)

The Hebrew word "Chag" comes from the Hebrew root word "Chagag".  The Hebrew word "Chagag" comes from the Hebrew root word "Chug".  "Chug" is a primitive root, meaning it does not come from another root word.  So, the best way to understand "Chag" is to start with "Chug" and work forward from there.

"Chug" literally means "to circle".

From this comes "Chagag", which means to dance in a circle or to dance by twirling about.

It is used of people dancing, and is associated with people eating, and drinking alcohol while celebrating.  In like manner, it is used of the way people walk when they are drunk, because they cannot walk in a straight line.  So, it has the connotation of celebrating by dancing in circles.

From this comes "Chag", which is usually translated as "Feast".

However, the English word "feast" meant a celebration, not just having a bunch of food to eat, when the King James Translation was made.  Chag is also associated with people singing and playing musical instruments.

So, a Chag would be better understood as a celebration or a party.

Since a party requires food, Chag can also mean the sacrifice that is eaten at the celebration.

So, a Chag is a celebration with singing, music, dancing, food, and wine.  .

However, it is implied that a Chag is more just a celebration, for the word is only used in connection to worship in the Book of Truth.

In fact, the Greek word that Chag is translated into in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Original Covenant (Tanakh aka The Old Testament), "Eorte", is only used for religious celebrations in the Renewed Covenant (B'rit Chadashah aka The New Testament).  All instances but one, Eorte is definitely used for one of the three Feasts of Truth that are called a Chag in the Law of Truth.

So, Chag is more specifically a religious celebration in the Book of Truth.

Is every Feast of Truth a Chag?

The Feasts of Truth (Moedim aka Feasts of the Father of Truth) are the acts of the greatest play ever.

However, despite the term "Feast" being used in most translations, they are not all really feasts.  If they were, then one of them would be a feast without food.

This apparent contradiction is resolved when we examine the word translated as "feast" for the Feasts of Truth.

The word translated as "feast" is not Chag, which means a religious celebration with food.  Each of these "feasts" is a Moed.  Only the three Feasts of Truth, where people must appear before the Father of Truth, are also called a Chag.

What is a Moed?

The Hebrew word "Moed" comes from the Hebrew root word "Ya'ad".  Ya'ad is a primitive root and does not come from another word.  The best way to understand Moed is to start with Ya'ad and work forward from there.

Ya'ad literally means "to fix upon".  It means this in the sense of establishing something.  What is being established is inferred from the context.

For example, in the context of a marriage agreement, it would mean to establish the betrothal.  (This is the period when the woman is no longer available to become a bride to anyone else, even though she is not yet married to her future husband.)

From this comes "Moed", which literally means "something that is fixed upon".  It means this in the sense of something that is appointed.  What is appointed is inferred from the context.

For example, the Feasts of Truth are appointments in their context.

What defines the appointments of the Father of Truth?

An appointment is defined by four elements.  It has an appointed time, appointed participants, an appointed place, and an appointed purpose.

For example, a patient has a appointment with a doctor for a routine exam at the clinic on Tuesday morning.

The appointed participants are the doctor and the patient.  The appointed purpose is a routine exam.  The appointed place is the clinic.  The appointed time is Tuesday morning.

The appointed purpose of these appointments is to have a holy assembly (convocation) to offer sacrifices to the Father of Truth.

These appointments occur at appointed times (Leviticus 23:4-39).

These appointments have appointed participants, including the priest (Leviticus 23:10-20).

These appointments have an appointed place.  The Temple is the only appointed place (Deuteronomy 12:5-7).
 
Since the priesthood is vacant and the Temple is not standing, then we cannot keep these appointments today.

So, we are playing with broken toys.  We can only have a rehearsal of the Feasts of Truth until the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) reigns on the Earth.  Therefore, the best we can do is to have a holy assembly at the appointed time, and observe what we can for now.

We need not be distressed about this.  This is the time that the Man of Truth spoke about when he said, that those who will worship the Father of Truth, will worship Him in spirit and in truth, instead of in the Temple (John 4:21-23).

What are the appointments of the Father of Truth?

The Sabbath is a weekly appointment for holding a holy assembly (Leviticus 23:1-3).

The Feasts of Truth are yearly appointments for holding a holy assembly (Leviticus 23:4).

The New Moon Day, the beginning of the month, is a monthly appointment for making extra sacrifices (Numbers 28:11-14).

The Sabbath Year is a year long appointment at the end of seven years for providing rest for the land (Leviticus 25:4-7).

After seven Sabbath Years, the fiftieth year, the Year of Jubilee (Jubile) is a year long appointment for giving liberty to everyone and sending them home for a family reunion (Leviticus 25:8-13).

So, the Feasts of Truth are just seven of the eleven appointments of the Father of Truth.

Are any of the other of religious appointments in in the Law of Truth?

At the beginnings of the months, the silver trumpet was to be blown over the sacrifice, just like at the days of gladness as well as the Feasts of Truth (Numbers 10:10).

The Hebrew word translated as "beginnings of months" is "Chodesh".

The Hebrew word "Chodesh" is a variation of "Chadash".  The best way to understand Chodesh is to start with Chadash and work forward from there.

Chadash literally means "to renew".  It means this in the sense of making something new again or repairing it to be as good as new.

For example, in the context of the Temple being restored from neglect, it was made like new again by repairing the damage.

Similarly, Chodesh literally means "New Moon".  It means this in the sense of the light of the moon being renewed after the moon became completely dark.

Since each month begins on the day of the New Moon, Chodesh can also mean a month - the period between one New Moon and the next.

Whether the day of the New Moon or month is meant has to be determined from the context.

On the day of the New Moon, people celebrated with food just like a Chag (1 Samuel 20:5).  On this day, they met with the Prophets of Truth, just like on the Sabbath (2 Kings 4:22-23).  On this day, they had a holy assembly, just like on the Sabbath and the Feasts of Truth (Isaiah 1:13).  On this day, people were forbidden to engage in commerce, just like the Sabbath (Amos 8:5).

On this day, the Shofar (ram's horn) was also blown, just like on the days of the Feasts of Truth that were also a Chag.

On this day, people celebrated just like they did on other days that were a Chag.  (The word Chag in this verse is right before the word Chodesh and they could be understood as "the New Moon Chag".)

During the rule of the Man of Truth over this present Earth, the day of the New Moon will be treated like a Sabbath (Ezekiel 46:1-3).

In the eternal state, all people will treat the day of the New Moon like the Sabbath (Isaiah 66:22-23).

So, even though the day of the New Moon is not directly be called a Chag in the Law of Truth, it is treated like a Chag throughout the Book of Truth.  It is also a Chag, whether or not it is called a Chag.

Are there any other acceptable religious celebrations in the Book of Truth?

When King David brought the Ark of the Covenant to the city of David, he made sacrifices to the Father of Truth (2 Samuel 6:12-13).  He also went before it, dancing and leaping before the Father of Truth, while the people of Israel blew trumpets and shouted (2 Samuel 6:14-16).  He then gave food and wine to everyone who celebrated with him (2 Samuel 6:17-19).

So, even though Chag does not appear in the Hebrew text, it is apparent that David had a religious celebration when he brought the Ark of the Covenant to the city of David.

David was not rebuked by the Father of Truth for creating this religious celebration.

King Solomon and all of Israel held a fourteen day Chag consisting of two one week celebrations.

One of the weeks of this Chag was for the dedication of the Temple, and the other one was to celebrate one of the Feasts of Truth (2 Chronicles 7:8-9).

The Feast of Truth being celebrated was the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) that occurs in the seventh month (1 Kings 8:1-2).

During this second week of the Chag decreed by King Solomon for the dedication of Temple, the Temple was filled with the glory cloud, before he started praying (1 Kings 8:10-12).  After he finished praying to dedicate the Temple, fire came down from Heaven to show that these additional sacrifices were accepted (2 Chronicles 7:1-3).

So, not only did the Father of Truth allow this religious celebration to be called a Chag, but He put on His personal stamp of approval on this religious celebration.

Are there any unacceptable religious celebrations in the Book of Truth?

In the wilderness, Aaron declared a Chag of the Father of Truth.

Aaron had made a golden calf and declared that this was the god that had brought Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 32:2-3). This Chag of the Father of Truth declared by Aaron was a celebration of eating food offered to an calf idol and sex outside of marriage (Exodus 32:4-6).  The Father of Truth was very angry for them calling this idol party a Chag of His (Exodus 32:7-10).  The Father of Truth destroyed 23,000 of these partiers for their eating food offered to an idol and their fornication (1 Corinthians 10:6-8).

After the Kingdom of Israel was split in two, King Jeroboam (Yeroboam) declared a Chag in the eight month to celebrate two calf idols, with same customs as the Chag given in the Law of Truth for the seventh month.  He ordained this Chag that he had devised out of his own heart.

King Jeroboam had made golden calves and declared that these were the gods that brought Israel out of Egypt (1 Kings 12:28-30).  He set up a counterfeit Temple, with counterfeit priests, to conduct the sacrifices to a counterfeit god during a counterfeit Chag (1 Kings 12:31-33).  The Father of Truth was angry about this counterfeit of His Chag (1 Kings 13:1-3).  The Father of Truth destroyed the house of Jeroboam off the face of the Earth for making a counterfeit of His Chag (1 Kings 13:32-34).

So, a religious celebration can be unacceptable to the Father of Truth.

Any religious celebration that celebrates idolatry is unacceptable to the Father of Truth.  Any religious celebration that is celebrated by eating food offered to idols, or participating in sex outside of marriage, is unacceptable to the Father of Truth.  Calling any religious celebration His Chag, other than a religious celebration that He called His, is unacceptable to the Father of Truth.  Any religious celebration that is a counterfeit of any Chag of His, is unacceptable to the Father of Truth.

Are there any types of celebrations in the Book of Truth?

Besides Chag and Moed, there is also another Hebrew word translated as "feast" which is "Mishteh".

The Hebrew Word "Mishteh" comes from the Hebrew root word "Shata".  Shata is a primitive root and does not come from another word.  The best way to understand Mishteh is to start with Shata and work forward from there.

Shata literally means "to drink".   Frequently, it is used with drinking alcohol, so it can mean that, just like the word "drink" can mean to drink alcohol in English.  Whether it means drinking alcohol, or drinking something else, has be determined from the context.

From this Hebrew word comes Mishteh, which literally means "to feast".

The Hebrew word "Shikor" also comes from Shata.  It literally means "to be drunk".

Alcohol is frequently part of a Mishteh, so a Mishteh sometimes leads to people becoming drunk.  Mishteh is used in the Book of Truth of celebrations for things like birthdays.  A Mishteh can also have music played at it.

So, a Mishteh is a celebration with at least food, but frequently with alcohol and music as well.  It is not a religious celebration like a Chag, but a regular celebration.

The Greek word for Mishteh is "Doche".  It is also used for a regular celebration in the Renewed Covenant.

So, there are also a regular celebrations in the Book of Truth, besides the appointments and religious celebrations of the Father of Truth. 

Did the Children of Truth participate in these regular celebrations  in the Book of Truth?

Lot threw a celebration for the two Angels of Truth (Genesis 19:1-3).

Abraham (Abram) had a great celebration when Isaac (Yitzaq) was weaned (Genesis 21:8).

Isaac thew a feast to celebrate the treaty that he made with the king of Gerar (Genesis 26:26-31).

Laban threw a week long celebration for each of his daughters when Jacob (Yah'acob aka Israel) married them (Genesis 29:21-28).

Samson (Shamshon) had a week long feast when he was married (Judges 14:10-17).

David celebrated that he gained the support of Abner to be made king over all of Israel (2 Samuel 3:17-21).

Solomon threw a celebration after the Father of Truth promised to give him wisdom, riches, and honor (1 Kings 3:12-15).

The Jews across the Persian Empire had a great celebration upon learning that they would be able to avenge themselves upon their enemies (Esther 8:13-17).  They had a more great celebrations, after they had destroyed those who had sought to destroy them (Esther 9:15-19).

Mordecai, the Jewish Prime Minister, then decreed a yearly celebration of their deliverance among the Jews across the Persian Empire (Esther 9:20-22).  The Jews have continued to keep this yearly celebration with those who love them ever since (Esther 9:26-28).

Matthew the Jew (Matityahu aka Levi aka the Apostle Matthew) hosted a great celebration when the Man of Truth called him to be his disciple (Luke 5:27-29).

So, it is obvious that the Children of Truth participated in regular celebrations in the Book of Truth.

How should the Children of Truth celebrate?

When the Children of Truth host a celebration, then they need to invite the disadvantaged, instead of their friends and families (Luke 14:12-14).

The Children of Truth can eat with unbelievers, as long as they do not eat food offered to idols (1 Corinthians 10:27-28).

The Children of Truth need to be aware that there might be people attending their celebrations, who are really deceivers (2 Peter 2:12-14).  They should not be fooled into thinking that these people are part of the Children of Truth, just because they attend their celebrations (Jude 1:10-13).

What can the Children of Truth celebrate?

These facts should now be abundantly clear:

1) The Feasts of Truth are not the only celebrations in the Law of Truth that belong to the Father of Truth.
2) The Father of Truth does not condemn all other celebrations in the Book of Truth.
3) The Children of Truth carried out many celebrations in the Book of Truth - besides the appointments and religious celebrations of the Law of Truth.

There simply is no commandment in the Law of Truth forbidding the celebration of anything other than the Feasts of Truth.  In fact, the Law of Truth contains other celebrations.

So, it is adding to the Law of Truth to say that the Children of Truth are forbidden to celebrate anything besides the Feasts of Truth.  The Father of Truth forbids anyone from adding commandments to the Law of Truth (Deuteronomy 12:32).

The Children of Truth should celebrate the Feasts of Truth - but they are not the only things that they can celebrate.

The Children of Truth can participate in, and throw celebrations for all kinds of other reasons, as long as they do not sin in their celebrating.

Any celebration that does not involve idol worship, getting drunk, extra-marital sex, or the like is acceptable.  Those who do things like those kind of things will not inherit the Kingdom of the Father of Truth (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

So, the Children of Truth should avoid celebrations rooted in idolatry like Halloween.  They should not be chasing Aphrodite, a literal sex goddess, with the rest of the world on Valentine's Day.  They should not be celebrating Easter, a goddess of fertility, but should instead being saying "Happy Firstfruits" to each other.  They should have nothing to do with celebrations that involve getting drunk and extra-marital sex like Mardi Gras, which precedes Ash Wednesday.  They should heed the warning of the Mensch who killed Christmas.

However, there are still plenty of good things that the Children can celebrate!

The Children of Truth can declare new religious celebrations to honor the Father of Truth for what He has done for them - as long as they do not claim that observing these religious celebrations are commanded by the Father of Truth. 

So, join in celebrations with your local congregation to celebrate what He has done for them!  Throw a Purim Party for the poor and disadvantaged to celebrate the Hidden Hand of the Father of Truth in saving the Jewish people!  Be like Solomon and celebrate the dedication of the Temple!

Celebrate your birthday!  Celebrate your anniversary!  Celebrate your victories!  Celebrate with other people when good things happen to them!  Celebrate graduations!

Celebrate that the New Year is a time to start over!  Celebrate how Saint Patrick brought Celtic Christianity in its original form to the people of Ireland!  Celebrate that Christopher Columbus made the hope of the Almodadi possible on the day when worlds collided!

Celebrate the Independence Day of your country!  Celebrate those who gave the last full measure of devotion to keep your country free!  Celebrate the legacy of the Pilgrims at Thanksgiving!

Not only can the Children of Truth join in celebrations besides the Feasts of Truth, but it sometimes the right thing to do.

The good father threw a great celebration with the best food, music, dancing, and great joy when his lost son returned to him (Luke 15:22-25).  He told his other son that celebrating the repentance of his brother was the right thing to do (Luke 15:31-32).

So, it is not right for any of the Children of Truth to be a party pooper!

There is great celebration in Heaven whenever anyone comes into the House of Truth (Luke 15:7).

So, if you have never came into the House of Truth, then it is time for you to get this party started!

Surrender control of your life to the Man of Truth, because you believe that His father raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9)!  There will be an unending celebration in your heart that the world cannot experience (1 Peter 1:8)!

Come into the House of Truth!