The Rightful King Of The Jews

How did the Hasmoneans prepare the people of Israel for the Man of Truth?

The Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) came to this earth in the fullness of time to live a perfect life in accordance with the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law), so he could bring redemption to those who could not live a perfect life in accordance with the Law of Truth  (Galatians 4:4-7).

The Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) brought about the rise and fall of empires to create the perfect conditions to spread a message over a large area in a short amount of time.

This perfect message system would have been useless with a message and messengers.  So, the Father of Truth set up the conditions in the land of Israel to make it possible for the Man of Truth to bring about redemption through the gift of the Maccabees.  He also set up the Jewish world to spread the Good News with the help of the Maccabees.

The story of how the Hasmoneans helped bring about the fullness of time is also tied to the Greeks.  This is just another example of Greco-Judeo wrestling.

The Father of Truth brought about the unified Greek Empire, and then split it into four smaller Greek empires (Daniel 11:2-4).  One of those smaller Greek empires was the Seleucid Empire, which ruled over the land of Israel.

This story continues with the Maccabees.

Matthias the Priest set the pattern for performing the duties of a priest outside the Temple, when corrupt priests ran the Temple.  This set the pattern that the Faithful Priest would follow about two hundred years later.

Matthias the Priest started a revolt against the Seleucid Empire.  Matthias and his five sons were known as the Maccabees, in honor of the nickname of his third son, Judas, who led the Jews and their allies in the revolt.

The Maccabees defeated the Seleucid Empire in the revolt, but Matthias and three of his sons died in it.  Judea then became an autonomous province of the Seleucid Empire, ruled by a governor appointed by the Seleucid Emperor.  Soon, Jonathan the Maccabee was appointed governor of Judea.

When Jonathan died, his brother Simon became king.

The people of Israel agreed to allow the line of Simon the Maccabee to be the High Priest and to rule as the Prince of Israel, until a faithful Prophet of Truth should arise to identify the Rightful King of the Jews - a descendant of King David.  (The title "The Prince of Israel" emphasized that Simon and his descendants were lesser rulers than the Rightful King of the Jews, and that they were only stewards over the kingdom until the Rightful King of the Jews came to claim his throne.)

The events that followed could have been the real life inspiration for "Game of Thrones".

Simon ruled until he and his two oldest sons were assassinated at a banquet.  This was the end of the Maccabees ruling Judea.

The Hasmoneans came from the Maccabees.  They set the refining fire that would separate those who followed the Father of Truth whole-heartedly, from those who only paid Him lip service.

The third son of Simon, John, was not at the banquet.  John took on the Greek surname of Hyrcanus as a sign of acceptance of the Greek culture of Seleucid Empire.

John and his successors, all bore the title of Hasmonean, in honor of the nickname of Matthias the Priest.  For this reason, they are called the Hasmoneans.  John Hyrcanus (Hyrcanus I) became the first true Hasmonean king in 135 AD.

(None of the Seleucids, Hasmoneans, Nabataeans, or Herodians actually had numbers after their names.  The numbers were added by historians to make it easier to keep track of them, since the same names were frequently used for different individuals, even brothers.  This convention is applied to everyone with the same name to remove all ambiguity.)

The next year, Antiochus VII sieged Jerusalem.  Hyrcanus I was forced to take 3000 talents of silver out of the tomb of King David, and give it to Antiochus VII to spare the city.  He also had to tear down the walls of Jerusalem, send soldiers to help Antiochus VII fight the Parthians, and give more control of Judea to the Seleucid Empire, reducing his position from client king to governor.

Antiochus VII also laid heavy taxes on Judea, contrary to the agreement that had been made by his brother and Simon.

Four years later, Hyrcanus I was forced to go with Antiochus VII to fight the Persians, as the leader of the Jewish regiment of the Seleucid Empire.

That same year, 130 BC, Demetrius II was released by the Parthians and sent back to the Seleucid Empire, in hopes that his arrival would start a civil war.

This unrest, caused by confusion over who was the rightful Seleucid Emperor, now that Demetrius II was back from his exile, further weakened the Seleucid Empire.  Three client kingdoms, including Nabataea, took advantage of the internal chaos and broke away from the Seleucid Empire.

Hyrcanus I also took advantage of the deteriorating state of the Seleucid Empire to repair the walls of Jerusalem, and to fund a mercenary army.  He once again raided the tomb of King David to obtain his initial funding.

The next year, Antiochus VII died fighting the Parthians in Media, and the Seleucid Empire lost all of its territory east of the Euphrates River, which amounted to about two thirds of the empire.  The Seleucid Empire ceased to be an empire for all intents and purposes.

Demetrius II became the uncontested Seleucid Emperor once again, but another usurper soon rose up against him.

Three years later, Demetrius II was defeated in battle at Damascus, and fled for safety to Ptolemais, where his wife had been sent.  When he arrived, his wife had the gates closed, so that he could not enter the city.  He then fled to Tyre to escape by ship, but the sailors on the ship killed him.  His wife, Cleopatra Thea, then became the Empress of what was left of the Seleucid Empire, which was just modern Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.

Five years later, Cleopatra Thea was killed by her own son, Antiochus VIII, who then became the new Seleucid Emperor.

Five years later, 116 BC, the Seleucid Empire was plunged into civil war when Antiochus IX, another son of Cleopatra Thea, returned from fighting in Bosphorus, on a quest that his mother had sent him on.

This story is also tied to the Roman Empire.

When this war ended three years later, with the two brothers dividing the remainder of the Seleucid Empire into two kingdoms, Hyrcanus I took advantage of the uncertainty.  He renewed a pact of friendship with the Romans at this time, to make it difficult for the Seleucid kingdoms to interfere with his plans.

So in 113 BC, Hyrcanus I conquered Samaria, almost doubling the size of the kingdom of Judea.  He then enslaved many of the Samaritans.

Three years later, Hyrcanus I completely broke way from the Seleucid kingdoms, and the kingdom of Judea became the first independent Jewish country, since the Babylonians had conquered the kingdom of Judah about five hundred years earlier.  This marked the end of the Seleucid client kingdom of Judea and the beginning of the independent kingdom of Judea.  This also finalized the end of the Seleucid Empire, since there only remained the Seleucid kingdoms.

Hyrcanus I made another pact of friendship with the Romans at this time to deter the surrounding kingdoms from interfering with the rest of his plans.

In that same year, 110 BC, Hyrcanus I conquered more territory east of the Jordan river, doubling the amount of territory that the kingdom of Judea had on that side of the Jordan river.

Lastly, Hyrcanus I conquered Idumaea, which was part of the Kingdom of Judah that had been taken over by Edomites, when the Jews were taken to Babylon almost five hundred years earlier.  This made the kingdom of Judea almost three times as large as it was, when he had first began to rule.

These Idumaeans then were force to become Jews for all intents and purposes.
  
After this, Hyrcanus I sent an embassy to Rome to request recognition of Judea as an independent kingdom, instead of a client kingdom of the defunct Seleucid Empire.  The Roman Senate readily granted the request.  This protected the kingdom of Judea from every country around it, including the Parthian Empire to the east.  By this time, the kingdom of Judea basically covered the larger area that the Romans called Judaea.

Later, some of the leaders of Judea finally confronted Hyrcanus I, saying that he should not be king, since he was not a descendant of King David, and that trying to be king had kept him from performing his duties as High Priest.

In 104 BC, Hyrcanus I conceded that his duties as king had been detrimental to his fulfillment of his role as High Priest, so he divided the roles in his will.  He announced that his wife would rule as queen after him.

When Hyrcanus I died, Aristobulus I imprisoned his mother, and three brothers, including Alexander Jannaeus.  Aristobulus I then became the second Hasmonean king.

His mother starved to death in prison, but his brothers survived.

The next year, Aristobulus I died a slow and agonizingly painful death from an incurable disease, over a period of time similar in length to how long his mother had suffered.  His widow released his three brothers from prison, and Jannaeus became the third Hasmonean king.

Ten years later, in 93 BC, Jannaeus lost the territory east of the Jordan river, that John Hyrcanus had conquered, to the Nabataeans (Arabs).  He surrender the territories in exchange for the Nabataeans agreeing to not support those, who sought to remove him from power.

Then Jannaeus instigated a riot and a massacre in Jerusalem.

This lead to a six year long civil war to remove Jannaeus from the throne, with the Seleucid king Demetrius III supporting the rebels.  Jannaeus crushed the rebellion in 87 BC, and had 800 of the rebels crucified in Jerusalem.

Nine years later, Jannaeus died in the siege of Ragaba in 76 BC.

His wife Salome Alexandra became the fourth Hasmonean ruler.

When Salome died in 67 BC, her son, John Hyrcanus II, became the fourth Hasmonean king.

Within three months, the brother of Hyrcanus II, Aristobulus II, started a rebellion to remove Hyrcanus II from the throne.  When Hyrcanus II went to fight Aristobulus II at Jericho, the majority of his army deserted him and joined Aristobulus II.

Hyrcanus II then fled to Jerusalem and took the family of Aristobulus II captive.  The two brothers met in the Temple, and made an agreement to end the war.

Aristobulus II became the fifth Hasmonean king.

However, Hyrcanus II was soon persuaded by his advisor, Antipater the Idumean (Antipater I), that Aristobulus II was plotting to kill him.  Then Antipater the Idumean persuaded him to flee to Aretas III, king of the Nabataeans, for refuge.

When they arrived, Antipater the Idumean, bribed Aretas to take the side of Hyrcanus II, in exchange for the rest of the territory that the Arabs claimed on the east side of the Jordan river.   So, in 66 BC Aretas III led an army of 50,000 and besieged Jerusalem to win back the throne for Hyrcanus II.

In 65 BC, both brothers sent ambassadors to Scaurus, one of the Roman generals of Pompey, who was conquering the Seleucid kingdom of Syria, to ask for help.  Scaurus decided to help Aristobulus II, since he believed he could do so without a fight, and Aristobulus II offered more money.

Scaurus ordered Aretas III to return home, or Nabataea would be considered an enemy of the Roman Republic.  Aretas III retreated without a fight, but Aristobulus II raised up an army and pursued him.  Aretas III suffered a crushing defeat, but Hyrcanus II took the opportunity to go into hiding with his adviser, Antipater the Idumean.

Two years later, in 63 BC, Pompey finished his conquest of Syria. Both brothers, and a third delegation, seeking for the Hasmonean dynasty to be put to an end, sent ambassadors to Pompey to ask for the support of Rome in their cause.  The Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him) in Judea yearned for the Rightful King of the Jews to replace the Hasmoneans on the throne.  They were weary of the corrupt legal system that would eventually lead to the unjust trial of the Man of Truth and the unjust courts that were persecuting the Children of Truth.

While Pompey deliberated, Aristobulus II gathered an army, and began fighting against the Romans.  After suffering numerous defeats at the hand of Pompey, he retreated to a massive fortress.  When Pompey showed up and demanded his surrender, he complied on the first summons, promising to deliver Jerusalem to the Romans.

However, the supporters of Aristobulus II in Jerusalem refused to open the gates for the Romans, when Aristobulus II arrived.  Aristobulus II was arrested.  Then the supporters of Hyrcanus II opened the gates for the Romans.  Shortly after this, Pompey defeated the supporters of Aristobulus II, and restored Hyrcanus II to the throne as ethnarch (ruler of an ethnic group).

In 62 AD, Pompey then put Antipater the Idumaean in charge of settling civil disturbances and collecting taxes, effectively ruling Judea.  This marked the end of the independent kingdom of Judea, and the beginning of the Roman client kingdom of Judea.

Six years later, in 57 BC, Aristobulus II and his two sons escaped from their imprisonment in Rome.  When they arrived in Judea, they started a rebellion to regain control of Judea from the Romans, and to return Aristobulus II to the throne.  The Romans quickly put down the rebellion.  Aristobulus II was taken prisoners and sent back to Rome.  Alexander I however was allowed to remain in Judaea upon giving up control of all of his fortresses there.

The next year, Alexander I incited the Jews to revolt against the Romans again.  This rebellion was soon crushed by the Roman general Gabinius, a loyal supporter of Pompey.

Three years later, in 53 BC, he raised another army to rebel against the Romans when Crassus died, but he was compelled to disable his army the next year by Cassius, a Roman general loyal to Pompey.

Three years later, in 49 BC, Julius Caesar released Aristobulus II and sent him on a ship to Judea, so that he and his two sons would cause problems for his rival Pompey.  Aristobulus II was poisoned by the supporters of Pompey on the ship.  His son Alexander I was captured at the command of Pompey and executed.

The next year, Julius Caesar defeated Pompey.  Shortly after that, he was in danger of losing his life in Alexandria, Egypt, when Antipater the Idumaean arrived with the army of Judea to help him.  He won the battle, and soon became the undisputed ruler of the Roman Republic.

The next year, in 47 BC, Julius Caesar made Hyrcanus II the ruler of the client kingdom of Judea, beginning a new phase of Hasmonean rule.  However, Hyrcanus II so relied on Antipater the Idumaean for advice, that Antipater the Idumaean, who was now the Roman Procurator of Judea, was still effectively ruling Judea.  He also had his sons appointed to rule over the rest of the larger area that the Romans called Judaea.

Four years later, in 43 BC, Antipater the Idumaean died from poison.

The next year, in 42 BC, Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus II, tried to usurp the throne from Hyrcanus II, but he was defeated by Herod the Great, the son of Antipater the Idumaean.  So, Antigonus began raising up support from both the aristocracy and the common people for an end to Roman rule of Judea.

Two years later, the Parthian Empire invaded Syria in an effort to wrestle it from the Roman Republic.  So, Antigonus went to the Parthians, and promised them large sums of gold along with 500 female slaves, if they would help him regain the throne of Judea.

The Parthians sent an army with Antigonus, and he quickly took Jerusalem.  So, the Roman client kingdom of Judea became a client kingdom for the Parthians in 40 BC, and Antigonus became the sixth Hasmonean king.

Herod the Great fled to Rome when the Parthians invaded.  While there, the Roman Senate recognized him as the King of the Jews, the ruler of Judaea in 37 BC - if he could bring Judaea back into Roman hands.  The area that he would rule over was not just Judea, but the larger area that the Romans called Judaea.

The next year, 36 BC, Herod the Great came back to Judaea with a Roman army, and soon laid siege to Jerusalem.  Within a year, Herod the Great had taken back Judaea from the Parthians.  The next year, Herod the Great captured Jerusalem and took Antigonus prisoner.  Antigonus was then sent to Antioch and executed.  This brought a permanent end to Hasmonean rule in 34 BC.

The Children of Truth hoped that the Rightful King of the Jews would soon appear, since a Prince of Israel no longer sat on the throne of Judea.

The next year, 33 BC, Herod the Great married Mariamne I, the daughter of Alexander I, so he could be seen as the legitimate ruler in the Hasmonean line.

That same year Herod the Great invited Hyrcanus II to live in Jerusalem, so he would not entice the Parthians into making another effort at restoring a Hasmonean king, as their client king in Judea.

Six years later, Herod the Great charged Hyrcanus II of plotting with Nabataeans to restore Judea to Hasmonean rule, and had Hyrcanus II executed.  So the last of the Hasmonean rulers died in 27 BC.

This ended any chance of a Hasmonean Prince of Israel retaking the throne of Judea.  This gave the Children of Truth an earnest expectation that the Rightful King of the Jews would soon arrive.

So, from the time of the victory of the Maccabees until the reign of Herod the Great, during the time of the Hasmoneans, there were indeed many days when many of the Children of Truth fell to the sword, flames, captivity, and spoil through constant war and unrest.  Through a turbulent period of about 98 years, the Hasmoneans ruled over an independent kingdom, and also the client kingdom of three great powers: the Seleucid Empire, Roman Republic, and the Parthian Empire.  Though there was constant war and struggle, it was not in vain, for the Hasmoneans were preparing the people of Israel for the Rightful King of the Jews.  The hidden hand of the Father of Truth was at work.

The Hasmoneans prepared the people of Israel for the Rightful King of the Jews by reviving a Jewish kingdom in the land of Israel.

Without the Hasmoneans, there would have been no kingdom of Judaea for Herod the Great to rule (Matthew 2:1).

The Hasmoneans prepared the people of Israel for the Rightful King of the Jews by setting an expectation of the arrival of the Rightful King of the Jews.

Most of the people of Judea had agreed that the Hasmoneans, the descendants of the Maccabees, could serve as both the high priest and the Prince of Israel, until the Rightful King of the Jews, the Messiah of Israel, should appear.

During their rule, the Hasmoneans had forced many Edomites to become Jews through circumcision.  One of these Edomites was Herod the Great, who the Romans made the king of Judaea.

However, due to his Edomite ancestry, and forced conversion, most of the Jews in Judaea did not accept Herod the Great as a legitimate King of the Jews.  So, Herod the Great did many things to try to win the approval of the Jews as a legitimate King of the Jews, while also doing many things to prove his loyalty to Rome.

For example, Herod the Great married Mariamne I, one of the last of the Hasmoneans, to accomplish both of these things, but to no avail.  He simply was not a descendant of King David.

Since the Hasmoneans no longer ruled, the people of Judaea expected the Rightful King of the Jews to soon appear, in accordance with their agreement with the Hasmoneans.  So, Herod the Great became obsessed with getting rid of anyone who might have a claim as the Rightful King of the Jews.

Without the Hasmoneans, the Wise Men would not have came to Judaea seeking the Rightful King of the Jews (Matthew 2:1-2).  Herod the Great would have never been troubled by the news of the birth of the Rightful King of the Jews (Matthew 2:3-4).  Herod the Great would have never ask the Wise Men when the star appeared, and would have never sent the Wise Men to Bethlehem to find the Rightful King of the Jews (Matthew 2:5-8).  The Wise Men would have never went to Bethlehem, and then left without telling Herod the Great the location of the Rightful King of the Jews (Matthew 2:9-12).  Joseph (Yousef) would have never taken the Man of Truth to Egypt, because Herod the Great would have never killed all of the boys two years and under, within ten miles of Bethlehem, in order to kill the Rightful King of the Jews (Matthew 2:13-18).

Without the Hasmoneans, Joseph would have never needed to return to the land of Israel, when Herod the Great died, and his efforts to kill the Rightful King of the Jews ended (Matthew 2:19-21).  Joseph would have not been able to flee to Nazareth to escape Archelaus, the next Herodian king, when the Romans made a different Herodian king - who was not obsessed with killing the Rightful King of the Jews - to be the ruler of Galilee (Matthew 2:22-23).

Without the Hasmoneans, the people of Judaea would not have flocked to hear John the Baptist (Yochanon the Mikveh Man), when he proclaimed the arrival of the Rightful King of the Jews (Matthew 3:1-6).  They would not have asked John the Baptist if he was the Rightful King of the Jews (John 1:19-28).  John the Baptist would have never identified the Man of Truth as the Rightful King of the Jews (John 1:29-36).

Without the Hasmoneans, the Father of Truth would not have confirmed from Heaven, that the Man of Truth was the Rightful King of the Jews (Matthew 3:17). 

The Hasmoneans prepared the people of Israel for the Rightful King of the Jews by setting an expectation of a descendant of King David to soon appear as the Rightful King of the Jews.

The Hasmoneans were only temporary rulers to provide leadership as the Prince of Israel, because they were not descendants of King David, until the time when a descendant of King David should be revealed as the Rightful King of the Jews.  Their rule left the people of Israel yearning for the Rightful King of the Jews.  Since a Prince of Israel no longer reigned over Judea, then the people of Israel were looking for a descendant of King David to be revealed as the Rightful King of the Jews.

The Man of Truth was a descendant of King David (Matthew 1:1).  He was the descendant of King David that had been promised to King David (Acts 13:22-23).  He was a descendant of King David in every sense (Romans 1:3).

He was a descendant of King Solomon, the son of King David, through his mother (Matthew 1:6-16).  [This verse reads "father of Mary (Miriam)" in the original Hebrew text of the Gospel of Matthew, which is explained further in the Original Language of The Renewed Covenant.  "Husband" was a mistranslation into Greek.  This agrees with the count of fourteen generations from Babylon to the Man of Truth (Matthew 1:17).] 

Joseph, the husband of Mary, was also a descendant of King David (Matthew 1:20-25).  The mother of the Man of Truth was engaged to Joseph (Yousef), who was a descendant of King David (Luke 1:26-31).

So, the Man of Truth was also counted as a descendant of Nathan, the son of King David, through Joseph, who was counted as his father (Luke 3:23-31).

The Angel of Truth told Mary that the Man of Truth was that descendant of King David, who would rule over the people of Israel forever (Luke 1:32-33).  Zacharias (Zechariyah) in like manner prophesied that the Man of Truth was the descendant of King David, who would deliver the people of Israel from all of their enemies to bring them peace and prosperity (Luke 1:67-75).

Joseph, the descendant of King David, went to Bethlehem (Bethlecham), the city where King David was born, with his wife Mary (Luke 2:4-5).  So, the Man of Truth, the descendant of King David, was born in the city where King David was born (Luke 2:6-7).  The Angels of Truth confirmed to the shepherds of Bethlehem that the Rightful King of the Jews was born in the city where King David was born (Luke 2:8-11)!  This exactly where the people of Israel expected the Rightful King of the Jews, a descendant of King David, to be born (John 7:42)!

Without the Hasmoneans, the blind would not have been looking for the descendant of King David to deliver them (Matthew 9:27).  They would not have seen that the Man of Truth was the Rightful King of the Jews (Matthew 20:30-31).

Without the Hasmoneans, Blind Bartimaeus would have been quiet about the Rightful King of the Jews (Mark 10:46-48).  He would have been looking  for the descendant of King David to deliver him (Luke 18:35-39).

Without the Hasmoneans, the people of Israel would not have seen, that the Man of Truth was the descendant of King David, who they longed for (Matthew 12:22-23).  The Canaanite woman would not have known that the Man of Truth was the Rightful King of the Jews (Matthew 15:22).

Without the Hasmoneans, the multitudes would not have praised the Man of Truth as the descendant of King David, when he entered Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9-11).  They would not have been looking for Rightful King of the Jews, who would restore the kingdom of David (Mark 11:7-10).

Without the Hasmoneans, the blind and the lame would not have praised the Man of Truth as the descendant of King David, when he entered the Temple (Matthew 21:14-15).

The Hasmoneans prepared the people of Israel for the Rightful King of the Jews, by bringing Judaea under the control of  the Romans.  Nothing that the Romans did could have happened, if the Hasmoneans had not done this.

Without the Hasmoneans, the Roman Centurion would have never sought out the Man of Truth to heal his servant (Matthew 8:5-6).  The Rightful King of the Jews would have never marveled at the great faith of this Roman warrior (Matthew 8:7-10).  The servant of this Roman would have never been healed as a testimony that the Gentiles would be part of the kingdom ruled by the Rightful King of the Jews (Matthew 8:11-13).  This Roman would have never loved the people of the Rightful King of the Jews (Luke 7:2-5).

Without the Hasmoneans, a Roman governor would not have been ruling Judaea (Luke 3:1).  This Roman governor would have never mingled the blood of some Galileans with their sacrifices (Luke 13:1).

Without the Hasmoneans, the enemies of the Man of Truth would not have been worried about the Romans destroying Jerusalem and the Temple, because of people believing on the Rightful King of the Jews (John 11:47-48).

Without the Hasmoneans, the Man of Truth would have never been tried before the Roman governor (Matthew 27:2-25).  The Rightful King of the Jews would have never been condemned by a Roman governor (Mark 15:1-15).  The Roman governor would have never released a murderer in the place of the Rightful King of the Jews (Luke 23:1-25).  The Jewish religious leaders would have never chosen for the Roman governor to release a criminal, instead of the Rightful King of the Jews (John 18:28-40).  The chief priests would have never chosen to be ruled by Caesar, instead of the Rightful King of the Jews (John 19:6-15).

Without the Hasmoneans, the Roman soldiers never would have mocked the Man of Truth (Matthew 27:26-31). Roman soldiers would have never mocked the Rightful King of the Jews with a purple robe (Mark 15:16-20).  The Rightful King of the Jews would have never worn a crown of thorns made by Roman soldiers (John 19:1-5).

Without the Hasmoneans, the Roman soldiers would have never compelled someone to carry the cross of the Rightful King of the Jews (Matthew 27:32-38).  Roman soldiers never would have crucified the Rightful King of the Jews between two thieves (Mark 15:21-28).  Roman soldiers never would have never crucified the Rightful King of the Jews on a hill called "Calvary" (Luke 23:26-34).  The Roman governor would have never had the Rightful King of the Jews crucified (John 19:16-22).

Without the Hasmoneans, the travelers passing by never would have mocked the Rightful King of the Jews, while he hung on a Roman cross (Matthew 27:39-44).  The Chief Priests never would have mocked the Rightful King of the Jews, while he hung on a Roman cross (Mark 15:29-32).  The Roman soldiers and the two thieves would have never mocked the Rightful King of the Jews, while he hung on a Roman cross (Luke 23:35-43).  The Roman soldiers would have never gambled for his clothes, while he hung on a Roman cross (John 19:23-24).

Without the Hasmoneans, darkness would have never covered the land, and the Rightful King of the Jews would have never asked, why the Father of Truth had forsaken him, before he died on a Roman cross (Matthew 27:45-56).  The Temple veil would have never been rent in two, as the Rightful King of the Jews died on a Roman cross (Mark 15:33-41).  The Roman centurion would have never declared that the Man of Truth was the Rightful King of the Jews, when he died on a Roman cross (Luke 23:44-49).  The Roman soldiers would never pierced his side, instead of breaking his legs, after the Rightful King of the Jews died on a Roman cross (John 19:25-37).

Without the Hasmoneans, Joseph of Arimathaea would have never asked the Roman governor for the body of the Rightful King of the Jews (Matthew 27:57-61).  The Roman governor would have never given it to him (Mark 15:42-47).  The body of the Rightful King of the Jews would have never been taken down from a Roman cross for burial (Luke 23:50-56).  Joseph and Nicodemus would have never buried it in the garden tomb (John 19:38-42).

Without the Hasmoneans, the Roman governor would have never placed Roman soldiers to watch the tomb to make sure the Rightful King of the Jews stayed in it (Matthew 27:62-66).  The Roman soldiers never would have fallen down like dead men, when the Rightful King of the Jews rose from the dead (Matthew 28:1-7)!  The Chief Priests would have never bribed the Roman soldiers to say, that the body of the Rightful King of the Jews was stolen while they slept (Matthew 28:11-15).

The Hasmoneans shaped the Jewish world for the Rightful King of the Jews by ensuring the continuation and expansion of everything that the Maccabees had preserved.

The Hasmoneans continued the customs that prevented the Jewish people from being completely assimilated into the Greek world that surrounded them. They kept the Temple services going in Jerusalem.  They continued the celebration of the Feasts of Truth at the Temple in Jerusalem.  They expanded the publication of the Original Covenant (Tanakh aka The Old Testament) throughout the Jewish world.  They continued to enforce the Sabbath.  They encouraged the creation and use of synagogues throughout the entire Jewish world.  They created a system that made it possible to greatly expand the number of God-fearing Gentiles and proselytes, who attended synagogue services.

The Hasmoneans made it possible for the Jewish people to be familiar with the prophecies in the Original Covenant, which foretold the resurrection of one of the descendants of King David - as a sign of being the Rightful King of the Jews.

Without the Hasmoneans, the Jewish people would have never been familiar with the prophecy of King David, that the Rightful King of the Jews would not remain in the grave long enough to suffer decay (Acts 2:22-31).  They would have never understood that the resurrection of the Man of Truth proved, that he was the Rightful King of the Jews, who descended from King David (Acts 2:32-37).

Without the Hasmoneans, the Jewish people would have never been looking for a descendant of King David to be raised up by the Father of Truth, to bring them salvation (Acts 13:22-26).  They would have never known the prophecies of King David, that the Rightful King of the Jews would be known by his suffering, death, and resurrection (Acts 13:27-37).

Without the Hasmoneans, the Jewish people would have never understood, that the resurrection from the dead was what marked which descendant of King David, was the Rightful King of the Jews (2 Timothy 2:8)!

So, the Father of Truth used the Hasmoneans to prepare the Jewish people for the Man of Truth.  The years of intrigue, war, and trouble during their reign only served to cause the Jewish people to yearn for the Rightful King of the Jews to appear.

The Hasmoneans were His unwitting instruments in creating an expectation of the Rightful King of the Jews, coming from a descendant of King David, once their rule ended.  Their involvement with the Romans made the death, burial, and resurrection of the Man of Truth possible.  Their preservation of the Original Covenant, the Temple, the synagogue system, and the celebration of the Feasts of Truth, made it possible to spread the news throughout the Jewish world, that the Man of Truth was the Rightful King of the Jews.

The story does not end with the proclamation throughout the Jewish world, that the Man of Truth is that descendant of King David, who is the Rightful King of the Jews.  The Rightful King of the Jews will soon begin His reign, not just over Israel, but over the entire Earth.

The Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost) has proclaimed, that the Man of Truth has the keys of King David, which give him absolute authority in all matters (Revelation 3:6-7).  He came to be the Lamb, who was slain, but the creator of King David will soon be returning as the Lion, who will rule over the whole Earth with the Children of Truth (Revelation 5:5-10).  He is both the creator of King David and the descendant of King David (Revelation 22:16).  The Spirit of Truth is inviting everyone to come into the House of Truth, so that they can reign with him (Revelation 22:17).

So make the Rightful King of the Jews your king today, because you believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9).

Come into the House of Truth!

The Refining Fire

How did the Hasmoneans set the fire that refined the Children of Truth?

The Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) came to this earth in the fullness of time to live a perfect life in accordance with the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law), so he could bring redemption to those who could not live a perfect life in accordance with the Law of Truth  (Galatians 4:4-7).

One reason it was the fullness of time, was that the Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him) had been suffering persecution from those in charge of the religious institutions, since the time of the Hasmoneans.  These religious institutions included the Sanhedrin, and the courts that convened in synagogues throughout the Jewish world.  These religious institutions were controlled by the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the priests of the Temple.

The Sanhedrin carried out the unjust trial of the Man of Truth.  The Sanhedrin, and the unjust courts spread throughout the Jewish world, were one of the major persecutors of the Children of Truth until well after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

This persecution was the refining fire that separated those truly committed to the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD), from those who only gave Him lip service.  It left no room for being half-committed.  The refining fire forced the Children of Truth to be all in, and everyone else to be all out.

This refining fire caused the gift of the Maccabees to continue to be the gift that keeps on giving.  This refining fire was needed, so the Children of Truth could be part of how the Maccabees help spread the Gospel.  This refining fire was so important, that the Father of Truth caused the rise and fall of empires to bring it about.  Those going through this refining fire, often could not see the hidden hand of the Father of Truth in their circumstances.

The story of how the Hasmoneans helped bring about the fullness of time is tied to the Greeks and the Maccabees.  This is just another example of Greco-Judeo wrestling.

The Father of Truth brought about the unified Greek Empire, and then split it into four smaller Greek Empires, including the Seleucid Empire (Daniel 11:2-4).

Later, an emperor of the Seleucid Empire, Antiochus Epiphanes (Antiochus IV), waged war on the Law of Truth in an effort to assimilate the Jews into the Greek culture, and many of the Jews joined him in this effort (Daniel 11:28-31).   However, the Jews loyal to the Law of Truth, were led by the Maccabees into doing great exploits to resist him to preserve the Law of Truth (Daniel 11:32).

The Hasideans (Chasidim) were the Children of Truth that became part of the Maccabees, because they accepted the Original Covenant (Tanakh aka The Old Testament) as the complete message of the Father of Truth, until the Messiah of Israel should appear.

After the Maccabees, the refining fire came to separate out those Jews unwilling to compromise on the Law of Truth, from those Jews willing to be assimilated into Greek culture (Daniel 11:33-35).

The Hasmoneans were the rulers of Judea during those years.

During the reign of the Hasmoneans, the Pharisees came out of the Hasideans.  When the Pharisees, began adding the Oral Torah to the Original Covenant, the Hasideans did not just go along to get along.  Eventually, the Pharisees had to leave the Hasideans to form their own party.  The Hasideans ceased to exists a party at this time, but the term still applied to those, who were faithful to the Father of Truth.

The Sadducees, on the other hand, came from those Jews, who were willing to assimilate completely into Greek identity, that sided with Antiochus Epiphanes against the Maccabees.  During the reign of the Hasmoneans, they came to accept that the Law of Truth as the complete message of the Father of Truth, and rejected the rest of the Original Covenant.  They then applied Greek philosophy and logic to interpreting the Law of Truth.

The Hasmonean High Priests were corrupt, and soon corrupted most of the chief priests, as well as many of the regular priests of the Temple.  Over time, almost all of the chief priests were Sadducees.  After the last Hasmonean High Priest, all of the High Priests were Sadducees as well.

Also during the reign of the Hasmoneans, the Sanhedrin rose to power, and it was controlled by the Pharisees and Sadducees, with many of its members being chief priests.  Soon, the corrupt rulings of the Sanhedrin, became the basis for the rulings of the local courts as well.

All during this time, the Hasideans continued to be a small, and often persecuted minority.  They were often faced with the choice of persecution or compromise.  Those who chose persecution, remained Hasideans, and became separated from those, who chose compromise.  So, the Hasideans became smaller in number, but greater in commitment.  They were the first to go through the refining fire started by the Hasmoneans.

The synagogues that the Hasideans attended eventually came under control of the Pharisees.  They had little choice but to attend the synagogue, since their entire community was literally built around the synagogue.  It was the only place that gave them access to the Original Covenant, since the hand written scrolls were very expensive.

The Pharisees made things harder and harder for the Hasideans, as they added more and more of their traditions to the Law of Truth.  While some of these traditions were harmless, others were actually contrary to the Law of Truth.

Those Hasideans, who spoke against these traditions in the synagogue, were persecuted.  In some cases, they were ostracized to the point, that other members of the synagogue would not even eat with them.  In some cases, they were tried and beaten in the synagogue.  In some cases, they were put out of the synagogue, leaving them no choice but to move to an unfamiliar city, or a far away land.  In some cases, they were killed.

The struggle of the Hasideans was not in vain, for they set an example of remaining faithful to the Father of Truth in the face of fiery persecution by corrupt religious leaders.

This same refining fire that the Hasideans went through, still burned when people began following the Man of Truth.  

Like the Hasideans, corrupt religious leaders raised up persecution against the followers of the Man of Truth (Acts 13:50).  Corrupt religious leaders also stirred up other people to persecute them (Acts 14:2-5).  Corrupt religious leaders created trouble for them as well (Acts 17:5-8).  Corrupt religious leaders raised up civil unrest against them too (Acts 18:12).

Like the Hasideans, corrupt religious leaders raised up false witnesses against followers of the Man of Truth (Acts 6:11-14).  Corrupt religious leaders made false accusations against them also (Acts 21:27-29).  Corrupt religious leaders brought charges without evidence against them as well (Acts 25:7-8).

Like the Hasideans, followers of the Man of Truth were delivered up to councils of the corrupt religious leaders, and they were flogged in synagogues (Matthew 10:17).  They were also beaten in the synagogues (Mark 13:9).  They too were persecuted in the synagogues (Luke 21:12).

Like the Hasideans, followers of the Man of Truth were put out of the synagogues (John 9:22).  They were also put out of the synagogues for telling the truth (John 9:31-34).  Those, who were rulers of the synagogues, were put out of the synagogues as well (John 12:42).

Like the Hasideans, followers of the Man of Truth were not only put out of the synagogues, but killed by corrupt religious leaders (John 16:2).  They too were killed by corrupt religious leaders (Acts 7:58-60).  Corrupt religious leaders stirred up those worshiping in the Temple to kill them also (Acts 21:30-31).

Like the Hasideans, corrupt religious leaders looked for opportunities to kill the followers of the Man of Truth (Acts 9:23-24).  Corrupt religious leaders laid in wait to kill them also (Acts 20:3).  Corrupt religious leaders conspired to kill them too (Acts 23:12-15).

Like the Hasideans, followers of the Man of Truth were handed over to be killed by their own families (Matthew 10:21).  They were also betrayed by their own families (Mark 13:12).  They too were betrayed by their friends (Luke 21:16).

Like the Hasideans, followers of the Man of Truth were forced to flee to different cities to escape this persecution (Matthew 10:23).  Corrupt religious leaders pursued them into other cities, to bring persecution there as well (Acts 14:19).  Corrupt religious leaders also pursued them into other cities, to stir up those cities against them (Acts 17:13).

Like the Hasideans, this persecution was the refining fire that forced the Children of Truth to be completely committed to following the Man of Truth.   The Hasmoneans shaped the Jewish world to leave no room for compromise by setting the refining fire.

This fire refined some of the Pharisees.

Not all of the Pharisees were enemies of the Man of Truth, for some of them warned him to escape, when Herod Antipas (Antipas II) sought to kill him (Luke 13:31-33).

("Herod" had became a title by this point of those claiming the right to rule as a descendant of Herod the Great.  This was similar to the Hasmoneans adopting the title Hasmonean to show that they came from Matthias the Priest.  None of the descendants of Herod the Great were given the name of "Herod" as a baby, except for Herod the Great.)

Some of the Pharisees, believed that the miracles that the Man of Truth did, showed that he was the Messiah of Israel sent by the Father of Truth, even though he did them on the Sabbath, contrary to the Oral Torah (John 9:16).

There were Pharisees, who believed that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel, in the congregation of the Children of Truth in Jerusalem, but thought that Gentiles had to be circumcised to be saved (Acts 15:4-6).  These Pharisees were later convinced by the writings of the Prophets of Truth that this was not the case, and were part of the entire congregation that sent out messengers confirming this (Acts 15:13-22).

Among these believing Pharisees, was Paul the Jew, who still identified himself as a Pharisee, after he completed his third mission to the Gentiles to tell them about the hope and resurrection that came from the Man of Truth (Acts 23:6).  It was the Pharisees in the Sanhedrin, who sought to release Paul the Jew in the trial, because he was a Pharisee (Acts 23:9).

Paul the Jew had learned to live by the strict requirements of a Pharisee from a young age (Acts 26:4-5).

Paul the Jew had learned to fast often, as all Pharisees did (Matthew 9:14).  In fact, he had learned to fast twice every week (Mondays and Thursdays), besides fasting for certain holidays (Luke 18:11-12).  He continued to keep up the useful disciplines required of Pharisees, like fasting often, the entire time that he spent going on missions to tell people the Good News about the Man of Truth being the Messiah of Israel (2 Corinthians 11:23-27).

Paul the Jew had learned to keep the Law of Truth as a Pharisee (Philippians 3:3-5).  When he came into the House of Truth, he threw out useless things that he had learned as a Pharisee, like the Oral Torah, which had blinded him from seeing that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel, but still kept the useful things for spreading the Good News that he had learned (Philippians 3:6-9).

Paul the Jew continued to live as a Pharisee, in order to bring the Good News to Jews everywhere he went (1 Corinthians 9:20-23).

Since Paul the Jew had continued to dress and live as a Pharisee, he was invited to speak whenever he visited a synagogue, and then used that opportunity to tell the people there the Good News about the Man of Truth (Acts 13:14-39).  Since he was a Pharisee, the Jewish people in Rome came to hear his explanation of how the Man of Truth fulfilled what was written about the Messiah of Israel in the Original Covenant (Acts 28:16-23).  For this reason, people continued to come to his house to hear him for two more years (Acts 28:29-31).

This fire refined some of the priests.

Zacharias the priest and his wife, the daughter of a priest, were obedient in every way to the Father of Truth, even though they were old and never been given children (Luke 1:5-7).  This priest was faithful to carry out his duties in the Temple in the way commanded in the Law of Truth (Luke 1:8-10).

His son, John the Baptist (Yochanon the Mikvah Man), was the Faithful Priest that prepared the people of Israel for the Messiah of Israel.

After the Apostles of Truth resumed teaching in the Temple, many of the priests came into the House of Truth (Acts 6:7).

This fire refined some in the Sanhedrin.

Joseph of Arimathaea was also a follower of the Man of Truth (Matthew 27:57).  He was one of the leaders of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43).  He had voted against condemning the Man of Truth in his unjust trial before the Sanhedrin (Luke 23:50-51).  He had kept his relationship with the Man of Truth a secret, out of fear of the Sanhedrin, until he asked Pilate for the body of the Man of Truth, so he could bury it in his own tomb (John 19:38-42).

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, and part of the Sanhedrin that ruled over the Jews in religious matters, but he sought out the Man of Truth secretly, to learn what he needed to do to be in right standing with the Father of Truth (John 3:1-21).  He spoke up for just treatment of the Man of Truth, when other members of the Sanhedrin were plotting against him (John 7:45-51).  He helped give the Man of Truth an honorable burial (John 19:39-42).

After the resurrection of the Man of Truth, Gamaliel, a Pharisee, and possibly the head of the Sanhedrin at the time, warned against mistreating the Apostles of Truth, when the Sanhedrin sought to kill them (Acts 5:33-39). This famous Pharisee, and member of the Sanhedrin, was the teacher of Paul the Jew (Shaul aka Saul aka The Apostle Paul) (Acts 22:3).  (While Gamaliel is revered by some Rabbinic Jews, his name has been blotted out by others, who contend that he became a follower of the Man of Truth.)

This fire refined some in the synagogues.

Multitudes from the synagogues followed the Man of Truth (Matthew 4:23-25).  So many from the synagogues followed him, that he told his disciples to pray for more laborers (Matthew 9:35-38).

Everyone gave glory to the Man of Truth when he operated in the power of the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost) in the synagogues (Luke 4:14-15).  The people of the synagogue rejoiced when the Man of Truth healed on the Sabbath, even though the corrupt religious leader was angry about it (Luke 13:14-17).

The ruler of a synagogue sought out the Man of Truth to heal his daughter (Mark 5:22-23).  This ruler of a synagogue had faith that the Man of Truth would raise his daughter from the dead (Mark 5:35-43).

Many of the Jews and Gentiles in the synagogue at Antioch in Psidia believed Paul the Jew, when he preached that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (Acts 13:14-43).  Many of the Jews and Gentiles in the synagogue at Iconium believed the Good News (Acts 14:1).  Some of the Jews and Gentiles in the synagogue at Thessaloniki believed Paul the Jew, when he preached that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (Acts 17:1-4).  Many of the Jews and Gentiles in the synagogue at Berea believed, that the Man of Truth fulfilled what was written in the Original Covenant about the Messiah of Israel (Acts 17:10-12).  Many of the Jews and Greeks in the synagogue at Corinth were persuaded by Paul the Jew (Acts 18:1-4).  The Jews at synagogue of Ephesus desired to hear more about the Man of Truth (Acts 18:19-21).  The people at synagogue of Ephesus listened as Apollos the Jew spoke boldly about the Man of Truth (Acts 18:24-26).

The chief ruler and the angel of the synagogue of Corinth believed, that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel, and were baptized as a public witness of their faith (Acts 18:7-8).

This fire refined some in the Temple.

Simeon prophesied in the Temple, that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (Luke 2:25-35).  Annas the Prophetess of Truth in like manner testified in the Temple, that he was the Messiah of Israel (Luke 2:36-38).

The blind and the lame were healed by the Man of Truth in the Temple, because they recognized that he was the Messiah of Israel (Matthew 21:14-15).

The people of Israel were very attentive to hear the Man of Truth teaching in the Temple (Luke 19:47-48).   They came early in the morning to the Temple to hear him (Luke 21:37-38).  They sat in the Temple to hear his teachings (John 8:1-2).

The disciples of the Man of Truth were continually praising the Father of Truth in the Temple for his resurrection and ascension back to Heaven (Luke 24:51-53).  They praised Him in the Temple for the signs and wonders, which confirmed the message of the Apostles of Truth about the Man of Truth (Acts 2:42-47).

When the lame beggar at the gate of the Temple began dancing in the Temple after being healed, then many people in the Temple ran to hear Peter the Jew and John the Jew tell them about the Man of Truth  (Acts 3:8-11).  Multitudes in the Temple came into the House of Truth, when signs and wonders confirmed the message of the Apostles of Truth in the Temple (Acts 5:12-14).

This fire refined some in other places.

Many people in Israel believed the preaching of John the Baptist to repent of breaking the Law of Truth, and were baptized, even though the corrupt religious leaders sought to be baptized without repenting (Matthew 3:1-8).  They believed that he was a Prophet of Truth, even though the corrupt religious leaders of the Temple did not (Matthew 21:23-27).  They believed that he was that Prophet of Truth, who would prepare people for the Messiah of Israel (Mark 1:2-5).

The corrupt religious leaders knew, that many people in Judea came to the Man of Truth to be baptized (John 4:1-3).

The lame man testified to the corrupt religious leaders in Jerusalem, that he had been healed by the Man of Truth (John 5:8-15).  The man born blind also testified to the corrupt religious leaders in Jerusalem, that he had been healed by the Man of Truth (John 9:13-15).

Many of the people of Israel came to hear the Man of Truth in Bethany, because they believed that he was the Messiah of Israel, after he had raised Lazarus from the dead, even though the corrupt religious leaders wanted to kill Lazarus (John 12:9-11).

Multitudes near Jerusalem rejoiced, that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (Matthew 21:8-11).  They rejoiced, that he would restore the kingdom of David (Mark 11:8-10).  They rejoiced, that he was the King promised by the Father of Truth, even though it displeased the corrupt religious leaders (Luke 19:37-39).  They rejoiced, that he was the Savior sent by the Father of Truth, despite the opposition of the corrupt religious leaders (John 12:12-19).

About three thousand people in Jerusalem came into the House of Truth, when Peter the Jew preached about the resurrection, after the corrupt religious leaders had the Man of Truth crucified (Acts 2:31-41).  The Gentiles with Cornelius the Italian were also baptized, when they believed the same Good News about the Man of Truth overcoming the corrupt religious leaders (Acts 10:44-48).

When the unbelieving Jews persecuted Paul the Jew at the synagogue in Ephesus, the believing Jews and Greeks left the synagogue to hear him in the yeshiva (school of disputing) of Tyrannus (Acts 19:8-10). 

When Paul the Jew returned to Jerusalem, there were many thousands of Jews following the Man of Truth while keeping the Law of Truth, despite the false accusations of the corrupt religious leaders against Paul the Jew (Acts 21:17-24).

All of these chose to follow the Man of Truth whole-heartedly, because the refining fire of persecution by the corrupt religious leaders left them no option of following him half-heartedly.

By the time that John the Jew was on the isle of Patmos, twenty-five years after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, the refining fire had accomplished its purpose for that time.

The true Jews are Jews in their heart, not only in their flesh (Romans 2:28-29).  The synagogues ran by the corrupt religious leaders had driven out the followers of the Man of Truth, so that they had no more true Jews in them (Revelation 2:9).  So, these synagogues were ruled by the Father of Lies (HaShatan aka Satan Aka The Devil), instead of the Father of Truth (Revelation 3:9).

However, the refining fire started by the Hasmoneans has been continued by the corrupt religious leaders of the False Church of Rome since that time.  This has forced people to choose to be committed to the Man of Truth or the False Church of Rome over the centuries.  Those refined by the fire even died to keep the incorruptible Word found in the Book of Truth from being corrupted.  People like John Wycliffe chose the Man of Truth, and were killed by the False Church of Rome for doing so.  Others, like the Pilgrims, completely separated themselves from every custom of the False Church of Rome to the point of fleeing to first an unfamiliar city, and then a far away land, just like many of the Hasideans.

The refining fire continues to burn in many places today, where the Children of Truth face persecution from corrupt religious leaders of various religions.  The fire has been refining them in places dominated by Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and Animistic religions.  Ironically, one of the few countries where such persecution has greatly lessened over the last century is Israel, where the Hasmoneans started the refining fire.

In countries historically dominated by the False Church of Rome, like those in Europe, the refining fire has largely gone out.  The corrupt religious leaders have adopted a different tactic in most of these countries.  They have been following the successful model of corrupt religious leaders in America.

Corrupt religious leaders are the hidden danger, that has Americans deceived into believing that following the Man of Truth half-heartedly is an option.  They have spread the great deception in American churches, that people can be followers of the Man of Truth, without following the instructions of the Man of Truth  They have American church members unaware of the danger they are in, like those who were sleeping in Galveston.  They are the reason, that those Americans following the Man of Truth whole-heartedly, feel like they are drowning in a lukewarm sea. 

Corrupt religious leaders have changed the American Spirit to be another spirit besides the Spirit of Truth.  They have worked through a subtle influence to change the laws of America to no longer be based on the Law of Truth.  They are the reason that the death of America is certain. 

Corrupt religious leaders in countries without the refining fire have done this subtly, like a snake in the leaves.  They have thrown a global Christmas party as part of their efforts to redefine what a Christian is.  They have been quietly attacking the Doctrine of Truth, and casting doubt in the minds of congregations about the integrity of the Book of Truth.  They have called for a "Christian unity", which relies on the Children of Truth compromising the teachings of the Man of Truth, so they can unite with the False Church of Rome.

The truth is that people can only be saved by being completely committed to the Man of Truth.  He would rather have people completely committed to the Father of Lies, than half-committed to himself (Revelation 3:14-16).

For this reason, the refining fire is soon going to cover the Earth, to force everyone to either be completely committed to the Father of Truth or completely committed to the Father of Lies!

There will be no option of half-commitment, when people have to either accept the mark of worship of the Man of Lies (The Antichrist aka The Beast), OR die for the Man of Truth (Revelation 20:4)!

The Man of Truth is coming to take away only those completely committed to obeying him, before the refining fire engulfs the world (Luke 21:36).  It is only those, who heed the warning of "People get ready!", who will escape the refining fire that is coming!

You must come into the House of Truth now, in order to not be on the earth, when the refining fire spreads over the entire globe!

You must make a commitment to follow the Man of Truth whole-heartedly, because you believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9)!  You must come into the House of Truth now, to avoid going through the refining fire later (2 Corinthians 6:2)!

Come into the House of Truth!

The Faithful Priest

Why did John the Baptist baptize people in the wilderness?

The Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) came to this earth in the fullness of time to live a perfect life in accordance with the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law), so he could bring redemption to those who could not live a perfect life in accordance with the Law of Truth  (Galatians 4:4-7).

One of the conditions that made it the fullness of time, was John the Baptist (Yochanan the Mikvah Man) baptizing the people of Israel in the wilderness.  The Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) brought about the rise and fall of empires, to make this possible. 

The story of how this came to be, begins with the Greeks.  This is just another example of Greco-Judeo wrestling.

The Father of Truth brought about the unified Greek Empire, and then split it into four smaller Greek Empires, including the Seleucid Empire (Daniel 11:2-4).

During the time of the Seleucid Empire, some of the priests in the Temple became corrupt.  At first, the High Priest would put them out of the Temple, until they repented.  However, the High Priest had to be approved by the Seleucid Emperor, under the agreement that the people of Judea made with Alexander the Great.  For a long while, this was just a formality of informing the Seleucid Emperor who the new High Priest was, when there was a change.

However, a Seleucid Emperor arose, who was willing to appoint as High Priest, whoever gave him the largest gift to gain his favor.  Soon, one of the corrupt priests was appointed as the new High Priest.  This corrupt High Priest then began appointing other corrupt priests to positions of chief priests, based on whoever offered him the largest gift to gain his favor.

Soon, the Temple was a place of corruption, instead of holiness.

The main job of the priests was to teach people how to keep the Law of Truth (Leviticus 10:9-11).   

However, they were not allowed to do this in the Temple, when the Temple was ran by corrupt priests, who did not keep the Law of Truth.

This led to the Maccabees restoring faithful priests in the Temple.

Some of the priests, who were not corrupted, like Matthias the Priest, began performing many of their functions away from the Temple, in places like Modi'in.

They also carried out other functions of the priests, that did not rely on the Temple, in these places.  One of these was the mikvah (miqvah) ceremony (baptism).   They often performed these ceremonies in a stream in the wilderness, since immersion was required to be done in living (running) water for abnormal discharges of bodily fluids, such as a festering sore, a week after the symptoms had disappeared (Leviticus 15:2-13).

Eventually, a new Seleucid emperor, Antiochus Epiphanes (Antiochus IV), came to power and waged war against the Law of Truth (Daniel 11:28-30).  He was joined by the corrupt priests, who ran the Temple, and all among the Jewish people, who were not obedient to the Law of Truth (Daniel 11:30-32).

These corrupt priests, and these Jews by birth only, then helped Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the Temple by erecting a giant statue of Zeus, with his own face on it, in the courtyard of the Temple, and sacrificing three pigs and a dog on The Altar to this idol (Daniel 11:31).

However, the Maccabees, the followers of Matthias the Priest, the people who knew the Father of Truth and did exploits, rose up against this vile and evil man (Daniel 11:32).

The Maccabees waged a war against the Seleucid Empire.  Among the first to become Maccabees were the Hasideans (Chasidim), who were very zealous in keeping the Law of Truth.

Some Gentiles, mostly Greeks, also gave help to the Maccabees during their long, hard fight against the Seleucid Empire, because they had come to know the Father of Truth (Daniel 11:33-34).  These Gentiles were immersed in a stream in the wilderness in the mikvah ceremony of repentance.  This ceremony showed that they had turned from idolatry, and to obeying the Father of Truth, in at least the same manner as Noah (Noach).

Finally, the Maccabees and their Gentile allies defeated the army of the Seleucid Empire in Judea, and the Seleucid Empire gave control of religious life, the Temple, and the appointment of the High Priests to the Maccabees, after Antiochus Epiphanes was killed in Persia.

So, the Maccabees went to the Temple to clean house, both literally and figuratively.  This process took a week, and on the eighth day the Temple was dedicated to the Father of Truth once again.  The gift of the Maccabees included not only purifying the Temple, but also putting only faithful priests in the Temple.

After that, there was an eight day holiday every year to remember the Maccabees cleansing and dedicating the Temple.  Most people know this holiday as Chanukah, which means "Dedication".  It is also known as the Festival of Lights.

This is the Feast of Dedication, which the Man of Truth thought was so important, that he walked two or three days in the winter to celebrate it in Jerusalem (John 10:22-23).

After the Maccabees, corrupt priests began appearing in the Temple again.

After the Maccabees, there was continual war and conflict for many years, to separate those like the Maccabees, who had faith in what was written in the Original Covenant (Tanakh aka The Old Testament), from those who would take away from or add to the Original Covenant (Daniel 11:35).

The Hasmoneans, the descendants of the Maccabees, were the High Priests of Israel during those years.

During this time, some split off from the Hasideans to become the Pharisees.  They added the traditions of the elders developed in Babylon, called the Oral Torah, to the Law of Truth.

Many of the descendants of those Jews who sided with Antiochus Epiphanes became the Sadducees. They accepted only the five books of the Law of Truth as legitimate, but rejected the rest of the Original Covenant.  They interpreted the Law of Truth using Greek philosophy and logic.

The Pharisees and Sadducees fought for control of the Temple and religious life in Judea during the time of the Hasmoneans.

During the time of the Hasmoneans, many mivkot (baptismals) were built around the Temple in Jerusalem.  People were immersed in a mikvah in Jerusalem to be made clean, before they entered the Temple.  To date, about two hundred for them have been uncovered near the south wall of the Temple Mount, where Josephus described them being located, before the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD.

After the High Priest ceased to be one of the Hasmoneans, the priests became even more corrupt.  However, there was still at least one faithful priest.

King David had divided the time the priests spent ministering in the Temple into twenty four courses, with a chief priest over each course (1 Chronicles 24:3-18).  Zacharias the Priest, the father of John the Baptist, was only ministering in the Temple during the course of Abia (Abijah), which occurred about every six months (Luke 1:5).

Zacharias the priest was faithful to carry out his duties in the Temple, in the way commanded in the Law of Truth, during the course of Abia (Luke 1:8-10).  This faithful priest was told by an Angel of Truth in the Temple, that he and his wife would soon have a son, who would prepare the people of Israel for the Messiah of Israel (Luke 1:11-17).  He came out of the Temple afterwards, then went home when his course was over, and his wife conceived (Luke 1:21-25).

His son, John the Baptist, also a faithful priest, was sent to reveal the Messiah of Israel (John 1:6-8).

King David had changed the age when a priest started their ministry to thirty years of age (1 Chronicles 23:1-3).  John began his ministry of calling people to return to the Law of Truth when he was thirty, since the Man of Truth came to him when he was almost thirty for the mikvah ceremony (Luke 3:20-23).

The course of each priest was hereditary, so John the Baptist was also a priest in the course of Abia. This would have been the only time the Faithful Priest would have been required to be in the Temple to do his work as a priest, except for some of the Feasts of Truth.

So, if the course of Abia had ended right before John the Baptist had turned thirty, then the Faithful Priest could have been teaching the Law of Truth and performing the mikvah ceremony for almost six months, when the Man of Truth came to him.

Like in the days of the Maccabees, the faithful priests were not allowed to teach people how to keep the Law of Truth in the Temple, when the Temple was ran by corrupt priests, who did not keep the Law of Truth.

So, John the Baptist could not perform the mikvah ceremony near the Temple.  Like Matthias the priest, the Faithful Priest had to teach people how to keep the Law of Truth away from Jerusalem, and had to perform the mikvah ceremony in a stream in the wilderness.

John the Baptist began performing the mikvah ceremony that was given to him from the Father of Truth, instead of the rituals performed by the chief priests (Matthew 21:23-25).  The Faithful Priest began performing the mikvah ceremony of repentance in the wilderness, far from the Temple, which was controlled by the wicked High Priests, Annas and Caiaphas (Luke 3:2-3).

For this reason, some of the chief priests were sent to ask John the Baptist, if he was the Messiah of Israel, but the Faithful Priest told them that he was not the Messiah of Israel (John 1:19-20).  The Faithful Priest told them, that he was performing the mikvah ceremony in the wilderness, because he was preparing the people of Israel for the Messiah of Israel (John 1:25-28).

Yet, they did not believe that John the Baptist was performing the mikvah ceremony at the command of the Father of Truth (Matthew 21:25).  They did not believe that the Faithful Priest was doing this, by the same authority that the Messiah of Israel did his works (Mark 11:29-31).  They did not believe that the Messiah of Israel had the same authority to teach in the Temple, as the Faithful Prophet of Truth had to perform the mikvah ceremony in the wilderness (Luke 20:1-5).

However, many of the people of Israel came to the wilderness for John the Baptist to perform the mikvah ceremony in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:5-6).  The Faithful Priest, who lived in the wilderness like a wild man, performed the mikvah ceremony on everyone, who repented of breaking the Law of Truth (Mark 1:4-6).

When the Pharisees and Sadducees came to participate in the mikvah ceremony, John the Baptist told them, that they must produce evidence of repentance to escape the wrath to come (Matthew 3:7-10).  The Faithful Priest told everyone, who came to him for the mikvah ceremony, that they must repent of their disobedience to the Law of Truth to saved from the wrath to come (Luke 3:7-9).  The Faithful Priest taught them, that they must do what the Law of Truth says is right, in order to be saved (Luke 3:10-14).

Some of the people of Israel wondered, if John the Baptist was the Messiah of Israel (Luke 3:15).  The Faithful Priest told them, that the Messiah of Israel, who had existed before him, was coming soon (John 1:15).  The Faithful Priest told those sent by the Pharisees, that he was performing the mikvah ceremony to prepare the people of Israel for the soon coming Messiah of Israel (John 1:24-28).

John the Baptist told them that the Messiah of Israel was coming, who would perform the mikvah ceremony with something better than water (Matthew 3:11).  The Faithful Priest told them that the Messiah of Israel would perform the mikvah ceremony with the Spirit of Truth (Mark 1:7-8).  The Faithful Priest told them that the Messiah of Israel would perform the mikvah ceremony with fire (Luke 3:16).

John the Baptist warned them, that the Messiah of Israel was coming to clean house, like the Maccabees had done in the Temple (Matthew 3:12).  The Faithful Priest warned them, that the Messiah of Israel would destroy from among the people of Israel, those who did not repent (Luke 3:17).  The Faithful Priest gave everyone this warning, even King Herod Antipas (Antipas II) (Luke 3:19).

("Herod" had became a title by this point of those claiming the right to rule as a descendant of Herod the Great.  This was similar to the Hasmoneans adopting the title Hasmonean to show that they came from Matthias the Priest.  None of the descendants of Herod the Great were given the name of "Herod" as a baby, except for Herod the Great.)

Many of the people of Israel returned to walking the righteous way of the Law of Truth, like the Faithful Priest did (Matthew 21:32).

John the Baptist taught people to fast often, just like the Pharisees (Matthew 9:14).  The Faithful Priest taught them to fast, like the Pharisees taught their disciples to fast (Mark 2:18).  The Faithful Priest taught people to spend time in prayer, like the Pharisees (Luke 5:33).  The Faithful Priest taught people how to pray in agreement with the Law of Truth, just like the Man of Truth (Luke 11:1-4).

When John the Baptist performed the mikvah ceremony on the Man of Truth, signs came from heaven to confirmed that the Man of Truth was the Messiah of Israel (Matthew 3:13-17).  When the Faithful Priest performed the mikvah ceremony on the Man of Truth, the Father of Truth confirmed that he was the Messiah of Israel (Mark 1:9-11).  When the Faithful Priest performed the mikvah ceremony on the Man of Truth, the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost) confirmed that he was the Messiah of Israel (Luke 3:21-22).  The Faithful Priest then announced, that these signs were given to identify the Messiah of Israel (John 1:29-34).

John the Baptist then directed his disciples to follow the Man of Truth, instead of himself (John 1:35-37).

His disciples later asked John the Baptist, how the Messiah of Israel could have his disciples perform the mikvah ceremony, since they were not priests like him (John 3:22-26).  The Faithful Priest told them, that the Messiah of Israel had this authority, because the Father of Truth had given him this authority, as well as the Spirit of Truth without measure (John 3:27-34).  Even the Pharisees had heard, that the disciples of the Messiah of Israel were performing the mikvah ceremony on more people than the Faithful Priest (John 4:1-2).

Then King Herod Antipas arrested John the Baptist, to please his wife (Matthew 14:3-4).  The Faithful Priest was arrested for rebuking him for transgressing the Law of Truth, by marrying the wife of his living brother (Mark 6:17-18).  He did this, because the Faithful Priest had rebuked him for all of his wicked ways (Luke 3:19-20).

Yet, even this wicked king acknowledged that the Faithful Priest lived a righteous and holy life (Mark 6:20).

Those taught by John the Baptist, told him about what the Man of Truth had done (Luke 7:11-18).

After John the Baptist was arrested, he sent two of those he had taught to the Man of Truth, for confirmation that he was the Messiah of Israel (Matthew 11:2-3).  The Faithful Priest wanted proof, that he was the Messiah of Israel, spoken about in the Law of Truth (Luke 7:19-20).

The Man of Truth sent word to John the Baptist, that he had done those things spoken by the Prophets of Truth, which showed that he was the Messiah of Israel (Matthew 11:4-6).  The Messiah of Israel gave the Faithful Prophet of Truth proof, that he was the one spoken about in the Law of Truth (Luke 7:21-23).

Many of the Pharisees and scribes rejected the testimony of the Faithful Priest, and the testimony of the Messiah of Israel (Luke 7:30-35).

So, John the Baptist had finished his mission of preparing the people of Israel for the Messiah of Israel, and soon the Faithful Priest was executed due to a plot by the wife of King Herod Antipas (Mark 6:21-28).

The headless body of the Faithful Priest was buried by those he had taught, before they started following the Messiah of Israel (Matthew 14:12).  They gave the headless body of John the Baptist an honorable burial, worthy of the Faithful Priest (Mark 6:29).

Yet, King Herod Antipas did not realize, that the Man of Truth was not John the Baptist (Matthew 14:1-2).

Eventually, many of the priests of Israel became so corrupt during this time, that they conducted the unjust trail of the Man of Truth.  This set the pattern for the unjust courts that persecuted his followers.  So, they had also desecrated the Temple, like Antiochus Epiphanes.

John the Baptist had indeed prepared the people of Israel for the death, burial, and resurrection of the Man of Truth by performing the mikvah ceremony of repentance in the wilderness (Acts 10:37-41).  The Faithful Priest had prepared the people of Israel for these events, when he performed the mikvah ceremony of repentance in the wilderness (Acts 13:24-31).

It was the hidden hand of the Father of Truth that caused this mikvah ceremony with water to be performed in the wilderness.  The mikvah ceremony of the Faithful Priest helped prepare the Jewish world for spreading the Gospel, similar to how the Maccabees help spread the Gospel.

The mikvah ceremony with water that John the Baptist performed, does prepare people to be used mightily by the Father of Truth, but there is a better mikvah ceremony that only the Man of Truth can perform (Acts 18:24-26).

After the Man of Truth rose from the dead, he told his disciples to wait for him to perform the mikvah ceremony with the Spirit of Truth, instead of the mikvah ceremony that John the Baptist had performed with water (Acts 1:1-5).  The Messiah of Israel performs the mikvah ceremony with the Spirit of Truth on both Jews and Gentiles (Acts 11:15-18).

The mikvah ceremony of the Faithful Priest in water shows the repentance of those, that it is performed on, but the mikvah ceremony of the Messiah of Israel shows the Spirit of Truth speaking through those, that it is performed on (Acts 19:2-6).  The mikvah of the Messiah of Israel produces the sound of power!

The mikvah ceremony of the Faithful Priest in water is only meaningful, when people have become dead to sin (Romans 6:2-4).  There is no salvation without true repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10).  There is no true repentance without total surrender to the Messiah of Israel (Hebrews 6:4-6).

While the Man of Truth is first and foremost the Messiah of Israel, it has always been about the Gentiles coming to salvation as well.  He demands total surrender from both Jews and Gentiles.  Do not be taken in by the great deception, that you can follow the Man of Truth without following his instructions.  You must come into the House of Truth!

You come into the House of Truth, when you come to the Man of Truth in total surrender, because you believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9)!  Then the mikvah ceremony in water of the Faithful Priest is a sign of your salvation (1 Peter 3:21)!

Come into the House of Truth!