From:    heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
To:      "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Date:    Thu, 25 Dec 1997 23:36:08 +0000
Subject: Re: The Book of Maccabees as Scripture

From:          AMIAVRAHAM 
To:            heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject:       Re: The Book of Maccabees as Scripture

Shalom to All and Hag Sameah!

There is two mayor reason because the Council of Yavneh (90 b.M)  did not
include the books of Maccabees in the Tanak as Scriptures. First is the
"internal evidence" as the author of the book  confess and never said the
ispired formula: "This said the L-rd". Second  is the external evidence: the
Hasmoneans' family, once in the political control of Yisrael after they def.
the Syriam's army, introduced a illegal monarchy in Israel. As we know, only
the Davidic descendent trough Salomon has the right to seat in the Throne of
David as king of Yisrael. The Messiah has to come from this royal descendence.
At the moment as the Hasmoneans declared theyself to be kings dynasty in
Israel they destroy the royal framework for the Messiah to arise.

So if that fact had was confirmed trough inclusion the books in the TANAK, the
Council had declared them as legitimate royal dynasty and replace the Davidic
Lineage and destroy the Torah. Except for this error, the hasmoneans  or
Maccabees (Mikamojah B'elim Adonai) was considered as good shepherd for comun
jews at that time. 

However, for us, if Israelites or Messianic Jews and Messianic Believers,
there is another reason because we don't accepted it as inspired books:
Yeshua.  In Yohanan (John) 10 we have the story of Yeshua in Yerushalayim rejoicing in
the Hanukah Festival (Vr. 20-23). In that occasion he present himself to
Yisrael as a Good Shepherd and said: "He who does not enter through the door
into the sheepfold but enter through the derech hasha'ar ( climbs in some
other way), he is a ganav (thief)  and a  shoded (robber)" (Vr.1).

So Yeshua declared that the action of the Maccabees to proclaim theyself as a
royal family in Israel is similar to the false shepherd ( relly a 
thief). Therefore, that specific  actions invalided them to wrote and inspired book
worthy to be in the Tanak.

At the same time, the presence of Yeshua in Yerushalayim for Hanukkah endorse
the festival as valid for His talmidim ( disciples).
Shalom to All and again, Hag Sameah.

Dan ben Avraham.

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From:          "Shane Westhoelter"
To:            <heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Subject:       Re: Hanukkah and Sukkot

Dianne;

If you go back to the book of maccabees you will find that the feast
of "Hanukkah" was actually the feast of Tabernacles "Sukkot" as they
were at war during this time of the feast and could not or did not
celebrate it since the temple was desecrated.  It says in Mac. 10:5-9
" It came about that on the very same day ( 3 years later) on which
the sanctuary had been profaned by aliens, the purification of the
sanctuary took place, and they celebrated it for eight days with
gladness, like the SUKKOTH festival since they had missed it during
the time of war....and declared that the whole Jewish nation should
observe these days every year as a remeberance of their victory..."  

The eight day celebration also goes back to 2 Chorn. 29:3 - when King
Hezekiah rededicated the temple.  The pattern of eight days of
dedication is through out the Word, and the number eight in hebrew
also represents (means) "new beginings".  I teach and beleive that
Hannukkah is the same as the feast of Sukkoth as far as the feast is
concerned, but was also a feast set to remember the day(s) of
dedication and the uncompromising position of truth that the Maccabees
took.  When Yeshua said that "He was the light..." I beleive he was
speaking of the understanding of the Feast of Sukkoth and Dedication
as the two were related to each other.  He is to be or refuge and
dwelling place, we are to follow after HIM the light and the main
branch of the menorah.

To me Hanukkah is not a replacement for Christmas nor a day(s) of gift
giving etc.  It is a feast set by God for us to dedicate our selves
unto him and reflect on the "light" Yeshua.  We set these days aside
in our family as a time of the year to rededicate our temples (Our
bodies/lives) unto God and to remember to stand strong against the peer
presure of this world.  We must all make our choices, and for us
Christmas is not God's apponited day nor was it for the early church.

Happy Hanukkah;

Shane
Pastor Hidden Truth Ministries  

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