Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

Kislev, the ninth month on the Hebrew calendar.

We are presently in the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar, which corresponds to December on the Gregorian calendar used in the western world. During this month two divergent holidays occur, the one on the 25th of Kislev, known as Chanukah and the other on the 25th of December, known as Xmas. Even though the two dates might at times coincide, they are usually on two different dates on the Gregorian calendar in use in the western world, as the Hebrew calendar is based on both the Lunar and Solar systems of the world, the Gregorian calendar is only based on the Solar system. 

Interestingly enough there are a number of different events which occurred during the month of Kislev, recorded in the Tanach, the apocryphal Book of Maccabees and the Renewed Covenant. By considering each of these events in the Scriptures, you will notice that the events which occurred during Kislev relate to the struggle that numerous of Elohim’s people went through and are still going through during this particular season of the year. Yes, even prior to the introduction of Xmas by Constantine the Great during 325 CE, this has been the time of the year during which the enemies of true believers in YHVH the Elohim of Israel, have exerted extra pressure on Elohim’s people to compromise their faith and to conform to the traditions of the world. Let’s therefore familiarize ourselves with each of these events, by studying them as they are recorded in the books of the Scriptures.

We commence our journey during the time of Jeremiah the prophet around 606 BCE. It happened during the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, that YHVH came to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 36: 2 & 3, saying: “Take a scroll and write on it all the words which I have spoken to you concerning Israel, and concerning Judah, and concerning all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day. (3) Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity which I plan to bring on them, in order that every man will turn from his evil way; then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.” Because Jeremiah was in prison at that time, he asked his scribe, whose name was Baruch, to read the scroll in the Temple. Soon after Baruch read the scroll, the King of Judah heard about it, and sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah to fetch Baruch to read it to him. As recorded in verses 22 & 23, the King asked Jehudi to read it to him as well as to the officials beside him, as follows: ‘Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month (Kislev), with a fire burning in the brazier before him. (23) And it came about, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut it with a scribe’s knife and threw it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.’ Most astute students of the Scriptures are aware that most of the prophecies of Jeremiah dealt as warnings to the house of Judah about the upcoming Babylonian captivity of Elohim’s chosen people. In addition, most people familiar with what Babylon represents know that the modern celebration of Xmas is the essence of the false Babylonian church system’s celebrations.  Those of us who have expressed our disapproval of the Xmas celebration, by not getting involved in it, do not see people literally getting rid of, or hiding the Scriptures in defiance of Elohim’s warnings to His true worshippers at this time. Even though not all Christians do this, the reaction of some when told the truth about Xmas amounts to the same thing.  Every year prior to these pagan festivities Satan and his agents make those who stopped keeping it; feel like being the proverbial scrooge for not partaking in the Babylonian celebrations. Similar to the way Jeremiah’s warnings about the dangers of Babylon fell on deaf ears during Kislev many years ago, so do our warnings about Xmas fall on deaf ears during this time of the year, when it is needed most.

After the Jews went into captivity for seventy years, a remnant returned to the Promised Land to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem as well as the Temple. But, the enemies of the Jews were against the restoration of Jerusalem and Temple and when their opposition intensified, Elohim’s people were intimidated and stopped working on the temple, and started building their own homes instead. By that time (520 BCE), YHVH sent the prophet Haggai to encourage His people to continue with their reconstruction work on the Temple, by not giving them rain, and as a result they started working on the Temple once again. When later YHVH saw that the Temple that His people were busy constructing will pale in comparison with the one the Babylonians destroyed, He again spoke to Haggai, saying that He is going to inspire all the nations of the world to bring their wealth so that He may fill the Temple with glory. YHVH spoke a third time to Haggai as recorded in Haggai 2: 10, in this way: ‘On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of YHVH came to Haggai the prophet saying:’ This message concerned set-apartness and Elohim’s promise that He will prevail over the kingdoms of the heathen. From reading from verses 11 – 23 of Haggai 2, it appears that Elohim’s intimidated remnant needed this kind of encouragement at that time. Similarly, some of us, the remnant of those called out of the religions of the world, need to be reminded of Elohim’s set-apartness (or holiness) and the certainty of His victory over the heathen of the world, especially during this so-called silly season , when the fusion of heathen customs with the holy (set-apart) reaches its pinnacle during the Xmas holiday, a day celebrated by lascivious (lustful) behavior and drunkenness at parties and later in the evening, whilst most are still intoxicated, in reverent adoration of the Madonna and Child at a midnight Mass.

Next we turn to the book of Zechariah (written around 518 BCE) to read about his message to Elohim’s remnant who returned to Jerusalem. Zechariah, similar to Haggai also received a message from Elohim during the month of Kislev, as recorded in Zechariah 7: 1, as follows: ‘Then it came about in the fourth year of King Darius, that the word of YHVH came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth moth which is Chislev (or Kislev).’ This message was in response to a question some of the people asked Zechariah about certain extra-Scriptural religious traditions that they normally keep. These people wanted to know if they should continue to observe these traditions or not. This is the same question Elohim’s people should ask themselves at this time. In our case, we should question the man-made traditions that falls during the same time as Kislev or December on the Gregorian calendar. In the case of the remnant that returned to Judah from their Babylonian captivity, Zechariah’s reply referred these people to the former prophets and to Torah. That is also where we should turn to find the answers to our questions about these December pagan celebrations. For example we read from Deuteronomy 12: 29 -32, as follows: “When YHVH your Elohim cuts off before you the nations which you are going in to dispossess them and dwell in their land, (30) beware that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’ (31) You shall not behave thus toward YHVH your Elohim, for every abominable act which YHVH hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. (32) Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.” The problem is that this is the last place most in Churchianity will turn to.

We continue with our study in the book of Ezra in the Tanach, when 43,360 exiles from the house of Judah returned to the Promised Land from Babylon, 70 years after they were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. This was when King Cyrus, inspired by YHVH wrote in Ezra 1: 2 – 4, saying: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘YHVH, the G-d of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. (3) Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his G-d be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of YHVH, the G-d of Israel; He is the G-d who is in Jerusalem. (4) And every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of G-d which is in Jerusalem.’” A whole assembly of people gathered together with Ezra and Zerubbabel to return to Jerusalem from Babylon to start rebuilding both the Temple and walls of Jerusalem, which were destroyed by king Nebuchadnezzar 70 years earlier. This happened during 457 BCE. However, typical with Elohim’s people, during Ezra’s time, many of these returning Jews began to intermarry with the pagan nations living around Jerusalem at that time. This was when Ezra a priest in service of YHVH considered Elohim’s word in Torah and realized that those who married pagan wives committed a serious offence contrary to the teachings of Elohim. So he called the leaders of the returnees together and spoke to them after which they did some serious prayer and repentance before YHVH the Elohim of Israel.

The leaders of the nation then called all the people together and addressed this serious problem. This happened on the 20th of Kislev as we read from Ezra 10: 9 - 11, in this way: ‘So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of Elohim, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. (10) Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel.  (11) Now, therefore, make confession to YHVH Elohim of your fathers, and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.”  As can be seen here, it was during Kislev when Elohim’s people became aware of the seriousness of the mistake they made in marrying pagan wives. Oddly enough, it is also at this time of the year that some of Elohim’s people become aware of the mistake of the Xmas celebrations that they partake of annually. As they are beginning to understand this pagan holiday from Elohim’s perspective, they realize that similar to the Jews during Ezra’s time, they must separate themselves from pagan ways. Just as it must have been very difficult for those Jews during that time to give up their families, it is very difficult for those coming from Christianity to separate themselves from the pagan-based Xmas holiday celebrations. Nevertheless, similar to the way the Jews of that time had to do it to show YHVH that He is in charge of what and how we should live as His chosen people, we who are called out of the churches of the world, have to make YHVH the King in our lives and separate ourselves from our families and friends at this time. Even so, the truth regarding Messiah’s birth is not so well known. For example we read In Luke 2: 8, ‘And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night.’ If Yahshua was born in Israel during what we know as December, there would not have been shepherds out in the open on the hills of Israel, since  the ninth month according to the Hebrew calendar, is a very cold rainy season in the region (as shown in Ezra 10: 9 quoted earlier). The weather in Israel did not change from that day until Messiah’s time. In fact it is still more or less the same today. Shepherds took their sheep, into the open fields during spring, at the time of Passover and brought them back to sheltered areas during Cheshvan the eighth month according to the Hebrew calendar, which is around mid-November according to the Gregorian calendar.

We read more about the affliction of the remnant from the house of Judah who returned to Jerusalem to rebuild its walls and the Temple in the book of Nehemiah (around 446 BCE). Nehemiah was a cupbearer (the person who served wine) to King Artaxerxes in Babylon. Because, these pagan kings always feared that those who desire their position in their kingdom would poison them, the position of cupbearer required the service of a very loyal trustworthy individual. These cupbearers used to have to drink the wine they bring to the king in the kings presence, before handing the cup to the king to drink. Reading from Nehemiah 1: 1 – 3 we see how this account unfolds, in this way: ‘The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, (2) that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. (3) And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.” Kislev is still a time of the year when Elohim’s called out ones, the remnant who left the Babylon of this world – the false religion referred to in Revelation 18 as ‘BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH’, are in affliction and reproach, because of their refusal to participate in the Xmas festivities with families and friends. In Nehemiah’s time the remnant who went back to Jerusalem were battling to rebuild the Temple and city walls with literally a trowel in one hand and a sword or bow and arrow in the other. Similarly must we be careful not to let Satan and his agents break down the walls of the Temple that YHVH is busy building with us as building blocks, as witnessed in first Peter 2: 5, as follows: ‘You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Elohim through Yahshua Messiah.’ We should not let the affliction and reproach of family and friends cause us to weaken our resolve to abstain from the pagan revelry.

In Messiah’s Olivet prophecy He spoke about the same ‘Abomination that makes desolate’ that the prophet Daniel spoke about saying in Matthew 24: 15, “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand).” What did these two prophets mean by the words ‘Abomination of Desolation’?  A dictionary definition of the word abomination is: the act of abominating or state of being abominated; detestation, make detestable, hateful or abhorrent. The dictionary definition for desolation is to lay waste, to leave alone, to forsake. Reading from Daniel 11: 30 & 31 where ‘the Abomination of Desolation’ is mentioned a third time in the Book of Daniel, he wrote: “For ships of Kittim will come against him; therefore he will be disheartened, and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. (31) And forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.”  What is this holy covenant spoken about in verse 30? We read from Exodus 31: 16, ‘So the sons of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, to celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.’  This shows that the holy covenant has to do with Sabbath observance by all Jews and therefore also in the modern day land of Israel.  Yahshua prophesied that in the near future, prior to His return, the king of the north will come against the king of the south, but ships will come against him and he will be discouraged and go to the Land of Israel, where he will become enraged because of Sabbath keeping and will show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant, meaning those who break the Sabbath by keeping either Sunday or Friday in the holy land, namely Christians and Arabs.  In addition some of his soldiers will desecrate the sanctuary fortress (Temple) by doing away with the regular sacrifices and setting up the abomination of desolation. How can someone possibly desecrate the Temple? As we’ve seen from the dictionary definitions of the two words abomination and desolation, they will make the Temple abominable for Jews to enter and therefore offer unclean meat on the altar to their god (or Baal which means Lord). We return to Matthew 24: 16 & 20, where Yahshua continued His Olivet Prophecy saying: ‘Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (20) But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.’  The forces of this evil king obviously will keep Xmas, drinking and do foolish things during winter in Israel, and desecrate the Sabbath, hence the warning in verse 20.

This will happen in what is yet future to us, but happened in the past as well. As we continue our journey through the Scriptures in the first and second books of Maccabees, we will notice that it deals with the defilement and purification of the Temple during 164 – 167 BCE. The two books of Maccabees is about the Chanukah account; It relates how Antiochus Epiphanes invaded the land of Judah and tried the force our Jewish Brothers to compromise and assimilate with the world. He outlawed Sabbath observance and circumcision, burned Torah scrolls, and commanded the eating of pig meat and those Jews who refused were tortured and killed. We see the temple was desecrated at that time as recorded in 2 Maccabees 6: 1 - 4, by dedicating it to the Olympian Zeus, as follows: ‘Shortly afterwards, the king sent an old man from Athens to compel the Jews to abandon their ancestral customs and live no longer by the Laws of G-d; (2) and to profane the Temple in Jerusalem and dedicate it to Olympian Zeus, and that on Mount Gerizim to Zeus, patron of strangers, as the inhabitants (the Samarians) had requested. (3) The imposition of this evil was oppressive and altogether intolerable. (4) The Temple was filled with reveling and debauchery by the pagans, who took their pleasure with prostitutes and had intercourse with women in sacred precincts, introducing other indecencies besides.’  This was done on the fifteenth of Kislev, and then on the twenty-fifth of Kislev a sacrifice was offered to inaugurate the altar (as per first Maccabees 1: 54 – 59). On the twenty fifth of Kislev Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a prefigure of the so-called Anti-Messiah defiled the temple and forced Elohim’s people to participate in pagan celebrations during Kislev which coincide with December on the Gregorian calendar. The Maccabees eventually defeated the enemy, after which they cleansed and rededicated the Temple on the 25th of Kislev. We see from 2 Maccabees 10: 5 that the purification of the Temple occurred on the very same day on which it had been profaned.  Chanukah is all about Elohim’s people gaining victory over pagan’s pressure to conform to the world. It is ironic that most Christians have been deceived to celebrate Xmas; a holiday inundated with paganism, at the same time of the year during which Elohim’s peoples commemorates victory over paganism and to remain Torah observant against overwhelming odds. If we are aware of the fact that what happened in history, will happen again, we will understand Messiah’s Olivet prophesy and remember that when this happens again, His return will be on the horizon.  

Eventually we get to the Renewed Covenant, where we see that Yahshua who was a Jew whose ancestry through Miriam can be traced right back to Zerubbabel who was one of the remnant of the Jews who returned to the Promised Land with Ezra and Nehemiah to rebuild the Temple, after their 70 year captivity in Babylon. We start reading about the time when Yahshua, a Jew by birth, attended the Feast of Chanukah in the Temple. This was also the day on which He gave a sermon in the synagogue recorded in John 10, saying in verses 14 – 18: “I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me, (15) even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. (16) And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd. (17) For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. (18) No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative.  I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.  This commandment I received from My Father.”  Yahshua was telling the Jews two important things here: The first being, that they are not responsible for His death, as so many in Churchianity assert. He died willingly for the sins of the world, laying His life down for His sheep (those who follow Him). He also authenticated the Jewish synagogue as His sheepfold, adding that is in accordance with His main purpose, He has other sheep also (talking about us – the called out ones from the lost ten tribes), whom He will bring in to  eventually join them, to become one flock with one shepherd.  We see in verses 19 - 21 of John 10 that at this point ‘There arose a division again among the Jews because of these words. (20) And many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane.  Why do you listen to Him?” (21)  Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of one demon possessed.  A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?”’

In verse 22 - 24 of John 10, we are given the time of the year during which Yahshua gave the teaching recorded in John, as follows: ‘At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; (23) it was winter, and Yahshua was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. (24) The Jews therefore gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense?  If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”’ In verse 25 - 27 ‘Yahshua answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these bear witness of Me. (26) But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep. (27) My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me,”’ Yahshua attended Chanukah in the synagogue and gave one of His most important teachings at this time. Ask yourself, are you prepared to follow where Yahshua leads? Some Nazarene Israelites insinuate that Yahshua was not keeping ‘this Jewish festival’ and was only present in the temple, because it might have been on the Sabbath during Chanukah. The question is: If Chanukah was a ‘pagan’ Jewish festival, why did Yahshua not rebuke the Jews concerning its observance? Think carefully about it. If He observed Chanukah, will you follow Him, or not. If you are not prepared to follow our Master Yahshua, then I am sorry to tell you, that you are also not part of His sheepfold. Continuing in verses 28 & 29 of John 10 Yahshua said: “And I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” Once we are part of the sheepfold of Yahshua, we cannot be snatched out of His hand; we have made it, provided we remain faithful to YHVH and His Torah and do not leave the fold on our own accord. The important teaching that Yahshua gave on Chanukah was that He is one with YHVH, as is recorded in verse 30 of John 10, as follows: “I and the Father are one.” The Jews understood exactly what Yahshua was claiming here and as we read in verse 31 ‘The Jews took up stones again to stone Him.’ How long are those who call them by His title: Nazarenes, going to contradict their Master?

We all know that Yahshua our Messiah’s return is near.  Are we prepared to follow Him at this time or not? If not, we might be the ones who are spoken about in Matthew 7: 21, as follows: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” Think about it and make the correct decision!