The Light that is Dark vs. The Light of God.
Last year in the days preceding Hanukkah there was a “Hanukkah” lighting ceremony that drew attention because it was done in such a way as to demote and denigrate the True Light and also the central focus of Hanukkah.
**Jean Stepnoski also highlighted this in her Nov 16 post, and said that it was done “as a clear ANTI- HANUKKAH MESSAGE”
**[Thankyou Jean, and also Kari for your contributions in helping to follow this through to understand what was really going on with that “ceremony”]
I have previously written about the overview of JOHN 10 as it has been unfolded to my understanding, that there seems to be a context in that chapter of Jesus first outlining the contrast between Himself as the Good Shepherd, and the Antichrist or false /idol shepherd who is a pretender and doesn’t care for the sheep at all.
Then immediately following this discussion we see Jesus at the Feast of Dedication (or Lights) and giving the reassurance that no one can pluck (harpazo G726) his sheep out of His hand. (a possible link of Hanukkah with the Harpazo)
In Kari’s post on Nov 20th she mentioned the link between Pleiades and the “Festival of Lights” known as KARTHIKAI DEEPAM. Although I knew there was a Hindu festival of lights, as it was mentioned in November 2010 in proximity to Barack Obama’s visit to India, I did not “get” the connection until this week.
Kari’s post caused me to take another look at this festival and what I discovered seems to have “connected many of the dots” for me.
I am amazed and give thanks for the revelation to the LORD.
KARTHIKAI DEEPAM is the last day of a ten day festival in which lamps are lit in honor of Lord Shiva (The destroyer) who is considered as appearing as an endless flame of light.. The name Karthikai means Pleiades and Deepam means lamps. The last day of this festival occurs on the Full Moon, when it is in conjunction with the constellation Pleiades (in our November, on Kislev 14)
** It therefore precedes Hanukkah, the True Festival of Lights, representing the True Light of the World, by TEN DAYS. This year, Karthikai Deepam falls on November 28th. This date is also the day of the LUNAR ECLIPSE. Lunar eclipses are (I believe) thought by the ancient rabbis to be an omen (warning) for Israel, whilst Solar eclipses a warning to the world.
I find it a curious convergence of events to have the pair of eclipses this fortnight which seem to “match” the words of Joel 2:31 and Acts 2:20 end on the last day of the ANTI – HANUKKAH of Karthikai Deepam. To me, it represents the zenith of the false light – the light that is dark, just prior to the festival of HANUKKAH that celebrates victory over the darkness, by the True Light of the World.
A personal encounter.
**On the 21st November, 2010 at 4:08 am, I woke up suddenly and heard the Voice of the Lord say to me, “Shall not I rise up to judge the inhabitants of the earth?” I was trembling all over and His statement seemed to demand an answer. Still trembling, I said “Yes Lord, but extend Mercy and Grace first”. I felt the sense of impending Judgement on the world – The date in the Hebrew calendar was KISLEV 14 which this year, 2012, falls on November 28th (the same day as the Lunar Eclipse & the last day of Karthikai Deepam. In my research I discovered that on that last day of this festival to lord Shiva the main ritual is between 4 – 4:30am) I mention this as a warning that the 10 days from Nov 28th – December 8th may be the “10 days of tribulation” that some doves have mentioned. In 2007, on one of the few occasions I have heard the Lord speak, He said those words to me from Revelation 2:10 “Ye shall have tribulation 10 days”. For this reason, I am passing this information on now as these isolated events seem to be converging at this present time. **
** I would like to highlight for you these aspects of what I’ve written so far.
· The end date of the false/ counterfeit festival of lights is Nov 28.
· The Lunar eclipse (warning to Israel) on the same day Nov 28th. (Kislev 14)
· The 10 day interval between the last day of Karthikai Deepam and the auspicious date of Kislev 24 referenced 3 times in Haggai.
· The sequence … First comes the counterfeit, followed by the True Light.
To me this pattern is what I believe the Lord was trying to show me in the overview of John 1o – The antichrist and the relationship in time to Hanukkah.
We know from the day counts in Daniel that the Tribulation or 70th week ends with the completion of the 1335 days on Hanukkah.
In my learning under God’s tutoring, He has highlighted for me the concept of First – Last in many ways. I believe Clay on this site was also shown this. We know that when John sees the Risen Lord Jesus in Revelation 1, he sees Him in the midst of the 7 candlesticks. Jesus had just announced Himself as “The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending”. Shortly after, in Ch 4:1, John is “called up” to heaven.
I think it is entirely possible that Hanukkah is also “the first and the last”. Perhaps it will be the time of the beginning as well as the ending of the 70th week of Daniel.
In another way, I think Jesus may be the fulfilment of Hanukkah as the First and the Last Feast. I know that there are differing views on this issue so I only present this aspect as a “possibility” to consider.
Zola Levitt showed the correlation of a baby’s development in relation to the 7 Feasts of Israel on the corresponding days of these feasts. However, as some one here pointed out the model will not extend to a birth on Hanukkah as it falls short of the 280 days of gestation. I am not disparaging Zola’s discovery at all – it blessed me greatly.
I do believe from the Gospel record however that it is more likely that Jesus was born around September or in the Hebrew month of Tishri.
A simple calculation shows that if Jesus was conceived
(Incarnated) in the middle of Hanukkah (where the Servant lamp stands) 280 days later it is The Feast of Tabernacles.
This model seems to fit better with Jesus being born on the First day of Tabernacles and circumcised (dedicated) on the 8th day.
This model would have Jesus’ incarnation on the 5th position of the 9 branched Hanukkiah (He was incarnated at the beginning of the 5th “day” or millennium.) Adding 280 days lands on 15th Tisrei.
I suggest that the Rapture could be at the end of the 6th day/ beginning of the 7th Day as represented on the Hanukkiah.
Or it could be at the beginning of Hanukkah.
If Jesus’ Incarnation was at the centre position of the 9 branched Hanukkiah of Hanukkah – we could say that in his life as the Servant, He fulfilled the Feast of Hanukkah first and if the 70th week ends with Hanukkah then He will fulfil Hanukkah last with the Rededication of the Temple and taking His rightful place as Christ the King.
I hope this is a blessing to the Doves, we are very close to meeting our Blessed Saviour. May we all keep our hearts and minds on Him who is the True Light of the World, “who lighteth every man that cometh into the world” [ John 1:9, 8:12]
Love and Peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.
ML.