Dear Doves,
 
   Before we reach the beginning of Hanukkah at Hanukkah Eve on 12-7-2012, are precious days of TRANSITION, for practicing Christians, Protestants and Roman Catholics. This year it will be the week of 11-25 to 12-1-2012. The eternal household of faith of the followers of the Messiah of Israel, Christ the Lord, has grown since the miraculous events on Shavuot (Pentecost), 10 days after the Ascension of The Master. This dispensation called The Age of Grace has been a vibrant Pentecost outreach for 20 centuries, well over 700,000 days. The completion of "the fullness of the Gentiles" draws closer each day. As Christians we should value our own Spiritual Year, our own Annual Cycle, and our own Liturgical Year. These begin and end, complete, and conclude. We do well to consider the days before us of the ending and the beginning anew of the Christian Annual Cycle.
   The annual Pentecost Season can be understood 2 ways: Jewish and Christian. For the House of Israel, the Pentecost Season is shorter, from Shavuot (Pentecost) until (Yom Teruah), The Feast of Trumpets. It is part of the Spiritual Year Calendar from Spring to Spring expressed in the Hillel Calendar. The Christian Calendar is from Autumn to Autumn, from Advent to Advent. The Pentecost Season is huge in importance for Christians, it is so long. It is by far the longest spiritual season of the Christian Liturgical Year, 6 months. The last week, the last days, the latter days of the latter days will be 11-25 to 12-1 this year. The wrap up, the conclusion, the completion, the ending will be The Week Of Christ The King. This year it will be Lectionary 34, Year B. Some Scriptures will be the following: Daniel 7: 9-10, 13-14 and Psalm 93, and Revelation 1: 4b-8, and John 18: 33-37. The Last Day will be 11-30 to 12-1, a Shabbat, Scriptural Day 7.
   On 12-2, 5 days before Hanukkah Eve on 12-7, the Christian Annual Cycle eagerly and joyously begins, born again and anew with reflections upon the humble beginnings of The Redeemer of Humankind at His First Advent, with His conception, birth, and nativity narratives. We go forth into 4 (the Servant Lamp number) weeks, a lovely season of expectancy and abundant thanksgiving! Days of gratitude abound! Many stories about Hanukkah concern the defeat of Antiochus Ephiphanes IV of Syria, his evil ilk, and their murderous and wicked intentions. Yet, the taking back of The Temple, its cleansing and dedication were a prelude to events unknown, to be fulfilled  many decades later. Restoration was imperative for the following: the Office of the High Priest, the Levitical Priesthood, the Torah commanded ways of living at Temple, synagogues, and homes. After about 160 years, 8 reproductive generations at 20 years each, Immanuel  was born. Hanukkah events set into motion again the necessary spiritual attitudes, practices, and values for The Preparing of The Way, the Anticipation for The Coming of the Lord!
   The Week Of Christ The King, (The King of Kings and The Lord of Lords), victorious forever over death and sins, underscores and highlights all spiritual lessons learned by each and every Christian through the whole of the Liturgical Year. The bringing in of the last of the harvest of souls, then the transformation of the fullness of the Gentile Christians, the blood bought ones from those of the former pagans in The Nations may be indeed near, even before any of the days of Hanukkah 1-8 in 2012! Conclusion, completion, ending, and transition shall be led by THE KING! Resurrection, on the near horizon? May The Captain of Our Souls soon arrive! Our Season of Expectancy is upon us!
 
With Love and Shalom,
Jean