Actually
it's not. Hanukkah is held around 260
- 261 days into the Jewish calendar.
Also 10 lunar cycles are not 280 days
as a lunar cycle is not 28 days. A
lunar cycle for us on earth as we
measure new moon to new moon is on
average 29.530588
days, give or take a small fraction of
a day. This is why most Jewish
calendar months alternate between 29
and 30 days in length. In
addition, Hanukkah is not held at the
completion of 10 lunar cycles but 9
lunar cycles. It actually starts a few
days before the completion of 9 lunar
cycles and continues through 8 days
till just a few days past the
completion of 9 lunar cycles.
We
can still save the analogy by proposing
that Jesus Christ was delivered right at
37 weeks instead of 40 weeks, if born at
the beginning of Hanukkah and
circumcised the 8th day on the 8th day
of Hanukkah. If born on the 8th day of
Hanukkah then he would have been at 38
weeks which is even closer to 40 but we
lose the great analogy of Christ being
circumcised on the 8th day of Hanukkah.
If it is unacceptable to believe that
Jesus Christ could be born anything but
full term at 40 weeks and save this
great analogy along with the great
analogies of 40 weeks of trials and
tribulations, 40 years in the
wilderness, etc., then I think we have
no choice but push back the conception
to before Passover.
So
let's look at the Passover analogy.
Traditionally, the Jewish people do not
think of Passover as meaning "new life".
In fact quite the opposite. It means
death. It meant death of all firstborns
of families who had not sacrificed an
innocent lamb in the place of their
firstborn and smeared its blood upon the
entrance to their home. It meant death
every year since then on Passover of an
innocent lamb in rememberance of the
Death Angel sparing them in Egypt. It
meant death of the ultimate Lamb Of God
- Jesus Christ on Passover. Passover is
not a day of rejoicing but a day of
remembering being spared from our own
death with the substitute of another, of
eating bitter herbs and unleavened
bread.
While
I'm on a role. Jesus Christ came and
sacrificed His life so we could have
eternal life. Babies are not born with
eternal life. The soul is not eternal,
only the Spirit of God. We don't gain
the Spirit of God till we are born
again, born of the Spirit. Adam and Eve
did not pass down eternal life.
Remember, they were both banished from
the Garden of Eden before they could
partake of the Tree of Life, which is
the Spirit of God.
All
souls which lack the Spirit of God will
be thrown into the lake of fire which is
the second death, the death of the soul,
after Judgment Day. The soul does not
live eternally in hell after the death
of the body. Both those dead in the body
and whose soul is currently residing in
hell and hell itself, that's right hell
itself, will be thrown into the lake of
fire to be utterly consumed.
And
death and hell were cast into the
lake of fire. This is the second
death. Revelation 20:6
They
will not have eternal life in the lake
of fire but will perish. That's right
perish. That's what John 3:16 says. The
Bible says it and I believe it.
For
God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in
him should not perish, but
have everlasting life. John
3:16
The
consequences of sin which has reigned
since Adam is death, not everlasting
life in hell.
For
the wages of sin is death; but the
gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23
The
Jews didn't believe they would live
eternally like the Angels, regardless of
being sons of Adam. They kept asking
Jesus what they needed to do to gain
eternal life.
And,
behold, one came and said unto
him, Good Master, what good thing
shall I do, that I may have
eternal life? Matthew
19:16
Jesus
never taught that people already live
eternally, just that their final
destination would be different if they
believed in him.
He
that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth
not the Son shall not see life; but the
wrath of God abideth on him. John
3:36
Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that
heareth my word, and believeth on
him that sent me, hath everlasting
life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from
death unto life. John
5:24
And
this is the will of him that sent
me, that every one which seeth the
Son, and believeth on him, may
have everlasting life: and I will
raise him up at the last day.
John 6:40
But he
shall receive an hundredfold now in
this time, houses, and brethren, and
sisters, and mothers, and children,
and lands, with persecutions; and in
the world to come eternal life.
Mark 10:30
That
whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:15
Whoso
eateth my flesh, and drinketh
my blood, hath eternal life;
and I will raise him up at the
last day. John
6:54
As
thou hast given him power over
all flesh, that he should give
eternal life to as many as
thou hast given him. John
17:2
And
when the Gentiles heard this,
they were glad, and glorified
the word of the Lord: and as
many as were ordained to
eternal life believed. Acts
13:48
That
as sin hath reigned unto
death, even so might grace
reign through righteousness
unto eternal life by Jesus
Christ our Lord. Romans
5:21
These
things have I written unto you
that believe on the name of the
Son of God; that ye may know
that ye have eternal life, and
that ye may believe on the name
of the Son of God. I John 5:13
So
we have Adam which was a son of
God, that means a direct
descendant of God. And all the
Angels which are also sons of God,
direct descendants of God. The
difference is that Adam was made
mortal, of the dust of the ground,
with a soul that was not eternal.
All the Angels were made with
eternal life. They live forever,
they are the ones who have a
choice between living forever in
God's presence or the lake of
fire. We are not born as sons of
God but of man. We too, when we
are born again become direct
descendants of God. We become sons
of God, not through our flesh but
through God's Holy Spirit which He
pours into us, and we will now
live forever.
And so it
is written, The first
man Adam was made a
living soul; the last
Adam was made a
quickening spirit.
I Corinthians
15:45
My
sheep hear my
voice, and I
know them, and
they follow
me: And I give
unto them
eternal life;
and they shall
never perish,
neither shall
any man pluck
them out of my
hand. John
10:27-28
God's sheep
have eternal life and will
never perish. No one will
pluck them out of his
hand. God's sheep, those
who follow God as the
shepherd, include not only
those who have been born
again, born of God's
spirit, but those who were
born in the first place
with God's Spirit, the
Angels. This group will
never perish. I mean never
perish, even if they stop
following God as their
shepherd. I mean never
perish, even if thrown
into the lake of fire. We
know the final destination
for the devil who left his
first estate along with
the other Angels who leave
their first estate, after
the judgment day.
And the
angels which kept not
their first estate, but
left their own
habitation, he hath
reserved in everlasting
chains under darkness
unto the judgment of the
great day. Jude
1:6
They will be
thrown into the lake of
fire where they will not
perish but be tormented
forever.
And the
devil that deceived them
was cast into the lake
of fire and brimstone,
where the beast and the
false prophet are, and
shall be tormented day
and night for ever and
ever. Revelation
20:10
And it may
not be a popular message
which many preachers who
want to be well liked in
the community avoid, but
we also as born again
believers, as sons of God,
will never perish if we
chose to stop being a
sheep of the Most High
God, if we chose to stop
following His voice and
are thrown along with the
fallen Angels into the
lake of fire. Although,
Hebrews compares this
message with those who are
still drinking milk.
For every
one that useth milk is
unskilful in the word of
righteousness: for he is
a babe. But strong meat
belongeth to them that
are of full age, even
those who by reason of
use have their senses
exercised to discern
both good and evil.
Hebrews 5:13-14
And who wants
to be told they are still
drinking milk. Although
there must be preachers to
feed those who can only
drink milk. So what
follows the elementary
teachings of the Gospel
is:
For it is
impossible for those who
were once enlightened,
and have tasted of the
heavenly gift, and were
made partakers of the
Holy Ghost, And have
tasted the good word of
God, and the powers of
the world to come, If
they shall fall away, to
renew them again unto
repentance; seeing they
crucify to themselves
the Son of God afresh,
and put him to an open
shame. Hebrews
6:4-6
Not only
that, which putting the
Son of God to open shame
should never be
diminished. But if it
weren't impossible, then
it would then be possible
for the Angels who left
their first estate and
fell away to renew them
unto repentance also and
restore them in right
standing before God. Won't
happen. God is Just. The
devil and his cohorts know
their final destination
and would do anything if
possible to escape. What's
worse than being thrown
into the lake of fire and
perishing? Being thrown
into the lake of fire and
not perishing.
For if
after they have escaped
the pollutions of the
world through the
knowledge of the Lord
and Saviour Jesus
Christ, they are again
entangled therein, and
overcome, the latter end
is worse with them than
the beginning. II
Peter 2:20
Much worse.
Who wouldn't much rather
have a quick second death
than spend eternity in the
lake of fire.
For it
had been better for them
not to have known the
way of righteousness,
than, after they have
known it, to turn from
the holy commandment
delivered unto them.
II Peter 2:21
Much better.
Shalom!
And the
very God of peace
sanctify you wholly; and
I pray God your whole
spirit and soul and body
be preserved blameless
unto the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
I Thessalonians
5:23