CHAG SAMEACH! Happy Festival!
The Dedication and Completion of the House of Elohim
Chanukah—Originally
Chanukah means ‘dedication.’ In the Scriptures, each time the House of Elohim was completed, the House was dedicated to YAHUAH with prayers and offerings. Moshe (Moses) dedicated the Tabernacle in the wilderness in Numbers/Bemidbar 7. Shelomoh (Solomon) dedicated the permanent House of Elohim in Yerushalayim in 1 Kings/Melakim 8. Ezra dedicated the Second House of Elohim in Ezra 6:15-18. At times, the permanent House of Elohim was defiled by sin and idolatry. The House would become abandoned and broken down. However, YAH always raised up one who would restore true worship of Elohim. He would lead the people with repentance, repair the House, reinstate the priests, and bring back the service of the House.
Today’s traditional observance of Chanukah celebrates such a time. It is a yearly celebration remembering the fallen Hekal (Set-Apart Place) and its restoration during the time of the Maccabees. The Greeks had defiled the House of Elohim with idols and profane sacrifices. Yehudah (Judah) Maccabee led the Yahudim (Jews) to defeat the Greeks and restore the House. They cleaned the House, rebuilt the set-apart altar, and lit the lamp (menorah). On the 25th day of the ninth month (Kislev), they rededicated the House to YAHUAH and restored true worship. [The purification and rededication occurred on the same day it was defiled.] They declared by edict that every year on this day, Chanukah would be celebrated in remembrance of defeating the Greeks.
Jews (and most Messianic Jews) celebrate this season each year with the nine-candle lamp, called the Chanukiah. The Chanukiah is used in remembrance of the miracle of the oil. According to tradition, when Yehudah Maccabee relit the lamp in the House of Elohim, they only had enough oil for one day, but it lasted eight days until more oil could be made. Jews use the Chanukiah to focus on this miracle for eight days, even though the lamp that was actually lit in the House of Elohim was the seven-candle menorah. As set-apart believers of Elohim, we celebrate Chanukah focusing more on the rebuilding and purification of the House of Elohim at this season.
House of Elohim
When Moshe finished setting up the Dwelling Place, He anointed it and set it apart (Num/Bem. 7:1). While in the wilderness, it served as a place for worship and meeting with YAH. However, this place was only temporary. It was taken down—not destroyed—when a permanent Dwelling Place was complete. YAH told David that his son who would come from his loins would build the house. David’s son Shelomoh built the permanent Hekal (Set-Apart Place) of YAH in Yerushalayim to house the Ark of the Covenant. Throughout Scripture, this House was broken, abandoned, and defiled several times because of the sins of the people and the sins of the leaders. As punishment, YAH would give them into the hands of their enemies until the people repented. Then, YAH would deliver them and give them relief from their enemies. They would then purify the House, repair it, and restore true worship of Elohim—but only for a time until the cycle began again and the House was again defiled (book of Kings & Chronicles). Eventually, the House was completely destroyed and Yisra’el was exiled from their land. When the House was destroyed, the altar was gone and no offerings were being made to YAH. There was no light (menorah), and there was no ark.
The House of Elohim built by Shelomoh was a natural House built by the hands of man. It was a sign of the more permanent, spiritual House not made by the hands of man. This spiritual House is also built by the Son of David—Yahushuah. YAHUSHUAH, the Son of Elohim, came to rebuild the House of YAHUAH, and He, the High Priest, cannot sin. He is the House of YAH, and those who follow Him become a Hekal (Set-Apart Place) for YAHUAH in the earth. The natural and the spiritual come together—on earth as it is in heaven.
“See, the Man whose name is the Branch! And from His place He shall branch out, and He shall build the Hekal of YAHUAH. It is He who is going to build the Hekal of YAHUAH. It is He who is going to bear the splendor. And He shall sit and rule on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between Them both” (Zech/Zek. 6:12,13).
Yahushuah—the House of Elohim
Yahushuah is the True House of Elohim! He stood before the permanent House of YAH in Yerushalayim and told the Pharisees: “Destroy this Dwelling Place, and in three days I shall raise it” (John/Yoh. 2:19). Like the natural House of Elohim built by Shelomoh, Yahushuah was also defiled. He came to be a sin offering for the people, and all the sins of the world, idolatry, and all manner of filth came upon Him. He was broken down—beaten and impaled. While He was on the stake, it became dark for three hours—the Light was out. He could not pray to the Father because He had forsaken Him—the altar was destroyed. When Yahushuah gave His last breath, the House of Elohim was destroyed.
Yet, the Power of Elohim raised the House back up! Yahushuah was in the grave three days and three nights, and YAH restored Him to life. Yahushuah was resurrected, and when He ascended to Heaven, the purification of the House was complete. The House of Elohim was restored! The Light once again shone and the altar was restored!
Yahudim—the House of Elohim on earth
Yahushuah is the House of Elohim restored. Shelomoh’s natural House was destroyed, but Yahushuah was raised up as a Spiritual House in the spiritual city of Renewed Yerushalayim. His followers represent the Spiritual House of Elohim on earth.
On the first day of the week after His resurrection, Yahushuah went to ten of His followers and breathed the Set-Apart Spirit on them. He gave them the authority to forgive or retain the sins of the people. On the eighth day, He again appeared to seven of His taught-ones by the sea. He instructed them and blessed them with 153 big fish. They brought the fish to Him, and then Yahushuah called out Kepha and gave him the position of feeding His lambs, shepherding His sheep, and feeding His sheep (John/Yoh. 20,21).
Yahushuah came and completed their belief in Him—that He is the Messiah, the Son of the Living Elohim—so that they might possess His Name. From the first day to the eighth day, Yahushuah completed the Festival of Booths (Sukkot). He completed the promise that He would be in them and walk among them. He gave them the Set-Apart Spirit so He could be in them, and they became the Dwelling Place of Elohim on earth, a place for His Name. With Yahushuah, the Light of the world, dwelling in them, they too became light to the world (Matt. 5:14; John/Yoh. 8:12). (Just as there were ten lampstands in the House built by Shelomoh, there were also ten taught-ones who received the Set-Apart Spirit.) The taught-ones would forgive sins in His Name, thus doing the work of the altar. The House, the altar, and the light restored!
Set-Apart Celebration of Chanukah
Yahushuah died and was resurrected at the time of Passover in the first month. The time of the rededication of the House of Elohim is in Kislev—the ninth month. Chanukah is a celebration of the rebirth! At Passover, we believe in Him and the offering that He made for us, and we commit our lives to Him. This is our conception. We continue to follow Him, denying ourselves and giving to the poor in order to be built into a Dwelling Place for His Name. Nine months later at Chanukah, we are sons and daughters of Elohim, conceived by the Set-Apart Spirit and born into the body of Messiah. We are the rebuilt House of Elohim. At Chanukah, we rededicate this House of Elohim and celebrate Yahushuah, the High Priest over this House. We celebrate the set-apart nation of kings and priests that He has raised up to do the work of His House, serving at His altar.
The Rededication
This is the generation raising up the Renewed Hekal of YAHUAH! YAH has chosen Renewed Yerushalayim as the Place of His Dwelling, and we who have entered Yerushalayim are the Dwelling Place of Elohim, the House for His Name. We can no longer defile ourselves! Our former lives of sin and idolatry destroyed the House of Elohim, but we have been rebuilt in Yahushuah and cleansed and purified by His blood. Now, we must rededicate ourselves to Him. We must be a light to the world by obeying His commandments. We must restore the altar by making offerings of righteousness:
· Execute true right-ruling
· Show kindness and compassion everyone to his brother
· Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the stranger or the poor
· Do not plot evil in your hearts against one another
· Speak the truth to one another
· Judge with truth and right-ruling for peace in your gates
· Do not love a false oath
(Zech/Zek. 7:9,10; 8:16,17)
To rededicate ourselves as the House of Elohim, we make a trustworthy pledge (prayer of dedication) to serve YAHUAH, to remain pure and undefiled from sin and idolatry, and to serve at the altar. (Neh. 9:38)
The Word of YAH came to the prophet Haggai on the 24th day of Kislev, after the foundation of the House was laid, saying, “From this day on I shall bless you!” The blessings of YAHUAH come and fill the storehouse after we repent, purify ourselves, restore His Dwelling Place, and rededicate ourselves to serving at His altar doing works of righteousness.
This Chanukah season, beginning on the 25th of Kislev, we will celebrate the rebirth of the Nation of Elohim, Yisra’el, through our Messiah Yahushuah. Yahushuah is our High Priest Who has made us into the Dwelling Place of Elohim. He has raised us up as a set-apart nation of kings and priests who serve at the altar of YAHUAH doing works of righteousness. We will make a trustworthy pledge by praying the Prayer of Dedication to rededicate ourselves as the Dwelling Place of Elohim and for eight days we will celebrate our High Priest, the Rebuilt Dwelling Place, and the renewed nation doing the work of Elohim!
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
“Blessed is YAHUAH, the Rock of My salvation.YAHUAH lives and blessed is His Name. Praise unto You Almighty Elohim!
I cry out to You my Elohim! I cry out to You to deliver my being from all forms of hatred. Help me YAH to be more pleasing to You, and to do all Your commands. Your heart’s desire is for me to obey Your voice, and to love You and to love my neighbor as I do myself.
Father, I want to love my fellow believers. Help me show loving-kindness to all, especially to those who are of the belief.
I pray YAH that You allow Your breath, Your Set-Apart Spirit, to cover me, that I am purified through the blood of YAHUSHUAH. I am sorry for my sins and the lack of love for my neighbor. It is important to You that we love one another. Please forgive me YAH for all my doings that were abominable to You. Please YAH forgive me, I repent. I promise to love You with all my heart, being, & might and to love my brothers & sisters in You. We have inherited You as our Father our Elohim. Praise YAH!
I promise to be Yours forever and I will never turn away from You to serve another. I promise to walk in righteousness by doing what is right and blessing the poor & needy. I promise to walk in right-ruling that I do right by the poor, and I walk in truth concerning others, not loving a false oath. I promise to walk in loving-kindness and to be more compassionate to others, especially my fellow believers. I promise to be trustworthy to You YAH and to others. You are trustworthy YAH, and we too must be trustworthy.
Thank You my Master for accepting this prayer of rededication or true dedication of my life to You. YAHUSHUAH is my life and my desire is to hear Your voice always, that I may obey Your every word.
I love You Father with all my heart, soul, mind & strength, and I love my neighbor as myself! Now I pray YAH, let these words be put into action by performance, then I will produce the fruit that You have cultivated me to produce. Bless me YAH with health and wealth, and all that You give to me, I will give You the tenth!
I love You, and I thank You for forgiving me and for the rest from my enemies.
In Yahushuah’s Name, So Be It! So Be It!"
Once the House is rebuilt and true worship is restored, the Presence of Elohim returns. Now YAHUSHUAH has returned to His people, and we proclaim Him as Sovereign. For more on proclaiming YAHUSHUAH as Sovereign, click HERE.
|
