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Bible teaching with an emphasis on Israel, prophecy and the Jewish roots of Christianity

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Special: “The Light of the World” (Zola’s Christmas Special)

Transcript

Caption transcript for “The Light of the World”

00:01 SHALOM, HELLO AGAIN.
00:04 THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL PROGRAM WE'RE MAKING IN ISRAEL ABOUT 2 RELATED MIRACLES.
00:10 FIRST, THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS, WHAT YOU KNOW AS HANUKKAH, THE FESTIVAL OF DEDICATION.
00:16 THIS ONE WAS ESTABLISHED A LONG TIME AGO, 165 B.C. OR SO AND CELEBRATED BY THE LORD HIMSELF.
00:24 SECONDLY, THE BIRTH OF LIGHT.
00:26 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, BORN IN A MANGER IN BETHLEHEM A FEW MILES FROM WHERE I'M STANDING.
01:20 IN THE FIRST CENTURY IT WAS TRADITION TO LIGHT AN OIL LAMP
01:23 ON EACH NIGHT OF THE 8 DAY CELEBRATION CALLED HANUKKAH,
01:28 THE FEAST OF DEDICATION, OR FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS.
01:32 ON THE 25TH DAY OF KESLEV, IN 164 B.C., THE PREVIOUSLY DEFILED TEMPLE
01:38 WAS CLEANSED AND REDEDICATED TO THE SERVICE OF THE LORD.
01:42 THE MESSIAH AND HIS DISCIPLES CELEBRATED THIS TRADITION.
01:46 AS IT STATES IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, CHAPTER 10
01:50 AT THAT TIME THE FEAST OF THE DEDICATION TOOK PLACE AT JERUSALEM
01:54 IT WAS WINTER AND JESUS WAS WALKING IN THE TEMPLE IN THE PORTICO OF SOLOMON
02:03 WELL, HERE WE ARE AT THE CENTER OF THE EARTH.
02:06 BEHIND ME THE TEMPLE MOUNT OF JERUSALEM WITH THE DOME OF THE ROCK AND THE AL AQSA MOSQUE
02:11 AND BEHIND IT THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM AND BEHIND THAT THE WESTERN SIDE, THE NEW CITY.
02:17 THIS IS THE PLACE OF THE FUTURE TEMPLES.
02:21 IT WAS THE PLATFORM ON WHICH STOOD SOLOMON'S AND HEROD'S TEMPLE, THE OLD TEMPLES.
02:28 THAT BRINGS A GREAT DEAL OF HISTORY TO THIS PLACE.
02:32 THE HISTORY WE'RE INTERESTED IN FOR OUR PURPOSES TO LOOK AT HANUKKAH
02:37 TOOK PLACE IN THE 160'S B.C. WHEN A GRECO-SYRIAN COMMANDER ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES
02:43 WENT INTO THE TEMPLE MOUNT AND ON PURPOSE, SACRIFICED A PIG ON THE ALTAR.
02:50 HE HAD ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE FINAL SOLUTIONS TO THE JEWISH PROBLEM
02:55 SO HE OFFENDED THE CHOSEN PEOPLE IN THIS WAY.
02:59 HE DESECRATED THE TEMPLE. HE RAIDED THE PLACE AND OCCUPIED IT, TRUTH BE TOLD.
03:04 THE JEWS HAD A REVOLT AGAINST HIM.
03:07 THE MACCABEE FAMILY, MACCABEE MEANS HAMMER, THEY LEAD A REVOLT AND THREW HIM OUT.
03:13 BUT WHEN THEY RECOVERED THE TEMPLE, THEY HAD A REAL PROBLEM.
03:17 IT SEEMED THAT BY THE CANDLESTICK THERE WAS JUST ONE DAY'S OIL.
03:22 THEY HAD TO HAVE IT LIT ALL THE TIME.
03:27 THE LAW IS VERY CLEAR IN EXODUS 27:20, GOD SAYS THIS ABOUT THE TABERNACLE,
03:33 THE FORERUNNER OF THE TEMPLE:
03:46 SO IT TOOK A SPECIAL PROCEDURE.
03:47 THEY BEAT OLIVE TREES WITH STICKS FOR THE OLIVES TO COME DOWN.
03:50 THEY LEAVE THE OLIVE OIL THAT THEY FINALLY PRESS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME
03:57 WHILE ALL THE SEDIMENT FALLS TO THE BOTTOM AND IT'S CLEAR LIKE WATER.
04:02 THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN USE THE OIL CONSECRATED PROPERLY FOR THE LAMP.
04:09 BUT WHAT WERE THEY TO DO?
04:10 THERE WAS JUST A ONE DAY SUPPLY OF OIL
04:13 AND TO START BEATING TREES AND LETTING OIL SIT AND SO FORTH WOULD TAKE 7 MORE DAYS.
04:20 THE MIRACLE WAS THAT THAT ONE DAY'S OIL LASTED THE ENTIRE TIME.
04:26 THEY LIT IT.
04:27 THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE TO DO BUT POUR IT INTO THE CANDELABRA
04:30 AND THEN IT WOULD BURN UP IN A DAY, THEY THOUGHT.
04:35 BUT THEY PRAYED OVER IT AND IT DID LAST. IT BURNED ON AND ON.
04:39 IT BURNED 8 DAYS AND THE NEW OIL WAS READY THEN.
04:42 THEY FILLED THE LAMP AND IT NEVER DID GO OUT.
04:45 THE MIRACLE IS REMINISCENT OF THE WIDOW WITH THE OIL AND THE BIT OF FLOUR
04:50 THAT ELIJAH CAME AND CAUSED TO LAST ON AND ON AND ON AND FED THE THREE OF THEM.
04:58 THAT WAS ONLY ONE MEAL'S WORTH.
05:00 SHE SAID SHE WAS GOING TO PREPARE IT FOR HER AND HER SON
05:02 AND THEN THEY WERE SIMPLY GOING TO SIT DOWN AND DIE.
05:04 THERE WAS TERRIBLE FAMINE. THEY HAD NOTHING ELSE.
05:08 THEN, THE LOAVES AND THE FISHES OF JESUS WHERE ONE LITTLE BOY'S LUNCH, FIVE LOAVES AND 2 FISHES.
05:16 WE EAT THOSE AT BREAKFAST HERE. THEY ARE SMALL LOAVES AND 2 BITS OF FISH.
05:21 HE TOOK OUT OF THAT BASKET ENOUGH TO FEED THE 5,000 PEOPLE
05:26 AND THERE WERE BASKETS, 12 BASKETS OF LEFTOVERS.
05:29 GOD CAN MAKE THINGS LAST ON EARTH AS HE CHOOSES.
05:34 THIS WAS ANOTHER INSTANCE OF THAT, THAT OIL.
05:37 AND IT CAUSED THE CREATION OF A NEW MENORAH.
05:39 NOW, MENORAH IS A CANDLESTICK. THIS IS ONE. THIS IS A HANUKKAH MENORAH.
05:45 THIS ONE BACK HERE IS THE ORIGINAL TEMPLE MENORAH.
05:49 THAT IS THE ONE IN THE TABERNACLE.
05:51 IT HAS 7 BRANCHES AS YOU CAN SEE, A MIDDLE ONE HERE AND THESE OTHERS AROUND IT.
05:56 ONE LIGHTS THOSE WITH THE MIDDLE CANDLE.
05:59 IN THE MENORAH, THERE IS A CENTER CANDLE WITH 4 ON EITHER SIDE.
06:04 IT LOOKS LIKE 9, IT'S REALLY 8, BUT THIS ONE IS CALLED THE SHAHMISH CANDLE.
06:09 YOU LIGHT ALL THE OTHERS WITH THIS ONE.
06:11 THE FIRST NIGHT, YOU LIGHT THE FIRST,
06:13 THE SECOND NIGHT THE FIRST AND SECOND, THE THIRD NIGHT THE FIRST 3 AND SO FORTH.
06:17 OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS THE MESSIAH. HOW THE JEWS CAN MISS IT IS A MYSTERY.
06:23 OF COURSE HE'S THE ONE.
06:25 HIS FLAME IGNITES ALL THE OTHER BELIEVERS IN TURN
06:28 AND THAT BECOMES A TYPE OF THE MESSIAH, A REAL SYMBOL OF HIM.
06:34 THERE'S A JAR TO FILL THE OLD CANDLESTICK WITH OIL AT THE BOTTOM.
06:40 THE NEW MENORAH, OF COURSE HAS CANDLES IN IT,
06:44 OR IT'S REPRESENTED BY A BEAUTIFUL, MODERN ISRAELI CREATION BASED ON THE OLD OIL LAMPS.
06:51 THERE'S THE JAR, THE SHAMISH, THE SERVANT.
06:55 ALSO, THERE'S A DREIDEL. THIS IS A LITTLE TOP.
06:57 YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE LETTER ON IT. THE LETTERS ARE NUN, GIMEL, HAY, PAY.
07:04 THEY MAKE AN ACRONYM THAT SAYS "A GREAT MIRACLE OCCURRED HERE".
07:10 WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID WE PLAYED WITH THESE DREIDELS.
07:13 IT'S A GAME YOU PLAY, SPIN THE TOP AND IT LANDS ON A CERTAIN LETTER.
07:17 WE SANG A SONG. IT WENT:
07:19 ♪ DREIDEL, DREIDEL, DREIDEL, ♪ ♪ I MADE IT OUT OF CLAY, ♪ ♪ DADADADA, DADADADA DEDEDE ♪ AND SO ON.
07:27 IT'S A HAPPY HOLIDAY, A TRIUMPHANT HOLIDAY.
07:31 AND NO WONDER!
07:32 WHEN THE MESSIAH RETURNS, THIS IS THE HOLIDAY
07:35 ON WHICH HE'S GOING TO EVIDENTLY REBUILD THE MILLENNIAL TEMPLE AND START THE KINGDOM.
07:42 THE FEAST OF DEDICATION. DANIEL 8 GIVES THE WHOLE STORY OF THE HISTORY OF ANTIOCHUS.
07:49 IT TELLS THE STORY OF THE EMPIRE BEING DIVIDED IN 4 PARTS AND ONE OF THEM, THE LITTLE HORN,
07:55 WHICH IS ANTIOCHUS, COMES AND RAIDS THE BEAUTIFUL PLACE, THE TEMPLE SITE.
08:00 IN FIGURE HE GIVES THE STORY.
08:03 IT'S REALLY A PREDICTION SINCE DANIEL LIVED CENTURIES BEFORE THAT MIRACLE.
08:07 IT'S A PROPHECY AND IT WAS FULFILLED BY ANTIOCHUS.
08:11 BY THE WAY, DANIEL DIGRESSES WHILE TALKING ABOUT THIS STORY OF THE LITTLE HORN
08:16 TO TALK ABOUT THE ANTI-CHRIST OF THE END TIMES.DANIEL 8:25:
08:20 BY PEACE, SHALL HE DESTROY MANY, DANIEL SAYS
08:25 IT'S A HINT THAT THE ANTI-CHRIST IS PERHAPS GRECO-SYRIAN IN BACKGROUND.
08:30 HE COMES OUT OF ROME, BUT HE PERHAPS HAS THAT BACKGROUND,
08:34 BECAUSE IT'S AS IF DANIEL, WHILE I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS GRECO-SYRIAN TYRANT,
08:39 LET ME ALSO SPEAK OF THE DARK PRINCE WHO IS TO COME.
08:42 A VERY TELLING PASSAGE IN DANIEL'S END TIMES PROPHECY.
08:48 JESUS ALSO CELEBRATED THIS FESTIVAL.
08:51 IT WAS A NATIONAL FESTIVAL NOT LISTED IN LEVITICUS 23 WITH PASSOVER AND UNLEAVENED BREAD
08:56 BUT IT'S LISTED IN PROPHECY IN DANIEL 8.
09:02 THE LORD COMMEMORATED IT HIMSELF.
09:17 YES, IT'S IN DECEMBER.
09:19 JESUS CAME ALL THIS WAY.
09:23 IT WAS A 5 DAY JOURNEY SLEEPING UNDER THE STARS TO COME HERE FROM CAPERNAUM IN GALILEE.
09:28 YET HE CAME FOR THIS FESTIVAL. THAT GIVES IT CREDENCE.
09:31 THEN, IN DANIEL 12, THERE'S A COMPLEX SERIES OF NUMBERS: 1,290 DAYS, 1,335 DAYS.
09:39 IF YOU GET OUR BOOK ON THE SEVEN FEASTS,
09:40 YOU'LL SEE THE CALCULATION THAT SHOWS THAT THESE NUMBERS ADD UP TO THE FACT
09:46 THAT THE LORD WILL PROBABLY DEDICATE THE NEW TEMPLE, THE MILLENNIAL TEMPLE,
09:51 ON HANUKKAH IN THE KINGDOM TO COME.
09:54 IT IS THE 25TH DAY OF KESLEV.
09:56 IT OCCURS AT EXACTLY THE RIGHT TIME AFTER THE 2ND COMING.
10:00 SO, IN THAT MILLENNIAL TEMPLE WHERE WE WILL WORSHIP WITH THE LORD,
10:06 THAT TOO WILL BE ESTABLISHED ON A FEAST OF DEDICATION.
10:23 I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO ZOLA FOR 5 OR 6 YEARS
10:26 AND WHEN MY MOTHER CALLED AND SAID, "I'M PLANNING A TRIP TO ISRAEL,
10:29 WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO"? I DIDN'T HESITATE. I SAID, "ABSOLUTELY".
10:32 SHE SAID, "DO YOU KNOW ANYWHERE OR HOW TO GET THERE"?
10:34 AND I SAID "ABSOLUTELY LET ME GIVE ZOLA A CALL".
10:36 THIS IS THE MOST SPECIAL PLACE IN THE WORLD AND THIS IS THE PLACE WE WANTED TO BE.
10:40 WE CAN'T IMAGINE THAT WE'RE HERE WE JUST CAN'T IMAGINE.
10:54 AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THOSE DAYS THAT THERE WENT OUT A DECREE FROM CAESAR AUGUSTUS
10:58 THAT ALL THE WORLD SHOULD BE TAXED.
11:02 AND JOSEPH WENT UP FROM GALILEE OUT OF THE CITY OF NAZARETH INTO JUDEA
11:07 UNTO THE CITY OF DAVID,WHICH IS CALLED BETHLEHEM TO BE TAXED WITH MARY,
11:12 HIS ESPOUSED WIFE BEING GREAT WITH CHILD.
11:15 AND SO IT WAS THAT WHILE THEY WERE THERE
11:17 THE DAYS WERE ACCOMPLISHED THAT SHE SHOULD BE DELIVERED.
11:21 AND SHE BROUGHT FORTH HER FIRSTBORN SON AND WRAPPED HIM IN SWADDLING CLOTHES
11:26 AND LAID HIM IN A MANGER, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR THEM IN THE INN.
11:37 AND THERE WERE IN THE SAME COUNTRY SHEPHERDS ABIDING IN THE FIELDS
11:39 KEEPING WATCH OVER THEIR FLOCKS BY NIGHT.
11:42 AND LO, THE ANGEL OF THE LORD CAME UPON THEM
11:46 AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHOWN AROUND THEM AND THEY WERE SORE AFRAID.
11:55 AND THE ANGEL SAID UNTO THEM, FEAR NOT,
11:57 FOR BEHOLD I BRING YOU GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY, WHICH SHALL BE TO ALL PEOPLE.
12:04 FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID, A SAVIOR, WHICH IS CHRIST, THE LORD.
12:11 AND THIS SHALL BE A SIGN UNTO YOU.
12:17 YE SHALL FIND THE BABE WRAPPED IN SWADDLING CLOTHES LYING IN A MANGER.
12:41 WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE VERSE, I THINK.
12:43 IT'S THE PREDICTION BY MICAH THAT THIS LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM,
12:49 THE TOWN YOU SEE IN THE DISTANCE BEHIND ME WITH THE SPIRES AND CHURCHES AND MINARETS,
12:56 AN UNIMPORTANT LITTLE TOWN, BECAUSE IT HAD 400 FAMILIES AT THE TIME JESUS CHRIST WAS BORN THERE,
13:03 WAS SELECTED BY GOD TO BE THE BIRTH PLACE OF THE KING OF ISRAEL.
13:08 NOW, LET'S TELL THE STORY LIKE IT IS.
13:11 MANY PEOPLE TELL THE CHRISTMAS STORY AND CHURCHES BUILD NATIVITY SETS
13:15 AND MAKE IT BEAUTIFUL AND COMFORTABLE WITH WOODEN BARNS WITH CLEAN STRAW IN WOODEN CRADLES,
13:22 BUT IT WASN'T QUITE LIKE THAT.
13:25 MARY AND JOSEPH CAME FROM NAZARETH, RELATIVELY YOUNG KIDS
13:28 ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED AND AWARE THAT SHE BORE A CHILD BY THE LORD, BY GOD.
13:36 SHE WAS A VIRGIN.
13:39 SHE WAS A 9TH GRADER, BY THE WAY.
13:41 SHE WAS A YOUNG GIRL. MARY WAS NOT A WOMAN.
13:44 WE OFTEN SEE HER PORTRAYED AS A GROWN WOMAN,
13:46 BUT SHE REALLY WAS, AS MOST BRIDES IN ISRAEL OF HER TIME, A YOUNG TEENAGER.
13:54 THEY CAME ALONG THE WAY THAT YOU SEE BEHIND ME.
13:57 THAT IS, ROADS WENT THROUGH THE HILLS, DOWN FROM JERUSALEM TO BETHLEHEM.
14:02 JERUSALEM IS IN FRONT OF ME. ACTUALLY, I'M STANDING ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF JERUSALEM.
14:08 BEHIND ME YOU CAN SEE BETHLEHEM, WHICH IS ONLY ABOUT 5 MILES AWAY.
14:11 THEY HAVE BEEN TOGETHER A LONG TIME, AT LEAST 3,000 YEARS.
14:15 BETHLEHEM IS EVEN OLDER THAN JERUSALEM.
14:17 IT WAS 1,000 YEARS OLD WHEN DAVID WAS CORONATED AS KING HERE.
14:24 IN ANY CASE, THEY CAME ALONG THE ROAD AND THEY CAME TO SHEPHERDS WHO PROBABLY TOLD THEM,
14:31 THE TRUTH IS, THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T GO ALL THE WAY INTO TOWN,
14:34 THE SHEPHERDS PROBABLY TOLD THEM, NOW LOOK, THERE'S NO USE YOU'RE GOING IN THERE.
14:38 BECAUSE OF THE CENSUS, BECAUSE OF THE TAXATION,
14:42 AND ALL THE PEOPLE HAVING TO RETURN TO THEIR NATIVE TRIBAL HOME LIKE YOU TWO ARE,
14:48 ALL THE HOTELS ARE FULL. THERE'S NO ROOM AT THE INN. THERE'S NO PLACE TO STAY THERE.
14:54 IF YOU LIKE, MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE IN OUR CAVE,
14:58 WHICH WAS REALLY, IT WASN'T A BARN AT ALL.
15:01 THERE ARE NO WOODEN BUILDINGS IN ISRAEL EVEN TODAY, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TREES FOR THAT.
15:05 YOU SEE BEHIND ME OLIVE TREES.
15:08 THEY ARE NATIVE TO THIS COUNTRY, BUT THEY DON'T PROVIDE MUCH LUMBER.
15:12 THEY PROVIDE OLIVE OIL AND OLIVES TO EAT.
15:14 THEY DIDN'T MAKE BUILDINGS OUT OF TREES.
15:17 THEY PUT THE ANIMALS IN CAVES.
15:20 SO, THE SHEPHERDS PUT THEIR ANIMALS IN THE BACK OF A CAVE
15:24 AND BUILT A FIRE AT THE MOUTH OF THE CAVE TO KEEP THE PREDATORS AWAY.
15:28 AND THEY ENTERED THESE FIELDS AROUND BETHLEHEM,
15:31 SOME OF WHICH ARE THE VERY FIELDS WHERE RUTH MET BOAZ.
15:37 SHE SLEPT OUT IN HIS FIELD AS YOU RECALL, AT THE FEET OF BOAZ
15:43 AND SIGNALED HIM THAT SHE WAS AVAILABLE TO HIM.
15:46 THAT STARTED A MARRIAGE WHICH IS IN THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST.
15:49 RUTH, A MOABITESS WHO CONVERTED TO JUDAISM, WHO SAID,
15:57 AND WENT WITH NAOMI, HER MOTHER-IN-LAW TO ISRAEL AND THEN MARRIED BOAZ.
16:05 NOW, WHEN WAS JESUS BORN?
16:07 IT REALLY, PROBABLY WAS NOT DECEMBER 25TH.
16:10 THE TRUTH IS, THE ANIMALS HAD THEIR BABIES IN THE SPRING
16:15 AND IT'S MORE LIKELY THE SHEPHERDS WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE TO THEIR FLOCKS IN THE SPRINGTIME,
16:20 BECAUSE PREDATOR ANIMALS WOULD COME AND TAKE AWAY THE BABIES.
16:25 SO THEY GUARDED THEIR FLOCKS MUCH MORE CAREFULLY AT THE TIME THAT THEY HAD THE BABY ANIMALS.
16:30 WE HAD A TOUR DRIVE BY HERE ONE TIME
16:33 AND ACTUALLY SAW A SHEPHERD CARRYING A BABY LAMB ON HIS SHOULDERS,
16:38 A SCRIPTURAL PICTURE IF THERE EVER WAS ONE,
16:41 THE UMBILICAL CORD STILL EXTENDED FROM THE BRAND NEW BABY WHO COULDN'T WALK YET.
16:46 THEY WERE JUST KEEPING UP WITH THE FLOCK.
16:48 IT WAS A SPRING TOUR AND HE HAD A SPRING CHILD, A BABY, A BABY LAMB AND HE WAS PROTECTING IT.
16:54 THAT PROBABLY WAS THE TIME OF JESUS' BIRTH.
16:57 WE CAN'T REALLY SAY. IT'S NOT PUBLISHED IN SCRIPTURE.
17:00 DECEMBER 25TH, THOUGH, WAS CHOSEN, I SUPPOSE,
17:05 BECAUSE OF THE ROMAN SATURNALIA FESTIVAL, WHICH WAS AT MID-WINTER.
17:11 THE GERMANS ALSO, WITH ODON, HAD A SIMILAR FESTIVAL.
17:16 IT WAS CHOSEN AS A TIME PEOPLE WERE USED TO CELEBRATING A HOLIDAY
17:20 AND SO IT WOULD WORK WELL. THEY WOULD COME. THEY WOULD ATTEND AND SO FORTH.
17:26 ANOTHER THEORY IS BASED ON THE DATE OF HANUKKAH.
17:30 HANUKKAH IS GIVEN IN SCRIPTURE. IT'S THE 25TH DAY OF KESLEV.
17:36 JESUS CELEBRATED IT.
17:37 IN JOHN 22 HE WENT DOWN TO JERUSALEM; IT WAS WINTER, IT SAYS,
17:42 TO CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF DEDICATION, WHICH IS THE FEAST OF HANUKKAH.
17:46 THE 25TH OF KESLEV, I CAN PICTURE A ROMAN COMING TO A RABBI AT THE TIME, OR A PRIEST
17:53 AND SAYING, WHICH MONTH OF YOURS IS EQUAL TO OUR DECEMBER?
18:00 THE RABBI SAYING, WELL, ROUGHLY KESLEV, BECAUSE KESLEV CAN START IN NOVEMBER.
18:06 THE LUNAR AND SOLAR CALENDARS DON'T AGREE THAT CLOSELY.
18:10 BUT HE PROBABLY SAID DECEMBER. USUALLY MOST OF KESLEV IS IN DECEMBER.
18:14 AS IT WAS ON THE 25TH DAY, PERHAPS THE ROMAN CONCLUDED,
18:17 ALRIGHT, THEN IT'S THE 25TH OF DECEMBER THAT WE'LL HAVE THIS FESTIVAL.
18:22 THAT'S POSSIBLE. LOOK, IT'S NOT IMPORTANT.
18:26 THIS COMES UP A LOT AND PEOPLE TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT.
18:28 IT'S NOT FIGURED OUT.
18:30 WHEN GOD WANTS TO GIVE US A DATE, HE GIVES US AN EXACT DATE,
18:33 AS WITH THE 7 FEASTS IN LEVITICUS 23.
18:38 THESE FESTIVALS ARE REPORTED EACH ON A PRECISE DAY:
18:42 THE 14TH DAY, THE 1ST MONTH AT EVENING IS THE LORD'S PASSOVER.
18:47 THE NEXT NIGHT IS UNLEAVENED BREAD.
18:49 THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY IS FIRST FRUITS.
18:52 50 DAYS LATER IS PENTECOST.
18:55 THE 1ST DAY OF THE 7TH MONTH IS TRUMPETS.
18:57 THE DAY OF ATONEMENT IS THE 10TH DAY AND THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES,
19:01 THE 15TH DAY OF THAT 7TH MONTH.
19:04 OF COURSE, HANUKKAH, A NATIONAL FESTIVAL, WHICH CAME ALONG LATER,
19:07 IS THE 25TH OF KESLEV, 2 AND 1/2 MONTHS LATER.
19:12 IF GOD GAVE THOSE FEAST DAYS, IT WAS SO THAT WE WOULD KNOW
19:18 JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED ON PASSOVER AND BURIED ON UNLEAVENED BREAD AND RAISED ON FIRST FRUITS
19:25 AND SENT THE HOLY SPIRIT AT PENTECOST.
19:27 AND WE'LL RETURN, PERHAPS, LITERALLY, PERHAPS SYMBOLICALLY
19:31 ON A FEAST OF TRUMPETS IN THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
19:35 THE JEWS WILL MOURN FOR HIM AS FOR AN ONLY SON ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
19:39 AND ON THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES HE'LL REESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM.
19:45 WHY THIS LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM?
19:47 WHY WASN'T HE JUST BORN IN JERUSALEM?
19:48 IT ADDED AN EXTRA 5 MILES TO AN ALREADY DIFFICULT JOURNEY.
19:52 IT MUST HAVE BEEN 75 MILES DOWN INTO THE JORDAN RIVER VALLEY, DOWN TO THE JERICHO AREA,
19:58 UP THE MOUNTAIN TO JERUSALEM AND DOWN HERE TO BETHLEHEM.
20:03 FOR A YOUNG GIRL IN THE NINTH MONTH OF HER FIRST PREGNANCY,
20:10 VIRTUALLY ALREADY IN LABOR AND RIDING A DONKEY, THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
20:15 IF AT LEAST IT WERE JERUSALEM IT WOULD SAVE SOME TIME.
20:17 BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE BORN IN JERUSALEM,
20:20 THEN HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOUSANDS BORN AT THAT TIME.
20:24 WHO WOULD REMEMBER IT?
20:26 BUT WHEN HE'S BORN IN A LITTLE TOWN IN BETHLEHEM, THAT'S NEWS IN A LITTLE TOWN.
20:30 A GIRL ARRIVES, SHE STAYS IN A CAVE OF A SHEPHERD AND SHE HAS A BABY.
20:36 PEOPLE BROUGHT BLANKETS. PEOPLE DID THINGS.
20:38 THEY SAW THE MAGI COME. WHAT AN EVENT IN A LITTLE TOWN LIKE THIS!
20:42 AND 30 YEARS LATER WHEN A SEEKER LIKE NICODEMUS CAME ASKING QUESTIONS SAYING,
20:47 I'VE HEARD THIS SPELL BINDING SPEAKER,
20:49 BUT I CAN'T RECEIVE THE MESSIAH UNLESS IT AGREES WITH SCRIPTURE.
20:54 WAS THIS FELLOW BORN OF PEOPLE FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH?
20:58 THEY WOULD HAVE SAID, OF COURSE, WHO COULD FORGET IT.
21:01 HIS MOTHER AND FATHER CAME HERE BECAUSE THEY WERE BOTH OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID, FROM BETHLEHEM.
21:06 THEY CAME HERE FOR THE CENSUS.
21:08 THEY HAD TO BE HERE DESPITE HER PREGNANCY.
21:11 SO, YES, BOTH WERE OF COURSE OF JUDAH.
21:13 THAT SATISFIED THAT.
21:15 THE PROPHET SAID THAT HE WAS TO BE BORN OF A VIRGIN.
21:18 WHAT COULD THEY SAY?
21:21 SHE WAS A YOUNG GIRL. SHE WAS A GOOD GIRL. SHE WASN'T MARRIED YET.
21:25 THAT'S WHAT THEY COULD REPORT. THAT MUCH EVIDENCE IS EVIDENCE INDEED.
21:30 SO, THE RIGHT TIME, THE RIGHT TRIBE, THE RIGHT CITY AS MICAH SAID.
21:38 I SHOULDN'T SAY CITY- THE RIGHT VILLAGE, THE RIGHT TOWN,
21:42 EVEN TO THE POINT OF IT BEING IN HEBREW BET-LE-HEM THE HOUSE OF BREAD.
21:46 HE'S THE BREAD OF LIFE.
21:48 IT ALL WORKED TOGETHER FOR THEM TO MAKE A REAL WITNESS.
21:53 IT'S NOT EXACTLY IMPORTANT WHEN JESUS WAS BORN,
21:57 BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE REALIZE HE WAS BORN FOR US, BORN FOR THE REBORN.
24:38 MY VERY BIBLE I'VE CARRIED AROUND HERE IN ISRAEL FOR YEARS IS SCOFIELD, THE OLD SCOFIELD.
24:44 I HAVE WRITTEN ON IT IN HEBREW [HEBREW] - THE LIGHT.
24:48 IT'S GOT THE STORY OF HANUKKAH IN DANIEL 8 AND THE STORY OF JESUS' BIRTH.
24:55 WHAT CAN WE SAY IN CLOSING ABOUT THESE TWO FESTIVALS?
24:59 HANUKKAH WAS WONDERFUL.
25:00 IT WAS A REVOLT BY THE MACCABEES AGAINST PERSIAN RULE,
25:04 AGAINST ANTIOCHUS, WHO SACRIFICED A PIG ON THE ALTAR.
25:08 IT WAS A HATEFUL THING TO DO.
25:10 IT WAS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE FINAL SOLUTIONS TO THE JEWISH PROBLEM.
25:13 IT DIDN'T WORK OUT THAT TIME EITHER.
25:15 THERE IS NO FINAL SOLUTION.
25:17 A FINAL SOLUTION TO THE JEWISH PROBLEM IS THE KINGDOM TO COME
25:20 WHEN JERUSALEM WILL AT LAST BE THE HEAD OF THE NATIONS AND THE CAPITAL OF A RIGHTEOUS GOVERNMENT.
25:26 WELL, IT WAS WONDERFUL THAT THE LORD CELEBRATED THE FESTIVAL.
25:30 IT WAS WONDERFUL THAT THE OIL LASTED 8 DAYS.
25:34 IT WAS A MIRACLE RATHER LIKE HIS BIRTH, WHICH WAS ANOTHER GREAT MIRACLE.
25:40 THEN, WHY WAS HE BORN?
25:41 AFTER ALL, GOD MADE ADAM AND EVE IN HEAVEN OUT OF HEAVENLY STUFF.
25:45 HE COULD HAVE MADE JESUS THE SAME WAY AND SET HIM DOWN HERE 30 YEARS OLD.
25:49 WE WOULDN'T LACK MUCH.
25:51 HE WOULD MINISTER AND DO HIS SAME 3 YEARS AND HIS SAME SERMONS AND TEACHINGS.
25:55 BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE PASTOR SAID YOU WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS,
26:00 WE CAN SAY IN OUR HEARTS, OH NO, I WASN'T MADE IN HEAVEN OUT OF SOME HEAVENLY STUFF.
26:06 I WAS JUST BORN OF A WOMAN WITH NORMAL FLESH. JESUS DOESN'T KNOW MY PROBLEMS.
26:12 NO, WE CAN SAY THAT HE WAS BORN OF A WOMAN LIKE THE REST OF US.
26:16 HE HAD FLESH LIKE OURS. HE GOT TIRED.HE GOT HUNGRY. HE WEPT.
26:20 IT HURT TO BE CRUCIFIED. HE WAS AFRAID OF IT.
26:24 THE GOSPEL GOES OUT OF ITS WAY TO SAY HE WAS TEMPTED IN ALL THINGS AND YET HE DID NOT SIN.
26:32 IT'S A GREAT THOUGHT. WE CAN WIN THIS BATTLE IN THIS EQUIPMENT.
26:36 SHA'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM, PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.

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