Hanukkah and Purim Are for Christians, Too!

I am so happy to introduce Christians to the blessings of Hanukkah and Purim. For almost two thousand years these two special times have been kept hidden and excluded from those practicing the Christian faith. If you and I would have lived during the time of Jesus and through the book of Acts, we would have found both Jesus and the early church recognizing these two times that date back to when the house of Judah was the remnant people of God. However, the enemy has always been trying to extinguish the holy Seed and the people of God, and that is where these two holidays intersect. The story of Purim occurs during the time of Esther and is a powerful reminder that even when God seems to be obscure, He is always there and watching and working on behalf of His chosen. Esther will come like Moses to be part of a foreign kingdom as royalty, but will have to put everything on the line for her people to be delivered from an evil decree. Hanukkah is set during the time between the writings of the Old and New Testaments with the oppression by the Greeks who have forced Judah to forsake Yahweh God and worship idols or flee to the mountains. In each story the light of God cannot be exterminated or extinguished by evil because of God's supernatural and faithfulness to His people. Although these are not commanded Moedim feasts like the seven listed in Leviticus twenty-three, they have their roots deeply imbedded in Scripture and are not to be kept by anyone unless they understand the blessing and aspect of them. For in each of these we can see Jesus more and more. So as we begin talking about Purim we must remember that every special day in God's calendar is prophetic as well as historic. We must never forget that each of them is a reminder, a rehearsal and a pointing to the future. The ritual of each one will serve to connect us to the revelation of Jesus. This is the foundation for all the special times and seasons. I know you will learn and grow in your walk with the Lord as you read this book.