The Menorah furnishes a prophetic witness to the 7,000-year span of time allotted for the interplay between the forces of light and darkness.

This interplay is reflected in the typological relationship of the Christ to the Antichrist.

SALVATION IS ORDERLY

“For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints”. 1 Corinthians 14:33.

The Plan of Salvation has a distinct order that is foreshadowed by types in the Jewish Temple services and festivals. A type is a symbol or sign that foreshadows something future; hence, types are prophetic. The thing or event that a type predicts is called an antitype.

THE MENORAH TYPES OF SALVATION

The Menorah is an example of a type. “Menorah” is the Hebrew word for candlestick or candelabrum.

A Menorah is a branched candelabrum with seven candle-holders. The Menorah is the ancient representation of the Hebrews and is one of the oldest symbols of the Jewish people. It is said to symbolize the burning bush, as seen by Moses.

The Menorah was an article of furniture in the Jewish tabernacle, and later, the Jewish temple.

A separate Menorah with nine candlesticks is used to commemorate the Jewish festival Hanukkah.

THE TABERNACLE MENORAH

The first biblical reference to the menorah is found in Exodus 25:

[31] And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
[32] And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
[33] Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.
[34] And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
[35] And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.
[36] Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
[37] And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
[38] And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
[39] Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.
[40] And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

The menorah was placed on the south side in the first of two compartments of the tabernacle. This room is known as the Holy Place. “And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side”. Exodus 26:35. (“South” is the direction associated with Jesus the Messiah. “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle”. Revelation 1:12, 13. And, “And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son”. Matthew 2:15. Egypt is south of the Promised Land. In studying the subject of the Antichrist, one discovers that he is associated with the symbolic direction of the north and is predicted to come from the north.)

THE FIRST TEMPLE MENORAH

A description of the menorah in Solomon’s temple is found in 1 Kings 7. This version of the menorah had eleven branches:

[48] And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was,
[49] And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold,
[50] And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple.
[51] So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.

AN ETERNAL DWELLING-PLACE FOR GOD UNFULFILLED

When Solomon dedicated the temple, “the cloud filled the house of the LORD, So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.” (1 Kings 8:10, 11). Then Solomon said, “The LORD said that he would dwell in thick darkness. I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever” (verses 12, 13).

Whereas Solomon intended his temple to be an eternal dwelling-place for God, time has shown that this was not meant to be. Ultimately, neither he nor Jesus the Messiah fulfilled the prophecy of building an earthly House of God.

“And the LORD said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart. Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name. And the LORD hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel”. 1 Kings 8:18-20.

. . .

GOD FOUND IN “THICK DARKNESS”, A PROPHECY

Solomon said God would be found in the “thick darkness” [`araphel], not in the light. This is a prophecy.

Strong’s translates [`araphel] as “cloud, heavy or dark cloud, darkness, gross darkness, or thick darkness”.

The light is brightest when it is contrasted with the darkness. Darkness accentuates light, making it more vivid.

[`araphel] envelops God, secreting His nature and, by implication, His plans, from unaided human view. “And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was”. Exodus 20:21.

“And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness”. Deuteronomy 4:11.

“These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me”. Deuteronomy 5:22.

[`araphel] is used to refer to uncertainties of distress, deliverance, death, hell, and THE APPEARANCE OF THE MAN FROM MANY WATERS in the following narrative (2 Samuel 22):

[1] And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
[2] And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
[3] The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
[4] I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
[5] When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
[6] The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;
[7] In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.
[8] Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
[9] There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
[10] He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
[11] And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
[12] And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
[13] Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
[14] The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.
[15] And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
[16] And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
[17] He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.

[`araphel] is associated with God’s ruler-ship and His mysterious plans and methods in bringing about justice. “The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne”. Psalm 97:1, 2.

[`araphel] is suggestive of the state of the earth just prior to the Lord’s return. “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising”. Isaiah 60:1-3.

[`araphel] is likened to death or the mystery surrounding death and the afterlife. “Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness”. Jeremiah 13:16.

[`araphel] is likened to that point in time and, again by implication, His hidden plans and methods to re-gather his people, like a flock of sheep, and provide them with safety. “For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick”. Ezekiel 34:11-16.

[`araphel] represents the apocalyptic Day of the Lord. “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations”. Joel 2:1, 2.

“The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness”. Zephaniah 1:14, 15.

. . .

IMPENETRABLE DARKNESS VEILS GOD’S SALVIFIC PURPOSES

The biblical meaning of “thick darkness” anticipates and encompasses all of the foregoing shades. “Thick darkness” is extraordinary and impenetrable. It cannot be penetrated by shining light on it. Light must originate from within it and break forth from it. God’s purposes are secret until disclosed to us by revelation. God initiates His revelatory communication. It is not discovered by human initiative.

Solomon erred in thinking that his temple would stand forever. I fear that Solomon’s pride in his own accomplishments and wisdom may have led him astray. Solomon strayed in adorning his temple with an eleven-branch menorah rather than the seven-branch menorah that God mandated from Mt. Sinai. “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it”. Exodus 25:8, 9. “And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount” (verse 40). “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount”. Hebrews 8:5. Assuming any personal discretion in the administration of God’s purposes is dangerous. A vital part of the menorah’s symbolism was lost by Solomon.

Furthermore, Israel defiled the temple by adorning it with idols and worshipping them. Solomon’s temple was destroyed by the King of Babylon.

THE SECOND TEMPLE MENORAH

The second temple is known as Zerubbabel's temple, or Herod’s temple. (See the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah.) The second temple was built over the ruins of Solomon's temple. After seventy years of captivity in Babylon, Jewish exiles were allowed to return to Jerusalem to build the second temple. Although modest in comparison to the first temple, the second temple was later greatly enlarged and expanded by Herod the Great.

Herod’s temple was where Jesus was dedicated as an infant, and where He later taught. Haggai the prophet has left us a record of the disappointment of the aged exiles who were old enough to pine the splendor of Solomon’s Temple. They were told to anticipate a far greater glory, which was literally fulfilled by Jesus when He Himself entered the Herod’s temple and taught:

“Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts”. Haggai 2:3-9.

Haggai here calls Jesus the “Desire of All Nations”. Following the destruction of Solomon’s temple by the King of Babylon, the living presence of God departed from the temple, never to return. This living presence was called the Shekinah and was depicted at the dedication of Solomon’s temple as the cloud of thick darkness which descended and hovered over the ark of the covenant. Jesus was indwelt by the Shekinah.

The Shekinah is the physical manifestation of God's localized dwelling. The form of this manifestation is for our sake alone. “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?”. I Kings 8:27. It is not the purpose of this study to explore the origin or breadth of this term. It is used here to denote the confirmed presence of God. The Shekinah is said to have appeared also in the burning bush (Ex. R. ii.).

Whereas the Shekinah did dwell in Solomon’s temple, it was absent from Zerubbabel's temple, which itself is no longer. The third temple must be constructed to once again house the living manifestation of God.

. . .

Jesus predicted the utter destruction of Herod’s temple. The temple was regarded as the Hose of God. Popular messianic expectations did not include the destruction of the temple. According to prophecy, a descendant of David would build a house for God, which would endure forever. Yet Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said”. John 2:19-22. Jesus own words were used against Him as reason to deny His claim to be the Christ and as sufficient cause to put Him to death: “At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death”. Matthew 26:60-66.

“In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”. John 14:2, 3.

Jesus Himself acknowledged that He had no intention during the period allotted to His earthly life and ministry of fulfilling the messianic prophecies relating to the temple. Matthew and John make this clear. For example, Jesus did not enter the temple through the East Gate. Prophecy says the messiah would do so.

Did Jesus fulfill all the validating messianic prophecies? No. Does this mean He is a false Christ? No. This is not contradiction rooted in a sentimental love for Jesus. The fact that the Bible anticipates a second Jewish messiah allows room to validate the part played by Jesus as the first messiah.

The tabernacle, and later, the temple service foreshadowed the true Plan of Salvation. This is the Gospel according to Moses. It is important to become acquainted with the Sanctuary teaching in order to grasp an accurate meaning of salvation.

Jesus completed the part of the service dedicated to the sacrifice of the lamb and the administration of its blood inside the Holy Place, which is the first of the two compartments of the House of God. The part of the service dedicated to the Day of Atonement and goat – not lamb – are still yet future and relate to the work of the second Jewish messiah.

The festivals associated with the sacrifices also have their own meaning, both local and universal, according to the systems of types and antitypes.

Neither the work of Jesus the Christ nor the work of His successor the Antichrist Messiah is all-sufficient by itself. The two messiahs must act in concert in order to validate the Mosaic Plan of Salvation.

Jesus was successful in completing His own part in the plan. He was to offer Himself as a Living Sacrifice. His primary purpose was to die. He did so and He did it well. He was in complete control at all times. “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father”. John 10:17, 18. Jesus provoked His own death by making scandalous statements relating to the temple.

It yet remains for the Antichrist Messiah to successfully play his own part in the process of atonement, thus completing the Plan of Salvation.

. . .

THE LITTLE HORN ANTICHRIST

Antiochus Epiphanes is widely regarded as prefiguring the Antichrist. In Daniel 8:9 he is the Little Horn. In verses 21-25, he is depicted as succeeding the King of Grecia [Macedonia]. Another Little Horn is described in Daniel 7:8. This figure succeeds the fourth Gentile empire and is likewise widely regarded as prefiguring the Antichrist, in the form of the papacy.

Some students of prophecy have regarded the differing descriptions of the same figure, the Little Horn, as evidence of a discrepancy in Daniel’s histories. But they err in failing to recognize two distinct figures under the same title of Little Horn.

As types of the Antichrist, each Little Horn suggests a unique feature of this last great end-time figure. He will be a papist. He will have a maternal Jewish connection to the territory that gave rise to Antiochus Epiphanes. He succeeded the King of Grecia [Macedonia] in possessing the northern portion of Alexander’s empire. Hence, he will be a papist of Macedonian descent! This is further confirmed by the composite description of the Beast in Revelation 13:1, 2.

THE TYPOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP OF THE CHRIST TO THE ANTICHRIST

As the object of temple typology, Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled”. Matthew 5:17, 18.

In this inquiry into types and antitypes, its now time to briefly delve into the relationship of the Christ to the Antichrist. After adjusting this passage to reflect the addition of the original Greek words, Matthew 5, including verse 19, reads as follows:

[17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
[18] For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one [heis] jot [iota] or one [mia] tittle [keraia] shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
[19] Whosoever therefore shall break [luo] one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least [elachistos, used as equivalent to mikros] in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Through word analysis, I discovered some clues to the relationship between the Christ to the Antichrist, as well as important further identifying characteristics of the Antichrist.

Firstly, I must remind the reader about the conclusion reached in my study of Matthew 11. (See “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?”.) I showed that Jesus publicly made known a most startling claim. He has or would have a sibling whose Father -- unlike the Apostle James -- is or would be God Himself. Evidently, Jesus did not know the name of His “lost” brother (or sister). In John 5:43, Jesus said, “I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive”. Jesus referred to him by the title “The Other” [heteros] or, “The Least [mikros] in the Kingdom”.

This latter term [mikros] is repeated in its equivalent [elachistos] form in our present passage:

“Whosoever therefore shall break [luo] one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least [elachistos, used as equivalent to mikros] in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven”. Matthew 5:19.

This verse contrasts the relationship of the Christ to the Antichrist. One is called Great; the other is Least. Of course, in the Kingdom of God there motive for pre-eminence. The upside-down nature of the kingdom is described in principle as follows: “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil [envious], because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: . . .”. Matthew 20:15, 16. “And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, [the same] shall be last of all, and servant of all”. Mark 9:35.

According to Matthew 5:19, both messiahs teach the law and both are “in the kingdom”. However, the one who is the Least “break[s] [luo] one of these least commandments” and teaches men to do so. Luo means “to loose; annul”, suggesting that the one who does this action has authority and cause to change something, unlike someone who acts in willful disregard of the divine claims.

It is important to remember that although one of the two messiahs is called Least, he is nevertheless “IN THE KINGDOM”. He is not an imposter. He has authority to do what he in fact does.

This description of one devising and changing times and laws is reminiscent of the Little Horn in Daniel 7:24, 25:

[24] And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
[25] And he shall speak great words against [tsad, meaning “concerning”] the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:

The title “Little Horn” does in fact re-appear in a surprising place, as though it were concealed by an Unseen Hand. This will become evident in the further course of my word analysis:

The word “one” appears twice in Matthew 5:18. Although translated in English as “one”, the Greek original version has two words with distinct shades of meaning. According to Strong’s, mia is the irregular feminine (of heis), meaning “only one, someone”. Mia is rendered “one; a certain; the other” in the King James Version. Heis likewise means “one” and is rendered “one” or “other”. The primary difference between mia and heis is the gender of the Greek word, which is not reflected in the English equivalent.

. . .

THE JOT AND TITTLE OF THE KINGDOM

Each Greek equivalent of the English word “one” is used in connection with the “jot” and “tittle” of the Kingdom of God.

Jot [iota] is a word with a Hebrew, rather than a Greek origin. Iota is the tenth and smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is used only this once in the New Testament and signifies smallness.

Tittle (keraia) is used only twice in the New Testament, here in Matthew and once again in Luke 16:18 (“It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle [keraia] of the law to fail”). Luke gives a different emphasis than Matthew.

Keraia means “a little horn” and relates to the extremity, apex, or point used by grammarians of the accents and diacritical points. Whereas keraia is a technical grammatical term, the perceptive mind immediatedly recognizes the unmistakable prophetic allusion to Daniel’s “Little Horn”.

The intentional use of separate, though coupled, Hebrew and Greek words (jot and tittle) suggests an Antichrist Messiah who is half Jew and half Gentile.

Jesus Christ was Himself a type of the Antichrist. In Matthew 5:17-19, Jesus prophesied and magnified the role yet to play by the mysterious Small One or Little Horn under the figures of the Jot and the Tittle.

In this context of this passage, Jesus affirmed that He Himself is not the Destroyer. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets”. However, Jesus did recognize the lawful role of this latter Man of Sin to institute a universal change upon the premise that only after the dissolution of the old life is a new life possible.

Although Hanukkah is not a biblical festival, the prophet Daniel did foretell the principal historic events it commemorates. These events, including the cleansing of the sanctuary, are related in chapter 8 of his book. They were fulfilled by the Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanes, but only in part. That this is fact is made clear by Jesus.

Jesus applied these prophecies to the future -- long after the time of Antiochus Epiphanes -- when He said, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains”. Matthew 24:14-16.

Hanukkah commemorates a cleansing and rededication which will re-occur in these Last Days under the administration of the Antichrist. It is not in the scope of this study to discuss the nature of this last cleansing and rededication.

DECEMBER 25 A UNIVERSAL CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY

Suffice it to say, however, that in a form true to the anticipations of Jesus for world renewal under the Antichrist, I believe that this latter will institute December 25 as a universal Christmas holiday in recognition of the joining into one unity the works of the Christ and the works of the Antichrist.

WHY IS THE TEACHING OF THE MENORAH IMPORTANT TODAY?

1. ITS MESSIANIC SIGNIFICANCE

As shown, the Menorah has messianic significance. The temple Menorah prefigures Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. The Hanukkah Menorah ultimately prefigures the Antichrist, the Light of the world to come.

I have discussed the association of Antiochus Epiphanes with Hanukkah. Antiochus Epiphanes is a widely known type of the Antichrist. Even the number of branches on the Hanukkah Menorah supports its ultimate association with the Antichrist.

According to the Talmud, when Zerubbabel’s temple was being restored, there was found only enough oil to last for one day; yet, by a miracle, the oil lasted for eight days, which was long enough for a new batch to be prepared. The Hanukkah Menorah has nine candles, one of which always stands out from the others, usually higher, or off to one side. The lamp which stands out is called the Shamash in Hebrew, or Shamus in Yiddish. The shamash is lit first and used to light the remaining lamps, one for each day that the temple menorah miraculously stayed lit. Eight is also the number of the Beast: “And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition”. Revelation 17:11.

2. ITS TIME SYMBOLISM

The articles of the temple act as visual representations of things to come.

The temple Menorah represents the 7,000 year period allotted to our current cycle of time. This interpretation is validated by the appearance of the First Messiah, Jesus Christ, at the appointed time: “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst [mesos, meaning “middle”] of the seven candlesticks [luchnia, meaning “candelabrum”] one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle”. Revelation 1:12, 13.

Each candlestick of the seven-branch Menorah represents 1,000 years. Jesus appeared on this earth “in the middle”, meaning four of seven candlestick counts, or 4,000 years after Eden. The fourth candlestick is the one in the middle. Time has advanced another 2 branches, or 2,000 years, for a total of 6,000 years. The last candlestick represents the Millennium, a sabbath of rest for the earth.

The temple Menorah teaches us all that we are on the edge of the Millennium.

The temple Menorah also teaches the vital lesson that God controls time. What is treated in popular theology as the origin of evil is not an after-thought in the divine plan. God has always been in charge of His created order. He acts as opposed to reacts.

The biblical symbolism of this period of time is lost by the nine-branched Menorah of Hanukkah. Only the temple Menorah preserves this.

Fortunately, the seven-branched Menorah, depicted according to the carving on the Arch of Titus, has been adopted by Israel as a national representation of its people. The Arch of Titus is a triumphal monument, constructed in Rome, to commemorate the capture and sack of Jerusalem in 70, which terminated the Jewish War which had begun in 66. It was built shortly after the death of the emperor Titus, who died in the year 81.

The Menorah is also said to symbolize the burning bush, as seen by Moses. It is clarified in Acts 7:30 that the burning was caused by the presence of an angel: “And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush”.

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3. THE NATIONAL VEIL LIFTED

John 10 anticipates the lifting of blindness from Israel. Against the back-drop of the temple and Hanukkah, Jesus restored sight to the blind:

[19] There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.
[20] And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?
[21] Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
[22] And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
[23] And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.

This passage is prophetic of God’s plan in lifting the national veil from Israel under the Antichrist. It is typified in the Festival of Lights.

It is ironic how God has resolved to perform a reversal of fortune in the relationship between Jews and non-Jews. The blindness inflicted on Israel under Jesus the Christ for the sake of the Gentiles, will be reversed under the Antichrist. Paul calls the Antichrist the Deliverer out of Zion (Romans 11:26).

Satan has sought to conceal the truth from the Gentiles about a two-messiah salvation, thus blinding them to true nature and purpose of the Antichrist. For nearly 2,000 years, Satan has posited a portrait of the Antichrist as the enemy of Jesus. Time has yet to determine whether the Gentiles will be fatally swayed by the Satan’s grand deception. Will the Gentiles be blind in our day like the Jews were in theirs?

The answer depends upon the Gentiles’ response to the second chapter of Psalms:

[1] Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
[2] The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
[3] Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
[4] He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
[5] Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
[6] Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
[7] I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
[8] Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
[9] Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
[10] Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
[11] Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
[12] Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Amidst the upheavals of the Last Days, Jesus said, the times of the Gentiles would be fulfilled:

“And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken”. Luke 21:24-26.

Paul confirms this prediction of the fullness of the Gentiles. He adds that Israel had been supernaturally blinded as part of God’s deliberate plan to extend the riches of His grace to the Gentiles also:

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob”. Romans 11:25, 26. What did Paul conclude about this process? “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?” (verses 33, 34).

Deliverance and national renewal under the messiah is the larger lesson of the Hanukkah Menorah.

4. THE TWO-MESSIAH CONCEPT

Zechariah foretold a time when God would once again favor Jerusalem and His Shekinah return to the temple:

“Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem”. Zechariah 1:16.

Zerubbabel’s temple was not a fulfillment of this prophecy . Zechariah anticipated a temple and time when God’s people and land would be free of the control of the four Gentile empires:

“Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. And the LORD shewed me four carpenters. Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it”. Zechariah 1:18-21.

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The Menorah, depicted with the original number of seven branches, is an especially prominent feature of this future temple. Zechariah describes the Menorah in chapter 4. He couples his description with the work of the Two Anointed Ones, who are the two messiahs of Israel. (The Greek word christos, which means Christ, is equivalent to the Hebrew word “messiah”.)

[1] And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
[2] And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
[3] And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
[4] So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
[5] Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
[6] Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
[7] Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
[8] Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
[9] The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
[10] For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
[11] Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
[12] And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
[13] And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
[14] Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.

Even in Zerubbabel’s day, the knowledge of two messiahs was becoming lost. When Zerubbabel asked about the meaning of the two olive trees, the angel, as though surprised or disappointed, replied, “Knowest thou not what these be?” (verse 13). The implication is clear that Zerubbabel should have known!

The fact that the Second Jewish Messiah, known to Christians as the Antichrist, has not yet appeared lends added proof that the temple Zechariah anticipates is still future. This temple will be administrated by the Antichrist, the second of God’s two olive trees.

CONCLUSION

In summary, the Menorah furnishes a prophetic witness to the interplay of the forces of light and darkness. Both forces have a part to play in God’s plan.

The seven-branch Menorah, found in the Jewish tabernacle, and later, the Jewish temple, typifies the work of the first messiah, Jesus the Christ, enlightening the world.

A separate Menorah with nine candlesticks is used to commemorate the Jewish festival Hanukkah. It typifies the work of the second messiah, the Antichrist, also enlightening the world.

The mission of the two messiahs, complimentary in relation to each other, is allotted a total span of 7,000 years.

Time will then merge into eternity under the supreme light of the Father. Time is measured by the cycles of the sun, moon, and earth in their movements and relationships to each other. At the end of 7,000 years, time and eternity merge, meaning the great work of God is finished at last. This is clear in the following passages:

Revelation 21

[22] And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
[23] And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
[24] And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
[25] And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
[26] And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
[27] And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Revelation 22

[1] And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
[2] In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
[3] And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
[4] And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
[5] And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
[6] And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
[7] Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

After the millennium, the months appear to take on a memorial, rather than practical, function.

Let’s pray for the speedy fulfillment of God’s purposes.