Hanukkah - Cleaning Out Our Temples, Day 5

Shalom as we continue our process of cleaning, prepping, and dedicating our temples to YHWH!

Today we are going to look at the correlations between Hanukkah and the parable of the 10 virgins.

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

And five of them were wise, and five were foolish."

I believe these women are betrothed and called to be Brides to the Bridegroom.  Looking at the ancient betrothal and marriage practices we find that a man would choose his bride, pay a price to the father for the bride, and a gift to the bride as a promise.  He would then go to his homeland to prepare a home for his family and return for her when it was ready.  Our bridegroom, Yahshua paid a price to THE Father, His perfect sacrifice, and left a gift to His bride until His return, the Holy Spirit.

But just because we were called, doesn't mean we make it to the end.  Some are foolish.  Some are wise.

"They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps."

Notice that they ALL have their lamps.  The Word is the lamp.  We HAVE the word.

Psa 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

But the foolish do not have any oil with them. The wise took oil with them.

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

The bridegroom, like our own, did not return quickly, and THEY ALL SLEPT.  Some would argue with me. But I believe EVERYONE slept.  For a little while the believers were full of zeal and spirit.  This word midnight is translated from 'mesos' = middle or midst, and 'nyx' which means night, and death, sins, shame, moral stupidity and darkness.  Strong's says that this is when even the weary and drunkards fall asleep.

It feels like this is an apt description of Hanukkah.

The rededication of the temple occurred in the middle of deep darkness.  And the 25th of Kislev occurs in the middle of the darkness of winter.  It is dark. It is cold.  Aleph Beta recently correlated Hanukkah with Adam's first winter, and we can still feel that connection.  This physical darkness is showing us a spiritual message.

We are in the midst of Spiritual Darkness.

And all of us were asleep.

BUT THE CRY ARISES! HE IS COMING! LIGHT YOUR LAMPS! HE IS COMING!

Oh, can you feel that cry in your bones!?! We shake off the slumber, we shamefacedly brush ourselves off and make ourselves as presentable as we possibly can.

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

The word translated as 'trimmed' here is kosmeo.  It means to put in order, arrange, make ready, prepare, and to adorn and ornament, especially with HONOR.  It is the same word used when Yahshua speaks about the man with evil spirits who cleans out his 'house' in Matthew 12.  It is also found in Luke 21 when they priests were praising how beautifully 'adorned' the temple was, and Yahshua said that it would soon be thrown down, not one stone upon another.

You can see that since we have awoken we are really scurrying to ADORN ourselves, trim our lamps, because HE IS COMING!

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

But the foolish had no oil.

And the wise had only JUST enough oil.  They encouraged the others to go and get some for themselves.

But what is this oil?

Looking up oil in the bible, we are almost inundated with verses.  So many of the sacrifices have oil in them.  There is the anointing oil.  In the blessings and the curses of Deut we are promised abundant oil, or a lack of oil. 1 Kings 17:14 We have a miracle of oil not running out and meat not going bad.  2 Kings 4 We have another miracle of oil, where a little jar filled many large jars.

Now I do not know if the one day's oil lasted for eight days at the Re-Dedication of the Temple.  But there is NO DENYING that it is possible.  Our God does do miracles. And miracles of Oil are throughout the law and the prophets.

1 Samuel 61:3 says we will be given the oil of joy for mourning.

Heb 1:9 says we will be given the oil of gladness because we loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.

But still, WHAT IS THIS OIL?

And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.

Exodus 27:20

This oil is the cleanest and purest oil of hand beaten fresh olives.  This oil is caused by pressing and squeezing without mechanical means.  (A mortar and pestle are allowed?) This is a PERSONAL pressing.

Steve Moutria (I think) did a teaching on the narrow path, tribulations, and our testimony being this pressed oil.  Cole Davis, in yesterdays video, shared with us the mental image of the sponge being pressed.

WHAT COMES OUT OF US WHEN WE ARE PRESSED?

Is it pure oil?

Is it bitter waters?

I admit, fearfully, that I see both in me.

And when I hear that HE IS COMING!... Do I have ENOUGH OIL?  Do I have any oil left?

The enemy laughs and laughs.

But the word still has the LAST laugh.

And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.

Numbers 4:16

El = God.

Azar = Is our Help

El is our HELP! El is given the office pertaining to OIL! El is going to HELP US WITH OUR OIL!

El is going to make sure our little tiny bit of oil IS ENOUGH.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

The Bridegroom is coming.  And those that have enough oil are ready and waiting for Him and WELCOMED IN!  This right here is a huge teaching in and of itself. The marriage, the hiding away, the shutting into the Ark of Noah, the Ark of the Covenant, the sealing and carrying away with the wings of eagles.  We hear alot about the Rapture from the Church, full of misunderstandings and a lack of biblical basis.  But the hiding away of the bride before the wrath of YHWH comes is COMPLETELY BIBLICAL.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

The foolish are not sealed with the Bridegroom.  Personally I do not know their fate.  Some believe that it is the end for them.  But I think it likely that SOME are saved, but not the bride.  Those that did try and are totally willing to repent, but didn't know the messiah or didn't know the law.  I don't know.  But I fully trust that YHWH is a good God and gives everyone every opportunity.

I also pray that I am learning and submitting and taking my opportunity NOW to be ready.

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Matthew 25:1-13