MACCABEES – HOLY
JIHAD
Apocrypha – Essenes – Zealots – Dagger men – The
Hammer – Hellenizes - Muslims
First Word
·
Jihad is an Islamic
term referring to the religious duty of Muslims to maintain the
religion. In Arabic, the word is a noun meaning "to strive, to
apply oneself, to struggle, to persevere. The word appears
frequently in the Quran, often in the idiomatic expression
"striving in the way of Allah”, this refer to the act of striving to serve
the purposes of God on this earth.
·
The Maccabees were far from being
Muslims; they were devout Jews who DEFENDED themselves from those who battled
against them to end their FREEDOM TO WORSHIP Jehovah God.
·
Note: When a King came into
power, everyone was forced to worship the god of his kingdom. Freedom of
Worship was the cornerstone of the USA. – We have the FREEDOM TO WORSHIP as we
choose. – Muslims reject this freedom, but still come here. – WHY? -
·
Before I can speak on the
Maccabees,
I feel a need to explain that there is just not much in Bible scripture about
this small rag tag bunch of Holy Jihad fighters – I turn to the Apocrypha which contains two complete
books on the army known as the Maccabees as well as go to the Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus; both are considered
trusted commentaries.
·
The books of 1st and 2nd
Maccabees
were not included in our Bible because no “original” HEBREW writing has survived
the years even though we have the Hebrew to Greek translations. – I will
include the entire text here because its flavor is far better than I could ever
write.
·
Josephus, the Jewish historian was
born the year that Jesus was crucified and in spite of the good things he has
to say about the history of Christianity, he was not a believer.
Setting the
Stage
·
Alexander the Great had conquered Egypt and had
founded a Greek city near the Nile Delta called Alexandra which became the
cultural capital of a new era; the
Hellenistic era – His vision was to bring the Greek culture and way of life
to all of the non-Greek world.
·
The Ptolemaic dynasty was a spinoff of that,
which for a century placed Israel under the Ptolemaic rule. – While the common
Israelite was not affected that much, the upper wealthy class was attracted to
the Greek way of life and the opportunities that it provided with the rest of
the world. – Some Jewish men engaged in “Foreskin
Restoration” in order to pass themselves off as fully Greek.
·
The Seleucids ruled by King Antiochus
III was also a part of Alexanders rule and covered the vast eastern empire
including Asia Minor and had scrimmages with the Ptolemais and eventually got
control of Palestine from Egypt.
·
High Priest - Jerusalem had been
granted the authority to be self-governed and had developed a kind of theocracy
that was governed by a High Priest. – The High Priest that was currently serving
was Onias III who OPPOSED the Hellenization of the Jews; to assimilate the
Greek culture and patterns of religion and government into their culture.
·
Hellenizers – Onias III had a brother
named Jason who was the leader of
the Hellenizers who wanted the Greek culture and ethnic culture to be
homogenized into Israel. – This is where we pick up the story of the struggle
over the Hellenistic culture that was now threating the Jewish way of life,
especially their worship of the ONE GOD YAHWEH.
The Apocrypha
1st Maccabees 1:1-9 –
Alexander Great dies – Kingdom Divided
1 After Alexander son of Philip, the
Macedonian, who came from the land of Kittim, had defeated King Darius of
the Persians and the Medes, he succeeded him as king. (He had previously become
king of Greece.)
2 He fought many battles, conquered
strongholds, and put to death the kings of the earth.
3 He advanced to the ends of the earth, and plundered
many nations. When the earth became quiet before him, he was exalted, and
his heart was lifted up.
4 He gathered a very strong army and
ruled over countries, nations, and princes, and they became tributary to
him.
5 After this he fell sick and perceived
that he was dying.
6 So he summoned his most honored officers,
who had been brought up with him from youth, and divided his kingdom among them
while he was still alive.
7 And after Alexander had reigned
twelve years, he DIED.
8 Then his officers began to rule, each
in his own place.
9 They all put on crowns after his death, and
so did their descendants after them for many years; and they caused many evils
on the earth.
1 Maccabees 1:10 – Sinful
Antiochus Epiphanes takes over
10 From them came forth a sinful root,
Antiochus Epiphanes, son of King Antiochus; he had been a hostage in
Rome. He began to reign in the one hundred thirty-seventh year of the
kingdom of the Greeks.
1 Maccabees 1:11-14 -
Let’s go make a covenant with Gentiles
11 In those days certain RENEGADES came out
from Israel and misled many, saying, "Let us go and make a
covenant with the Gentiles around us, for since we separated from them many
disasters have come upon us."
12This proposal pleased them,
13 and some of the people EAGERLY WENT to the
king, who authorized them to OBSERVE THE ORDINANCES of the Gentiles.
14 So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem,
according to Gentile custom,
1 Maccabees 1:15-19 – Jews
plastic surgery remove circumcision
15 and removed the marks of CIRCUMCISION, and
abandoned the holy covenant. They joined with the Gentiles and sold
themselves to do evil.
16 When Antiochus saw that his kingdom was
established, he determined to become king of the land of Egypt, in order that
he might reign over both kingdoms.
17 So he invaded Egypt with a strong force,
with chariots and elephants and cavalry and with a large fleet.
18 He engaged King Ptolemy of Egypt in
battle, and Ptolemy turned and fled before him, and many were wounded and
fell.
19 They captured the fortified cities in the
land of Egypt, and he plundered the land of Egypt.
1 Maccabees 1:20 –
Antiochus went up against Jerusalem
20 After subduing Egypt, Antiochus
returned in the one hundred forty-third year. He went up against
Israel and came to Jerusalem with a strong force.
1 Maccabees 1:21-23 – Took
Altar, lampstand, censers, utensils
21 He ARROGANTLY entered the sanctuary and
took the golden altar, the lampstand for the light, and all its utensils.
22 He took also the table for the
bread of the Presence, the cups for drink offerings, the bowls,
the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the gold
decoration on the front of the temple; he stripped it all off.
23 He took the silver and the gold,
and the costly vessels; he took also the hidden treasures that he
found.
1 Maccabees 1:24-28 – He
shed much blood – Spoke arrogantly
24 Taking them all, he went into his own
land. He shed much blood, and spoke with GREAT ARROGANCE.
25 Israel mourned deeply in every
community,
28 Even the land trembled for its
inhabitants, and all the house of Jacob was clothed with shame.
1 Maccabees 1:29-37 –
Plundered and burned Jerusalem
29 Two years later the king sent to the
cities of Judah a chief collector of tribute, and he came to Jerusalem
with a large force.
30 Deceitfully he spoke peaceable words to
them, and they believed him; but he suddenly fell upon the city, dealt it a
severe blow, and destroyed many people of Israel.
31 He plundered the city, burned it
with fire, and tore down its houses and its surrounding walls.
32 They took captive the women
and children, and seized the livestock.
34 They stationed there a sinful people,
men who were renegades. These strengthened their position;
35 they stored up arms and food, and
collecting the spoils of Jerusalem they stored them there, and became a
great menace,
36 for the citadel became an ambush
against the sanctuary, an evil adversary of Israel at all times.
37 On every side of the sanctuary they shed
innocent blood; they even defiled the sanctuary.
1 Maccabees 1:38-40 –
People fled - Sanctuary desolate
38 Because of them the residents of
Jerusalem fled; she became a dwelling of strangers; she became strange to
her offspring, and her children forsook her.
39 Her sanctuary became desolate like
a desert; her feasts were turned into mourning, her Sabbaths into a reproach,
her honor into contempt.
40 Her dishonor now grew as great as her
glory; her exaltation was turned into mourning.
Political Games
& Revolt
·
Jason who was part of the
Priestly line, went behind his brothers back and bribed King Antiochus to
appoint him as High Priest instead of his brother. - Jason promoted the Greek
Laws, customs and religions and abolished the Jew’s Laws. – He was not in power
long -
·
Menelaus soon replaced him which
outraged the Jews; having an APPOINTED High Priest that was not from the
Priestly line. – King Antiochus, in an effort to support Menelaus his appointee,
was able to put down the Jewish Revolt as the Jews refused to fight on
the Sabbath. After the enormous carnage of
1,000 men, women and children on the Sabbath, King Antiochus banned all
observances of the Laws of Moses.
·
On Kislev (December) 25th
167B.C.
the temple was taken over by Antiochus Epiphanes IV, King of Syria and
dedicated it to the Olympian Zeus and the altar was polluted with pagan
sacrifices of pigs; the Jews were forbidden to engage in sacrifices, rites,
feast or worship of any kind. - The
Torah was burned and the observances of the Laws of Moses was banned. The
Temple was now profaned. – All Jews were obligated to take part in the pagan
sacrifices or die.
The
Apocrypha
1st Maccabees 1:41-42 –
King directs to follow strange customs
41 Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom
that all should be one people,
42 and that all should give up their
particular customs.
1st Maccabees 1:43 – Many
adopt King’s religion sacrifice idols
43 All the Gentiles accepted the command of the
king. Many even from Israel GLADLY adopted his religion; they sacrificed
to idols and profaned the Sabbath.
1st Maccabees 1:44-45-
Forbids Offerings – Profanes Sabbath
44 And the king sent letters by messengers to
Jerusalem and the towns of Judah; he directed them to follow customs strange
to the land,
45 to forbid burnt offerings and
sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary, to profane Sabbaths and
festivals,
1st Maccabees 1:46-50 –
Sacrifices PIGS on the Altar
46 to defile the sanctuary and the
priests,
47 to build altars and sacred precincts and
shrines for idols, to sacrifice SWINE and other unclean animals,
48 and to leave their sons uncircumcised.
They were to make themselves abominable by everything unclean and
profane,
49 so that they would forget the law
and change all the ordinances.
50 He added, "And whoever does
not obey the command of the king SHALL DIE."
1st Maccabees 1:51 –
Appoint Inspectors; Commanded Sacrifices
51 In such words he wrote to his whole
kingdom. He appointed inspectors over all the people and commanded
the towns of Judah to offer sacrifice, town by town.
1st Maccabees 1:52-54 –
Many Forsook the LAW – Did Evil
52 Many of the people, everyone who FORSOOK
THE LAW, joined them, and they DID EVIL in the land;
53 they drove Israel into hiding in
every place of refuge they had.
54 Now on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in
the one hundred forty-fifth year, they erected a desolating sacrilege
on the altar of burnt offering. They also built altars in the surrounding towns
of Judah,
1st Maccabees 1:56-58 –
Tore up the Torah and burned it
56 The Books of the Law that they
found they tore to pieces and burned with fire.
57 Anyone found possessing the Book
of the Covenant, or anyone who adhered to the law, was condemned to
death by decree of the king.
58 They kept using violence against Israel,
against those who were found month after month in the towns.
1st Maccabees 1:59-61 –
December 25th offered a PIG
59 On the TWENTY-FIFTH DAY of the month they offered
sacrifice on the altar that was on top of the altar of burnt
offering.
60 According to the decree, they put to
death the women who had their children circumcised,
61 and their families and those who
circumcised them; and they hung the infants from their mothers' necks.
1st Maccabees 1:62-64 – Many
choose to die than profane God
62 But many in Israel stood firm
and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food.
63 They chose to die rather than to be
defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant; and THEY DID
DIE.
ESSENES - RABBIT
TRAIL
·
The Pious - It was during this time
that we hear about the Hasideans
(The Pious) who
were a strong religious sect
that held strictly to the Law and loved quiet; who founded a society or
"sect" that exercised considerable power and authority among
the people; they fought for the Torah during the Maccabean Revolt. It is
believed that they gave birth to the Essenes who had abandoned the
polluted temple and started their own sect in the Qumran.
·
The name Essene comes from a Hebrew word
that means “pious” or “holy”. - The sect did not refer to themselves as
Essenes, but were given that name by outsiders. They were a Jewish sect that were
partially celibate living a strict communal life in the desert. – They lived in
a monastery in the Qumran near the northern end of the Dead Sea.
·
Corrupt Politicians - The Essenes rejected
the polluted priesthood in Jerusalem and established a pure and true community
in the desert – They believed that they were the righteous remnant and sole
heirs to God’s covenant. - They lived a life of exacting standards of ritual
purity and ethical practice. - NYOBS 16.34 - ESSENES;
WHO WERE THEY?
·
Days were spent copying hymns, scrolls,
prayers and the “Manual of Discipline”
which was about methods and rules for Godly living. - (Method of living and worship; sounds like Methodist to me.)
·
Isaiah’s writings were followed literally;
“MAKE STRAIGHT IN THE DESERT A HIGHWAY FOR OUR GOD.” – They separated
themselves awaiting God’s coming in the desert – They were the “Guardians of
Mysterious Truths” that would govern the life of Israel when the Messiah
appeared.
·
Work Ethic - They observed a strict discipline; they begin
their work day before dawn with prayer, then went to their “Secular jobs” as
they were best suited – At noon they washed in cold water and had prayers and a
simple meal – At evening; bath, prayers, and a simple meal.
·
There wages were held in common
possession in a community treasury so that all might benefit as the need arose.
– They took care of the cost of treatment for all their sick and maintained
their aged populace with respect and dignity; they lived in contentment.
·
Discipline – All labor was done as
unto the Lord -”Love of God, Virtue and Man” was their motivation to work – You don’t work, you don’t eat – You would
be banished from the sect.
·
Their beliefs can be summarized as Love
of God, Love of Virtue, and Love of Men. – They were strictly
pacifist by nature and had no weapons of war. - They esteemed frugality.
·
Their leader was known only as “The
Teacher of Righteousness”; we do not know his name.
- Communalism – Webster: A system
of government in which communes sometimes
on an ethnic or religious basis, have virtual autonomy within a
federated state – A small group of people living communally and sharing
in work and earnings. – Everyone owns it all. – God is their
source.
- Communism – God does not
exist – You get enough to exist. – The state exist to own it
all.
·
The Essenes lived in the Qumran
Valley for some 200 years. – When the Roman’s attacked, they hid their library
in various caves where it remained hidden for 2000 years waiting for the
Bedouin youth to chunk a rock inside and give us the greatest manuscript
discovery of our time; the Dead Sea
Scrolls. - NYOBS 16.33 - DEAD SEA
SCROLLS - NYOBS
22.03 – JOSEPHUS
·
Josephus, the Jewish historian;
A.D. 37-98; lived with the Essenes for three years and provides most of the
background information on the sect. - It is possible that John the Baptist also
lived with the Essenes as it was in the same area; but no scriptural proof.
·
Note: The Essenes and John the
Baptist withdrew to the wilderness with their teachings; Jesus came with
a NEW COVENENT and took it to the Public Streets. – Go and do likewise.
Isa 40:3 – Make straight
in the desert a highway
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Prepare the way of the Lord; MAKE STRAIGHT IN THE DESERT A HIGHWAY FOR OUR
GOD. NKJV
Matthew 3:1-4 – John the
Baptist lived near the Essenes
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of
Judea,
2 REPENT, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.
4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his
waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (ESV)
Acts 2:42 -47 – Christian Communalism
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles'
teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders
and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
44 All the believers were together and had
everything in common.
45 Selling their possessions and goods,
they gave to anyone as he had need.
46 Every day they continued to meet together
in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together
with glad and sincere hearts,
47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the
people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being
saved. NIV
The Maccabean Revolt
·
There arose a lone Jewish
Priest
by the name of Mattathias the Hasmonean from the small village of Modein,
just outside of Jerusalem; who took up the cause for Israel. - The Syrian
officials came to enforce the laws of pagan worship publically, and there they
encountered Mattathias who stood with his five sons.
·
According to the king's
command,
a local JEW came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in
Modein. - When Mattathias saw this, he ran and killed him on the altar.
- At the same time he killed the king's officer who was forcing them to
sacrifice.
·
Mattathias then fled to the hills
with his family and as Priest, summoned the people to join him and amassed a
small rag tag guerrilla force to protect themselves. – At some point Mattathias
would die and Judas his third son would take over the leadership of The Revolt.
The Apocrypha
1 Maccabees 2:1-5 –
Mattathias was a Priest with five sons
1 In those days Mattathias son of John son of
Simeon, a PRIEST of the family of Joarib, moved from Jerusalem and settled in
Modein.
2 He had five sons, John surnamed
Gaddi,
3 Simon called Thassi,
4 Judas called MACCABEUS,
5 Eleazar called Avaran, and Jonathan
called Apphus.
1 Maccabees 2:6-14 –
Mattathias Exasperated over the situation
6 He saw the blasphemies being committed in
Judah and Jerusalem,
7 and said, "Alas! Why was I born
to see this, the ruin of my people, the ruin of the holy city, and to live
there when it was given over to the enemy, the sanctuary given over to
aliens?
8 Her temple has become like a person without
honor;
9 her glorious vessels have been carried into
exile. Her infants have been killed in her streets, her youths by the sword of
the foe.
10 What nation has not inherited her
palaces and has not seized her spoils?
11 All her adornment has been taken away; no
longer free, she has become a slave.
12 And see, our holy place, our beauty, and
our glory have been laid waste; the Gentiles have profaned them.
13 Why should we live any longer?"
14 Then Mattathias and his sons tore
their clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned greatly.
1 Maccabees 2:15-18 –
Kings Officers try to enlist Mattathias
15 The king's officers who were enforcing
the apostasy came to the town of Modein to make them offer sacrifice.
16 Many from Israel came to them; and
Mattathias and his sons were assembled.
17 Then the king's officers spoke to
Mattathias as follows: "You are a leader, honored and great in this town,
and supported by sons and brothers.
18 Now be the first to come and do what
the king commands, as all the Gentiles and the people of Judah and those
that are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons will be numbered
among the Friends of the king, and you and your sons will be honored
with silver and gold and many gifts."
1 Maccabees 2:19-22 –
Mattathias rejects the officer’s request
19 But Mattathias answered and said in
a LOUD VOICE: "Even if all the nations that live under the rule of the
king obey him, and have chosen to obey his commandments, every one of them abandoning
the religion of their ancestors,
20 I and my sons and my brothers will
continue to live by the covenant of our ancestors.
21 Far be it from us to desert the law and
the ordinances.
22 We will not obey the king's words
by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the
left."
1 Maccabees 2:23-26 –
Mattathias kills one of the Officers
23 When he had finished speaking these words,
A JEW came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in
Modein, according to the king's command.
24 When Mattathias saw it, he burned with
zeal and his heart was stirred. He gave vent to righteous anger; he ran and
killed him on the altar.
25 At the same time he killed the king's
officer who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the
altar.
26 Thus he burned with zeal for the law,
just as Phinehas did against Zimri son of Salu. - (See Numbers 25:7 for Phinehas;
the zeal for the Law)
1 Maccabees 2:27-28 –
Mattathias & supporters fled into HILLS
27 Then Mattathias cried out in the town with
a loud voice, saying: "Let everyone who is zealous for the law and
supports the covenant come out with me!"
28 Then he and his sons fled to the hills
and left all that they had in the town.
1 Maccabees 2:29-31 –
Others fled into the WILDERNESS
29 At that time MANY who were seeking
righteousness and justice went down to the WILDERNESS to live there,
30 they, their sons, their wives, and their
livestock, because troubles pressed heavily upon them.
31 And it was reported to the king's
officers, and to the troops in Jerusalem the city of David, that those who had
rejected the king's command had gone down to the hiding places in the WILDERNESS.
1 Maccabees 2:32-33 –
Attacked those in Wilderness Sabbath
32 Many pursued them, and overtook them; they
encamped opposite them and prepared for battle against them on the Sabbath
day.
33 They said to them, "Enough of this!
Come out and do what the king commands, and you will live."
1 Maccabees 2:34-40 –
Wouldn’t Battle on Sabbath; 1,000 died
34 But they said, "We will not come
out, nor will we do what the king commands and so profane the Sabbath
day."
35 Then the enemy quickly attacked
them.
36 But they did not answer them or hurl a
stone at them or block up their hiding places,
37 for they said, "Let us all DIE in
our innocence; heaven and earth testify for us that you are killing us
unjustly."
38 So they attacked them on the Sabbath,
and they died, with their wives and children and livestock, to the
number of a THOUSAND persons.
39 When Mattathias and his friends learned of
it, they mourned for them deeply.
40And all said to their neighbors: If we all do as
our kindred have done and refuse to fight with the Gentiles for our lives and
for our ordinances, they WILL QUICKLY DESTROY US FROM THE EARTH.
1 Maccabees 2:41 -
Mattathias – We will fight on the Sabbath
41 So they made this decision that day:
"Let us fight against anyone who comes to attack us on the Sabbath day;
let us not all die as our kindred died in their hiding places."
1 Maccabees 2:42 – The
Hasideans joined Mattathias in War
42 Then there united with them a company of
HASIDEANS, mighty WARRIORS OF ISRAEL, all who offered themselves willingly for the
law.
1 Maccabees 2:43 –
Fugitives from the Law joined Mattathias
43 And all who became FUGITIVES to escape
their troubles joined them and reinforced them.
1 Maccabees 2:44-48 – Tore
down alters – Rescued the LAW
44 THEY ORGANIZED AN ARMY, and struck down
sinners in their anger and renegades in their wrath; the survivors fled to
the Gentiles for safety.
45 Mattathias and his friends went around and tore
down the altars;
46 they forcibly circumcised all the
uncircumcised boys that they found within the borders of Israel.
47 They hunted down the arrogant, and the
work prospered in their hands.
48They RESCUED THE LAW out of the hands of the
Gentiles and kings, and they never let the sinner gain the upper hand.
1 Maccabees 2:49-65 –
Mattathias appoints Simon as Counsel
49 Now the days drew near for Mattathias
to die, and he said to his sons: "Arrogance and scorn have now
become strong; it is a time of ruin and furious anger.
50 Now, my children, show zeal for the law,
and give your lives for the covenant of our ancestors.
51 "Remember the deeds of the
ancestors, which they did in their generations; and you will receive great
honor and an everlasting name.
61 "And so observe, from generation to
generation, that none of those who put their trust in him will lack
strength.
62 Do not fear the words of sinners,
for their splendor will turn into dung and worms.
63 Today they will be exalted, but tomorrow
they will not be found, because they will have returned to the dust, and their
plans will have perished.
64 My children, be courageous and grow
strong in THE LAW, for by it you will gain honor.
65 "Here is your brother SIMEON who, I
know, is wise in COUNSEL; always listen to him; he shall be your father.
1 Maccabees 2:66-70 –
Judas Maccabeus commands the Army
66 Judas Maccabeus has been a
mighty warrior from his youth; he shall command the army for you and
fight the battle against the peoples.
67 You shall rally around you all who
observe THE LAW, and avenge the wrong done to your people.
68 Pay back the Gentiles in full, and obey
the commands of the law."
69 Then he blessed them, and was gathered to
his ancestors.
70 He (Mattathias) DIED in the one hundred
forty-sixth year and was buried in the tomb of his ancestors at Modein.
And all Israel mourned for him with great lamentation.
The Hammer
·
Judas whose attacks were
"hammer like" was called Maccabeus; meaning “The Hammer”.
·
The Name
"Maccabee" is derived from the First Letters of each word מי כמוכה באלים י'ה - "Who is like
You from amongst the mighty, the LORD?" (His name
comes from Exodus 15:11)
·
The Maccabean Revolt - The Army is now called The Maccabees. – Judas
intelligently and skillfully led the “The Hammer Army” and within three years
retook the temple, tore down the defiled altar and removed the statue of Zeus.
- The USA would do well to “Strike like
a Hammer”. – When you stir up a hornets nest… THEY ALL COME AFTER YOU… no warning!
The Bible
Exodus 15:11 - Who is like
YOU, O LORD, among the mighty
11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like thee,
glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? (KJV)
The Apocrypha
1 Maccabeus
3:1-9 – Judas Maccabeus takes command
1 Then his son Judas, who was called MACCABEUS,
took command in his place.
2 All his brothers and all who had joined his
father helped him; they gladly fought for Israel.
3 He extended the glory of his people. Like a
giant he put on his breastplate; he bound on his armor of war and waged
battles, protecting the camp by his sword.
4 He was like a lion in his deeds, like a
lion's cub roaring for prey.
5 He searched out and pursued those
who broke the law; he burned those who troubled his people.
6 Lawbreakers shrank back for fear of
him; all the evildoers were confounded; and deliverance prospered by
his hand.
8 He went through the cities of Judah; he destroyed
the ungodly out of the land; thus he turned away wrath from
Israel.
9 He was renowned to the ends of the earth; he
gathered in those who were perishing.
1 Maccabees 3:10-12 –
Apollonius fights Maccabees and LOSES
10 Apollonius now gathered together
Gentiles and a large force from Samaria to fight against Israel.
11 When Judas learned of it, he went out to
meet him, and he defeated and killed him. Many were wounded and fell;
the rest fled.
12 Then they seized their spoils; and
Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and used it in battle the rest of his
life.
1 Maccabees 3:13-17 – Many
Syrians fight the Few Maccabees
13 When Seron, the commander of the
Syrian army, heard that Judas had gathered a large company, including a
body of faithful soldiers who stayed with him and went out to battle,
14 he said, "I will make a name for
myself and win honor in the kingdom. I will make war on Judas and his
companions, who scorn the king's command."
15 Once again a strong army of godless men
went up with him to help him, to take vengeance on the Israelites.
16 When he approached the ascent of
Beth-horon, Judas went out to meet him with a small company.
17 But when they saw the army coming to meet
them, they said to Judas, "How can we, few as we are, fight
against so great and so strong a multitude? And we are faint, for we have
eaten nothing today."
1 Maccabees 3:18–22 - God
can save many or few; no difference
18 Judas replied, "It is easy for many
to be hemmed in by few, for in the sight of Heaven there is NO DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN SAVING BY MANY OR BY FEW.
19 It is not on the size of the army that
victory in battle depends, but strength comes from Heaven.
20 They come against us in great insolence
and lawlessness to destroy us and our wives and our children, and to despoil
us;
21 but we fight for our lives and our laws.
22 He himself will crush them before us;
as for you, do not be afraid of them."
1 Maccabees
3:23-26 – Many Syrians fight Few Maccabees LOSE
23 When he finished speaking, he rushed
suddenly against Seron and his army, and they were crushed before him.
24 They pursued them down the descent of
Beth-horon to the plain; eight hundred of them fell, and the rest fled into the
land of the Philistines.
25 Then Judas and his brothers BEGAN TO BE
FEARED, and TERROR fell on the Gentiles all around them.
26 His fame reached the king, and the
Gentiles talked of the battles of Judas.
1 Maccabees 3:27-34 – King
Antiochus gathers his troops
27 When King Antiochus heard these
reports, he was greatly angered; and he sent and gathered ALL the forces
of his kingdom, a very strong army.
28 He opened his coffers and gave a year's
pay to his forces, and ordered them to be ready for any need.
29 Then he saw that the money in the treasury
was exhausted, and that the revenues from the country were small because of the
dissension and disaster that he had caused in the land by abolishing the laws
that had existed from the earliest days.
30 He feared that he might not have such
funds as he had before for his expenses and for the gifts that he used to give
more lavishly than preceding kings.
31 He was greatly perplexed in mind; then he
determined to go to Persia and collect the revenues from those regions and
raise a large fund.
32 He left Lysias, a
distinguished man of royal lineage, in charge of the king's affairs from
the river Euphrates to the borders of Egypt.
34 And he turned over to Lysias half of
his forces and the elephants, and gave him orders about all that he wanted
done. As for the residents of Judea and Jerusalem,
1 Maccabees 3:35 –
Eradicate Israel from face of the Earth
35 Lysias was to send a force against
them to wipe out and destroy the strength of Israel and the
remnant of Jerusalem; he was to banish the memory of them from the
place, settle aliens in all their territory, and distribute their land by
lot.
1 Maccabees 3:37-41 –
Great Army encamps around Maccabeus
37 Then the king took the remaining half of
his forces and left Antioch his capital in the one hundred and forty-seventh
year. He crossed the Euphrates River and went through the upper
provinces.
38 Lysias chose Ptolemy son of Dorymenes, and
Nicanor and Gorgias, able men among the Friends of the king,
39 and sent with them forty thousand
infantry and seven thousand cavalry to go into the land of Judah and
destroy it, as the king had commanded.
40 So they set out with their entire force,
and when they arrived they encamped near Emmaus in the plain.
41 When the traders of the region heard what
was said to them, they took silver and gold in immense amounts, and fetters,
and went to the camp to get the Israelites for slaves. And forces from
Syria and the land of the Philistines joined with them.
1 Maccabees 3:42-46 –
Maccabees prays and ask God for Mercy
42 Now Judas and his brothers saw
that misfortunes had increased and that the forces were encamped in
their territory. They also learned what the king had commanded to do to the
people to cause THEIR FINAL DESTRUCTION.
43 But they said to one another, "Let us
restore the ruins of our people, and fight for our people and the
sanctuary."
44 So the congregation assembled to be ready
for battle, and to PRAY and ask for MERCY and COMPASSION.
45 Jerusalem was uninhabited like a
wilderness; not one of her children went in or out. The sanctuary was
trampled down, and aliens held the citadel; it was a lodging place for the
Gentiles. Joy was taken from Jacob; the flute and the harp ceased to
play.
46 Then they gathered together and went to
Mizpah, opposite Jerusalem, because Israel formerly had a place of prayer in
Mizpah.
1 Maccabees 3:47-55 –
Fasted sackcloth, ashes – Read the Law
47 They fasted that day, put on sackcloth
and sprinkled ashes on their heads, and tore their clothes.
48 And they OPENED THE BOOK OF THE LAW to
inquire into those matters about which the Gentiles consulted the likenesses of
their gods.
49They also brought the vestments of the
priesthood and the first fruits and the tithes, and they stirred up the Nazirites who
had completed their days; - (Vow of the Nazarenes was
for a specific time period)
50 and they cried aloud to Heaven,
saying, "What shall we do with these? Where shall we take them?
51 Your sanctuary is trampled down and
profaned, and your priests mourn in humiliation.
52 Here the Gentiles are assembled against us
to destroy us; you know what they plot against us.
53 How will we be able to withstand them, if
you do not help us?"
54 Then they sounded the trumpets and gave
a loud shout.
55 After this Judas appointed leaders of the
people, in charge of thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens.
1 Maccabees 3:56 – Sent home
those who were about to marry
56 Those who were building houses, or were
about to be married, or were planting a vineyard, or were fainthearted,
he told to go home again, according to the law.
1 Maccabees 3:57-60 – The
Maccabees choose to die in battle
57 Then the army marched out and encamped to
the south of Emmaus.
58 And Judas said, "Arm yourselves
and be courageous. Be ready early in the morning to fight with these
Gentiles who have assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary.
59 It is better for us to DIE in battle
than to see the misfortunes of our nation and of the sanctuary.
60 But as HIS WILL in heaven may be,
so shall He do."
1 Maccabees 4:1-4 - Gorgias
plans Attack on Jews
1 Now Gorgias took five thousand infantry and one
thousand picked cavalry, and this division moved out by night
2 to fall upon the camp of the Jews and
attack them suddenly. Men from the citadel were his guides.
3 But Judas heard of it, and he and
his warriors moved out to attack the king's force in Emmaus
4 while the division was still absent from
the camp.
1 Maccabees 4:5-7 –
Gorgias is FOOLED by Judas – They LOSE
5 When Gorgias entered the camp of Judas
by night, he found no one there, so he looked for them in the hills,
because he said, "These men are running away from us."
6 At daybreak Judas appeared in the plain
with three thousand men, but they did not have armor and swords such as they
desired.
7 And they saw the camp of the Gentiles,
strong and fortified, with cavalry all around it; and these men were trained in
war.
ZEALOTES - HOLY
JIHAD - RABBIT TRAIL
- Zelotes is a Greek word meaning “Zealous One”
– Simon Zelotes was a disciple of Jesus.
- Tax Time - At the time of the
birth of Jesus, a decree went out from Cesar Augustus that everyone in the
Roman world must be taxed, especially the Jews. – Quirinius was to compile
a census of the Jews and to make a detailed notation of their property
holdings.
- The Zealot Resistance was founded in the
time of Quirinius around
- The
Zealots around 52 to 60 A.D. formed a radical Holy Jihad group
known as The Sicarii (Dagger
People) indicative of their tactics; who circulated in crowds during
festivals and killed Roman sympathizers with daggers that they concealed
in their clothing. – That certainly would include TAX COLLECTORS for Rome
who were for the most part JEWS.
- The
Sicarii
were devoted supporters of God and His laws and secretly engaged in acts
of intrigue, violence, force, deceptions plus ASSASSINATIONS of Roman
soldiers and anyone else that opposed the resistance in order to keep it
from achieving its liberating ends.
- The Sicarii; the
secret Zealot sect had escaped the war with Rome and were the ones that
had made their headquarters on top of the rock Masada. - NYOBS 32.13 - ZEALOTS
- Judas
the Galilean
led the Zealots in an ill-fated revolt against the Romans; he was killed
and his followers scattered, but the Zealot Resistance lived on.
- The
Romans had ordered a census to be taken of the Jews for the purpose of
TAXATION and the Zealots objected for two main reasons.
- FIRST; The Zealots took the
position that no one should be honored as Lord or King but God Jehovah. –
So they rejected the foreign rule of the Romans.
- SECOND; to pay taxes to an
Emperor was considered Idolatry and blasphemous to God.
- A Jihad or Holy War with
overwhelming odds had already been fought and won fulfilling Gods promises
to Israel, so the Zealots believed that God was a God of War and that they
would receive victory in any situation that they were in.
- The
Zealots mantras was; “NO RULE BUT THE LAW, NO KING BUT GOD”. They were greatly feared as they would
kill you in cold blood just because you were a Roman.
- They had hope for a Messiah that would overthrow
the Roman Government and restore the kingdom to Israel. – Two Disciples;
Judas Iscariot and Simon the Zealot both held the same “political views”
and believed that Jesus was “The
Man” that had come to restore Israel.
- The Pharisees thought that the
Roman oppression was from the hand of God because of Israel’s disobedience;
and in time the oppression would be lifted off and their land restored. -
The Zealots fanatical “violence” would eventually provoke the Roman War
which ended with the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. – The Zealots
played a heroic role in the defense of Jerusalem.
Mark 3:16-19
– Twelve Apostles – Simon the Zealot
16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);
17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the
name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder);
18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the
son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the ZEALOT,
19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. (ESV)
War is over
·
On December 25th 164 B.C. The Maccabees cleansed
the temple and reinstituted the Laws of Moses. – A re-dedication of the Temple
took place with an Eight day celebration. – This was not only in remembrance of
the re-dedication of the Temple, but a remembrance and thanksgiving for what GOD
had accomplished with so few people.
·
According to the Talmud, the Jews found a lamp in
the Temple with a one-day supply of Holy oil, but it stayed miraculously lit
for the entire eight days of the festival.
·
This became an eight days ANNUAL
festival,
celebrating the cleansing and rededication of the Temple after its desecration three
years earlier by the “Gentiles”– This relighting of the candelabras took on the
name Festival of Lights. –
Each day one additional candle would be lit until a total of eight candles is
reached. - They would sing the “Hallel Psalms”; which is a very, very
lengthy Psalm. - Psalms 113:1
·
At the festivals, children were told stories
of the brave Maccabees in order to stir up the desire to emulate them in their
love of God and their obedience to His Laws.
The Bible
John 10:22 – Hanukkah –
25th – Festival of Dedication
22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of HANUKKAH,
the Festival of Dedication. (NLT)
The Apocrypha
1 Maccabees 4:8-11 - Judas
encourages the Men to fight
8 But Judas said to those who were with him,
"Do not fear their numbers or be afraid when they charge.
9 Remember how our ancestors were saved at
the Red Sea, when Pharaoh with his forces pursued them.
10 And now, let us cry to Heaven, to
see whether he will favor us and remember his covenant with our
ancestors and crush this army before us today.
11 Then all the Gentiles will know that there
is ONE who REDEEMS and SAVES Israel."
1 Maccabees 4:12-17 – Blew
trumpet, the few crushed the many
12 When the foreigners looked up and saw them
coming against them,
13 they went out from their camp to battle.
Then the men with Judas blew their trumpets
14 and engaged in battle. The Gentiles
were CRUSHED, and fled into the plain,
15 and all those in the rear fell by the
sword. They pursued them to Gazara, and to the plains of Idumea, and to Azotus
and Jamnia; and three thousand of them fell.
16 Then Judas and his force turned back from
pursuing them,
17 and he said to the people, "Do not be
greedy for plunder, for there is a battle before us;
1 Maccabees 4:18-27 –
Gorgias is frightened; Flees to the hills
18 Gorgias and his force are near us in the
hills. But stand now against our enemies and fight them, and afterward seize
the plunder boldly."
19 Just as Judas was finishing this speech, a
detachment appeared, coming out of the hills.
20 They saw that their army had been put
to flight, and that the Jews were burning the camp, for the smoke that was
seen showed what had happened.
21 When they perceived this, they were
greatly frightened, and when they also saw the army of Judas drawn up in
the plain for battle,
22 they all fled into the land of the
Philistines.
23 Then Judas returned to plunder the camp,
and they seized a great amount of gold and silver, and cloth dyed blue and sea
purple, and great riches. On their return
24 THEY SANG HYMNS AND PRAISES TO HEAVEN —"For
he is good, for his mercy endures forever."
25 Thus Israel had a great deliverance that
day.
26Those of the foreigners who escaped went and
reported to Lysias all that had happened.
27 When he heard it, he was perplexed and
discouraged, for things had not happened to Israel as he had intended, nor had
they turned out as the king had ordered.
1 Maccabees 4:28-29 –
Lysias musters army against Maccabeus
28 But the next year he mustered sixty
thousand picked infantry and five thousand cavalry to subdue
them.
29 They came into Idumea and encamped at
Beth-zur, and Judas met them with (only) ten thousand men.
1 Maccabees 4:30-35 –
Maccabeus PRAISES God – WINS WAR
30 When he saw that their army was strong, HE
PRAYED, saying, "Blessed are you, O Savior of Israel, who crushed
the attack of the mighty warrior by the hand of your servant David, and gave
the camp of the Philistines into the hands of Jonathan son of Saul, and of the
man who carried his armor.
31 Hem in this army by the hand of
your people Israel, and let them be ashamed of their troops and their
cavalry.
32 Fill them with cowardice; melt
the boldness of their strength; let them tremble in their destruction.
33 Strike them down with the sword of
those who love you, and let all who know your name praise you with hymns."
34 Then both sides attacked, and there fell
of the army of Lysias five thousand men; they fell in action.
35 When Lysias saw the rout of his troops and
observed the boldness that inspired those of Judas, and how ready they were
either to live or to die nobly, he withdrew to Antioch and enlisted
mercenaries in order to invade Judea again with an even larger army.
1 Maccabees 4:36-41 – WE
WON – Let’s go cleanse the Temple
36 Then Judas and his brothers said, "See,
our enemies are crushed; let us go up to cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it."
37 So all the army assembled and went up to
Mount Zion.
38 There they saw the sanctuary desolate, the
altar profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up
as in a thicket, or as on one of the mountains. They saw also the chambers of
the priests in ruins.
39 Then they tore their clothes and mourned
with great lamentation; they sprinkled themselves with ashes
40 and fell face down on the ground. And when the
signal was given with the trumpets, they cried out to Heaven.
41 Then Judas detailed men to fight against
those in the citadel until he had cleansed the sanctuary.
1 Maccabees 4:42-45 – The
cleansing and rebuilding begins
42 He chose blameless priests devoted
to the law,
43 and they cleansed the sanctuary and
removed the defiled stones to an unclean place.
44 They deliberated what to do about the
altar of burnt offering, which had been profaned.
45 And they thought it best to tear it down,
so that it would not be a lasting shame to them that the Gentiles had defiled
it. So they tore down the altar,
1 Maccabees 4:47-48 –
Built a new altar, rebuilt sanctuary
47 Then they took unhewn stones, as the
law directs, and built a new altar like the former one.
48 They also rebuilt the sanctuary and
the interior of the temple, and consecrated the courts.
1 Maccabees 4:49-51 – Made
vessels, offered incense, lit lamps
49 They made new holy vessels, and
brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into
the temple.
50 Then they offered incense on the altar and
lit the lamps on the lampstand, and these gave light in the
temple.
51 They placed the bread on the table and
hung up the curtains. Thus they finished all the work they had
undertaken.
1 Maccabees
4:52-58 – December 25th; re-dedicated the Temple
52 Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth
day of the ninth month, which is the month of Chislev, (December) in the
one hundred forty-eighth year,
53 they rose and offered sacrifice, as the
law directs, on the new altar of burnt offering that they had built.
54 At the very season and on the
very day that the Gentiles had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and
harps and lutes and cymbals.
55 All the people fell on their faces and worshiped
and blessed Heaven (God), who had prospered
them.
56 So they celebrated the dedication of
the altar for eight days, and joyfully offered burnt offerings; they
offered a sacrifice of well-being and a thanksgiving offering.
57 They decorated the front of the temple
with golden crowns and small shields; they restored the gates and the chambers
for the priests, and fitted them with doors.
58 There was very great joy among the
people, and the disgrace brought by the Gentiles was removed.
1 Maccabees 4:59-60 -
Command to Celebrate December 25th
59 Then Judas and his brothers and all the
assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days
of dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and
gladness for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the
month of Chislev.
60 At that time they fortified Mount Zion
with high walls and strong towers all around, to keep the Gentiles from coming
and trampling them
Flavius Josephus- Historian
Antiquities
12:7:7 – Festival of Lights – Freedom of Worship
7 Now Judas (Maccabees) celebrated the festival of
the restoration of the sacrifices of the temple for eight days, and
omitted no sort of pleasures thereon; but he feasted them upon very rich and
splendid sacrifices; and he honored God, and delighted them by hymns and
psalms. Nay, they were so very glad at the revival of their customs,
when, after a long time of intermission, they unexpectedly had regained the
FREEDOM OF THEIR WORSHIP, that they made it a law for their posterity,
that they should keep a festival, on account of the restoration of their
temple worship, for eight days. And from that time to this we celebrate
this FESTIVAL, and call it LIGHTS. I suppose the reason was, because
this liberty beyond our hopes appeared to us; and that thence was the name
given to that festival.
Closing
Thoughts
·
I had always heard about the Maccabean Revolt and thought it
was a family or a Jewish tribe of people.
I didn’t know it was a name given to a rag tag group of likeminded pious
men that were drawn together to fight for the right to have the FREEDOM TO
WORSHIP GOD.
·
This spun off the Pharisees, Sadducees
and the Essenes who all sought to live Godly Lives.
·
Hanukkah, Festival of Dedication and Festival of Lights are all names of this celebration. This was
not a military celebration of victory over the Syrians, it was a Spiritual
Celebration for the Freedom of Worship and a joyous remembrance of God’s
faithful deliverance.
·
Happy Hanukkah Greetings are not about Santa
Clause or Christmas, it’s about rejoicing with others in thanking God for those
who fought for the Freedom of Worship. - If it were not for the Maccabees, the
monotheistic faith of the One God of the Jewish people may have perished
forever. – SELAH – God has always had a remnant of people that love Him. -
Nothing can thwart the plans of God - NYOBS 47.15 - Hanukkah
& Yom Kippur Festivals and Feasts
·
Today in the festival, the seven candle menorah
is replaced with an 8 branch candelabrum representing the eight days of the
festival and sometimes a ninth center one is added called the shammes or
“servant” that is used as a pilot light. – Although we do not have any original
Hebrew Text to support this celebration; Jesus certainly observed it.
·
Note: We are no longer under the Old Covenant of
WRATH; but are now under the New Covenant of MERCY – ALL WHO DRAW THE SWORD WILL
DIE BY THE SWORD.
– We are no longer God’s instruments of Judgment, but are His instruments of
Mercy. – At this writing, in Paris France, Muslim
Jihadist have just MURDERED 127 people and wounded some 200 … WHY?
·
We are not to kill people because they do not believe
like we do. It’s God’s job to Judge;
our job is to just share the Gospel; BUT
scripture says if someone premeditates to come against you; TAKE THEM OUT quickly with a Maccabean
sledge HAMMER. – Those who draw a AK-47
against you will die with a Hell Fire Missile - It’s in the Book.
John 10:22 – Hanukkah –
25th – Festival of Dedication
22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of HANUKKAH,
the Festival of Dedication.
(NLT)
Matthew
26:52 – We are under the New Covenant
52 Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw
the sword will die by the sword.
(NIV2011)
Exodus 22:2 – SHOOT THE
THIEF – INCINERATE THE TERRORIST
2 If a thief is caught breaking
in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is NOT
GUILTY of bloodshed; (NIV2011)
In the
multitude of counselors,
there is wisdom.
Proverbs 11:14
I am grateful to those
that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical information, and
scripture verses. Because of them I can
stand on their shoulders and see further that I otherwise ever could have.
A commentary; Critical,
Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans
All the Parables of the
Bible – Herbert Lockyer
All the Promises of the
Bible - Herbert Lockyer
An Expository Dictionary
of Biblical Words - W.E. Vine
Antiquity of the Jews –
Flavius Josephus
Apocrypha – Edgar J.
Goodspeed
Bible Almanac; The –
Packer Tenney White
Bible Study Tools – Liberty University
Expositors Bible
Commentary: The – Frank E. Gaebelein
Exposition of the Parables
– Benjamin Keach
Fascinating Bible Facts –
Publications International
Harpers Bible Dictionary –
Harper & Row
Illustrated Bible
Dictionary – Nelson’s
Illustrated Bible
Dictionary; The – Tyndale
Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest
Nelson’s Illustrated
Encyclopedia of Bible Facts – Packer – Tenney White
New International
Dictionary of the Bible: The - Douglas – Tenney
Thru the Bible Series – J.
Vernon McGee
Victor Journey through the
Bible; The – V. Gilbert Beers
Who’s Who in the Bible –
Paul D. Gardner
Wikipedia
Zondervan Pictorial
Encyclopedia of the Bible - Tenney
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