After sunset next Monday, November 13, we will enter the 9th month of God’s year, named by man, probably during the Babylonian exile, as Kislev.
Seen as one of the darkest months, as the days get shorter and the nights longer, but also as a month of hope. The root of Kislev, kesel, or kisla (כסל) meaning hope.
This 9th month, which includes the beginning of the 8 day Feast of Dedication (Chanukkah), reminding us of the great hope it brought to the Jews after the Maccabean revolt. The message of Chanukkah being the eternal power of light over darkness, good over evil. Commemorating the miraculous victory of a small Jewish army over the evil Greek emperor Antiochus, and his mighty Seleucid Empire.Very apposite, of course, this year as Israel has been forced to fight for her very existence once again.
It has to be said, that the “tradition” of there only being enough oil for one day to rededicate the 2nd Temple, after the victory of the Maccabees, and it miraculously lasting for eight days, is JUST A TRADITION. There is no historical evidence for this, or mention of it in the Book of Maccabees, but a lovely tradition.
This 9th month also known as “the month of dreams” as 9 out of the 10 dreams recorded in the Book of Genesis are read in the Torah Portions during this month.
So, as you know, from the moment our Heavenly Father decided to choose the descendants of Avraham, Yitzak and Israel for a purpose, His purpose, to be a light to the nations, to show The Way our creator God wanted all nations to live, they have been hated, abused, mistreated, and threatened with annihilation. The story of the Maccabees is just one of many.
- From Amalekites – Canaanites — Philistines- Babylonians – Assyrians – Haman – The Seleucid Empire – The Romans
- The horrors done to the Jews in the name of Jesus Christ during the crusades in 1095
- Expelled from Vienne France, by order of Pope Innocent III in 1253
- The expelling of all Jews from England in 1290
- Expelled from Berne, Switzerland in 1294
- Expelled from Hungary in 1360
- The expelling of all Jews from Spain in 1492,
- Expelled from Portugal in 1496
- The Russian Pogroms of late 19th century
- Hitler and the horrors of the Holocaust
- Today, of course, we have Fundamental Islam, portrayed clearly by Iran and her proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas, Isis, and I am sure you know, the Palestine National Charter still contains their aim for the complete destruction of Israel.
This chant is seen and heard frequently on the streets of Iran and Gaza, and within the Palestinian Authority areas, but now would you believe openly on the streets of the United States, Australia, The United Kingdom, in Europe, and many other countries around the world.
So we actually know our enemies plans, it is no secret, death to the Jews. The obliteration of Israel.
Not surprising one of the times we have this 9th month mentioned in the scriptures was when we read in 1 Chronicles 27: 12 in the time of King David, that the people of Israel were registered according to their clans and served the King in divisions of 24,000 each for a month term. And we read that the 9th commander for the 9th month was Avi’ezer from Anatot, from the tribe of Ben-Y’mini.
Israel always having to be fully armed and fully ready, nothing new under the sun!!
We know that since 1948 if Israel had lost any of the wars she has been forced to fight, she would not exist today.
In Ezra we read, after the return from Babylon it became apparent the Cohaneem and the Leva’eem had not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands and their disgusting practices. We read in Ezra chapter 10 that when he was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the House of God, a huge crowd of Israel’s men women and children gathered around him, weeping bitterly because of their treacherous actions against God. Ezra gave 3 days for all the men of Yehudah and Binyamin to assemble in Yerushalayim. Then on the 20th day of the 9th month, in the pouring rain, Ezra agreed a plan with them beginning with the men, including the Cohaneem, who had taken foreign wives, that they would confess their sins to The Lord God of their ancestors, and then act in ways that would honor and please Him.
In Jeremiah we read that The Lord told him to take a scroll and write down all the words He had spoken against Israel and the other nations. This in the hope that the house of Judah would listen to the disaster The Lord intended to bring on them, and they would turn back from their evil ways. We read a fast was proclaimed in the 9th Month. Sadly when the scroll was eventually read to the King of Yehudah he burnt it!
But an encouraging story, from recent history, occurred during this 9th month in 1917. On the December 11, in the Gregorian Calendar, General Edmund Allenby, commander of the British “Egyptian Expeditionary Force,” entered Jerusalem. He was a committed Christian and wanted to show his respect for the Holy City by entering by foot. This was two days after the Turkish forces occupying the city raised the white flag before Allied forces. British Jews serving in the EEF, along with the local Jews were then able to openly rejoice and celebrate Channukah in Jerusalem.
From what we can glean from the scriptures it is more than likely that Yeshua was conceived during this 9th month. As Life begins at conception we have The Light of the World coming into the world during this darkest month of dreams.
Heavenly Father as we enter this new month, this new portion of time, we continue to pray for Your Kingdom to come, and Your will to be done, as it is in heaven, here on earth. Give complete victory to Israel against those who continue to stand against her, and You and Your purposes. May the light of your son Yeshua shine more and more brightly in these hard dark challenging days, drawing Your people back to You, and wanting to live by your unchanging Torah, in the truth you have shown through your son Yeshua.