Hanukkah and the Antichrist: A Prophetic Blueprint

By MD K. W. Morgan

Deception abounds as we drown in a secular, lawless culture. Hanukkah and the Antichrist is a calling to the body of Messiah to arm themselves with perseverance and discernment to face dark days ahead.

Throughout His Word, God embeds pictures, parables, prophecies, and prototypes that give a deeper understanding of His truth. This study fo

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Apr 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887386966

MD K. W. Morgan

Kelli Morgan is a practicing physician and (former) homeschooling mom. She has been married for thirty years and has two adult daughters. A lifelong student of the Word of God, she was transformed by a two-month trip to Israel in the 1990s. Since then, she has been a student of the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. Over the past twenty years, she has taught Hebraic biblical perspectives to both adults and students across a variety of settings.

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Dedication

To my little dad,

I watched your faith from the time I was a young girl. You never assumed I was too young to understand prophecy, and you taught me that through the Word of God, the mysteries of the future can be unraveled. Thank you for the priceless inheritance of faith.

I will see you on the other side.

The only book that should ever be written is one

that flows up from the heart,

forced out by the inward pressure.

When such a work has gestated within a man,

it is almost certain that it will be written.

—A. W. Tozer, God’s Pursuit of Man

Preface

I believe we are nearing the days of the end, spoken of by the prophets throughout the scriptures. Even so, this book is not about date setting or prognosticating the exact course of the end times. We must not allow dogmatic interpretations to undermine our unity or our witness as Christians.

We will be addressing patterns in the Scripture, which can help us discern events that may have prophetic implications. These interpretations are offered to fellow Bereans who study the Word of God to see if they align with His truth.

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Acts 17:10–11

The Lord draws us all to Himself in different ways, and I believe He often uses the prophetic to encourage our desire to know Him. Do not be overwhelmed with the volume of material ahead. Move slowly through the text, take notes, and commit the timeline to memory. To fully unravel the intricacy of the end times, we must first understand the historical and biblical context. Trust me, it will be worth it.

Introduction

Everyone loves a good mystery.

A mystery invites us to become treasure-seekers. A mystery transforms us into active participants in the learning process, fully engaged, senses awakened.

Throughout His Word, God embeds pictures, parables, prophecies, and prototypes to give us a deeper understanding of truth; but to know this truth, we must search it out as we would a hidden treasure. God conceals truth so that we will delve more deeply into His Word to gain understanding.

The psalmist reminds us, Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding. If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:3–5, NKJV).

King Solomon wrote, It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter (Proverbs 25:2, NKJV).

But what treasure-seeking story is complete without a map?

In His Word, God has provided us with a map filled with hidden wisdom for us to discover. He concealed these mysteries in plain sight so that only those who seek Him will be able to understand.

But from there you will seek the

Lord

your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 4:29 (NKJV)

The

Lord

looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

Psalm 14:2 (NKJV)

God reveals wisdom to those whose hearts seek after Him, but He obscures the truth from those who do not seek Him. Jesus asserted that His father hides truth and wisdom from the wise but reveals it unto babes.

I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.

Matthew 11:25 (NKJV)

Jesus described the religious leaders as the wise and prudent because they had more exposure to the Scriptures than others. Their learning provided them with an advantage over the common people. The religious leaders had training and knowledge, but because of their pride, they were unable to recognize Jesus as the Messiah of Israel. The revelation was hidden from them.

Instead, it was often the simple and unlearned, like fishermen and farmers, who, though they were babes in the law of God, received the wisdom of God.

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13

Throughout history, many of God’s most anointed servants received no formal religious training. This does not diminish the importance of education, but it serves as a reminder that religious knowledge does not in itself curry favor with God. The Pharisees were a prime example of this.

God is more concerned with the condition of our hearts than the knowledge in our minds. When we display a pure heart toward God with a love for truth and a willingness to obey His Word, He reveals Himself to us.

The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him.

John 14:21

God reveals Himself to those who love Him and keep His commandments. Conversely, He may conceal Himself from those who are disobedient and do not love His Word.

The prophet Isaiah was sent to the inhabitants of the southern kingdom of Judah. He pointed out the disobedience and resulting judgment of Israel, Judah’s northern sister. Israel was taken into captivity because of her sin and rebellion toward God. Despite warnings from the prophets, Israel persisted in her idolatry and was conquered by the Assyrians, who carried the people out of their land and scattered them among the nations.

Isaiah warned the nation of Judah that she would face Israel’s same fate if she did not repent.

Unfortunately, despite the warnings of Isaiah and other prophets, Judah refused to repent. Because of their persistent disobedience, God responded by hardening their hearts and dulling their eyes and ears. He concealed His truth from them.

He said, Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.

Isaiah 6:9–10 (NIV)

Isaiah relayed God’s message to the people of Judah. Because of their unrepentant hearts, God would now conceal the truth from them. They would hear but not have understanding; they would see but not really perceive. God was giving them over to their own disobedience and allowing their hearts to become darkened.

This pattern of warning before judgment is repeated throughout the Scriptures. God desires His children to love and obey Him. In His mercy, He warns them before bringing forth judgment. Once a people has persisted in their sin and ignored God’s warnings, He will often allow them to become blinded by their own sin. In effect, their heart becomes darkened.

Jesus quoted this passage from Isaiah as He explained to His disciples why He taught using parables. Parables are cryptic stories with hidden lessons used to teach deeper truths. Their meaning is like a riddle, but only those with spiritually tuned eyes and ears were able to understand. Parables kept those who did not want to listen from understanding.

And the disciples came and said to Him, Why do You speak to them in parables? Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore, I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

"In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘

You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You will keep on seeing but will not perceive. For the heart of this people has

become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them

.’

But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Matthew 13:10–17

Biblical commentator William Barclay offers the following commentary:¹

The parable conceals truth from those who are either too lazy to think or too blinded by prejudice to see. It puts the responsibility fairly and squarely on the individual. It reveals truth to him who desires truth; it conceals truth from him who does not wish to see the truth.

Paul also quoted this same passage from Isaiah in Acts 28. Paul had arrived in Rome after traveling from Malta, where he had been shipwrecked for three months. Upon his arrival in Rome, he called together the Jewish leaders to speak with them about the kingdom of God. Using the Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament scriptures), Paul began to persuade the people that Jesus was the Messiah. Although many were persuaded by Paul’s claims, Israel as a whole rejected the gospel.

Paul rebuked the nation for their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah. After quoting this same passage from Isaiah, he told the people that because of their rejection, the message of salvation would go to the Gentiles, a people largely ignorant of the Scriptures.

And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying, ‘

Go to this people and say, "You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; For the heart of this people has become dull And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes; Lest they should see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I should heal them

."‘

Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen.

Acts 28:25–28

God reveals many truths in His Word in the form of prophetic pictures and parables. While these images can illuminate spiritual truth, they can also hide it from those who do not have the willingness to become His disciples.

In the pages that follow, we will study God’s use of types and shadows throughout His Word, investigate the historical and biblical accounts of Hanukkah, observe Jesus’ actions during this celebration, and discover what important revelation He gave during the Festival of Lights [Hanukkah]. We will examine the decrees of Antiochus Epiphanes, a prophetic forerunner of the Antichrist, and discuss what lessons this historical culture war can teach us today. Finally, we will consider the personal applications of Hanukkah in our life and the lives of our family as we learn to resist a culture that is wholly given to evil.

So strap on your sandals, open up your treasure map, and prepare for your journey. The powerful, prophetic picture of Hanukkah will give us a deeper understanding of God’s plan for the end of the age. It will also help us to better prepare ourselves mentally, physically, and spiritually as we face dark days ahead.

---

11 William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible, Bible Portal, accessed January 23, 2023, https://bibleportal.com/commentary/section/william-barclay/many-things-in-parables-matthew-131-58

Part 1: Foundations

1. Terminology

Hanukkah

The word Hanukkah is a Hebrew term meaning dedication. Hanukkah is alternatively known as the Feast of Dedication or the Festival of Lights.

The Hebrew letter chet has no direct translation into English. Chet is a guttural sound pronounced like ch but from the back of the throat. It can be represented by h or ch when translated into English. The word Hanukkah can thus be alternately spelled Hanukkah or Chanukah. While both are acceptable, for the purpose of this book, I will use the spelling variant Hanukkah.

Hanukkah is celebrated in the Hebrew month of Kislev on the twenty-fifth day, which corresponds to November/December on our Gregorian (solar) calendar. The Hebrew calendar is a lunar calendar, so the date for Hanukkah moves slightly from year to year.

The Hanukkah menorah, called a Hanukkiah, differs from the traditional seven-branched temple menorah. The Hanukkah menorah is a nine-branch candelabra with eight branches for the eight nights of Hanukkah and a sole central elevated candle known as the shamash, or servant candle, which is used to light the other candles.

The Calendar

The Hebrew calendar is quite different from our Gregorian (solar) calendar. The Hebrew calendar is a lunar calendar because it is based upon the cycle of the moon around the sun, with each cycle lasting between twenty-nine and thirty days. In the lunar calendar, the start of a new month is determined by the first sighting of the new moon. Anyone looking up at the night sky could determine the day of the month by viewing the phase of the moon.

While the solar year consists of 365.25 days, the lunar year is only 354 days. Because the lunar calendar is shorter in length, over time, the annual celebrations would gradually move to different seasons in the year. To address this, every few years, an extra month is added after the Hebrew month of Adar in order to synchronize it with the solar calendar. This extra month is called Adar-bet (or Adar-2) and is inserted into the calendar based upon the timing of the barley harvest. If the harvest is not yet at a certain state of maturity, called abib, an extra month is added to that year. This addition ensures that the Hebrew months stay in their appropriate season.

In Jewish practice, each day begins and ends at sunset, based upon God’s words at creation.

And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Genesis 1:5 (NIV)

Therefore, the weekly Sabbath and annual festivals begin at sunset and extend to the following sunset.

Because the biblical feasts are celebrated on this same calendar, the dates of Passover, Firstfruits, Yom Kippur, and other celebrations (including Hanukkah) move slightly from year to year in our calendar.

A derivation of the lunar calendar is the prophetic calendar. It differs slightly from a true lunar calendar in that the prophetic calendar assumes a month of exactly thirty days so that a prophetic year consists of exactly 360 days.

Names

It does not take an in-depth study of the Word of God to discover that names have meaning. In the ancient world, a name expressed the essence of one’s character and nature. Men and women were named based upon their family heritage, personal characteristics, or their prophetic calling in God.

Moses, meaning drawn out, was drawn out of the water by Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2:10). Elijah, meaning My God is Yah, fulfilled His prophetic calling when he famously took a stand against the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). Isaiah, whose name means Yah Saves or God is salvation, delivered one of the most stunning prophetic oracles concerning the salvation to come through the Messiah (Isaiah 53).

A change in one’s name could also reveal a transformation in one’s character or destiny.

Then he said, Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have contended with God and with men and have prevailed.

Genesis 32:28

He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas (which is translated Peter).

John 1:42

Yahweh, The Name of God

In our English Bibles, the personal name of God is most often translated as LORD (all capital letters). However, in Hebrew, God’s name consists of four letters: YHWH. These four letters (the Tetragrammaton) are pronounced Yahweh. Because God’s name was considered too sacred to be pronounced out loud, the Hebrew scribes substituted the Hebrew word Adonai (meaning Lord) when they translated His name. This substitution continued with the translation of the Bible into English, where LORD is used in place of YHWH.

The name Yahweh is derived from the root word to be, meaning I am or I am that I am.

And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM; and He said, This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’

Exodus 3:14

Yeshua, Jesus’ Hebrew name

Similarly, although we most often use the English name Jesus to refer to the name of our Savior, this name actually comes from the Latin Iesus, an anglicized form of the Greek name Yesous. Sadly, these Latin and English transliterations conceal the true beauty of our Messiah’s Hebrew name: Yeshua.

Yeshua is derived from the Hebrew verb yasha, which means to deliver, save, or rescue and conveys the idea that Yahweh saves or delivers His people. One can see the significance of this name in the following verses:

Oh, that the salvation [Yeshua] of Israel would come out of Zion! When the

Lord

restores the fortunes of His people, Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.

Psalm 14:7

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation [Yeshua] and sustain me with a willing spirit.

Psalm 51:12

The destiny of Yeshua was embedded in His name.

She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21

Yeshua conveys the idea that God delivers or saves His people. It is a shortened form of the Hebrew name Yehoshua (Joshua in our English Bibles). We will alternately use the names Yeshua and Jesus throughout this book but will primarily rely upon the name Yeshua when speaking of our Savior.

Finally, the word Christ comes from the Greek word Christos, meaning Anointed One. The Hebrew equivalent of Christ is Messiah. We will use both of these terms throughout the book but will more typically rely upon the Hebrew word Messiah.

2. Why Hanukkah?

Hanukkah has long been viewed as a purely Jewish celebration, and in many circles, it is likened to a Jewish Christmas. But do the historical events of Hanukkah have anything to teach us as Christians? Is Hanukkah biblical? Should we seek to understand the events of