As your Jewish friends celebrate Hanukkah this year, let this
commemoration also remind you that preparations are presently
underway to set the stage for the final countdown. Each year,
around the time we prepare to celebrate Christmas, our Jewish
friends celebrate Hanukkah. This year it starts at nightfall on
December 8th and continues for eight days through December 16th.
It may come as a surprise to many of our readers that this
holiday is alluded to in the New Testament. (Whereas Christmas
is not: the observation of Christmas began in 354 a.d. from an
adaptation of established pagan holidays. While there are
several defendable estimates regarding the birthday of Christ,
we know it was not in winter: the flocks were in open field,
indicating sometime prior to October.) In fact, Hanukkah
highlights an historical event that Jesus Himself pointed to as
the key to understanding the prophecies concerning His return!
The Mystery in John 10 John Chapter 10 is, of course, the famous
Good Shepherd discourse. It cle