Messiah in Chanukkah Chapter 22
- The Forty weeks of Messiah’s Conception to Birth
- The Light of Redemption was conceived and birthed in Israel
- The Torah of the Almond Tree
- The Almond Tree reveals when Messiah was born
The Forty weeks of Messiah’s Conception to Birth:
The conception to birth depiction of the Kingdom of God is represented in the two Festival of Lights holy days of Chanukkah and Sukkot. The conception to birth process is illustrated in the procreative life and activities of the Almond Tree.
In temple times on Chanukkah the Light that is celebrated inside the Temple is hidden from public view. During this time only the small light that peeks out of the eyes of the temple windows can be seen from outside. Two hundred and eighty-five days, forty weeks later. the festive Sukkot (Feast of Booths) lights are illuminated outside the temple in *Ezrat Nashim Beit HaMikdash (נשים בית המקדש).
*In the Courtyard of the Women the four giant lampstands that were used to illuminate the Temple mount were so large that ladders had to be used to climb up high enough to refuel them.
The Light of Redemption was conceived and birthed in Israel:
The message of the universal redemption of all of the nations, peoples and families of the world.
During the seven days of the feast of Sukkot seventy bulls were sacrificed. This sacrifice of the seventy bulls during Sukkot represents a global sacrifice that prophetically speaks of the universal redemption of all of the nations, peoples and families of the world. This corresponds to the seventy nations that are listed in the Table of Nations that is referenced in Genesis (cf. Genesis 10–11; 46:26-27; and Deut. 32:8-9).
Additionally, the four great outdoor lampstands symbolize the Presence of the Holy One being manifested through the Shekinah glory cloud out to all four corners of the earth. The spiritual meaning (sod) of this annual display of the Light of the World was revealed when the Messiah declared during the festival of Sukkot:
אני אור העולם. איש ההולך אחרי לא יתהללך בחושך, אלא אור החיים יהיה לו.” פ“
“I am the *Light of the World. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the **Light of Life.
*Or Ha’Olam (אור העולם).
**Or Ha’Chayim (אור החיים).
The Torah of the Almond Tree:
Another testimony of Chanukkah and Sukkot to the creative work of the LORD in and through the Messiah may be observed in the procreative activities of the Almond Tree itself. The almond tree is the species of tree that is depicted in the temple Golden Lampstand. Like the Scriptural progression indicated in Numbers 17:8, the Almond Tree first produces buds, then blossoms, then the appearance of fruit, followed by maturation of the fruit. The process of the maturation of the Almond Tree of Eternal Light is illustrated in the following twelve stages:
The Torah of the Almond Tree begins in the Winter.
Stage #1. The bud to bloom cycle follows a good chill during November and December (the variant season of Chanukkah).
Stage #2. By mid-December, the almond season is inaugurated by the presence of pollen grains.
Stage #3. Thereafter, the post winter solstice trend of shorter nights and longer days induces the tiny buds into rapid growth.
Stage #4. From January to February (in Israel, later in California, USA), the beautiful blossoms bloom.
Stage #5. By March the fuzzy gray-green fruit appears visibly showing forth the invisible life that had Indwelt the pollinated buds three months earlier.
Insight 1. The Torah of the Almond Tree begins in the Winter. The Almond Tree is a fruit tree and its progressive process of fruit life is inaugurated approximately mid-December, the advent of winter, with the accelerated transformation and visible showing forth of fruit occurring by March-April the advent of spring.
The Torah of the Almond Tree is related to conception.
Insight 2. The Torah of the Almond Tree is related to conception. Jewish doctors in ancient times would validate a pregnancy after ninety days. This was so because the doctors had determined that after three months (Chislev 25-Nisan 1; just after Purim, around the time of the future observance of Rosh HaShanah II and Chanukkah II a definitively sufficient length of time had elapsed to validate a pregnancy. This being due to visible proof.
Stage #6. After the almond petals drop, the tree leafs out.
Stage #7. Then the almond fruit appears.
Stage #8. The hull of the fruit begins to harden and mature; Nisan to Sivan; Yom HaBikkurim to Shavuot
Stage #9. By June (Shavuot) to July the hull begins to split open.
Stage #10. From late July to October, the split widens, dilates, visibly exposing the fruit that Indwells the shell.
Stage #11. Finally, the whole nut is available for harvesting when the hull opens completely (full dilation).
Stage #12. Thereafter, the fruit is completely separated from its hull—Elul 1 to Tishri 10; i.e. the forty days of Selichot; Ellul to Rosh HaShanah and Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur—and therefore harvested, birthed; with the culmination of the harvest being celebrated during the advent of the fall feast of Sukkot.
The Torah of the Almond Tree is related to birth.
Insight 3. The Torah of the Almond Tree is related to birth. In Israel the almond season is inaugurated around mid-December (winter) and culminates in October (fall). This closely parallels the time frame of Chanukkah to Sukkot.
The Almond Tree reveals when Messiah was born:
This forty-week period of time (286 days) is analogous to an average period of human gestation where there exists maturation, dilation, and birthing behavior similar to that of the Almond Tree and its fruit.
The Almond Tree points to the Messiah’s birth occurring at the Feast of Sukkot.
This was the exact time of Messiah’s birth and this will be the time of Israel’s *rebirth (restoration) at the beginning of the millennial kingdom after the Messiah Yeshua returns to earth a second time.
*The time of the restoration of all things.
It is Messiah Yeshua’s conception and birth that provides humanity with a saving hope. Through Messiah a miracle week has been conceived: a new creation order has been inaugurated; the fruit of goodness, righteousness and truth is maturing and becoming readied for the harvest; and a new permanent King and kingdom is being birthed.