Channukah and the Last Days Chasidim: Devekut, Kavanna and Hitlahavut By James Scott Trimm
Well its Channukah. As you know I have long taught that there is a great parallel between the events of the Channukah story and those of the Tribulation and the Last Days. In the days of Antiochus Epiphanies the Chasidim who wished to remain true to Torah escaped into the wilderness (1Macc. 1:62-64; 2:29,41; 7:12-14; 2Macc. 14:6) and strove zealosly on behalf of Judaism (2Macc. 2:21)
These Chasidim parallel the believers of the Last Days who both accept Messiah and Torah and who will also flee to the wilderness (Rev. 12)
These Chasidim were led by Antogones of Soko, of whom we read in the
Antigones of Soko received [Torah] from Simeon the Righteous.
He used to say, “Be not like servants who serve their master
for the sake of wages, but be like servants who serve their
master with no thought of a wage – and let the fear
of Heaven be upon you.”
Eventually the unity of the Chasdim was fractured into the two Pharisaic Houses (Hillel and Shammai) and the Essenes. They were the forefathers of both the Essenes and the Pharisees, in each of whom the Nazarenes, our forefathers, were rooted.
The Original Chasidic Judaism can be said to be early or original Pharisaism, Pharisaic-Esseneism, etc; and basically combined a CHESED rooted Hillelian halakhah with Essene Jewish mysticism (the forerunner of Kabbalah).
Part of Yeshua the Messiah's mission was tikkun (repair), the repair of the fracturing of the Chassidim and the reunion of these factured Jewish sects into one, as we read in the Nazarene Commentary on Isaiah:
The Nazarenes, who accept Messiah in such a way that they do not cease to
observe the old law explain the two houses as the two families, viz. of
Shammai and Hillel, from whom originated the Scribes and the Pharisees.
Akiba, who took over their school, is called the master of Aquila the
proselyte, and after him came Meir who has been succeeded by Joannes the son
of Zakkai and after him Eliezer and further Telphon, and next Joseph
Galilaeus and Joshua up to the capture of Jerusalem. Shammai then and Hillel were born
not long before the Lord; they originated in Judea. The name of the first
means "scatterer" and of the second "unholy", because he scattered and defiled
the precepts of the Torah by his traditions and deutroseis. And these are the
two houses who did not accept the Savior who has become to them ruin and scandel.
(Nazarene Commentary On Is. 8:14 From Jerome's Commentary on Is. 8:14)
The Nazarenes saw the two Houses of Israel, on an allagorical level, as representing fractured Chasidic Judaism. They beleived Messiah came to restore and reunify these fractured sects and restore Chasidic Judaism.
This restoration involved reuniting the CHESED based teachings of the House of Hillel with the apocaslyptic mystical teachings of the Essenes.
Today we are restoring Nazarene Judaism which was itself restoring Chasidic Judaism. We are reuniting Chesed based halacha with the apocayptic and mystical truth. We are the Chasidim which were foreshadowed by the original Chasidim of the Channukah story.
The word CHESED does not just signify grace, favor, kindness and mercy, but ardent zealousness. Joy is not irreverant, joy is a form of reverence. Humor is not irreverent, it is an expresion of rejoicing. Lighten up, YHWH has a sense of humor, he brings laughter to our soul.
We do not observe Torah as one seeking to earn something. We are under CHESED.
The heart of the Torah is devekut, cleaving to YHWH:
…you shall diligently keep all of these commandments
which I command you, to do them, to love YHWH your Elohim,
to walk in all his ways, and to cleave [DEVEKUT] unto him.
You shall walk after YHWH your Elohim,
and fear him, and keep his commandments,
and obey his voice, and you shall serve him,
and cleave [DEVEKUT] unto him.
(Deut. 13:5 (13:4))
DEVEKUT means "communion" or "cleaving". We must observe Torah as one cleaving to YHWH. The Hebrew word for “cleaving” is DEVEKUT. When we observe Torah it should not be an empty act, but an act of DEVEKUT, of cleaving or communion to YHWH. Devekut is a very personal and emotional cleaving in the here and now not just by means of fasting, but through the joyous celebration of YHWH in our everyday life.
True Devekut comes through Kavanna (focus) and Hitlahavut (enthusiasm). Kavanna is not just for praying in the synagogue or for our personal meditations, but part of every act in everyday of living. Hitlahavut is a Hebrew word meaning "enthusiam" and comes from the word "lahav" meaning "a flame". Hitlahavut might be understood idiomatically as "to be on fire". This is an enthusiasm and joy which we express as we sway and dance in prayer. This is what Paul calls "praying always in the spirit" (Eph. 6:18).
In these last days YHWH is restoring the ancient Nazarene sect of Judaism. For truth seekers worldwide, the long night of apostasy is ending. I very much believe that YHWH has the right people, in the right place, at the right time, to accomplish this task.
The task itself is monumental. We are ever mindful of the fact that you who are truth seekers and have followed the light of Torah and Messiah this far, are our partners in this work.
Much has been done, but there is much yet to accomplish. We need you all to step up and do your part, support this work with your contributions, tithes and offerings.
Channukah is not just a Jewish holiday, it is a key to prophetic events of the last days. Embedded within the Channukah story are elements foreshadowing the apostasy, the abomination of desolation, the Great Tribulation the Anti-Messiah, the martyrs of the tribulation, the false prophet, the remnant, the return of Messiah and the Messianic Kingdom to come.