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**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

This Week's 66/40 Radio Broadcast

Articles and Commentary

• Hanukkah -
• Nuclear Proliferation: The Nth Degree -
• God's ''How To'' Book -
• Upcoming Events -

Important News Headlines

Memory Verse of the Week

1st Thessalonians 1- 2 Click Link above to listen. Introduction To Thessalonians For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 1 & 2 Thessalonians are the most important eschatological epistles in the New Testament. What is astonishing is that these two epistles remind their recipients of things which they were taught by Paul during the first few weeks that he was with them. Paul taught them all about the "end times" during their initial indoctrination into the faith: the Rapture, the Antichrist, the Great Tribulation, and the Second Coming!

 

 

HANUKKAH -

Beginning tonight (Tuesday) at sunset Jewish families all over the world will celebrate Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev and lasts eight days. The word Hanukkah means "dedication" and the holiday commemorates the rededication of the Temple in 165 BC. Because of its Biblical and prophetic importance, we thought it would be appropriate to explore the origin and history of Hanukkah.

Many scholars refer to the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament as "the silent years." However, much of this history was written about in advance by the prophet Daniel. Chapter 11 of the book of Daniel details the breakup of the Greek Empire after the death of Alexander the Great. Alexander's four generals divided up the empire: Cassander took Macedonia and Greece; Lysimachus took Asia Minor and Thrace; Seleucus took over Syria, Babylon and the east; and, Ptolemy took over Egypt. Since Israel was caught between the territories of Seleucus and Ptolemy, it subsequently was a buffer zone between these two rivals. Daniel also describes the struggles between the Seleucid Empire ("the king of the north") and the Ptolemies ("the king of the south").

After Antiochus IV Epiphanies took over the Seleucid throne he outlawed the keeping of the Torah, persecuted the Jews, and looted the Temple in Jerusalem. In the ultimate act of profanity he then slaughtered a sow on the altar and sprinkled its blood in front of an idol of Zeus in the Holy Place. This desecration of the Temple is referred to in Daniel 11:31 as the "abomination of desolation." The consequent outrage led to the famed Maccabbean revolt, which successively threw off the yoke of the Greek rulers and ushered in the Hasmonean period of Israel's history. On the third anniversary of the desecration of the Temple, on the 25th of Kislev, 165 BC, the Temple was rededicated. This rededication is celebrated to this very day as Hanukkah.

Hanukkah is mentioned only once in the Bible, John 10:22 simply acknowledges that "...it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter." Most of what we know about Hanukkah comes from the books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees as well as other rabbinical writings and traditions. Many historians believe that the first Hanukkah lasted eight days because it was a delayed celebration of Sukkot, often called the Feast of Tabernacles, which also lasts for eight days and at the time would have prominently featured the lighting of lamps. However, according to the Talmud, a miracle took place during the rededication of the Temple that accounts for the eight day duration of the feast. The Temple Priests had only one day's supply of oil, yet the lamps burned for eight days, giving the Priests time to prepare more (this remarkable event is referred to as the miracle of Hanukkah).

Perhaps the most recognizable aspect of Hanukkah is the Menorah. The traditional Hanukkah Menorah has nine branches (it is different from the seven-branch candelabrum found in most synagogues, of which the seven branches are symbolic of the seven days of creation). One candle is lit on each of the eight days of Hanukkah, the ninth candle (called a "shamash" or "servant candle") is used to light the others. Menorahs are traditionally displayed in a window so they can be seen from the outside.

Historically, Hanukkah is considered a minor holiday, primarily because it is not one of the seven feasts described in the Torah (the five books of Moses). However it has been emphasized more in recent years. Hanukkah symbolizes the restoration of Jewish sovereignty, and that idea has taken on new significance with the establishment of the modern state of Israel. Also, because Hanukkah usually occurs in late December, it is sometimes viewed as an alternative to Christmas (especially among Jewish families in the United States and other predominately Christian nations). This trend has been encouraged by retailers who have profited from the sale of greeting cards, wrapping paper, games, music, and other Hanukkah related items.

Perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of Hanukkah is its place in Biblical prophecy. The "abomination of desolation," which lead to the Maccabean Revolt and subsequently the first Hanukkah, was foretold by Daniel. This historical event took on additional prophetic significance two centuries later, when four disciples received a private briefing by Jesus Himself on the Second Coming, in which Jesus alluded to a future desecration of the temple as the key to all end-time prophecy (Matthew 24:15). This repetition of the "abomination of desolation" is the central milestone in the middle of the climactic seven-year period comprising the "70th Week" of Daniel 9. This prophetic event requires the rebuilding of the Temple, the preparations for which have already begun. For more information on the "70th Week" of Daniel and the Feasts of Israel click on the links below.

Related Links:

• Daniel's 70 Weeks - DVD K-House Africa.
• The Feasts of Israel - DVD - K-House Africa.
• Israeli Jews Light First Candle for Hanukkah - MSNBC

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NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION: THE NTH DEGREE

The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union might have become World War III were it not for the threat of "mutual assured destruction." Nuclear war was avoided because of the delicate balance between the world's superpowers and their respective nuclear arsenals. Throughout the Cold War US policymakers, intelligence analysts, and academics recognized that the addition of new nuclear-armed states would create a more unstable and perilous world. They referred to this frightening prospect as the "Nth country problem" - the possibility that some undetermined number of countries would develop nuclear weapons capabilities.

Who Has Nukes?

The Nth country problem, foreseen in the early days of the Cold War, has since become a reality. Today there are at least nine nations that possess nuclear technology: the US, the UK, France, Israel, Russia, Pakistan, India, China, and now North Korea. And other nations, such as Iran, are actively pursuing nuclear weapons technology. Furthermore, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency has reported that there are more than 40 countries with peaceful nuclear programs that could modify their technology to create nuclear weapons.

It is estimated that there are currently more than 30,000 nuclear weapons worldwide. In 2002, President Bush and Vladimir Putin signed the Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaty. Yet the United States and Russia still possess substantial stockpiles. The US nuclear weapons arsenal is estimated to number nearly 10,000 while Russia's number closer to 16,000.

China, which possesses 130 nuclear bombs, has refused to take part in arms control measures until the US and Russia reduce their arsenals to a level comparable with Britain and France. The UK, which conducted its first test in 1952, has a submarine based deterrent of about 200 nuclear weapons. France, which also maintains a deterrent force, possesses approximately 350 nukes.

India detonated its first nuclear device, code-named "Smiling Budda," in 1974. For over two decades it claimed that its nuclear program was only meant for peaceful research purposes. Then, in 1998, India all but declared itself a nuclear power with a series of nuclear tests, a move that angered the West and prompted its rival Pakistan to follow suit. Pakistan began a secret nuclear weapons program in 1972, and now has between 65 and 90 nukes - roughly on par with the suspected size of India's arsenal.

Israel is perhaps one of the most controversial members of the nuclear club. Israel's officially unacknowledged nuclear arsenal has been described as "the worst-kept secret in the Middle East." Reports indicate that Israel possesses a little over 100 nuclear missiles. The Jewish nation has never officially conducted a nuclear test, however some suspect that such a test may have been conducted in secret in 1979 off the coast of South Africa. On September 22, 1979 a US satellite detected a massive explosion over the Indian Ocean. The explosion is known as the "Vela Incident". Most of the information about the incident is still classified, and there are many different conjectures about who may be responsible for the blast. However the most popular theory is that Israel, which almost certainly had nuclear weapons in 1979, conducted a nuclear test with the assistance of South Africa. South Africa also had a nuclear weapons program at the time, before the fall of the apartheid, and the geographic location of the tests points to their involvement.

The Growing Threat

On October 9th, 2006, North Korea carried out its first-ever nuclear weapons test - officially joining the nuclear club. Experts suspect that North Korea currently possesses between six and eight nuclear weapons. However a report published by the Institute for Science and International Security says North Korea has enough radioactive material to build as many as 13 bombs. North Korea is the most unstable member of the nuclear club, and the test has triggered an Asian arms race. North Korea is under increasing international pressure to abandon its nuclear program, and in recent months it has shown some signs of compliance, but there have also been reports that it has sold nuclear technology on the black market to countries like Syria and Iran.

Iran's uranium enrichment program has also been the subject of intense international scrutiny in the debate over nuclear proliferation. Yet with troops already deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Bush appears - at least for the time being - to be committed to finding a diplomatic solution to the standoff. Some experts have speculated that Israel may be planning a pre-emptive strike, although military action would most likely be used as a last resort. In 1981, Israel bombed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor when it believed Saddam Hussein was close to producing a nuclear bomb. If Israel does attack Iran it would undoubtedly bring about a firestorm in the Middle East. Unfortunately we are running out of time, and neither Israel nor the United States are willing to accept the possibility of a nuclear-armed Iran. If diplomacy continues to fail, military action may be our only option.

The threat of a nuclear attack is very real. Thomas C. Schelling, an economist and professor of foreign affairs, national security, nuclear strategy and arms control at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, once wrote that we have "a tendency in our planning to confuse the unfamiliar with the improbable. The contingency we have not considered looks strange; what looks strange is therefore improbable; what seems improbable need not be considered seriously." Those words were written in regards to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In that instance American forces were taken by surprise and the result was catastrophic. Have we learned from our mistake or is history destined to repeat itself? Will we once again be taken by surprise by our adversaries? To some, the threat of a nuclear attack may seem improbable, but we would be foolish not to take it seriously.

Related Links:

• The Magog Invasion -DVD   - K-House Africa.
• Strategic Trends 2007: Volume 1 - DVD - K-House Africa.
• Strategic Trends 2007: Volume 2 - DVD - K-House Africa
• Men Arrested for Selling Weapons-Grade Uranium on Black Market - Guardian
• North Korea Talks Delayed - Reuters
• Iran Nuke Work Continues - Haaretz
• Are Pakistan's Nukes in Safe Hands? - TIME

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GOD'S ''HOW TO'' BOOK -

The Book of Proverbs could be titled, Wise Up and Live. Beyond simply obeying laws, this book focuses on leading an aggressively dynamic life, giving examples of proper and improper attitudes, conduct, and characteristics in succinct, penetrating ways. A proverb can be thought of as "a short sentence from long experience"; it is easy to remember, yet it condenses much wisdom into a small space.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable" in four ways: for doctrine - what’s right; for reproof - what’s not right; for correction - how to get right; and for instruction in righteousness - how to stay right (2 Timothy 3:16). This book touches on all four of these.

A recurring theme in the Book of Proverbs is the pursuit of "wisdom." The traditional definition of wisdom is "the ability to use knowledge in the right way," but in the Bible there is also a "wisdom of this world" (1 Corinthians 2:1-8; James 3:13-18). There are a great many brilliant people who have knowledge, yet they lack wisdom.

Divine wisdom is from above: Jesus Christ is the Wisdom of God (Proverbs 8:22-31; 1 Corinthians 1:24,30; Colossians 2:3). True wisdom is a matter of the heart and not the mind alone. Wisdom in the Book of Proverbs includes practical sagacity, mental acumen, and functional skill, but it also includes moral and upright living that stems from a right relationship with the Lord:

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her (Proverbs 3:13-15).

Do you believe it? What are you doing to prove it? What are your priorities? To learn more about the book of Proverbs click on the links below.

Related Links:

• Proverbs - DVD Set -

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