John 10:22-23 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.
Jesus celebrated Hanukkah. The Gospel of John indicates his participation.
The event is the Feast of Dedication. And that is exactly what Hanukkah means in the Hebrew language. The city was Jerusalem. The time of the year was winter. The location is the temple, specifically the colonnade of Solomon. Jesus was there walking around the temple.
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that starts in the ninth month of the Hebrew year, the 25th day. The ninth month is Kislev. The holiday lasts 8 days.
This Gregorian year 2025, the festival runs from Sunday, December 14, 2025 through Monday, December 22, 2025
At this time, let’s introduce the prophet Haggai. The prophet pinpoints a specific time in history. Haggai 1:1 In the second year of Darius the king… The second year of the reign of Darius is 520 BC. Darius was the king of Persia. 520 BC is the year of the writings of Haggai. (Nelson Complete Book of Bible Maps & Charts)
Haggai’s writings pre date the festival of Hanukkah by roughly 350 years. Haggai’s writing begin on Elul 1. This is the beginning of the season of Teshuvah or repentance. He begins with a call to repent.
Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia:
On December 14, 2025, a mass shooting occurred at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach during a public Hanukkah celebration organized by Chabad of Bondi, marking the first night of the Jewish Festival of Lights. The event, held in Archer Park near the beach, featured a giant menorah lighting, free food, and family activities, attracting hundreds of attendees, including Jewish families and beachgoers.
Two gunmen, identified by authorities as a father (aged 50) and son (aged 24), opened fire from an elevated pedestrian bridge overlooking the park around 6:47 p.m. local time. The attack lasted several minutes, with witnesses describing chaos as people fled across the beach.
Casualties: At least 15 people were killed, with dozens injured (reports range from 29 to over 40 hospitalized, including children and police officers). One gunman was killed by police, and the other was critically injured and arrested. Victims included Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a key organizer, as well as international citizens (e.g., French and Israeli nationals).
Australian authorities quickly declared it a terrorist incident, describing it as a targeted antisemitic attack on the Jewish community. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it “an act of pure evil, antisemitism, and terrorism.” Improvised explosive devices were found in a nearby vehicle and safely removed. -Grok
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Brown University, Rhode Island: Casualties and Victims
- Two students were killed.
- Nine others were injured (all or most were students).
- Of the injured: seven in stable condition, one in critical but stable condition, and one discharged from the hospital (as of December 14 updates).
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Psalm 126:1-6 When the LORD restored the captives of Zion, we were like dreamers. Then our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with shouts of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. Restore our captives, O LORD, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. He who goes out weeping, bearing a trail of seed, will surely return with shouts of joy, carrying sheaves of grain.
“Al-Aqsa Flood” was the name given by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups to their coordinated surprise attack on Israel launched on October 7, 2023.
Storm Byron was a powerful winter storm that recently struck the eastern Mediterranean, bringing heavy rains, strong winds, and flooding to Israel and the Gaza Strip.
At least 14 Palestinians, including children, died from causes related to the storm (hypothermia, building collapses, and drowning in floods), according to Gaza’s authorities and reports from Al Jazeera, CNN, and Haaretz.
Humanitarian organizations like the International Organization for Migration warned that nearly 800,000 displaced people were at risk of flooding, with damaged sewage systems raising disease concerns.
Key Impacts on the Negev:
- Flash Flood Risks: The Israel Meteorological Service issued repeated warnings for flash floods in the Judean Desert streams, Dead Sea area, northern Arava, and northern Negev. Rainfall spread southward, with isolated heavy showers causing runoff in desert channels.
- Rainfall Amounts: In the western Negev and southern coastal plain, some areas received nearly 100 mm (about 4 inches) in 24–48 hours—roughly half the annual average for these arid regions. This led to rare but intense flooding events.
- Road Closures and Rescues: Major highways were closed due to flooding, including sections of Route 90 in the Arava (southern Negev extension). Emergency teams conducted rescues in flooded vehicles and lowlands.
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