The Faithful Movement marched from Modi'in to the Temple Mount during Hanukkah carrying the heritage and torch of the heroic Maccabees

The tombs of the Maccabees and a banner with the inscription 'The Temple Mount is ours'. A close-up view of one of the tombs of the Maccabees. The Hanukkah menorah of the Faithful Movement in front of the tombs of the Maccabees Reuven Goldberg, severely wounded in one of the Arab wars against Israel, after having lit the Hanukkah menorah in front of the tombs of the Maccabees

This march of the Faithful Movement to the Temple Mount at this critical time in the history of Israel was no accident. The circumstances of the times of the great revolt by the Maccabees in 135 BCE are so similar to the times in which Israel is now living when so many enemies and terrorists attack Israel from without and within. On the other hand, there is cultural pressure on Israel to change and give up her godly Biblical identity. The message of the Faithful Movement through this march was firstly directed to the G–d of Israel that we remain faithful to Him, to His eternal covenant with Israel, to His Word and to His end-time plans. Secondly, like the Maccabees, through this march we stated in the ears of Israel and all the world that the Temple Mount can no longer be desecrated by the foreign Moslem and Arab enemies and that they should immediately be removed, the Temple Mount purified and the house of G–d immediately e rebuilt for His glory. It was a unique march which gave this Hanukkah a special and unique meaning in the midst of a time of terror in Israel. The light and heritage that the Faithful Movement carried with them from Modi’in to the Temple Mount lit up the darkness of this time and brought great hope and strength all over the world for a godly redemptional time soon to come in the history of Israel and all the world.

The march started in the morning when the Faithful came to Modi'in, 35 Km (22 miles) from Jerusalem. They stood before the tombs of the Maccabees and commemorated their heritage and heroism 2137 years ago when the Maccabees started their great heroic revolt against the Hellenist Seleucid empire which occupied the land of Israel, persecuted the Israelites, forced them to accept Hellenist culture and faith. More than this, they placed an idolatrous statue in the Holy of Holies in the temple. Under their pressure and persecution the back of most of the Israeli people was broken. This was a critical moment in Israeli history. All the nations under their control accepted Hellenism and became a part of it. The danger in Israel was that they would succeed there and that this would also be the destiny of Israel.

However at this critical moment, G–d raised up His messenger, the Maccabees. The revolt started in the small village of Modi'in. The man chosen by G–d to create this revolution and save Israel was the high priest, Matatiyahu the Hashmonean. He could not fulfil his task because Jewish worship in the temple ceased when the holy place as desecrated by the Hellenists and their idol. One day, Hellenist soldiers came to Modi'in and erected an idol in the centre of the village and, as was done all over Israel, they attempted to force the villagers to bow to the idol and to eat pork. The heart of Matatiyahu was broken when he saw this. He remained faithful to the G–d of Israel and to the Torah and the spirit of G–d rose within him and he acted for the Name of G–d and His Word. He called on the people in Modi'in: "He who is with G–d will follow me!" As an example to all of them he destroyed the idol, burned the pork and killed the soldiers.

Immediately his five sons joined him together with all the others villagers who felt the spirit of G–d in their hearts and the great Maccabeen revolt started. They started as a small group but, as in modern Israel, G–d fought together with them and they went from victory and victory in the battles that they made against the Hellenist soldiers, the biggest empire of the time. The main battle was in the place which was the focus of the revolt - the temple of G–d. The won the battle for Jerusalem and the Temple Mount and as G–d promised to Israel, a small minority together with G–d defeated the great majority of this great empire. They immediately destroyed the idol, purified the Holy of Holies and all the temple. They wanted to immediately reintroduce the worship in the temple but they did not have sufficient pure holy olive oil for the menorah. Then a further miracle occurred. In a corner of the temple they found a small cruse of pure olive oil which was enough for one day. However it burned for 8 days, the time that they needed to acquire more pure olive oil.

From Jerusalem they continued the revolt and defeated the Hellenist forces in Israel and renewed Israeli sovereignty and independence throughout the land. It was one of the most exciting appearances of G–d in the life of Israel. It was a godly event which also changed the lives of so many Israelites who, because of weakness, had accepted Hellenism. Together with G–d, the heroic Maccabees saved the people of Israel from the danger of disappearing as a nation, a faith, a culture and an identity. This great godly event became a godly message and a godly heritage to all the following generations forever. From that time onward, the Israeli nation has commemorated the event as G–d taught them by celebrating the Hanukkah holiday for 8 days each year on the same date that the Maccabees liberated and purified the temple - from the 25th Kislev. The holiday is celebrated for 8 days to commemorate the miracle of the olive oil which could only happen because of the faithfulness of the Maccabees towards G–d and their readiness their lives for Him, His house and for the holy land that He gave to Israel.

Some of the sons of Matitiyahu died in the uprising together with other heroic Israeli fighters but by their faithfulness to G–d they achieved their great victories and eternal life for all the following generations.

As we stated above, the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement consider themselves to be the Maccabees of the godly end-times, a very similar time in some aspects. Israel is again surrounded by 21 large Arab nations and tens of Islamic countries - 1,300,000,000 people. So often they also have the support of almost all the world. Israel, a small nation of about 5,000,000 Jews, is repeatedly attacked by these nations in wars and terror which started in 1948 when the State of Israel was re-established by G–d in the same holy land of the covenant and in those days only numbered 600,000. The Israeli army, the Maccabees of our time, again together with the G–d of Israel, have repeatedly defeated them. However they still continue with terror attacks and prepare for another major war to destroy Israel. They send many Arabs to immigrate to Israel and thus establish a power in the midst of the land to destroy her and mainly to destroy the faith, culture and Word of G–d which is and will always be, the foundation of the life of the Jews. They call these immigrants, who came in the 20th Century, "Palestinians" and they call the land of Israel, Palestine, a name and a nation which never existed in the holy land of Israel. They decided to cancel the name Israel, which G–d gave to the land, and to completely change its character, culture, faith and language. This is so similar to what the Hellenists wanted to do in this land and to the Israeli nations. The Arabs adopted the name "Palestine" which was given to the land by the Romans in 70 C.E after they destroyed the temple and the Israeli nation. There is no doubt that they will be again and finally defeated and will be judged by G–d and will completely disappear from the stage of history exactly as it did to the Hellenist and other empires, powers and nations who tried to fight against the G–d and people of Israel and tried to destroy the covenant which He made with Israel and the holy land. Especially in the times in which we are now living, these last days, when G–d is so determined to fulfil His end-time plans with Israel and all mankind. The cruel terror attacks against innocent Israelis and the preparations of the Arab and Islamic countries surrounding Israel to destroy her will not help them. Their destiny will be as that of all the other enemies in Biblical times and later who tried to destroy the people of G–d.

Under this pressure and the pressure which comes from almost all the world, there are some Israelis who have been broken spiritually and have decided to adopt Western culture in the place of the culture and Torah which G–d gave to Israel and to become, as they call it, part of the greater world and the secular Western culture which is based on Hellenist foundations. In Israel they are referred to as secular Israelis. They remind one so much of those Israelis in the time of the Maccabees who decided to accept Hellenism and become a part of that culture.

Israel is now in a very critical time. It is not only critical battle against so many enemies who want to destroy her physically but within Israel a cultural and faith struggle is taking place. The struggle is between those who are faithful to the G–d of Israel, His Word and the eternal mission that He gave to Israel when he created the nation more that 4000 years ago and those who want to make Israel a nation like all the other nations in the world based on so-called Western/Hellenic culture.

The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement, as the Maccabees before them, have continued to struggle since 1967 against, on one hand, those enemies of Israel who again have possession the Temple Mount, have desecrated it and placed their foreign pagan symbols and mosques in the Holy of Holies and the holy place of the house of G–d and daily destroy the holy remains of G–d's temple with the goal of denying its Jewish identity. They continue their battle throughout the land to destroy Israel and to cancel its godly culture. We thank the G–d of Israel Who, in these critical days, has founded and anointed The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement. He has given them the holy goal of removing the enemy of the G–d and people of Israel from the Temple Mount and from all over the land of Israel, of purifying the holy hill of G–d, of rebuilding His holy temple and renewing the holy worship, of making the house of G–d as G–d taught us to be a house of worship and prayer of Israel and all the nations in these end-time and of once again making Israel a Biblical nation with a Biblical mission.

On the other hand the struggle of The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement, again as in the time of the Maccabees, is against the impact and influence of secular Western/Hellenist culture that has taken over most of the world and has penetrated Israeli society and occupied a part of the nation. They are not only ready to give up our godly historical and faith but also to "compromise" with the enemy and to give them the main Biblical parts of the land and sign false agreements with them despite the fact that the enemies have shown then that they have intention of compromising but intend to take over all the land of Israel and to destroy this godly state. The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement believes that Israel cannot merely be another "ordinary" nation in the world but that she must be what G–d designated her to be - "a holy nation, a kingdom of priests and a treasure amongst the nations" (Exodus5:6) especially in the end-times in which we are now living. The campaign and struggle of the Temple Mount Faithful Movement is for the Temple Mount, Jerusalem and the land of Israel. However at the same time it is a struggle for the godly identity for the people and State of Israel, the state and nation which must fulfil the mission and vision which G–d gave them when He made the eternal covenant with them and sent His prophets to them. The rebirth of the people and State of Israel was not an accident of history but a godly, prophetic end-time event for this purpose and Israel cannot run away from her eternal godly destiny and covenant.

The purpose of the Hanukkah event of The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement from Modi'in to the Temple Mount was to carry with us this Maccabeen heritage and to bring it to the attention of our enemies. The purpose was also to share it again with all the Israeli nation, to put it in their hearts and also to encourage them to do what the Maccabees did at this critical time as the G–d of Israel expects of them in these last days.

Moshe Sorvai, one of the founders and important commanders of the Lechi underground, encouraging the Faithful at the tombs of the Maccabees.	Yaakov Elazar, one of the important commanders of the Irgun underground, encouraging the Faithful at the tombs of the Maccabees.
The Faithful demonstrating at the Jaffa Gate plaza of the Old City of Jerusalem.	Gershon Salomon speaking during the demonstration at the Jaffa Gate plaza.

In front of the tombs of the Maccabees we prayed to G–d to give the Israeli nation, as in the time of the Maccabees, the strength to defeat their enemies and to remain faithful to His Word and mission. We read from the Book of the Maccabees and it was an exciting moment when we read Simon the Maccabees' answer to the foreign ruler when he was asked to return the land which the Maccabees had liberated: "We did not liberate a foreign land, but the land which G–d, the creator of the world, gave to us and to our forefathers in an eternal covenant and which at one time was taken from us by you. Now G–d has given it back to us and you have no part in it." Then we lit the torch of the Maccabees to take it to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. With the torch we lit the Hanukkiah. In front of the tombs we swore faithfulness to the G–d of Israel, His Word, His house on the Temple Mount, to Jerusalem and to the land which He gave us.

It was so exciting when a few of the commanders of the Israeli underground who fought against the British Empire when they controlled the land of Israel before 1948, encouraged the Faithful to continue in their struggle to remove the current enemies of Israel from the Holy Land and to bring the G–d of Israel and the heritage of the Maccabees into the midst of the life of Israel as they had done in their time.

From Modi'in the youth ran on the mountains of Beth Horon on the way to Jerusalem. The main battles of the Maccabees against the Hellenists took place on these mountains and here the major victories were achieved. On the way we passed the tomb of the prophet Samuel where we prayed and asked G–d to send King David to save Israel from all her enemies and to liberated the Temple Mount, Jerusalem and the land of Israel exactly as King David did in his time.

We then arrived in Biblical Jerusalem where, at the Jaffa gate plaza, we raised the godly flag of Israel with the Star of David, tore up the flag of the PLO and trampled on a coffin representing the Palestinian Authority. The message was that a pagan foreign state or authority will never again be established on the holy mount of G–d, Jerusalem and Israel. In his speech, Gershon Salomon called on the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, to keep faithful to the G–d of Israel, to His Word and to the mission which He gave to His people and to reject any evil pressure which comes on Israel from outside and to state before all the nations that Israel is faithful to and accepts only the covenant of G–d and His Word to Israel. Gershon also called on Sharon to reject any pressure to establish an anti-godly and anti-Israeli “Palestinian” state in the midst of the land which G–d gave only to Israel, to remove them from the holy hill of G–d and to immediately rebuild the temple.

Marching to the Temple Mount in the streets of the Old City. Behind the marchers the Zion Gate of the Old City can be seen.

After relighting the Hanukkiah from the torch of the Maccabees we then marched with the flags of the temple and Israel through the narrow streets of the Old City to the holy Temple Mount singing and praying the Hanukkah prayers.

The climax of this important and exciting event was when the marchers came to the Temple Mount, the holy hill of G–d. Exactly as the Maccabees felt in their time, we were so sad when we saw the holy hill of G–d desecrated by the pagan Arab Moslems who continue their foreign presence on the holy hill. The gates of the Temple Mount remained closed as has been the case since the Arabs started their latest wave of terror more than 2 years ago. In front of the western (Mugrabi) gate of the Temple Mount we brought the torch and the heritage of the Maccabees and we again lit the Hanukkah menorah. We swore that we would continue to fulfil the mission that G–d has given to us and to again make the Maccabeen heritage a reality in these days. We prayed and worshipped G–d facing towards the site of the Holy of Holies and called on the Israeli Government not to fear any of the powers which surround Israel or anywhere in the world but to trust the G–d of Israel only Who alone will save them and give them the victory. Gershon called on the Israeli Government to purify the Temple Mount as the Maccabees did with the spirit and strength of G–d and to immediately rebuild the house of G–d and to make it a house of prayer and worship for Israel and all the world. He again called on Ariel Sharon to re-liberate all the Biblical parts of the land of Israel which have been given to the evil, terrorist "Palestinian" Authority who have desecrated it and the Name of G–d which is on the holy land of Israel and to remove these foreigners from the holy land of the G–d and people of Israel.

In these exciting and moving moments we felt the presence of G–d and we felt that He is telling us: "My faithful children, together with Me you will win the battle. Soon you will see how I will purify the Temple Mount, Jerusalem and all the land of Israel that I gave you. The temple will be rebuilt and Mashiach ben David is soon to come. Continue to be strong with me and I will be strong with you and the godly torch that you lit today will soon light all the land of Israel, My people and all the world."

The Faithful on their way to the western gate of the Temple Mount.	The Faithful marching up the ramp to the western gate of the Temple Mount preceded by the banner - ‘The Temple Mount is ours’.

This godly event ended with the singing of the national anthem - Ha Tikvah (The Hope) - with our faces and hearts towards the Holy of Holies of G–d.

Everyone who reads this report is called on to pray Psalm 122, to trust the G–d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to stand strong with Him and His messengers from The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement who are conducting a holy, godly battle in these days for the G–d of Israel, His house, His City, Jerusalem, His holy land, Israel, and for the godly future of Israel and all the world and to always remember what Zechariah told us in the name of G–d: "Thus says the Lord of hosts: Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, who spoke on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, saying that the temple might be built. ... so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, but let your hands be strong." (Zechariah 8:9,13b) All of us trust in G–d, our hands are strong with Him and, together with Him, we shall soon win the battle. Everyone is called on to support the Faithful Movement morally and practically in her campaign to bring this godly vision to pass in our lifetime as G–d expects of us all to do.

The Western Wall of the Temple Mount on the day of the march. Above the wall the top of the Dome of the Rock can be seen which is the location of the Temple.