When I was in the 6th grade (1964), I was at the temple our family attended, B’Nai El, in St. Louis, Missouri. The temple at that time was in a building that had the sanctuary up front, near the street entrance. You could walk through the sanctuary and into the part of the building that contained the school classrooms.

Between the sanctuary and the classrooms was a very small hallway that ran the length of the sanctuary width. This hallway was for people’s coats. It had hooks spaced evenly along it. The space was many feet wide, but only about 2-3 feet long. You passed through it quickly to get to the classrooms. Anyway….that October day in the 6th grade, I got chilled, so I asked the teacher, Mr. Lowenstein (I’ll never forget him) if I could go get my coat. After getting his permission, I went to the “coat hall” and got my coat, BUT as I was about to go back to the classroom, I noticed a DOOR at the far end of the hall. I had never seen it before. So, being a curious 6th grader, and wanting to delay my return to the classroom as long as possible, I ventured forth to crack the door open and see what was in there.

Imagine my surprise when I sneaked a peek and saw the back of a man, who was speaking to a gathered group of men. All of these men were in a formation – in equal rows – and they all had spears, shields and sandals on. What the heck was going on here? I knew the Temple Talent Show was coming up, so my 6th grade mind jumped to the conclusion that this was a group of members practicing for the show.

I then noticed that the room was very big, and the walls were made out of stone. There were windows up high along the back wall – they were not very tall windows, but they let a lot of light stream in to the room. When the light hit the stone walls, they seemed to be a purplish/pinkish/beige color. I thought, “How weird! What is this?”

I can tell you now, as an adult, that I have realized that the walls were made out of what I have come to know as Jerusalem stone!

Anyway – the man talking to the group turned his head to look at me. He said, “Who are you?” I responded, “Who are YOU?” He said, “I’m Judah Maccabee.” I was flabbergasted!!! How could this be? My mind was whirling. I quickly departed the room and went back to my class a lot shaken up.

The next time I walked through the Coat Hall, I looked again, and there WAS NO DOOR!!!!

END

2020 Comment: In retrospect, the Lord was giving me an OPEN VISION – a waking, totally immersed vision. It was seamless. I entered a different time – literally. The Jerusalem Stone room did NOT EXIST at the Temple. What I came to learn was that the Lord was showing me a calling on my life – to function in a JUDAH anointing – combining worship and intercession. Judah Maccabee led a revolt against the Greeks, who had taken control of Israel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maccabean_Revolt This was in 167-160 B.C.E. The point was that Judah Maccabee’s family helped to overthrow the Greek system in the Temple in Jerusalem, literally throwing the statue of Jupiter out of the Temple, and they led a restoration of true temple worship. This is the event that is the basis of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Read about this in the End-Time Music article – here.

Ministering in the JUDAH MACCABEE anointing has become a part of my life. The name Maccabee means “a hammer,” and many times, in spiritual musical warfare, I have been used by the Lord to come against principalities and powers as a HAMMER – to dislodge them. I can literally picture Judah Maccabee spearheading this warfare, because I have SEEN him. I will never forget this vision. Praise God!