Hanukkah

Don't Give Up

By Tim Hegg

One of the messages that is impressed upon us each year as we celebrate Hanukkah is the call to persevere, to not give up when events and circumstances weigh heavy upon us. When we consider how our people must have felt as they suffered at the hands of the foreign governments under which they labored during the Maccabean period, we are strengthen by their courage and perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds. The few stood faithfully against the many, and God gave them the victory.

As I contemplated once again the issue of perseverance, my mind naturally went to John’s words in the book of Revelation and his repeated use of the Greek verb nikavw (nikao, “to overcome or conquer” (used 17 times in Revelation). But coupled with the idea of “overcoming” or “conquering” is John’s use of the verb uJpomevnw (hupomeno, “to persevere, to remain” and its cognate noun uJpomonhv, hupomone, “perseverance, to patiently endure.” To the assembly of Ephesus, for instance, John writes these words of commendation: “you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary” (Rev 2:3).

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Tim Hegg

President / Instructor

Tim graduated from Cedarville University in 1973 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music and Bible, with a minor in Philosophy. He entered Northwest Baptist Seminary (Tacoma, WA) in 1973, completing his M.Div. (summa cum laude) in 1976. He completed his Th.M. (summa cum laude) in 1978, also from NWBS. His Master’s Thesis was titled: “The Abrahamic Covenant and the Covenant of Grant in the Ancient Near East”. Tim taught Biblical Hebrew and Hebrew Exegesis for three years as an adjunct faculty member at Corban University School of Ministry when the school was located in Tacoma. Corban University School of Ministry is now in Salem, OR. Tim is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature, and has contributed papers at the annual meetings of both societies. Since 1990, Tim has served as one of the Overseers at Beit Hallel in Tacoma, WA. He and his wife, Paulette, have four children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.