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This is our first year celebrating Hanukkah, and I'm super excited!
You may be asking yourself WHY would a follower of Yeshua (Jesus) want to celebrate this 8 day holiday? Well for our family, we have been studying the Scriptures the last two years and YHWH (G*d) has been so patient with us as He reveals how His Son, the Messiah is sprinkled throughout the Old Testament.
Hanukkah is not mentioned in the bible directly, except for a verse in John 10 where we see that Yeshua was at the Temple sometime during the Feast of Dedication, and one other verse in the Prophets where the Date is mentioned.
The history of Hanukkah is written in 1 and 2 Maccabees, which isn't part of of either the Protestant or Jewish canon, but is part of the group of books known as Apocrypha. It takes place around 200 BC, between the times of the writings of the Old and New Testaments. If you've never read the Books of the Maccabees, I highly suggest you do! It's an exciting timeless story.
The events that inspired the Hanukkah holiday took place during a particularly turbulent phase of Hebrew history. Around 200 B.C., Judea—also known as the Land of Israel—came under the control of Antiochus III, the Seleucid king of Syria, who allowed the Jews who lived there to continue practicing their religion. His son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, proved less benevolent: Ancient sources recount that he outlawed the Jewish religion and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. In 168 B.C., his soldiers descended upon Jerusalem, massacring thousands of people and desecrating the city’s holy Second Temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs within its sacred walls.
Many Judeans began to leave the ways of their Fathers and traded living the set apart life for living life as Greeks and Syrians and embracing their ways and idols.
Led by the Jewish priest Mattathias and his five sons, a large-scale rebellion broke out against Antiochus and the Seleucid monarchy and against the newly hellanized Jews. When Matthathias died in 166 B.C., his son Judah, known as Judah Maccabee (“the Hammer”), took the helm; within two years the Jews had successfully driven the Syrians out of Jerusalem. Judah called on his followers to cleanse the Second Temple, rebuild its altar and light its menorah.
The story goes that there was only enough sacred oil left in the temple to keep the lamps lit for one day. But it miraculously stayed lit for 8, the amount of time it took to sanctify more oil need to keep the Menorah perpetually burning. It is also said that this 8 days was a late Sukkot, mimicking the 8 day Feast during which Solomon Dedicated the first Temple (Chronicles 7).
In just the historical account of this victory we see themes that are so relevant for us today: standing firm in a pagan culture, refusing to allow outside influence to determine the way we follow God, cleansing the Temple from idols and abominations...
There is so much more found in this Holiday: Dedication and the Light of World, Promise, Foundations....
And, as I mentioned, there is one place where the Date of Hannukah is mentioned in the bible. The prophetic-ness of it seems very clear.
I mentioned before that the date of Hanukkah is mentioned in the Prophets.
Read Haggai 2-
"18 Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid, consider: 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.
20 The word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, 21“Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like ac signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts.”
20 The word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, 21“Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like ac signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts.”
Do you see some Shadows of Messiah here?
The Foundation of the LORD's Temple was laid, the Seed in the "barn", overthrowing the kingdoms of the earth...
Did you know it is very likely that Yeshua was conceived ON THE 24th of the 9th biblical month-- the first day of Hanukkah. About 9 months later puts us in the Fall Feasts, the time many believe Yeshua was actually born.
So...the Light, the Seed....came to Earth during the time of Dedication of the Temple, the time when the Miraculous Light is being celebrated!
There is another neat place Hanukkah connected to Yeshua in the Bible.
Look at Leviticus 24. The the chapter right after 23 where all the Commanded Feasts of God are laid out. When you have time read through chapter 23 but don't stop until you get to 24:9. What do you see?! There is perpetual light and bread that is a picture of the Covenant with Frankincense
and Gold. Did you know that the items in the Temple were anointed with oils? Guess what the main ingredients in that anointing oil is....It's Myrrh!
So even though Hanukkah isn't a Commanded Feast, it sure seems to be Prophetic and Significant in the lives of believers. and Gold. Did you know that the items in the Temple were anointed with oils? Guess what the main ingredients in that anointing oil is....It's Myrrh!
Some long standing traditions are lighting the Hanukiah (the candlestick with 8 branches and 1 servant candle), adding a light each night; eating doughnuts and other oil-y food to honor the story of the miraculous oil, and playing dreidel-- a game about Hanukkah disguised as gambling (usually using chocolate or pennies).
If you've celebrated Hanukkah would you share what you've done in the comments? And any resources you may have?
Family resources for celebrating the Feast of Light, Hanukkah:
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