Chanukkah
In Scripture
The prophets
Daniel and Zechariah predicted some of the events
involving the Maccabean period: see Daniel 8:9-14,
23-25, 11:21-35, and Zechariah 9:11-17.
Messiah
Yeshua celebrated Chanukkah. In John 10:22-30
it says: at that time the Feast of Dedication
(Chanukkah means dedication) took place at Jerusalem;
it was winter, and Yeshua was walking in the Temple
in the portico of Solomon. Yeshua sanctified
the struggle of the Maccabees. This is how it
happened:
The
Story Of Chanukkah
In 336
BC, a hundred and fifty years before the Chanukkah
story really begins, Alexander the Great became
King of Macedonia and Greece. Although he was
only twenty years old, the young king was already
a brilliant general and before long he had conquered
some of the oldest civilizations of the ancient
world. The Greeks soon ruled the near east, western
Asia and north Africa; in short most of the then
known world.
Upon Alexander's
death in 323 BC, at age 33, his empire was divided
among four of his generals. Syria fell to Seleucus
who established the Seleucid dynasty. Egypt fell
under the control of Ptolemy. One of the smallest
states of the Grecian world empire was the kingdom
of Judea. It lay between two giant powers, Egypt
to the south and Syria to the north, and was surrounded
on all sides by countries who had succumbed to
Greek culture. This culture came to be known as
Hellenism. People everywhere began to speak Greek
and to take on the appearance of Greeks. Only
in Judea did the people continue to live a distinctive
way of life.
Israel,
though small and poor, was the corridor which
linked Asia, Europe and Africa. Through it troops
could be moved from one continent to another.
The trade routs of commerce and caravans cut across
it from east to west and from north to south.
It was a highly prized territory and was buffeted
back and forth between its greedy neighbors. Finally,
in 198 BC Judea was conquered by the Syrian, Antiochus
the Great.
For a
time, Judea was permitted to live in peace. But
in 175 B.C. Antiochus Epiphanes ascended the throne
of Syria. He was an ambitious man who dreamed
of building a great empire just as Alexander had
done a hundred and fifty years before. So hungry
was he for power and fame that he declared himself
the living incarnation of the Greek god Zeus.
He demanded that his subjects everywhere prove
their loyalty to him by worshipping Zeus. "Epiphanes"
means "to show forth". In other words,
he claimed to be the manifestation of God. Instead
of calling him "Epiphanes," the Jewish
people nicknamed him "Epimanes" - the
madman.
Pursuing
his dream of one great empire, Antiochus wanted
to unify his empire and he demanded that the peoples
under his rule abandon their customs and accept
Greek practices. In Judea, his first move was
to depose Onias, the High Priest, a loyal Jew,
and to install in his place his brother Joshua
who sympathized with the Greeks. Joshua changed
his name to Jason and proceeded to open Jerusalem
to the influence of Hellenism and assimilationism.
Under
his direction, a Greek gymnasium was constructed.
Priests were urged to forget their duties in the
Temple and to engage in Greek sports. A small
group of Jews from the wealthy upper class was
dazzled by Hellenism. Following Jason's example,
they assumed Greek names and adopted Greek ways.
Some of them even suggested that the God of Israel
and Zeus might be worshipped side by side.
But most
Jews would not exchange their belief in the true
God and in the Scriptures for a foreign culture
and heathen gods. Infuriated that this small stubborn
people should stand in his way, Antiochus became
obsessed with the idea of converting the population
of Judea into Zeus-worshipping Greeks. He marched
into Jerusalem, defiled the Temple and slaughtered
hundreds of faithful Jews. Then he issued a decree
that the Temple be turned into a shrine of Zeus,
and that sacrifices of non-kosher animals, like
pigs, be offered on the altar to his god. He decreed
that any Jew found observing Torah should be put
to death.
Jews were
forbidden to observe the Sabbath, to circumcise
their sons, to study the Scriptures. They were
ordered to eat foods forbidden by Torah and to
sacrifice upon heathen altars which sprang up
in every town in Judea. The officers of Antiochus
appeared throughout the land to enforce the king's
decrees. Instead of Greek culture they brought
torture and death. It was a tragic time for our
people.
The beginning
of the change began in the village of Modin, where
Mattathias lived with his five sons: John, Simon,
Judah, Eleazar and Jonathan. When the King's officers
came to Modin, they summoned Mattathias, for he
was a prominent citizen in the village. With words
of flattery and promises of honor and wealth,
they asked Mattathias to be the first to sacrifice
to Zeus, so that others might follow his example.
His answer was: "God forbid that we should
forsake the law and ordinances. We will not hearken
to the King's words to go from our religion either
to the right hand or the left."
Immediately
after this daring declaration, another Jew approached
the altar to do the King's command. Mattathias
killed him at the altar. Then he and his sons
fled to the hills. There among the caves and rocks
of the Judean wilderness, they were joined by
more and more brave men. They formed a small army
under the leadership of Mattathias. Not long afterward,
Mattathias died and his son, Judah Maccabee, Judah
the Hammer, became the new leader of the revolt.
The men
under Judah's command were not trained for war.
They were farmers and craftsmen. They were no
match for the well trained and armed forces of
the Syrians. But they had courage and faith in
the living God. Armed with faith and with a detailed
knowledge of the country, Judah led his men in
a series of brilliant guerrilla raids. He attacked
from the hills under cover of night. He used his
knowledge of the terrain to trap the Syrian soldiers.
He moved
swiftly and boldly against the enemy. After three
years of fighting and four decisive battles, Judah
and his army were able to clear Judea of Syrians.
They then took possession of Jerusalem, cleansed
the Temple of all the Syrian abominations, and
rededicated it to the worship of the Lord God
of Israel. The Feast of Dedication - Chanukkah,
was held on the 25th day of Kislev, exactly three
years after the Syrians had defiled it, around
the year 164 BC.
However,
this important victory did not mark the end of
the wars for the Jews. For several years they
continued to fight. Then Antiochus died and there
was a scramble for the Syrian throne among several
powerful generals. One of them was fighting in
Judea at the time. It was necessary for him to
return to Syria as quickly as possible. He therefore
concluded a peace treaty with Judah restored religious
freedom to the Jews.
But the
Maccabees were not entirely satisfied. They now
desired complete political independence. Some
of the people wanted to stop fighting. The Maccabees
continued to fight to free our country of Syrian
domination and they were victorious. But in the
struggles which followed, Judah, and later Jonathan,
lost their lives.
In 142
BC, when Simon succeeded his brother Jonathan
as commander-in-chief of the army, he was appointed
High Priest and head of the Jewish community.
He became the ruler of the country and established
the Hasmonean dynasty of the newly independent
kingdom.
How
Chanukkah Affected The New Testament
The Sadducees
were the party run by the descendants of the Hasmoneans.
They controlled the political life of Israel during
the time of Yeshua. They were also in charge of
the Temple.
The Pharisees
also developed during the time of the clash between
the Jews and the Syrians. After religious freedom
was won they stressed that Israel should be more
concerned with their religious life rather than
keep on fighting for political freedoms.
The Zealot
party advocated war to liberate Israel from Rome.
They used the Maccabees as their inspiration how
a small group of Jews could defeat a much larger
and better equipped nation.
The names
of the apostles emphasize how important the Maccabees
were. Five of the 12 apostles were named after
the Maccabees Matthew, Simon, John, and Judah
(two of the apostles). Eliezar (Lazarus) is also
mentioned.
Chanukkah
Lessons
Chanukkah
is the first war that was fought over religious
freedom. The Jewish people were the only ones
on earth who knew God. Had Antiochus been successful
in hellenizing us, there might never have been
redemption for mankind. No Jews - no Messiah.
This was yet another Satanic plot to destroy the
Jewish people and prevent redemption from taking
place through the Messiah. Chanukkah commemorates
God's victory over Satan's efforts once again.
Antiochus
is a type of the anti-Christ. The abomination
of desolation that occurred when he defiled the
temple and declared himself to be a god and then
persecuted the Jewish people is prophetic of the
anti-Christ and his future abomination of desolation,
when he will declare himself to be god and sit
in the Temple and cause the world to worship him
and then persecute Christians and Jews.
The Jews
that were hellenized tried to serve God and the
world. You can't compromise and serve the world
and God. Friendship with the world is enmity with
God. The same thing is happening today. The world
is infiltrating the Messianic Community and the
Church.
Remember
that a small faithful band that knows God is capable
of overcoming the biggest armies in the world!
How
Chanukkah Is Celebrated
People
give gifts and gelt (money) to each other and
especially to the children.
There
are special games played using the dreidel. It
has four Hebrew letters on its sides that stand
for: "nes gadol haya sham,” which means
"a great miracle happened there."
We eat
special foods: we eat potato pancakes (latkes)
accompanied with sour cream and applesauce. Latkes
are fried in oil which reminds us of the legend
of the oil which was multiplied. Doughnuts and
potato chips, which are cooked in oil, are also
eaten.
We say
special Chanukkah prayers and sing Chanukkah songs.
A legend
developed that there was only enough special oil
to light the Temple for one day. The Maccabees
decided to light the Temple menorah anyway, and
miraculously it lasted eight days until more oil
could be procured. We celebrate Chanukkah for
eight days. In actuality the Jewish people celebrated
the dedication of the altar for eight days. We
light a nine branched menorah adding a new light
every evening. The one used to light the others
is called the "shammash" (the servant).
It reminds us of Yeshua, the great servant who
lights up all the other lights.
Candle
Lighting Ceremony For Chanukkah
Blessed
are You O Lord our God, King of the universe,
who has given us holidays, customs, and times
of happiness, to increase the knowledge of God
and to build us up in our most holy faith. Baruch
Ata Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha olam, ah sher nah
tan lah nu cha gim, min ha gim, oo mo ah dim l'sim
cha, l'hag deel et da at Adonai, v'liv not oh
tah nu b'emunah ki do shah v'na ah lah.
Blessed
are You O Lord our God, King of the universe,
who performed miracles for our fathers in those
days at this season. Baruch Ata Adonai Elohaynu
Melech ha olam, she ah sah ni seem la ah vo tay
nu ba ya meem ha hem baz man ha zeh.
(On the
first night you can add): Blessed are You O Lord
our God, King of the universe, who granted us
life, sustained us and permitted us to reach this
season. Baruch Ata Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha olam,
she he che yanu v'kee ma nu v'hi gee ah nu laz
man ha zeh.
Shamash
(Servant) Candle: Messiah Yeshua stated
in Mark 10:44 45: Whoever wishes to be first among
you shall be the servant of all. For even the
Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give His life a ransom for many.
First
Candle: Genesis 1:3 4 describes the creation
of the first light: God said, "Let there
be light"; and there was light. And God saw
that the light was good; and God separated the
light from the darkness.
Second
Candle: Exodus 13:21 22 reveals that
God is the source of Israel's light: And the Lord
was going before them in a pillar of cloud by
day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of
fire by night to give them light, that they might
travel by day and by night. He did not take away
the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of
fire by night, from before the people.
Third
Candle: King David reminds us in Psalm
27:1 and Psalm 18:28 that God Himself is the source
of our own individual light: The Lord is my light
and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord
is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?
For You light my lamp; the Lord my God illumines
my darkness.
Fourth
Candle: Psalm 119:105 and Psalm 119:130
describe the light that comes from God's Word:
Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to
my path. The unfolding of Your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.
Fifth
Candle: Messiah Yeshua is the greatest
light of all: In Him was life, and the life was
the light of men. And the light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend
it (John 1:4 5). As Messiah Yeshua was in the
Temple in Jerusalem watching the illuminating
lights, He declared: "I am the light of the
world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the
darkness, but shall have the light of life"
(John 8:12). Aged Simeon was promised by the Lord
that he would not die until he saw Israel's Messiah.
When he saw Yeshua as an infant in the Temple,
he knew that this One was the light of Israel
and the Nations. Simeon declared: "My eyes
have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared
in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation
to the gentiles, and the glory of Your people
Israel" (Luke 2:30 32). For God, who said,
"Light shall shine out of darkness,"
is the One who has shone in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Messiah (2 Corinthians 4:6).
Sixth
Candle: After we come to know Messiah,
we are to be a source of light for the world.
King Messiah tells us in Matthew 5:14 16: You
are the light of the world. A city set on a hill
cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and
put it under the peck measure, but on the lampstand;
and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your light shine before men in such a way
that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father who is in heaven.
Seventh
Candle: The prophet Isaiah speaks of
the future glory of a restored Israel in Isaiah
60:1 3: Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you...
And nations will come to your light, and kings
to the brightness of your rising.
Eighth
Candle: Revelation 21:22 27 give us a
description of our glorious eternal dwelling place
in the New Jerusalem: And I saw no temple in it,
for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb,
are its temple. And the city has no need of the
sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory
of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
And the nations shall walk by its light, and the
kings of the earth shall bring their glory into
it. And in the daytime (for there shall be no
night there) its gates shall never be closed;
and they shall bring the glory and the honor of
the nations into it; and nothing unclean and no
one who practices abomination and lying, shall
ever come into it, but only those whose names
are written in the Lamb's book of life!
Note:
Traditionally, the candles are lit from right
to left. The first candle is placed on the right
side of the Menorah, and the second one placed
directly to the left. But lighting them starts
from the left and moves to the right. Thus the
first candle that is lit is the new candle added
for that day. The Shammash candle is used to light
the others.
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