Hanukkah, From A Jew Who Believes In Jesus As The Jewish Messiah.
Historical background of Hanukkah
Hanukkah, (חֲנֻוכָּה) also known as the Festival of Lights and Feast of Dedication, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Greek Seleucid Empire during 167-160 BC.
As a Jew – even though I also believe in Jesus as the true and only Messiah, who came from the Jews, yet is the Saviour of the entire world as well – Jewish holidays and traditions are just as important to me as to any other Jew, especially when they are either founded on biblical principles, or even commanded in its very text.
The setting of the story of Hanukkah is about a century after the conquest of Judea by the Greeks under Alexander the Great, and about a century before the Romans annexed it as a province. It tells how the Greek ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempted to suppress the practice of basic Jewish law, resulting in a Jewish revolt against Seleucid rule.
In 167 BC Emperor Antiochus marched his army on Jerusalem and captured it with little to no armed resistance, slaughtering thousands of Jews.
The sacred objects from the Second Temple were looted, the daily ceremonial services stopped, and most of the priests executed. Judaism was outlawed with all its religious practices, such as Sabbath observance, circumcision, sacrifices, and even possession of Torah scrolls.
Antiochus ordered a shrine to Zeus erected in the Temple and ordered pigs to be sacrificed at the altar of the temple (the sacrifice of pigs to the Greek gods was standard ritual practice in the Ancient Greek religion, but considered the ultimate desecration to the Jews since pigs are the epitome of unclean animals).
Antiochus’s latest actions provoked a large-scale revolt. Mattityahu Hashmonai, a Jewish priest, and his five sons Jochanan, Simeon, Eleazar, Jonathan, and Judah rallied tens of thousands behind them and led the rebellion against Antiochus and his Hellenized Jewish supporters. Judah became a great general known as Yehuda HaMakabi (which means “Judah the Macabee or Hammer”, so named because of his greatly successful guerilla warfare tactics).
By 166 BC his father had died, and Judah took his place as leader. By 165 BC the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy was successful. The Temple was liberated and rededicated. The festival of Hanukkah was instituted to celebrate this event. Judah ordered the Temple to be cleansed, a new altar to be built in place of the polluted one, new holy vessels to be made, and the Everlasting Holy Light to be relit.
According to the Talmud, unadulterated and undefiled pure virgin olive oil certified with the seal of the high priest was needed for the Menorah of the Everlasting Light in the Temple, which was required to burn 24 hours a day.
The story goes that only one flask was found with enough oil to burn for one day, yet it burned miraculously for eight days, which was the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of kosher oil for the menorah. Hanukkah was declared by the Jewish sages to be from thenceforth an eight-day festival to commemorate this miracle.
In the New Testament, it is stated that Jesus was at the Temple in Jerusalem during “the Feast of Dedication and it was winter”, in John 10:22–23. The Greek term that is used is “the renewals” (Greek ta engkainia τὰ ἐγκαίνια). Josephus refers to it as the “Festival of Lights”.
When and how it’s celebrated
The name “Hanukkah” derives from the Hebrew verb chanech (חנך, “to dedicate”), Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.
The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night.
The typical Hanukiah consists of eight branches with an additional raised branch. The extra light is called a shamash (שמש, “attendant”) and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest.
“Ma’oz Tzur” (מעוז צור) is a Jewish liturgical poem. It was written in Hebrew sometime in the 13th century during the Crusades, and is sung on the holiday of Hanukkah, after lighting the festival lights.
It was originally sung only in the home, but has been used in the synagogue since the nineteenth century or earlier. The hymn retells Jewish history in poetic form and celebrates deliverance from four ancient enemies, Pharaoh (the Exodus), Nebuchadnezzar (the end of the Babylonian captivity), Haman (queen Esther) and Antiochus (Hanukkah).
Hanukkah, an inspiration to all believers
In conclusion, Hanukkah for me as well as for all Jews, believers in Jesus and non-believers alike, is yet another account of God’s faithfulness to His People, by His grace and mercy delivering them (us) out from under the oppressive hand of those who would molest us and desecrate His Holy Temple and the Land where He has put His Name, in order to bring himself well-deserved glory.
Yet much more than this, it is an inspiration to any true believer in Jesus, to take the example of the valiant Judah Macabee and stand up to tyrants who would oppress our brethren and defile the symbols of our faith; likely this will not take the form of actual guerilla warfare tactics in the streets of our hometown, yet the possibility of it meaning to be prepared to lay down one’s life for the sake of others is quite real and present.
Definitely it has spiritual connotations, in that we must resist the evil one who roams about like a lion seeking whom he may devour; often the most tremendous of battles are the ones we wage within our inner selves while alone in our times of personal meditation or when we think no one is watching.
At the very least, it is a call for us to be the Light of the World, to let our lights shine before men that they may see our Heavenly Father in us and be drawn into the Kingdom of Glory from out in the dark deep places where they are yet lost, wallowing and drowning. It is only in this way that we will conquer and prevail against the evil of this world which constantly besets us about.
HAPPY HANUKKAH!