"HAG S’MOYACH!" "MOADIM LE SIMCHA!" Both versions of this holiday greeting are Hebrew, meaning "HAPPY HOLIDAYS!" also "A BLESSED CELEBRATION!"
To our Jewish friends we extend this salutation. To our Christian friends we rejoice with you at this time of year as you remember the coming of the Messiah/Christ.
Isa 42:1-6 Picture of the Chosen Servant (Messiah)
Isa 49:5-7 God will bring Jacob back to Himself and GATHER Israel TO Himself; will restore tribes of Israel and bring back "THOSE OF ISRAEL I HAVE KEPT." Also make them a "LIGHT TO THE GENTILES AND BRING MY YESHUAH (SALVATION) to the ends of the earth." This Light will be the Holy One of Israel. Such evidence from the Word of God is overwhelming.
Lk 13:45 describes how Shimon Ha Tzadik (Simon the righteous one) held and recognized Yeshua as the one described above by Yeshayahu (Isaiah).
Acts 13:45 The Judeans were provoked to jealousy due to a sermon by Shaul (Paul) when he was invited to give a sermon in a synagogue. See also Deut 32:21; Rom 10:19; 11:11. There was an aggressive response to his sermon as recorded in Acts 13:45. Paul and Barnabas did as Rom 1:16 also Jer 50:6 and Mt 10:5-8; 15:24; Acts 13:46-48 exhorts us to. Yeshua has fulfilled exactly what Messiah would do. Jewish first - then - after the resurrection - all nations to be turned to the ONE true God!
Mt 24:14; 28:19; Acts 26:23 qualifies the above scripture that "He would rise from the dead and should show light to the people (Israel) and to the Gentiles."
People often ask, "What is Hanuka? Does it have anything to do with us? Doesn’t it have some tie to the seasonal celebration in December?"
To the first two questions - "Yes, it has to do with all of us - looking for the Light of the World." To the third question, the historic reason for the common time of year may surprise most of us. We need to go back in time to the Hebrew year 3600-3623 or in secular years, 161 BC or BCE to 138 BC/BCE.
In 3600 Hebrew year - 161 BC/BCE the land of Israel was under Syrian/Greek domination. In 3610/151 BCE, the Hellenist (Grecianizers) passed harsh laws against all Jewish observance in Israel. In fact the Greeks considered Hebrew Torah (laws) to be abominable. They passed death sentences on any who observed Shabbat, who circumcised their sons, ate ritually clean food, or even married in Jewish tradition i.e. according to Torah shel Moshe (according to the Laws of Moses). They also burned Holy Torah scrolls. Brutal acts were perpetrated upon men, women and children, even infants.
In 3621/140 BCE, after so much wicked destruction both physical and spiritual, an aged priest by the name of Mattityahu (Mattathias) and his five sons, Yochanan (John), Shimon (Simon), Yehudah (Judah), Elazar (Eliazar) and Yonatan (Jonathon) began to revolt in a place called Modiin in Israel. A Syrian Greek official had come to the town with the intent of "preparing" a young bride before her marriage and then having them sacrifice a pig on a Greek altar. The elderly priest ran forward, wrested the Syrio-Greek’s sword and slew the Jewish man who was about to make the pagan sacrifice. The crowd then killed the Syrio-Greek officer.
Matittyahu and his five sons took to the hills. They were pursued and a guerilla war occurred. The elderly priest (Kohen) died after a year of valiant and successful battles. His famous son, Yehuda the Maccabee, now became leader. The battle became a national movement which resulted in the victorious regaining of the Beit Ha Mikdash - i.e. the Holy Temple. The Maccabees entered the Holy Precinct on the 25th Kislev 139 BCE. This is the Hebrew month which falls in December.
This early pre-Herodian Temple (original Second Temple) was now re-dedicated. The word here is Hanukah. Whenever there was a dedication of Tabernacle or Temple and altars, etc., the word in the Tanach (Old Testament) is this unique word found in Torah. Some references to "DEDICATION" = "HANUKAH" are found in Num 7:10-11, 84; II Chron 7:9. Today, when Jewish people acquire or rent a house or apartment, we celebrate by placing a mezuzah (box with scripture parchment on the doorposts - see photo below). This is called Chanukat Ha Belt - dedication of the house = Beit, house (also means Temple). The scriptural basis of this are found in Deut 20:5; I Kings 8:63 and II Chron 7:5. The Greek equivalent in the New Testament for the word "dedication" is egkainizo. Hebrews 9:18 describes the Brit Hadasha (New Covenant) being dedicated, purified, consecrated or made new - thus the Brit Hadasha or Covenant is made new through a Hanuka.. Yeshua shed His lifeblood as His flesh was cut = a Brit, He was affixed to the tree (cross) and dedicated His sinless life as our atonement. This can only be seen as fulfillment of the door (see reference above, mezuzah on door) to the Messianic mission of the First Coming, the suffering, rejected Holy One of Israel Isa 53:5; II Ki 19:22; Ps 71:22, 78:41; Is 1:4, 12:6, 29:19, 37:23 to name a few.
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The celebration of the lighting of the lamps/candles came about when Yochanan Kohen Gadol (John the High Priest) met with his peers, the Anshel Knesset Hagadola (Great Sanhedrin) in 138 BCE. John had composed an Al Hanissim = "miracles prayer" and their decision was to declare a permanent liturgy for this great occasion. The Hasmoneans (priestly leaders) of the Maccabean wars had many continuing victories. Yehuda was killed in battle, Elazar was crushed by a war elephant (the tanks of that day, used by the Seleucid Syrian Greeks). The rebuilding of the Temple began and HANUKAH became a yearly celebration and continues into the present day. During the first dedication, it was necessary to find enough oil to put into a makeshift menorah - one week’s worth of oil was needed. All of the vials which were consecrated and sealed by the High Priest had been broken and defiled by the Seleucids i.e. Syrio-Greeks.
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High Priest and Levite
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Someone remembered the tradition that a vial was always hidden somewhere in the Temple should such an occasion arise. The Talmud recounts it was found, but only one vial, enough for one day’s burning. It would take 8 days to go to Galilee, crush olives and bring the oil back to be consecrated by the High Priest. They filled the makeshift menorah - it burned for EIGHT DAYS!
"NES GADOL HAYA SHAM!"
"A GREAT MIRACLE HAPPENED THERE!" we proclaim every year.
They had called for Moshiach to come and show how to HANUKAH (i.e. (re) dedicate) - God sent the miracle of the oil, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Messiah would come soon! 25 Kislev 139 BCE was the date of this spiritual victory. Jewish tradition emphasizes this aspect above the military victory and this is giving the glory to God not to humans. John tells how Yeshua celebrated the FEAST OF DEDICATION i.e. HANUKAH. See John 10:22.
During the early church period, the Romans used to celebrate the Solstice Festival - sun/solar worship. It was Roman law for all to pay tribute and attribute deity to Caesar. The Jewish and Messianic believers (made up of still mostly Jewish believers) couldn’t do this. So while the Romans celebrated on the 25th of December (25 Kislev), the believers also made merry for survival’s sake. The Jewish celebrants looked for the Light of the World - the Messianic believers celebrated Him - Yeshua. It became an apparent, common time on 25 Kislev/25 December to celebrate this hope and this fact.
It is very possible that Christians began to celebrate Yeshua’s birth as the Light of the World at this time. He was most likely born at a different time.
