~ Section Three ~

~ The Origin of Hanukkah ~

      According to the book of I Maccabees, the lighting of the Menorah (the seven branched candlestick) took place on the 25th day of Kislev, exactly three years to the day that Antiochus Ephiphanes had desecrated the Temple by erecting the statue of Zeus.

      "And they arose before the morning on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month (which is the month of Casleu [Kislev]) ... And they offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of holocausts which they had made. According to the time, and according to the day wherein the heathens had defiled it, in the same was it dedicated anew with canticles, and harps, and lutes, and cymbals. And all the people fell upon their faces, and adored, and blessed up to heaven, him that had prospered them.
      "And they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and they offered holocausts with joy, and sacrifices of salvation, and of praise."
(1 Macc. 4:52-56)

      Thus began the custom of celebrating this eight day festival, beginning each year on the 25th day of the ninth month, Kislev.

      "And Judas and his brethren and all the church of Israel decreed, that the day of the dedication of the altar should be kept in its season from year to year for eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month of Casleu, with joy and gladness."
(I Macc. 4:59)

~ The Miracle of the Lights ~

      What is not told in either of the books of Maccabees is the story about the sacred oil for the lighting of the Menorah. They were not permitted to use just any old oil that might be on hand for burning in the Temple Menorah, it had to be specially made, and’ then it had to be approved by the High Priest. According to tradition, the seal of the High Priest had to be affixed to each cruse of oil. If the seal was missing or broken, any oil remaining in that cruse was considered to be defiled and could not be used in the Menorah.

      "‘And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually. In the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening until morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel."’
(Ex. 27:20-21)

      According to tradition, when the priests had everything cleansed and prepared to begin the eight day rededication ceremony, they could only locate one cruse of oil that still had the seal of the former High Priest in place. This meant there was only enough oil to burn for one day. It would have taken eight days to properly prepare pure oil that had the required sanctity to be used in the Temple Menorah.
      Rather than waiting, the priests decided to step out in faith. Just as Judah and his ragtag band had called upon God to defeat the Syrian army, even so the priests called upon God to honor their commitment to begin the rededication process. They poured the oil (only enough for one day) into receptacles in the Menorah and lit the lamp. It miraculously burned for the full eight day period.

~ The Hanukiah ~

      Because of this beautiful story about the rededication of the Temple, and the one day cruse of oil that burned for a full eight days, it has become the custom in Jewish synagogues and homes to light a Hanukkah Menorah during these days each year, as a symbol of remembrance of this awesome event. The Hanukkah Menorah is known in Hebrew as a Hanukiah (Hah-new-key-ah).
      The Hanukiah is not the seven branched Menorah that was prescribed for the Temple. Rather, it is a Menorah that has eight branches, one for each of the eight days of rededication, plus an additional holder. This ninth candle holder is called the shamash (shaymish) or ‘helper candle.’ Its purpose is to provide the source of light to the other eight candles.

~ Section Four ~

~ Yeshua In Hanukkah ~

      The story of Hanukkah is fascinating, and the celebration can be great fun; but where does one find our Savior, Yeshua HaMashiach, in all of this? That is a very legitimate question. The answer may surprise you.
      To begin with, it is necessary to establish some approximate dates for the birth of Yeshua. Most Christians believe that He was born on December 25th. However, most scholars will tell you that is simply not true, and that winter is the one time of the year that Yeshua could not have been born, for the shepherds would not have been in the fields with their flocks at night during the winter rainy season. The key to this mystery has to do with the conception and birth of Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist).

      "There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah."
(Luke l:5a)

      Zacharias was on duty in the Temple when the angel came and announced that his aged wife, Elizabeth, would conceive and bear a son. (See Issue 98-3; Messianic Expectations: Prepare the Way of the Lord.) Each priest served at the Temple for two weeks out of the year, plus all of the priests served during the three pilgrimage festivals; Passover (Unleavened Bread); Pentecost (Shavu’ot); and Tabernacles (Succoth). Thus, every priest served a total of five weeks each year, the rest of the time he spent serving the needs of the people in his local community.
      Is it possible to determine when Zacharias was on duty and when the angel appeared to him? For the following reasons, we believe that it is.
      According to Luke 1:5, Zacharias belonged to the "...division of Abijah." Each priest belonged to a ‘division,’ and was expected to serve during the assigned time of that division. The dividing had taken place during the time of king David.

"Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron.
"Thus they were divided by lot,
"...the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, ..."
(I Chron. 24;l,5,l0)

      Zacharias belonged to the eighth division (also called a course). The first division began its service the week following Succoth, and again the week following Pesach (Peh-sock Passover). Thus, the division of Abijah would be in service the eighth week after those two festivals. That would place Zacharias’ service at the midpoint of the month of Kislev, and again the week following Shavu’ot. Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist), can be expected to be conceived the week following one of these two dates. That would place his birth, some nine months later, during the fall festival season, or the Passover season.
      Tradition has it that Elijah the Prophet was born at Passover, and, by tradition, he is expected to reappear again at the Passover. That is why a place is set for Elijah at the Passover Seder each year. Since Yochanan came in the spirit of Elijah, it is reasonable to suspect that he was conceived some time after Shavu‘ot and born about the time of Passover.

      "And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’
      "Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Elijah truly is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.
      "Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist."
(Matt. 17:10-13)

      It can also be understood from the scriptures that Yeshua would have been born about six months after the birth of Yochanan. The angel Gabriel told Miriam (Mary):

      "‘Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren."’
(Luke 1:36)

      "Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
      "Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.”’
(Luke 1:39-45)

      Thus we see that Miriam conceived Yeshua at the time when Elizabeth was six months pregnant. This means that Yeshua would have been exactly six months younger than Yochanan. If Yochanan was born during the Passover season, then it stands to reason that Yeshua would have been born during the fall festival season.
      Going on the theory that Yochanan was born at Passover time and Yeshua was born in the fall, let us now see if the festival of Hanukkah might shed any light on this scenario. Using the traditional Jewish calendar as it has come down to us (as a part of the "oracles of God" [Rom. 3:1-2] that was given to the Jews), let us do some simple calculations.
      Like the Roman calendar, which is commonly used today, the Hebrew calendar has two different types of years, common years and leap years. However, there is quite a difference between the leap year on the Roman calendar and that of the Hebrew calendar. The Roman year adds one day to a leap year, while the Hebrew calendar adds one whole month to their leap years. Also, on the Roman calendar a leap year occurs once every four years. But on the Hebrew calendar, there are seven leap years that occur during each nineteen year time cycle. The reason is so that the lunar year (based on the cycles of the moon), upon which the Hebrew months are based, is several days short of a solar year (based on the orbit of the earth around the sun). Thus, an extra month must be added every two or three years so that at the end of a nineteen year time cycle both the lunar and solar calendars come back into sync.
      On the Hebrew calendar, a year (whether common or leap), can also have different numbers of days. The normal common year has 354 days. however, during some years (due to the fact that the moon’s cycle is between 29 and 30 days long) there will be only 353 days. Such a year is called a ‘defective year.’ (Not because there is anything wrong with the year, it just does not have the normal number of days.) Occasionally there will be a common year that has 355 days. These years are called; ‘excessive years.’
      It is common medical knowledge that a ‘perfect’ pregnancy should last forty weeks (the number of trial and testing) or 280 days. If one begins to count from the first day of Hanukkah during a defective common year, the 280th day will fall exactly on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Doing the same count on a regular year or an excessive year would result in the 280th day falling one or two days before Yom Kippur, during the Days of Awe.
      Many students of the Scriptures have come to believe that Yeshua was born on the first day of Succoth (Feast of Tabernacles), and was circumcised on Shemini Atzeret (the Eighth Day). Consider for a moment that Hanukkah is an eight day festival. It would be quite possible that Yeshua was conceived on the fifth, sixth or seventh day of Hanukkah, thus allowing for a ‘perfect pregnancy’ and bringing His date of birth to the first day of Succoth.
      Some have taught that Yeshua was conceived on December 25th, the day now celebrated as Christmas. (E.W. Bullinger, in Appendix 179 of his Companion Bible, makes this claim.) However, December 25th, a Roman calendar date, has absolutely no relevance to Scripture, whereas Hanukkah, being observed on the Hebrew calendar, does have great relevance. The point of all this is that it seems most likely that Yeshua, who is the light of the world, was conceived during Hanukkah, the festival that is also known as the ‘Festival of Lights.’ As Believers, we need to recognize that fact, and learn what this important festival has to teach us.

~ The Light of the World ~

      "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man who comes into the world."
(John 1:6-9)

      Not everyone wishes to walk in the light. Many prefer the darkness of night, so their evil ways might be hidden from view.

      "Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’
      "Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."’
(John 9:1-5)

      Yeshua confirmed John’s initial statement that He was the light of this world. He also said that his disciples should be lights to the world, once they have been lit by Yeshua.

      "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."’
(John 8:12)

      "‘You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp-stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."’
(Matt. 5:14-16)

      "And Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.’
      "Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, ‘Are we blind also?’
"Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind you would have no sin; but now you say, "We see." Therefore your sin remains."’
(John 9:39-41)

      It was the expressed purpose of Yeshua, the Light of the World, to bring men out of darkness into light. What a beautiful expression of this characteristic is the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah. The Shamash, or helper light, represents our ‘Helper,’ none other than Yeshua HaMashiach. All of the other candles receive their light from the Shamash, just as each Believer receives his light from Yeshua. Also, each night an additional candle is added, just as, over time, other new Believers are joined into the "Light of the World." In this way, we all are to become lights.
      It is a Hanukkah custom to set the Hanukiah in a window by the street so that all the world passing by can see that the family is celebrating the Festival of Lights. For us as Believers, this can be a symbolic gesture that reminds us that we too must let our light shine so that others can see our good works; not so that we will receive praise, but so that men will see our light and praise our Eternal Father in heaven and our Lord and Savior, Yeshua HaMashiach, for the good light that emanates from us.
      In the very beginning of the book of Genesis, we read about God's first act of creation, after the initial forming of the heavens and the earth.

      "Then God said, ‘Let there be light;’ and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness."
(Gen. 1:3-4)

      It is an ancient Jewish understanding that the ‘light’ mentioned in these verses is none other than the Messiah. Thus, the very first example given in Scripture is the dividing and the difference between light and darkness.

      "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."
(II Cor. 4:6-7)

      No matter how hard we may try, we simply cannot, of ourselves, emanate God’s light from within ourselves. Rather, the light that emanates from us can only be the light of Messiah, shining in us through the Holy Spirit which indwells us. For the light of the natural man is as darkness to God.

      "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."
(I John 1:5-7)

~ Section Five ~

~ The Feast of Dedication ~

      The other name for Hanukkah is the actual meaning of the word; Feast of Dedication. Hanukkah is not only a time to recognize that we must allow the Light of the World to shine in us, it is also a time for personal rededication. The Feast of Dedication commemorates the rededication of the Temple during the time of the Maccabees. However, it also points backwards to the time of the original dedication of the First Temple in the time of Solomon and to the dedication of the Second Temple in the time of. Ezra and Nehemiah. Likewise, Hanukkah looks forward to the time in the future when the Temple of the Messiah, as described in the book of Ezekiel, will be dedicated.

~ Temple Dedication ~

      However, there is still another Temple that needs to be dedicated and rededicated each time it is fouled by uncleanness.

      "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are."
(I Cor. 3:16-17)

      As Believers in Yeshua HaMashiach as our Lord and Savior, each of us is a Temple unto God. Like every one of the physical temples mentioned in scripture, we too must be dedicated to holiness. When we become defiled through sin, we too must go through a cleansing process and be rededicated. This process must go on continually throughout the year, whenever we sin, and not just at the time of certain festivals. On the other hand, each festival is set in place to teach and instruct us in certain principles. While Hanukkah is not a commanded festival, it can be very helpful in teaching us lessons about the dedication and rededication of our lives (our temples) to the service of Almighty God, since it is incumbent upon us to do a work of ‘cleanliness’ by keeping ourselves from becoming polluted by the world.

"...For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said;
‘I will dwell in them
And walk among them
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.’

"Therefore

‘Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.’
‘I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters.
Says the LORD Almighty.
(II Cor. 6:16b-18)

      A Temple that is not dedicated to the Almighty Creator God is no better than a heathen temple. Therefore we need to learn some things about the dedication process so that we can be assured that our temples will be properly dedicated to the One who gives us life and breath. For this reason it is important for us to study the examples given in the Scriptures.

~ The Tabernacle ~

      The very first house that was entirely dedicated to God was the Tabernacle that was constructed and carried throughout the wilderness by the Levites. The instructions for constructing the Tabernacle were given by God directly to Moshe (Mow-shay Moses). The bare outline of those instructions are preserved for us in the book of Exodus. The details of that design were not written down, but were communicated both visually and orally by God, to Moshe and to the workmen.

      "‘And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it."
(Ex. 25:8-9)

      This is a direct confirmation that there really was some type of ‘Oral’ Torah (instruction) that was given to Moshe. Building the Tabernacle from the instructions written down for us in the book of Exodus would be like trying to construct a house based upon a description of it in a letter from a friend. One needs to either have seen it, or have detailed information on how it is to be constructed (blueprints). In this case, Moshe saw what God had in mind and set about to replicate it.
      All of the items necessary for the Tabernacle were prepared by the workmen, including all of the clothing and vessels required for sacrificial worship. It was completed and set up on the first day of the first month, 1 Nisan (aka Aviv).

      "Then the LORD spoke to Moses saying: ‘On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting."’
(Ex. 40:1-2)

      The Tabernacle was erected, and the accouterments were set in place. Then Moshe. Aaron and Aaron’s sons washed their hands and feet with water from the layer. At that point in time something absolutely magnificent happened:

      "Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. ... For the cloud of the LORD was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys."
(Ex. 40:34-38)

~ Solomon’s Temple ~

      Many centuries later King David desired to build a permanent building for HaShem. However, God would not let David build it because he was "a bloody man." Nevertheless, God did give the blueprints for the first Temple to David, to be passed on to his son Solomon who was to succeed him. It was left to Solomon (king of shalom or peace) to do the actual construction.
      It took many years, and an enormous amount of money and effort, to complete the Temple of Solomon; said to be the most beautiful building of its time and categorized as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.’ Upon its completion, a great dedication ceremony was planned but before the dedication could take place, they had to bring up the Ark of the Covenant from the Tabernacle and place it in the Holy of Holies. This was done at the beginning of "the feast" of the seventh month. (Unless stated otherwise, whenever "the feast" is spoken of in scripture, it means Succoth -- The Feast of Tabernacles.)

      "And all the men of Israel assembled to King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim which is the seventh month. Then all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. And they brought up the ark of the LORD, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle.
      Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim."
(I Kings 8:2-4, 6)

      Then a most fantastic event occurred, the Shechinah (Sheh-kee-nah’ the presence of God) came into the Temple.

      "And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without keeping to their divisions), and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets -- indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying:
      ‘For He is good,
      For His mercy endures forever,’ that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God."
(II Chron. 5:11-14)

      Following this event, Solomon proceeded to give a short talk to the people, and then knelt before all the assembled Israelites to offer a prayer to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. First of all, Solomon quoted God as saying:

      "‘Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man to be a ruler over My people Israel; but I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there; and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel."’
(II Chron. 6:5-6)

      God chose the Temple mount in the city of Jerusalem to be the very place were He would dwell with the children of Israel, and where He would place His name.
      It is also instructive to look at the manner in which Solomon prayed this public prayer:

      "Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of. all the congregation of Israel, and spread out his hands (for Solomon had made a bronze platform ... and set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt down on his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven),..."
(II Chron. 6:12-13)

      During the course of the prayer, Solomon made repeated reference to the idea that if the children of Israel should sin (and as a result of that sin be punished for their sins through war, captivity, drought, etc.); they would need to go to the Temple to pray. If they were away from Jerusalem, they would need to pray facing the direction of the Temple. Solomon asks that if the children of Israel were to pray in this manner, that God would hear their prayer and forgive them.

      "... whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this house: then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, ..."
(II Chron. 6:29-30a)

      "... and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captive, and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, toward the city which You have chosen, and toward the temple which I have built for Your name: then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You."
(II Chron. 6:38-39)

      Some people in the western world, object to the idea of facing east, toward Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, when praying. Their objection is based on a Scripture found in Ezekiel:

      "Then He said to me, ‘Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these.
      "So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshipping the sun toward the east."
(Ezek. 8:15-16)

      The problem here was not that the men were facing east, the problem was they had their backs toward the Temple and they were worshipping the sun. If a person lives in India he would turn west in order to face the Temple. In Moscow a person would face south, and in Africa north. It just so happens that in North America one must face east or southeast in order to turn towards Jerusalem and the Temple area.
      At the conclusion of Solomon’s prayer another most amazing event occurred:

      "Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’s house.
"When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshipped and praised the Lord, saying.
‘For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever."’
(II Chron. 7:1-3)

      This celebration continued for seven days, all during the festival of Succoth (Feast of Tabernacles). On Shemini Atzeret (the Eighth Day), they concluded this great Temple dedication festival. That final day was truly a day of ‘New Beginnings.’
It was after this dedication celebration that God appeared to Solomon to once again confirm the covenant and let Solomon know that what he had done was acceptable in God’s sight.

      "Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: ‘I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice....
      "‘For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually."’
(II Chron. 7:12,16)

      The Temple had been built, the ark of the covenant had been set in place, the sacrifices had begun, and God had accepted it all and agreed to dwell there in the presence of his people. However, God also let Solomon know that if the children of Israel rebelled, He would destroy this beautiful Temple so that it might be a visible sign to all the world that God does not tolerate His people turning away from the Torah (righteous instruction).

      "‘But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations."’
(I Chron. 7:19-20)

      This is exactly what happened in the sixth century before Yeshua’s day, when Nebuchadnezzer and the Babylonians destroyed the First Temple and carried away the house of Judah captive.