Happy Channukah

Tuesday (at sunset) market the begining of the Festival of Channukah. It begins each year in the Jewish month of Kislev (usually around mid to end of December). It is a wonderful Festival, rich in meaning and full of important lessons in our walk with Messiah.

The story of Chanukkah begins in the reign of Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt and Israel, but allowed the lands under his control to continue observing their own religions and retain a certain degree of autonomy. Under this relatively benevolent rule, many Jews assimilated much of Hellenistic culture, adopting the language, the customs and the dress of the Greeks, in much the same way that Jews in America today blend into the secular American society.

More than a century later, a successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in control of the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs (a non-kosher animal) on the altar. Two groups opposed Antiochus: a basically nationalistic group led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee, and a religious traditionalist group known as the Chasidim, the forerunners of the Pharisees (no direct connection to the modern movement known as Chasidism). They joined forces in a revolt against both the assimilation of the Hellenistic Jews and oppression by the Seleucid Greek government. The revolution succeeded and the Temple was rededicated.

According to tradition as recorded in the Talmud, at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Oil was needed for the menorah in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle.

The Messianic Scriptures (the so-called “New Testament”) in Yochanan (John) 10:22-42 suggest that Yeshua and His Talmidim (Disciples) kept the Feast of Channukah.

"Then came Hannukah in Jerusalem during the winter, and Yeshua was walking in the Temple in Solomon's Colannade. So the Judeans surrounded him and said: "Why keep us in suspense? If you are the Annointed One, tell us publicly!"

... And Yeshua answered a number of things to them. One was on Discipleship and Eternal Life, the second that we are Elohim, and third he said :"I and the Father are One".

Anyone who looks carefully at the Torah and sees the making of the Menorah, understands that the Menorah is the symbol of the people. It is the annointed Lamp that burns brightly before The Father. Revelation (The book of Apocalypse) also tells us this. Yeshua revealed so much on Channukah about who we really are, and what our destiny is.

May we be a Light to the Nations with Him & in Him.

Chag Sameach (Happy Festival)