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Category: Identity Celebrations

Light in the Darkness

Tags:  hanukkah

The eight-day festival of Hanukkah begins each year on the 25th day of the lunar month of Kislev, which corresponds this year to the evening of December 7th. Hanukkah (חנוכה) means "dedication." The Feast of Hanukkah is the Feast of Dedication. It is a thoroughly Jewish festival, which commemorates an important Jewish victory over tyranny. Except for its mention in the book of John, it is not a biblical festival. Unlike the other festivals, Hanukkah is not an appointed time (mo'ed) from the Torah. Instead, the celebration of Hanukkah began after the last book of the Hebrew Scriptures had been composed. By the time of the days of the Apostles, however, it had become a long-established tradition. The events that Hanukkah commemorates occurred some 160 years before the birth of the Master.

Hanukkah Revolution

The story behind the festival of Hanukkah is found in the apocryphal book of 1 Maccabees. Therein the story is told of how Judah Maccabee and his heroic band of freedom fighters overthrew the tyrannical Seleucid forces that had subdued Judea and defiled the Jerusalem Temple. In addition to defiling the Temple, the wicked Seleucid King, Antiochus Epiphanes, forbade the observance of Torah. Circumcision, Sabbath, Festivals, Kashrut, and the study of Torah were all explicitly forbidden. Anyone keeping Torah was punished by death.

While all Israel was turning away from the Torah, the priest Mattathias, father of the Maccabees, said, "Whosoever is zealous of the Torah, and maintaineth the covenant, let him follow me" (1 Maccabees 2:27-28). The Maccabees launched a great revolution.
After recapturing Jerusalem, Judah Maccabee and his followers purified and rededicated the Temple. The altar that had been defiled with pagan sacrifices was dismantled and a new one was built. The menorah, the altar for incense, the table of the bread of the presence, and the curtain before the Holy of Holies were all replaced. The war was not over, but Jerusalem was set free, the Temple was rededicated, and the Torah was upheld.

An Eight-Day Celebration

When their work was complete, they established the 25th day of Kislev as the date for the rededication of the Temple because that date was the anniversary of the day on which the Temple had been defiled three years before.

To celebrate the restoration of God's Holy Temple, all Jerusalem rejoiced for eight days, and Judah Maccabee declared that future generations should rejoice annually during those eight days to remember the miracles of the Temple's dedication. Again, Hanukkah means "dedication."

The story of Hanukkah is the story of light growing in the darkness. Wherever there are people of Torah, there is also darkness trying to snuff them out. History proves it repeatedly. Nevertheless, the miracle of Hanukkah is that light is not diminished; instead, it grows. The story of Hanukkah is the story of a war between two worldviews, that of Hellenism and that of Torah. Hellenism is the language of humanism, philosophical theology, and relativism. Torah is the language of Theism, mitzvot, deeds, and revelation.

The Modern Revolution

Given that Hanukkah is a specifically Jewish festival, and that its celebration is not a mitzvah (commandment) of the Torah, why would believers celebrate it? Obviously, Jewish believers may have a cultural affinity for the festival, but is there any real biblical significance? Is there any reason non-Jews might want to incorporate the celebration of Hanukkah into their homes? There is a reason, and it's not just cultural. Hanukkah has biblical significance.

The significance of Hanukkah for believers in the Hebrew Roots movement is profound. When we celebrate Hanukkah, we are not just celebrating a victory that happened in the past, but one that happens in the future, and one that is happening right now.

The Body of Messiah is likened unto a Temple. Individually and corporately, we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Like the Holy Temple of Jerusalem in the days of the Maccabees, we have been defiled as well. Even in the days of Paul, the "mystery of Torah-lessness"1 was at work among the believers. If that was true among believers in the First Century, how much more so now!

As one studies the history of religion and the world, a disturbing pattern emerges. In every generation, there is a systematic assault on Torah, and on the people who choose to live by it. Thus, it says in the Passover Haggadah, "In every generation they rise up against us to destroy us!" It is true, and never has it been more true than in our own generations, which have seen the events of the Holocaust, Stalin's purges, and even now the rising Muslim hatred for Jews. Our days are certainly no exception to the rule.

However, when we sanctify the Sabbath day, we have joined the Hanukkah revolution. We are in defiance of the mystery of Torah-lessness. When we choose to eat biblically, we have joined the revolution. When we choose to learn and live the Word, God's Torah, we are part of the revolution. How does it feel to be a Maccabee?

Festival of Light

Hanukkah is the Festival of Light. The Master told His disciples, "I am the Light of the world." On another occasion, He instructed them, "You are the light of the world... Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works (mitzvot), and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). In the same way, it is traditional to place the Hanukkah menorah in a window so that its light radiates outward and illuminates the darkness of the outside world. So may it be with us.

The celebration of Hanukkah is relevant and important for all Torah keeping believers. It is the story of tenacious zeal for Torah, devotion to God's covenant, and the will to stand up for what is right and holy.

Therefore, we at First Fruits of Zion pray that this Hanukkah season will find the light of the Gospel burning ever brighter within you. May the flame of heaven ignite your heart for Torah, mitzvot, and devotion to Him. May the light of Yeshua pour forth from within each one of us as we set about to illuminate the darkness.
We wish a very Happy Hanukkah to you and yours.

Endnotes

1. 2 Thessalonians 2:7

Five Reasons to Keep Hanukkah

1. Did you know that Hanukkah is in the Gospels?

Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures because the story of Hanukkah happened after the last book of the Tanakh had been written. However, Hanukkah is mentioned in the Apostolic Scriptures. Yeshua went to the Temple for the Feast of Hanukkah. If Hanukkah matters to Yeshua, shouldn't it matter to us?

2. Did you know that Hanukkah is a story of religious persecution?

Hanukkah is a story of religious persecution and standing up for faith in God. Yeshua tells us we can expect persecution, but He also tells us that we must stand firm in our faith. If that's what the story of Hanukkah is about, shouldn't it matter to us?

3. Did you know that Hanukkah is the Festival of the Light of the World?

Hanukkah is the Festival of Light. It celebrates the relighting of the menorah lamp that burned in God's Holy Temple. In rabbinic terminology, the menorah was called the "light of the world." Yeshua said, "I am the Light of the world," and another time He told His disciples, "You are the light of the world." If Hanukkah is the Festival of the Light of the World, shouldn't it matter to us?

4. Did you know that Yeshua talked about Hanukkah?

Yeshua talked about Hanukkah. He warned His disciples that the things that happened in the story of Hanukkah would happen again (Mark 13:13-16, Matthew 24:15-18). To understand what He was saying, His disciples had to know the story of Hanukkah. If Yeshua talked about the story of Hanukkah, and His disciples knew the story, shouldn't it matter to us?

5. Did you know that Hanukkah commemorates the dedication of God's Temple?

Hanukkah means "dedication." It is a remembrance of when the Jews rededicated God's Holy Temple to serve only Adonai. The Apostolic Scriptures tell us that we are God's Temple. If
Hanukkah is a festival about the dedication of God's Temple, and we are God's Temple, shouldn't it matter to us?

The above is an excerpt from "Light in the Darkness, Hanukkah and the Disciples of Yeshua." Click here for more info and to buy this book.

© 2009 First Fruits of Zion. All rights reserved. We encourage you to share this material with your friends for further personal study. However, This material may not be republished, in print, electronically, or any other form without our prior permission. Adapted from messiah magazine #83 .

For more information about this issue, click here.

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