First, let's begin with the definition of the word Hanukkah. It is a Hebrew word that in English means dedication.   The holiday celebrates the re-dedication of the temple of Jerusalem after its recapture from the Syrian Greeks in 168 B.C. The Jewish people were caught between two great Hellenistic powers: Egypt and Syria.  

             Hanukah has been called The “Festival of Lights” and it refers to the legend of the miracle that occurred during the rededication of the Temple. When the Jews sought to rekindle the menorah in the Temple sanctuary, they found only enough purified oil to last one day, yet miraculously, the small portion of oil burned for eight days – the length of time required to purify new oil. 

             The bible shows us that Jesus did attended the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem: 

John 10:22:  Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.     

             The gospel of John and look at the scriptures to see Jesus walking into the Temple at the dedication of the temple celebration where the Festival of Dedication (or lights) is being celebrated.  

              Jews from the Temple surrounded Jesus and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? Is it interesting that the first thing out of their mouths is blame: they blame Jesus for their own doubt.

          If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe.

  Jesus was the Light of Revelation…but they did not believe.

Here Christ,  the Light of the world, the Light of Life, the Light of Revelation and Truth, who is:

1. ·        The one who was born by a miracle,

2. ·        Who turned water into wine,

3. ·        The One who gives the Oil of the Holy Spirit

4. ·        Who created enough bread and fish to feed 5,000 out of only a few loaves and fishes? 

5. ·        He was there when light was separated from darkness as the earth was formed and yet He came to celebrate the Feast of Dedication.  He was the One who would cleanse the Altar forever. He was the One who would be able to keep every believer.

6. ·        It was in this very gospel passage that he healed a man born blind to demonstrate that He came into the world for this very purpose-- to give sight to those who were blind both physically and spiritually. So on this foundation, Jesus comes to celebrate the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah). Yet, they DID NOT BELIEVE.  

7.       Christ was the 7 lights on the lampstand:  His Holy Spirit within every believer  brings wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, mighty power, delight to obey and reverence to us, His Bride.

He tries to help their doubt:  He sends miracles to testify of Him.

The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep.  He clearly says that miracles bear witness of who He really is. 

Jesus—The light of the World—the very Capstone walked into the Temple to restore light to His temple and miracles being Given to the Church—not by might, nor power, but by God’s Holy Spirit!

The main prophetic reading of Hanukkah is the prophecy of Zechariah, 4:6: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’  

So, Why Would the Church celebrate Hanukkah Today? 

 The History of the Festival of Dedication.

The holiday celebrates the re-dedication of the temple of Jerusalem after its recapture from the Syrian Greeks in 168 B.C. The Jewish people were caught between two great Hellenistic powers: Egypt and Syria.

This conflict divided the empire of Alexander the Great, under Syrian power,

·        There was a campaign to establish political and religious conformity by “Hellenizing” the Jews, forcing them to adopt Greek dress and customs.

·        Even more serious, the Syrian emperor decreed that the Temple in Jerusalem, the national house of worship, would become a temple to the Greek god, Zeus. Antiochus IV, the king of Syria--defiled the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem by sacrificing swine on the altar and by setting himself up as a god to be worshiped.

·        Enter the small band of warrior Priests under the leadership of the Maccabees. The Maccabees were a family of village priests near Jerusalem who, in 168 B.C. instigated an uprising to defend Judaism against the Hellenistic rulers of Syrian-Greeks, and Jews, who had become Greek assimilation's or Hellenists. 

What is happening in our church today—are we being assimilated by the culture of the world today?

1.      Are there Christians who have already been assimilated by our culture and want us to follow their example instead of keeping ourselves pure?

2.      In what ways has the culture of our church been affected by the systems of the world:  politically, and morally? How about education, media, communications, the arts, law, and government? 

The fight in the Old Testament was to cleanse the altar of unclean things, to establish religious freedom and to preserve God’s Holy Temple. It was both a military and a spiritual battle. 

·        God is calling His people, all of them, as His Priests to stand up today and be strong and of good courage and inherit the land by fighting the Lord’s battles in prayer and intercession so that His kingdom people are not assimilated by the world. The Macabees were a small band of Priests and today the battle is also falling to a few mighty men and women of God to join in the battle. 

A study of the name of  macabee:   

Maccabee - MA-KA-BEE - it means mallet or hammer and refers to the hammer-like blows that Judah levied against the Syrian forces in his march to victory.

“Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Jeremiah 23:29