The Jewish Feast of Hanukkah

A Celebration of Victory & Light
December 1-9, 2010

"Mai Hanukkah? What is Hanukkah?" ask the rabbis in the Talmud.

Most of us know something about this Jewish celebration with its branched candelabra, eight days of gift-giving, dreidel spinning, and latkes. Yet, because of its proximity to Christmas, what's really going on in Jewish homes during the month of December is generally a mystery to believing Christians. The overwhelming sweep of our joyous seasonal revelling tends to eclipse our awareness of this Jewish winter festival.

A Miraculous Military Victory

In The Jewish Holidays, Jewish author Michael Strassfeld says he thinks it’s strange that even the rabbis needed to question Hanukkah’s meaning. He suggests that perhaps it’s because Hanukkah actually commemorates two miraculous events. Not listed among the seven annual festivals commanded by God in Leviticus, this Feast of Dedication was ordained by sages during the intertestamental period to celebrate and publicize the miraculous victory of the Maccabean revolt over Seleucid (Syrian) Hellenizers.

Over a century earlier, Alexander the Great’s conquests of Syria, Egypt, and Palestine, had introduced a secular Hellenistic worldview to the region which threatened to eradicate the customs, semitic language, and Torah-based ethics of the Jews. As recorded in the Apocryphal book of Maccabees, pious Judah Maccabee ("the Hammer") led his men in a brave victory against the mighty Syrian armies using clever strategies and guerrilla tactics.

Also known as the "Festival of Lights" Hanukkah’s purpose is also to remember the rededication of the Second Temple on Kislev 25 in 165 BC after its defilement by Seleucid tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes ("the Madman"). Among other atrocities, Antiochus Epiphanes persecuted the Jews by erecting an idol of Zeus in the Temple and by prohibiting the study of the Torah. He also appointed his own Hellenistic "High Priest" who defiled the scrolls of the Scriptures and desecrated the holy altar by sacrificing pigs, an unclean non-kosher animal.

A Miracle of Light

According to later Talmudic tradition, after the Temple had been cleansed, the Jewish priests only found a single cruse of consecrated olive oil—enough to keep the seven-branched golden lampstand kindled for one day. The Talmud tells the legendary story of God’s miraculous provision of oil which kept eternal light in the Temple burning brightly for eight days until a new supply could be ritually purified. Modern-day observance of the holiday features the lighting of a special Hanukkah menorah with eight branches (plus a helper candle or shamash) lighting one new candle each night.

Jesus Christ is the Tree of Life

Although the verses are sometimes overlooked, John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus was at the Temple during Hanukkah, or the Feast of Dedication. "Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade" (Jn 10:22-24).

During that first-century Hanukkah celebration, Jesus told his listeners that the powerful works he was performing witnessed to his claim to be the long-awaited Mashiach (Jn 10:37-38). His miracles and his holy character clearly demonstrated that he was the Anointed Son of God. Claiming to be the Light of the world for both Jews and Gentiles, Jesus also promised that whoever followed Him would not have everlasting death and darkness, but the Light of eternal Life (Jn 8:12).

Hanukkah & the Return of Christ

Bible scholars argue that several centuries before Jesus’ birth, Daniel prophesied about the events that took place in 167 BC involving the Jewish persecutor, Antiochus Epiphanes (Dan 8:9-14). Other scholars who study biblical end time events (eschatology) believe that many elements of the Hanukkah story will parallel the events described in Revelation.

Revelation speaks specifically about the persecution by the state toward believers prior to the Second Coming of Christ (parousia). The Feast of Dedication is a reminder that Christians must courageously remain faithful to God in the face of such persecution. Hanukkah is also a reminder that God is faithful, and he delivers his people not only from the oppression of Antiochus Epiphanes, but from the Antichrist himself.

Some interpreters also believe that a future Third Temple will be defiled by the Antichrist, and then cleansed and rededicated on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev in preparation for Jesus millennial reign on earth (Dan 12:11-12).

For Kids: How to Play Dreidel

Jewish children love to sing and play games at Hanukkah. The rules for the most popular game, "spinning the dreidel" are very simple. On each side of a small four-sided top are the Hebrew letters, Nun, Gimmel, Hey, or Shin. When read together the dreidel’s letters mean, "A great miracle happened there."

"Each player must put something into the pot—perhaps a penny or a couple of nuts. Then the players take turns spinning the top. If Nun comes up, nothing happens. For Gimmel, the player gets the whole pot. For Hey, the player takes half the pot. For shin, the player has to share, or add to the pot."—Hebrew For Christians

I’m indebted to Hebrew For Christians and Got Questions.org for most of the preceding information.

Related Resource: I strongly recommend The Feasts of the Lord. This excellent book compares OT shadows with NT realities to help Christians understand the fulfillment of the Feasts through Christ and His Church.

Photos: Skyco (Flickr), Jews For Jesus (Hanukkah e-cards)

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What part of the Hanukkah story is the most interesting to you?