You ask me, what does Hanukkah or Chanukah have to do with Christianity? A lot actually.
And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. (John 10:22-23)
It is known that Christ kept Hanukkah at least once. At that time there was division some asking him to prove he was Christ and others seeking to stone him because of his arguement that the miracles he did were proof; in a time when the nation remembered the miracle of re-dedication.
We will show also that Christianity was founded in the light and miracle of Hanukkah and also that the circumstances of the era led to modern apostate christianity. Please Consider.
History.com put it in summary this way:
Around 200 B.C., Judea—also known as the Land of Israel—came under the control of Antiochus III, the Seleucid king of Syria, who allowed the Jews who lived there to continue practicing their religion. His son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, proved less benevolent: Ancient sources recount that he outlawed the Jewish religion and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. In 168 B.C., his soldiers descended upon Jerusalem, massacring thousands of people and desecrating the city’s holy Second Temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs within its sacred walls.
Led by the Jewish priest Mattathias and his five sons, a large-scale rebellion broke out against Antiochus and the Seleucid monarchy. When Matthathias died in 166 B.C., his son Judah, known as Judah Maccabee (“the Hammer”), took the helm; within two years the Jews had successfully driven the Syrians out of Jerusalem, relying largely on guerilla warfare tactics. Judah called on his followers to cleanse the Second Temple, rebuild its altar and light its menorah—the gold candelabrum whose seven branches represented knowledge and creation and were meant to be kept burning every night.
According to the Talmud, one of Judaism’s most central texts, Judah Maccabee and the other Jews who took part in the rededication of the Second Temple witnessed what they believed to be a miracle. Even though there was only enough untainted olive oil to keep the menorah’s candles burning for a single day, the flames continued flickering for eight nights, leaving them time to find a fresh supply. This wondrous event inspired the Jewish sages to proclaim a yearly eight-day festival. (The first Book of the Maccabees tells another version of the story, describing an eight-day celebration that followed the rededication but making no reference to the miracle of the oil.)
What other nation has such a holiday as Hanukkah? Even Thanksgiving is nothing to it. It is an event in history a fact, a point where actions changed the trajectory of events. Even leaving out the miracle of the oil, the re-dedication of the Temple was a miracle of redemption, where a small band of zealots over-came vastly stronger forces. It was a National Miracle. Without it there would be no Judaism, as the small remnant would have been assimilated. It is now well known that many of the powerful Jews were Hellenists. Jews in name only. The Jews of the time of Judah Macabee were divided. The website History.com correctly states,
Jerusalem under Antiochus IV had erupted into civil war between two camps of Jews: those who had assimilated into the dominant culture that surrounded them, adopting Greek and Syrian customs; and those who were determined to impose Jewish laws and traditions, even if by force.
We know this is true. The Bible, without making a point of it, confirms this. Jesus came into a world where Jewish thinking was already divided, we are told in the Bible about the Sadducees and Pharisees and how they nearly came to blows over the issue of the resurrection.
But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God. And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.(Acts 23:6-10)
The Sadducees had come in line in terms of practice after the Macabbees victory but still held the Hellenistic thinking. We are told that just after the time of the crucifixion the Sadducees sect held the High Priest role (Acts 5:17). This is confirmed by some passages saying 'Chief Priests and Pharisees' (Mat 21:45, 27:62) rather than 'Sadducees and Pharisees', which adds a point as to what forces were at work then. In any case the reason given for the desire to kill Jesus, was their role and place in the Roman world (John 11:48), which confirms them as Hellenists. It is to be noted Jesus spent a lot of time rebuking Pharisees, which was of some point as some Pharisees came to Jesus including Nicodemus. But there is no record of any Sadducess coming. It is as if they were already a lost cause. If the Hellenist thinking had prevailed much earlier there would have been no ground laid for Jesus' sowing of reform and repentence.
The events were a miracle to lead to Jesus and they were predicted by Daniel, including the fact that historians now know that Jews would also be with the Selucids! We add comments in italics.
And arms shall stand
on his part (the king of the North, the Greek Selucid Antiochus,
who were fighting the Egyptian Ptolemyies), and
they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the
daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh
desolate (fulfilled exactly. The Seleucids overcome
by strength of force then take away the Jerusalem Temple sacrifice
and placed a statute of Jupiter and
offered pig – they go further and
put in laws to prevent Jews from observing the Torah).
And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by
flatteries: (the Hellenistic Jews, who aided Antiochus)
but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do
exploits (the Maccabees). And they that understand
among the people shall instruct many (in the Maccabeean
religious revival): yet they shall fall by the sword, and
by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days (7 years). Now
when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help (the
miracles as in one battle against Lysias a few killed 11,000
foot soldiers 1,600 horsemen and put the rest to flight): but
many shall cleave to them with flatteries (such as the
Sadducees and because of this they were tried by the coming of John
the Baptist and Christ). And some of them of understanding
shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even
to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed (the
trial death of the true servants because it is not yet
the kingdom). (Daniel 11:31-35)
The division among Jews was seen in the first century congregation, where they had both Pharisaical problems (Acts 15:5) and those of the Hellenists who said the 'resurrection is past' (2 Tim 2:18) and taught false 'science'(1 tim. 6:20). Despite Pagan persecution these divisions grew and emerged to become a division between true Christians and christianity, leading to so called 'christians' persecuting and killing the true servants of Christ who were told their consolation was,
If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints (Rev 13:9-10)
So if we are the servants of Christ we may ponder the nature of the Miracles of the 'little help' given to the Maccabees and how that unique time of Jewish national semi- independence with the cleansed Temple led to the fertile ground for the sowing of the gospel the expectation of the burning and shining light of Messiah the king of the Jews and the restoration of the Kingdom in the face of the Hellenist corruption of the priesthood and stultifying faithless law-keeping of the Pharisees. Jews light a menorah to remember the events, so they are never forgotten - but though they again have a semi independent nation struggling with the vagaries the of the Hellenistic Superpower, they have as yet no Temple and no King (Messiah). While Jews light a menorah to remember the miracle of the Menorah and the Temple cleansing, there is again an abomination to a lie set up where the Temple was. They might also ponder that the genealogies keeping records of the lines of David and Aaron were lost and no zealot Messiah has risen to win the great victory to cleanse the temple. They use candles.. as a yet the wise don't shine, as Daniel said they will,
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:3)
We might also ponder that Jews were, and are, divided. We know that not all Jews would have truly rejoiced at the Maccabean victory and the miracle light from oil. Some were merely impressed and flattered. We should note that those called Christians inherited that division and they were, and are, divided. The lesson: if we are not with the Maccabees, we are with the Hellenists.
For more see Sons of Greece & Sons of Zion
