Hanukkah and Christmas.... similar but oh so different

What a great season it has been to remember what God did for us in this season so long ago. He spared the Jewish people at Hanukkah, allowing us to gain a military victory over the Syrian Greeks in 165 BCE after a three-year struggle against King Antiochus. The war had raged so severely that we had not been able to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for three months. So when the Temple was rededicated back to God, we celebrated the Feast. That feast is the only 8-day holiday in the Scripture, so that's why Hanukkah is an 8-day holiday in our calendars.

The story (myth, legend, tale) of the 'miracle of the oil' is great, whether it did or didn't happen.

As a result of the dedication (the Hebrew word is Hanukkah), the Jews were allowed to practice our religion both privately and publicly. Again. Praise the Lord.

Then 160 years later, an angel came to Miriam and Yosef in what we now call Israel and brought them startling news that they were going to be part of the Greatest Story ever told. Miriam was to be the mother of the Son of God, and they were to call their new baby Yeshua, which means "God saves." The couple travelled from the Galilee region to Bethlehem in Judea for the census and the birth of the baby.

Unusual guests came to visit during their sojourn there including shepherds and angels and mysterious astronomers from far distant lands east of Judea. All came to hear, to see, to adore, to help announce the Birth of the Jewish Messiah.

Hanukkah is a story of survival, success and salvation for the Jewish people.

Christmas is a story of salvation for all people.

Both are great stories, because they are both stories of the God of the universe who loves all people and wants us to know him personally and is willing to condescend to be among us, to become one of us, to show us the way to relationship with him. Praise the Lord.

Happy (last day of) Hanukkah.

Happy 9th day of Christmas.

Happy New Year 2025.

Enjoy the Lord of life today. Praise the Lord.

Hanukkah Questions and Answers

What does Hanukkah celebrate?

https://youtu.be/WiajYjXvGz8

 

Happy Hanukkah! This is the Jewish holiday celebrated worldwide in December each year, which marks the anniversary of a military victory about 2100 years ago. The occupier of the land of Israel then was a Syrian Greek king named Antiochus the Fourth. He was not good for the Jews, and even went so far as to outlaw the Jewish religion. He ordered us Jews to worship Greek gods. In the year 168 B.C., his soldiers massacred hundreds of people in Jerusalem and desecrated the holy Temple. They built an altar to Zeus and sacrificed pigs on it.

 

The story goes that one man, Mattathias Maccabee, and his five sons rose up in a little village named Modi’in, and called on the Jewish people to join them against Antiochus. Their call was successful, as many joined in the fight. Mattathias died a couple years later, and his son Judah Maccabee took over, and finished the recapture of Jerusalem.

 

When they entered the holy Temple, they found the desecration overwhelming. They rededicated the place to the Lord, and celebrated for 8 days. They probably were celebrating Sukkot, a Jewish holiday they could not practice during the final stages of the war against the Syrians a few months earlier.

 

The word ‘dedication’ is the Hebrew word “Hanukkah”, so when we celebrate Hanukkah, we are celebrating the dedication of the holy Temple 2100 years ago, and for messianic Jews, we are dedicating ourselves again and again to the Living God and to His plan, who loves all people in December, and throughout our days. Happy Hanukkah!

 

 

What is the meaning of the Menorah?

https://youtu.be/V8VZalpUuIg

 

The Bible describes a lampstand (Exodus 25.31-34) that was in use in the Holy Temple about 2000 years ago. It had seven branches and was lit with oil. So, the modern Menorah is similar, but not the same as that one. We use nine branches in the modern menorah, which many title a Hanukkiah.

The legend of Hanukkah is retold that when the Maccabees entered the Holy Temple and sought to ready it for regular use again, they found only one small jar of oil that had been prepared. The oil in this jar would have been enough to burn for only one day, but amazingly the little amount lasted for 8 days. So that’s why some people celebrate the holiday for 8 days.

 

But why 9 branches then?

The ninth candle is a servant candle, which is used to light the others in turn.

The menorah in Bible days was a reminder of God’s light being given to all people, representing His knowledge, His presence, and His glory. Yeshua, our Messiah, and the Servant of the Lord, declared Himself to be the “Light of the World” in Jerusalem, and we as Messianic Jews agree. Happy Hanukkah!

 

Did Jesus celebrate Hanukkah?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfvPxPOF_Wk

 

Today when we say ‘holiday celebrations’, we often think of foods, greeting cards and family gatherings, as in celebrating Thanksgiving or Mother’s Day. It’s unfair to link this to the same in ancient Israelite practices. That said, the use of Hanukkah as a marker in the Scriptures is clear. Remember the Older Testament ends before Hanukkah had even taken place. Hanukkah marks a military victory in 165 BCE.

 

Did Yeshua celebrate Hanukkah? He was in Jerusalem, in the Temple, at that time. John chapter 10 records “At that time the Feast of the Dedication (or Hanukkah) took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Yeshua was walking in the temple! The Jewish leaders gathered around Him, and asked Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”  Yeshua answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me…I and the Father are one.” (John 10.22-30)

Did Yeshua celebrate Hanukkah? Let’s just say he noticed it, was in the right place to observe it with the Jewish people, and used the occasion to declare Himself the Light of the World and Messiah of Israel. What do you think about that? Have a happy Hanukkah.

 

Is Hanukkah a Biblical Feast? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z20rpA2ofTg

 

Neither the word, nor the holiday Hanukkah is found in the record of the Older Testament, since the canon, the official collection of what is in the Scriptures, was closed before the military victory of the Maccabees occurred. So, the Jewish Bible, the one Yeshua read, has no mention of the story of Antiochus and the Syrian Greeks, of Judah Maccabee and the few beating up on the many. The story of Hanukkah is similar to the story of David and Goliath.

That the Newer Testament mentions the holiday (John 10.22) as a marker of a time when Yeshua was in the precinct of the Holy Temple is significant. But most non-Jewish Christians don’t celebrate Hanukkah at all.

Many Jewish believers in Jesus do celebrate the holiday in measure, that is, in some form or another. Whether with dreidels or latkes, with sufganiyot or family gatherings, Hanukkah is a great time of year to remind ourselves of God, and of His love for us.

 

 

Is there a Messianic significance to Hanukkah? 

https://youtu.be/r29w9qo6A28

 

There is no prophetic significance about a coming messiah from the annals of the Jewish people and the holiday of Hanukkah. It is a great time of year, in Israel when the weather is getting colder, and in Russia, Europe and North America, as a sort of answer to all the glitter and merriment of Christmas. In the Southern hemisphere when the weather is warming and summer approaching, the joy of that season is great, but again, nothing is messianic about this holiday.

That said, however, the Messiah did proclaim Himself as deity on Hanukkah. (John 10.30) That proclamation was in direct answer to some Jewish leaders who wanted to know what Yeshua was saying of Himself. On that occasion, in the precinct of the Holy Temple, Yeshua identified Himself as equal with the Father God.

What was the reaction of the crowd, especially of the leadership? They picked up stones to stone him! (John 10.31) They knew what He was saying. Their anger was palpable, and yet He eluded their grasp. (John 10.39)

What is your reaction to the claim—Yeshua claimed to be deity. What do you think about that?  Happy Hanukkah!

 

 

 

 

Is there any connection between Hanukkah and Christmas?

https://youtu.be/SRqWsyDL6Z8

 

The only real connection is the calendar-sharing between the two holidays. Before 1900, the commercialism and consumerism which drives the Christmas season and gift purchasing in these days was not known. I know, it’s hard to imagine a year when we don’t see Christmas glitter and sale items beginning in October in your favorite stores, but before the turn of the 20^th century, Christmas was a quiet, at home, or at church, holy day. In 1930 or so, when Coca Cola began in their advertising, using a department store Santa in a red suit, the Christmas we know in these days was born.

 

As a direct result, Jewish families, who were left out of the traditional Christmas because of religious convictions, created a new Hanukkah, with increased gift giving and decorations which would have been completely unknown 100 years earlier.

 

But the only real connection between Christmas and Hanukkah is that Yeshua, the Light of the World, whose birth was trumpeted by angels and shepherds and wise men 2000 years ago, may not have been born were it not for Hanukkah. If Antiochus and any other evil anti-Semitic king had been successful in wiping out the Jewish people, then there would be no Christmas. After all, Christmas is a Jewish holiday. It’s the celebration of the birth of the greatest Jew who ever lived. Who do you think Jesus is? Have a happy Hanukkah!

 

Can our family celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas? 

https://youtu.be/h8U8DpOSOU8

 

So many families today are blends of races or religions, of step-children and 2^nd partners, that it’s often hard to keep track of traditions and compatibilities. At this time of year, when people of faith want to lock into history and future, we heartily recommend an honest celebration of holidays.

 

If your family is composed of someone Jewish and someone Christian, perhaps a mutual joint celebration of each, in the integrity of each holiday would be warranted.

 

For Jewish people, Hanukkah is the story of God delivering us from evil and oppression. We were freed to practice our religion however we saw fit. According to the Bible, Christmas, or the birth of Yeshua, celebrates the deliverance of all people from sin, and its power to oppress and dominate us. Both holidays are about freedom and about God.

 

Don’t blur them into being neither fish nor fowl. What I mean is don’t use a Christmukah bush or something which would demean both holidays of their deeper meaning. Let Hanukkah talk about God; let Christmas talk to you about the birth of the King of Israel.

 

Happy Hanukkah! Shalom.

 

Who is Zerubbabel? Lampstands and Olive trees. (Zechariah 4)

 OUT OF THE CHAOS: A study in the book of Zechariah

Chapter 4: Lampstands and Olive trees. Who is Zerubbabel?

The video of this talk is on YouTube here:

https://youtu.be/-HBMVBo7qlo

Shalom and welcome to our class today. We are continuing in this prophetic book written by a young Jewish man living in Jerusalem about 500 BCE as he writes to his people, those living there in Judah and also to those living in Babylon. To each of those groups, he has some clear words and I trust that those words he spoke 2500 years ago will speak to you and to me as we will consider what God meant as he used that young man. And we will try to learn what God has to say to us as 21st Century people. 

As per usual, my method will take us through a chapter each Friday morning, and then we will have plenty of time for discussion and questions in the final half-hour. If you are watching this teaching on YouTube after our class, please feel free to write me (bob@jewsforjesus.org.au) and I will try to answer queries if I’m able. 

If you don’t already receive the email invitations to join this class live, please enter your email address just now, type it into the chat box or write our office (admin@jewsforjesus.org.au) and ask to be invited. Thanks. 

Also if you don’t mind, please read the chapter before you come to the class live, and if you are watching YouTube, pause your playback, read chapter 4 and then rejoin us. Thanks. Welcome back.

Let’s jump in. 

Again the new chapter has an unusual vision, Vision #5 in this series of 8 visions, all at the beginning of the prophecy of Zechariah. Last week we turned from the work of the rebuild of the Temple to a person and to sin and cleansing. Today we return to the theme of the Temple, but have two unusual changes to the setting. The vision may happen at night, but an angel actually awakens Zechariah as if from a deep sleep and secondly, again we zoom in on a person, the governor Zerubbabel. We learn about his person from 1 Chronicles and the book of Haggai. He was the grandson of king Jehoiachin, and son of Pedaiah; and for a while, the leader of the first returning exiles. So, along with the task of Temple reconstruction, we note the ministry and the character of Governor Zerubbabel. 

Since Zerubbabel was the grandson of King Jehoiachin of Judah (1 Chronicles 3:17) he was in the line of King David. That will be significant later as we consider messianic hope. Zerubbabel was born in Babylon during the exile (between 587 and 539 BC), and made his way over to Judah after King Cyrus II allowed the Judean captives to return to their homeland to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1–4; 6:3–5, 8–10). The prophet Haggai identifies Zerubbabel as the governor of Judah after the exile (Haggai 1:1; 2:2, 21). 

A little more about this man, a reflection of the times, and history of the building. His name, Zerubbabel is a Babylonian name meaning “offspring of Babylon.” That helps me remember the prophecy of Jeremiah who encouraged Judeans to make a new life in Babylon and thus Pedaiah (or Shealtiel, whichever was his biological father) gave him a Babylonian name. Think about the changes in Jewish culture from Eastern European shtetl life for hundreds of years with men’s names being Menachem or Irving, Louie or Harold to the 20th century when men were given names like Robert, William or Charles. Trying to fit in, to acculturate, and to be less noticeable. And in the world of Babylon in those days, it was a way of being ‘normal’ as well. 

Then after Zerubbabel and the other exiles left Babylon, about a year later, they got settled, and those Jewish people began to rebuild, but it wasn’t long before opposition arose from local adversaries, and you have to wonder why the Judeans chose to build alone, and the work was brought to a standstill by order of King Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:1–24). Only the foundation of the temple had been finished. The locals had sent that letter of defamation and Artaxerxes believed that the Jews would not pay taxes to the king and would stay apart from the locals.

The foundation was lesser, that is, it showed that this new temple was going to be much smaller than the First Temple built by Solomon.  This brought significant disappointment to some of the older people who remembered the former temple: “Many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid” (Ezra 3:12).  Rashi said “although the foundation was a disappointing experience for those who remembered the magnificence of the First Temple, eventually the building would be 7 times more imposing that it is now”

The prophet Haggai addressed their disappointment: “‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. . . . ‘Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord of Hosts” (Haggai 2:3–4). Zechariah, too in today’s passage, told the people not to despise “the day of small things” (Zechariah 4:10), because God had great plans for this new temple.

Finally after a seventeen-year work stoppage, under the next king of Persia, Darius, the Jewish people were granted permission to get back to rebuilding. Within three and a half years after the second effort began, the 2nd Temple was completed in 516 BCE.

In this vision today, Zechariah receives words that should have encouraged Zerubbabel: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of Hosts. What are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘Grace! Grace!’ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ‘The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you’” (Zechariah 4:6–9).

As a descendant of King David, Zerubbabel was identified with the coming Messiah by his contemporary prophets, Haggai and Zechariah. The Jewish people began to see Zerubbabel as their great hope for reviving the Davidic kingship and for liberation from the Persians. Rashi said God had chosen Zerubbabel from all people of the world as the one fit to execute this task. 

The prophet Haggai declared that God would use Zerubbabel to overthrow and destroy kingdoms: “The word of the LORD came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: ‘Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms.’ . . . ‘On that day,’ declares the LORD of Hosts, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the LORD of Hosts” (Haggai 2:20–23).

With that as background and a shadow of foreground, let’s unpack the few verses that are chapter four of Zechariah. 

Verse one. The angel almost shakes Zechariah, which makes sense in light of Haggai chapter 2 and the shaking that God intended through him. 

Verse two. The angel asks “What do you see?” And Zechariah mentions the menorah, but it has 7 feeder tubes into each of the 7 branches. That’s 49 tubes altogether. And a bowl atop. That’s not how the original was built (Read Exodus 25)

Then verse 3, we read of two olive trees, one on either side. OK< that’s not too far fetched. You need the olive trees to produce the olives that are then squeezed and create the oil that lights the menorah. 

Verse 4, a simple question. “What are these?” And you would expect the angel to explain. But he doesn’t. 

Verse 5. Don’t you know? It’s a mocking question. Obviously Zechariah didn’t know, or why would he have asked. I’m so glad God doesn’t treat us in this way. When we lack wisdom, James says, we should ask of God who gives to all men liberally, without upbraiding us!

Verse 6. The first explanation in this chapter. This is God’s word to Zerubbabel. Your work will not be by human strength or enterprise. It’s God’s work and he will ensure it’s done in his power. That’s comforting. 

Look tonight we have a soft launch and tomorrow evening the actual Opening Night for our Art Exhibition in Taylor Square. It has been a huge undertaking, costing us 10s of thousands of dollars and we have high hopes for it. I’ll tell you more in the question time. But for my staff on this call today and for you who are listening and watching, know this, we are not doing this in our own human cleverness or wisdom. Not by human might or power, but by God’s Spirit. That’s how Zerubbabel was to build the Temple. Not trusting in his own capacity or the military might of the Jewish people, but trusting the Lord to make things happen in his timing and in his strength. 

Verse 7: What can withstand us? A mountain gadol?    הַֽר־הַגָּד֛וֹל   Ha…that’s nothing. Sounds like Yeshua talking about a grain of mustard seed faith. You can move mountains of troubles, even of leftover fallen ruins of the first Temple.  All that leftover stuff will be like a plain.  And God will make the capstone, the keystone, the top stone

אֶת־הָאֶ֣בֶן הָרֹאשָׁ֔ה

To come out, and to fulfil its mission. A capstone is the final stone of a building project. Think of the keystone in a bridge. You build from one side and the other, both at the same time. Then the final piece, the top stone, is the culmination of all that hard work. God says he will bring it out and there will be shouts of CHEN, grace, grace. Double grace. All the grace a man needs. All the grace a people need. All the grace you will ever need is found in doing what God says and he will bring the supply.

Verse 8. More interpretation follows. The angel says further words. 

Verse 9. Zerubbabel started this; he will be the one to finish it. It’s not a relay race with baton to baton to baton. It will happen in a season, not over many lifetimes. 

Verse 10. Don’t knock the beginnings. Small things are not to be despised. We have to start somewhere. You will get it done.  These 7. Must be the facets or eyes of chapter 3. They will be glad when they see the ‘plumb line.’ But the Hebrew is not plumb. Rather Bedil

 אֶת־הָאֶ֧בֶן הַבְּדִ֛יל

Like hamavdil or even Havdalah. That’s the dividing line. The line that separates. God wants his people to have his Temple to honour him. 

The eyes range to and fro? That sounds like “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those bwhose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.” (2 Chronicles 16.9) And in the Proverbs we read, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good.” (15.3)

God’s eyes are on duty all the day long. All the month. All your lifetime. 

Verses 11-14. Two olive trees. What are they? It’s not a what; it’s a who. They are the two anointed ones (not Meshach, rather tsahar) standing and awaiting words to fulfil. They are loyal attendants ready to serve. They are Joshua and Zerubbabel.  (Revelation 11.3) Don’t expect two particular folks, in fact, it’s not even the real number at the last, but rather a symbol of the same history. And it’s a call to you and to me to stand at the ready to serve our great God. 

And to be called “Lord of all the earth.” 

עַל־אֲד֥וֹן כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

We will see that going forward in this book even next week, but get that in your head and in your heart. He will be using two witnesses to bring his love and grace to the whole earth. (Isa. 54.5) 

Remember the quote from Haggai said something about the signet ring? (2.20-23)

As a seal of royal authority, the “signet ring” is a messianic metaphor. In Jeremiah 22:24–25, God said if Jehoiachin (Zerubbabel’s grandfather) were his signet ring, God would cast him off. Thus, Haggai was saying that through Zerubbabel God would reverse the curse He had personally pronounced on Jehoiachin. God would place the wicked king’s grandson like a signet ring on his own finger. Likewise, the words “on that day” point to a future messianic fulfillment of Haggai’s message.

Although Zerubbabel’s temple was smaller than the one Solomon built, God promised a greater glory: “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,” said the Lord (Haggai 2:9). The glory bestowed on Zerubbabel’s temple came centuries later when Yeshua, our Messiah, came into the temple courts. The Messiah never visited Solomon’s temple, but Zerubbabel’s Temple did.

I find it strange then, that before the 2nd temple was completed and dedicated, Zerubbabel’s name disappears from the biblical record. It’s possible that Zerubbabel may have returned to Babylon soon after finishing his work on the temple, or it could be that the Persians feared a Jewish uprising and had Zerubbabel removed or executed. Regardless, Zerubbabel is revered as one of the Bible’s great heroes, working to reconstruct the Lord’s house of worship and he is even listed in the genealogy of Yeshua.

“After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of 1Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim,” (Matt. 1.12-13)

While the temple Zerubbabel helped rebuild was nothing compared to the size and grandeur of Solomon’s, it far outlasted it. In fact, Zerubbabel’s temple was still standing 500 years later when the promised Messiah filled it full.

            And now we live in an age when Messiah, the despised and rejected one, is trying to be known in the whole earth yet again. Our role as believers is to carry that message and lift him up so that all people will be drawn to himself.  Amen?

-----------------------------------

Remember, you who are watching today, if you are not yet a follower of Yeshua, and see his love for you, his kindness extended, his offer of forgiveness available, right where you are, submit to him, to his lordship, to his care, and your life will take on new meaning, new substance, and you will have mates on this call, and in your neighbourhood and wherever you travel… the Kingdom is advancing under the King. Chaos is subjugated, life is available.

Would you like that? Pray with me just now. (prayer)

Shabbat shalom!

 ——————————

Resource on video

To see a fun video overview of the book of Zechariah see this from Bible Project:

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/zechariah/

 

Bibliography:

Smith, Ralph, Micah to Malachi: Word Biblical Commentary (Volume 32), Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1984.

Stead, Michael, Zechariah: The Lord Returns, Aquila Press, Sydney, 2015.

Webb, Barry, The Message of Zechariah: Your Kingdom Come, Intervarsity Press, Nottingham, 2003.

Wiersbe, Warren, Be Heroic: Demonstrating Bravery by your Walk, David C. Cook Press, Colorado Springs, 1997.

This website was especially significant today and I quote from it and edit its words, but the essence is there. https://www.gotquestions.org/Zerubbabel-in-the-Bible.html

 

ACTUAL TEXT



 

Zech. 4:1   Then the angel who was speaking with me returned and roused me, as a man who is awakened from his sleep. 2 He said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; 3 also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.” 4 Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, “What are these, my lord?” 5 So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts. 7 ‘What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”

 

Zech. 4:8   Also the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. 10 “For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel — these are the eyes of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth.”

 

Zech. 4:11   Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?” 12 And I answered the second time and said to him, “What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?” 13 So he answered me, saying, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.”

 

Hanukkah begins Tuesday...some questions and answers

What does Hanukkah celebrate?

https://youtu.be/WiajYjXvGz8

Happy Hanukkah! This is the Jewish holiday celebrated worldwide in December each year, which marks the anniversary of a military victory about 2100 years ago. The occupier of the land of Israel then was a Syrian Greek king named Antiochus the Fourth. He was not good for the Jews, and even went so far as to outlaw the Jewish religion. He ordered us Jews to worship Greek gods. In the year 168 B.C., his soldiers massacred hundreds of people in Jerusalem and desecrated the holy Temple. They built an altar to Zeus and sacrificed pigs on it.

The story goes that one man, Mattathias Maccabee, and his five sons rose up in a little village named Modi’in, and called on the Jewish people to join them against Antiochus. Their call was successful, as many joined in the fight. Mattathias died a couple years later, and his son Judah Maccabee took over, and finished the recapture of Jerusalem.

When they entered the holy Temple, they found the desecration overwhelming. They rededicated the place to the Lord, and celebrated for 8 days. They probably were celebrating Sukkot, a Jewish holiday they could not practice during the final stages of the war against the Syrians a few months earlier.

The word ‘dedication’ is the Hebrew word “Hanukkah”, so when we celebrate Hanukkah, we are celebrating the dedication of the holy Temple 2100 years ago, and for messianic Jews, we are dedicating ourselves again and again to the Living God and to His plan, who loves all people in December, and throughout our days. Happy Hanukkah!

What is the meaning of the Menorah?

https://youtu.be/V8VZalpUuIg

The Bible describes a lampstand (Exodus 25.31-34) that was in use in the Holy Temple about 2000 years ago. It had seven branches and was lit with oil. So, the modern Menorah is similar, but not the same as that one. We use nine branches in the modern menorah, which many title a Hanukkiah.

The legend of Hanukkah is retold that when the Maccabees entered the Holy Temple and sought to ready it for regular use again, they found only one small jar of oil that had been prepared. This jar would have been enough to burn for only one day, but amazingly the little amount lasted for 8 days. So that’s why some people celebrate the holiday for 8 days.

But why 9 branches then?

The ninth candle is a servant candle, which is used to light the others in turn.

The menorah in Bible days was a reminder of God’s light being given to all people, representing His knowledge, His presence, and His glory. Yeshua, our Messiah, and the Servant of the Lord, declared Himself to be the “Light of the World” in Jerusalem, and we as Messianic Jews agree. Happy Hanukkah!

Did Jesus celebrate Hanukkah?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfvPxPOF_Wk

Today when we say ‘holiday celebrations’, we often think of foods, greeting cards and family gatherings, as in celebrating Thanksgiving or Mother’s Day. It’s unfair to link this to the same in ancient Israelite practices. That said, the use of Hanukkah as a marker in the Scriptures is clear. Remember the Older Testament ends before Hanukkah had even taken place. Hanukkah marks a military victory in 165 BCE.

Did Yeshua celebrate Hanukkah? He was in Jerusalem, in the Temple, at that time. John chapter 10 records “At that time the Feast of the Dedication (or Hanukkah) took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Yeshua was walking in the temple! The Jewish leaders gathered around Him, and asked Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”  Yeshua answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me…I and the Father are one.” (John 10.22-30)

Did Yeshua celebrate Hanukkah? Let’s just say he noticed it, was in the right place to observe it with the Jewish people, and used the occasion to declare Himself the Light of the World and Messiah of Israel. What do you think about that? Have a happy Hanukkah.

Is Hanukkah a Biblical Feast? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z20rpA2ofTg

Neither the word, nor the holiday Hanukkah is found in the record of the Older Testament, since the canon, the official collection of what is in the Scriptures, was closed before the military victory of the Maccabees occurred. So, the Jewish Bible, the one Yeshua read, has no mention of the story of Antiochus and the Syrian Greeks, of Judah Maccabee and the few beating up on the many. The story of Hanukkah is similar to the story of David and Goliath.

That the Newer Testament mentions the holiday (John 10.22) as a marker of a time when Yeshua was in the precinct of the Holy Temple is significant. But most non-Jewish Christians don’t celebrate Hanukkah at all.

Many Jewish believers in Jesus do celebrate the holiday in measure, that is, in some form or another. Whether with dreidels or latkes, with sufganiyot or family gatherings, Hanukkah is a great time of year to remind ourselves of God, and of His love for us.

Is there a Messianic significance to Hanukkah? 

https://youtu.be/r29w9qo6A28

There is no prophetic significance about a coming messiah from the annals of the Jewish people and the holiday of Hanukkah. It is a great time of year, in Israel when the weather is getting colder, and in Russia, Europe and North America, as a sort of answer to all the glitter and merriment of Christmas. In the Southern hemisphere when the weather is warming and summer approaching, the joy of that season is great, but again, nothing is messianic about this holiday.

That said, however, the Messiah did proclaim Himself as deity on Hanukkah. (John 10.30) That proclamation was in direct answer to some Jewish leaders who wanted to know what Yeshua was saying of Himself. On that occasion, in the precinct of the Holy Temple, Yeshua identified Himself as equal with the Father God.

What was the reaction of the crowd, especially of the leadership? They picked up stones to stone him! (John 10.31) They knew what He was saying. Their anger was palpable, and yet He eluded their grasp. (John 10.39)

What is your reaction to the claim—Yeshua claimed to be deity. What do you think about that?  Happy Hanukkah!

Is there any connection between Hanukkah and Christmas?

https://youtu.be/SRqWsyDL6Z8

The only real connection is the calendar-sharing between the two holidays. Before 1930, the commercialism and consumerism which drives the Christmas season and gift purchasing in these days was not known. I know, it’s hard to imagine a year when we don’t see Christmas glitter and sale items beginning in October in your favorite stores, but before the turn of the 20^th century, Christmas was a quiet, at home, or at church, holy day. In 1930 or so, when Coca Cola began in their advertising, using a department store Santa in a red suit, the Christmas we know in these days was born.

As a direct result, Jewish families, who were left out of the traditional Christmas because of religious convictions, created a new Hanukkah, with increased gift giving and decorations which would have been completely unknown 100 years earlier.

But the only real connection between Christmas and Hanukkah is that Yeshua, the Light of the World, whose birth was trumpeted by angels and shepherds and wise men 2000 years ago, may not have been born were it not for Hanukkah. If Antiochus and any other evil anti-Semitic king had been successful in wiping out the Jewish people, then there would be no Christmas. After all, Christmas is a Jewish holiday. It’s the celebration of the birth of the greatest Jew who ever lived. Who do you think Jesus is? Have a happy Hanukkah!

Can our family celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas? 

https://youtu.be/h8U8DpOSOU8

So many families today are blends of races or religions, of step-children and 2^nd partners, that it’s often hard to keep track of traditions and compatibilities. At this time of year, when people of faith want to lock into history and future, we heartily recommend an honest celebration of holidays.

If your family is composed of someone Jewish and someone Christian, perhaps a mutual joint celebration of each, in the integrity of each holiday would be warranted.

For Jewish people, Hanukkah is the story of God delivering us from evil and oppression. We were freed to practice our religion however we saw fit. According to the Bible, Christmas, or the birth of Yeshua, celebrates the deliverance of all people from sin, and its power to oppress and dominate us. Both holidays are about freedom and about God.

Don’t blur them into being neither fish nor fowl. What I mean is don’t use a Christmukah bush or something which would demean both holidays of their deeper meaning. Let Hanukkah talk about God; let Christmas talk to you about the birth of the King of Israel.

Happy Hanukkah! Shalom.

The Shema and that one!

You would have to be sleeping or texting for a long way to miss this signage. The arrows make it clear that the right lane is closed. Which lane? THAT one!

My mother and aunt used to tell a story about a baby mix-up some 60 years ago. They both married brothers, and both fell pregnant in the same town within days of each other. 9 months later, my mother had me, and 3 days later my Aunt Sarah had my first cousin Joyce. In those days, Jewish women stayed in hospital until the bris (Circumcision) on the 8th day, so my relatives and I remained at Menorah Hospital for over a week.  Good times.

One day while there, the nursing staff brought my mother a baby to breastfeed, and she began, but noticed right away, that it wasn't me. Sure enough, she checked below and found my cousin Joyce! When the nurse returned, my mother told her to "bring me my son...the other one!"

Getting it right about particular people or lanes of traffic or situations often requires us to announce this one as opposed to that one. We order food or choose putters at Putt-Putt courses by selecting one, and pointing it out to the proprietor. That one, we announce, and receive the benefits.

--> That's the thinking I have when I read the Shema lately. In the Bible, Deuteronomy chapter 6, we read, "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead, and you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (verses 4-9)

Moses and God are saying to us, even us in 2015, "You want to talk about gods...and any particular god? I'm telling you the Lord, our God, Yahweh, the One who delivered us from Egypt, the One who called Abram, and who is a covenant-keeping god... He's THAT ONE! Go ahead and put all your tribal deities in a row, in a lineup, and let's see who is the one. I tell you, He's THAT One!

It's not a numerical 'one' but rather a pointing "one" that I read in Deuteronomy. And maybe you have wondered if the God of the Bible is the real god of the universe, or if they all have a role to play. Is any god ok? Or no god at all?

The Bible answers that. My life answers that. People throughout history have answered that. Yeshua is God's Messiah and the lover of our souls. And He will give you eternal life if you trust in Him.  Don't choose the wrong lane. Don't choose the wrong putter. Don't choose the wrong dessert and certainly do not choose the wrong deity. There is ONLY ONE, and He's THAT ONE!