H A P P Y H A N U K K A H
Enjoy this great presentation from the Maccabeats
The great Menorah kept on burning!! Hanukkah is the Feast of Dedication or Festival of Lights. and is mentioned in the New Testament in John 10:22. Here we see Jesus celebrating the Feast of Dedication with His disciples in Jerusalem. The first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev. It is no coincidence that Jesus is called the light of the world in John 8:12, 9:5, 12:46. .
Hanukkah is the time the Jewish people celebrate an eight day festival by rejoicing and celebrating the deliverance from their enemies by the relighting of the menorah in the rededicated Temple, which according to the miraculous story, stayed lit for eight days on only one day's supply of oil. Thus we have eight candles on the great Menorah and one “servant” candle in the center which represents the Messiah!
The miracle of Hanukkah occurred during the time of an evil, antichrist type of ruler over Israel, Antiochus IV, Daniel 11: 21-35 who forced the Jews to convert to Hellenism or Greek Metrology. Many Jews obeyed the evil Antiochus and converted, but there were those Jews who refused to bow to Hellenism but instead choose to stay close to the laws of the Torah and worship the one true God of Israel. The evil ruler over Israel, Antiochus IV gave these Jews a choice, either give up the Torah law and their God and Jewish customs, such as Sabbath worship or die.
Antiochus had the Jewish Temple instruments such as the Menorah and alter destroyed and desecrate the Holy Jewish Temple by ordering a pig to be sacrificed upon the alter and after that, Antiochus ordered the Greek god Zeus to be worshipped in the Temple.
The Jewish people revolted against the evil ruler Antiochus IV. A priest named Mattathias with his five sons, one of whose name was Judah, killed the soldiers and overthrew the evil Antiochus IV. Judah, the new leader, became known as “Maccabee.
Now known as the Maccabees, these Jews cleansed the Temple and restored all of the Temple instruments so they could again worship their Jewish God, paying particular attention to the great Menorah, which symbolized God’s Light whom we know as Jesus Christ, “the light of the world.” John 8:12.
When the Maccabees went to light the great Menorah, they realized that they did not have enough special oil that the Menorah required; the Menorah needed special oil which took eight days to prepare. They only had enough of this special oil to burn for one day. The Maccabees decided to light the Menorah anyway to let the light of God shine forth to celebrate the victory over the Greek armies and the evil Antiochus IV. God gave them a mighty miracle and the oil lasted eight days until the special oil being prepared was ready!!
This is why there are eight candles on the great Menorah and the reason why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days. The center, or ninth candle, which is taller than the others, represents the servant, or Messiah, whom Christians know a Jesus Christ.
My thanks goes to Jerry Golden of The Golden Report, a Jewish brother, for his knowledge of the history of Hanukkah .
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