Posts
Excerpt from "Celebrate Jesus - A Christian Perspective of the Biblical Feasts."
HANUKKAH
Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. John 10:22
“I hate this time of year!”
“Me too,” her friend replied as they walked into the synagogue. “I hate having Christmas shoved down my throat.”
I knew exactly how the two women felt. I’d felt the same way. Every December the entire world seemed to separate between Christians and Jews. As for me and my house, we felt isolated and rejected, as though we hadn’t been invited to a wonderful party.
It didn’t matter to me that we didn’t believe in Jesus, who was at the center of all the fun. I wanted what Christmas seemed to be: family, fun, and PRESENTS!
My family succumbed to my pleadings and we “did” Christmas. My brother and I made our wish lists and saved our pennies to find the perfect presents for others. Daddy took us shopping to find the largest tree, which we quickly festooned with hand-made and store bought decorations. Of course, the tree was crowned with a Jewish star to identify it as a Hanukkah bush.
Eventually however, we stopped the charade. Hanukkah was our holiday. I just didn’t know too much about it.
Many people don’t know what Hanukkah is all about. I thought Hanukkah was about Judah Maccabee, the Temple and some oil. But now I know it’s much more than that.
Hanukkah is about God’s blessing upon a faithful remnant that would not compromise their faith.
For all the wrong reasons, my family compromised their beliefs to be just like the world. The message of Hanukkah challenges us to stand firm in and for the name of the Lord Jesus despite personal costs and consequences. That is an important message for all of us today.
SEASONAL
Hanukkah takes place on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, usually from mid to end of December. It is celebrated for eight days, starting at sundown.
NATIONAL
Hanukkah commemorates the dedication of the Temple after it had been defiled by the Seleucid emperor Antiochus IV.
Hanukkah is not an Old Testament ordained holiday. Our understanding comes from Daniel (Chapters 8-12), the Books of the Maccabees and from Flavius Josephus. It was first celebrated in the year 163 BC and remained a minor holiday until recently. A legend surfaced about a miraculous supply of oil, “…a most difficult and beclouded point in the history of Hanukkah.”[1]
None of the histories above mentions any such occurrence. So let’s set the record straight.
Hanukkah – The Setting 198-165 BC
The historical context actually began with Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) who controlled his empire by the acculturation of the conquered people.
Before his death, Alexander divided his kingdom among his faithful generals. For the next hundred years, the Ptolemys of Egypt and the Seleucids of Greece fought for control of Israel.
The Ptolemys gave greater religious and political freedom. Israel was able to govern itself. The High Priest became both the religious leader and the political representative.
The Seleucids, however, were Hellenizers. Allegiance and participation in the Greek culture proved loyalty to the crown and brought economic, political and social benefits. In the year 198 BC, Israel came under the domination of the Seleucids. Within twenty years, the traditional disciplines of Jewish life had been almost completely destroyed.
As Jerusalem became a commercial center, many of the more liberal Jews saw the benefits of embracing the Hellenistic life style. They didn’t want the restrictions of a religious life, preferring the sensual pleasures and freedom of their neighbors. They pursued social acceptance, regardless of the cost. Assimilation for the men meant the gymnasium and performing in the nude; thus, many of the men subjected themselves to painful surgery to remove the sign of their circumcision, choosing the Hellenistic community rather than their own. Just like Esau before them, they despised their birthright and the sign of their covenant with God.[2]
In opposition to these apostates were the orthodox, religious Jews who held to the Word of God. The Temple, not the gym, was the center of their lives.
Besides the breakdown of traditional values, there were other distinct changes in the Jewish society:
© Establishment of the Synagogue. The Jews were to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem. According to Malachi 2:7, the priests were the messengers of the Lord responsible for deciding matters of ritual and morals. But during the exile, while separated from the Temple, the synagogue was established as a local place of fellowship, study, and lively debate. Even today, observant Jewish life revolves around the neighborhood synagogue.
© The Scribes were a new class of “intelligentsia,” separated from and not dependent on the priests. The scribes came to power when Israel was in exile and unable to fulfill God’s commandments about Temple worship. Since the scribes were well versed in the Law of Moses, they devised a religion adapted to their circumstances. When Israel returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon, the scribes and priests contended for power. Influenced by Hellenistic love of debate, the scribes challenged the wisdom of God and the principles of His Bible and argued for the wisdom of man’s religion and philosophies.
© Corruption of the priests. The priests eventually buckled under the social and political pressure. Some sought to accommodate traditional Judaism to the times.[3] “Their intention was to preserve those characteristics of the Jewish religion which suited Greek taste, but to remove everything which smacked of the separation of the conservatives.”[4]
The compromising of the priests soon led to their corruption and involvement in political alliances.[5]
© Cry for Religious Tolerance. In those days, every nation had their own god. Their gods and their religions were territorial and exclusive – no foreigner or outsider was able to sacrifice to their gods.
But Jerusalem was different. With the fragmentation of society, and the constant flow of foreigners around the city, the cry for religious tolerance was heard. Even though Israel’s God was God of the world, to keep the status quo the Jews encouraged everyone to worship their own deity, believing everyone had the right to worship their own god in their own way.
Tolerance enabled some strange political and religious alliances. The characteristics of Israel in 165 BC bear a striking resemblance to our world today:
Society was fragmented;
Everyone wanted the right to do ‘their own thing;’
God’s word was reinterpreted to accommodate the times;
Argument challenged authority;
Materialism and humanism were the order of the day;
Local taxes were collected by local notables, giving them a stake in their political situation;
Religion and traditions replaced a simple faith/grace based relationship with God;
The clergy was compromised by those more concerned with money and politics than with worship and care for the sheep.
Hanukkah - the Story
In 165 BC, Antiochus IV came to power. He has been described as restless, energetic, opinionated and emotionally unbalanced. He could not stand to be contradicted and was totally undisciplined. His aides had to constantly detangle him from one error after another.
Antiochus considered himself to be a god and gave himself the nickname Epiphanes which means god in the flesh, or god manifest. The Jews nicknamed him Epimanes, which means madman. Antiochus was determined to eliminate anyone who rebelled or challenged him. Inspired by a demonic hatred, he turned against the righteous remnant of the Jews. He issued terrible decrees against them and against their worship.
He forbade the practice of Judaism, including:
- Sacrifices of burnt offerings in the sanctuary;
- Keeping the Sabbaths and feasts;
- Keeping the dietary laws;
- Circumcision. In fact, if a male child was found circumcised, the child was killed and the dead body was hung around the mother's neck until she too died;
- Reading of the Bible. Anyone found in possession of a Torah was condemned to death and the Torah was taken, torn into pieces, and burned.
Antiochus built altars and shrines for idols, defiled the Temple by erecting a statue of Zeus which looked very much like himself, and demanded the sacrifice and eating of swine (which were considered unclean animals.)
Each person had to decide if they would obey God or Antiochus, some preferring death rather than apostasy. The final showdown took place in a small town outside of Jerusalem called Modi’in.
The accounts of this event set the scene: Appelles, a messenger from the king, strode into town carrying a squealing piglet. The townspeople gathered around a priest named Mattathias and his five sons.
Face to face with Mattathias, Appelles said:"You are a leader, honored and great in this city. Now be the first to do what the king commands. Then you and your sons will be honored with silver, gold and with many gifts." 1 Maccabees 2:17-18
A hush settled upon the people as the two men faced each other.
Echoing the words of Joshua, Mattathias answered: "Even if all the nations that live under the rule of the king obey him and have chosen to do his commandments, I and my sons and my brothers will live by the covenant of our fathers. We will not obey the king's words by turning aside from our religion either to the right or to the left." 1 Maccabees 2:19-22 cf Joshua 24:14-17
Tension mounted.
Another hush blanketed the people.
Suddenly, a man rushed forward from the crowd and in sight of all the people sacrificed the pig upon the altar. In a righteous rage, Mattathias slew the villager, Appelles and a few of his soldiers.
Turning to the stunned villagers, he issued this challenge, “If any one be zealous for the laws of this country, and for worship of God, let him follow me.” With that, Mattathias and his sons left everything and ran into the desert.
Their decision began three years of warfare. This was a defining war in Israel’s history. It set Jew against Jew, separating those who were determined to follow God from those who were willing to compromise.
Mattathias and his sons were soon joined by other righteous men and women, zealous for God and His city. Their ranks were thin and poorly armed. Most of them were farmers using their farming tools as their weapons. Their commander was Judah, soon nicknamed Judah the Hammer (Maccabee in Hebrew) because of his style of guerilla warfare.
Night after night this ragtag army would come down from the hills and hammer away at the Greek army. Completely outnumbered and ill equipped against the Greeks, Judah continually kept the reason of their battle burning in their hearts. Antiochus poured his army and equipment into Israel, but was defeated by the mighty hand of God. After three years, God gave Judah a miraculous victory.
Without hesitation, their victory march went straight to the Temple. The city was in ruins, filled with pagan idolatry and immoral living.
The condition of the Temple was worse. Before them was the defiled altar. It had once been dedicated to God, but now could never be used. Legend tells that they took apart the altar stone by stone saying that "one day Messiah will come and he will tell us what to do with the stones." They built a new altar – a memorial of God's victory and faithfulness.
The Legend of the Oil
Legend claims that when Judah went to light the menorahs, he found only a small cruse of oil. Although only enough for one day, that oil burned for eight days. Hence, Hanukkah today is celebrated for eight days and is often referred to as the Festival of Lights.
But the history books never mention this miraculous provision. God could, of course, stretch the oil, but the greater miracle is the victory of a small group of ill suited men, women and children who fought for God and defeated a mighty, powerful army. The miraculous provision was the victory of the faithful righteous!
Hanukkah - the Celebration
“So,” you ask, “if the legend of the oil is circumspect, why is Hanukkah celebrated for eight days? And why do we light candles?” [6]
Glad you asked. Our historians give us a clue by calling the holiday, “Sukkot of Kislev.”[7] Remember that Solomon and Ezra dedicated the Temple on the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).
I imagine that the Maccabees worked furiously to finish cleansing the Temple in time to rededicate it on the same festival, but time ran out.
So, they simply patterned their dedication celebration after Feast of Tabernacles. Their choice of date was exactly three years to the day since Antiochus had first defiled it.
Subsequently, Hanukkah became an eight day celebration, including the illumination of Jerusalem!
End Notes:
[1] Schauss, Hayyim, The Jewish Festivals, History and Observance, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1938. Pg 223
[2] “In those days there came forth out of Israel transgressors of the law, and persuaded many saying, ‘Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles that are around us; for since we parted from them many evils have befallen us.’ And the saying was good in their eyes. And certain of the people were forward herein, and went to the king and he gave them license to do after the ordinances of the Gentiles. And they build a place of exercise in Jerusalem according to the law of the Gentiles; and they made themselves uncircumcised, and forsook the holy covenant, and joined themselves to the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil.” 1 Maccabee 1:11-15
[3] This is why the Judaism of today looks so different than the Judaism of the Bible.
[4] Bickerman, Elias, source unknown.
[5] This fascinating yet depressing history is recorded by Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XII.
[6] Among Jewish homes today, the holiday is observed by lighting a special 9 branch candelabra. Songs are sung and presents are exchanged which is why some consider Hanukkah to be the “Jewish Christmas.” Foods fried in oil (potato pancakes, jelly donuts) are eaten.
[7] Kislev is the Jewish month which corresponds to December. Sukkot is the Hebrew name for the Feast of Tabernacles.
