Without Chanukah There Would Be No Christmas
John 8:12 - “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."
Chanukah is the Feast of Dedication or the Festival of Lights. It is an eight-day celebration honoring the restoration of Divine worship in the Temple after heathens had defiled it. First, during Jesus’ time the people focused on themes of Deliverance, Re-Dedication, Oil and Light. Chanukah is not just in the Old Testament but New.
John 10:22-23 - Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter and Jesus was in the Temple area walking in Solomon’s colonnade.
Secondly, Daniel the Prophet prophesied the events of Chanukah were centuries before. To the Jewish people then, it was the return of their religious liberty and it was to them as life from the dead! Chanukah commemorates the victorious recapture of Jerusalem by the Maccabees ( a family of Levitical Priests) and the establishment of the Temple, which had been profaned, desecrated by the Syrian king and overlord of Palestine, Antiochus Epiphanes. The Maccabees ruled Judea until Herod took power in 37BCE. So let’s take a closer look at this period of time.
There is a time of history known as the “silent years” or the inter-testamental period. If you have your Bible, turn to the blank page. In the middle of the many Bibles, between prophets (OT) and the New Covenant Scriptures, you will find a blank page there. That's an important page and we will see today what transpired during that period, which is a testament to God’s salvific plan which does not divide the covenant’s but actually points out that the Bible is one continuous redemptive story. In the OT, Messiah says, “I’m coming, I’m coming!” And in NT, Messiah says, “I’m here! I’m here! And I’m coming back!”
These silent years, 400 years in fact, the intertestamental period in which no prophecy was spoken. No prophet arose in Israel; and no inspired writings were added to the canon of Scripture. But God was not really silent during that period. (We serve a God who neither sleeps nor slumbers, Psa 121). The prophetic Scriptures prove that God was not silent about them at all. In fact, in Daniel 11, Daniel prophesied about the progress of history during that period of those 400 not so silent years. Daniel 11 is so accurate about what will take place during that time that scholars actually thought the Book of Daniel was written after the 400 years of silence. Some scholars believed it was written after the events of Chanukah - until the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The Dead Sea scrolls were found in the 1950s and there were found vestiges of the Book of Daniel proving that it was written before the events of Chanukah and the 400 years of God’s silence.
The events surrounding Chanukah took place in the middle of that blank page. In order to tell you about Chanukah we have to fill in some of the blanks. At the close of old covenant history, Israel was ruled by Persia. Persian rule was not so bad comparatively speaking. In fact, it was kind of like the good old days for the Jewish people because the Persians allowed the Jews to have a large degree of self-government and religious freedom. Esther, Mordecai, and remember Ezra and Nehemiah, stirred a great religious revival during that time and it was a good life for the Jewish people in general. A lot of repentance, renewal, and rebuilding were going on and it offered a new time of hope for the Jewish people. But the good life came to a screeching halt when the Greeks conquered the Persians under the rule of Alexander the Great. When it came to being a conqueror and a warrior, Alexander was bar none, was “the great”.
Alexander The Great
Now amazingly the prophet Daniel wrote Alexander's biography two centuries before Alexander was even born. Daniel 11 verses three and four; 3
“Then a mighty king will appear, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. 4 After he has appeared, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others.”
These verses are all about Alexander: a mighty King will appear who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. When the Scripture said he had power and would do as he pleases, that was very true. It is reported that Alexander cried because he had no more lands to conquer. The prophecy goes on to say that after he has appeared his empire will be broken up and parceled out towards the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendent, nor will it have the power he exercised, because this empire will be uprooted and given to others. This was an incredible and very accurate account written by Daniel hundreds of years before Alexander was born.
Alexander was one of the most powerful men in history and conquered much of the known world of his day. He had 2 sons, but after his death the kingdom was divided as the wind blows north, south, east, and west under the rule of four unrelated generals who fought under Alexander. These generals became Greek kings and reigned from Syria. Neither of Alexander’s two sons gained any power or land because they died before adulthood. Four generals who were unrelated to Alexander took over his lands just as Daniel had prophesied.
Alexander conquered the world as a brilliant general but he had another distinction, he was a devoted apostle to a new religion called Hellenism. Hellenism exalted Greek religion and Greek culture and Greek philosophy and Greek gods. After Alexander’s death the Greeks themselves became passionate missionaries who tried to convert the world to Hellenism. But now another character comes center stage. Daniel also prophesied who this would be. He is called in Daniel 11 verse 21 a vile person. That might have been the understatement of the millennium. He is also called the little horn, a name used for the Anti-christ in the Scriptures. His name was Antiochus Epiphanies and he was so vile that the Bible actually depicts him as a proto-type of Antichrist because he follows the same type of behavior that the anti-Christ will during the Tribulation.
In Daniel chapter 8, Antiochus stops the daily Temple sacrifice, he proclaims himself to be God, he offers unclean sacrifices and sets up a statue to the Greek god Zeus (Jupiter in Roman mythology), the king of the gods and the god of the sky and thunder in the Temple. His name Epiphanies literally means God manifest.
Daniel 8:8-11; 8 “The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, The Goat was Greece and the large horn was Alexander. The large was broken off and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven. 9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low.”
Daniel wrote that this new leader would interrupt the daily sacrifices in the Temple. He would afflict the Jewish nation, and he would proclaim himself as God. But then Daniel has a vision recorded in Daniel 8:13-14 which states; 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?" 14 He said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be re-consecrated."
Daniel has a vision of two heavenly beings and one says to the other how long will this abomination continue before the Temple is re-consecrated? Chanukah means consecrated or rededication. How long before the Temple will be re-consecrated? And the other heavenly being said 2300 evenings and mornings and then the sanctuary will be consecrated.
Who could possibly understand what 2300 evenings and mornings meant? What does 2300 evenings and mornings mean to you? This prophecy is a great confirmation that God’s Word is true. Historically accurate from the start of Antiochus’ persecution of the Jews in 171 BCE until the restoration of the Temple in 165 BCE. (6 years, 3 ½ months = 2300 days) ; 2300 mornings and evenings is the story of Chanukah --Chanukah is the history of those 2300 days. It is also one of the darkest times in Jewish history. This vile person, Antiochus Epiphanes, was a Syrian tyrant who crowned himself king and named himself “Epiphanes” the visible god or god manifest. The Jews called him Epimanes (in Greek) means mad dog or mad man.
The Demand Of Hellenism
During the years of Greek power, many Jews started to embrace the Hellenistic pagan way of life. The grim outcome is that these Jewish Hellenists helped Antiochus’ in wiping out the Jewish people.
Antiochus commanded that no one be allowed to practice any religion but Hellenism. Many Jews were seduced by the Hellenistic religion and quickly abandoned the practice of their fathers. To lure young Jewish boys in the Hellenistic propaganda a gymnasium was built in Jerusalem as the center of athletic and intellectual life. Jews covered over the mark of their circumcision and abandoned the holy covenant. This was the beginning of the Olympics, which originated with the Greeks. The competitions were originally competed in the nude.
Antiochus Epiphanes declared illegal the Jewish faith, no more religious observances especially circumcision and Shabbat observance. Orthodox Jewish priests were replaced with Hellenized idolatrous Jews. Jewish parents who circumcised their sons were killed, run through with a sword as well as the priests if they completed a circumcision. The scrolls of the Torah were burned. Altars were set up and sacrifices made in the name of Zeus and other Hellenistic god's.
In 171 BC, Antiochus violated the Holy of Holies by erecting a pagan altar, a statue of Zeus resembling Antiochus was place in the Temple and unclean animals, pigs were brought into the Temple for sacrifice. As Daniel 11:31, says they will set up the “abomination that causes desolation.”
An officer of the King came to the city of Modin and ordered the people into the Temple. They brought Mattathias, a priest and highly respected leader in the city, and asked him to be the first of the Jews to obey the king's decrees and sacrifice an unclean animal on the altar. And the king’s servant said to Mattathias, when you sacrifice then you and your sons will be numbered among the king's friends and shall be enriched over with gold and silver. But Mattathias stood his ground and would not obey the king’s orders. He did not forsake the religion of his father’s, and he did not forsake the law and the Commandments. As Mattathias finished speaking an apostate Jew came forward to offer the unclean sacrifice. Mattathias, when he saw the apostate Jew step forward, became enraged and filled with zeal; his heart was moved and his fury was aroused; he sprang forward and killed him upon the altar. At the same time, he also killed the messenger of the king who was forcing them to sacrifice the unclean animals and then he tore down the altar. Mattathias then ran through the city shouting, "Let everyone who is zealous for the law to stand-- and will stand by the covenant-- follow after me!" And then he fled to the mountains with his sons leaving all their possessions behind.
The Maccabean Revolt
This began the revolt of the Maccabee's in and around Jerusalem. Now Mattathias never did have the opportunity to see the victory. He died in 166 B.C., before the Jews were victorious. But before his death, Mattathias gives a lament to his sons and offered hope.
In the book of First Maccabees chapter 2 verses 50 through 64. “Therefore we who are zealous for the law give our lives for the covenant of our fathers. Remember the deeds that our fathers did in their times and you shall win great glory and an everlasting name. Was not Abraham found faithful during his trial, and it was reputed to him as uprightness? Joseph, when in distress of the commandments stayed true to his G-d, and he became master of Egypt. Phineas our father, for his burning zeal, received the covenant of an everlasting priesthood. Joshua, for executing his commission, became a judge of Israel. Caleb, for bearing witness before the assembly, received an inheritance in the land. David, for his piety, received as a heritage the throne of everlasting royalty. Elijah, for his burning zeal for the law, was taken up to heaven. Hannaniah, Azariah, and Mishael, (you know them as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego-Their Babylonian names) for their faith, were saved from the fire. Daniel, for his innocence, was delivered from the jaws of a lion. And so consider this, from generation to generation, that none who hope in G-d shall fail in strength.
This is when Mattathias’ son Judah, who was called Maccabeus became the leader of the revolt. Wave after wave of armies came against the Maccabee’s and each was defeated, God protected the Jewish people supernaturally. The Maccabees were clearly out numbered. The Maccabees fasted. But Judah said, "It is easy for many to be overcome by a few; in the sight of heaven there is no difference between deliverance by many or by a few; for victory in war does not depend upon the size of the Army, but on the strength that comes from heaven." Great faith brings great victories because the battle belongs to the Lord!
When Antiochus repeatedly heard that the Maccabees defeated great armies he ordered the assembly of all the military forces of his kingdom. He offered soldiers a year’s pay and commanded them to destroy the all the Jewish people. He called upon all his allies from surrounding kingdoms to assist him in defeating the Jews. The Maccabees assembled and went to Mizpah near Jerusalem. There they fasted and prayed and put on sackcloth, they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes. They brought with them the priestly vestments, the first fruits, and their tithes; and they brought forward the Nazarite priests. And they cried out to God, "what shall we do with these men, and where shall we take them? For your sanctuary has been trampled on and profaned, your priests are in mourning and humiliation. You know what they plot against us. How shall we be able to resist them unless you help?" And then they blew the shofars and cried out loudly to their G-d.
Badly outnumbered, poorly equipped for fighting, but under the banner of the God of Israel the Maccabees defeated Antiochus and the Jewish people returned to their camp with the plunder of their enemies and were singing hymns and glorifying heaven stating, "Our God is good, and His mercy endures forever."
Those who had escaped the sword of the Maccabean army reported back to the king. You think Antiochus would have gotten the hint –The Maccabees God is greater “Our God is greater …”. He then assembles one final army to defeat the Jewish revolt. He selected 60,000 men and 5,000 Cavalry to stop the Jewish revolt once and forever. It took Antiochus a year to prepare this army and when they were ready --they went out to face the Maccabees.
Judah and his men numbered only 10,000 and seeing the Army before them prayed to God Almighty.
"Blessed are you, O Savior of Israel, who broke the rush of the mighty one by the hand of your servant David and deliver the camp of the Philistines into the hands of Jonathan, the son of Saul, and his armor bearer. Give this army into the hands of your people Israel; make them ashamed of their troops and their Cavalry. Strike them with fear, weaken the boldness of their strength, and let them tremble at their own destruction. Strike them down by the sword of those who love you, that all who know your name may sing your praises."
The God of Israel prevailed and the Maccabee revolt was successful and it was then that Judah and his brother said, "Now our enemies have been crushed, let us go up and purify the sanctuary and rededicate it." So they all went to Mount Zion where they found the sanctuary desolate and the altar desecrated, the gates burned and there were weeds growing in the courts, and the priest’s chambers had been demolished. Judah picked blameless priests who were followers of the law and they set about restoring the temple. What was unclean was removed and they made new vestments, vessels, lampstands and tables for the sanctuary. And when they finish their work it was the 25th of Kislev of the year 165 BC.
For eight days they celebrated the re-dedication of the altar and joyfully offered sacrifices of deliverance and praise to G-d, their Deliverer and Redeemer. Judah, his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the re-dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness on the anniversary every year for eight days starting from the 25th day of the month of Kislev and the festival of Chanukkah was born.
Antiochus began his persecution of the Jewish people in 171 BC and it was 2300 mornings and evenings later in December of 165 BC that the temple was cleansed. The Jewish nation was not destroyed, and 170 years later there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of Bethlehem, in the city of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." God's promises are true and his prophecies are real. After 2300 evening and days the Temple and the Jewish nation was restored and from them came Jesus the Messiah, the light of the world. The centuries of silence were over and God spoke volumes to the people through the birth of his son. And Jesus our Messiah celebrated Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication when he was on earth. In the Gospel of John chapter 10 verse 22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.” He was there to celebrate Hanukkah with the rest of his Jewish people.
The True Miracle Of Chanukah
The fact that Israel even exists today speaks of the supernatural protection of God’s remnant of his chosen people. God has always promised that a remnant of Jewish people will survive until the end of time. History and the Scriptures show us over and over that when the Jewish nation follows God they prosper and when they are disobedient they suffer. Those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel will be cursed, even those of Israel who lead they own astray.
This is why we can trust every syllable of God’s word. And even when God appeared to be silent-- he had already told us what was going to happen and how long it would take. The Babylonian captivity prophesied at 70 years. Time it actually lasted—70 years. The number of days that the Temple would be desecrated—2300 evenings and days and that is exactly how long the Hellenist remained in control of the Temple. And because Daniel’s prophecy was so accurate-- we knew the Maccabees would be successful in their revolt. Daniel told us that the Messiah was coming after the Jewish revolt. Daniel prophesied that Messiah would come in 7-70’s or 490 years and it was 490 years exactly when Jesus came. If the Maccabee revolt had failed there would be no Hanukkah, which means that there would be no Christmas. The Davidic line would have been extinguished and Messiah would not have been born. But praise and glory be to our God who has a plan and who will succeed.
The Greeks were not the first to try and annihilate the Jewish people. There is a long history of warring against the Jewish nation. Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus, Hayman in the Book of Ester, Antiochus during the intertestamental period, the Roman Empire in 70 AD, and the more recent attempt by Hitler and let’s not ignore the posture of Iran, et al. But each time God is faithful to preserve a remnant of his Chosen People.
But why did God choose the Jews? What did God chose the Jews to do? There are two important things that Jews are supposed to do as His Chosen People. Be the line from which the Messiah Jesus, the Savior of the world would come. That was the first part. But what is the other reason? The second reason – and this is why there are Jewish people in every country in the world and why they speak every known language. The Jewish people were scattered by God (Disapora) to give the word of God to every tribe, tongue and nation.
End Times and Chanukah
So now when we think about Chanukah we realize that is not just a sweet Christmas-like Jewish holiday, with gifts, Chanukah bush, geld (money), chocolate, spinning dreidels, eating latkes (potato pancakes) and jelly donuts.
Chanukah, in fact, is the most detailed revelation of End Times. It is a blueprint of the End Times more so than any other holiday. It also provides a strategy on how to overcome the End Times.
Chanukah is not mentioned in the Old Testament but only in New Testament. Jesus went to the Temple for Chanukah (John 10), The Feast of Dedication. Chanukah is prophesied in the book of Daniel and it Chanukah took place during the intertestamental period (the 400 years of silence). We discussed that Daniel is Key and this is what was foretold by Daniel: You had a nation of God and then this wicked ruler comes on the scene Antiochus Ephiphanes IV who declares himself as God. He declares illegal the Jewish faith (burn Torah scrolls, etc.). He tried to wipe out the Jewish people. He set up an idol in the Temple (abomination & desolation). But God had a different plan, He raised up the Maccabean leaders (a family of Levitical priests) to war against the terrorization of Syrian Greeks lead by Antiochus Epiphanes (Madman) during the years of 168-165BC.
Bible is a Jewish book, Jesus is Jewish and the Bible and salvation through Messiah Jesus is for everyone – and there is only one-way to glory and that is through the blood Cross of Jesus Christ. If there was no Chanukah that would mean the Jewish people were wiped off the face of the planet. That being said then there would be NO Davidic-line, NO Jesus = NO Christmas.
Abomination and Desolation already happened once and it will happen again (Mat 24). [Chanukah you see the 31/2 years].
Chanukah Revelations – What can we learn from this?
How was the table set for Antiochus to gain entry?
(1) The priests were corrupt (they led Antiochus to the Temple).
(2) The nation of Israel was already falling into Apostasy (key ingredient). Greek word apostasia. There was a great falling away. This marks the spirit of antichrist. We see it today – apostate churches.
These Jewish Hellenists helped Antiochus’s goal to abolish every trace of the Jewish religion. Many Jews took the easy way out and tried to “go Greek.” Others understood that assimilation and elimination of Jewish worship, sacrifices and traditions would be the destruction of Judaism itself … making God a liar. The Jewish people faced persecution. Antiochus’ heavily armed soldiers were sent out to force people worship the king and make sacrifices (pigs) on the holy altar. This was the abomination that Daniel spoke about. The penalty for resistance was death. Antiochus’ actions foreshadows the antichrist and he foreshadowed Hitler’s axiom toward the Jewish people.
First: “You can’t live among us as Jews.” (Hitler’s decree – Jews could not ride buses, buy in stores, go to schools, etc. (Today -You can’t have God in schools, etc)
Second: “You can’t live among us.” (Ghetto’s)
Third: “You can’t live.” (Concentration camps, gas chambers, genocide).
In 167 BCE, soldiers came to Modin, a city outside of Jerusalem to force Greek worship on an influential Jewish family (Levitical priests) led by Matathias and his five sons. Matathias would not forsake his faith. He tore down the Greek altar and drove off the soldiers with the battle cry, “ Whoever is for the Lord, follow me!” This was the beginning of the Jewish rebellion. The Jewish people knew they were up against great if not humanly impossible odds, but their banner was “who among the mighty is like thee, O God? (Mi chamocha beilim Adonai).
The names for the Jewish heroes of Chanukah comes from using the first letters of these Hebrew words to from “Macabee.” Matathias’ oldes son was nicknamed ‘Judah Macabee’, the Hammer, because he fought so hard. The battle was difficult for untrained Jewish farmers and priests against the well equipped Syrian soldiers.
Daniel 11:32 … the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.
The real miracle of Chanukah is that a few, with God on their side, triumphed over a multitude of powerful enemies.
REMEMBER: God’s people + God = VICTORY
Zechariah 4:6 “…not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.”
The Maccabees overcame Antiochus Epiphanes by the Lord’s power. They took a stance; they did what was right in the sight of the Lord God and got RADICAL for God. They had to separate themselves they went to the hills. So too we have to separate ourselves. We as believers are set apart (kadosh/holy) for God. They became fighters for God and so too we have to defend our faith and trust in the Lord. We have to be bold in love.
One of the keys to Chanukah is light in darkness, which is also a symbol of the church (light in darkness). End Times it’s a polarization. As the dark gets darker, the lights have to get brighter. The grays have to disappear. We cannot make it if we are gray (lukewarm) inside. Light cannot have darkness. We have to ask the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit to purge the grays and get the darkness out of our hearts. There is a wave of darkness in Europe and it is casting its shadow throughout the world. Darkness either breaks us or makes us. People of God, this is the time to shine the light of Jesus and we have to rise to the occasion because our God is greater than darkness!
As we reflect and celebrate the time of Chanukah, this festival of Dedication, this festival of lights, how are you going to let your light so shine before men that they will see your Father in heaven and his Son, Yeshua - Jesus the Messiah? We are not to place our light under a basket but to let it shine before men that our Father in heaven is glorified.
One way to let your light shine before men is to let your deeds reflect your faith. The Maccabees actual life depended on their strong faith and trust in God. Just as Judah and the Maccabees were trusting God with all their heart and were rewarded with great victories, so to will you be rewarded when you put God before everything else in your life. If you have anything in your life that is more important than God, if the altar of your heart has become unclean, take the time during this Festival of Rededication to purge that, which is unclean. It may be something physical that has taken first place in your life ahead of God. If you desire an object more than you desire God, the object needs to go. If you desire a person more than you desire God then it may not be a healthy relationship, especially if it compromises God's values for your life. If you have not committed your whole heart and life to God, you figure that you got your fire insurance, you're running lukewarm and not burning hot for God, it is time to make a full commitment to the one who brings you life, salvation and restoration. You would not want to marry someone who was only half committed to you and neither does God desire your lukewarm faith and halfhearted commitment in marriage to his son.
So do you need to reconnect, recommit, rededicate yourself to the Lord? Stand up, come out into this aisle and rededicate yourself to God. If you've never trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior but are now ready to make that commitment would you come out of your seat, walk down this aisle and let us pray with you to accept Jesus the Messiah as your Lord and Savior? If you want to say a prayer of rededication would you stand up and come forward and let me pray with you? Don't be embarrassed to come out of your seat and walked down this aisle. Be more afraid to stand there knowing in your heart you're not right with God. Those of you who already trust God as your Lord and Savior, please pray for those who don't know him to come forward. If somebody is with you who wants to come forward take their hand and walk with them. May God be given the glory and may Angels dance in heaven at the prayer for new life.
