What Is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah is also called the Feast of Dedication. Though not a commanded feast like Passover or Sukkot, John 10:22-23 tells us that Yeshua went to the Temple for the “Feast of Dedication,” also known as Hanukkah (in Hebrew, Hanukkah means “the dedication”).
The account of the origin of Hanukkah can be found in the historical book of Maccabees (part of what is known as the Apocrypha – a historical collection of books that has been removed from most Bibles today).
The feast remembers when a Greek king named Antiochus Epiphanes invaded Jerusalem and banned anyone from reading the Holy Scriptures. He outlawed the worship of the God of Abraham (YeHoVaH) and desecrated the Temple.
Despite much less manpower, a Israelite man named Judah led an army to victory over Antiochus and reclaimed the Temple. Then, over eight days, they rededicated the Temple to the Almighty. In remembrance, they instituted the feast of Hanukkah.
What Does It Mean?
The point of Hanukkah is to celebrate the power of the Almighty’s people over those who want to destroy our faith.
It is an expression of the fact that the Almighty will not be outlawed and his Word will not be subverted. It is a reminder to dedicate ourselves to him, to remain faithful, and to stand strong for him.
This feast is a beautiful reminder that as faithful servants, we can come together and do amazing things. We are strong because our strength comes from the LORD. Hanukkah is a feast for all of the Almighty’s faithful!
Get your free download of The Greatest Hanukkah Story Never Told – an excerpt from Michael Rood’s acclaimed book, The Chronological Gospels.
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