You may have heard elsewhere that Chanukah started with Thanksgiving but that actually references a Rabbinic calendar mathematically calculated for Jewish folk in the diaspora.
The argument over the biblical calendar is for a different time, however. As is the correct spelling of Chanukah, or is it Hanukkah? : )
Surprisingly, Chanukah is never mentioned in the Tanakh. It is mentioned in 1 Maccabees Ch. 4 and in the B'rit Hadashah. In the Apocryphal book of 1 Maccabees, Ch. 4:36-59, the story of Chanukah is told. To get a fuller picture and story you should read all of 1 Maccabees. Yeshua (Jesus) celebrated this holiday - see John Ch. 10:22. During this season, Yeshua (Jesus) also gave sight to a man blind from birth - see John Ch. 9:1-41. This is important because the Pharisees had a requirement that The Messiah would heal a man blind from birth! As Yeshua gave light to this man's sight, He is also the "Light of the World"!
The celebration lasts for 8 days. This year, as it coincides near Thanksgiving it means I can eat and celebrate for 9 days straight! : )
KJVA quoted:
1Ma 4:37 Upon this all the host assembled themselves together, and went up into mount Sion.
1Ma 4:38 And when they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burned up, and shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest, or in one of the mountains, yea, and the priests' chambers pulled down;
1Ma 4:39 They rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and cast ashes upon their heads,
1Ma 4:40 And fell down flat to the ground upon their faces, and blew an alarm with the trumpets, and cried toward heaven.
1Ma 4:41 Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the sanctuary.
1Ma 4:42 So he chose priests of blameless conversation, such as had pleasure in the law:
1Ma 4:43 Who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an unclean place.
1Ma 4:44 And when as they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which was profaned;
1Ma 4:45 They thought it best to pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, because the heathen had defiled it: wherefore they pulled it down,
1Ma 4:46 And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to shew what should be done with them.
1Ma 4:47 Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former;
1Ma 4:48 And made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple, and hallowed the courts.
1Ma 4:49 They made also new holy vessels, and into the temple they brought the candlestick, and the altar of burnt offerings, and of incense, and the table.
1Ma 4:50 And upon the altar they burned incense, and the lamps that were upon the candlestick they lighted, that they might give light in the temple.
1Ma 4:51 Furthermore they set the loaves upon the table, and spread out the veils, and finished all the works which they had begun to make.
1Ma 4:52 Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes in the morning,
1Ma 4:53 And offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made.
1Ma 4:54 Look, at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was it dedicated with songs, and citherns, and harps, and cymbals.
1Ma 4:55 Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshipping and praising the God of heaven, who had given them good success.
1Ma 4:56 And so they kept the dedication of the altar eight days and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed the sacrifice of deliverance and praise.
1Ma 4:57 They decked also the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold, and with shields; and the gates and the chambers they renewed, and hanged doors upon them.
1Ma 4:58 Thus was there very great gladness among the people, for that the reproach of the heathen was put away.
1Ma 4:59 Moreover Judas and his brethren with the whole congregation of Israel ordained, that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their season from year to year by the space of eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu, with mirth and gladness.
A tradition accompanies Chanukah in that it is said only enough oil was left to burn the Menorah for one day, but the flame lasted 8 days! This cannot be shown in apocryphal or biblical text, so one must come to his own belief concerning this tradition.
People may ask, "Why should Christians celebrate this?" Firstly, Jesus celebrated this! Instead of asking, "What Would Jesus Do?", we need to start discovering "What Did Jesus Do!" Secondly, it is a biblical holiday. "Holiday" literally means "Holy Day"! Thirdly, the entire story surrounds the historical fact that Antiochus Epiphanies profaned the altar by entering the Holy place and by sacrificing a pig on it. This started the rebellion. If it sounds familiar to the End Times antichrist to you then what we have here is a shadow-picture of what's to come! It behooves us to pay attention!
So, I beseech you, celebrate the good and proper days and ignore the pagan days, like Christmas.
Happy Chanukah!
The Observer
... I've added a couple of videos appropriate for this occasion!
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