Why I Am Celebrating Yeshua in Chanukkah This Year...

Yeshua spoke to them, saying, "I am the LIGHT of the world. He who follows me shall by no means walk in darkness, but possess the light of life." John 8:12

Today (at sunset) begins the 8 day celebration of Yahweh's faithfulness to His people, the Festival of Dedication, the Festival of Lights...Chanukkah. This is my first year to celebrate this festival (and actually, it's my first year to celebrate all of Yahweh's appointed times...what an incredible year it has been!).

Many people might question why I have chosen to celebrate these feasts and festivals. My answer is simple. I have read and re-read in the Word of Yahweh that these feasts are commanded throughout all generations. I am no longer taking only part of His Word and applying it to my life. I want to obey ALL of His Word, from Genesis to Revelation. I want Him to write His Word on my heart in every way. I want my relationship with Yahweh to be what HE desires and commands, rather than the tradition and teachings that come from man.

Is it true that I no longer celebrate Christmas?
Yes.

I have read enough about the pagan origins, date, traditions of Christmas...I have read enough of Yahweh's Word that warns His people about adopting the pagan traditions of worship. I am convinced that since Christmas is NOT in the Word (Yeshua was not born on December 25th...He was most likely born during Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles around September) and since what is commanded in the Word is to observe Yahweh's appointed Feasts throughout all generations, and since Yeshua Himself did NOT celebrate Christmas (he wouldn't have because it was a pagan holiday), and since Yeshua Himself DID celebrate Chanukkah (see John 10:22), then this is what I want to do too!

We have this popular saying and acrostic in Christian circles: WWJD (What Would Jesus Do). I am discovering more and more that the traditions I have embraced are NOT what He would do or did do. I truly want to be a follower of Him, a disciple. I want to follow His commands...ALL of them. Yeshua is the Living Word, from beginning to end. I want to give honor to my Redeemer and Savior by obeying every part of Him.

So, what exactly is Chanukkah? Is it a commanded feast? Is it in the Bible?

Chanukkah is not a commaded feast in the Old Testament like others such as Pesach (Passover), Feast of Unleavened Bread, Sukkot, etc. Chanukkah is a celebration that Jewish people of Yahweh have observed since an event that happened in 165 BC. Since this event happened in the 400 year period between the Old and New Testaments, it is not recorded in Scripture. It is, however, recorded in historical books.

Basically, in 168 BC, Jerusalem and the Jews were conquered by the Hellenist Syrians, who took over the Temple, dedicated it to the worship of Zeus, and desecrated it by sacrificing pigs (and other attrocities). The Jews who resisted at all were persecuted and killed, so some Jews went along with these attrocities. The other Jews who were committed to keeping Yahweh's commandments and cleansing His land and people of forbidden idolatry decided to fight back against the Syrians. For three years they fought, and finally regained possession of the Temple in 165 BC.

They cleaned out the Temple and repaired the broken and missing items. They held a dedication ceremony for the restoration of the Temple and wanted to light the eternal flame of the Menorah. However, they only had enough oil to last one day, and it would take 8 days to prepare the oil properly. Yahweh provided another miracle by providing just enough oil each day to keep the Menorah lit for 8 days until more oil was ready.

This is why this celebration is called Festival of Dedication and Festival of Lights!

Let's look at some important sections of Scripture....

1. Regarding the importance Yahweh places on His Temple:

Exodus 25:8-9... YHWH said to Moses: "The people of Israel are to make me a sanctuary, so that I may live among them. You are to make it according to everything I show you - the design of the tabernacle and the design of its furnishings. This is how you are to make it."

Exodus 40:34,35,40... "Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting and the glory of Yahweh filled the Tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud remained on it and the glory of Yahweh filled the Tabernacle....For the cloud of Yahweh was above the Tabernacle during the day, and fire was in the cloud at night, so that all the house of Israel could see througout all their travels."
(read the whole chapter)

Leviticus 26:11-12 (to Israel) "I will put my Tabernacle among you, and I will not reject you, but I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people."
(read the whole chapter)

1 Kings 5:3,5 (said by Solomon regarding building the first Temple for Yahweh) "You know that David my father was not able to build a house for the name of Yahweh his God...so now I intend to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, in keeping with what Yahweh said to David my father 'Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, will be the one to build the house for my name.' "

1 Kings 8:10-11 (Solomon prays to dedicate the Temple to Yahweh) "When the cohanim (priests) came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of Yahweh, so that, because of the cloud, the cohanim could not stand up to perform their service; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of Yahweh."
(read the whole chapter to see the relevance of Solomon's prayer)

2 Chronicles 6 (another chapter with Solomon's important prayer...includes Yahweh's plan for foreigners/gentiles)

Ezekiel 37 (important prophetic scripture, not yet completed...proof that Yahweh's Temple is still important in ways we cannot imagine. Proof that Israel will know her Yahweh in His Temple. Who is the Temple?)
"I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give to them, increase their numbers, and set my sanctuary among them forever. My home will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. The nations will know that I am Yahweh, who sets Israel apart as holy, when my sanctuary is with them forever." (vs 26-28)

Zechariah 6:12,13,15 (Yeshua is the Temple!) "Yahweh Tz'vaot says 'There is coming a man whose name is THE BRANCH. He will sprout up from his place and rebuild the Temple of Yahweh. Yes, he will rebuild the Temple of Yahweh, and he will take up royal splendor, sitting and ruling from his throne....Those who are far away will come and help rebuild the Temple of Yahweh."

Matthew 12:6 Yeshua said, "I tell you, there is in this place something greater than the Temple."

John 2:15-21 "(Yeshua) knocked over the money-changers' tables and said 'Get these things out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market.' So the Judeans asked him, 'What miraculous sign can you show us to prove you have the right to do all this?' Yeshua answered them, 'Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.' The Judeans said, 'It took 46 years to build this temple, and you're going to raise it in three days?' But the "temple" he had spoken of was his body."

John 10:22-24 (Yeshua celebrated Chanukkah! Read the rest of the chapter to see the importance of what he said about Himself during this Festival of Lights.) "Then came Chanukkah in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Yeshua was walking around inside the Temple area, in Solomon's Colonnade. So the Judeans surrounded him and said to him, 'How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us publicly!' "

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 "Don't you know that you people are God's temple, and that God's Spirit lives in you? So if anyone destroys God's Temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you yourselves are that temple."

2 Corinthians 6:16-17 "What agreement can there be between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God - as God said, 'I will house myself in them...and I will walk among you. I will be their God, and they will be my people.' Therefore, Yahweh says, 'Go out from their midst; separate yourselves; don't even touch what is unclean. Then I myself will receive you. In fact, I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters' says Yahweh Tz'vaot."

Ephesians 2:19-22 "So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's family. You have been built on the foundation of the emissaries and the prophets, with the cornerstone being Yeshua the Messiah himself. In union with him, the whole building is held together, and it is growing into a holy temple in union with the Lord. Yes, in union with him, you yourselves are being built together into a spiritual dwelling-place for God!"

Revelation 7:14-17 "He told me, 'These are the people who have come out of the Great Persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the Blood of the Lamb. That is why they are before God's throne. 'Day and night they serve him in his Temple, and the One who sits on the throne will put his Sh'khinah upon them. They will never again be hungry; they will never again be thirsty; the sun will not beat down on them, nor will any burning heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will shepherd them, will lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.'"

Revelation 11, 14, 15, 16 (Yahweh's Temple is the place from where the judgments and seals come.)

Revelation 21:22-27 "I saw no Temple in the city (New Jerusalem), for Yahweh, God of heaven's armies, is its Temple, as is the Lamb. The city has no need for the sun or moon to shine on it, because God's Sh'khinah gives it light and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. Its gates will never close, they stay open all day because night will not exist there, and the honor and splendor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure may enter it, nor anyone who does shameful things or lies; the only ones who may enter are those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life."


2. Regarding the Menorah, Light, and Yeshua:

Genesis 1:3-4 "Then God said, 'Let there be light' and there was light. God saw that the light was goodd, and God divided the light from the darkness."

Exodus 25:31,37 (part of Yahweh's commands for his Tabernacle) "You are to make a Menorah of pure gold. Make seven lamps for the Menorah, and mount them so as to give light to the space in front of it."

Exodus 27:20 (regarding the Menorah lamp in the Tabernacle, as instructed by Yahweh) "You are to order the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pounded olives for the light, and to keep a lamp burning continually."

2 Samuel 22:29 (David's prayer of praise for Yahweh's strength and protection...read the whole chapter and also Psalm 18.) "For you, Yahweh, are my lamp; Yahweh lights up my darkness."

Psalm 132:13,14,17 "For Yahweh has chosen Tziyon (Zion), he has wanted it as his home. 'This is my resting-place forever, I will live here because I so much want to....I will make a king sprout there from David's line and prepare a lamp for my anointed one."

Psalm 27:1 "Yahweh is my light and salvation; whom do I need to fear? Yahweh is the stronghold of my life; of whom should I be afraid?"

Psalm 36:9 "For with you (Yahweh) is the fountain of life; in your light we see light."

Psalm 43:3 "Send out your light and your truth; let them be my guide; let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the places where you dwell."

Isaiah 42:6,7 "I, Yahweh, called you righteously, I took hold of you by the hand, I shaped you and made you a covenant for the people, to be a light for the gentiles, so that you can open blind eyes, free the prisoners from confinement, those living in darkness from the dungeon."

Isaiah 60:1-3,19 "Arise, shine (Jerusalem), for your light has come, the glory of Yahweh has risen over you. For although darkness covers the earth and thick darkness the peoples, on you Yahweh will rise; over you will be seen his glory. Nations will go toward your light and kings toward your shining splendor....No more will the sun be your light by day, nor will moonlight shine on you; instead Yahweh will be your light forever and your God your glory."
(read the whole chapter)

Matthew 4:16 (about Yeshua) "the people living in darkness have seen a great light; upon those living in the region, in the shadow of death, light has dawned."

Luke 2:27-32 "Prompted by the Spirit, (Simeon) went into the Temple courts, and when the parents brought in the child Yeshua to do for him what the Torah required, Simeon took him in his arms, made a blessing to God, and said 'Now Yahweh, according to your word, your servant is at peace as you let him go; for I have seen with my own eyes your yeshu'ah (salvation), which you prepared in the presence all peoples - a light that will bring revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel."

John 1:1,4,5,9 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God....In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not supressed it....This was the true light, which gives light to everyone entering the world."

John 12:46 "I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who trusts in me might not remain in the dark."

Acts 26:22-23 (spoken by Paul) "I stand testifying to both small and great, saying nothing but what both the prophets and Moses said would happen - that the Messiah would die, and that he, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to both the People and the Gentiles."

2 Corinthians 4:6 "For it is the God who once said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' who has made his light shine in our hearts, the light of the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of the Messiah Yeshua."

Ephesians 5:8 "For you used to be darkness, but now, united with the Lord, you are light. Live like children of the light."

1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen people, the King's cohanim, a holy nation, a people for God to possess! Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

Revelation 22:5 (in the New Jerusalem) "They will need neither the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because Yahweh, God, will shine upon them. And they will reign as kings forever and ever."



Isn't it exciting to read about the rich meaning this Festival of Dedication/Festival of Lights holds for us as believers in Yeshua the Messiah and the hope it gives for those who do not yet believe?!

Perhaps you too will see the truth of Yeshua's light dwelling with us forever in the simple but profoundly-important celebration of Chanukkah this week.

In the LIGHT of the world, the Temple of Yahweh, Yeshua HaMashiach,
Gina