1. Hanukkah is a Biblical Festival Hanukkah is also known as the Feast of Dedication or Festival of Lights. After the miraculous provision of the Lord when the Jewish people took back the Lord’s temple, God’s people set aside 8 days each year to remember.
What does the Bible say about Hanukkah?
While Hanukkah is not one of the appointed Jewish holy days (Leviticus 23, Numbers 29); it is mentioned in the Bible. It was prophesied in Daniel 8:14, also Jesus attended a Hanukkah celebration in John 10: 22-23. In 175 B.C. Israel was under the rule of a wicked Grecian king named Antiochus Epiphanes.
Why is Hanukkah important to the Jewish faith?
Without the events of Hanukkah, there would be no Messiah. Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Jewish people over the forces of Antiochus, a Greek-Syrian ruler whose empire descended from Alexander the Great. Alexander looked favorably on the Jewish people and allowed them to continue to worship the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
What is the spiritual meaning of Hanukkah?
The Meaning of Hanukkah. Hanukkah, which starts on 25 Kislev (beginning-to-mid December), is the Festival of Lights. It marks the beginning of our experience of the spiritual reality, the initial crossing of the barrier between the corporeal (egoistic) and spiritual (altruistic) worlds. Hanukkah’s concepts and customs—the war of the Maccabees and the Greeks, the Hanukkah miracle, the candle, light, oil and wick—all connect to the crossing of this barrier between corporeality and ...
What is Hanukkah and should we celebrate it?
What is Hanukkah and should we celebrate it? The word "Hanukkah" means "dedication," and it is the celebration of the re-dedication of the Temple after being...
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What is Hanukkah called in the Bible?
Hanukkah, (Hebrew: “Dedication”) also spelled Ḥanukka, Chanukah, or Chanukkah, also called Feast of Dedication, Festival of Lights, or Feast of the Maccabees, Jewish festival that begins on Kislev 25 (usually in December, according to the Gregorian calendar) and is celebrated for eight days.
Where in bible is Hanukkah?
Though it is 2,200 years old, Hanukkah is one of Judaism's newest holidays, an annual Jewish celebration that does not even appear in the Hebrew Bible.
What is Hanukkah in Christianity?
October 14, 2016 by Jessica Wolstenholm. Hanukkah is an eight-day celebration that honors the miracle that occurred as the Maccabees worked to clean the temple and rededicate it to God after the army of the king Antiochus IV Epiphanes had desecrated it.
Is Hanukkah Pagan?
Hanukkah recounts the struggle of Mattityahu (Matthew), a Jewish leader who lived 2,170 years ago in the land of Israel. At the time, the country was under the rule of a brutal empire forcing the Jews to adopt its pagan rites.
Is menorah in the Bible?
The menorah is first mentioned in the biblical book of Exodus (25:31–40), according to which the design of the lamp was revealed to Moses by God on Mount Sinai.
What is the Festival of Dedication in the Bible?
What is the Feast of Dedication? The Feast of Dedication is another name for Hanukkah, an eight-day Jewish festival that commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century b.c.e. It usually occurs in December but can also happen in late November and can extend into January.
Is Kwanzaa biblical?
“Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, but a cultural one with an inherent spiritual quality,” Karenga writes.
Should Christians celebrate Passover?
In addition to wanting to explore their Jewish roots, Christians are drawn to Passover because they “identify with the freedom God gave to the Israelites,” Holladay said. “For Christians, the Passover seder is a deep part of our Easter celebration,” he added.
Why is Hanukkah in December?
Because the Hebrew calendar is based on the lunar cycle, the dates of Jewish holidays according to the Gregorian calendar change from year to year. For this reason, the beginning of Hanukkah can range from late November to late December.
Was Hanukkah always celebrated in December?
Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days every year. Normally it occurs between late November and December, although the exact dates change every year. This is because Hanukkah is always on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar.
Does Hanukkah predate Christmas?
Hanukkah doesn't always happen at Christmas Hanukkah often gets lumped in with Christmas simply as a matter of timing, but it doesn't always align neatly. Because Hanukkah follows the Jewish calendar, it can occasionally be much earlier than Christmas. For example, in 2017 Hanukkah actually began on Thanksgiving day.
Why is Chanukkah considered a Jewish holiday?
Chanukkah is probably one of the best-known Jewish holidays, not because of any great religious significance, but because of its proximity to Christmas. Many non-Jews think of this holiday as the Jewish Christmas, adopting many of the Christmas customs, such as elaborate gift-giving and decoration. Because of this, it is ironic ...
What is the Jewish festival of lights called?
Chanukkah (or Hanukkah) is the Jewish Festival/Feast of Dedication, also known as the "Festival of Lights.”. It is an eight-day festival beginning on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, which typically falls in November or December on our calendar.
What is the most assimilated holiday in the Jewish calendar?
The holiday of Chanukkah celebrates the events which took place over 2,300 years ago in the land of Judea, ...
What did the Hellenistic priest do to the Jews?
He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs (a non-kosher animal) on the altar.
When did the Jewish fighters enter Jerusalem?
According to historical accounts, Jewish fighters entered Jerusalem in December 164 BC. The Holy Temple, the Jewish religious center, was in shambles, defiled and desecrated by foreign soldiers. The Maccabees cleansed the Temple and re-dedicated it on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev.
Did Jews assimilate the Hellenistic culture?
Under this relatively benevolent rule, many Jews assimilated much of Hellenistic culture, adopting the language, the customs, and the dress of the Greeks, in much the same way that Jews in America today blend into the secular American society. More than 100 years after Alexander, Antiochus IV rose to power in the region.
What does the Bible say about Hanukkah?
Looking at this in its context, we see that it is speaking first of the exodus of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon, but it is also a prophecy, speaking of a future exodus from a future captivity—from the Babylon that is now forming in this present age.
Why is Hanukkah celebrated?
About 300 years later, the celebration of Hanukkah—meaning "dedication"—arose from the Jews' attempts to cleanse the worship of God following Antiochus Epiphanes and the Greek army's defilement of the Temple during warfare.
What is the name of the day Haggai received the last two prophecies?
They stress that God blesses to improve the condition of His people, especially spiritually. Haggai received the last two prophecies on the same day. Haggai 2:10 and 20 identify that day as the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, which is called Kislev (or Chislev ).
What does the Bible say about Babylon?
The Living Bible translates verse 11 as follows: Go now, leave your bonds and slavery. Put Babylon and all it represents far behind you —it is unclean to you. You are the holy people of the L ORD; purify yourselves, all you who carry home the vessels of the L ORD. (Emphasis ours.) Their responsibility is clear.
Why did the Jews celebrate Hanukkah?
About 300 years later, the celebration of Hanukkah—meaning "dedication"—arose from the Jews' attempts to cleanse the worship ...
What is the immediate application of the prophecies in the Second Temple?
The immediate application of the prophecies it contains is the work on the Second Temple, but they incorporate definite dualities with end-time events. Of note in the last two prophecies of Haggai is God's desire to bless His covenant people, even when they do not deserve it.
