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Writer's pictureMargit Kresin

Hanukkah Sameach - Happy Festival of Lights!

Hanukkah begins tonight. These common holidays and the rededication of the Jewish temple by the Hasmoneans, also known as the Maccabees War family, as well as the miraculous oil supply, their own rededication for a full eight days.


All over the world, the Jewish people and the chaos of the Jews tithed their Hanukkah menorah to forget a miracle that God performed in Jerusalem about 2,200 years ago.

On the 25th of Kislev (ninth month) in 164 BC GOD completed this personal miracle of liberation. For many years, the Greeks, who desecrated the Holy Temple, to compensate them for sacrificing a pig on the altar, had compelled the Jewish people. The Greeks enforced idolatry and studied the Jewish people to read and follow the Torah (the word of God).


In the last of the Maccabees and the history books, we read how God heard his people through a certain priest, priest Mattisyahu (Mattathias) and his sons. You have a small group of Jewish men to stand up against the 25,000 soldiers of the Syrian-Greek army. This was the first and true miracle of Hanukkah.


The Maccabees served as light that pushed back the darkness; by faith they “were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.” (Hebrews 11:34)

After the temple was recaptured and newly restored by the Greeks, the family of Judas Maccabeus restored the seven-day autumn festival of Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) and the additional day of the Simchat Torah (joy in the Torah, which concludes the yearbook).


When the Jewish priests finally wanted to rededicate the temple, they were appalled at the damage. When they lit the menorah (the seven-armed candlestick) again, they found only a bottle of immaculate oil. This bottle of oil, containing the oil that was sanctified to the God of Israel, helped to push back the spiritual darkness that had overcome the temple. And while the oil would have lasted for a single day at most, the lights miraculously burned a full eight days. On the last day the Jews had prepared enough sacred oil to keep the light shining permanently. This was the second miracle.


After enough oil was made, the temple menorah could again burn 24 hours a day. From then on the Torah could be studied again. Just like Jesus, the Torah represents the light of the world. Hanukkah, therefore, represents the renewed ability to study the Torah, which is compared to light.


Jesus also went up to celebrate Hanukkah (the festival of the temple or the festival of lights). Over 100 years later, Yeshua was standing in the Holy Temple for Hanukkah when he was asked directly, "Are you the Messiah?"


“At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” (John 10: 22-24)


On that Hanukkah, Yeshua confirmed those who asked to be the Messiah, the Shepherd of Israel.


Other verses affirm that He is the light of the world (John 8:12) and that through Jesus we can be lights that shine in the darkness of these last days (Philippians 2:15).


The miracle of eight-day menorah oil is remembered by consuming a variety of oil cooked foods, including delicious sufganiot (Israeli Hanukkah donuts) and latkes (potato pancakes). During the eight days of Hanukkah, eight candles are lit from left to right after sunset - one candle on the first day, two candles on the second day, and so on - until all eight candles are lit on the eighth day. Each of the eight days you light an extra candle (the servant candle that represents Jesus).


Therefore let us celebrate together with the Jews, Messianic Jews and all followers of Christ in the true festival of lights.


Happy Hanukkah


(More blog posts at https://www.glaubensbotschaft.de/andacht-blog?lang=en. If you would like to receive the posts via the Wix app, get to know us via the Wix app http://wix.to/6EAzBtM?ref=cl)



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