AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Sunday – December 18, 2022, Kislev 24, 5783
A WELL OF TRUTH
FEAST OF DEDICATION – CHANUKAH
Today at approximately 6 PM today is the beginning of the nine-day Festival of Dedication. This feast is also known as a Festival of Lights or more commonly Chanukah (Hanukkah – alternate spelling). The timing of this Festival is generally between our (American) Thanksgiving and Christmas (Christian celebration [mass] of the birth of THE Christ). This festival appears to have been observed by Jesus.
John 10:22-23 (KJV)
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.
The Feast of Dedication or Chanukah is a Hebrew feast but is not one of the commanded Feasts of the Lord or Appointed Times of the Lord as spelled out in Leviticus chapter twenty-three and elsewhere. The featured picture above is an artist’s depiction of Herod’s Temple present in the time of Jesus. It is called Herod’s Temple because He added to the Second Temple platform. The first Temple was built by Solomon, later destroyed and rebuilt in the time of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and others following a decree by King Cyrus of Persia, commonly called the Second Temple.
The origins of Chanukah occurred during the inter-testament period (Malachi to Matthew – about 400 years). The Holy Land including modern day Israel at that time was occupied first by Alexander the Great of Greece and then following his death by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175 BC – 164 BC). Antiochus was a brutal ruler who outlawed Judaism and placed a statue of Zeus in the Most Holy Place of the Temple. On top of all that he sacrificed unclean animals in the Temple. Worse still it is reported by Josephus the Jewish Historian and in the non-canon book of Second Maccabees 5:11-14 and 6:1-11 that Antiochus would sacrifice pigs, cut off the hands of Jews, cut out their tongues, and sacrifice them together with the unclean animals on the Alter of Sacrifice.
A Jewish revolt led by the Maccabees liberated Jerusalem in about 165 BC. They immediately set about the cleansing of the Temple, to return the Temple to its intended use, that is to rededicate the Temple to the True God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When they went to light the menorah located in the Holy Place, they found there was only enough special oil for 
one day and it takes eight days to make new oil. Pictured is a Menorah or candelabra as prescribed by God (Exodus 25:31-40) with six lamps and a center lamp (seven total). The center lamp is called the servant lamp. The candelabrum is of pure gold. The oil represents the Holy Spirit, the six lamps represent mankind, the gold represents purity (righteousness), and the servant lamp is Jesus. The Servant lamp is used to ignite the fire in the other lamps. I think you can readily see the picture of the Holy Spirit always being present but becomes a purifying flame when Jesus enters the picture. They lit the Candelabra anyway knowing there was only one day of oil and it would take eight days to make more of the special olive oil for this purpose.
Miraculously the oil burned for eight days until the new oil was ready. Now, Chanukah is celebrated with a nine-candle candelabra recognizing that God delivered them once again from their enemies and caused the candles to flame miraculously for eight days. There are four candles or lamps on each side of the servant lamp. Eight is the number of new beginnings and the number nine represents divine completeness given from the Lord. Israel has been preserved by the Hand of God over and over down through history and they will be a people of God forever. Many of us have also been delivered and preserved by the Grace and mercy of God until this day.
Lord willing, next Sunday, I will return to another study from this Well of Truth, as the Lord leads. Remember, we love you and there is nothing you can do about it.
2 Chronicles 20:20 b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Receive the blessing in Jesus’ name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (MSG)
24 GOD bless you and keep you,
25 GOD smile on you and gift you,
26 GOD look you full in the face and make you prosper.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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