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Divine Appointments:
Hanukkah
חנוכה
Daniel 11:21, 29-31 And in [Seleucus IV’s] place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue… At the appointed time, he will return and come into the South [Egypt], but this last time it will not turn out the way it did before. For ships of Kittim will come against him; therefore he will be disheartened and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. Armed forces will come at his order and profane the sanctuary and fortress. They will abolish the daily burnt offering and set up the abomination that causes desolation.
1Maccabees 1:20-25 After subduing Egypt, Antiochus returned in the one hundred forty-third year [=169 B.C.]. He went up against Israel and came to Jerusalem with a strong force. He arrogantly entered the sanctuary and took the golden altar, the lampstand for the light, and all its utensils. He took also the table for the bread of the Presence, the cups for drink offerings, the bowls, the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the gold decoration on the front of the temple. He stripped it all off. He took the silver and the gold, and the costly vessels; he took also the hidden treasures that he found. Taking them all, he went into his own land. He shed much blood and spoke with great arrogance. Israel mourned deeply in every community…
1Maccabees 1:41-50 Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, and that all should give up their particular customs. All the Gentiles accepted the command of the king. Many even from Israel gladly adopted his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the Sabbath. And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah; he directed them to follow customs strange to the land, to forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary, to profane sabbaths and festivals, to defile the sanctuary and the priests, to build altars and sacred precincts and shrines for idols, to sacrifice swine and other unclean animals, and to leave their sons uncircumcised. They were to make themselves abominable by everything unclean and profane, so that they would forget the Law and change all the ordinances. He added, “And whoever does not obey the command of the king shall die.”
Antiochus’ Evil Decrees:
1Maccabees 1:54-64 Now on the fifteenth day of Kislev, in the one hundred forty-fifth year [=167 B.C.], they erected a desolating sacrilege on the altar of burnt offering. They also built altars in the surrounding towns of Judah and offered incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets. The books of the Law that they found they tore to pieces and burned with fire. Anyone found possessing the book of the covenant, or anyone who adhered to the Law, was condemned to death by decree of the king. They kept using violence against Israel, against those who were found month after month in the towns. On the twenty-fifth day of the month [Kislev] they offered sacrifice on the altar that was on top of the altar of burnt offering. According to the decree, they put to death the women who had their children circumcised, and their families and those who circumcised them; and they hung the infants from their mothers’ necks. But many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food. They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. Very great wrath came upon Israel.
Daniel 11:32-33 And by smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. And those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, for many days.
1Maccabees 2:1-7 In those days Mattathias son of John son of Simeon, a priest of the family of Joarib, moved from Jerusalem and settled in Modein. He had five sons, John surnamed Gaddi, Simon called Thassi, Judas called Maccabeus, Eleazar called Avaran, and Jonathan called Apphus. He saw the blasphemies being committed in Judah and Jerusalem, and said, “Alas! Why was I born to see this, the ruin of my people, the ruin of the holy city, and to live there when it was given over to the enemy, the sanctuary given over to aliens?”
1Maccabees 4:36-51 Then Judah [Maccabee] and his brothers said, “See, our enemies are crushed; let us go up to cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it.” So all the army assembled and went up to Mount Zion. There they saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up as in a thicket, or as on one of the mountains. They saw also the chambers of the priests in ruins. Then they tore their clothes and mourned with great lamentation. They sprinkled themselves with ashes and fell face down on the ground. And when the signal was given with the trumpets, they cried out to Heaven. Then Judas detailed men to fight against those in the citadel until he had cleansed the sanctuary. He chose blameless priests devoted to the Law, and they cleansed the sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to an unclean place. They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt offering, which had been profaned. And they thought it best to tear it down, so that it would not be a lasting shame to them that the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill until a prophet should come to tell what to do with them. Then they took unhewn stones, as the law directs, and built a new altar like the former one. They also rebuilt the sanctuary and the interior of the temple and consecrated the courts. They made new holy vessels, and brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple. Then they offered incense on the altar and lit the lamps on the lampstand, and these gave light in the temple. They placed the bread on the table and hung up the curtains. Thus they finished all the work they had undertaken.
25th of Kislev, 165 B.C. – the Temple rededicated
1 Maccabees 4:52-56 Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month of Kislev, in the one hundred forty-eighth year [164 B.C.], they rose and offered sacrifice, as the Law directs, on the new altar of burnt offering that they had built. At the very season and on the very day that the Gentiles had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and harps and lutes and cymbals. All the people fell on their faces and worshiped and blessed Heaven, who had prospered them. So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days and joyfully offered burnt offerings. They offered a sacrifice of well-being and a thanksgiving offering.
Megillat Antiochus (v.66-68) After this, the children of the Hasmonians came to the Temple, and they rebuilt the gates that had been destroyed and repaired the breaches, and purified … from the corpses and impurity. And they searched for extra-pure olive oil to light the Menorah, but only found one flask that was sealed with the signet ring of the High Priest, and they thus knew it was pure. And in it there was only enough oil to kindle for one day. And the God of Heaven, who causes His Name to rest there, gave a blessing in the oil, and they lit from it for eight days.
Q: Where did the Hasmoneans put the desecrated stones?
Talmud: Avodah Zarah 52b The northeastern chamber – within it the Hasmoneans concealed the stones of the altar that the Greeks had defiled when they seized control of the Temple. [+ Mishnah Middot 1.6]
Yeshua & Hanukkah
Five proofs of the Messiah:
John 10:22-33 Then came Hanukkah in Jerusalem. It was winter, and (a) 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!” Yeshua answered them, (b) “I have already told you, and you don’t trust Me. (c) The works I do in My Father’s name testify on My behalf, but the reason you don’t trust is that you are not included among My sheep. (d) My sheep listen to My voice, I recognize them, they follow Me, and I give them eternal life. They will absolutely never be destroyed, and no one will snatch them from My hands. My Father, who gave them to Me, is greater than all; and no one can snatch them from the Father’s hands. (e) I and the Father are one.” Once again, the Judeans picked up rocks in order to stone him. Yeshua answered them, “You have seen me do many good deeds that reflect the Father’s power; for which one of these deeds are you stoning me?” The Judeans replied, “We are not stoning you for any good deed, but for blasphemy- because you, who are only a man, are making yourself out to be God.”
Psalm 40:2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
יון (yavan)
Hashem educates and prepares us for the awesome light that will be revealed in the times of Messiah by allowing us to experience sparks of that light each year on Hanukkah. (R’ Aryeh Strickoff)
