Feast of Dedication,
This feast is also know and Hanukkah and the Feast of Lights. It developed in the
era of the Maccabees and celebrated the cleaning of the Temple after its
desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes. The Feast of Dedication is observed on the
25th day of the ninth month. It was marked at night by blazing lights, one light for
each of the eight days of the festival. A joyous festival was the feast of the
dedication of the temple. The stories of the Maccabees brave fighting were
recounted and the feast was a time for praising God for once again marvelously
delivering the Israelites from the enemies.
In the spirit of an oriental tyrant, Antiochus Epiphanes fanatically determined to
impose Hellenism - the adoption of ancient Greek language, philosophy, customs,
art – on all the subjects of his empire. The king then issued a decree throughout
his empire: his subjects were all to become one people and abandon their own
laws, and religion. The nations everywhere complied with the royal command, and
many in Israel accepted the foreign worship, sacrificing to idols and profaning the
Sabbath. In seeking to unify his empire Antiochus attacked Israel’s religious
practices. He prohibited the observance of the Sabbath and the traditional
festivals and feast days. He also outlawed the reading of the law of Moses and
gave orders that all copies should be burned. Temple sacrifices were forbidden,
circumcision was outlawed, and other characteristic Jewish practices were declared
illegal. The penalty for disobedience was death. This was another attempt of
satan to get rid of Israel and God’s people.
Antiochus’ ultimate affront of the Jews occurred on the 25th day of the month of
Kislev in 167 BC. He rededicated the temple to the pagan Greek god Zeus, set up
a statue of Zeus in the Holy of Holies, and sacrificed pigs upon the altar. These
outrages brought on the revolt of the Maccabees. Antiochus had sent
commissioners throughout the entire country of Judea to enforce his decree.
Appalled by the sacrilegious acts committed in Judea and Jerusalem and moved by
his fervent zeal for the law of Moses, Mattathias killed one of the officers of the king
who were sent to enforce pagan sacrifice. He and his five sons then fled from
Modein, taking refuge in the rugged hills nearby. Joined by a growing number of
sympathizers who detested the “abomination of desolation” (Dan 11:31; 12:11a)
set up on the altar by Antiochus, the Maccabees carried on guerilla warfare,
against the Syrians and the Jewish collaborators.
In December 164 BC, Judas Maccabeus recaptured most of Jerusalem. Then he
forced the loyal priests, those who had not collaborated with Antiochus, to cleanse
the Holy place and erect a new altar, precisely three years after Antiochus had
defiled it. Judas rededicated the temple. According to Jewish tradition, only one
undefiled jar of oil could be found. This jar contained oil for only one day,
however, it would take eight days to make more of the kosher oil. The light, once
lit, was to be continuous, representing God's eternal light. Miraculously, however,
the oil kept burning for eight days, and they declared a miracle from God . The
Hebrew word Hanukkah, which means “dedication”, is the name still used today for
the festival of lights that commemorates this event. Celebrated for eight days from
the 25th day of the month Kislev to the second day of Adar.
The Feast of Dedication is mentioned in the New Testament (John 10:22-23).
Jesus observed this festival.
When you take into account that all of the Feast of the Lord, have been fulfilled by
Jesus. The death and resurrection of Jesus, have transferred the temple from
being a building, to our bodies being the temple of God, and just as the temple had
to rededicated, our bodies have to be rededicated to God, because we have
sinned and polluted our temples. Jesus said, "Unless you be born again..."
Hanukkah is an Old Testament foreshadowing of this rebirth.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: December 25, 2005