Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah)
This feast also known as 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. 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.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: December 15, 2006