Hanukkah/Chanukah 2023 starts at nightfall on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, which is when the first candle is lit. The final candles are lit on Thursday evening, Dec. 14, and the holiday concludes the following day, Dec. 15.
Hanukkah or Chanukah (means Dedication) The holiday commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Jesus announced that He was the Messiah during Hanukkah.
Jn 10:
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication (Hanukkah/Chanukah), and it was winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
(MY NOTE: Matt 16:16-17 & Jn 4:25-26 Here Jesus reveals he is the Messiah/Christ)
Jn 7:
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
(MY NOTE: In the last day means this event occurred on the last day (Day 8). At the Feast of Tabernacles the last feast of the year.)
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
(MY NOTE: The Living Water (accessed by belief/faith) is Christ' salvation/sealing, eternal life giving, Forever indwelling Holy Spirit (Jn 14:16).
Jn 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
(MY NOTE: Believe & trust & Jesus is the Christ ask HIM into your heart & He'll do the rest)
.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Jn 4:
John 4:
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
(MY NOTE: All the Samaritan woman had to do, to access the Living water was believe & ASK Messiah. All anyone need do, is BELIEVE & ASK!(Rom 10:8-13, Pro 18:21)
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
(MY NOTE: Jesus says: He is the promised Messiah/Savior)
Some Hanukkah History:
Dec 25 (Hebrew month of Kislev) 167 B.C Antiochus Epiphanes governed the territory of Israel/Judea. Sends a group of Greco/Assyrian soldiers to the Jewish priest Mattathias.
They demanded he sacrifice a pig to a pagan god. Mattathias fearing the LORD more than the soldiers refused. A fellow Jew that feared the soldiers volunteered to sacrifice the pig. Mattathias drew his sword & killed the compromising Jew.
Mattathias dies during the 3 yr war that ensues. His eldest son Judah takes command ultimately driving the Greek Syrianrmy out of Judea on Dec 25th (Hebrew month Kislev) 164 B.C. They found the Torah, but, the Menorah had only enough oil for 1 day of burning. Yet, God caused the Menorah to miraculously burn for 8 days!
Hanukkah commemorates this miracle by lighting of candles for 8 successive nights. A Hanukkah menorah has 9 branches instead of the usual 7. During the holiday, candles are lit 1 by 1 each night. The ninth candle on the Hanukkah Menorah. Is called the Shamash/SERVANT Candle & is used each day to light the other of the 8 candle sticks.
Hanukkah is also called Festival of Lights
Believers have been lit by "The Anointed One". And are to be lights that shine & point to the LIGHT of the WORLD, Jesus the Christ. (Jn 8;12)
Matt 5:
14 Jesus said; Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
(MY NOTE: The middle candle in the Temple & Hanukkah Menorah/candlesticks are a shadow of Christ. The Light & Lighter. Also see: Servant Isa 53 & Mark. And Light of the World John 8:12)
The Bible say's you're a child while still in the womb!
1 Sam 4:19 His daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, """was with child, near to be delivered""": and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.
(NOTE: """was WITH CHILD near to be delivered""")
Ecc 11:5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
(MY NOTE: how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is WITH CHILD)
Isa 26:17 As """a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery""", is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.
(MY NOTE: Before delivery scripture declares a woman is WITH CHILD)
Lk 1:41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
(MY NOTE: The babe in her womb leaped)
Lk 2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
(MY NOTE: Scripture proclaims a pregnant is great with child.)
IMO:
Jesus the Messiah was most likely conceived on Dec 25, 4 B.C. during Hanukkah/Feast of Dedication/Feast of Lights, then delivered in Sept 3 B.C. during the Feast of Trumpets at Tekiah ha-Gadol. Circumcised 8 days later on Yom Kippur. Then dwelt/tabernacled in a manger (sukkah) with his parents during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) that yr.
Hanukkah or Chanukah (means Dedication) The holiday commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Jesus announced that He was the Messiah during Hanukkah.
Jn 10:
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication (Hanukkah/Chanukah), and it was winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
(MY NOTE: Matt 16:16-17 & Jn 4:25-26 Here Jesus reveals he is the Messiah/Christ)
Jn 7:
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
(MY NOTE: In the last day means this event occurred on the last day (Day 8). At the Feast of Tabernacles the last feast of the year.)
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
(MY NOTE: The Living Water (accessed by belief/faith) is Christ' salvation/sealing, eternal life giving, Forever indwelling Holy Spirit (Jn 14:16).
Jn 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
(MY NOTE: Believe & trust & Jesus is the Christ ask HIM into your heart & He'll do the rest)
.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Jn 4:
John 4:
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
(MY NOTE: All the Samaritan woman had to do, to access the Living water was believe & ASK Messiah. All anyone need do, is BELIEVE & ASK!(Rom 10:8-13, Pro 18:21)
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
(MY NOTE: Jesus says: He is the promised Messiah/Savior)
Some Hanukkah History:
Dec 25 (Hebrew month of Kislev) 167 B.C Antiochus Epiphanes governed the territory of Israel/Judea. Sends a group of Greco/Assyrian soldiers to the Jewish priest Mattathias.
They demanded he sacrifice a pig to a pagan god. Mattathias fearing the LORD more than the soldiers refused. A fellow Jew that feared the soldiers volunteered to sacrifice the pig. Mattathias drew his sword & killed the compromising Jew.
Mattathias dies during the 3 yr war that ensues. His eldest son Judah takes command ultimately driving the Greek Syrianrmy out of Judea on Dec 25th (Hebrew month Kislev) 164 B.C. They found the Torah, but, the Menorah had only enough oil for 1 day of burning. Yet, God caused the Menorah to miraculously burn for 8 days!
Hanukkah commemorates this miracle by lighting of candles for 8 successive nights. A Hanukkah menorah has 9 branches instead of the usual 7. During the holiday, candles are lit 1 by 1 each night. The ninth candle on the Hanukkah Menorah. Is called the Shamash/SERVANT Candle & is used each day to light the other of the 8 candle sticks.
Hanukkah is also called Festival of Lights
Believers have been lit by "The Anointed One". And are to be lights that shine & point to the LIGHT of the WORLD, Jesus the Christ. (Jn 8;12)
Matt 5:
14 Jesus said; Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
(MY NOTE: The middle candle in the Temple & Hanukkah Menorah/candlesticks are a shadow of Christ. The Light & Lighter. Also see: Servant Isa 53 & Mark. And Light of the World John 8:12)
The Bible say's you're a child while still in the womb!
1 Sam 4:19 His daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, """was with child, near to be delivered""": and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.
(NOTE: """was WITH CHILD near to be delivered""")
Ecc 11:5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
(MY NOTE: how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is WITH CHILD)
Isa 26:17 As """a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery""", is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.
(MY NOTE: Before delivery scripture declares a woman is WITH CHILD)
Lk 1:41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
(MY NOTE: The babe in her womb leaped)
Lk 2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
(MY NOTE: Scripture proclaims a pregnant is great with child.)
IMO:
Jesus the Messiah was most likely conceived on Dec 25, 4 B.C. during Hanukkah/Feast of Dedication/Feast of Lights, then delivered in Sept 3 B.C. during the Feast of Trumpets at Tekiah ha-Gadol. Circumcised 8 days later on Yom Kippur. Then dwelt/tabernacled in a manger (sukkah) with his parents during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) that yr.
