Hanukkah, Messiah, and the Number 358

"Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” John 10:22-24.

Hannukah is the only Feast that is mentioned in the New Testament and not the Old Testament. You will find it referred to in John's Gospel. It is known as the Festival of Lights or the Dedication of the Temple. To Jewish children it means receiving a gift every night for 8 nights but to the Jew, it means a similar Holiday with all its’ commercialism like Christmas. To the Christian it is the celebration of the birth of Yeshua. Even though it has been historically and scientifically proven Jesus was not born at Hanukkah but conceived at Hanukkah, we know that He was actually born at the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall of the year.

Hanukkah celebrates dedication and consecration and even anointing with the beautiful burning of oil. Now in order to get oil, the olives are pressed and from pressure comes beauty. Oil in the Bible, shemen in Hebrew, means “to shine or be glossy.” Oil on wood makes it shine. When one anoints something, it shines. Our Messiah, Yeshua Jesus, shines! He is the Anointed One!

The great Jewish prophet Hillel once said that one must ascend in matters of holiness and not descend. With that in mind, the Hanukkah menorah is lit and an additional light/candle added every night during the eight day holiday. If one travels to Jerusalem, there is light everywhere as the city is filled with lights from the many Hanukkiahs shown in windows.

So here we are in Israel. In John 10:22 and we see Yeshua Jesus. The verse notes that it is winter; it is dark, yet the light of the world is in Jerusalem. It is interesting to note that Hanukkah is not mentioned in the Old Testament feasts like all of the others mentioned in Leviticus. It is not one of the big three: Pesach, Shavuot or Sukkot, but Hanukkah was the last great deliverance that the Jews had experienced, and there was no prophet in the land from the close of the Old Testament to John the Baptist.

Saying the Blessings
Say the blessings in Hebrew as transliterated. The translations, below, are not said aloud. First, say,
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech HaOlam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.
Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah.
Then say,
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech HaOlam, she’asah nisim l’avoteinu, b’yamim haheim bazman hazeh.
Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who made miracles for our forefathers in those days at this time.

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