The Connection Between Christmas and Hanukkah

The following article was obtained through the website, A Clear Lens and written by Misty Callahan.

Pop quiz: Where is the only place Hanukkah is described in the Bible? Answer: the New Testament! John 10:22-23:

“At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.”

The word for “dedication” in Hebrew is “Hanukkah”. Jesus was at the Temple celebrating Hanukkah. Why should any of this matter to anyone, especially Christians, one may ask? First, it’s always good to study the past in order to know where you’ve come from. But also, both holidays remind us that we should rededicate ourselves to God.

History of Hanukkah

The story of Hanukkah is actually pretty epic. It can be found in the First and Second Maccabees (which are apocryphal books). Josephus also wrote about it in Antiquities and it can be found in the Talmud (tractate Shabbat 21b).

While some modern scholars will no doubt argue that the Maccabean revolt was between “orthodox and reform” factions within the Jewish community, the essential story remains: Hanukkah is about a group of people fighting against religious persecution which came in the form of a man named Antiochus.

As the One For Israel team state in their piece:

“The Greeks had ruled Israel since Alexander the Great had invaded in 329 BC and had become more and more tyrannical and restrictive, banning Torah study, circumcision, and sacrificing anything except pigs on the temple altar. At one point, Jews were forced to eat the flesh of a pig that had been sacrificed in this way. This proved to be a step too far, and a violent rebellion led by the Maccabee family rose up to fight and take back power from the Greeks."

“The temple had been defiled with all kinds of Greek statues and vile practices, but it was now time to cleanse and rededicate it. The seven-stick menorah needed ritually pure oil to keep it perpetually burning, but there was only enough to last for one day, and it took seven days to produce this purified oil in accordance with tradition. Amazingly, the story goes, the oil lasted not for one day, but for a full eight days, giving them enough time to produce more oil in the correct manner. The temple was rededicated to the God of Israel, and his order was restored.”

Hanukkah’s Christmas Connection

We’re all familiar with the story about Joseph and Mary having to give birth in the stables because there was no place at the inn. The three wise men came from afar to pay homage to the newborn King of Israel. We marvel at the mercy of God, sending His son to earth in order that He may take on our sins. The perfect, spotless Lamb of God.

We are rightly humbled by the depth of the beauty that is the Christmas Story.

But what if the Maccabees were unsuccessful in their revolt?

The story of Hanukkah took place about 160 years before Jesus’ birth. As such, the question of “could there have been a Christmas without Hanukkah” has popped up from time to time. I think probably not. As Barry Rubin states in his book, “Dedicate and Celebrate: A Messianic Jewish Guide to Hanukkah”:

“God rescued His people and preserved biblical Judaism. Without this, the prophetic fulfillment pertaining to the birth of Messiah could not have happened. Without Jews, Messiah could not have been born through the tribe of Judah, as a descendant of King David.”

Moreover, Antiochus had outlawed the study of Torah. Had the study of Torah still been outlawed in the time of Jesus, he never would have been able to stand in the synagogue and read Isaiah 61:1 and proclaim that it had been fulfilled (Luke 4:21).

The Shammash

A typical menorah has seven branches. But a menorah for Hanukkah has nine. The candle that is used to light all the other candles is called the shammash or, the “servant candle” and is set apart from the rest. Many Messianic Jewish families see the shammash as a visual representation of Jesus. As Barry Rubin writes,

“He was ‘set apart’ from the rest of humanity. He was holy, separate, above us all. Yet, he stooped down to give light to humankind, and as the servant, he continually desires to give us light if we will only hold out our wicks to be lit. Yeshua (Jesus) is the light of the world.”

Rededication

1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;”

Barry Rubin writes, “Hanukkah is closely connected to the Temple. Yeshua’s (Jesus’) followers are called to be the Temple of the spirit of God (Ruach HaKodesh)…Paul’s message…was that believers are to be as holy as the Temple.”

As we reflect on the miracle that is the incarnation: the birth of Jesus this holiday season, let us also remember to rededicate our bodily temples to the true God of Israel. Just as the Maccabees rededicated the Temple to the Lord. Dedicating ourselves to our Savior and His ways will doubtlessly make our holiday season more precious.

While many will doubtlessly make “New Years Resolutions” that will include getting fit or eating right, let us as believers rededicate ourselves to Him. Let’s rededicate ourselves to knowing Him more intimately and being more prepared to give the reasons for our blessed hope!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah brothers and sisters!

Moses: The Greatest Prophet

According to the Abrahamic religions, Moses is considered to be one of the greatest prophets of all time. He is acknowledged and revered in Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The following excerpted stories sum up the thoughts of the Abrahamic religions in regards to Moses.  

CHRISTIANITY  

Who was Moses and what is his importance for Christians?
By Joe Paprocki

When it comes to important people in the Old Testament, Moses is “Da Man!”

Says who? Well, start with the Bible itself as it characterizes Moses at the time of his death: “Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. He had no equal in all the signs and wonders the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and against all his land, and for the might and the terrifying power that Moses exhibited in the sight of all Israel.” (Dt 34:10-12) Now there’s an epitaph!

So why is Moses considered so great a figure in the Old Testament? Namely, because he is the instrument through which Israel experiences God’s salvation. The Exodus – the experience of the Jewish people being led from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land – is the defining moment of the Old Testament. It is through the Exodus experience that the Jewish people come to know who they are and whose they are. Moses, of course, is God’s point man for the job, going toe-to-toe with Pharaoh and demanding that he let God’s people go. It is Moses who raises his arms for God to part the waters of the Red Sea so that the Jewish people could cross over from slavery to freedom. It is, Moses, to whom God gives the Ten Commandments to form his people into a nation.

It is no surprise then, that when Jesus comes on the scene centuries later, one of his biggest tasks is to persuade the people that he is greater than Moses. It is the Gospel of Matthew that highlights this more than any other Gospel, emphasizing that Jesus taught his new commandments of love in his Sermon on the Mount, echoing Moses’ receiving of the Law on Mount Sinai. For Christians, then, Moses is a crucial figure because Jesus fulfills the Law that Moses brought down from the mountain. It is no coincidence that, when Jesus’ is transfigured on the mountaintop, Moses and Elijah appear with him. Moses symbolizes the Law and Elijah symbolizes the prophets. The Transfiguration is telling us without a doubt that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.    

ISLAM    

Story of Moses in the Quran

By Saulat Pervez   

Among the prophets mutually revered by Islam and Judaism is the prominent figure of Moses or Musa, peace be upon him (pbuh). A descendant of Joseph, also known as Yusuf, (pbuh), Moses played a definitive role in restoring freedom to the Israelites. While he encountered many victories, he also experienced hardships in his life.

God (Allah) continued to bless the Israelites by bestowing many favors upon them, as well as inflicting punishments on them for their disobedience. Both of these are greatly detailed in the second chapter of the Quran, The Cow.

When it was time for them to enter Canaan, the Children of Israel rebelled against Moses and the command of God. In telling this story, the Quran relates Moses’s powerlessness over his own people:

He said: “O my Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother: so separate us from this rebellious people!” (5:25)

Despite the many trials and tribulations which came their way, Moses and Aaron, peace be upon them, continued to submit themselves completely to the will of God. Indeed, God exonerates Moses and Aaron of any wrongdoing in the Quran and depicts them as His grateful servants.

In the end, the many similarities between the accounts of Moses in the Torah and the Quran signify the common ancestral ties of the two faiths. Just as Muhammad (pbuh) invited the pagan Arabs to worship the One God, Moses also kept steering his wayward people toward monotheism. The Quran, which Muslims believe has been preserved over the centuries, contrasts with the Torah by correcting misconceptions that have developed historically about Moses. As such, God elevates Moses to a position of honor in the Quran (33:69), freeing him from any blame for the actions of his people.

Musa, known as Moses in the Old Testament, is a prophet, messenger, lawgiver and leader in Islam. In Islamic tradition instead of introducing a new religion, Moses is regarded by Muslims as teaching and practicing the religion of his predecessors and confirming the scriptures and prophets before him. The Quran states that Moses was sent by Allah (one God) to the Pharaoh of Egypt and the Israelites for guidance and warning. Moses is mentioned more in the Quran than any other individual, and his life is narrated and recounted more than that of any other prophet. According to Islam, all Muslims must have faith in every prophet which includes Moses and his brother Aaron (Harun).  

JUDAISM   

Moses: In the Bible and Beyond

By MJL  

Moses (Moshe in Hebrew) is arguably the greatest figure in Judaism other than God.

He helps bring the Israelites out of slavery and leads them for the next four decades, until his death just before they enter the Land of Israel. In addition to being a major character in the Torah — spanning the beginning of the Book of Exodus to the end of the Book of Deuteronomy — Moses is traditionally regarded as its author, or transcriber at least. Hence the Torah’s alternate name: the Five Books of Moses.

Born in Egypt at a time when the Pharaoh has ordered all newborn Israelite boys to be murdered, Moses is hidden by his mother and then, when that becomes infeasible, sent in a basket down the Nile River. Pharaoh’s daughter finds him and raises him, and he lives happily as an Egyptian until he kills an overseer who he sees abusing an Israelite. He then flees to Midian, where he marries Zipporah and lives as a shepherd until God appears before him in the form of a burning bush, ordering him to return to Egypt to secure the freedom of the Israelites.

Reluctantly, Moses follows God’s command and, teaming up with his brother Aaron, repeatedly approaches the Pharaoh and asks him to free the Israelites. Pharaoh refuses, even as God rains down increasingly horrific plagues, until the 10th plague, the killing of the first born. From then on, Moses (accompanied by Aaron and their sister Miriam) remains the leader of the Israelites until his death, guiding them across the Sea of Reeds, through the desert, bringing down the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, staving off challenges to his authority and telling the Israelites what God expects of them. Moses dies before the Israelites enter the Land of Israel, and his hand-appointed successor, Joshua, becomes the new leader.

Moses, referred to in the Talmud as Moshe Rabbenu, “Moses our Teacher,” is the subject of much discussion in Jewish texts, from the Midrash to the Talmud and beyond.

According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, there are more legends about Moses than about any other biblical figure. A cycle of legends has been woven around nearly every trait of his character and every event of his life; and groups of different and often contradictory stories have been connected with his career.

MESSIANIC JUDAISM

Who was the greatest prophet?
By Rabbi Menachem Posner

Although only 48 prophets and seven prophetesses are mentioned in the Bible, throughout our history our nation has been blessed with tens of thousands of individuals who transmitted the word of God, each of them excelling in his or her unique area.

Nevertheless, the Bible tells us that “there was no other prophet who arose in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” (Deuteronomy 34:10)

Maimonides lists a number of ways in which Moses’ manner of communicating with God was superior to that of any other prophet. He bases these differences upon God’s statement: “If there be prophets among you, I, the Lord, will make Myself known to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream. Not so is My servant Moses; he is the most trusted of all My household. With him I speak mouth to mouth; in a vision and not in riddles, and he beholds the image of God . . .” (Numbers 12:6)

All others received their prophecy while asleep or in a trancelike state. Moses, on the other hand, was fully aware and conscious when he stood before God.

Moses “saw” what God was telling him with the clarity of literal vision. All others only received their communiqués by way of riddles and parables.

While most prophets became fearful and agitated while receiving divine communication, Moses remained calm and collected. He spoke with God “as a man would speak to a friend.”

Moses was able to converse with God whenever he so wished. Other prophets had to wait for revelations from God; they needed to enter a spiritually aware state in order to receive God’s presence. Moses was constantly on such an elevated plane.