Hanukkah ... Jesus: the Light of the World … John 10:22 When I think of Hanukkah, I think of a thriller – it’s the kind of tale that leaves you breathless; it has everything woven into it – the bottom line is, the underdog stands up to a big bully and teaches him a lesson; this is sitting on the edge of your seat stuff – it’s a real page turner. Someone called it, an eight-day party in praise of God. And that’s good ... for it shines the spotlight where it should be – it focuses our attention on the God of our fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Here is the awesome God, the God of the Covenant, the God who keeps all his promises – this unforgettable incident tells me one more time that God’s reputation is untarnished. It’s a celebration ... sure it is! No wonder they sing: O Hanukkah, O Hanukkah / a festival of joy / a holiday, a jolly day / for every girl and boy. Spin the whirling dreydls / all week long / eat the sizzling latkes / sing a happy song! The plain fact is, yes, there is something to get excited about, something to celebrate. It’s the kind of thing Yeshua did when he was growing up! I wonder how he felt as the candles were lit? I want us to look at this festival of lights from a different angle – you will know that there are eight candles on the hanukkiah, plus the shamash, the servant candle – that’s nine lights in total. Come with me, then, let’s see what we can learn from this amazing festival in the Jewish calendar ... here are seven things you’ve always wanted to know about Hanukkah: 1. Hanukkah speaks of dark days in the past! Let me give you a wee bit of history ... it all happened away back, over 160 years before the birth of Yeshua. The big bully was none other than Antiochus IV – he’s often called Antiochus Epiphanes; this thug had a big head, he saw himself as God – hence the name! That said, others labelled him Antiochus Epimanes, the madman! He was a vicious and brutal despot, an evil man – he was cruel, harsh, and savage. Basically, he wanted to rule the world, he wanted to run the entire show – it didn’t all go according to plan! He met his match when he tried to conquer Egypt, for Rome was one step ahead of him, and he failed. He headed back north to Syria with his tail between his legs. On his way, he stopped in Jerusalem and vented his fury on the Jewish people. Houses were burned, the ancient walls were breached, people were brutalised, the temple was ransacked – to add fuel to the fire, he erected an idol of Zeus on the holy altar. Then he offered a pig on the altar – he was going from bad to worse; this was the abomination of desolation – he sprinkled its blood in the Holy of Holies and poured its broth over the holy scrolls! It was horrendous – unthinkable. Imagine the shock and the trauma of the Jewish people in that day! That said, all that happened back then was prophesied by Daniel in chapter 8 of his book, you read verses 1-12 and see how it all fits together. Again, it’s a classic case of the sovereignty of God in the affairs of man.
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Hanukkah - Yeshua the light of the world - Truth for Today · When I think of Hanukkah, I think of a thriller – it’s the kind of tale that leaves you breathless; it has everything
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