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The Light
Dr David Wood
THE LIGHT
CHANUKAH AND CHRISTMAS
Chanukah is not one of the Feasts of the Lord as
outlined in Leviticus chapter twenty-three. This Feast of Dedication or
Chanukah is observed by the Jewish people but needs to be recognized by the
Church. It needs to be recognized by the Church for it celebrates a deliverance
of the Jewish people and a miraculous provision of God. The Christian heritage
is of the Jew and we need to honor them for that heritage. We, Christian’s,
have also experienced the miraculous deliverance and provision of God. This
year Chanukah starts at 6 PM the 21st of December 2008 and ends at 6
PM the 29th of December 2008. Interestingly this feast overlaps with
our holiday called Christmas with which there are many parallels.
During the inter-testament period the land of
Israel was occupied first by Alexander the Great then by Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
Antiochus reigned from 175 BC to 164 BC the time of his death at age fifty-one.
This man Antiochus was very brutal in his attacks especially on Jerusalem. He
outlawed the practice of Judaism and ordered all worship Zeus. He setup a
statue of Zeus in the Temple and unclean (to the Jews) animals were sacrificed.
The Historian Josephus attributes the sudden and untimely death of Antiochus at
age fifty-one to his brutal treatment of the Jews. All foretold by the Prophet
Daniel and now a part of recorded history.
Daniel 11:30-32 (TLB)
30 For Roman warships will scare him off, and he will withdraw and
return home. Angered by having to retreat, the Syrian king will again pillage
Jerusalem and pollute the sanctuary, putting a stop to the daily sacrifices, and
worshiping idols inside the Temple. He will leave godless Jews in power when he
leaves--men who have abandoned their fathers' faith.
31
32 He will flatter those who hate the things of God and win them over
to his side. But the people who know their God shall be strong and do great
things.
This is the first “abomination that maketh
desolate.” as better shown in the King James Version of the Bible.
Daniel 11:31 (KJV)
31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the
sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they
shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
There will be a second as prophesied by Daniel
and Jesus.
Matthew 24:15 (KJV)
15 When ye therefore shall see the
abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy
place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
All of this sparked a revolt by the Jewish
people. The main group was the Maccabees. The atrocities of Antiochus are also
recorded in the Apocryphal Book of 2 Maccabees 5:11-14 and 6:1-11. Remember,
this is not canonical scripture therefore it must be read as historical
information only and not as Truth. Read it as you would the first century
historian Josephus or any other historical account. Do not equate it with the
sixty-six books of Holy Scripture. This Jewish revolt resulted in the retaking
of Jerusalem in 165 BC.
Upon deliverance from their oppressors they
immediately set about the cleansing of the Temple. Then the Priests and the
people set about to dedicate or return the Temple to the use God intended. In
the Holy Place of the Temple (and Tabernacle) with the Table of Shewbread and
the Alter of Incense also stood the seven lamp Candelabra. These lamps were
fueled by “pure oil olive beaten for the light” and these were to burn from “the
evening unto the morning” continually. (Exodus 37:17-24) When they began the
Feast of Dedication also call a Festival of Lights, they found only enough oil
for one day. It would take eight days to make more oil. They lighted the lamps
anyway and miraculously the oil lasted until the new oil was prepared a total of
eight days.
Today this Feast of Dedication, Festival of
Lights or Chanukah is celebrated using a nine lamp candelabra. Eight represents
the eight days the lamps miraculously burned. One lamp is called a “servant”
candle or lamp. Both numbers seven and nine are symbolic of spiritual or Devine
completeness. The Jewish people also exchange gifts during this time. It is of
note that Jesus observed Chanukah.
John 10:22-23 (KJV)
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was
winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
What a wonderful commemoration of our Lord’s
deliverance of and miraculous provision for the Jewish people.
Now let us turn our attention to our own Holiday
called Christmas. According to the Noah Webster 1828 Edition of the American
Dictionary of the English Language, the word Christmas is defined as follows.
CHRISTMAS n. [Christ and mass, Sax.,nassa, a holy
day or feast; D. kersmis.]
1. The festival of the christian church observed
annually on the 25th day of December, in memory of the birth of Christ, and
celebrated by a particular church service. The festival includes twelve days.
Let us look objectively at the word Christmas.
It is two words, one being Christ and the second being mass. A mass is a
celebration; again according to the Noah Webster 1828 Edition let us look at
this word more carefully.
MASS, n. [Sax. maca, masse; Fr. messe; It. messa;
Sp. misa; D. rnisse; G. Dan.
messe; Sw. messa; Low L. missa. The word
signifies primarily leisure, cessation
from labor, from the L. missus, remissus, like
the L./eria; hence afeast or holiday.
Laws of Alfred, 39. “Be mmsse diege freolse.” Dc
festivitate diei fe8ti. See also
Laws of Cnute, Lib. 1. 14. and 2. 42. Hence Sax.
hlafmasse, lemmas, breadfeast,
and Martin-tnas, Michael-rena, candlemas,
christmas.1 The service of the Romish church; the office or prayers used at the
celebration of the eucharist; the consecration of the bread and wine. Lye. Ency~.
Wilkins.
MASS, v. i. To celebrate mass. [.Mdused.]
Hooker.
MASS, v. t. To fill; to stuff; to strengthen.
[Mit used.] Hayward.
Notice the use of the words “cessation from
labor”, “the consecration of the bread and wine”, a celebration, and “to fill;
to stuff; to strengthen.” We will look at these for they are all things brought
to us by Jesus. Now the word Christ means the Anointed One and His Anointing.
What a wonderful combination of words. Christmas is a celebration of the
Anointed One and His Anointing and all that means. Traditionally we say that
Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. However, when you examine the
word it is so much more.
Before Jesus we too had a brutal ruler called
Satan with all the legions of hell loosed in the earth with Adams sin. Look at
what Jesus said about him.
John 10:10 (AMP)
10 The thief
comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have
and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).
If you want more specifics of what came to you,
all of mankind, courtesy of Satan and his demonic hordes read Deuteronomy
chapter 28 starting in verse fifteen. Jesus delivered us from all that with His
blood which does not allow the destroyer into our lives (Exodus 12:23) unless we
invite him in due to ignorance and sin (Proverbs 26:2). Just as Antiochus set
up other gods for the Jews so did Satan set up other gods for us but now we are
in the family of the living God.
When the Gospel was preached and we saw a
different and better way we also revolted against Satan and won our freedom.
Jesus gave us freedom from poverty, sickness and bondages of every kind, even
all of the curse.
John 3:14-16 (KJV)
14 And as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted
up:
15 That
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Galatians 3:13-14 (KJV)
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a
tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through
Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Praise God that by the shed blood of Christ we
are made free!! Just as the Jews were delivered in their revolt so has the
sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ delivered us.
Colossians 1:12-14 (KJV)
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath
translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins:
Jesus, the Christ, suffered oppression that we
would be delivered of the oppressor.
Isaiah 53:7 (KJV)
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his
mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her
shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
When we received Christ we also were cleansed (2
Corinthians 5:21) of all our filthiness just as the Temple was cleansed when it
was reclaimed from the Greeks and the abominations performed therein. Many
abominations were performed in our temple, this body and it was cleansed by the
Holy Spirit. The olive oil used in the Candelabra in the Holy Place is symbolic
of the Holy Spirit; the light it gives is symbolic of the Christ, Jesus.
Romans 11:17-18 (KJV)
17
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree,
wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of
the olive tree;
18
Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root,
but the root thee.
The root is Jesus (John 15:5) and the olive tree
is the Holy Spirit. We were not a part (wild) of this tree (the Godhead) until
Jesus made a way where there was no way.
Now we are dedicated for His use just as the
Temple was after being cleansed.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV)
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost
which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your
body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Just as our Jewish brethren exchange gifts at
Chanukah so do we at Christmas. Most importantly we have received the gift of
salvation, total and complete remission of sin. We can stand without
condemnation or shame before our Saviour, before our Father, guided of the Holy
Spirit as sons of God!
Romans 5:17-19 (KJV)
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they
which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in
life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all
men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came
upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the
obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Praise His Holy name! Have a wonderful Christmas
and also use the occasion to minister to our Jewish friends for we are partakes
of their spiritual heritage. Judaism can stand alone without Christianity but
we can not stand (exist) without Judaism.
Romans 15:27 (KJV)
27 It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if
the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is
also to minister unto them in carnal things.
Finally, I find it interesting that Chanukah is
eight days symbolic of a new beginning and we certainly got a new beginning in
Christ Jesus. Christmas is twelve days symbolic of government. God
reinstituted His government in the earth through His Son Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 9:6-7 (KJV)
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall
be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and
to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for
ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
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