From Passion for Truth Ministries’ Post on Hanukkah:
“Hanukkah begins this Sunday evening (December 6th). Hanukkah is the
Hebrew word for dedication. It's an eight-day holiday where we remember the
story of a dedicated people who refused to compromise; a remnant of believers
who refused to give in and go against God's Word. A "light in the
darkness" is what this holiday is all about. And every Believer should be
a light in the darkness.”
The message I received from Abba about Hanukkah:
Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose
the Feast of Dedication to make Himself known to the Jews in the temple (John
10)?
Jesus went to Jerusalem to
celebrate the Feast of Dedication in the temple. We can see that it was winter
during this festival. We can also clearly see that Jesus was in the temple
walking in Solomon’s porch during this festival. Jesus clearly observed this
Feast Day and was celebrating with them. We can see this in John 10:22-42.
John 10:22-23
““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.”
““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.”
But why was this Feast of
Dedication such a special event that it was mentioned in the Scriptures for us
to know about? We can partially answer this question by reading the following
verses:
John 10:24-27, 30:
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.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”
… “30 I and my Father are one.”
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.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”
… “30 I and my Father are one.”
The Jews questioned Jesus
asking Him if He was the Christ.
Here, the Name “Christ” in Hebrew is “Mashiach” (“Messiah” in English). “Mashiach” means “The Anointed One”. Strong’s Concordance defines “Mashiach” as “Anointed”. Brown-Driver-Briggs defines “Mashiach” as “absolute; construct; King of Israel - anointed by divine command; High Priest of Israel”.
Here, the Name “Christ” in Hebrew is “Mashiach” (“Messiah” in English). “Mashiach” means “The Anointed One”. Strong’s Concordance defines “Mashiach” as “Anointed”. Brown-Driver-Briggs defines “Mashiach” as “absolute; construct; King of Israel - anointed by divine command; High Priest of Israel”.
So we see in the above
passage that the Jews had doubts as to whether or not Jesus was the Messiah.
Jesus was confirming to the Jews that He is the Messiah, the Anointed One, and
the High Priest of Israel (verse 25). He is the Absolute Construct of God His
Father (verse 30).
Jesus tells them in verse
25 that He has already told them He is the Messiah but they wouldn’t believe
Him. Jesus tells them that the works He does in His Father’s Name bear witness
of Who He is.
So why didn’t the Jews
believe Who Jesus is?
Jesus followed Torah and
observed and celebrated God’s Holy Days. Jesus followed God’s commandments,
statutes, judgments, and instructions to the letter just as His Father wrote
them. By this time the Jews had added to the Torah with their oral laws,
traditions, and customs. They followed Torah by the letter of their fathers,
not by the letter of God our Father. That is why they couldn’t see that Jesus
is the Son of God, the Mashiach, the Messiah. This is why Jesus rebukes them
and why the disciples and Jesus tell us to hold fast to the tradition of the
Father and not the tradition of men (Matthew 15:1-3; Colossians 2:1-8; 1
Corinthians 11:1-2; 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 3:3-6).
Since the Jews couldn’t see
and didn’t believe that Jesus is the Mashiach, the Messiah, they took up stones
to stone Him. Jesus asks them for what works were they wanting to stone Him
for, which good work from the Father did Jesus show them that they wanted to
stone Him for.
John 10:31-32
“31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?”
“31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?”
It wasn’t for any of the
works that Jesus had done, it was because the Jews thought Jesus was making
himself God. They didn’t understand that, even though He was born a man, Jesus
is God in the flesh. Jesus quotes the Torah of God when He answers them saying
“Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?” (Exodus 4:22; Psalm 82).
John 10:33-36
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?”
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?”
Jesus even tells the Jews
not to believe Him if He does not do the works of His Father. He also tells
them that they should believe the works He does of the Father so that they will
know and believe that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. But the
Jews still refused to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and they sought to
take Him again but Jesus escaped them.
John 10:37-40
“37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
39 Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,
40 And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.”
“37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
39 Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,
40 And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.”
But many that had seen and
heard Jesus talking to the Jews, and that saw His works of the Father and saw
how Jesus walking in the Torah of God followed Jesus. They reasoned that John
the Baptist didn’t do any miracles but John spoke of One Who would come and do
miracles and they believed on Jesus there.
John 10:41-42
“41 And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.
42 And many believed on him there.”
“41 And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.
42 And many believed on him there.”
We can see from these
passages that Jesus came to Jerusalem during the Feast of Dedication in order
to show the Jews that He is the Son of God.
But why did He come during
the Feast of Dedication? What is the Feast of Dedication?
To find out why the Feast
of Dedication was so significant to Jesus to declare He is the Son of God, we
have to look at the history of this Feast and find out its meaning.
We see in Jeremiah chapter
25 that the people of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, did not
listen to God when he sent the prophets to warn them of the consequences for
their turning away from His Torah (verses 3-7). They turned away from serving
God and served other gods and this provoked God to anger. In verses 8-11, God
tells the families of the north (the northern house of Judah, 2 of the 12
tribes that God separated – not the southern house of Israel, 10 of the 12
tribes which God divorced) that He was going utterly destroy them and take away
the voice of the Bridegroom and the Light of the Candle. He told them the whole
land would be desolate and that the people would serve the king of Babylon for
70 years.
Daniel chapter 9 also
speaks of this time. Daniel prayed for an answer as to what Jeremiah had said
meant. While Daniel was praying, the angel Gabriel came to him to tell him what
Jeremiah’s vision meant.
Daniel 9:1-2, 23-25
“1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”
“23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”
“1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”
“23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”
God promised to bring them
back and rebuild the temple after those 70 years (Jeremiah 29:8-11).
After they retook the
temple, it had to be cleansed because of the desecration in the temple and the
sacrificed pig on the altar of God for the non-god Zeus.
Since they were unable to
celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) at the time they were restored to
the land (but instead needed to wait that time while the temple was cleansed),
when the temple was cleansed they rededicated it and celebrated the Feast of
Tabernacles then (for 8 days just like the Feast of Sukkot). This rededication
became known as the Feast of Dedication (it was the rededication of the
temple).
This is the Feast that Jesus
was in Jerusalem for in John chapter 10.
The Feast of Tabernacles
remembers the time the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness for 40 years
in tents (booths, tabernacles). They tabernacle with God for 40 years. It is
only fitting that Jesus appeared to the Jews in Matthew to proclaim that He is
the Son of God, the Mashiach (Messiah) because Jesus is our Sukkah - Tent,
Booth, Tabernacle (Leviticus 23:34-36).
In another sense, Jesus
resides in us through the Holy Spirit. We reside in Jesus, Jesus resides in us,
God resides in us through Jesus and we reside in Him through Jesus. We all
tabernacle together.
1 John 4:13-16
“13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
“13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
1
John 2:1-7
“1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.”
“1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.”
Why was Jesus at the temple during the
Feast of Dedication? What significance did Solomon's court have? What does this
Feast mean?
If we are commanded to
follow Jesus and do as He did and walk as He walked, we need to find out the
answers to these questions...
John 10:22-23
"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."
"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."
Why was He at the Feast of
Dedication?
John 10:24
"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."
John 10:24
"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."
He was there because the
Jews doubted Who He was.
John 10:25-30
"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.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one."
"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.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one."
He came to the Feast of
Dedication to tell the Jews that He is the Messiah. He told them He and the
Father are One. He came to tell them He gives eternal life to His sheep and
they shall never perish and no one can take them away from Him. He came to tell
them He is the Light.
What is the Feast of
Dedication?
We see a Feast of
Dedication in 2 Chronicles, but that is not the same Feast referred to in John
10. We know this because it says in John 10:22 that "it was winter"
and the Feast referred to in 2 Chronicles 7 was in the Hebrew 7th month
(Tishri) which is around September which is in the fall:
2 Chronicles 7:8-11
"8 Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.
9 And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.
11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the Lord, and in his own house, he prosperously effected."
"8 Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.
9 And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.
11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the Lord, and in his own house, he prosperously effected."
The Feast of Dedication in
2 Chronicles was when the Israelites dedicated the temple to God and it was
during the Feast of Tabernacles (Tents - also called Sukkot). We see from verse
9 "they kept the dedication of the altar... and the feast".
We can see connections from
the Feast of Sukkot and the Feast of Dedication, celebrated in 2 Chronicles, to
Jesus our Messiah...
This was the first temple
built for God. Solomon built the temple for God, as his father David had wanted
to do but God promised that his son Solomon would build it. After he built it,
he prayed to God. We see at the end of Solomon's prayer that he beseeched God
to open His eyes and ear to hear their prayers. He asked for the priests to be clothed
in salvation and for them to rejoice in goodness...
2 Chronicles 6:40-42
"40 Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
41 Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.
42 O Lord God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant."
"40 Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
41 Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.
42 O Lord God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant."
God heard their prayer and
filled the temple with His glory:
2 Chronicles 7:1-3
"1 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.
2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house.
3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever."
"1 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.
2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house.
3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever."
We can also see that God
consumed the burnt offerings and sacrifices. From this I can see how God
consumes Jesus - showing us God is Jesus, Jesus is God.
But why did Jesus come to
the temple and walk in Solomon's court?
We also see that the people
of Israel sacrificed to God after He filled the temple with His glory:
2 Chronicles 7:4-7
"4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.
5 And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
6 And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.
7 Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat."
"4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.
5 And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
6 And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.
7 Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat."
Jesus was walking through
Solomon's court because this is where the very first temple sacrifices were
made to God. Jesus is our Sacrifice for salvation... He is our Salvation!
This was a Feast of
Dedication for the temple of God. Solomon and the Israelites kept the Feast for
7 days and in the 8th day they had a solemn assembly. After the Feast, the
Israelites were sent to their tents "glad and merry in heart for the
goodness" God had shewed them.
But if the Feast of
Dedication referred to in 2 Chronicles 7 is not the same Feast of Dedication
that Jesus went to, then which one is it?
For this we need to read
Jeremiah 25 and Daniel chapter 9 to see that the northern house of Judah (the 2
tribes God separated because of their disobedience to His Torah) had been
exiled for 70 years in Babylon. We see in Jeremiah 29:8-11 that God promised to
bring them back and rebuild the temple after those 70 years.
Well, after those 70 years,
they did take the temple back, but it had been defiled by Antiochus IV
(Antiochus Epiphanies) when he erected a statue of Zeus in the temple of God
and sacrificed a pig on the altar of God. After they retook the temple, it had
to be cleansed because of this desecration.
They were unable to
celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) at the time they were restored to
the land because the temple needed to be cleansed.
The temple was cleansed in
the Hebrew month of Kislev. They rededicated the temple and celebrated the
Feast of Tabernacles on the 22nd day of Kislev. They celebrated for 8 days,
just like the Feast of Dedication and the Feast of Tabernacles celebrated in 2
Chronicles 7. This re-dedication became known as the Feast of Dedication (the
re-dedication of the temple and the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles
they didn't get to celebrate in the 7th month of Tishri.
This is the Feast of
Dedication that Jesus was attending in John chapter 10.
Jesus is our Salvation!
Jesus chose the perfect place (the temple in Solomon's court) and the perfect
timing (during the Feast of Dedication) to reveal Himself as the Messiah, the
Light of the world, to the Jews.
This Feast of Dedication is
also known as Hanukkah and is celebrated this year of 2015 on December the 6th.
Won't you join me, and so many other followers of Jesus, in celebrating this
special time, just as Jesus did?
By the way... Jesus was
conceived during the Feast of Dedication. So He was celebrating His arrival
here on earth (in Mary's womb) which shows He came to Tabernacle with us, at
this time of year. Jesus was born during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot),
which is what the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) also represents.
How
wonderful is our Father!!! He gives us such wonderful Holy Days to celebrate
His Son in such a deep, meaningful way!!! Praise Yaweh!!!
