How Chanukkah is relevent for New Covenant Believers

The Significance of the Apocryphal Books and when they were removed

The celebration of Chanukkah goes back to the years 175-134 BC and is related to what is known as the Maccabean Revolt. The books of the Maccabees can be found in the collection of the books called the Apocrypha. These books were contained in the original Septuagint, a greek translation of the Hebrew Bible produced in the 3rd-2nd centuries BCE and were interspersed among the other books. The significance of this is that it was considered part of the canon by Alexandrian Jews. (Christianwebsite.com) For this subject we will only be looking at the book of 1 Maccabees and how it is relevant to believers today.

This book is not normally looked at due to it being removed with the other books and thought to be irrelavant. But as we read the first chapter we can see there is a huge reason to study this book as it points to events that were written about in the book of Daniel and the book of Matthew. God’s calendar is not linear like ours. While reading the Old Testament we can see that God works in cycles. There are events spoken about that seem to have already taken place while other references show that it is actually prophetic. That being said let’s look at the book of Daniel chapter 11 and what happens with the Jewish people after the fall of Alexander the great.

Daniel chapter 11 verse 14 we see that there were Jewish men who rose up to revolt against Ptolemy and joined themselves to Antiochus. They helped him with whatever needs he had when he had returned from Egypt and attacked the Egyptians that were left in Jerusalem and conqured them (Josephus, Antiquities, 12.3.3) In Verse 15 we see reference to the King of the North, which is actually Antiochus the Great. We see in verse 23 that an alliance is made with him but he is very deceitful and rises to power with only a few people. Verse 24 says “In a time of peace, he will invade the richest provices and do what his fathers and forefathers never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will plot against the strongholds, but only for a time (Berean Standard Bible). The king of the north and the king of the south will come together for peace talks but it does not work. The king of the North, Antiochus, sets his mind to impose his greek customs on the people of Judea and against God’s covenant. As we read further we see that in verse 31 is says that “His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation. Vs. 32- With flattery he will corrupt those who violat the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. Vs. 33-

Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword or flame, or be captured or plundered. Vs.34 Now when they fall, they will be granted a little help, but many will join them insincerely. 35. Some of the wise will fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

Now let’s look at the book of 1 Maccabbees. According to the King James Version with the Apocrypha American Edition 1611, “The first book of the Maccabees is an excellant and reliable historical source on the period of the Maccabean revolt and its aftermath.” An overview of the story tells us that King Antiochus Epiphanes IV was imposing the Greek customs on the Jewish people and not allowing the people to obey the Word of God. He went as far as taking over the Jewish Temple and stripping it of everything Holy and setting up an altar to Zeus whre they offered up pigs as sacrifices on the Holy Altar.

1 Maccabees 1:20–24 “And after that Antiochus had smitten Egypt, he returned again in the hundred forty and third year, and went up against Israel and Jerusalem with a great multitude, and entered proudly into the sanctuary, and took away the golden altar, and the candlestick of light, and all the vessels thereof, and the table of the shewbread, and the pouring vessels, and the vials, and the censers of gold, and the vail, and the crowns, and the golden ornaments that were before the temple, all which he pulled off. He took also the silver and the gold, and the precious vessels: also he took the hidden treasures which he found. And when he had taken all away, he went into his own land, having made a great massacre, and spoken very proudly.”

1 Maccabees 1:41–54 “Moreover king Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom, that all should be one people, and every one should leave his laws: so all the heathen agreed according to the commandment of the king. Yea, many also of the Israelites consented to his religion, and sacrificed unto idols, and profaned the sabbath. For the king had sent letters by messengers unto Jerusalem and the cities of Juda, that they should follow the strange laws of the land, and forbid burnt offerings, and sacrifice, and drink offerings, in the temple; and that they should profane the sabbaths and festival days: and pollute the sanctuary and holy people: set up altars, and groves, and chapels of idols, and sacrifice swine’s flesh, and unclean beasts: that they should also leave their children uncircumcised, and make their souls abominable with all manner of uncleanness and profanation: to the end they might forget the law, and change all the ordinances. And whosoever would not do according to the commandment of the king, he said, he should die. In the selfsame manner wrote he to his whole kingdom, and appointed overseers over all the people, commanding the cities of Juda to sacrifice, city by city. Then many of the people were gathered unto them, to wit, every one that forsook the law; and so they committed evils in the land; and drove the Israelites into secret places, even wheresoever they could flee for succour. Now the fifteenth day of the month Chislev, in the hundred forty and fifth year, they set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar, and builded idol altars throughout the cities of Judah on every side;”

1 Maccabees 1:57 “And wheresoever was found with any the book of the testament, or if any consented to the law, the king’s commandment was, that they should put him to death.”

1 Maccabees 2:1–5 “In those days arose Mattathias the son of John, the son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, from Jerusalem, and dwelt in Modin. And he had five sons, Joannan, called Caddis: Simon, called Thassi: Judas, who was called Maccabeus: Eleazar, called Avaran: and Jonathan, whose surname was Apphus.”

We read further to see how Mattathias and his sons grieved over what was done to Judah and Jerusalem and when the kings officer came to his home to require his sacrifice to the pagean god he revolted and killed a jew coming to offer a pagean sacrifice and the kings official. At that time he pulled down the altar.

1 Maccabees 2:27–28 “And Mattathias cried throughout the city with a loud voice, saying, Whosoever is zealous of the law, and maintaineth the covenant, let him follow me. So he and his sons fled into the mountains, and left all that ever they had in the city.”

Thus was the beginning of the revolt of the Jewish people against the gentile king and his pagean practices. After many battles and many victories Judas Maccabees called for the people to go up to cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it.

1 Maccabees 4:36–59 “Then said Judas and his brethren, Behold, our enemies are discomfited: let us go up to cleanse and dedicate the sanctuary. Upon this all the host assembled themselves together, and went up into mount Sion. And when they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burnt up, and shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest, or in one of the mountains, yea, and the priests’ chambers pulled down; they rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and cast ashes upon their heads, and fell down flat to the ground upon their faces, and blew an alarm with the trumpets, and cried towards heaven. Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the sanctuary. So he chose priests of blameless conversation, such as had pleasure in the law: who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an unclean place. And when as they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which was profaned; they thought it best to pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, because the heathen had defiled it: wherefore they pulled it down, and laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to shew what should be done with them. Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former; and made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple, and hallowed the courts. They made also new holy vessels, and into the temple they brought the candlestick, and the altar of burnt offerings, and of incense, and the table. And upon the altar they burnt incense, and the lamps that were upon the candlestick they lighted, that they might give light in the temple. Furthermore they set the loaves upon the table, and spread out the vails, and finished all the works which they had begun to make. Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes in the morning, and offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made. Look, at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was it dedicated with songs, and citherns, and harps, and cymbals. Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshipping and praising the God of heaven, who had given them good success. and so they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed the sacrifice of deliverance and praise. They deckt also the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold, and with shields; and the gates and the chambers they renewed, and hanged doors upon them. Thus was there very great gladness among the people, for that the reproach of the heathen was put away. Moreover Judas and his brethren with the whole congregation of Israel ordained, that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their season…”

This feast is called Hanukkah which means dedication. Now let’s look at the New Testament scriptures which ties this all together.

Matthew 24:15–28 ““So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”

As we look at all these scriptures we can tell that this event is significant to the end time believers. This is prophesy about the end times and right before the return of Christ. The importance of knowing the signs as stated in the 24th chapter of Matthew is that no one knows the day or the time that the Lord will return. We are told to be ready in verse 44.

1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,”

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

2 Corinthians 6:16–18 “What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.””

After looking at the corilation of the scriptures from Daniel and Matthew and then look at the story of the Maccabees we can see that the story of the Maccabees and the reclaiming of the temple and its cleansing and rededication are directly related to our hearts that have been corrupted by the ways of the world. When we as believers backslide or fall into sin we must cleanse and purify ourselves by repentance and removing all the idols of pagean worship from our lives.

James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

The Feast of Dedication is not a commanded feast of God and it is not under the Old Covenant. It is a bridge between the two. It is a biblical holiday that is not linked to pageanism in anyway but rejoices in salvation and the cleansing that only Jesus can accomplish for us. It is a reason to celebrate the fact that Jesus through his sacrifice cleanses us and makes us righteous in His eyes and therefore imparts the light of life into us.

John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””

Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

The Hannakiah is a 9 branch menorah. The shamash (servant) candle, usually in the middle, stands above the other 8 candles. This candle represents Jesus, the light of the world. The other 8 candles represent the born again. The number 8 in the bible represents a new beginning, meaning a new order or creation, and man’s true born again event. (Biblestudy.org)

I hope this teaching encourages you to dig deeper into the Word of God and beyond what you are used to. The Apocrypha may not be canonized but they are a great source of Biblical history and filled with more details about the books that are canonized. Please take time to research for yourselves.