As a young child growing up in a Christian household, I realized that most Jewish people did not believe Jesus Christ was the Messiah. They believed in our God, and they kept at least the first five books of our bible; but they did not believe the Gospel of the New Testament.
I felt sorry for them.
My first bible verse in Sunday School was “God is love.” Somewhere in the back of my conscience mind, I knew that the same God who loved me loved all of those Jewish people too.
GOD IS LOVE
I was a child and I thought as a child; but the innocence of my thoughts was right.
God DID love them too.
In my childish ignorance, I felt so sorry for them though; because they, not believing in Jesus, could not celebrate Christmas like we always did.
We practically spent 364 days out of each year counting down the seconds until Christmas. I could not (at that time) imagine never celebrating it at all.
When I was about ten; I found out about Hanukkah.
HANUKKAH MEANS REDEDICATION
It was explained to me this way: “The Jews had to have something to celebrate to make them not feel so bad when we were celebrating Christmas; so they made Hanukkah.” A wise older friend from school told me this little bit of misunderstood history. Being very gullible, I drank it all up like Koolaid.
Those poor Jews!
Now, as an old lady, (I’m a grandmother now,) I still feel sorry for anyone who is not willing to believe in Jesus Christ as Messiah. Knowing Him has sustained me through a lifetime of ups and downs and highs and lows. I still can’t imagine life without knowing that Jesus is Messiah.
As I get closer and closer to the downside of this hill called life; I look forward to spending eternity with Him. Some days I watch the skies just knowing that God might give the word at any moment and He could return in the twinkling of an eye.
IN THE TWINKLNG OF AN EYE
As a little girl I would think; what if Jesus returns today and those Jewish people are still only celebrating Hanukkah?
Then I grew up.
Fortunately; I found out that Jesus WAS one of those Jews who celebrated Hanukkah!
You can imagine how surprised I was.
I’ll never forget the first time I figured it out. I was reading my Bible from John Chapter 10, verses 22-23.
(John 10:22-23) And it was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked on the temple in Solomon’s porch.
I asked myself; what is the Feast of Dedication?
THE FEAST OF DEDICATION
I found out it was the celebration of Hanukkah, which the Jewish people had celebrated for 2,400 years, ever since the Maccabees won the war against the evil ruler named Antiochus IV and took back the Temple; which He had desecrated by worshipping Zeus instead of God.
When the people took the City of Jerusalem back (through many tough wars and fighting against impossible odds) from the evil desecrations of Antiochus IV; they completely cleansed and rededicated the Temple.
At the time they went back into the Temple to worship The One True God again, there was only enough oil found to light the Menorah for one day.
However; the oil miraculously lasted for eight days!
THE OIL LASTED FOR EIGHT DAYS
This great and astonishing miracle gave them the confirmation that God was back in the Temple with them, and that He was pleased with the re-dedication that had taken place.
They called the time of this great miracle Hanukkah; and they began to celebrate the time as a festival of praise to God every year afterward. Sometimes it was called “The Feast of Dedication” or “The Festival of Lights,” and eventually it became known as Hanukkah.
I realized that Jesus had grown up celebrating the miracle of Hanukkah; and I knew from reading the scriptures that the Feast of Dedication in John’s writings was Hanukkah.
The Jewish people were celebrating a miracle from God that saved and sustained their people and their culture. It wasn’t just the miracle of the oil lasting; it was also the victory God had given them in the culture battles that had seemed impossible to pull off.
My blind eyes were opened a little wider.
A RENEWED PERSPECTIVE
After that awakening; I became very curious about the annual eight-day celebrations of Hanukkah. From that point forward, I began to prayerfully study its true meanings.
John went on to speak of Jesus standing on Solomon’s porch and stating: “I am the Light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12)
Jesus knew and loudly proclaimed what many modern-day Gentiles (like me) had not realized.
He knew that God had used the miracle of that first Hanukkah to make a symbolic statement; that the REAL Light of the World was coming. That Light would also be a great miracle; the greatest miracle ever known to the universe.
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Just as the miracle of the oil in the Temple lasting for eight days had saved the true worshippers at the re-dedicated and cleansed Temple; so too would The Light of The World come to men as a Messiah.
He would miraculously save them.
Jesus would open their spiritual eyes so that they could see; just as the light in the Temple had physically helped the ancient people to see.
My eyes too had been opened wider.
I finally realized that Hanukkah is a beautiful story-shadow of what Jesus came to be for Christianity.
Both stories give a miracle and a great victory to God’s people.
A MIRACLE AND A VICTORY
So it was that I began to celebrate the eight days of Hanukkah as part of our Christmas season; knowing that the Hanukkah candles told the stories of Jesus being The Great Miracle that became The Light of the World.
There are eight candles on the Hanukkah Menorah, plus one “servant candle” which is slightly elevated above the others.
This Servant Candle is lit first.
The first flame from it’s wick is shared with the first candle on the first day of Hanukkah.
This “Servant Candle” that is used to light all of the other candles of the Menorah represents Christ.
THE SERVANT CANDLE BRINGS LIGHT TO ALL
Each day of Hanukkah, the message of the Light of The World grows brighter because each day the light from the first and highest candle is shared with another candle, until at the end of the festival; all eight candles are lit together.
First; there are only two; then we see three candles burning on the next day of the festival.
The next day brings the lighting of four candles.
On the following day five candles burn.
Then the next day six candles burn.
On the sixth day, seven candles burn; and on the seventh day; eight candles burn.
THE SEVENTH DAY PROVIDES EVEN MORE LIGHT
By the time we reach the eighth day, the whole Menorah is burning brightly (all nine of the candles are united together.)
Each candle being lit on each consecutive day makes more and more light because of the light provided originally from the Servant Candle, which is shared over and over again each day of the festival.
I love keeping this tradition at our house now!
Don’t tell me this doesn’t tie in with Christmas.
It speaks of Christ in a million different ways!
A MESSAGE FOR ALL
One day the lights of the Menorah will shine out so bright that the Jewish people will see too!
Of course; at this stage of my life’s journey I have learned to think of Christmas a bit different too.
Another hidden fact that totally shocked my learning happened on the day I found out that Jesus wasn’t actually born in December.
I learned He was was actually born in the Fall of the year during the time of the celebration of Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles.)
It was hard at first to change our course; but the truth is the truth.
THE TRUTH IS THE TRUTH
So it was that we began to celebrate the birth of Christ during The Feast of Tabernacles and not at Christmas when all the rest of the world was celebrating.
Guess what?
That actually became a more precious time for us!
Now; we always take that time of the year off to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles; and we are free to celebrate the birth of Christ for all eight days of that feast; as well as focus on all of the rest of the life of Jesus as well. The message sings in our hearts all year long afterward.
These celebrations are always very rich.
The time is more intimate; very joyful and fulfilling.
AN INTERESTNG DISCOVERY
Then one day; (the miracles never stop) we discovered almost by accident; that any fall birth would have had to be conceived during the month of December.
That was when we went back to celebrating the CONCEPTION OF CHRIST on December 25th.
NOT THE BIRTH – BUT THE CONCEPTION.
CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS NOW
Every December now, we celebrate Christmas by remembering that Emmanuel – Christ with us – came down from heaven to be among us!
He came in the tiniest form of a seed that miraculously grew into a child, then a man.
God sent Gabriel to announce the Good News to Mary; and with that announcement; Jesus came to earth in the tiny little seed that formed a small embryo of a tiny little baby which was carefully planted to live for nine months inside Mary’s womb.
So with this realization; we came to think of that first servant candle (that stands for Jesus at Hanukkah) as being symbolic of the seed/embryo growing inside the womb of Mary.
A very pregnant Mary is now symbolic of, and represents; the Church which is full of Holy Spirit-led believers of Jesus Christ as Messiah.
This true Church works like a mother’s womb; as a warm and safe place for baby-believers to grow into maturity.
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE MENORAH
Every day that we light another candle of the nine-branched Menorah at Hanukkah, we can visualize how the baby inside Mary’s womb (representing Jesus and The Good News of The Gospel) begins to grow and grow and grow.
The miracle happens more with each passing day.
Each time the light is lite again it is symbolic of God sending down more and more of the nourishment needed for spiritual/and/or physical growth for His children.
Each candle of the Hanukkah Menorah represents another month (or another stage) of a Christian’s growth.
We grow by realizing and imitating the things that helped Christ to grow from that tiny little seed into Our Messiah.
THE FRUITS OF GOD’S SPIRIT
There are nine gifts from God that come when we begin to grow. We have called these gifts The Fruits of The Spirit.
They are; 1)love, 2)Joy, 3)Peace, 4)Patience, 5)Kindness, 6) Goodness, 7) Faithfulness, 8) Gratitude, 9) Self-Control.
We know that Jesus became the “first-fruits” and that we are to be the fruits of the latter harvests of God.
Each candle of the Menorah carries this symbolism for Christians who are desiring to grow in God’s grace and mercy during each year of their lives.
One-by-one the candle lightings of Hanukkah remind us of this continuous growth pattern that God has laid out for us on the road to Christian maturity.
As we light each one; we think of a different aspect of the Christian Character.
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH THE SERVANT CANDLE
Of course all good light starts with the Servant Candle; and that candle represents Christ who is symbolic of love.
Nothing can happen unless love goes first.
There are nine candles counting the Servant Candle. Each consecutive candle represents the nine months of the growth of a child inside its mother’s womb, and/or the growth we experience in the Christian life.
Like the spreading of The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by God’s Holy Spirit living in God’s people; each candle representing the nine months of pregnancy and growth adds more and more light as it grows over time.
Each Fruit of The Spirit helps us to mature and to become the people who are fit to become The Kingdom of Heaven.
The Church on this earth grows in just the same way. A small light becomes more, and more, until it lights up a whole land.
THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED
The Kingdom of Heaven works like the lighting of the Menorah.
Jesus even told us a parable about such; one where all of the birds of the fields come to nest in the huge tree that started out as only a tiny little mustard seed but grew into a huge tree which held many families of nesting birds.
The next nine months (from January – October on the world’s calendars) are growing months for God’s people. Each holy season during these times shows and teaches us different ways to grow into what God intends for each of us to be.
So the joyful festival of Hanukkah continues for eight days.
Until we finally have all the candles of the Menorah lit; and you can begin to feel the birth pangs begin to happen. Observing this season restores and renews us. It gives us constant hope of The Kingdom of Heaven. Our hearts know that something better is about to happen.
THE BIRTHING PROCESS
In the end of time as we know it – the Church will finally give birth to all of its members. They will be “born again” inside The Kingdom of Heaven.
Our old incorruptible bodies will become new and un-corruptible. This is all because they started their growth with the flame from the light of the Servant – Jesus Christ; the flame that represents love.
At this moment of birth; the whole world will become full of light!
Like the Hanukkah Menorah on the Eighth Day of Hanukkah.
The Light of the World brings to all of us the greatest miracle of all; eternal life with God.
OUR NEW TRADITION
This year at our house we will begin a new tradition.
When the servant candle has lit all of the candles for all of the eight days of Hanukkah; bringing more and more light into the world each day; we will take it’s flame and light one larger white candle that stands alone inside our Advent Wreath. On this day it stands alone but during the next months it will be surrounded by nine smaller candles.
These candles (like the Hanukkah Menorah) will be symbolic of the nine months of a mother’s pregnancy growing until full-term and the birth of the child/and/or the Church growing into God’s Kingdom of Heaven, with Christ ruling through all of eternity.
We will see the whole miracle of the Light going full-circle in the ancient times at Hanukkah that are symbolically representing The Old Testament times.
Also; we will light the Advent Wreath’s Christ Candle with the light of the Menorah’s Servant Candle on Christmas Day, symbolizing the fullness of The Conception of Christ – God with us!
AN ADVENT WREATH FOR THE WHOLE YEAR
This very unusual Advent wreath will stay on our table all year.
On the first Sabbath of each Hebraic month that follows; we will begin to light one of the smaller candles. We will light these by adding another candle for each passing month until nine months have progressed. As we go through each month we will study one fruit of the Spirit. At the end of the year; we will have studied all nine.
We will take the wreath with us to The Feast of Tabernacles. On the Eighth day of that Festival time (The Great Last Day) we will re-light the Christ candle in the middle which will be symbolic of The Birth of Our Savior and Messiah, Jesus Christ.
This year-long Advent Wreath will remind us and become symbolic of The Gospel of Jesus Christ; represented in the miracle of The New Testament.
SOMETHING OLD/SOMETHING NEW
As Hanukkah connects us to the culmination at The Feast of Tabernacles, we will symbolically celebrate the fact that God continuously makes all things new!
This eighth lighting will be symbolic of the child fully developed into the Son of God who has become The Savior of the World; our Messiah – Jesus.
He is the Great Miracle of the story of Hanukkah.
Our Messiah is The Light of the World!
As we go through the nine months from December to September/October of this present year and its upcoming months – we will consider all of the layers and miracles of the thousands of ways that a child of God grows to maturity. Each month will have something new to teach us about being the children of God.
NINE WAYS TO GROW ANNUALLY
When the nine months are up, and we have considered nine different ways which we grow; we will celebrate how Hanukkah led us to the time of Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles.)
The two times are definitely connected; just as Passover and Pentecost are also connected.
Hopefully the Temples (Tabernacles) of today (our bodies united with God’s Holy Spirit) will have grown in nine different ways throughout the whole year.
THOSE OTHER THREE MONTHS
The months from September till December (after the Feast of Tabernacles and until Hanukkah) represent the time which we all spent with God even before our time as an embryo began.
This is a quiet and reflective time full of gratitude and grace.
The scriptures state clearly that God knew us before we were born, even before we became the tiny embryo that was planted inside our mother’s womb.
Jesus was with God in Heaven way before He came to be that baby in the manger. Together they created the world!
There was a time when we knew nothing but God.
The process of being “born-again” into God’s Kingdom will bring us back to such a time again in eternity.
THE FULL CIRCLE OF LIFE WITH GOD
God takes us full-circle each year.
Annually we consider how God does these miracles of life.
At the end of all earthly times, we will have gone full-circle. At that time, we will be ready for our eternal destiny to begin.
Funny, isn’t it?
I mean how one little discovery of truth can lead to another, then another, then another.
The amazing thing about God is that the miracles never quit coming. He is always making things new.
HE IS ALWAYS MAKING THINGS NEW
It is a continuous cycle called life.
The Kingdom of Heaven is constantly giving birth.
The past quickly becomes the future.
Today quickly fades away and becomes Eternity.
Before we even begin to know what is happening; life on earth is done.
TWO BECOMING ONE
Those Jewish people will see all of this soon.
All in God’s precious time.
They gave the first stories to us.
Now we are giving the next chapters back to them.
God wants all of His children to know every story, both new and old; so that we can all begin to grow together.
His miracles never quit speaking!