Whether you light a Hanukkah menorah or not, kèep in mind this Sunday evening, the 25th, of Kislev, the beginning of Hanukkah, that the Maccabees lit the 7 branch temple menorah.
The one unsealed bottle of the very special oil which should have lasted one night, lasted long enough for the worshipers to celebrate Sukkot and Simchat Torah. That's a total of eight nights. Thus the eight nights & days of Hanukkah and special menorah with 8 branches.
Exodus 25:37 You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it.
Revelation 4:5 -- And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
While the book of Revelation never names Hanukkah, Revelation is a Danielic reinterpretation of the Antiochus/Hanukkah crisis as a prototype of end‑time oppression. Daniel's prophecy and Revelation, adopts the Temple, the lampstand, and desecration and restoration imagery deeply associated with the Hanukkah story. Daniel's vision and prophecy predate Hanukkah by about 350 years!
Revelation presents the final victory of God and the Lamb as a cosmic, ultimate “dedication” and “Festival of Lights” in which the entire creation becomes the dwelling place of God and radiates his glory.
History Keeps on Repeating
Judaism's history is filled with times our enemies sought to wipe us out. Yet, each time by some devine way we were saved. Jews say on Passover the following:
Vehi She’amda Prayer - "And this (Hashem’s blessings and the Torah) is what kept our fathers and what keeps us surviving. For, not only one arose and tried to destroy us, rather in every generation they try to destroy us, and Hashem saves us from their hands."
An evil leader from the Egyptians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans all tried and failed. The stories of their attempts make up the Hebrew bible. Hanukkah, with the evil Antiochus Epiphanes, is a documented example of the miraculous victory of the Maccabees including a tremendous battle in which Judas Maccabeus scores an incredible victory. Judas, "the Hammer" gives all the glory to God. Yet, the Jewish message of Hanukkah doesn't focus on the war. It focuses on the very special oil that lasted eight nights. What does this have to do with Jesus?
Messiah means "anointed one." Consider the very special sealed jar of the high priests oil, reserved to anoint kings and priests for consecration and honor, that was found and used to light the temple menorah in the story of Hanukkah.
In John 12:1-8 Mary anointed Jesus with "nard," a form of this oil, six days before the Passover, while Jesus and the apostles are having dinner.
There is so much that can be said about the connection between the temple menorah, the Hanukkah menorah and Jesus. The parallels in the scriptures and the symbolism are quite amazing. I have written several blog posts about this, the most recent being The Menorah Psalm.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the point I want to conclude with is that Christians should be celebrating the defeat of Antiochus and Hanukkah as well. In addition, Jews and Christians should take to heart the message Jesus gave at the time of the Feast of Dedication, Hanukkah, when He was at the temple in Jerusalem. Furthermore, Jews and Christians should rejoice that the Devine watches over His people. Mark the message Jesus gives in John 10:22-23 -- At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.
Jesus says "plainly" John 10:27-28 -- My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Hanukkah has an end-times reassuring message for anyone who has ears to hear and eyes to see. One man who did was David.
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet[b] I will be confident.
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire[c] in his temple.
