Hanukkah – What Did Jesus Say and Do About This Feast? How About You??

“The king being thereto disposed beforehand, complied with them, and came upon the Jews with a great army, and took their city by force, and slew a great multitude of those that favored Ptolemy, and sent out his soldiers to plunder them without mercy. He also spoiled the temple, and put a stop to the constant practice of offering a daily sacrifice of expiation for three years and six months.” — The Jewish War

 

1. The Maccabeus family led this revolt; also know as the Maccabees (proper name: the Hasmoneans).  
2. Antiochus’ soldiers were trying to get Jewish priests to begin sacrificial offerings to pagan idols.  When a soldier went to Mattathias Maccabeus and tried to make him do this, Mattathias killed that soldier.  This essentially started the revolt.
3. Mattathias, a Jewish priest, and his five sons (Jochanan, Simeon, Eleazar, Jonathan & Judah) led a rebellion against Antiochus IV Epiphanes. 
4. By 166 BC, Mattathias died and Judah took his father’s place as the leader of the revolt.  Judah became known as “Judah the Hammer.” 
5. By 165 BC, the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy succeeded. 
6. Hence, Judah ordered the Temple to be cleansed, a new altar to be built in place of the polluted one, and new holy vessels to be made.  
7. At the time, very little oil was left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Kosher oil was needed for the menorah (candelabrum) in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night, every night, as part of the cleansing and rededication. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, but it burned for eight days. This was the exact time needed to prepare a fresh supply of kosher oil. 
8. Thus, the Temple was cleansed, liberated, and rededicated. The festival of Hanukkah was instituted to celebrate this major event in Jewish history. (Note: the holiday honors the miracle of the oil, NOT the military victory.  Jewish people never desire to glorify war in any way.)
9. This history needs to be known to properly understand the NT: The Seleucid’s ultimately left Israel.  As a result, some Jews laid down their weapons.  Later these Jews became the Hasidim: later known as the Pharisees (law-keepers). To the contrary, the Maccabees seized control of the Temple, came against the Pharisees, and became the Temple priests. This group became known as the Sadducees. They fell in love and defended Greek things, which they previously pledged to resist.

“There is no question among expositors that Antiochus is in view in this prophecy. What was prophesied was fulfilled literally through him. However, the prophecy looks beyond Antiochus to a future person (the Antichrist) of whom Antiochus is only a foreshadowing.  This coming one is said to ‘stand against the Prince of princes’ (v. 25). This can be none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.” [Taken from: J. Dwight Pentecost, “Daniel,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1359.]