Hanukkah
The Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah is an eight-day festival recalling great religious persecution and a great military victory. Hanukkah means “dedication.” It honors the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after it was defiled by the sacrifice of a pig and a statue of Zeus about 150 years before Yeshua was born. This winter holiday is sometimes called the Festival of Lights. It encourages us to rededicate ourselves to God as lights in a dark world. Hanukkah is not one of God’s festivals in Leviticus 23. It is a feast of the people, one that Yeshua celebrated in John 10:22-23.
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. —John 10:22-23 [ESV]
This chapter in the Feast Book shares the tragic history of occupation by Greco-Syrian forces, and the cruel tortures and deaths wrought by their dictator. Against all odds, a small group of Jewish freedom fighters won control of Jerusalem, leading to the original Hanukkah events. This chapter demonstrates that God brings victory when we praise Him. It gives eight nights of scripture readings, activities, menus, and recipes to help celebrate this season.