It is nearly time to celebrate Hanukkah again and I just love the story of the small group of brave warriors from the Maccabees family, through a miracle of Yahweh, victoriously took back the Temple from the strong and mighty Greek army. This full of fire Maccabees warriors didn’t bend their knees to any Greek idols and pagan traditions. They rather took their stand in the TRUTH and didn’t compromise once to let go of Yahweh’s Word, commandments or instructions. They are such a huge example for us till today about standing on the crossroads of this world and decide: “Before whom will I bend my knee?”.

Hanukkah (also spelled “Chanukah”) is an eight-day winter “festival of lights”, (it is winter in Israel now) which begins each year on the 25th day of the Jewish calendar month of Kislev, the Ninth Biblical month. Because the Hebrew calendar is based on the lunar cycle, the dates of Jewish holidays according to the Gregorian calendar change yearly. For this reason, the beginning of Hanukkah can range from late November to late December.

During this Biblical year of 5994 we start celebrating Hanukkah on Wednesday, December 25, at sundown, which is very interesting because it’s exactly also the day the pagan celebration of Christmas would be. Hannukah continues then for eight days through to Thursday, January 2, 2025. The first candle is lit on the Chanukiah (Hannukah Menorah) on the first night of Hanukkah on Wednesday, December 25, at sundown.

REDEDICATION

YAHWEH IS DOING A NEW THING

Do you know the word “Hanukkah” means rededication? The start of the Hanukkah celebrations this year on December 25 is very significant. YAHWEH IS DOING A NEW THING. Just as the Maccabees family took a stand not to bow their knees in front of pagan traditions and foreign gods, so we need to take a stand also this year by not following the wicked group of pagan worshippers celebrating Christmas. Father will cut off the Harlot Church! We need to rededicate ourselves back to Yahweh and His Truth and cut ourselves loose from the Harlot Church!

Below I will share a prophetic word of Apostle Rebeckah Erlank about the Harlot Church keeping the pagan Christmas feast and what Father said about it. On the same topic, you can also read my blog post: “Christmas without YOU” https://mattaniahministries.co.za/2024/11/25/christmas-without-you/

THE STORY OF HANUKKAH

The Miracle of Preservation

Back in 165 BC, the Greek King Antiochus’ plan was forced “Hellenization.” That meant imposing Greek customs, including idolatry, onto everyone. It meant forbidding the practice of the Jewish religion also, including circumcision. Ultimately, to ensure that no one could worship the Elohim of Israel, Antiochus defiled the Temple in Jerusalem. He placed idols in the house of Yahweh and sacrificed a sow upon the holy altar. He not only defiled Yahweh’s Temple, but he took the title “Epiphanes,” which means “Elohim manifested,” and demanded to be worshiped. In response to his blasphemous claim to deity, the Jewish people modified his title, calling him “Epimanes” (crazy).

It was a terribly dark period in Israel’s history, but Yahweh raised up a small band of heroes led by a family known as the Maccabees (according to one explanation, Maccabee means “hammer”). They waged a successful rebellion against Antiochus and drove the Syrians out of Israel. The Feast of Hanukkah commemorates the victory that Yahweh gave the Jewish people over Antiochus and his mighty army. We call the holiday Hanukkah (dedication), because the high point of their victory was rededicating the Temple in Jerusalem.

MIRACLE OF THE OIL

Many legends surround this historic event, but the most famous is the “miracle of the oil.” It is said that when the Maccabees recaptured Jerusalem, they immediately set out to rededicate the Temple. But they faced a pressing problem: they needed consecrated oil to rekindle the sacred candelabra. They found only enough for one day. They would need more oil for subsequent days, but it would take a full eight days to procure enough for Temple use.

The thought of lighting this great candelabrum only to see it go out again was heart-wrenching. Yet the zeal to rededicate the Temple was so strong that, despite the dilemma, they decided to light the candelabrum. A traditional saying arose from this Hanukkah story: “Nes gadol haya sham,” which means, “A great miracle happened there.” The great miracle was that the oil, enough for only one day, continued to burn for eight whole days, which allowed for enough time to make and sanctify new oil. According to this legend, this is why we celebrate Hanukkah for eight nights, and why the hanukkiah is lit for eight nights as well.

Hanukkah in the Bible

You may be surprised to learn that Yahshua celebrated Hanukkah, and it’s mentioned in the New Testament in John Chapter 10. At that time, Hanukkah was called “the Feast of Dedication” because it commemorated the dedication of the Temple. While this celebration was going on Yahshua was in the temple talking to a group of Jews.

“At that time the FEAST OF DEDICATION took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Yahshua was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So, the Jews gathered around Him and said to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly. Yahshua answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 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. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.” (John 10:22-31)

It was during Hanukkah that Yahshua engaged in conversation about his Messianic identity. While Israel remembered their heritage of faithful worship in the Temple, Yahshua identified Himself as the Good Shepherd of Israel. He identifies Himself as the fulfilment of the prophecy against faithless shepherds in Ezekiel 34:2 and as the Messiah who would shepherd Yahweh’s people with faithfulness.

Yahshua is the living Temple who was rejected during Hanukkah and the people picked up stones to stone him for blasphemy. The timing of this conversation about faithful worship and Yahweh’s provision of the Messiah is significant.

If he hadn’t been who he claimed to be, they would have been right to stone him.

The rededication of the Temple at Hanukkah was a reminder of Yahweh’s power to keep His promises and preserve His people. But Yahshua once declared, speaking of Himself, “Something greater than the temple is here” (Matthew 12:6). And He made another astounding claim: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). Remember, this is Hanukkah. Fresh in the Jew’s minds was the fact that they had rightly rejected the false claims of Antiochus. Now here is Yahshua, standing in the Temple saying that He and the Father is ONE.

The reaction of the leaders was predictable: “Again the Judean leaders picked up stones to stone Him” (John 10:31). And if He hadn’t been who He claimed to be, if He hadn’t already performed signs and wonders before their eyes, they would have been absolutely right to do so.

Should believers in Yahweh celebrate Hanukkah?

I suppose my answer would be fairly open. Those who are not Jewish are free to appreciate Yahweh’s provision for Israel without actually celebrating Hanukkah. At the same time, those who are Messianic Christians are certainly free to celebrate according to Jewish tradition. Finally, all Christian parents can initiate encouraging conversations to help their children understand what Hanukkah means and to give thanks to our Yahweh who continues to provide for and protect his people and to rededicate ourselves to Him again.

While the story of the oil is a beautiful one, it’s difficult to verify. It isn’t mentioned in the earlier accounts of the Maccabeen revolt, such as in 2 Maccabees. The first recorded mention of the story appears much later in the Talmud. Maybe a day’s worth of oil supernaturally burned for eight days, and maybe it didn’t.

Many believe that a more likely reason we celebrate Hanukkah for eight days is that the Maccabees, upon recapturing Jerusalem, conducted a belated Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) celebration. Remember, Solomon himself had chosen that very same feast to dedicate the Temple when it was newly built. So the eight-day festival of joy and thanksgiving would have been an especially appropriate way to commemorate the rededication of the Temple.

The miracle of Hanukkah is the miracle of Yahweh’s preserving power

It is still appropriate at Hanukkah to say, “Nes gadol haya sham—a great miracle happened there.” The miracle of Hanukkah is the miracle of Yahweh’s preserving power. Israel’s victory over Antiochus and his mighty army showed forth that miraculous power.

Yahweh made many specific promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He vowed to preserve and sustain their descendants forever. In fact, He staked His reputation on the continuation of those promises when He declared, “If this fixed order [of the sun, moon, and stars] departs from before me … then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” (Jeremiah 31:36).

Many enemies have attempted to annihilate the Jews throughout history! Antiochus was one of the worst. But Yahweh has always preserved them. Yahshua’s power to preserve was not a temporal, physical power. It was eternal and spiritual—and it was based on faith in Him as the Holy One of Yahweh. The victory He offered was not over Roman or Greek oppression but over the oppression of sin, death, and dark spiritual forces.

The Miracle of Immanuel

When the Jews rejected Antiochus, Yahweh kept His promises, miraculously preserving them. But when the Jewish leaders wrongly rejected Yahshua’s claims that day, they missed an even greater miracle than Israel’s against-all-odds victory over the overwhelming Greek army. They missed the miracle of Immanuel, Yahweh with us. That miracle gave Yahshua the right to claim power to preserve those who come to Him.

Yahweh does keep His promises, even when we fail to recognize it. He said through the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty and Everlasting Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) Yahshua fulfilled these promises from Yahweh. In Him, Yahweh has proven His faithfulness to Israel and to all the world.

BIBLICAL YEAR 5995

My sincere prayer today is that you will find time in these 8 days of Hanukkah to rededicate yourself to Yahweh and His Son Yahshua and ask Them to refill you with new oil to burn like never before! The next Biblical year 5995 will be a year of rededication and receiving Yahweh’s Hidden Manna in a Supernatural way. I will release a prophetic word regarding this before the Biblical New Year starts in Aviv / Nissan / April as well as a Biblical Calander (first from Mattaniah Ministries) called: HIDDEN MANNA with a Passover Giftbag with special, anointed and seasonal gits in. Watch this space for more details later.

As promised, here is Apostle Rebeckah Erlank’s prophetic word and sadly to say, I experience the same challenges in my own ministry.

APOSTLE REBECKAH ERLANK

Watch “The Harlot Church – You are cut off!

Christmas is a pagan festival! YAHWEH is doing a NEW thing.”