| Author | Message | ||
| Christo Registered user Username: Christo Post Number: 255 Registered: 2-2008 |
John 10: 22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. 23And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. The feast of dedication was, what is now referred to as Hanukah. Scripture does not indicate whether or not Jesus kept Hanukah, just that he was present in the temple during this time. Sabbath keepers will state that Paul kept the sabbath on account that he presented himself at the synagogue, to teach on the sabbath. So applying that logic it could be said that Jesus was a Hanukah keeper because he taught in the temple during this winter festival. I do not apply this logic in either of these two cases, but do feel the mention of the feast of dedication was not mentioned just to make an essay assignment a certain number of words in length, as if instructed to do so by a college Greek class instructor. 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: The feast of dedication marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by the forces of the King of Syria Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The Temple in Jerusalem was looted and the services stopped, Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus erected in the Temple. He banned circumcision and ordered pigs to be sacrificed at the altar of the temple. This put quite a dent in the sacrificial system of that time. This event is historically covered in the books of Maccabees, and by Josephus , but also prophetically covered in the book of Daniel as the cleansing of the sanctuary. I give thanks that we as temples of God, have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus. God Bless, Chris | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 1832 Registered: 6-2006  |
Chris, I think about this every year. I tried to share the story with my SDA family, but they looked at me with confusion and changed the subject. Short conversation! This is from Jewish Encyclopedia.com where Daniel is mentioned. The Feast of Dedication, also called "Feast of the Maccabees," celebrated during eight days from the twenty-fifth day of Kislew (December), chiefly as a festival of lights. It was instituted by Judas Maccabeus, his brothers, and the elders of the congregation of Israel, in the year 165 B.C., to be celebrated annually with mirth and joy as a memorial of the dedication of the altar (I Macc. iv. 59) or of the purification of the sanctuary (II Macc. i. 18). Three years earlier, on the same day, Antiochus Epiphanes had caused a pagan altar to be set up at the altar of burnt offerings in the Temple at Jerusalem, and sacrifices to be offered to his idol (I Macc. i. 41-64; II Macc. vi. 2). The idol called "Zeus Olympius" was probably also called "Ba'al Shamayim," of which seems to be a cacophemy (Dan. xi. 31, xii. 11; I Macc. i. 54; see Hoffmann, "Ueber Einige Phönizische Inschriften," 1889, p. 29). After having recovered the Holy City and the Temple, Judas ordered the latter to be cleansed, a new altar to be built in place of the one polluted, and new holy vessels to be made. When the fire had been kindled anew upon the altar and the lamps of the candlestick lit, the dedication of the altar was celebrated for eight days amid sacrifices and songs (I Macc. iv. 36), similarly to the Feast of Tabernacles (II Macc. x. 6; comp. ib. i. 9), which also lasts for eight days, and at which during the Second Temple (Suk.v. 2-4) the lighting of lamps and torches formed a prominent part. Lights were also kindled in the household, and the popular name of the festival was, therefore, according to Josephus ("Ant." xii. 7, § 7), Πῶτα = "Festival of Lights." The IJ can't really be explained in Scripture without pulling together random verses to "prove" it, in addition to completely contradicting Jesus' words and complete atonement at the cross. On the other hand, the desolation and later cleansing of the temple (in Daniel's prophesy) has not only been referred to in Jesus' time, but is proven by Jewish history books and celebrated through the ages. Happy Hanukkah!  Leigh Anne | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 955 Registered: 2-2008  |
Hanukkah is how the Jews celebrate that the prophecy in Daniel 8 was fulfilled. If the Jews were celebrating the fulfillment of the prophecy in Daniel 8 when Jesus was on earth... why didn't Jesus correct their understanding of Daniel 8? Would Jesus not have told them that Daniel 8 was referring to a future judgment and that Maccabees and Antiochus had nothing to do with Daniel 8? Leigh Anne... this is a short conversation with my family also. vivian |
