Today is the first day of the ninth month on the Biblical Calendar. Post exile, this month has been called Kislev (Chisleu) a name of foreign origin that means "his confidence."
This is the month of Hanukkah, also known as the Feast of Dedication. Hanukkah commemorates events that took place in between the time of Malachi and the birth of Jesus.
This is the month of Hanukkah, also known as the Feast of Dedication. Hanukkah commemorates events that took place in between the time of Malachi and the birth of Jesus.
The simple story of Hanukkah is this: Jerusalem and the Temple of God had been trampled and overrun by Antiochus IV, the evil king of Assyria. Judah Maccabee and his band of rebels revolted against Antiochus, reclaimed the Temple area, and re-dedicated it to God. Legend and tradition claim that there was only enough oil to burn the Temple lamp for one day but that God kept it burning for eight days and nights until fresh holy oil could be prepared.
Prior to these events, Antiochus IV had bargained with the Sanhedrin to "Hellenize" Jerusalem and the Temple area. This means making it more Greek or worldly so that God's people and land could participate in the global marketplace. When the faithful among God's people rebelled against this, Antiochus crushed their rebellion and took over the Temple. He cut off the regular Temple sacrifices and deliberately defiled the Temple of God by offering pigs on the altar. Then, he set up a statue of himself in the Temple and declared Himself to be god.
The events of Hanukkah serve as a historical example of a day still yet to come. They foreshadow events that will take place in the world when the antichrist is raised up to power. (2Thessalonians 2:4; Daniel 7:3-27, 8:2-27, 11:31-36; Revelation 13:1-18.)
When Jesus walked on earth, He observed and celebrated Hanukkah as the Feast of Dedication. In contrast to Antiochus IV, Jesus did not declare Himself to be God on the Temple Mount even though He could have done so truthfully. In fact, it was during Hanukkah that the religious authorities strongly pressured Jesus to declare Himself plainly but He turned their pressure back on their own heads.
Interestingly, it was during the Festival of Dedication that Jesus was conceived in His mother's womb. Nine months later, He was born during the Feast of Tabernacles in a "tent" of flesh as the true eternal light of the world. The Temple of His physical body was destroyed through crucifixion but through His resurrection, His incorruptible body was raised to eternal life and He is now seated at the right hand of God. Until He returns, we are God's Temple and the light of the world as His spiritual Body. (John 2:19; Ephesians 1:23; Colossians 1:18.)
Other notable events this month include King Jehoiakim burning Jeremiah's scroll in apathy towards the word of God; Ezra mourning over Israel's excessive intermarriage with unbelieving pagans and calling for massive separation from all foreign wives and their children; Nehemiah inquiring about Jerusalem only to hear of its brokenness which led him into weeping, fasting, and prayer for God's people; Haggai prophesying a great shaking of all kingdoms and God using His people as a signet ring; and Zechariah instructing the people that true devotion is revealed not through external displays of piety but through loving justice, mercy, and genuine kindness.
This is a month of re-dedication and placing our confidence in Jesus so that He can place His confidence in us. Therefore, in Jesus' name, may you be blessed to rededicate yourself as God's holy Temple and not be found among those who compromise with worldliness, and may you step out in faith to shine brightly for God's Kingdom as the light of the world.
Scripture References in this Month:
Ezra 10:9-10
Nehemiah 1:1-11
Zechariah 7:1-14
1 Chronicles 27:12
Jeremiah 36:1-32
Haggai 2:10-23
John 10:22-39
Apocryphal References: 1 & 2 Maccabees
Excerpted from and originally published as: "Blessing of the Ninth Month (Kislev)" - Reprinted from Blessings of the Biblical Calendar - Copyright © 2015 Wendy Bowen – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE