A CHANUKAH FOR MESSIAH
by Jeremy Chance Springfield
12/2/2024
Kislev is the Hebrew month where we remember the redemption of Israel that occurred over two thousand years ago.
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It is at that time, on the festival of Chanukah, that scores of believers faithfully light an eight-branched candelabrum, called a menorah. However, this is no ordinary menorah. It is a specially constructed one in order to memorialize Israel’s salvation from the darkness of Syrian assimilation and the preservation of a people gratefully living the Kingdom rules of the Torah. This version serves as a testimony that the light of true faith and worship was not extinguished even in the darkest of times.
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A spark of hope flared in the gloom by the actions of faithful priests, eventually blazing among the people as a willingness to stand up for the righteous ways of the Kingdom on earth. Armed with a supernal dedication and unflinching resolve, the ministers who saw the Temple defiled cobbled together an unlikely army that--almost unbelievably—wreaked havoc on Antiochus IV’s invading Seleucid army and shattered their profane plans for the people of Israel.
This special season is also recorded in the Aramaic text of the Gospel of John chapter 10, where the disciple chronicled Yeshua’s attendance at the Temple almost two-hundred years later during the commemorative festival of Chanukah. The passage preserves an almost forgettable mention of this fact.
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22 Yet it was the Feast of Dedication in Urishlem, and it was winter. 23 And Yeshua was walking in the Temple, in the Porch of Shlemun. |
The intent of Yeshua's presence at Chanukah was significant, however. The purpose of His presence in Jerusalem at that time has sparked debate from commentators.
Notice that the text provides a rather simplistic detail: he stood in the Porch of Solomon. What was His intention lingering in Solomon’s Porch, just east of the gates of the Temple proper and the Outer Court? Was He acknowledging the vital redemption won by His ancestors on the original Chanukah so long ago? Or was He there to argue religion with His fellow countrymen?
Notice that the text provides a rather simplistic detail: he stood in the Porch of Solomon. What was His intention lingering in Solomon’s Porch, just east of the gates of the Temple proper and the Outer Court? Was He acknowledging the vital redemption won by His ancestors on the original Chanukah so long ago? Or was He there to argue religion with His fellow countrymen?
When we remember that inspired information is preserved for a purpose, we can better appreciate the details included in this straight-forward statement. To best understand the significance of Yeshua’s Temple attendance being focused at Solomon's Porch at Chanukah, the context of the festival needs to be first addressed in more detail.
The triumph of the few during the original historical context of Chanukah was summarized spiritually by an actual miracle of the preservation of holy oil for the Temple’s menorah. A single, lone vial—still sealed and its contents undefiled—held only enough fuel for one day, but the oil persisted in spite of all natural law to burn the wicks for seven days beyond logical expectation!
For a more in-depth examination of these matters, please read: DEDICATE THE HOUSE.
The triumph of the few during the original historical context of Chanukah was summarized spiritually by an actual miracle of the preservation of holy oil for the Temple’s menorah. A single, lone vial—still sealed and its contents undefiled—held only enough fuel for one day, but the oil persisted in spite of all natural law to burn the wicks for seven days beyond logical expectation!
For a more in-depth examination of these matters, please read: DEDICATE THE HOUSE.
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This fiery phenomenon spoke of their faith that could not be extinguished. The priests who could no more light the menorah during the invasion and desecration of the beloved Temple lit fires instead in the hearts of their countrymen. That newly kindled enthusiasm inflamed them in the darkness of despair to hold hope aloft for all to see that the prophetic plans the Holy One possessed for Israel were by no means snuffed out by the enemy's growing shadow.
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A special menorah is therefore lit to commemorate the conflict and the miracle that arose from the ashes of what seemed to be certain defeat. Judaism refers to this act of lighting by the Aramaic phrase PARSOMEI NISSA “Publicizing the miracle.”
One is to “publicize,” or as the Aramaic more literally reads—“spread out”—the miracle of victory and acceptance of the diligence of the priesthood by igniting the lights of a special menorah during Chanukah. The ancient text of the Talmud, in Shabbat 21b, speaks of how this was variously done by the competing religious schools of first century Israel.
The view of the school of Hillel won favor over Shammai, and so the Chanukah menorah is lit with successively more candles as the festival progresses. In order to "ascend" in the concept of holiness, eight total lights are lit, beginning with one single candle and adding a new light each day of the festival, with its accompanying Shamash "servant" candle used to light each one. This menorah is lit to commemorate the actions of the priest, whose duty it was to light the menorah erected in the Temple.
The Torah records that original priestly obligation in Numbers 8:2.
The Torah records that original priestly obligation in Numbers 8:2.
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“Speak to Aharon, and say to him, ‘In your lighting of the lamps, the seven lamps shall illuminate over against the front of the menorah.’”
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Lighting the menorah in the Temple was the duty of the priests. In similar manner, the preservation of the Torah among the Israelites rested upon the actions of the priests during the time of the original Chanukah, as the book of Maccabees records for us that through their acts the Temple service was restored.
The priests stood up against the overwhelming armies of Antiochus IV, and in their bold ministry of warfare, they interceded in a bloody and self-sacrificial way that—while unconventional—showed their spiritual service could not be stopped even by the desecration of the Temple!
For what reason were the priests chosen to be the light of hope for Israel? The answer is deeply spiritual, and aides in helping to understand the ultimate coming of Messiah and His own appearance in the Temple at Chanukah.
The Torah chronicles the act of Moses towards Aharon, the first high priest of Israel, in Leviticus 8:12.
The Torah chronicles the act of Moses towards Aharon, the first high priest of Israel, in Leviticus 8:12.
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And he poured from the oil of the anointing upon [the] head of Aharon, and anointed him, to consecrate him.
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This act of anointing Aharon was more than merely a few meager drops, but was enough to descend onto his priestly garments, as Psalm 133:2 informs.
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It is as the good oil upon the head, descending upon the beard—Aharon’s beard—that descended upon the extremity of his garment.
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Since the priest’s clothes had been touched by the holy oil of anointing, they were consecrated for Temple use, and could not be discarded like worn-out clothing donned for mundane purposes.
Their end required a context befitting of the importance they held when in use. Something very special was thus done to these priestly clothes, as the Talmud, in Shabbat 21a, records.
In order to maintain the exalted level of use given to these garments due to them originally having had holy anointing oil poured over them, they were carefully unraveled and repurposed into the wicks that would burn the oil of the Temple’s menorah!
This special use of the priestly garments, originally soaked in the anointing oil and worn by the priest who would daily light the menorah, shows the link between the menorah and the priest, who essentially embodies the wick of the menorah himself!
This idea can be seen hinted at in the words of Psalm 132:16-18.
This idea can be seen hinted at in the words of Psalm 132:16-18.
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16 And her priests I shall clothe [with] salvation, and her kind ones shall certainly utter a shout.
17 There I shall make blossom the horn of David; I have appointed a lamp for My Messiah. 18 His enemies I shall clothe in shame, but upon him his crown shall shine. |
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This text is important because it offers a turning point in the study of seeking to understand Yeshua’s presence and purpose at the Temple during Chanukah. Notice the passage mentions the clothing of the priest as “salvation,” which is the term YESHA, being the root word behind the name YESHUA. In that context the passage brings up the topic of the Messiah and speaks of appointing a “lamp” for Him! The text then concludes that Messiah’s enemies will be shamed, but His crown shall “shine.”
These notions are all connected to the themes of Chanukah—as the famous ancient Jewish prayer of thanksgiving often connected to the festival of Chanukah, referred to as “AL HANISSIM,” includes in its opening statement: “…ve’al hateshuot…” meaning “…and for the salvations…”—using the same YESHA root to make hateshuot. Of course, the term of “lamp” and the concept of “shining” is obvious in its connection to Chanukah.
More than mere allusions, the words of the above passage from Psalms link to the nature of the priest and his connection to the Messiah in further significant ways. In particular, the text speaks of the “priest” in verse 16 and then says in verse 17 “there” shall the horn of David blossom—a “lamp” who is appointed for the Messiah! In other words, “there”—where the “priest” is, who is himself a “lamp” for the Messiah, shall the Messiah “blossom” and Himself also “shine.” The location of "there" is obviously the Temple!
In this passage we can see a clear connection to the Messiah and the lamp / menorah of the Temple. It cannot be ignored that while the Gospels record Yeshua often taught in the Temple during His ministry, it was at Chanukah--which celebrated the retaking of the Temple for worship and the miracle of the menorah--that Yeshua in particular shone His Messianic light to His fellow Jewish countrymen.
As the above passage from Psalms emphasized: truly was the Temple's lamp / menorah appointed for the Messiah!
To appreciate this in its fuller extent, consider the blessing the priest is commanded to utter to the people of Israel, as recorded in Numbers 6:22-27.
In this passage we can see a clear connection to the Messiah and the lamp / menorah of the Temple. It cannot be ignored that while the Gospels record Yeshua often taught in the Temple during His ministry, it was at Chanukah--which celebrated the retaking of the Temple for worship and the miracle of the menorah--that Yeshua in particular shone His Messianic light to His fellow Jewish countrymen.
As the above passage from Psalms emphasized: truly was the Temple's lamp / menorah appointed for the Messiah!
To appreciate this in its fuller extent, consider the blessing the priest is commanded to utter to the people of Israel, as recorded in Numbers 6:22-27.
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22 And YHWH spoke unto Mosheh, saying,
23 “Speak unto Aharon, and unto his sons, saying, ‘Thus shall you bless the sons of Yisra’el, saying to them: 24 “YHWH bless you, and guard you; 25 YHWH shine His face upon you, and favor you; 26 YHWH lift His face upon you and establish peace for you.”’ 27 And they shall establish My name upon the sons of Yisra’el, and I shall bless them.” |
In this blessing commonly referred to as BIRKAT HAKOHANIM “the priestly blessing,” or “Aaronic Benediction,” a link to Chanukah and the Messiah is embedded and was brought out by the important insight of the leader of the Breslov Chasidic group, Rebbe Nachman, in the text of his work entitled Likutei Moharan.
The insight here may require some explanation to appreciate the connections. The Hebrew text from Numbers 6:25 uses the term VICHUNNEKA “and favor you.” The meaning is clear in the intention of the text, but Likutei Moharan is asserting we can also read the term in a different manner to arrive at a unique conclusion: as if VICHUNNEKA were instead of the root of CHANAK “dedicate,” which is the source for CHANUKAH “Dedication.” The idea is that the priest, by blessing the recipient with “favor,” is actually CHANUKAH-ing or “dedicating” the believer. Or to put it another way, the priest is invoking the miracle of Chanukah upon the believer—the shining of the face of the Holy One upon the situation of the recipient!
I have color-coded the below graphic in effort to emphasize the different understanding that can arise if the Biblical Hebrew phrase is interpreted via different roots.
I have color-coded the below graphic in effort to emphasize the different understanding that can arise if the Biblical Hebrew phrase is interpreted via different roots.
This connection of the priest to Chanukah here in Numbers 6 links also to Yeshua in the term VICHUNNEKA and its original root meaning of “favor.” This is because Yeshua was closely connected to a priest who kick-started His ministry into full blossom: John the Baptizer!
The Hebrew name for John is YOCHANAN, or YUCHANAN as it is rendered in the Aramaic text of the Peshitta. His name literally means “YHWH favors.” It is an adaptation of the same Hebrew term used in Numbers 6:25 of VICHUNNEKA “and favor you!”
This detail is significant to what we have learned thus far, because Yeshua makes a related assertion about the Baptizer in John 5:32-35.
The Hebrew name for John is YOCHANAN, or YUCHANAN as it is rendered in the Aramaic text of the Peshitta. His name literally means “YHWH favors.” It is an adaptation of the same Hebrew term used in Numbers 6:25 of VICHUNNEKA “and favor you!”
This detail is significant to what we have learned thus far, because Yeshua makes a related assertion about the Baptizer in John 5:32-35.
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32 Another is who testifies about me, and I know that his testimony that he has testified of me is the truth.
33 You sent unto Yuchanan, and he testified about the truth. 34 Yet, I do not from the sons of man receive testimony. But these I speak that you shall live! 35 He was the lamp who burned and shone, and you desired to glory in his light for an hour. |
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Yeshua declares John to have been a “lamp” who “shone” a “light!” This declaration connects back to the prophecy of Psalm 132:16-18, which spoke of the priest being a “lamp” for the Messiah! It also connects back to the notion of the priest’s duty to kindle the menorah, and to give his garments to make the wicks for it. This also connects back to the Maccabean priests who sacrificed themselves to restore the light of true worship for Israel—thus ensuring a Temple service for Yeshua to participate in Himself!
Yeshua declares here in John 5 that John the Baptizer testified of Him in truth. The greater context of Yeshua’s presence in the Temple at Chanukah in John 10 is that of being examined and rejected by the religious teachers there, but John, who was himself a priest, had already vetted Yeshua as the Messiah at His baptism in the Jordan river (see: Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-23; John 1:29-33)!
In these details can be seen the link between the advocacy of the priest, the concepts of Chanukah, and the presence of the Messiah with the festival. The priests were directly connected to the lighting of the menorah, as the Torah commands. The anointed garments of the priests were also used as wicks in the menorah after they became unfit for ministry. The priests are the ones who fought to restore the true worship during the time of Chanukah, and for their unwavering efforts we see that the sealed vial of oil produced a flame that could last seven days beyond its intended use. Similarly, John the priest, whom Yeshua called a lamp, shone the light of revelation upon his cousin by announcing Him to be the Messiah—the “Anointed One.”
Yeshua’s presence at the Temple at Chanukah fits the context of all that came before concerning the function of the priest in the affirmation of the Messianic King. In this we can appreciate also the statement made by Yeshua that is recorded in John 9:5.
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So long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
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This statement is widely referenced by followers of Yeshua, but the context is unfortunately so often overlooked. He made this statement mere hours before His appearance at the Temple during the festival of Chanukah! This detail can be verified if one reads carefully the events that occur between the uttering of this declaration and the events recorded in John 10 about Yeshua’s Temple attendance during Chanukah.
The final piece of the puzzle can now be placed in this context of the menorah-nature of the Messiah that He so properly stated during Chanukah. The text of John 10:23 said He stood in Solomon’s Porch and proceeded to light up the night in a fiery debate with His religious peers. But why did He choose that specific spot to verbally spar and defend His authority and anointing as the Messiah? The answer lay in a detail concerning the Chanukah menorah that is preserved for us in the Talmud, in Shabbat 21b.
One is not expected under normal conditions to set the Chanukah menorah in a place that is not visible to the public. Rather, the ideal placement of the menorah is just outside the door of a house. The reason, as mentioned earlier in this study, is to "publicize the miracle." Therefore, setting the menorah for Chanukah beside the door of the house fulfills this intent.
The reader should now recall that Solomon’s Colonnade—the Porch of Solomon--was located on the easternmost side of the Temple. This is the site where the events of John 10 occurred. This is where Yeshua stood during Chanukah and professed His authority as the Messianic figure so long awaited.
Beyond the sanctity of the inner courts, outside the gates of the especially hallowed Temple grounds, Yeshua stood as the Messianic embodiment of the menorah—outside the door of His Father’s House—shining the light of redemption to Israel!
The reader should now recall that Solomon’s Colonnade—the Porch of Solomon--was located on the easternmost side of the Temple. This is the site where the events of John 10 occurred. This is where Yeshua stood during Chanukah and professed His authority as the Messianic figure so long awaited.
Beyond the sanctity of the inner courts, outside the gates of the especially hallowed Temple grounds, Yeshua stood as the Messianic embodiment of the menorah—outside the door of His Father’s House—shining the light of redemption to Israel!
In the exact area where the Talmud tells us it is proper to place the Chanukah menorah, there Yeshua stood to shine the light of truth to His fellow countrymen! His purpose on Solomon’s Porch fits the context of the festival and aligned with the rabbinic mandate of where to expect to see a menorah on Chanukah. Yeshua’s presence in the Temple in Jerusalem at Chanukah just outside the doors displays the fulfillments of the festival centered around the priest and the menorah all in the person of the Messiah!
All study contents Copyright Jeremy Chance Springfield, except for graphics and images, which are Copyright their respective creators.