Hanukkah 5773 Part3

It was 250 years after the Maccabees took back the temple that Josephus, a Jewish historian, first called the holiday The Festival of Lights because of the lighting of lamps in Jewish homes. He writes, “Giving this name to it, I think, is from the fact that the right to worship appeared to us at a time when we hardly dared hope for it.”

About a century later in the Mishnah (the oral law first written), it was named Hanukkah, (Dedication). The Mishnah states that outside the entrance of each house the Hanukkah lamp was positioned to affirm publicly the Hanukkah miracle. The lamps inserted into glass lanterns to prevent the wind from extinguishing them, where placed on pedestals.

This practice is the reference Jesus made in Luke 11:33 No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light NASB.

Approximately 600 years after the event the Talmud, the rabbinic commentary on the Old Testament, records the famous story of the miraculous jar of oil that burned for eight days. So it may have been that the story of the oil was passed down by oral law and put in the Talmud years later; however, oil or no oil, the victory was nothing short of a miracle. I also believe, unbeknownst to Josephus when he called Hanukkah the Festival of Lights, he was speaking prophetically. I think when he identified that the freedom of worship given to the Jewish people at that time he was speaking of the type and shadow of the true freedom that would be realized when the Light of the World would come and through his death and resurrection and establish the Kingdom of God on the earth.

To me the revelation of what the menorah represents brings the understanding of this holiday to its fullness. Lighting the Hanukkiah, (the 9-branch lampstand), is simply a tradition that gives us an opportunity to remember the triumphant story of the Maccabees; but understanding the full revelation of the menorah gives us a better reason to celebrate not only for 8 days but throughout eternity. I am going to show you why I believe that the menorah is a picture of Yeshua and His body (us). In my understanding the victory of the Maccabees preserved not only God’s plan but gave a place of honor to His Son and His bride by making sure the temple menorah stayed lit.

Here are the instructions given to Moses by God to craft the original menorah in the tabernacle. The first thing I want to point out is the last line of this passage. God instructs Moses to make sure he reproduces this instrument of worship for the tabernacle exactly as he was shown on the mountain. Understand that Moses was shown the heavenly model found in the throne room.

Rev.4:5 Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. NASB

There are numerous teachings available about the seven Spirits of God. In this article I just want to point out that the earthly replica has heavenly origins and prophetic significance.

As you learn about the menorah remember that it is a gift from God sent to illustrate to us His desire to bring heaven to earth. It foreshadows the time that God brought heaven to earth through the birth of Yeshua and the establishment of His body.

Exodus 25:31 Then you shall make a lampstand (menorah) of pure gold. The lampstand and its base and its shaft are to be made of hammered work; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. [32] Six branches shall go out from its sides; three branches of the lampstand from its one side and three branches of the lampstand from its other side. [33] Three cups shall be shaped like almond blossoms in the one branch, a bulb and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bulb and a flower so for six branches going out from the lampstand; [34] and in the lampstand four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers. [35] A bulb shall be under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. [36] Their bulbs and their branches shall be of one piece with it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold. [37] Then you shall make its lamps seven in number; and they shall mount its lamps so as to shed light on the space in front of it. [38] Its snuffers and their trays shall be of pure gold. [39] It shall be made from a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. [40] See that you make them after the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain. NASB

The first thing God required was that the lampstand be made of pure gold. Gold is a precious metal that in processing is subject to seven levels of increasing heat in the refiner’s fire. It is a soft and malleable metal that can be pressed into shape without breaking. It is found in the veins of rocks.
If in fact we as His bride comprise part of the living menorah today, then we also are subject to the refiner’s fire seven times. Seven is the number of completions. Therefore, it may be said that He refines us in His fire until He sees we are complete, ready for His will. We should be soft and malleable in the Father’s hand, so He may press us into shape without breaking. Our substance is found in the veins of the Rock of Ages the Blood of Yeshua, the King of Kings. We should be as pure as gold to carry the Light of His Presence into the darkness of this world.

The menorah was to be made of one solid piece of gold, one beaten work, rather than be composed of several pieces joined together. Yeshua expressed that in the following passages:

John 17:21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. NASB

Eph.2:11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh… [12] remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, … so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, [16] and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. [19] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, [20] having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, [21] in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, [22] in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. NASB

How does the menorah show that we are one with the Lord and one with each other? It has a center shaft and six branches that extend out from that center shaft. The Hebrew word for shaft is loins. Out of the loins of Yeshua, the center shaft, comes His bride, represented by the six branches. Six is the number of man. The single central branch was more elaborately adorned than the others and a little taller, thus having preeminence, yet all the branches were part of and came out of the same shaft. It was a beaten work, not a cast work, but beaten by the hammer blows of divinely endowed craftsmen.

Yeshua is described as a beaten work in Isaiah 53:3. “He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face. He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. [4] Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. [5] But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. NASB

The body of Christ is also compared to a beaten work in 2 Cor.4:8. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; [9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; [10] always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body NASB

From one piece of beaten work there were distinctive parts. Perhaps this was to demonstrate that we who are of many talents and functions are to be as one.

Romans 12:4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, [5] so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. NASB

God chose to adorn the menorah with blossoms from the almond tree. The almond tree is the first in Israel to bloom in the spring and produce fruit. It denotes promptness and soon fulfillment of God’s word. Jer. 1:11 The word of the LORD came to me saying, What do you see, Jeremiah? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. [12] Then the LORD said to me, You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it. NASB

The Lord caused the almond branch to bud in order to reveal His choice of Aaron for the holy priest hood. It produced fruit overnight. This speaks of resurrection. The root word in Hebrew for almond is” shakod” which means” watching the awakening one”.

So, the menorah depicted the first fruit of Israel, God’s chosen first born people. Yeshua, His first-born Son and first fruit of those raised from the dead. The priestly line with Yeshua the head and His bride a Kingdom of priest. The confidence we can have that He watches over His word to perform it.

The menorah was the only light in the Tabernacle just as we through Yeshua are the only light in the world. It had a threefold purpose in the Holy Place.

First, it shed light on the Table of Showbread (Ex 26:35).

The showbread is also known as the bread of His presence or the bread of His face. John 6:48 I am the bread of life. There were 12 loafs representing all 12 tribes of Israel to include the whole congregation of His people. (There is a lengthy teaching on this I will save for another time.)

Secondly, the menorah served to shed its light before the Lord.

Ex 40:25 He lighted the lamps before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. [26] Then he placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil; [27] and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. [28] Then he set up the veil for the doorway of the tabernacle. NASB

Before I go onto the third purpose of the menorah in the tabernacle let me talk to you about the fact that the light was never to go out. The maintenance of the light in the lampstand was the direct responsibility of the high priest, (Ex. 30:7). Yeshua is forever our High Priest. The lamps were dressed and filed each morning and lighted each evening. Thus, the lamps burned continually (Lev. 24:2,3). How does that translate to us today? Every night from evening to morning the trimming of the wicks and the addition of fresh oil ensured a bright light. What do we as believers do to trim our wicks and add His oil, the oil being indicative of the Holy Spirit?

Third, the menorah shed its light upon itself and thus displayed its beauty. His beauty is depicted in Psalm 27:4 One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple. NASB

Psalm 45:11 describes our beauty in His eyes, Then the King will desire your beauty because He is your Lord, bow down to Him. NASB
When you see the menorah whether you are Jew or a Gentile, remember that God has ordained this lamp for you. It represents God’s character, His body and His desire to give illumination.

Psalm 132:17 There I will cause the horn of David to spring forth; I have prepared a lamp for mine anointed. NASB

1 John 1:15 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. NASB

The menorah symbolizes the salvation of God in 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

The menorah is a perfect portrait of the Messiah. Both in the Hebrew Scriptures and the Apostolic Writings he is uniquely the Living Menorah.

Rev 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; [13] and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. [14] His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. [15] His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. NASB

Jews consider the menorah to be symbolic of their calling to be a light to the nations. God established them to be a reflection of the Light of God to the world. Those who are grafted in through the blood carry that same mandate.

Isa 42:6 I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, and I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, [7] to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison. NASB
And, yes, you can find Hanukkah in the New Testament in John 10:22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; [23] it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. NASB

Perhaps this year you might want to consider celebrating this season of rededications as a time to celebrate the Light of Messiah.

I have had the privilege of facilitating many Hanukkah celebration through the years. As I came to understand the unity picture of us and Yeshua in the Menorah I felt to have those participating light a light individually and re-dedicate themselves to be the Light of the world. In large gatherings we had many menorahs, so everyone could participate. Often families brought their own and had each member light a candle.

Of course, we played dreidel and ate jelly donuts after all it is a party. You will find on the children’s page of our web site a story to read them and rules to play dreidel.

May this season of the Festival of Lights have a greater meaning this year as we enter into the JOY of THE LORD,