Hanukkah: Jewish Christmas and Hidden Key to Prophecy?

A Hanukkah Menorah (MathKnight)

Many Jews celebrate a time that they call Hanukkah. This year it begins Sunday December 6 at sunset until sunset Monday December 14, 2015. Here is one report about it:

December 6, 2015

Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish holiday also known as the Festival of Lights, begins Sunday evening and lasts through Dec. 14.

The holiday begins on the eve of the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev and commemorates the 165 B.C. triumph of a small group of Jewish people known as the Maccabees against the mighty Seleucids, driving the Greeks from the Holy Land and reclaiming and rededicating the Temple.

Tradition holds that the triumphant Jews sought to light the Temple’s menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum, but only had a small amount of olive oil. Miraculously, the one-day supply of oil burned for eight days, giving time for the preparation of new oil. http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/12/hanukkah_2015_what_is_the_jewi.html

Here is some of Wikipedia has reported about it:

Hanukkah (pronounced HAH-nə-kə ; Hebrew: חֲנֻכָּה, Tiberian: Ḥănukkāh, usually spelled חנוכה, pronounced [χanuˈka] in Modern Hebrew; a transliteration also romanized as Chanukah, Chanukkah or Chanuka), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

Hanukkah is not a biblical holiday, but mainly started out as a national holiday. Jesus, Himself, seemed to possibly observe it, and it is referred to as the Feast of the Dedication in the New Testament (John 10:22-23). But His observation is not the same as how many Jews now keep it.

Does Hanukkah Hold Hidden Secrets to End-Time Prophecy?

Is Hanukkah, per se, of massive prophetic significance?

World News Daily has the following about it:

Hanukkah holds hidden secrets to end-time prophecy

December 5, 2015

Most Christians think of Hanukkah as “that nice little Jewish holiday,” but they miss the deeper meaning, says best-selling author and Messianic Jewish Rabbi Jonathan Cahn. …

“It actually holds a big, prophetic end-time revelation,” Cahn said. “It’s a heavy holiday.”

And it keeps getting heavier as time progressives and biblical prophecies about the end times inch closer to being fulfilled.

“If anything, over the course of the last year, America and much of the West has moved closer to the scenario foreshadowed in the days of the Maccabees” and the Hanukkah end-time events, said Cahn.

He believes Hanukkah presents a preview of the end times events, the spirit that will envelop the world, and the strategies for Christian endurance more than any other biblical holiday.

“It foreshadows the Antichrist, the abomination that causes desolation, the calling of evil good and good evil, the removing of God from the public square, the banning of God’s Word, sexual immorality, and the persecution of God’s people,” he told WND. “It also reveals the strategy that end-time believers need to know that might overcome all these things.

“We are fast approaching a day when believers can be thrown in jail and the majority of Americans applaud it,” he continued. “It is all the more crucial that we be prepared, vigilant, wise, and prepared that we might live victoriously for such a time as this.” http://www.wnd.com/2015/12/hanukkah-holds-hidden-secrets-to-end-time-prophecy/#sM6L7sOfjGQIoD5J.99

Jonathan Cahn is a Messianic Jew who has proposed a variety of wrong end time scenarios. It should be noted that the idea that events back at the time of Antiochus Epiphanes having some relation to future prophecy is not new. But, let me add that like many, Jonathan Cahn has confused the King of the North with the final Antichrist. This is a common mistake that many hold to.

ALL THE VERSES IN THE BIBLE THAT REFER TO ‘ANTICHRIST’ OR ‘ANTICHRISTS’ ARE REFERRING TO A PRIMARILY RELIGIOUS LEADER for details see Some Doctrines of Antichrist). However, the King of the North (also known as the Beast of the Sea in Revelation 13:1-10) will be in league with the final Antichrist.

The late COG leader Herbert W. Armstrong wrote of a connection between the events of 167 B.C. and future prophecy:

Now what NEXT?

The very next verse: “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then…shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved [alive]: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (verses 15-16, 21-22).

Now UNDERSTAND! Luke 21 is Luke’s account of this same prophecy of Jesus. There, the abomination of desolation is spoken of as “Jerusalem compassed with armies” (verse 20).

This is spoken of in Daniel 11:31. Speaking of Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 B.C., the King James translation has, “And arms shall stand on his part…and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.” But more modern translations render this as armed forces coming into Jerusalem and setting up this abomination. Tradition says Antiochus placed a statue or idol of Jupiter Olympus there. But it was accomplished by military invasion of Jerusalem. (Armstrong HW. Co-worker letter. January 22, 1982)

By tying in Jesus prophecies in Luke 21 with Daniel 11:31 and then Antiochus Epiphanes, Herbert W. Armstrong basically was saying that some of what Antiochus Epiphanes did in 167 B.C. was a similar type to what will happen in the future.

But, while Jesus’ teachings and Daniel’s writings are keys to understanding prophecy, it is quite a stretch, as Jonathan Cahn has said, to claim that Hanaukkah “actually holds a big, prophetic end-time revelation.”

Jewish Christmas?

The New York Times reported the following about it:

Many Americans, Jews as well as Christians, think that the legend of the long-lasting oil is the root of Hanukkah’s commemoration.

And perhaps that mistake is no surprise, given that for many the holiday has morphed into “Christmas for Jews,” echoing the message of peace on earth accompanied by gift giving. In doing so, the holiday’s own message of Jewish survival and faith has been diluted…

Though Hanukkah is a minor Jewish holiday, 19th-century activists in America promoted it to encourage their coreligionists to take pride in their heritage. During the 20th century it was embraced more broadly by Jews who wanted to fit in with other Americans celebrating the holiday season — and to make their kids feel better about not getting anything from Santa.

It helped, of course, that Hanukkah falls near Christmas on the calendar and traditionally involved candles and small monetary gifts. Over time, children began receiving grander presents, and Hanukkah-themed season’s greeting cards proliferated. Some families even started to purchase “Hanukkah bushes,” small trees often decked out with Stars of David and miniature Maccabees. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/08/opinion/hanukkah-unabridged.html

The Jews should be aware that they are not to adopt Gentile practices involving trees, etc. Notice what the Hebrew Bible (AKA the Old Testament) teaches:

29 “When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, 30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ 31 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. (Deuteronomy 12:29-31)

2 Thus says the Lord:

“Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;
Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are futile;
For one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold;
They fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not topple.
5 They are upright, like a palm tree,
And they cannot speak;
They must be carried,
Because they cannot go by themselves.
Do not be afraid of them,
For they cannot do evil,
Nor can they do any good.” (Jeremiah 10:2-5)

For more on biblical admonitions against using green trees in worship, go to the article: What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days?

Compromise has happened throughout the centuries from both Jews as well as those who claimed to be true Christians. Hanukkah is now mainly a Jewish compromise. In 2016, Hanukkah is from in the evening of Saturday, December 24 until the evening of Sunday, January 1, which times it even closer to Christmas, which many Jews probably will like–as many seem to use Hanukkah as a way to observe Christmas.

Oddly, more Jews keep Hanukkah than keep many of the biblical holy days (often improperly referred to as Jewish holidays).

And of course, most who claim to be Christians keep non-biblical holidays more than they do biblical ones.

Anyway, many Jews tend to keep Hanukkah as a type of Christmas and I would not say that Hanukkah “actually holds a big, prophetic end-time revelation.”

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Hanukkah: Jewish Christmas and Hidden Key to Prophecy? Originally a Jewish national holiday, has Hanukkah morphed into a Jewish Christmas? Does it hold hidden secrets to prophecy?
Messianic Judaism Beliefs Differ from the Continuing Church of God Both groups keep the seventh-day Sabbath, but have important differences in doctrines and practices. Here is a link to a related sermon: Messianic Jewish Beliefs.
What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days? Do you know what the Catholic Church says were the original Christian holy days? Was Christmas among them? Is December 25th Jesus’ birthday or that of the sun god? Here is a link to a related sermon: What do Catholic and other scholars teach about Christmas?
Did Early Christians Celebrate Birthdays? Did biblical era Jews celebrate birthdays? Who originally celebrated birthdays? When did many that profess Christ begin birthday celebrations? A related sermon video is available and is titled: Birthdays, Christians, and December 25th.
The Temple and the Work This article discusses the two temples of the Old Testament and gives insight as to their possible relevance to the situation which has impacted the Church during this past decade or so.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet.” Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy. You can also watch a video titled What Does the Bible teach about the Antichrist?
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2024, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂 In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos. In Mandarin Chinese: 何日是神的圣日？这里是一份神的圣日日历从2013年至2024年。.
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.