The story

In the year 169 B.C. the wicked ruler of Syria, a vile and godless man Antiochus Epiphanies attacked Egypt and won, but was compelled to withdraw from Egypt at the command of the authority of Rome. It is recorded that Antiochus in rage turned his anger against the Jews and Israel and entered Jerusalem and destroyed a large part of the city, and slaughtering men, women, and children. He then turned his demonic inspired hatred against the temple and the entire Jewish religious system. He and his army defiled the Holy temple and carried away the golden altar, the oil lambs and all the golden vessels and sacred treasures. Then in his attack against the True and living God of Israel he sacrificed a pig to the Greek god Jupiter and poured its unclean broth over all the holy books in the temple. In his wicked rage he forbade the Jews thought out the land of Israel to forsake the command of God to circumcise the young and the observance of the Sabbath, and the laws pertaining to clean animals. (Daniel the great prophet prophesies in Dan8:9-12 and again in 11:31 of this horrible offense). Then one day one of the officers for Antiochus came to the little village of Modin 3 miles north of Jerusalem and commanded the Jews to sacrifice a hog. Mattathias Maccabee, head of a priestly family faithful to the Lord enraged by the decree, rose up against the authority and killed them all. This began a turn of the tide and with their small band of gorilla type army, step by step facing over whelming odds in the physical sense but not in the spiritual sense they over powered the Syrian army. They then took back Jerusalem and the temple. They quickly began to restore the defiled Holy temple, re building the defiled altar and on December 25^th 164B.C. they rededicated the temple of the living God. They discovered in a hidden place in the temple was a jar of the Holy oil to burn in the lamps that had the seal that it had been prepared for the use in the lamp stands. However as great this discovery was there was only enough oil for one night. But the oil burned in the lamps for 8 days until a new patch of oil could be made and consecrated. This is the celebration of the eight candles on the Hanukkah lamb stand. Also the center candle sits higher than the other eight. It is from this center candle that the rest of the eight are lit. The first night one candle is lit. Then the next night two are lit and so on until all eight are lit.

Jewish believers see that the true light of the Hanukkah is Jesus Christ. That the center candle is a beautiful picture of the source for all light given to man. Even the fact that the center candle is raised above all the rest gives a great testimony to Christ as He is the center of the Hanukkah. Physical light has never changed man. Light does not change a man’s fallen sinful nature; light does not make a man a better person. With invention of the light bulb by Thomas Edison did not change mans sinful condition. Jesus said John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

Jesus is the true light that can change a man from the inside, His light can reveal man’s true sinful lost condition. It is His light that can guide a man to repentance , so that man can find his way home in a dark world back to his creator. Jesus is the true light of the Hanukkah, Jesus is the true light of this fallen world.