Hanukkah: Zeal for The Torah in an Age of Assimilation

 

When most people hear ‘Hanukkah,’ they think of candles, oil, and celebration. But Hanukkah was born in a moment of crisis, when obedience to the Torah became illegal. Hanukkah is not first about light, it’s about loyalty. It asks a dangerous question: What happens when Elohim’s people are pressured to blend in?” The real enemy in the days of the Maccabees wasn’t just the Greek army. It was assimilation—Israelites choosing comfort over covenant, culture over Torah. That’s why Hanukkah still matters. Because we don’t live in a neutral culture either. We live in a world that is constantly trying to influence how we live. 

During that crucial time in Judah, men like Mattathias and Judah Maccabee stepped up, men who refused to negotiate obedience. Their zeal wasn’t reckless. It was covenant faithfulness under pressure. In today’s age, we’re not just remembering what they did. We’re asking whether we would have stood with them, and where assimilation may be challenging our obedience today

The Real Conflict Behind Hanukkah

When we think of Hanukkah, it’s easy to imagine a simple story: Jews versus Greeks. But Scripture and history show us something far more uncomfortable. The real conflict wasn’t only external, it was also internal. It was Torah faithfulness versus assimilation within Judah itself. Assimilation doesn’t mean abandoning faith overnight. It means slowly redefining obedience—treating the Torah as flexible, outdated, or optional. We’re told that lawless men arose from Israel and said, ‘Let us make a covenant with the nations.’ In other words, let’s blend in, so life will be easier.

“In those days there appeared in Israel transgressors of the Torah who seduced many, saying: 'Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles all around us; since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us.” (1 Maccabees 1:11)

This wasn’t forced at first. Many people willingly embraced Greek culture—gymnasiums, philosophy, and identity—because it promised acceptance and advancement. 

“Some from among the people promptly went to the king, and he authorized them to introduce the ordinances of the Gentiles. Thereupon, they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem according to the Gentile custom. They disguised their circumcision and abandoned the holy covenant; they allied themselves with the Gentiles and sold themselves to wrongdoing.” (1 Maccabees 1:13-15)

Assimilation always promises peace, but it quietly demands that obedience be surrendered. Once Torah was treated as optional, it didn’t take long before it was treated as offensive—and then criminal. And once assimilation had weakened Israel from within, it became very easy for Antiochus to enforce what many had already chosen.

Antiochus Didn’t Invent Apostasy – He enforced It

“Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people and abandon their particular customs. All the Gentiles conformed to the command of the king, and many Israelites delighted in his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath.” (1 Maccabees 1:41-43)

It’s essential to understand that Antiochus did not instigate apostasy in Israel. He capitalized on it.  The pressure to abandon Torah didn’t start with a Greek king. It began when Elohim’s own people decided obedience was negotiable. Once a community weakens its commitment from the inside, it becomes easy for outside powers to impose what was once voluntary.

“The king sent letters by messenger to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, ordering them to follow customs foreign to their land; to prohibit burnt offerings, sacrifices, and libations in the sanctuary, to profane the sabbaths and feast days, to desecrate the sanctuary and the sacred ministers, to build pagan altars and temples and shrines, to sacrifice swine and unclean animals, to leave their sons uncircumcised, and to defile themselves with every kind of impurity and abomination; so that they might forget the law and change all its ordinances. Whoever refused to act according to the command of the king was to be put to death.” (1 Maccabees 1:44-50)

What was once optional became illegal. That’s the trajectory of assimilation. Assimilation prepares the ground for persecution. Compromise always invites control. When the Torah is treated as cultural instead of covenantal, it loses its protection. What we don’t defend, we eventually lose. And it was at this moment, when obedience was outlawed and compromise normalized, that one man refused to participate.

Mattathias: The Moment Zeal Ignited

“The officers of the king in charge of enforcing the apostasy came to the city of Modein to make them sacrifice. Many of Israel joined them, but Mattathias and his sons drew together. Then the officers of the king addressed Mattathias: “You are a leader, an honorable and great man in this city, supported by sons and kindred. Come now, be the first to obey the king’s command, as all the Gentiles and Judeans and those who are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons shall be numbered among the King’s Friends, and you and your sons shall be honored with silver and gold and many gifts.” But Mattathias answered in a loud voice: “Although all the Gentiles in the king’s realm obey him, so that they forsake the religion of their ancestors and consent to the king’s orders, yet I and my sons and my kindred will keep to the covenant of our ancestors. Heaven forbid that we should forsake the Torah and the commandments. We will not obey the words of the king by departing from our religion in the slightest degree.” As he finished saying these words, a certain Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein according to the king’s order. When Mattathias saw him, he was filled with zeal; his heart was moved and his just fury was aroused; he sprang forward and killed him upon the altar. At the same time, he also killed the messenger of the king who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar.” (1 Maccabees 2: 15-25)

Scripture tells us that Mattathias burned with zeal. Not blind rage. Not panic. Zeal, deep covenant loyalty.  When he struck down the man and destroyed the altar, he was not inventing something new. He was walking in the footsteps of Phinehas (Numbers 25), defending the covenant when leadership had failed. Zeal is not an emotional outburst. Zeal is obedience when disobedience becomes normal. In that moment, Mattathias chose faithfulness over safety, covenant over comfort. This single act shattered the illusion that compromise was the only option. It reminded Israel that obedience was still possible. And then Mattathias did something just as important as the act itself: he called others to choose.

“Then Mattathias cried out in the city, “Let everyone who is zealous for the Torah and who stands by the covenant follow me!” (1 Maccabees 2:27)

Every generation hears this call in its own way. Not shouted from a mountain, but often whispered in moments of decision: Follow or blend in. Mattathias would not live long after this moment. But his call created something more than a rebellion; it created a leader.

Judah Maccabee: Faith Expressed Through Action

When Mattathias died, the movement didn’t die with him. It passed to his son, Judah, called ‘The Hammer.’  

“Then his son Judas, who was called Maccabeus, took his place. All his brothers and all who had joined his father supported him, and they gladly carried on Israel’s war.” (1 Maccabees 3:1-2)

Although they were outnumbered, outmatched, and opposed by trained forces with superior weapons. Judah understood something crucial: victory does not come from numbers or strength, but from faithfulness to Yahweh. 

“But when they saw the army coming against them, they said to Judas: “How can we, few as we are, fight such a strong host as this? Besides, we are weak since we have not eaten today.” But Judas said: “Many are easily hemmed in by a few; in the sight of Heaven there is no difference between deliverance by many or by few; for victory in war does not depend upon the size of the army, but on strength that comes from Heaven. With great presumption and lawlessness they come against us to destroy us and our wives and children and to despoil us; but we are fighting for our lives and our Torah. He will crush them before us; so do not fear them.” (1 Maccabees 3:17-22)

Before many battles, Judah prayed, fasted, and reminded the people of the Torah. This wasn’t just for show or strategy alone; it was submission. Judah would go on to reclaim and rededicate the Temple, restoring covenant order. 

A Warning for Every Generation

Hanukkah is not only a story about what happened long ago. It’s a warning written in history.  Every generation believes it can blend in safely—that compromise can be managed, controlled, and limited. But the story of Hanukkah shows us where that path leads. Assimilation doesn’t remain neutral; it always moves the line. Assimilation today doesn’t usually demand idols or pagan altars. It demands something quieter- silence instead of obedience, redefining instead of repentance, and comfort instead of covenant. The greatest threat to the Torah has rarely been persecution. It has almost always been compromise. This isn’t about pointing fingers or drawing lines around others. It’s about asking honest questions of ourselves:

• Where have we learned to explain away commandments?
• Where have we chosen acceptance over obedience?
• Where has blending in felt easier than standing firm?

Hanukkah does not begin and end with a battle or even with a miracle. It starts and ends with a choice. Zeal today does not usually look like open resistance, though it most certainly can. However, it often looks like keeping Shabbat when it costs convenience, teaching the Torah when it costs popularity, and obeying Yah when compromise would be easier. May we be found among those who keep the covenant. May the light of the Torah shine through our faithfulness. And may we have the courage to choose obedience, whatever the cost.

P.S.

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The Inspiring Story of Hanukkah Uncovering the Details from 2 Maccabees

 

Last year, during the time of Hanukkah, I covered the events that led to the creation of the festival of dedication (Hanukkah). The details gathered from 1 Maccabees provided us with an overall view of what transpired: the Greeks invading Jerusalem, the plundering and ransacking of the Temple, the slaughtering of the House of Judah, the Maccabean rebellion that pushed out the Greek army, and the rededication of the Temple that became known as the festival of Hanukkah. This post will cover some of the finer details mentioned in 2 Maccabees, which are as inspirational as they are tear-jerking. As I stated in “The Story of Hanukkah”, many see a connection between what the Greeks did to Judah and what will occur during the time of the great tribulation. So, as you read on, take to heart the courage our ancestors showed in the face of death and how they honored Elohim until the end. 

The Greeks Outlaw the Torah

“Not long after that, the king sent an elderly Athenian to force the Jews to abandon their religion and the customs of their ancestors. He was also to defile their Temple by dedicating it to the Olympian god Zeus.” (2 Maccabees 6:1-2) 

“The oppression was harsh and almost intolerable. Gentiles filled the Temple with drinking parties and all sorts of immorality. They even had intercourse with prostitutes there. Forbidden objects were brought into the Temple, and the altar was covered with detestable sacrifices prohibited by our Torah. It was impossible to observe the Sabbath, to celebrate any of the traditional festivals, or even so much as to admit to being a Jew. Each month when the king's birthday was celebrated, the Jews were compelled by brute force to eat the intestines of sacrificial animals. Then, during the festival in honor of the wine god Dionysus, they were required to wear ivy wreaths on their heads and march in procession. On the advice of Ptolemy, the neighboring Greek cities were also instructed to require Jews to eat the sacrifices; they were told to put to death every Jew who refused to adopt the Greek way of life. It was easy to see that hard times were ahead. For example, two women were arrested for having their babies circumcised. They were paraded around the city with their babies hung from their breasts; then they were thrown down from the city wall. On another occasion, Philip was told that some Jews had gathered in a nearby cave to observe the Sabbath in secret. Philip attacked and burned them all alive. They had such respect for the Sabbath that they would not fight to defend themselves.” (2 Maccabees 6:3-11)

The punishment for keeping Torah was death, and while many Jews acquiesced to the demands of the Greeks to preserve their lives, a great number also remained obedient unto death. If we are ever faced with such atrocities, we must remember what Master Yeshua said. 

“Then יהושע said to His taught ones, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake, and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. “For what is a man profited if he gains all the world, and loses his own life? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Adam is going to come in the esteem of His Father with His messengers, and then He shall reward each according to his works.” (Matthew 16:24-27) 

It is better to die being obedient than it is to live in disobedience. 

“I beg you not to become discouraged as you read about the terrible things that happened. Consider that this was YHWH’s way of punishing his people, not of destroying them. In fact, it is a sign of kindness to punish a person immediately for his sins, rather than to wait a long time. YHWH does not treat us as he does other nations: he waits patiently until they have become deeply involved in sin before he punishes them, but he punishes us before we have sinned too much. So YHWH is always merciful to us, his own people. Although he punishes us with disasters, he never abandons us. I have made these few observations by way of reminder. We will now get on with the story.” (2 Maccabees 6:12-17) 

The House of Judah was being punished for the transgression they had committed before the Greeks arrived. The author of 2 Maccabees points out that YHWH punishes his children promptly instead of allowing them to wallow in sin until utter destruction befalls them. This is in agreement with the rest of the scriptures.

“Thus, you shall know in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so יהוה your Elohim disciplines you,” therefore you shall guard the commands of יהוה your Elohim, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.” (Deuteronomy 8:5-6)

“My son, do not despise the discipline of יהוה, And do not loathe His reproof; For whom יהוה loves He reproves, As a father the son whom he delights in.” (Proverbs 3:11-12)

The following account shows us how important it is to stand up for Yah, not only for ourselves but for those watching around us. 

Death Before Dishonor 

“There was an elderly and highly respected teacher of the Torah by the name of Eleazar, whose mouth was being forced open to make him eat pork. But he preferred an honorable death rather than a life of disgrace. So he spit out the meat and went willingly to the place of torture, showing how people should have courage to refuse unclean food, even if it costs them their lives. Those in charge of the sacrifice had been friends of Eleazar for a long time, and because of this friendship they told him privately to bring meat that was lawful for him to eat. He need only pretend to eat the pork, they said, and in this way he would not be put to death. But Eleazar made a decision worthy of his gray hair and advanced age. All his life he had lived in perfect obedience to YHWH’s holy Torah, so he replied, Kill me, here and now. Such deception is not worthy of a man of my years. Many young people would think that I had denied my faith after I was ninety years old. If I pretended to eat this meat, just to live a little while longer, it would bring shame and disgrace on me and lead many young people astray. For the present I might be able to escape what you could do to me, but whether I live or die, I cannot escape Almighty Elohim. If I die bravely now, it will show that I deserved my long life. It will also set a good example of the way young people should be willing and glad to die for our sacred and respected Torah. As soon as he said these things, he went off to be tortured, and the very people who had treated him kindly a few minutes before, now turned against him, because they thought he had spoken like a madman. When they had beaten him almost to the point of death, he groaned and said, YHWH possesses all holy knowledge. He knows I could have escaped these terrible sufferings and death, yet he also knows that I gladly suffer these things, because I fear him. So Eleazar died. But his courageous death was remembered as a glorious example, not only by young people, but by the entire nation as well.” (2 Maccabees 6:18-31) 

Truly an inspiring example from Eleazar and the next passage will be as emotional as it is rousing.

“On another occasion a Jewish mother and her seven sons were arrested. The king was having them beaten to force them to eat pork. Then one of the young men said, “What do you hope to gain by doing this? We would rather die than abandon the traditions of our ancestors.” This made the king so furious that he gave orders for huge pans and kettles to be heated red hot, and it was done immediately. Then he told his men to cut off the tongue of the one who had spoken and to scalp him and chop off his hands and feet, while his mother and six brothers looked on. After the young man had been reduced to a helpless mass of breathing flesh, the king gave orders for him to be carried over and thrown into one of the pans. As a cloud of smoke streamed up from the pan, the brothers and their mother encouraged one another to die bravely, saying, “YHWH Elohim is looking on and understands our suffering. Moses made this clear when he wrote a song condemning those who had abandoned YHWH. He said, YHWH will have mercy on those who serve him.” After the first brother had died in this way, the soldiers started amusing themselves with the second one by tearing the hair and skin from his head. Then they asked him, “Now will you eat this pork, or do you want us to chop off your hands and feet one by one?” He replied in his native language, “I will never eat it!” So the soldiers tortured him, just as they had the first one, but with his dying breath he cried out to the king, “You butcher! You may kill us, but the King of the universe will raise us from the dead and give us eternal life, because we have obeyed his Torah.” The soldiers began entertaining themselves with the third brother. When he was ordered to stick out his tongue, he quickly did so. Then he bravely held out his hands and courageously said, “Elohim gave these to me. But His Torah mean more to me than my hands, and I know Elohim will give them back to me again.” The king and those with him were amazed at his courage and at his willingness to suffer. After he had died, the soldiers tortured the fourth one in the same cruel way, but his final words were, “I am glad to die at your hands, because we have the assurance that Elohim will raise us from death. But there will be no resurrection to life for you, Antiochus!” When the soldiers took the fifth boy and began torturing him, he looked the king squarely in the eye and said, “You have the power to do whatever you want with us, even though you also are mortal. But do not think that Elohim has abandoned our people. Just wait. Elohim will use his great power to torture you and your descendants.” Then the soldiers took the sixth boy, and just before he died he said, “Make no mistake. We are suffering what we deserve, because we have sinned against our Elohim. That's why all these terrible things are happening to us. But don't think for a minute that you will avoid being punished for fighting against Elohim.” The mother was the most amazing one of them all, and she deserves a special place in our memory. Although she saw her seven sons die in a single day, she endured it with great courage because she trusted in YHWH. She combined womanly emotion with manly courage and spoke words of encouragement to each of her sons in their native language. “I do not know how your life began in my womb, she would say, I was not the one who gave you life and breath and put together each part of your body. It was Elohim who did it, Elohim who created the universe, the human race, and all that exists. He is merciful and he will give you back life and breath again, because you love his Torah more than you love yourself.” Antiochus was sure that the mother was making fun of him, so he did his best to convince her youngest son to abandon the traditions of his ancestors. He promised not only to make the boy rich and famous, but to place him in a position of authority and to give him the title ‘Friend of the King’. But the boy paid no attention to him, so Antiochus tried to persuade the boy's mother to talk him into saving his life, and after much persuasion she agreed to do so. Leaning over her son, she fooled the cruel tyrant by saying in her native language, “My son, have pity on me. Remember that I carried you in my womb for nine months and nursed you for three years. I have taken care of you and looked after all your needs up to the present day. So I urge you, my child, to look at the sky and the earth. Consider everything you see there, and realize that Elohim made it all from nothing, just as he made the human race. Don't be afraid of this butcher. Give up your life willingly and prove yourself worthy of your brothers, so that by Elohim's mercy I may receive you back with them at the resurrection.” Before she could finish speaking, the boy said, “King Antiochus, what are you waiting for? I refuse to obey your orders. I only obey the commands in the Torah which Moses gave to our ancestors. You have thought up all kinds of cruel things to do to our people, but you won't escape the punishment that Elohim has in store for you. It is true that our living Elohim is angry with us and is making us suffer because of our sins, in order to correct and discipline us. But this will last only a short while, for we are still his servants, and he will forgive us. But you are the cruelest and most disgusting thing that ever lived. So don't fool yourself with illusions of greatness while you punish Elohim's people. There is no way for you to escape punishment at the hands of the almighty and all-seeing Elohim. My brothers suffered briefly because of our faithfulness to Elohim's covenant, but now they have entered eternal life. But you will fall under Elohim's judgment and be punished as you deserve for your arrogance. I now give up my body and my life for the Torah of our ancestors, just as my brothers did. But I also beg Elohim to show mercy to his people quickly and to torture you until you are forced to acknowledge that he alone is Elohim. May my brothers and I be the last to suffer the anger of Almighty Elohim, which he has justly brought upon our entire nation.” These words of ridicule made Antiochus so furious that he had the boy tortured even more cruelly than his brothers. And so the boy died, with absolute trust in YHWH, never unfaithful for a minute. Last of all, the mother was put to death.” (2 Maccabees 7:1-41) 

Better to Die for Obedience than to Live in Disobedience  

Wow, what a heart-reaching account of a family standing up for Yah and His Torah. To think they would lose their life instead of eating pork, and yet billions of people proclaim to love Elohim while stuffing their faces with pork. The Torah is not a burden; if it were, these people would not have endured the torture they did to honor it. This Hanukkah and the ones that follow, remember what those who came before us went through, and if that time comes, let us prove worthy of remembrance as well. 

P.S.

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The Story of Hanukkah: Tragedy, Bloodshed, and Hope

 

The story of Hanukkah is one filled with tragedy, bloodshed, and hope. Found in the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees, it details the persecution placed on the Hebrews by the Greeks, how they were killed for following Torah, how the temple was made unclean with swine blood, and how, in the end, the Maccabean rebellion drove out the Greeks. Many have connected Hanukkah with being a type and shadow of the great tribulation, and I must concur, for I, too, see the similarities. But before we get into the prophetic imagery, we must first cover what Hanukkah is and why some choose to celebrate it. For starters, we have biblical evidence that Master Yeshua celebrated this feast. 

“At that time the Ḥanukkah (dedication) came to be in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), and it was winter. And יהושע was walking in the Set-apart Place, in the porch of Shelomoh (Solomon).” (John 10:22-23)

Here we have Yeshua up at the temple during Hanukkah, which is where the celebration would have been held at that time. This is very important because Hanukkah is not a Mo’edim, an appointed time made by YHWH; it is a holiday established by the House of Judah after they rededicated the temple, following the Greek occupation. This shows that Elohim agrees with this holiday because when Yeshua was here, he partook in the celebration. 

The Biblical Menorah 

There is, however, one difference that I know of between Judaism Hanukkah, and Biblical Hanukkah. This being the style of the menorah, in Judaism, they use the nine-candleled one, but biblically speaking, it should only have seven. 

“And you shall make a lampstand of clean gold – the lampstand is made of beaten work…” (Exodus 25:31)

“And you shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall mount its lamps so that they give light in front of it.” (Exodus 25:37)

My understanding of how to do Hanukkah is that each of the seven lampstands or branches represents the seven Mo’edim. That is Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Weeks, Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. If you are unfamiliar with these, I wrote a post on them, titled “The Mo'edim”, feel free to check it out. Anyways, for eight nights or all on one day, you read the story of Hanukkah and the Mo’edim, how the appointed times were given in the Tanakh (Old Testament), and how Yeshua fulfilled them or how he will in the future. After each Mo’edim is read, you light a candle. This is how I was taught to do it, but it's not an appointed time, so there are no commandments on how we are to specifically celebrate Hanukkah. 119 ministries have a video on Hanukkah, and it would behoove you to check it out. 

The Events that Led to Hanukkah

Now, without further ado, let us begin the story.

“After Alexander the Macedonian, Philip’s son, who came from the land of Kittim, had defeated Darius, king of the Persians and Medes, he became king in his place, having first ruled in Greece. He fought many battles, captured fortresses, and put the kings of the earth to death. He advanced to the ends of the earth, gathering plunder from many nations; the earth fell silent before him, and his heart became proud and arrogant. He collected a very strong army and won dominion over provinces, nations, and rulers, and they paid him tribute. But after all this he took to his bed, realizing that he was going to die. So he summoned his noblest officers, who had been brought up with him from his youth, and divided his kingdom among them while he was still alive. Alexander had reigned twelve years when he died. So his officers took over his kingdom, each in his own territory, and after his death they all put on crowns, and so did their sons after them for many years, multiplying evils on the earth. There sprang from these a sinful offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of King Antiochus, once a hostage at Rome. He became king in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.” (1 Maccabees 1:1-10)

Alexander the Great had conquered a vast amount of territory in a relatively short amount of time. When he died at the age of 33, his empire was split among his generals. These became known as the Hellenistic kingdoms. After some time, Antiochus arose and became King of the Hellenistic Syrian kingdom. 

“In those days there appeared in Israel transgressors of the Torah who seduced many, saying: “Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles all around us; since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us.” The proposal was agreeable; some from among the people promptly went to the king, and he authorized them to introduce the ordinances of the Gentiles. Thereupon they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem according to the Gentile custom. They disguised their circumcision and abandoned the holy covenant; they allied themselves with the Gentiles and sold themselves to wrongdoing.” (1 Maccabees 1:11-15)

Here we see a great falling away, the followers of Elohim forsaking the Torah and aligning themselves with gentile customs. 

“After Antiochus had defeated Egypt in the one hundred and forty-third year, he returned and went up against Israel and against Jerusalem with a strong force. He insolently entered the sanctuary and took away the golden altar, the menorah for the light with all its utensils, the offering table, the cups and bowls, the golden censers, and the curtain. The cornices and the golden ornament on the front of the temple—he stripped it all off. And he took away the silver and gold and the precious vessels; he also took all the hidden treasures he could find. Taking all this, he went back to his own country. He shed much blood and spoke with great arrogance. And there was great mourning throughout all Israel.” (1 Maccabees 1:20-25)

Antiochus, upon arriving in Jerusalem, ransacks the Temple, taking the gold, silver, and other valuable treasures, while at the same time spilling the blood of the Hebrews. 

“Two years later, the king sent the Mysian commander to the cities of Judah, and he came to Jerusalem with a strong force. He spoke to them deceitfully in peaceful terms, and they believed him. Then he attacked the city suddenly, in a great onslaught, and destroyed many of the people in Israel. He plundered the city and set fire to it, demolished its houses and its surrounding walls. And they took captive the women and children, and seized the animals. Then they built up the City of David with a high, strong wall and strong towers, and it became their citadel. There they installed a sinful race, transgressors of the Torah, who fortified themselves inside it. They stored up weapons and provisions, depositing there the plunder they had collected from Jerusalem, and they became a great snare. The citadel became an ambush against the sanctuary, and a wicked adversary to Israel at all times. They shed innocent blood around the sanctuary; they defiled the sanctuary. Because of them the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled away, she became the abode of strangers. She became a stranger to her own offspring, and her children forsook her. Her sanctuary became desolate as a wilderness; her feasts were turned into mourning, Her sabbaths to shame, her honor to contempt. As her glory had been, so great was her dishonor: her exaltation was turned into mourning.” (1 Maccabees 1:29-40)

Two years after stealing the precious metals from the temple, the Greeks return, tricking the Hebrews into believing they came in peace, only to multiply their malicious deeds with more killings, defiling the sanctuary and Elohim’s Torah. Sadly, this was just the beginning of sorrow. 

“Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, and abandon their particular customs. All the Gentiles conformed to the command of the king, and many Israelites delighted in his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath. The king sent letters by messenger to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, ordering them to follow customs foreign to their land; to prohibit burnt offerings, sacrifices, and libations in the sanctuary, to profane the sabbaths and feast days, to desecrate the sanctuary and the sacred ministers, to build pagan altars and temples and shrines, to sacrifice swine and unclean animals, to leave their sons uncircumcised, and to defile themselves with every kind of impurity and abomination; so that they might forget the Torah and change all its ordinances. Whoever refused to act according to the command of the king was to be put to death. In words such as these he wrote to his whole kingdom. He appointed inspectors over all the people, and he ordered the cities of Judah to offer sacrifices, each city in turn. Many of the people, those who abandoned the Torah, joined them and committed evil in the land. They drove Israel into hiding, wherever places of refuge could be found. On the fifteenth day of the month Kislev, in the year one hundred and forty-five, the king erected the desolating abomination upon the altar of burnt offerings, and in the surrounding cities of Judah they built pagan altars. They also burned incense at the doors of houses and in the streets. Any scrolls of the Torah that they found they tore up and burned. Whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant, and whoever observed the Torah, was condemned to death by royal decree. So, they used their power against Israel, against those who were caught, each month, in the cities. On the twenty-fifth day of each month they sacrificed on the pagan altar that was over the altar of burnt offerings. In keeping with the decree, they put to death women who had their children circumcised, and they hung their babies from their necks; their families also and those who had circumcised them were killed. But many in Israel were determined and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean; they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. And very great wrath came upon Israel.” (1 Maccabees 1: 41-64) 

Antiochus sets forth the decree that all those under his rule should act as one, following the Greek religion. Copies of the Torah were destroyed, and those who had the Torah or obeyed it were put to death. There is a lot I’m not covering this time, but will during future Hanukkahs, such as the similarities between this time period and the great tribulation. There’s just so much to cover, and that’s one of the many great things about Hanukkah. 

“The officers of the king in charge of enforcing the apostasy came to the city of Modein to make them sacrifice. Many of Israel joined them, but Mattathias and his sons drew together. Then the officers of the king addressed Mattathias: “You are a leader, an honorable and great man in this city, supported by sons and kindred. Come now, be the first to obey the king’s command, as all the Gentiles and Judeans and those who are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons shall be numbered among the King’s Friends, and you and your sons shall be honored with silver and gold and many gifts.” But Mattathias answered in a loud voice: “Although all the Gentiles in the king’s realm obey him, so that they forsake the religion of their ancestors and consent to the king’s orders, yet I and my sons and my kindred will keep to the covenant of our ancestors. Heaven forbid that we should forsake the Torah and the ordinances. We will not obey the words of the king by departing from our belief in the slightest degree.” As he finished saying these words, a certain Judean came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein according to the king’s order. When Mattathias saw him, he was filled with zeal; his heart was moved, and his just fury was aroused; he sprang forward and killed him upon the altar. At the same time, he also killed the messenger of the king who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar. Thus, he showed his zeal for the Torah of Elohim, just as Phinehas did with Zimri, son of Salu. Then Mattathias cried out in the city, “Let everyone who is zealous for the Torah and who stands by the covenant follow me!” Then he and his sons fled to the mountains, leaving behind in the city all their possessions. At that time many who sought righteousness and justice went out into the wilderness to settle there, they and their children, their wives and their animals, because misfortunes pressed so hard on them.” (1 Maccabees 2:15-30) 

The first act of rebellion comes at the hand of Mattathias, practically declaring war on the king by killing his messenger. They gather those who are still Torah observant and flee to the mountains, from there they conduct guerrilla warfare, while also trying to remain hidden from the Greek army. 

“It was reported to the officers and soldiers of the king who were in the City of David, in Jerusalem, that those who had flouted the king’s order had gone out to secret refuges in the wilderness. Many hurried out after them, and having caught up with them, camped opposite and prepared to attack them on the sabbath. The pursuers said to them, “Enough of this! Come out and obey the king’s command, and you will live.” But they replied, “We will not come out, nor will we obey the king’s command to profane the sabbath.” Then the enemy attacked them at once. But they did not retaliate; they neither threw stones, nor blocked up their secret refuges. They said, “Let us all die in innocence; heaven and earth are our witnesses that you destroy us unjustly.” So, the officers and soldiers attacked them on the sabbath, and they died with their wives, their children and their animals, to the number of a thousand persons. When Mattathias and his friends heard of it, they mourned deeply for them. They said to one another, “If we all do as our kindred have done, and do not fight against the Gentiles for our lives and our Torah, they will soon destroy us from the earth.” So, on that day they came to this decision: “Let us fight against anyone who attacks us on the sabbath, so that we may not all die as our kindred died in their secret refuges.” Then they were joined by a group of Hasideans, mighty warriors of Israel, all of them devoted to the Torah. And all those who were fleeing from the persecutions joined them and supported them. They gathered an army and struck down sinners in their wrath and the lawless in their anger, and the survivors fled to the Gentiles for safety. Mattathias and his friends went about and tore down the pagan altars; they also forcibly circumcised any uncircumcised boys whom they found in the territory of Israel. They put to flight the arrogant, and the work prospered in their hands. They saved the Torah from the hands of the Gentiles and of the kings and did not let the sinner triumph.” (1 Maccabees 2:31-48)

Some of those who fled to the mountains were found and given the chance to live if they obeyed the king, but they refused and chose to die without fighting back. This caused much heartache to Mattathias, and he and his companions decided that they should fight against the Greeks, even on the Sabbath. This would not be breaking the Sabbath, because they fought to liberate Judah from the tyrannical Greeks, which is good. As the Messiah said, it is not wrong to do good on the Sabbath. Ultimately, Mattathias led a successful campaign against the Greeks and drove them out of Jerusalem.

The Festival of Hanukkah

“Then Judas and his brothers said, “Now that our enemies have been crushed, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it. So the whole army assembled, and went up to Mount Zion. They found the sanctuary desolate, the altar desecrated, the gates burnt, weeds growing in the courts as in a thicket or on some mountain, and the priests’ chambers demolished. Then they tore their garments and made great lamentation; they sprinkled their heads with ashes and prostrated themselves. And when the signal was given with the shofar (a type of trumpet created from a ram’s horn), they cried out to Heaven. Judas appointed men to attack those in the citadel, while he purified the sanctuary. He chose blameless priests, devoted to the Torah; these purified the sanctuary and carried away the stones of the defilement to an unclean place. They considered what ought to be done with the altar for burnt offerings that had been desecrated. They decided it best to tear it down, lest it be a lasting shame to them that the Gentiles had defiled it; so they tore down the altar. They stored the stones in a suitable place on the temple mount, until the coming of a prophet who could determine what to do with them. Then they took uncut stones, according to the Torah, and built a new altar like the former one. They also repaired the sanctuary and the interior of the temple and consecrated the courts. They made new sacred vessels and brought the menorah, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple. Then they burned incense on the altar and lighted the lamps on the menorah, and these illuminated the temple. They also put loaves on the table and hung up the curtains. Thus they finished all the work they had undertaken. They rose early on the morning of the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, that is, the month of Kislev, in the year one hundred and forty-eight, and offered sacrifice according to the Torah on the new altar for burnt offerings that they had made. On the anniversary of the day on which the Gentiles had desecrated it, on that very day it was rededicated with songs, harps, lyres, and cymbals. All the people prostrated themselves and adored and praised the Elohim of Heaven, who had given them success. For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar and joyfully offered burnt offerings and sacrifices of deliverance and praise.” (1 Maccabees 4:36-56)

“Then Judas and his brothers and the entire assembly of Israel decreed that every year for eight days, from the twenty-fifth day of the month Kislev, the days of the dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness on the anniversary.” (1 Maccabees 4:59)

The time of Hanukkah is one of celebration but also accompanied by the realism of our ancestors who suffered for keeping Torah. From 1 Maccabees we get an overview of the story of Hanukkah, 2 Maccabees we receive a more on-the-ground perspective, and let me tell you it is quite emotional. I hope everyone has a blessed Hanukkah celebration, continues to test all things, and that the Ruach Hakodesh leads you into all truth. 

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