Chosen People Ministries UK
  • ABOUT
    • History
    • Doctrinal Statement
    • Our Mission
    • Leadership
  • RESOURCES
    • Articles
    • Get Our Newsletter
    • Our Newsletter
    • Recognizing Messiah
    • Share Your Faith
    • Holidays & Festivals
    • Inside Israel
    • Passover
    • Shavuot
    • Hanukkah
    • Messianic Calendar
  • SHOP
  • CONTACT
  • GIVE
    • Donate
    • Quick Donation via Paypal
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Invite us to Speak!
    • CPM Harrogate – The Olive Tree
    • Introducing the Ezra Foundation
  • PRAYER POINTS
  • Click to open the search input field Click to open the search input field Search
  • Menu Menu
  • Link to X
  • Link to Facebook
  • Link to Youtube

Hanukkah is in the Old Testament, right?

Actually, the only time Hanukkah is mentioned in the Bible is in the New Testament. Since Hanukkah took place after the Old Testament was canonized, it is not included therein. The story of Hanukkah takes place in 166-160 BC when the land of Israel was under Greek rule for over 150 years since Alexander the Great took over in 333 BC. Since then, many Jewish people had adopted the Greek culture and ways. However, Antiochus Epiphanes, the current ruler, forbade Jewish festivals and Temple worship and wanted the Jewish people to be fully absorbed into the Greek culture. Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks and the rededication of the Temple.

So that brings us to the Bible, where is it if it happened after the Old Testament and before the New Testament?

This “festival of lights” is first mentioned in John 10:22. In this passage, Jesus goes to the Jerusalem Temple to celebrate the Feast of Dedication. Jesus celebrated Hanukkah!

John 10 takes place in the Temple courts, while Jesus observes the feast of Hanukkah. His teaching gathered the Jewish people around him and with great anticipation, they asked Him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” (John 10:24) Interestingly enough, the literal Greek translation reads: “How long will you lift up our souls?” The Jewish people at that time lifted up their souls in hopeful, anxious anticipation for the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies! Today, believers all around the world lift up their hearts and souls to Jesus as we longingly anticipate the day when Jewish people around the world embrace Jesus their Messiah.

We can also marvel at the fact that Jesus, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas, actually celebrated Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication. This is truly poignant considering that this means Jesus celebrated the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple, which essentially was a grassroots Jewish movement to preserve Jerusalem and the Jewish people from absorbing into the pagan, Hellenistic culture of their time. If the Maccabees had not reclaimed and rededicated the Jewish Temple, Jesus would not have been able to come to a Jewish Temple or a Jewish people!

So in essence, when we celebrate Hanukkah, we also celebrate the divinity of Jesus. During a holiday that celebrates the miracle of light, we celebrate the fact that Jesus came and brings light to the world and to our souls!

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on X
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn

GET TO KNOW US

  • Doctrinal Statement
  • Our History
  • Our Team

GET INVOLVED

  • Upcoming Events
  • Ministry Opportunities
  • Invite a Speaker
  • Get Our Newsletter
  • Articles

RESOURCES

  • Articles
  • Share Your Faith
  • Online Store
  • Holidays & Festivals

CONNECT

  • Contact Us
  • Donation
  • Privacy Policy
© Chosen People Ministries UK 2025
  • Link to X
  • Link to Facebook
  • Link to Youtube
  • Doctrinal Statement
  • Our History
  • Our Team
Link to: How can we pray in light of Antisemitism? Link to: How can we pray in light of Antisemitism? How can we pray in light of Antisemitism? Link to: Purim’s lessons still speak today! Link to: Purim’s lessons still speak today! Purim’s lessons still speak today!
Scroll to top

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

OK

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Google Analytics Cookies

These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience.

If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here:

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Other cookies

The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them:

Privacy Policy

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.

Privacy Policy
Accept settingsHide notification only