Chanukah in John Pt. 3. First Light

It was while pondering the scriptures and Chanukah, that I received a revelation. The Lord asked me if there was an Chanukiah in John. Why? Because John had said that the light that enlightens every man is coming into the world. Did he provide proof?

After that, I had to search. But what was I looking for? Someone had to confess Jesus as Lord, God, Messiah or some such.

There had to be understanding and confession (illumination and witness).

 Compare Romans 10:9 – 10

Reading through  the gospel of John, I came to the conclusion that there were, indeed, eight lights that had been lit by the Servant. Eight occasions where someone witnessed as to who Jesus was.

This is the First Light.

 John 1: 29 - 34 ESV

²⁹ The next day he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming towards him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ³¹ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” ³² And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. ³³ I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

The Chanukah menorah is placed in the window so that the eight lights will be a witness to the miracle of God's provision at the rededication of the Temple.

Similarly, our menorah is placed as a witness to the greater miracle that happened at Chanukah.

For us, it provides a time of peace in which we can pray, celebrate communion and/or meditate on all that God has provided for us through Jesus the Christ/ Yeshua  Ha Moshiach. 

Part One
Part Two

Chanukah in John Pt.2 The Servant Candle, Light of the World.

The Chanukiah differs from the standard menorah as it has eight branches instead of seven. Yes, I know, it has nine but the ninth doesn't count. How did that happen? It all has meaning.

Copyright G.I.Goodson 2013

And now for the meaning:

The Servant Candle (Shamash) is separate from the others. It does not recall the miracle of provision ( See part one, link below). It can be used as an every day light and to light other things.

Some Chanukiah (Hanukkah menorah) put the servant candle to one side.

There are many designs for Chanukiah. Google them and see. It is all very creative.


The Servant Candle is two things.
Firstly, it does not count - despised and rejected, anyone? Isaiah 53.
Secondly, it provides light for the world. John 8:1

Jesus call Himself "the Light of the World" at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles (see John 7:37 ff).

The story of the woman caught in adultery ( John 7:53 ff) interrupts the narrative. Nevertheless, it shows clearly, why Jesus came into the world, to save sinners and not to condemn them. John 3:16 - 21. If you read the text, you will see that in verse 19 Jesus refers to Himself as the Light.

 As Jesus was born at Tabernacles, it follows that the Incarnation took place at Chanukah.

You may find the following links of interest:

http://thealmondrod.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/when-was-jesus-born-its-all-in-daniel.html

http://thealmondrod.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/chag-sameach-and-merry-christmas.html

http://thealmondrod.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/when-was-jesus-born.html


I will also be posting more on the birth of Jesus in the near future.

As Mary was remembering the rededication of the Temple, and possibly lighting the Chanukah lights, the Angel Gabriel appeared to her. Luke 1:26 - 38

As she dedicated herself to God's service, she became, for nine months, the dwelling place of the the Second Person of the Trinity, in other words, a living Temple.

Have you noticed that an Chanukiah has nine lights?

Copyright G.I.Goodson 2013

The Chanukiah has some more secrets to reveal, of which more later. Tomorrow, the first light of John's Chanukah menorah.
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Part One

Chanukah in the Gospel of John - Part One

My second re-posting, so this time I am a little behind but I will catch up.

It is my intent over the next couple of days, and during Hanukkah, to post on the the feast of Chanukah in the gospel of John. John is full of structures. The seven signs (and elsewhere) and the seven 'I AM' sayings are well documented (The links here are just to make the point. I hold no brief for them and there may be better ones lower in Google's listings). I hope to show that there is also another structure in John. and it is a Chanukah menorah, an Chanukiah of revelation about Jesus the Christ (Yeshua ha Moshiach).

Below is a picture of an Chanukiah. It is not in a window because none of the candles have been lit and thus it is not a witness to the world.

Copyright G.I.Goodson 2013

The Chanukiah differs from the standard menorah as it has eight branches instead of seven. Yes, I know, it has nine but the ninth doesn't count. How did that happen? It all has meaning.

For Jews, Chanukah remembers the rededication of the Temple after Judas Maccabeus had , temporarily, freed Israel from foreign rule. The Syrians had been overthrown, but the Romans were soon to follow.

Chanukah celebrates a miracle of provision and not a victory. When rededicating the defiled Temple, there was only enough oil for one day, but it lasted the full eight days needed for rededication, see here.

The gospel of John records sayings of Jesus during a celebration of Chanukah. Please note that the term " The Jews" refers to the Jewish Authorities of the time and should not be used as an excuse to persecute modern-day Jews. It is a similar usage to our "The Yanks" or "The Brits" etc.

John 10: 22 - 42

At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there.

 Jesus makes some very big claims on this day, but that is hardly surprising as it is the day of His Incarnation - of which, more tomorrow.