Channuka we know, is the most important festivity celebrated only by the jewish people and in jewish culture, life and tradition; it's a festivity that no other minority or people, know the meaning of it, and therefore it does not appear in other people festivities.
Hannuka its about Light but also about "candles" and the other closest culture that celebrates "the Light" and the candles, has a meaning of hope are the Christians from all over the world.
Candles in the most recent years and generations are also used by "some people of the East" as a meaning of light, like a blind man looks for the light in order to walk and know where he is setting his feet, but these people and cultures like India, China, Thailand etc, even if they are looking for God and for Divine light, have no idea what this Light is all about and the "deep meaning" of lighting a candle.
It is said in the Bible that Abraham married many women after his wife Sarah died, but he sent them "far away" (the far East) with many presents, but they did not came to know God's Divine Light and the deep meaning of it. They did not stay in Israel, they did not know anything about God's temple in Jerusalem, and therefore they "went away" never knowing the meaning of the Light, and therefore today the modern Nations of the East, must go back to Abraham land and Jewish Jerusalem to get a real meaning of the candle and of the Divine Light.
In Western culture, beliefs and life instead, the tradition, the culture and the meaning of the Light is very clear and known: Jesus said I AM the Light of the world, and if you believe you yourself become the Light in the world, therefore candles are lighten every day in every church all over the world, as a "sign of this Divine Light" that is continuously lighted up in the streets of every Nation, country, continent of the world.
In Western culture the Bible and the jewish Torah was translated in Greek, becouse Greece was the latest culture and ancient Empire that have left a huge mark in our modern European society, and therefore the jewish "festivity of Hannukka", the "feast of the Light" was not know until modern generations, for obvious reasons. First becouse the jewish communities where little and almost hidden, second becose our idea and vision of Jesus the Messiah has been made "Hellenic", from the Greek idea of the Divine, and therefore our candles did not relate directely to Hannuka.
A closer look to the blooming of jewish modern life and cultural events however, brings to light to million of people, the deep relation and connection between Hannukka festivity and the billion of candles christians have lit for decades, in churches, streets and homes, all over the world. In recent years Christians were the one who used candles as a sign of hope and connection to God, but a deeper and closest look to Jesus life as a jewish man, born in a jewish family and with jewish customes and culture, explains well the Christian actions and beliefs.
Jesus was a jew, whould celebrate the Hannuka festivity of the Light, and He Himself will declare to be the Hannuka for the world( the Light of God on Earth). Not only he is the Hannuka and the hope of the jews and of the world, but Jesus declared His follower Divine Hannuka and Light here on Earth, making the Hannuka a person, and not only a festivity or a wax candle and menorah.
I AM the Menorah of the World, I AM your Hannuka in the world and to make even more Divine Light on this Earth, Jesus declare every man and woman who believes in Messiah, they themself the Candlestick and the Menorah of the Temple of Jerusalem, in this modern world.
The world and life in modern society it's all about connections, and not only between people but also with God, therefore in our modern days, where connection is made accessible to many and not to a few, connecting the ancient to the modern, the jewish Jesus to the global multicultural Jesus, it's fatal to our modern understanding of life.
Everything that is today, was already in the past, nothing is new under the sun, except technology, and therefore as we connect to technology, we must connect the ancient understanding to the new modern world. There are things that today we can connect immediately, while in the past was not possible, and Hannuka is one of these.
Hannuka is the festivity, the belief and the hope of the Divine Light that many people are looking for in their life, family, home, street and Nation and the celebration is the commitment of people to search and search for God and His Divine Light for many generations.
However Jesus has already made us people, man and women alike, good recipient of Divine Light and this Divine Light should be sought in people and no longer in candle or candlesticks. Whomever believes in Jesus Messiah will carry God's Divine Light in his all life, and people and not lifeless wax candle would give Light to the people of the world.
It is not a casualty that God has forbidden to kill or murder another fellow man or women; we are a sparkle of God Divine Light and nobody has been given permission to murder a fellow man or woman anywhere, and most of all the jewish people and the Christians, are this living and Divine Light and therefore the value of an expensive Hannuka, should be connected to the price of a Life and Divine Light among people.
The disrespect or disregard of the jewish people as individuals or as a minority people, or Nation and the disrespect and disregard of Christian man, women and children today, is nothing less and nothing more than the disregard man have of the Divine Light in our modern society.
In jewish tradition Hannuka is a perfect reminder of God, His Divine Light and the hope of all man to connect to God's sparckle of life, however Jesus revealed that not everyone is looking for the light in their life and some even would refuse the Light of God in their life, family , homes and even society.
The Gospel of John speaks first of all, before anything else about the Light (the hope)and how this Light of Hannuka would be celebrated by man, in every generation, including our modern times:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome.
In just this short frame of the Gospel, Jesus tells us that Life is connected to Light, that the life of every man and woman is the Light of God for mankind, that this Light shines and the evil cannot take away all the Light (or people) from the world. This is specifically true for entities that have pubblicy declared their wish to destroy Christians or jews as communities and group of people. No strong man, group, religion or entity, can ever think to conquer the world killing and murdering jews and Christians. It will not be allowed by God and it's an impossible goal to achieve. God's Light cannot be destroy, outnumber or obliterated, just as God Himself cannot be taken away from any corner of the world.
After this statment the Bible teach us why God's Light and the Light of God in people life, cannot and will not be taken away;
When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, I AM the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life. Gospel of John 8
As we can see life and light always go together, and therefore in everylife and most of all in the life of Jesus followers (Christians) and Jesus people (the jewish people), there is this Divine light in action, so anyone lighting a candle or lighting a Hannuka candlestick, or in relation to the people of the East that see light has a hope in life, making lights flying in the sky, but does not respect the life of every man or woman, has not deeply understood the meaning of life at all.
It is necessary today more than ever for everyone, to connect to the Divine revelation and make sure it connects the dots in life: Jesus came as Messiah and Light of God, has declared Himself the only true Light of this world, and has given to man and woman of good heart and good will, to be the Divine Light in the midst of people and fellows humans.
You are the Light of God in the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine in your life before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven. Gospel of Matthew 5
Jesus declared Himself and every person that receives Him, the Light of God on Earth, something no other man like Budda for buddist, Mohamad for Islam, or the various gods of Induism, that never spoke to them, have ever teached in the search of God or Divine enlightment.
Budda never told the buddist they will be Light of God, Mohamad never know a thing or spoke about Light in his fake writtings, neither the many gods of Induism speak or have spoken to Indians about God's Light. They do not have knowledge of what Life and Light mean deeply, neither they have the understanding of the Divine Light and His effects in life.
Therefore when we compare all writtings and all saying, only Jesus spoke about Hannukka lighting and the deep sense of this celebration in jewish life and for the people of the world.
I AM the Channuka of the world, you also are the Hannuka in the world and for the "rest of the world", therefore Jesus the awaited Messiah has made man life into a Hannuka and transformed the world into a Menorah, just like in the Temple of Jerusalem,to be a global living Temple worldwide alway on with God's Divine Light.
There are many man and women even in our lifetime, that for ignorance are not connected to this understand and knowledge of life, and therefore been in a dark derech and walking in the dark of their life, still express anti-semitic and antiChristian sentiments; they do not know or just do not want to except, that life and light are connected and bad desires and actions againt the jews and the Christians, are just a violation of God Divine plan for humanity.
Jesus is the Hannuka of this world, and there is no other derech and way to catch a glimpse of God Divine Light, except meeting Jesus and all He promised to anyone, man and woman that believes in Him. The Bible has also connected the 6 arms of the candlestick of the Menorah plus the main arm making a total of 7 arms, to the 7 gift that the Divine Light would bring to a man life. The Light of God bring in people life many gifs, useful to become a perfect man of God and to conduct a good and happy life, and therefore we can see how the ancient Menorah becomes life:
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, as traditionally defined, are:
Wisdom: We receive the gift of wisdom to help us understand the things of God, and to direct our whole life and all our actions to his glory. Wisdom helps us see the world differently and from God’s point of view. “O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33)
Understanding: The gift of understanding enables us to know more clearly the mysteries of faith. “I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord; and they shall be my people and I will be their God” (Jeremiah 24:7).
Counsel ( Right Judgment): The gift of counsel helps us to discern what is right and what is wrong. It assists us in our ability to choose the path of God. “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7: 13-14).
Knowledge: When we receive the gift of knowledge, it enables us to discover God’s will in all things. “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Piety : The gift of piety helps us to love God, our merciful Father, and to obey his precepts out of love for him. It moves our heart from serving God out of duty and obligation into a relationship of love. “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).
Fortitude (Courage): While the gifts of knowledge and wisdom help us know what we should do, the gift of fortitude strengthens our will so that we can actually accomplish what is true, good and beautiful. This gift is sometimes called the gift of courage and helps a person stand firm, even when persecuted, in doing the right thing. “They will lay their hands on you and persecute you … This will be a time for you to bear testimony … I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict … you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish” (Luke 21:12-17).
Fear of the Lord : Commonly understood as the fear of a wrathful God ready to smite us, the gift of fear of the Lord is actually more positive than negative. It consists of a recognition of the grandeur of God and his primacy over all things. Fear of the Lord recognizes that God is the Creator and sustainer of the Universe and we are his creatures. This gift helps us to understand how we must depend on God for everything. In other words, he is God, we are not.
The wax candle is one, like God is One and His Divine Light is One, and the Menorah in the Temple of God in Jerusalem was One;but the Channuka has 7 arms that are the 7 attitude, insight and sparkles we must have, to be more like God.The ancient celebration of Hannukka therefore unmask today the deep meaning of Messiah, His Light, God's Divine Light and the connection to life in fellow man. Many people took out of God Temple in Jerusalem the Menorah, but only the Romans and therefore the Christians were given the priviledge to understand and believe that the Menorah was "the sign" and the symbol God gave to the jews, until man became fully aware that Messiah is the Menorah and from Him 7 gift of God came to the life of man, to make God's Light shine in man's life.
One Menorah,one Messiah, one Divine Light for all in our time, who do not disrespect or disregard the jewish people and ther Channuka celebration! Man and women, old and children, they all hope for this Light and the Divine sparkles in the dark streets of the world!
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