Pagan Origins of Hanukkah? - NehemiasWall.com 

Greek fire

Lost a potential girlfriend. Lol.

The high priest came from the the house of Levi, not the house of Judah. God is a God of order and that’s why each tribe had their own blessing. The true messiah will come from Jesse (tribe of Judah). Nowhere in the OT it says that he will also be part of Aaron (high priest).

@@aripg359 What Tribe was Melchizedek from? There were no 12 Tribes when Melchizedek presented Abraham with Bread & Wine. Yet there was a King & High Priest of Salem

Heather Smith - Yes I agree with this . The Temple would have to have been rededicated . In this season there is a greater need than ever to check our lamps are cleaned and ready to shine true and pure . It is good to separate truth from tradition .

@@aripg359 Yeshua was from the tribe of Judah, not Levi. He is a priest after the order of Melchizedek.

@@csmitchell2227 I thought all the Priests were from the Tribe of LEVITES?! (Rhetorical) So how can “yeshua” be a priest, if he is from the tribe of Judah?! Two separate Tribes! Can’t be from both! Cannot be a King AND a Priest! And Where is the lineage of Melchizedek Written in Torah? Also! This would make Elohim a Jew, since He impregnated Mary!! Would it not? And if this is a blasphemous statement…then that would mean The NEW testament is blasphemous!

Truth will set it free

He never went into the temple but stood upon the porch… He went to reprimand them & they were going to stone Him & He fled… that’s the story, nothing more

@@jacqueo8763 He did not go to reprimand them. He went to observe The Feast of Dedication. They encircled Him, and demanded the truth from Him. He told them the absolute truth. It made them angry. They choose not to believe The Truth.

Isaiah

Yes, Yes, Yes - Halleluyah!!

No. Lighting a fire is one of the categories of work - derived from the tasks required to build the Tabernacle - forbidden on Shabbat.

I agree with you. It seems there are so many who truely in their heart have a call and a deep desire to worship our Savior correctly - a hunger and a thrist to honor Him. Some have carried this hunger for our Messiah to far, and they have begun to follow "men's traditions" in their zeal. They look to unsaved Rabbis and Talmudic sources, and then mix these things with the truth. It's so sad and misleading - hurtful first to our Savior and then to those of us who want the truth - not distorted versions of it. We must know The Word and weigh what we are told by it. Another example of this type of error being taught is that there are 2 new years. There are not - only 1 new year in The Word - it is the first day of Nissan. The 2nd new year came about while the Hebrews were in exile in Babylon. This was never ordained by Yehovah. It's another man made tradition. Many of our Messianic leaders and teachers that pulled out of the protestant churches to follow the truth of the scriptures, in their misguided zeal, have begun to fall prey to many of these made up talmudic traditions. Test everything. Be wise. Know the background of all that you listen to. There are many teachers and scholars that have learned knowledge but, if it isn't based on the foundation of Messiah/Christ as the Word/God made flesh to dwell among us to redeem us then they are not representing the entire truth. We must glean and shift the teachings with open ears of understanding.

@@natnielsen8472 well said!!

Darn I thought lighting candles was a nice way to connect with God.

@@bunnyboo6295 it is a sweet side note, yet not biblical. The Menorah in the temple was never to go out - it was to symbolize being the light to the nations. In other words, it represents Messiah being a light to the nations prophetically. In the Book of Revelation you'll read that John sees Him in the mist of The Menorah.

@@natnielsen8472 did not Yeshua celebrate Chanukah

It is actually 1 day, only in the Western world it is 8, because of the Christmas, known fact

@@FeWolf Known fact ?

@@dunoze ll begin at the beginning, and point out that Hanukkah was traditionally a minor holiday. It’s one of the few that doesn’t appear in the Jewish biblical canon, is light on liturgy, and unlike on more serious holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Passover, Jews are permitted to work. Because of its relatively flimsy textual base, Hanukkah has been tweaked and twisted over the years to meet contemporary needs. The older part of the story can be found in the Book of Maccabees, which tells of the revolt, and eventual triumph, of Jews over Syrian Greeks during the second century C.E. Not until centuries later did Talmudic rabbis, in an attempt to inject some more divine intervention into what was an otherwise largely nationalistic tale, integrate the miracle element into the holiday. Before that, the story about one small jar of oil lasting for eight nights was likely an oral legend.

@@FeWolf So in the time Yahusha was the Hanukkah one or eight days ? Is there any record of it being one day ?

@@dunoze Bibles says he went to observe, does not days how long, usually is does tell during these days if you stayed anyplace for than 1 day, so you have to make that call for yourself, I believe it was one day. I am not saying that it was more of less it is what I believe according to scripture and his habits.

Feast of dedication, which is to celebrate taking back the Temple and rededication to YHVH.

Chanukah is in John 10 where Yeshua observed it at the Temple in the winter.

John was written somewhere between 90-100.

@@aripg359 doubtful as the Temple was destroyed before then.

John 10:22

Where does it say he celebrated. He did say something very important though.

Scott in Texas - I am in the UK . I am seeing what you expressed more and more and is my growing conclusion . I got born again and baptised in The Spirit (Ruach) in the early 70s . I have always had a big heart for Israel and the Jewish people . But I have seen a massive change and lack of forward motion and depth of teaching in the "Churches" . YHVH called me out over 2 decades ago (not than I was really in then) . Before Messiah returns Elijah must prepare the way . There are a People (Qahal) being separated and feed in the wilderness . We are not to hide our light under a bushel but to hold it up and shine The Light in the darkness . Shalom

@@dunoze The Light of Yeshua - The Word made flesh - Who died, and rose on the 3rd day, and is seated at the right hand of Adonai! It is The Rauche that He sent to all that believe in Him, and we are baptized as being born again in Father/Son/Holy Rauche! Remember, Echud - they are 1! Blessings brother and Shalom!

Scott, thank you for putting the Gospel in simple terms. I no longer 'celebrate' ANY day/s as they are all fake (idols) made by satan to appease and appeal to the pride of people wanting to be like those nations surrounding them. Christmas is NOT about Christ, and neither is Easter! Much less, Thanksgiving, Halloween, on and on. ALL are pagan! People are being deceived ... and lately as you say by the thinking that we must GO BACK(wards) under the LAW (to what is perceived as purity of the Jews) rather than live under Grace of the New Testament. Else why did Jesus come and die!!?? What we need to do to live and worship SEPARATED unto Jesus/God is LISTEN to the indwelling of the HOLY SPIRIT. Jesus was very clear that that is who He would send to help us!!! Listening or following ANY OTHER direction from ANYBODY is deception. Remember this IS satan's world until such time as Jesus returns and sets up His Kingdom. Just another case in point --- WHY does God say "and the evening and morning were the first day". So WHY don't WE follow that? The reason is is because satan has corrupted EVERYTHING on earth by sin. So you just know that everything we have learned and been taught (through tradition, science, even denominations) has been a lie (or mixed with lies) based on what satan has turned upside down to get you mired in PRACTICING a form of Godliness but having NO Power! Dead! ALL 'religions' are pagan! GOD did not create them. P.S. In Texas also! Looking for other 'woke' believers!!

@@skyqueenworthey1343 Torah (The Law) is not going backwards, it is returning to The Way Yeshua (Jesus) taught and lived. The disciples as well as Saul (Paul) also lived by Torah, which means Instruction. The difference with what the Pharisees taught (andJudaism still teaches) is they have added hundreds and thousands of rabbinic “laws” (traditions) that are burdensome and difficult. Mark 7:8-9 God tells us keeping His commandments are neither. 1 John 5:3, Matthew 11:30, and Deuteronomy 30:11-16. You are correct in agreement that Christmas and Easter are not Biblical, but mixed with paganism, which is forbidden by God. Torah tells us what God’s Holy-days are and how to keep them. John 14:6 - Yeshua is the Way, Truth, Life Psalm 119:1 Torah is the Way Psalm 119:142 Torah is Truth Proverbs 13:14 Torah is Life Psalm 19:7 Torah is perfect Hebrews 4:15 Yeshua is perfect (w/out sin) Proverbs 4:2 Torah is sound teaching Matthew 1:21 (Yeshua is Hebrew for salvation) John 14:5 If you love Yeshua, you will keep His commandments. 1 John 2:3 keep His commandments 1 John 2:6 walk as He walked 1 John 3:4 sin is Torahlessness 1 John 3:7 Practice righteousness to be righteous 1 John 3:23-24 Believe in Yeshua, keep His commandments Deuteronomy 30:11 keeping His commandments are not difficult 1 John 5:3 Keep His commandments, which are not burdensome 2 John 1:6 walk according to His commandments John 10:37-38 “If I do not do the works (commandments) of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” The covenant with YHVH is the same, just as He is always the same, while we are the ones who have changed. If anything, the standard by the “new covenant” has been raised. It is no longer written on stone, but in our hearts. Jeremiah 31:31-34 The “new covenant” is no more “new” than the “new moon” is new every month. It has been the same formula from the beginning - Grace Faith Obedience. Faith without works (obedience) is dead. James 2:14-26 In The Way of YHVH, the three elements are inseparable. We are not saved by our works/obedience, we are obedient because we are saved and love Him. Justification -> Spirit -> Sanctification. No salvation (justification), no Spirit, no Spirit, no obedience (sanctification). It was the same for Noah, and mankind would not be here if he had not also been obedient.

​@@scottintexas Well from what you are saying it seems that you are saying there was an OLD Torah which was good but the NEW Torah has been traditionalized so is no longer the Torah.... which is my point.... it's all MAN. Yes, the NEW Covenant has always been Love God First and Your Neighbor as Yourself.... which is written in your heart when Jesus cleanses you and sends the HS to dwell .... and therefore you will AUTOMATICALLY be motivated to keep the Ten Commandments (pure and simple) not all this other genuflection to be so-called HOLY (righteous) unto God .... in fact I believe He hates it! So by Faith you accepted Christ and what He did for you. Then the Spirit helps you be obedient in order to be sanctified (righteous) before Him. So that's what I said. Before the Blood - After the Blood. But not in Addition to the Blood. And I will add again -- All holidays are satan's detour and deviation from Jesus.... to take glory away from Him. Even birthdays. So .... like why are we celebrating ourselves??? Just like the awards shows! Celebrating the creation rather than the Creator. So mixed with paganism they become pagan altogether. God specifically said He hated that also. Same idea of you can't be a little bit pregnant. The bottom line is..... we CAN'T keep the LAW - old or new - without His help! That's why He looks on the heart. Better to obey than to sacrifice. Easier said than done because the Spirit wars with the body. ..... But easier than the consequences of NOT obeying because He carries us, through absolutely NO deservedness of our own. Thanking Jesus for that!!! Unfathomable love!! Thanks for your reply.

He allows but is he happy with our parties and feasts?

@@bernardovid2855 Purim is not one of His feasts but yet He doesn't object to it. I would think God prefer that our lives honor Him all days but we never forget to celebrate His moedim.

@@csmitchell2227 Isaiah 1,14. Amos 5,21.

@@csmitchell2227 what people seem to forget is that the torah is yes a law, but it also has an intent in mind. It doesnt govern every single second of when you breathe, or that on every thursday you eat chicken or some nonsense like that, thus the command to not add or dimminish from the torah itself, deut-4:2, and 12:32. The point I am making is that you can honor Yehovah through making traditions, just in case you don't think so, because the honor part wasn't clear to me.

Please read John 10:22-24.

I was thinking that too, it’s in there for a reason.

@@spitflamez Yes, and it's important for us to remember what the Menorah actually represents. The Menorah was to signify being the light to the nations and was to burn continually. Yeshua is The Light. We are told not to mix His Glory with anything. When men's traditions took hold of the Menorah and changed it to 9 instead of the 7 ordained branches it became an idol of man - the Festival of Lights - they changed the meaning of The Menorah and brought it out of The Holy Temple. They did this because they wanted to be like the pagan nations who celebrated the winter solstice.

@@natnielsen8472 It has to be the 7 branches, because there are the 7 oil lamps.

Doesn't say He celebrated it, He said He was the light of the world.

Midrashim*

It is mandated by the Talmudic sages. The command is to “publicize the miracle” of the oil. It is an obligation.

@@Historian212 yes correct. But Torah never mandated it.

Yeshua happened to be there in Jerusalem during the time of the dedication, but nowhere does it say that he embraced it as a holiday nor that he was celebrating this pagan holiday. It was mentioned in John 10:22 as a source of reference to simply what time of year it was.

@@carrienottingham5215 he probably was there celebrating, cause it says He got into the Solomon temple, however He never said we should keep the celebration, the only thing left now is communion, that's it.

@@rahelhorvat1471 : “Then came Hanukkah in Yerushalayim. It was winter, and Yeshua was ‘walking around inside the Temple area, in Shlomo’s Colonnade.’ So the Judeans surrounded him and said to him, “How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us publicly!” Yeshua answered them, “I have already told you, and you don’t trust me. The works I do in my Father’s name testify on my behalf, but the reason you don’t trust is that you are not included among my sheep.” ‭‭Yochanan (Jhn)‬ ‭10:22-26‬ ‭CJB‬‬

Communion is the ‘Catholic Eucharist’ eat the flesh drink the blood 🩸! Not very Biblical to drink blood and eat flesh… at the Passover we bless and eat unleavened bread and drink wine! Yeshua participated in a Passover meal not a communion!

@geerboks funny that they called it Jewish holidays when the feasts of YHWH are for all 12 tribes of Israel not just Judah. Remember Ephraim has the birth right and are scattered though out the 4 corners of the earth. Many of us who are following Torah is bc we are Ephraim being awaken

Thanks for the education. I'd been thinking on tha term here recently. My understanding not necessarily correct was pagan had some form of worship a high authority be it a rock, as is the dominant form of a higher authority which many people now - in lifestyle choices; and that heathens were those who did what ever when ever with whom or whatever suited their fancy whatever, which presently many if not most western world peoples now live that life style of whomever what whenever I feel like doing. So according to the Ancient Latin lexicon you have corrected moi.

No, the first followers of Yeshua were all devoted Torah-Observant Jews, and gentile converts. Distinctive "Christian" (non-Jewish) elements were introduced by Constantine and the Gentile church leaders in the Council of Nicea in 325 CE.

@@QueenVictoriaRose They were introduced well before then. The New Testament speaks of people twisting things in that way. The Council of Nicea and Constantine are merely when and how they were codified and incorporated to the state.

@@SepticFuddy I’m red

So you don't think there a connection between "Father of lights", "the way and the truth and the light ",and the "light of the world ", "the True light " and a early festival of lights 🤔

Doesn't Shabbat count as the 8th Festival? Just because it's weekly shouldn't diminish its significance in honoring our Creator.

@@KhassiaK It's not considered a "festival/moed". It is the Sabbath and to be kept Holy - a solemn day of rest, but not part of the 7 prophetic festivals of Messiah/Christ. Because we are created in the image of Yehovah/God He ordained 6 days of work, and 1 day if solemn rest unto Him - just as He worked 6 days creating the world and all that is in it, and then He rested. He is so gracious to us that He has commanded a full day off for us as well. The 7 feasts are High Holy prophetic set apart days that all proclaim Messiah and exalt Him. The first 4 have been fulfilled, and the remaining 3 will have their fulfillment at His 2nd coming. Hope this helps.

@@natnielsen8472 only 3 are feasts.

@@bethelshiloh There are 7 feasts/moeds/appointed times. 4 of them Messiah has fulfilled- 3 are yet for Him to fulfill at His 2nd coming.

@@natnielsen8472 I’m still wondering WHY YAH NEVER MENTIONED “Yeshua!” EVER!! Not once! Not even a nod, or a wink!! But let’s worship that MANMADE Golden calf…just as our forefathers did…right?!! I remember too, YAH wanted to destroy the Israelites for this very sin!!

Interesting. That verse isn't about making a holiday/feast Day anytime we want, in fact in the previous verses YAH was warning against that. It's about eating. Do not do as we are doing here today - each one doing whatever is right in his own eyes. “Because you have not yet entered the rest and the inheritance which יהוה your Elohim is giving you. “Guard yourself that you do not offer your ascending offerings in every place that you see, except in the place which יהוה chooses, in one of your tribes, there you are to offer your ascending offerings, and there you are to do all that I command you. Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 12:8‭-‬9‭, ‬13‭-‬14 TS2009 “Only, whatever your being desires you shall slaughter and eat, according to the blessing of יהוה your Elohim which He has given you, within all your gates. The unclean and the clean do eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike. Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 12:15 TS2009

@@SopranoJessi the unclean n clean alike eating within ur own gates doesn't sound like a pilgrimage feast and yes, when u throw a party u invented for Yehovah like Thanksgiving, u can't make choice vows or offerings, those r to be done only in Jerusalem

Good Shabbas Nunya

No he is not a rabbi he is a biblical scholar that is completely different than being an orthodox Jew but he is a moray.

@@juliusdennis4225 but it says he's a "Dr. Rabbi" and Nechemyah called him Rabbi as well I think.... What's a moray?

@@juliusdennis4225 From my understanding ‘Rabbi’ simply means ‘Teacher’…….

@@corneliastone1807 yes but not for them,.. not it's only meaning. It generally means "master".

@@corneliastone1807 that's what it means today but if you were to go back in the first century and the time of Jesus Rabbi meant great one and the modern-day rabbis are the ancient Pharisees modern-day Judaism comes out of ancient phariseeism. The original Hebrew word for teacher is Moray but after the destruction of the Temple that's when they begin to use the word Rabbi for teacher.