Hanuka

Hanuka, the last and least of the minor holidays: last in time of origin, least in prescribed observances. It if the one holy day not rooted in Bible narrative; the one day that celebrates a military event; the day, in short, that comes closest to being a bridge between ancient Judaism and our modern world, and that lies farthest from the Mosaic revelation.
Hanuka means Dedication. The festival marks these eight days when the Temple was restored to the worship of G-d.
The Feast of Hanukkah celebration begins tonight at sunset, December (the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar), and is celebrated for eight consecutive days. Oftentimes misunderstood as a "Jewish Christmas," Hanukkah, which means, "dedication, consecration, or induction" in Hebrew, is also referred to as the "Feast of Dedication," or "Festival of Lights." It is celebrated in commemoration of the rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem after a victory in 165 B.C., when the Jewish people, led by the Maccabees, defeated the army of the Greek Seleucid ruler, Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
Antiochus had set out to destroy the Jewish religion, issuing decrees forbidding the practice of the rituals of the Laws of Moses, even to the extent of destroying copies of the Torah.
Three years to the day from when the Temple was desecrated, on the 24th of Kislev, 165 B.C. the temple was cleansed and rededicated. As part of the Temple rededication, holy consecrated oil was needed to light the great Menorah, but only one small cruse of the sacramental oil was found, enough to last just one day. Knowing it took eight days to prepare more holy oil, they nevertheless lit the great Menorah with the little oil they had. Miraculously, the oil burned for "eight days" - a witness of the Lamp of G-d - the Light of the world – the Messiah!
Y’Shua - The Light of the World
Y’Shua Himself, the Light of the world, is recorded in John 10:22-23, as being at the Temple in Jerusalem and walking in Solomon's Porch during the Feast of Dedication:
"…the Feast of Dedication (of the reconsecration of the Temple) was taking place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Y’Shua was walking in Solomon's Porch in the Temple area."
The teachers told the Maccabean take and added a legend of a lamp miraculously burning eight days in the Temple. The children were given nuts, raisins, and hard candies; and little gambling tops, dreidls with which one could quickly triple one’s hoard of sweets or lose it all. The old custom of Hanuka money has become the new custom of Hanuka gifts that is a minor shift in manners.
The original seven branch menorah given to Moses during the Exodus, symbolized the promise of the illumination that was to come through God's Anointed One - Y’Shua (Ex. 25:31-40 and 37:17-24).
The Hanukkah menorah not only symbolizes illumination through Y’Shua, but adds the eighth branch, the branch of new beginning, plus the ninth branch, the Shammas or Servant branch (Y’Shua) which lights all eight branches. Y’Shua is indeed the eternal Light of the world who lights the way for a new beginning for all who come to Him.
Zechariah not only prophesied the rebuilding of the Temple in 520 B.C. as did Haggai (Hag. 2:18-19), but he also prophesied of the additional two branches added on to the traditional seven branch menorah, creating the nine branch Hanukkah menorah in Zechariah 4:
Because of its value oil symbolizes honor, joy and favor, G-d is now pouring out His anointing oil for the same reasons.
Oil is also a symbol of life, and anointing with oil indicated a change in status. Eventually, the word ‘anointed’ became synonymous with Y’Shua Ha Mashiach, the Anointed One.
Moving from the Finished Cycle to a New Beginning
When we observe Hanukkah, we not only reflect on a momentous event in history - an uprising resulting in religious freedom for the glory of the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - but we look on it as truly a time of a celebration of Light. The Light of the world, Y’Shua the Messiah, illuminating the world with a promise of a new life, a new beginning for all who come to Him!