Everything in the Temple attested to God’s holiness and purity. That’s why the desecration of His dwelling place was so grievous. Even the oil burning in the menorah had to be pure and consecrated.

The presence of idols in His holy Temple along with false worship and impure sacrifices was so offensive to the Israelites that they were eager to make things right. When there wasn’t enough oil to last more than one day, God affirmed the desire of His people to honor Him, and He provided the way. He made one day of oil last eight days, the amount of time required for more to be purified.

No one is pure enough to be in God’s presence. But He provided the way. He sent His Son Yeshua (Jesus) to die in our place and exchange our guilt for His righteousness. Because of Yeshua’s pure sacrifice, we have fellowship with the God of Israel, the God who is Love and Light Himself (1 John 1:5, 4:8).

This is the Good News, the best news. It never gets old because the richness of God’s love and mercy are so deep that new encounters with them await us every day.

On this seventh night of Chanukah, we thank God for His goodness and purity, and we express our gratitude that he provided the way for us to know Him, through His Son, Yeshua.

Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings

Place seven candles in the chanukiah tonight, setting them in the holders from right to left. As you light the Servant Candle (Shamash), recite the Chanukah blessings:

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the light of the world.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.

Candle Lighting

Using the Servant Candle, light the Chanukah candles in the opposite direction from which you placed them in the holders. Light them from left to right. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own. They should burn for a least half an hour.

Scripture Readings

“Holy, holy, holy, is Adonai-Tsvaot! The whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3 TLV).

“But now God’s righteousness apart from the Torah has been revealed, to which the Torah and the Prophets bear witness – namely, the righteousness of God through putting trust in Messiah Yeshua, to all who keep on trusting. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:21-23 TLV).

“So then, through the transgression of one, condemnation came to all men. Likewise, through the righteousness of One came righteousness of life to all men” (Romans 5:18 TLV).

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15 TLV).

Prayer

Holy Father, thank You for wanting us so much that You provided the way for us to be with You. Thank You, Yeshua, for offering Your purity as a sacrifice for our sin so that we could draw near to the Most Holy God. May we dedicate ourselves to living for You and letting our light shine so that others will glorify and worship You.

God used the Maccabees to take back His Temple for Himself and His people.

The Temple was where God dwelled, and where the Israelites drew near to His presence. When there was not enough oil to keep the menorah lit, He provided it through a miracle. When one day’s oil burned for eight days, He enabled Israel to once again come into His presence. God made the way.

Through His promised Messiah, Yeshua – the Light of the World – God provided the way for each of us to draw near to Him in fellowship and forgiveness. While we were inadequate, Yeshua died for us (Romans 5:8).

God provides for us daily as well. He meets our needs, fills us with His love and nurtures and matures us into the likeness of His Son. He equips us with everything required to enjoy His presence and live honoring lives before Him.

On this sixth night of Chanukah, we reflect on God’s deep love that compelled Him to provide the way for us to be with Him.

Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings

Place six candles in the chanukiah tonight, setting them in the holders from right to left. As you light the Servant Candle (Shamash), recite the Chanukah blessings:

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the light of the world.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.

Candle Lighting

Using the Servant Candle, light the Chanukah candles in the opposite direction from which you placed them in the holders. Light them from left to right. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own, and they should burn for a least half an hour.

Scripture Readings

“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how shall He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 TLV).

“My God will fulfill every need of yours according to the riches of His glory in Messiah Yeshua” (Philippians 4:19 TLV).

“Whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies. So in all things may God be glorified through Messiah Yeshua – all glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen” (1 Peter 4:11 TLV).

Prayer

Jehovah Jireh – My Provider – thank You for all that You have given us. You are a giving God. You meet our needs and lavish us with Your love. You sent Your Son to make the way for us to come into Your holy presence forgiven and declared righteous. Thank You! May we never take that for granted. May the Gospel always be fresh and good news to us each day. Thank You!

When the Jewish people won their freedom from the oppression of Antiochus Epiphanes, they were eager to set things right and purify God’s dwelling place.

But they didn’t have enough oil to sustain the Temple lampstand for the eight days required to make and consecrate more. God stepped in with His divine power. He took what they had and enlarged it. He received their “not enough” – offered in faith and reverence – and He made it enough.

God does the same with us. Though we could never be enough on our own, as we place our faith in Yeshua’s sacrifice on our behalf, God declares us righteous. He has redeemed and given us eternal life. But in our own strength, we remain inadequate, not clean or able enough, and sometimes not even willing enough. But when we humbly and sincerely dedicate our short supply to God, He takes it and works miracles with it. He uses us. He ministers to others and glorifies Himself through us.

On this fifth night of Chanukah, we give thanks to God who so generously multiplies our small offerings to accomplish His will in and through us.

Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings

Place five candles in the chanukiah tonight, setting them in the holders from right to left. As you light the Servant Candle (Shamash), recite the Chanukah blessings:

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the light of the world.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.

Candle Lighting

Using the Servant Candle, light the Chanukah candles in the opposite direction from which you placed them in the holders. Light them from left to right. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own, and they should burn for a least half an hour.

Scripture Readings

“ 'There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish – but what’s that for so many?’ Then Yeshua picked up the loaves. And having given thanks, He distributed bread to everyone who was reclining. He did the same with the fish, as much as they wanted. So they gathered [the leftovers] and filled 12 baskets…” (John 6:9, 11, 13 TLV).

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of the Messiah may dwell in me” (2 Corinthians 12:9 TLV).

“Now to Him who is able to do far beyond all that we ask or imagine, by means of His power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the community of believers and in Messiah Yeshua throughout all generations forever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21 TLV).

Prayer

Our all-sufficient God, You are so good! Thank You for intervening to save us through Your Son, Messiah Yeshua. Thank You for taking our offerings of faith and multiplying them. Take our “not enough” and use it for Your Kingdom and Your glory.

The Temple menorah was to burn continuously. With God’s provision, it did. When there was only enough oil for one day, it kept burning for eight while the Israelites prepared more.

Yeshua is the Light of the World, and He said that we are, too. When He sent His Holy Spirit to live within Believers, we became temples of God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Yeshua’s light lives in and shines through us to draw others to Him.

On this fourth night of Chanukah, we consider what it means to reflect the Light of the World and thank God for His Spirit and life in us.

Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings

Place four candles in the chanukiah tonight, setting them in the holders from right to left. As you light the Servant Candle (Shamash), recite the Chanukah blessings:

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the light of the world.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.

Candle Lighting

Using the Servant Candle, light the Chanukah candles in the opposite direction from which you placed them in the holders. Light them from left to right. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own, and they should burn for a least half an hour.

Scripture Readings

“Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Ruach ha-Kodesh who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 TLV).

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 TLV).

“So that you might be blameless and innocent, children of God in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. Among them you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 14-15).

Prayer

Light of the World, thank You for loving us and placing Your light within us through Your Holy Spirit. May we shine Your radiance so that all may see and be drawn to You. Help us to reflect Your glory, not anything of our own. Let us not hide Your light under the covering of our talents and abilities. Use us to highlight Yourself, for Your glory and so others may gain eternal life.

The Maccabees faced overwhelming odds. But they could no longer endure the weight of a defiled Temple, forced idol worship and violent persecution from the empire ruling them.

They’d had enough. It was time for their freedom. And God gave them victory over their oppressors.

Galatians tells us that when the time was right, “God sent out His Son, born of a woman and born under law, to free those under law so we might receive adoption as sons. So you are no longer a slave but a son – and if a son, also an heir through God” (Galatians 4:4-5, 7).

When Yeshua laid down His life on the tree, He won victory over sin and death – for us. With His death and resurrection, He bought our freedom and gave us new life.

On this third night of Chanukah, we recognize Yeshua’s triumph on our behalf and thank Him for His love and grace toward us. He is faithful to give us victory every day over the battles we face.

Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings

Place three candles in the chanukiah tonight, setting them in the holders from right to left. As you light the Servant Candle (Shamash), recite the Chanukah blessings:

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the light of the world.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.

Candle Lighting

Using the Servant Candle, light the Chanukah candles in the opposite direction from which you placed them in the holders. Light them from left to right. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own, and they should burn for a least half an hour.

Scripture Readings

“But thanks be to God, who keeps giving us the victory through our Lord Yeshua Messiah!” (1 Corinthians 15:57 TLV).

“But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 TLV).

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 TLV).

Prayer

Victorious Lord, thank You for all that Yeshua’s sacrifice won. Thank You that You are for us. You daily give us the strength to overcome challenges on the road to loving and serving You more fully. Thank You for Your love and power in our lives!

The Chanukah miracle of light revealed God afresh as the One who provides for His people. He is the supreme gift giver.

Time and again, He shows that nothing is impossible for Him, and He cares for us. Through the miraculous birth of Yeshua, God came to dwell on earth among men. Through the divine act of the His death on the tree, Yeshua set us free. By the miracle of the Holy Spirit imparted to all who believe, God is with us always, and we know His law in our hearts.

On this second night of Chanukah, we rejoice over our God of Wonders, who works miracles in our lives and gives us the gifts of new life, His Spirit within us and the promise of eternity with Him.

Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings

Place two candles in the chanukiah tonight, setting them in the holders from right to left. As you light the Servant Candle (Shamash), recite the Chanukah blessings:

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the light of the world.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.

Candle Lighting

Using the Servant Candle, light the Chanukah candles in the opposite direction from which you placed them in the holders. Light them from left to right. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own, and they should burn for a least half an hour.

Scripture Readings

Therefore Adonai Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive. When she is giving birth to a son, she will call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14 TLV).

“Remember His wonders that He has done, His miracles and the judgments of His mouth” (Psalm 105:5 TLV).

“I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be My people” (Jeremiah 31:33 NIV).

Prayer

Almighty God, with You, all things are possible. Thank You for Your spectacular power to work wonders. Thank You for the miracle of Yeshua, God-become-man. Thank You for the gift of new life You have given through Him. Thank You for wanting to do miracles in our hearts every day. May we be quick to let you.

It was a victory. A small group of Jewish men stood up to the violent oppression of a powerful king who had imposed mandatory idol worship and defiled the Temple – and the revolutionaries prevailed.

The Temple had been defiled. Jewish hearts were eager to purify it and present it acceptable to their Holy God. But there was only enough undefiled oil in the Temple to last a single day. God intervened to provide eight days of light from one day’s oil until more could be made and consecrated. This is the Chanukah (HKHAH-noo-kah) story.

It was a miracle. God intervened to provide eight days of light from oil that only enough to burn one day.

Chanukah is also called the Festival of Lights, and, as we see in John chapter 10, Yeshua (Jesus) Himself observed it. The Light of the World celebrated the Festival of Light. The flame of the chanukiah’s Servant Candle reflected in the eyes of the Suffering Servant Himself.

On this first night of Chanukah, we celebrate the marvelous light given at the Temple rededication and the Light Himself – Yeshua Messiah – given for each one of us. Through Him, we have peace with God and eternal life. Amen!

Messianic Jewish Chanukah Blessings – 1st Night

Place a candle in the far right holder of your chanukiah. As you light the Servant Candle (Shamash), recite the first night’s Chanukah blessings:

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the light of the world.

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our ancestors

Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.

Candle Lighting

Using the Servant Candle, light the first Chanukah candle. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own, and they should burn for at least half an hour.

Scripture Readings

“Yeshua spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows Me will no longer walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12 TLV).

“The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light, and those sitting in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned (Matthew 4:16 TLV).

“As light I have come into the world so that everyone who trusts in Me should not remain in darkness” (John 12:46 TLV).

Prayer

Father of lights, thank You for sending Yeshua, the Light of the World, to illuminate our darkness and free us from life without You. God, You are light, and You have taken us out of darkness into Your marvelous light. Thank You for Your power displayed through miracles in ancient days and through Your love in our hearts, as You have given us new life in Messiah Yeshua.

(See also, James 1:17, Psalm 18:28, 1 Peter 2:9, 2 Corinthians 5:17.)