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For believers today, the story of Hanukkah carries a powerful message of standing firm in the face of persecution.

‘Those who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits…’ (Daniel 11:32).

While this verse has been a source of encouragement to countless Christians down through the ages, in its original prophetic context, its encouragement shines even brighter. To understand its message, we need to study the events now commemorated in the Jewish feast of Hanukkah.

Daniel’s beautiful promise comes immediately after his prophetic description of an anti-Christ like figure from the ‘kingdom of the north’ who puts an end to sacrifices in the temple and erects the ‘abomination of desolation’ (Dan. 11:31).

The (initial) fulfilment of this prophecy began to come to pass in 175 BC, roughly 400 years after Daniel’s vision. At that time, Antiochus Ephiphanes IV was ruler over the dominant and powerful Seleucid Empire based in Syria to the north of Israel.

The world was at that point dominated by Hellenism, which seductively pulled many Israelites to the Greek materialistic, pleasure-seeking and idol-worshipping culture. It all started when a Hellenised and corrupt Levitical priest named Jason made a treaty with Antiochus. In exchange for becoming Israel’s new High Priest, Jason pledged to erect an idol in Jerusalem and built a gymnasium in town, which would be a place to openly promote obscene sexual activity. Jason’s actions split Israel — outraging those who remained faithful to the Torah, while many Hellenised Jews rallied to Jason’s side.

Three years down the track, Antiochus — who called himself ‘Epiphanes’ or the “god man made flesh” — suffered a humiliating loss in battle. Returning from this stinging defeat, he heard of trouble brewing in Israel and launched an enraged attack on the city of Jerusalem. When the dust had settled, 80,000 Jews had been butchered.

With the city still reeling from the atrocity, Antiochus proceeded to defile the Holy of Holies in the temple, sacrificing a pig on the altar of God and pouring swine broth over the holy parchments. As foretold in Daniel 11:31, Antiochus then put an end to the daily sacrifices in the temple and erected an idol of Zeus in the Holy Place, bearing his own image on its face.

As soon as the idol was erected, intense persecution broke out across the entire land of Israel. Meticulous house-to-house searches were performed, and those found keeping God’s laws were mercilessly tortured and killed. Because of the destruction unleashed on Israel through the erection of the idol, it became nicknamed the ‘abomination of desolation’ — clearly drawing on the imagery of Daniel’s prophetic vision.

Persecution and Bravery

“..for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering.” Dan. 11:33

Daniel predicted that many of the faithful would fall by the sword, and the Books of Maccabees I and II record many such stories, including the story of the elderly scribe Eleazer. Eleazer’s captors desired to treat him kindly due to his advanced age and implored him to only pretend to go along with their demands. Eleazer, however, refused to compromise and went willingly to a torturous death, setting an example that was to be followed by many faithful Jews in the following days.

Antiochus’ plan to Hellenise Israel seemed to be slowly but surely working. Much was at stake, for if Antiochus’ diabolical plan were to succeed, then there would have been no nation of Israel, no books of the Law, no temple and no one keeping or knowing God’s commandments by the time Jesus was to be born 150 years later.

For in the midst of these dark days of suffering, as Daniel had predicted, a small but brave minority who knew their God began to ‘carry out great exploits’.

Under the command of the daring Judah Maccabee, the rebels gradually gained strength. Although they were hopelessly outnumbered and facing undoubtedly the greatest superpower of their day, Judah was undaunted through his firm faith in God. Antiochus sent wave after wave of soldiers to crush the rebellion — yet time and again Judah emerged victorious. Finally, Antiochus sent 47,000 men to squash Judah’s rag-tag army of around 3,000 men once and for all.

Hearing of the impending onslaught, Judah and his men first spent a day in fasting and repentance, where Judah reminded his men of the great heroes of the Bible. The next day the Maccabees launched a daring surprise attack, against all odds delivering another crushing blow to their enemies. After three years of battles and stunning military wins, the brave Maccabees finally retook Jerusalem, cleansed the Temple and re-dedicated it to the God of Israel.

As the Jewish people today commemorate this great victory with the feast of Hanukkah, they say to each other that ‘a great miracle happened here’. Truly this was an astounding miracle, and one which crucially set the stage for the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem some 150 years later. If it wasn’t for the miracle of Hanukkah, there truly would have been no Christmas.

An End Times Lesson

We understand from Bible prophecy that in the end times, we will again see the rise of a new ‘Antiochus’ type leader who brokers some kind of seven-year treaty. He will ultimately break this treaty and demand worship from the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, marking the beginning of a period of great persecution for true believers.

For believers today, the story of Hanukkah carries a powerful message of standing firm in the face of persecution. As it is becoming increasingly unpopular to stand for biblical values, may we too count the cost, and be faithful to our Lord no matter what lies ahead.

Like the Maccabees, we might be vastly outnumbered, but truly those who know their God in these days, ‘shall be strong and carry out great exploits’.

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Image courtesy of Unsplash.