Hanukkah is often misunderstood as a festival about tradition, miracles, or folklore - but its true power lies in dedication, covenant faithfulness, and the restoration of God’s dwelling. 

In this short overview, we look beyond later myths and return to the biblical and historical foundations of Hanukkah, showing how it connects directly to Sukkot, the Maccabean struggle, and ultimately to Yeshua the Messiah. 

Hanukkah did not originate as a commanded feast in Leviticus 23. It emerged during a time when Sukkot could not be celebrated because the Temple had been desecrated under Antiochus Epiphanes. After the Maccabean victory, the Temple was cleansed, pagan worship removed, and true worship restored.The dedication of the Temple was then celebrated in the pattern of Sukkot, with rejoicing and thanksgiving.  

This historical context gives powerful meaning to John 10:22–23, where Yeshua stands in the Temple during the Feast of Dedication and reveals His divine identity. 

In this overview, you’ll discover: 

Why Hanukkah is connected to Sukkot—and why it is not a replacement for it 

How the Maccabean stand was about covenant faithfulness, not culture or politics 

What the cleansing and rededication of the Temple points to in the New Covenant 

Why Yeshua identifies Himself as the true dwelling place of God How Hanukkah ultimately calls us to wholehearted dedication to Messiah 

This Overview keeps Messiah at the center, rejects extra-biblical mythology, and shows Hanukkah in Scripture, history, and the changes that come in Yeshua. 

“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10 

The light is not in the lampstand. 

The Light is in the Son.