This feast day was originated in the book of Maccabees. It was after the Greeks had taken and defiled the temple at Jerusalem. The Maccabees led a revolt and regained control through the power and might of The Most High. This feast is a time of remembrance and celebration of defeat of the enemies of Yasharahla and the re-dedication and consecration of the temple to The Most High.
1 Maccabees 4 : 28 The
next year therefore following Lysias gathered together threescore
thousand choice men of foot, and five thousand horsemen, that he might
subdue them.29 So they came into Idumea, and pitched their tents at Bethsura, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.
30 And when he saw that mighty army, he prayed and said, Blessed art thou, O Saviour of Israel, who didst quell the violence of the mighty man by the hand of thy servant David, and gavest the host of strangers into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul, and his armourbearer;31 Shut up this army in the hand of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their power and horsemen:32 Make them to be of no courage, and cause the boldness of their strength to fall away, and let them quake at their destruction:33 Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee, and let all those that know thy name praise thee with thanksgiving.
34 So they joined battle; and there were slain of the host of Lysias about five thousand men, even before them were they slain.35 Now
when Lysias saw his army put to flight, and the manliness of Judas'
soldiers, and how they were ready either to live or die valiantly, he
went into Antiochia, and gathered together a company of strangers, and
having made his army greater than it was, he purposed to come again into
Judea.
36Then said Judas and his brethren, Behold, our enemies are discomfited: let us go up to cleanse and dedicate the sanctuary.37 Upon this all the host assembled themselves together, and went up into mount Sion.38 And
when they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the
gates burned up, and shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest, or in
one of the mountains, yea, and the priests' chambers pulled down;39 They rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and cast ashes upon their heads,40 And fell down flat to the ground upon their faces, and blew an alarm with the trumpets, and cried toward heaven.41 Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the sanctuary.42 So he chose priests of blameless conversation, such as had pleasure in the law:43 Who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an unclean place.44 And when as they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which was profaned;45 They
thought it best to pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them,
because the heathen had defiled it: wherefore they pulled it down,46 And
laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place,
until there should come a prophet to shew what should be done with
them.47 Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former;48 And made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple, and hallowed the courts.49 They
made also new holy vessels, and into the temple they brought the
candlestick, and the altar of burnt offerings, and of incense, and the
table.50 And
upon the altar they burned incense, and the
lamps that were upon the
candlestick they lighted, that they might give light in the temple.51 Furthermore
they set the loaves upon the table, and spread out the veils, and
finished all the works which they had begun to make.52 Now
on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the
month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes
in the morning,53 And offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made.54 Look,
at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was
it dedicated with songs, and citherns, and harps, and cymbals.55 Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshipping and praising the God of heaven, who had given them good success.56 And
so they kept the dedication of the altar eight days and offered burnt
offerings with gladness, and sacrificed the sacrifice of deliverance and
praise.57 They
decked also the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold, and with
shields; and the gates and the chambers they renewed, and hanged doors
upon them.58 Thus was there very great gladness among the people, for that the reproach of the heathen was put away.59 Moreover
Judas and his brethren with the whole congregation of Israel ordained,
that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their
season from year to year by the space of eight days, from the five and
twentieth day of the month Casleu, with mirth and gladness.
According to the calendar laid out in Jubalees and Enoch The Feast of Dedication falls on December 1-8this year. This is the Feast that falls in the winter according to The Bible.When we learn that this is something that The messiah kept and that we are supposed to follow in his footsteps we see the importance of this remembrance. After his coming the temple was no longer an earthly one, but we now are his temple. This then becomes a time of year to dedicate ourselves to the service of the King and the Kingdom that is soon to come.
John 10:22“And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.”
1 Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.,1 Corinthians 4:16
Acts7:48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
