A Jewish Bible Companion (Part 7 of 0)

A Reading Plan for the Gospel of Matthew (3) – Part eight

Hanukkah

Following tabernacles, the next feast in the Jewish calendar is Hanuk­kah. The Jews instituted the feast of Hanukkah to commemorate the re­dedication of the temple by the Maccabees, just as they celebrated Solomon’s dedication of the temple during the feast of Tabernacles. Hanukkah was a kind of second feast of Tabernacles.

There are nine weeks between the end of the feast of Tabernacles (month 7, day 22) and the beginning of the feast of Hanukkah (month 9, day 25). During those nine weeks, the nine readings 25 through 33, which cover Matthew 14-16, would be read. Reading 34, Matthew 17:1-13, the Transfiguration, would thus be Matthew’s reading for the first day of Hanukkah. Hanukkah is an eight-day feast (9/25-10/2), so Matthew provides the eight readings 34 through 41, covering Matthew 17-19, one for each day of the feast. These chapters are filled with the themes of Hanukkah relating to the dedication of the temple. These themes are, the filling of the temple with God’s glory; the second feast of Tabernacles; the cleansing of the priest’s clothes; the shekel of the sanctuary; the gathering of God’s people.

The transfiguration

Whenever God’s temples are dedicated, they are filled with the cloud of His glory.

When the tabernacle was first erected, it was filled with the cloud of the glory of the Lord. “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation , and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Ex. 40:34).

The Torah readings for Hanukkah include a reference to this engulfing of the tabernacle by God’s cloud of glory. “And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning” (Num. 9:15).

Similarly, upon completion, Solomon’s temple was filled with the cloud of God’s glory. “And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord” (I Kgs. 8:10-11).

Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the temple. Consequently, the filling of the temple with God’s glory is a major theme of Hanukkah. We read in II Maccabees, “The place shall be unknown until God gather the people again together, and mercy come: and then shall the Lord disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord shall be seen, and the cloud. As also it was shewed with Moses: as also Solomon besought that the place might be consecrated greatly, and it was also declared that he, having wisdom, offered a sacrifice of dedication, and of the finishing of the temple; so we would have it now…and Solomon kept the eight days” (II Macc. 2:7-12).

So, Matthew’s reading for the first day of Hanukkah is Matthew 17:1-13, the transfiguration.

Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up into a high mountain where he was transfigured before them (17:1-2). That Jesus’ face did shine “as the sun” (17:2) refers to the history of Hanukkah. “And when it was done, and some time had passed, and the sun shone out, which before was hid with clouds, there was kindled a great blaze, so that all men marvelled” (II Macc. 1:22). Hanukkah is celebrated at the winter solstice.

In addition, there are detailed allusions to the Old Testament readings done during this period.

  1. “(Jesus’) raiment was white” (17:2) refers back to the Torah readings. “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them…let them wash their clothes…the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes” (Num. 8:6,7,21). The Hanukkah readings from the prophets are also involved. “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments…And he answered…Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment…So they…clothed him with garments” (Zech. 3:3-5).
  2. That Jesus’ clothes were white “as light” (17:2) also refers back to the Hanukkah readings. “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick. And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the Lord commanded Moses” (Num. 8:1-3; cp. Zech 4). In fact, another name for Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights (see Josephus,Antiquities of the Jews, Book XII, Chapter VII, Paragraph 7).
  3. Peter wanting to build “tabernacles” (17:4) refers to Hanukkah as a second feast of Tabernacles. “Whereas we are now about to keep the purification of the temple in the month Chislev, on the five and twentieth day…ye also may keep a feast of Tabernacles…And they kept eight days with gladness in the manner of the feast of tabernacles” (II Macc. 1:18; 10:6)

The shekel of the sanctuary

The discussion of the temple tax in Matthew 17:24-27 centers around the law concerning the “shekel of the sanctuary” given in Exodus 30:11-16. “This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary…an half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord” (Ex. 30:13). The readings for Hanukkah included Numbers 7, the dedication of the tabernacle and altar. Each of the 12 offerings of the 12 tribes is “after the shekel of the sanctuary.” So, it is no accident that Matthew has this episode in this spot -it relates to the readings for the day.

The gathering of God’s people

Another major theme of Hanukkah is the gathering of his people to the holy place. “Gather together our Dispersion, set at liberty them that are in bondage among the heathen…Plant thy people in thy holy place, even as Moses said…until God gather the people together, and mercy come…in God have we hope, that he will quickly have mercy upon us, and gather us together out of all the earth into the holy place: for he delivered us out of great evils, and purified the place” (II Macc. 1:27,29; 2:7,17-18).

In the speech recorded in Matthew 18, Jesus tells how the apostles were to care for the little ones of his people, making every effort to keep them from stumbling. Jesus goes on to allude to his gathering of his sheep: “How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?…Even so it is not the will of our Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish” (Mt. 18:12-14).

Purim

There are nine weeks between the end of Hanukkah and Purim, during which the nine readings 42 through 50, Matthew 20-21, would be read. This brings us to Matthew 22:1-14, the parable of the wedding feast, which would be read at Purim. The reading for Purim is Esther, which describes the marriage of King Ahasuerus to Esther, the royal feasts, the saving of God’s chosen people, and the casting out and death of the one who was not fit for the King’s presence. These are the very topics of the parable of the marriage supper.

The parable of the wedding feast appears to be the parable of the husbandman (Mt. 21:33-46) redesigned especially for Purim. The householder becomes a king. The vineyard becomes a wedding feast. In both parables, servants are sent out. In both, the servants are killed by those to whom they were sent. In both, the kingdom is taken from the Jews and offered to the ecclesia.

Passover

The four readings 52 through 55, covering Matthew 22:15 through the end of that chapter, would be read for the remainder of the year. In some years, readings would have to be combined. In others, they would have to be read more than once. Regardless, reading 56, Matthew 23, would be read at the first weekly meeting of the new year. Readings 57 through 62, Matthew 24-26:16, would be read at the second weekly meeting of the year and on the days leading up to Passover. Readings 63-67, Matthew 26:17-27:56, would be read during the Passover vigil, and reading 68 Matthew 27:57-28, would be read on Easter Sunday.

Matthew 23-28 are filled with allusions to the Torah readings for the first two weeks and the readings for Passover.

Allusions to the first two Torah readings

  1. “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Mt. 23:33) refers back to the serpent and the seed of the serpent in Genesis.
  2. “The blood of righteous Abel” (Mt. 23:35) is a direct reference to Genesis 4.
  3. “As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Mt. 24:37-39).
  4. Compare “And while (the five foolish virgins) went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: the door was shut” (Mt. 25:10) with “And they went in unto Noah into the ark…and the Lord shut him in” (Gen. 7:15-16).

Allusions to the Passover readings

  1. The making of “proselytes” (Mt. 23:15) alludes to the practice of accepting and circumcising proselytes in preparation for Passover (cp. Ex. 12:43-44,48).
  2. Jewish tradition said that “tithes” (Mt. 23:23) were due at Passover in the fourth and seventh years.
  3. “Cups and platters” (Mt. 23:25-26) were essential at Passover.
  4. “Whited sepulchers” (Mt. 23:27) alludes to the practice of whitewashing graves one month before Passover to avoid contact with the dead at Passover (cp. Num. 9:9-14; 19:16).
  5. “Two women shall be grinding at the mill” (Mt. 24:41) refers back to the Passover prediction, “All the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill” (Ex. 11:5).
  6. “And at midnight there was a cry made” (ML 25:6) parallels “And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt…And Pharaoh rose up in the night…and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead” (Ex. 12:29-30).
  7. Passover and the feast of unleavened bread are explicitly referred to throughout Mt. 26-28. Here are two examples. “Ye know that after two days is the feast of passover, and the Son of man is betrayed” (Mt. 26:2). “Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover” (Mt. 26:17).
  8. The hours of the day are clearly marked in Mt. 26-28. “Now when even (6 pm) was come…as they were eating (9 pm)…could you not watch with me one hour (10 pm)…he came and found them asleep again (11 pm)…the hour (12 midnight) is at hand…and immediately the cock crew (3 am)…When the morning (6 am) was come…Now from the sixth hour (12 noon)…unto the ninth hour (3 pm). And about the ninth hour (3 pm)…When even (6 pm) was come…Now the next day (6 am, Saturday), that followed the day of the (weekly sabbath) preparation (Friday)…In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn (6 am) toward the first day of the week (Sunday)” (Mt. 26:20,26,40,43,45,75; 27:1,45,46,57,62;28:1). This marking of time is particularly appropriate for chapters to be read during the Passover vigil.

Summary of Matthew’s gospel

On five occasions in his gospel, Matthew has a phrase like “when he had ended these sayings” which identify five major speeches of Jesus:

Matthew 7:28 concludes the “sermon on the mount” in Matthew 5-7.
Matthew 11:1 concludes the “commission to the 12” in chapter 10.
Matthew 13:53 concludes the “parables” in chapter 13.
Matthew 19:1 concludes the “exhortation on offenses” in chapter 18.
Matthew 26:1 concludes the “Olivet prophecy” in Matthew 24-25.

Our last three articles have shown that these speeches were carefully crafted for the feasts on which they were originally delivered and later read: the “sermon on the mount” was for Pentecost, the “commission to the 12” was for Trumpets, the “parables” was for Tabernacles, the “exhortation on offenses” was for Hanukkah, and the “Olivet prophecy” was for Passover. In short, Matthew has provided a perfect reading plan for the early Jewish Christian.