Israel Completely Abandons the Lord God Through Blatant Mockery of Hanukkah Display in Times Square

Israel Completely Abandons the Lord God Through Blatant Mockery of Hanukkah Display in Times Square

What Took Place

Times Square, New York — December 2025

During Hanukkah, a digital menorah appeared on a prominent LED billboard in Times Square. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs promoted the display, which featured a stylized menorah and the phrase "Our light vanquishes darkness." This image looped continuously in one of the world's most visible commercial spaces and was widely shared on social media as a statement of Jewish identity and national resolve.

The Biblical Meaning of Hanukkah

The word Hanukkah comes from the Hebrew verb חָנַךְ (chanak), which means to dedicate, inaugurate, or consecrate. In Scripture, the root word refers to the dedication of houses, altars, and sacred space set apart for God's use. Hanukkah, at its core, is defined by dedication. While it is commonly known as the Festival of Lights, that designation flows from the rededication of the Temple and the restoration of sacred service, not from symbolism detached from its historical and biblical foundation.

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple after it had been defiled. The issue that prompted Hanukkah was not persecution alone, but corruption within sacred worship. During the Seleucid period, the Temple was desecrated when foreign rule imposed pagan practices, sacred vessels were defiled, and lawful service according to the Torah was halted. When the Temple was reclaimed, it was cleansed, and service was restored in obedience to God's command. Hanukkah marked the return of the Temple to its proper purpose: service to the Lord according to His commands. It was a physical, visible act of restoring what belonged to God back to God.

This meaning is consistent with how dedication functions throughout Scripture. When something was dedicated, it was removed from everyday use and placed under God's authority. Dedication was not a symbolic sentiment. It involved obedience, separation, and submission to God's order.

Hanukkah is referenced directly in the New Testament. The Gospel of John records that Jesus was present in Jerusalem during this feast:

“Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch” (John 10:22–23, NKJV).

This reference is significant. Jesus did not distance Himself from Hanukkah. He appeared at the Temple during the Feast of Dedication and taught openly. The context of John 10 makes clear that His presence there was not incidental. It was during this feast that questions about His identity were pressed directly, and Jesus responded by pointing to His works and His unity with the Father (John 10:24–38, NKJV).

The appearance of Jesus at Hanukkah ties the meaning of dedication directly to Him. The feast commemorating the restoration of God's house becomes the setting in which the One who embodies God's authority stands in that house and proclaims the truth. Hanukkah, therefore, is not merely historical remembrance. It sits within the biblical narrative as a testimony to restoration, dedication, and God reclaiming what had been compromised.

Biblically defined, Hanukkah is about returning what belongs to God back to Him. It is about restoring sacred order where it was violated and reestablishing service as instructed. That meaning is fixed by Scripture, language, and context, and it does not change with culture, setting, or presentation.

The Menorah in Scripture

God gave Moses the design, dimensions, materials, and function of the menorah directly. Scripture records that it was formed from a single piece of pure hammered gold, with branches, cups, knobs, and flowers shaped according to a specific pattern revealed by God (Exodus 25:31–40, NKJV). Every element was intentional, reflecting divine order rather than human preference.

Its operation followed that exact order. The menorah was supplied with pure olive oil brought by the people and was tended continually by the priests as part of their appointed service (Exodus 27:20–21, NKJV). The lamps were trimmed and maintained daily, ensuring the light burned continually before the Lord as commanded (Leviticus 24:1–4, NKJV).

The menorah functioned within the established system of worship. It stood alongside the table of showbread and the altar of incense, forming part of the daily rhythm of priestly ministry in the holy place. Its light illuminated the space where service before God took place, reinforcing that the approach to Him followed His instruction and order.

Scripture presents the menorah as belonging to the Lord and serving His purposes. It existed within worship rendered before Him and operated through obedience to what He commanded. The light produced by the menorah testified to God's presence dwelling among His people and to the order He established for serving Him.

Throughout the biblical narrative, light associated with the sanctuary reflects God's presence and instruction. The menorah fits within that pattern. Its significance arises from continual service, obedience, and alignment with God's commands. Its meaning remains tied to the role it fulfilled within the worship and order God established.

Ownership Claimed Where Stewardship Was Given

The phrase displayed in Times Square, "Our light," asserts a form of ownership that Scripture does not attribute to any nation, ruler, or people. In the biblical record, light is never self-originating. It proceeds from God and remains under His authority. David declares, "The Lord is my light and my salvation" (Psalm 27:1, NKJV), and again affirms, "For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light" (Psalm 36:9, NKJV). Light, in Scripture, is received, reflected, and walked in, not claimed as a possession.

God entrusts stewardship, not authorship. Israel was called to walk according to what God revealed, to tend what He established, and to serve according to His instruction. That distinction is critical.

Stewardship acknowledges dependence and accountability. Ownership redirects credit and authority. Scripture consistently treats the latter as a serious violation.

This pattern appears repeatedly throughout the biblical narrative. When human authority begins to speak in terms of possession over what God has given, correction follows. Pharaoh's declaration that the Nile belonged to him provoked direct judgment against the river itself (Ezekiel 29:3, NKJV). 

Nebuchadnezzar's boast that Babylon existed by his own power led to his removal from the throne until he acknowledged heaven's authority (Daniel 4:30–37, NKJV). Even David, when he relied on military strength rather than the Lord, brought judgment upon the nation through plague (2 Samuel 24:1–15, NKJV).

In each case, the issue was not leadership or responsibility. It was attribution. God alone is the source. His people are entrusted to serve, preserve, and obey. Scripture draws a firm boundary between what is given to be managed and what belongs to God alone.

Applying this framework, the language of "our light" shifts from stewardship toward possession. Biblically, light testifies to God's presence, instruction, and authority. It does not exist as a national asset or a collective achievement. When light is spoken of as something owned rather than something received, Scripture shows that such language carries consequences.

The consistent witness of the Bible is clear: God entrusts sacred things to be handled according to His word. When that trust is reframed as ownership, history shows that God responds to restore the distinction He Himself established.

A Pattern Scripture Already Established

Nations, kings, and leaders who claimed ownership of what belonged to God were decisively corrected. Egypt, Babylon, and even Israel serve as witnesses to this pattern. Scripture records these accounts not as distant history but as ongoing instruction.

Hanukkah was never intended as a display of confidence before the world; it was about returning to the Lord God of Israel. When sacred imagery is used without reverence, obedience, and submission to God’s order, Scripture shows that such actions are not overlooked.

The Bible has already written the warning. The question is whether it will be heeded.