Contributed by Ronni
"Five days after Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, comes Sukkoth, a happy harvest festival that the Bible names the Feast of Booths. It is the Jewish Thanksgiving, celebrated in Israel with renewed importance and joy. Among its many traditions - such as the building of the sukkah, a booth of twigs decorated with fruit and flowers, is that of Hoshanna Rabba, the seventh day of Sukkoth. At midnight, it is said, the skies open, and any wish made then will undoubtedly come true!""...the wish associated with this day is the desire or a prayer to be saved."
"Hoshanna Rabba is the seventh day of the seventh feast of the Jewish religious calendar. It means the 'Day of Great Salvation" or 'Day of the Great Hosanna.'"
[(Mat 21:8-9) "And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strowed them in the way.
{9} And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."(John 12:12-13) "On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
{13} Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord."](Signs in the Heavens, John A. Abent; pgs 324-325)
The Day of Great Salvation?
(Rev 6:14-17) "And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is
rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of
their places.
{15} And the kings of the earth, and the great men,
and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and
every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens
and in the rocks of the mountains;
{16} And said to the mountains
and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth
on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
{17} For the great
day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
(Rev 7:1-3) "And after these things I saw four angels standing on
the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth,
that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on
any tree.
{2} And I saw another angel ascending from the east,
having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to
the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
{3} Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we
have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."
[The Feast of Tabernacles was also called the Feast of Ingathering:
Exo 23:16-17
"And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou
hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the
end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the
field.
{17} Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before
the Lord GOD."
Notice that the 144,000 that are sealed in Revelation are later referred to as the firstfruits: (Rev 14:4) "These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb."]
Rev 7:9-10
"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,
stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white
robes, and palms in their hands;
{10} And cried with a loud voice,
saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and
unto the Lamb."
[Branches of the palm tree were carried by Jews on festive occasions and especially at the feast of Tabernacles.
Lev 23:40 "And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days."]
Feast of Tabernacles
"It was celebrated immediately after the harvest, in the month Tisri, and the celebration lasted for eight days (Lev. 23:33-43). During that period the people left their homes and lived in booths formed of the branches of trees. The sacrifices offered at this time are mentioned in Num. 29:13-38. It was at the time of this feast that Solomon´s temple was dedicated (1 Kings 8:2). Mention is made of it after the return from the Captivity."This feast was designed (1) to be a memorial of the wilderness wanderings, when the people dwelt in booths (Lev. 23:43), and (2) to be a harvest thanksgiving (Neh. 8:9-18).
"'The feast of Tabernacles, the harvest festival of the Jewish Church, was the most popular and important festival after the Captivity. At Jerusalem it was a gala day. It was to the autumn pilgrims, who arrived on the 14th (of the month Tisri, the feast beginning on the 15th) day, like entrance into a silvan city. Roofs and courtyards, streets and squares, roads and gardens, were green with boughs of citron and myrtle, palm and willow. The booths recalled the pilgrimage through the wilderness. The ingathering of fruits prophesied of the spiritual harvest.' Valling´s Jesus Christ, p. 133."
(Easton's Bible Dictionary)
"The 'booth' in Scripture is not an image of privation and misery, but of protection, preservation, and shelter from heat and storm."(Holman Bible Dictionary)
Living water
"The Jews, at a later time, introduced two appendages to the original festival, viz., (1.) that of drawing water from the Pool of Siloam, and pouring it upon the altar (John 7:2, 37), as a memorial of the water from the rock in Horeb; and (2.) of lighting the lamps at night, a memorial of the pillar of fire by night during their wanderings.(Easton's Bible Dictionary)
[John 7:37-38
"In the last day, that great day of the feast [Feast of Tabernacles],
Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto
me, and drink.
{38} He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath
said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
Rev 7:17 "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."]
"On the last and greatest day of the feast of Tabernacles the high priest would meet a large congregation in front of the temple. Together they would make their way down to the pool of Siloam, chanting hallelujah psalms along the way (see Ps. 188:25). At the pool the priest would fill a large golden pitcher with water, then he would lead the crowd back to the front porch of the temple. There the pitcher would be poured out in front of the people to commemorate the provision of water in the wilderness. At that moment Isaiah 12:3 was quoted aloud: 'Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.'""It is said, 'He who has not known the joy of Tabernacles, has never truly known joy.'"
(The Parable of Joy, Michael Card; pg 95)
Hosanna -
"The cry of the multitude as they joined in our Lord´s triumphal procession into Jerusalem. The psalm from which it was taken (Psalm 118) was one with which they were familiar from being accustomed to recite verses 25 and 26 at the feast of Tabernacles. On that occasion the Hallel, consisting of Psalm 113-118, was chanted by one of the priests, and at certain intervals the multitudes joined in the responses, waving their branches of willow and palm and shouting 'Hallelujah,' or, 'Hosanna,' or, 'O Lord, we beseech Thee, do send now prosperity' (Psalm 118:25). On each of the seven days during which the feast lasted, the people thronged the court of the Temple and went in procession about the altar, setting their boughs bending toward it, the trumpets sounding as they shouted, 'Hosanna.' It was not uncommon for the Jews in later times to employ the observances of this feast, which was preeminently a feast of gladness, to express their feelings on other occasions of rejoicing."
Psalm 188 "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
{2} Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
{3} Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
{4} Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
{5} I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.
{6} The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
{7} The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.
{8} It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
{9} It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
{10} All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.
{11} They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
{12} They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
{13} Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.
{14} The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.
{15} The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.
{16} The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.
{17} I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.
{18} The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.
{19} Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:
{20} This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.
{21} I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
{22} The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
{23} This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
{24} This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
{25} Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
{26} Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.
{27} God is the LORD, which hath showed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
{28} Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
{29} O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."
