The Mystery of ‘In His Deaths’…

The Mystery of

‘In His Deaths’…

and

Resurrection.

Barach means to bless and also means to kneel. Kneeling is an act of submission. We are submitting to the one we are kneeling before. It means to lower ourself, to humble ourself. It’s an act of our free will.God’s nature is to barach /bless and the greatest blessing He gave, was the blessing of salvation through Messiah Jesus/Yeshua. If to bless is to barach and to barach is to kneel and to kneel is to lower our self;

it follows therefore that for God to give us the blessing of salvation He had to lower Himself.

In order to give us the greatest blessing, it would require the greatest lowering, that of Himself, the greatest descending.This is why He came down, descended and lowered Himself, humbling Himself in human form. And as to kneel, also means to submit, He did that too. He submitted willingly to the abuse, false accusation, mockery, condemnation and betrayal; further submitting willingly to judgment, crucifixion and to death.Tasting death so that by choosing to receive His gift, (in Hebrew, Mincha) of salvation we would never have to.This was in fact Hashem, YHWH, God, kneeling, a cosmic kneeling by the Creator of the Universe, the ultimate lowering/ submission for us.The miracle is in His kneeling. Here comes the barach/ the blessing. He who kneels is He who blesses, and by His kneeling we are blessed.

So, for there to be a resurrection, there first has to be a death, and as we saw above a willing submission to death.

In Hebrew   maveth,  מָוֶת, meaning death (4194)

Strong’s Hebrew: 4191. מוּת (muth) to die

It’s not a subject that is a first choice at any gathering. It’s something we would rather not talk about. We even try to focus more on the Resurrection part of the Passover story because it’s more palatable.

MiniMannaMoments is dedicated to helping us understand things not usually talked about. Goals are to perceive deeper truths behind hidden meanings in the original texts; and to view the familiar from a heretofore unnoticed point of view. To reveal a perspective that’s maybe overlooked because we think we know the basic story having heard it so often.The Word of God is like a Jewel, a precious stone cut with multi facets. The same rock but when the Sonlight hits each surface, it reflects a different angle and gives the reader another vantage point, enabling us to see alternative angle and yet another side of the whole.When light hits a dark area or a place in shadow, we suddenly can see details that were previously obscured from our viewpoint. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path. As we continue to travel along His Way, the Light of Truth shines, and we see more clearly as Eph 1:18 tells us, the eyes of our understanding being enlightened.

To save repetition here, the links below cover many of the wonders of Passover week and the Spring Feasts.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/not-passing-over-passover-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/midweek-mannabite-secrets-of-the-seder-plate/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/unleavened-bread-matzot-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-lot-can-happen-in-a-week/

 

 

 The rest of this post will focus on the Mystery of ‘In His deaths …. and resurrection’ and will conclude with …What did John see that we missed?

It’s helpful at times to put aside all we think we know and look with fresh eyes at the scriptures. No one understands everything and even what we do cannot be compared with the glory yet to be revealed. Eph 1:17

Death, and the fear of death, holds many all their life in bondage Hebrews 2:15.

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” Hebrews 2:14 – 15.

Yet the Lord Jesus /Messiah Yeshua, became a man specifically so that He could die, and become the greatest kneeling/baruch of all time; and “that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death” Hebrews 2:14. Death has been conquered by Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach.

Death was swallowed up in victory because the grave could not hold the Lord Jesus.

His resurrection is the guarantee of our resurrection.

Someday death will be completely conquered, yet it is the very last enemy on God’s time schedule to be defeated. “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” 1 Corinthians 15:26.

However according to the scriptures, as believers, we have done all the dying we will ever have to do, as to be absent (death) from the body, is to be present with the Lord. Death has lost its sting because Yeshua took the keys and…So with this in mind some fascinating facts are revealed.

Death means “separation” regardless of the type of death involved. Death is never cessation of existence, nor is it cessation of consciousness. James 2:26 says: “the body without the spirit is dead.” Whenever there is a separation of the spirit of a person from their body, at that moment physical death of the body takes place. Just as long as the spirit and soul of a man inhabits the body and is not separated from it, there is life.

Isaiah 53:9 Romans 5:18; 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15

Isaiah prophesies of Jesus the Messiah’s death and His manner of death. It says His death will be linked to wicked men and also to a rich man. He was indeed crucified between two wicked men, criminals, and was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.Isaiah was describing the suffering servant. However there is a mystery hidden in the original Hebrew text where most other translations of Isaiah 53 say ‘in his death’, and the original it says ‘in his deaths’.Recall the rule; that in the Hebrew language when a word that should be singular is rendered plural. It is often a sign, that the reality behind the word is so unique, so intense, so extreme, so huge, that the word alone cannot contain it.

Messiah’s death was so unique. It was a reality of such an extreme, intense and huge proportions, that the singular word ‘death’ cannot even begin to express the fullness of what it means.

 The death of Messiah goes beyond all our abilities to express or understand with our finite thinking.Here a singular is combined with a plural and here is a mystery revealed.

If it said ‘in His death’, it would make sense as a singular statement, indicating as one death. So also would the statement, ’in their deaths,’ as in multiple, more than one, being a statement in the plural. However it does not say either of these in the original Hebrew. It says ‘in His deaths’. It breaks all rules of language and how we say things. So it appears like someone wrote it incorrectly and maybe why the translators, ‘amended the statement’ so it sounded right.

Here is the revealing prophesied by Isaiah, that Messiah would not die just His death\ one death, but many deaths, more than one. He would not and did not die just for Himself but for all. Each of us and everyone who reads or hears the words. Every death is contained inside the plural. Wow!

Isaiah 53:12 declares: this death in the Hebrew is because He has laid opened His very being to death.

The Death of Death…

This is a Hebrew idiom (idiom is a figure of speech) that makes the statement very emphatic. … The Meaning of Death. … and with the rich in his death [plural, ‘deaths’] Is 53:9

There are three important types of death in the Word of God: spiritual death, physical death and eternal death. Each death is separation and is the result of sin, and all have their remedy in Jesus.

Spiritual death is “separation from God in time.”

God’s work is (Eph 2:6), to undo the work of sin and death, and the remedy for spiritual death is spiritual life. The word “quickened” is an old English word meaning “to make alive.” John 5:24 confirms our everlasting life.

Physical death is the separation of the spirit and/or soul from the body. James 2:26  says, “the body without the spirit is dead.” Whenever the soul leaves the body, physical death ensues.“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” Romans 5:12.

Physical death in the world is the result of the sin of one man, Adam.And here we have to take a moment and go back to the very beginning where it all started, as everything is connected.

This is the reason Jesus had to come to fix the sin problem and why in 1Cor 15:45 He is also called the last Adam. He is the fulfillment of the promise in Genesis to crush the serpents head…and He is also the English, Beginning and the End, the Hebrew Alef and Tav, the Greek Alpha and Omega of Revelation 22:13

(There is a whole mystery revealed in the Alef-Tav but that will have to wait for an another post!)

In Genesis 2:17

The Hebrew of .  תמות מות . “thou shalt surely die” is “in dying thou shalt die.” It is a Hebrew idiom (idiom is a figure of speech) that makes the statement very emphatic. Adam understood this or else Adam would also have been deceived. Since he was not deceived 1Timothy 2:14 it follows he did understand. However, he may not have fully understood all of the ramifications of his act of disobedience.

Death was something totally foreign to God’s creation. Until Abel was murdered by Cain, they had not seen or experienced a human death, nor probably that of anything around them.God is life and He had constructed the world in accordance with His own nature of being. The world that God had made was “very good”—a statement that could not be made when death entered upon the scene. What a change was brought into the world by man ‘eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil!’ God has said, “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” “At the moment in time that you do what I have commanded you not to do, dying you shall die.” Death was the instantaneous result of disobedience. Adam and Eve began to realize something of the consequences of sin when God made for them coats of skins. In order for this to be done innocent animals, animals that had done nothing wrong, gave their life in order to provide an acceptable covering for the man and the woman.

Adam and Eve saw the first physical death when these innocent animals died to provide for them “coats of skins.”The consequences of sin coming into the world are not fully understood until one sees the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ as “the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” He died that we might be clothed with His righteousness.   2 Corinthians 5:21Here is the sacrifice of the innocent One who knew no sin, did no sin, in Him was no sin, for us who are sinful. He died as our substitute, in order to provide an acceptable blood covering for us before God. The full consequence of sin entering into the world is understood only in the light of Calvary.

It is the central theme in all who spoke prophecy throughout scripture.

(left to right: Abraham, Isaiah, David, Moses, Elijah, Queen Ester, John The Baptist, Daniel)

As in Adam all die; in Messiah Jesus, all shall be made alive.

Part of the redemption work was prophesied in Genesis 3:15

Paul wrote: “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” Romans 5:17.

Because Jesus Christ lives, we shall live also John 14:19.

Even though we may die, we await that future day of our resurrection or the complete redemption of our body. Romans 8:23.

God’s remedy for physical death is resurrection.

Thirdly The Eternal or Second Death:

This death is spoken of in Revelation 20:12 –15, and it refers to “eternal separation from God.”

The scripture tell us Eternal death is the result of rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ, and failing to believe that He is the Savior of the world.This state is spoken of as that of perishing.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life John 3:14 – 16

In each of the cases through scripture where people were raised from the dead, (here in this example Lazarus,) the person was restored back to life again, only to die at some other later time.

Their restoration was to physical life.

Not one of these had gone through death into life so that they could not die again.But Messiah Jesus/Yeshua did.

He was not restored to life.

He was resurrected to life.

The life He enjoyed as a resurrected being was not a life subject to death. He came out of death into life. Death had no more power over Him.Thus we read in Romans 6:9,  “Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.”

And in 2Timothy 1:10, “Our Savior Jesus Christ … hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

How did Messiah Jesus/Yeshua abolish death?

He did so by going ‘through death.’

The only One who ever passed “through death” into eternal life is Jesus the Messiah. In doing so He conquered death. He has the keys of death.

It is for this reason that the Lord Jesus is called “the firstborn from the dead.” Col 1:15,18; Rev 1:5

In His Deaths

The Deaths He Died

Scripture speaks of three kinds of death: spiritual, physical and eternal. When Messiah died, He took care of the problem of death. He dealt with spiritual, physical and eternal death. In order to do so, He died twice; or He experienced two separate and distinct deaths.

He experienced physical death, but He also experienced spiritual death. (Remember spiritual death is the reality of experiencing separation from His Father when He cried ‘Why have you forsaken Me’.) He did this so we would never have to. It was a complete and perfect work.Thank God for the deaths Messiah Jesus/Yeshua died. He tasted death for every person. He through death has conquered death, and stands the Victor over death.

He is the One who could say:

“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” John 11:25 – 26. He said: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my sayings, he shall never see death” John 8:51.

Messiah Yeshua has changed death for every believer.Because He was an Infinite Being, He went through physical death, and today there is a man with a glorified resurrected body in eternity. Physical death is conquered. There is a man in glory who is the guarantee that all believers will also be there someday in the presence of the Father.Salvation is available for man; it is not available for the devil or his angels.

It is available because of the deaths Messiah Jesus died.

It is striking that in the Hebrew of Isaiah 53:8 and 9 two plurals are used. It says: “He was cut off out of the land of the living [plural]: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death [plural, ‘deaths’].”

It is often true that the Hebrew uses abstract qualities in the plural, but it is also true that the Lord Jesus Christ was cut off from the land of the living both Godward and then manward.The living God was separated from the Son in the darkness of the cross; He was cut off for the first and only time in all eternity from the living God. Then He was cut off from those living on earth. This would signify He died twice and that is exactly what the next phrase says.

In the first death he made His grave with the wicked for He hung between two thieves. His second grave, (that which was physical) was with the rich. He was buried in a rich man’s tomb. Thus the prophet prophetically sees both His grave with the wicked and His grave with the rich in the deaths He died. Only God could write it so exactly.During the period of darkness, we see God’s night when His wrath was poured out on His own Son and which was the only time in eternity in which there was separation between the Father and the Son

Remember that it is the death Messiah Jesus/Yeshua experienced on the cross of spiritual separation from the Father which provides eternal salvation for us. It is not just the physical death of Jesus that saves anyone, but His spiritual death.Our message is about a cross, this is what we are to preach, not a tomb.The physical death is not the most important death. Messiah Jesus/Yeshua had to go through physical death even as He went through the incarnation and birth. Yet He came out of death being raised from the death. Nevertheless the death He endured and tasted that is significant to our salvation is His spiritual death with the Father and the Holy Spirit.The only way that God the Son could die would be to assume the nature of man. God cannot die, but someone who is both God and man could die. But being both God and man, the Lord Jesus Christ could not only die, He could conquer death and so become its new master. He conquered death so that death was subject to Him and not He to it. Death is now the Messiah Jesus’s servant, and He is its Master and Lord.

Thus we read in Romans 6:9,  “Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.”

And in

2 Timothy 1:10,  “Our Savior Jesus Christ … hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

The children of Israel were told to celebrate Passover every year so that they would remember and never forget how the Lord save them out of Egypt. Exodus 21

At the end of his life, Paul called himself the biggest sinner, once that was true he had opposed the gospel vehemently, that his life as an enemy of God was long over and even long forgotten. He had been in the Lord for decades and was known throughout the world as a saint.

However at the end of his life he tells the story of getting saved as if it were yesterday.

This principle is as old as Passover.

If we want to get to the promised land, we must never stop thanking God for taking us out of Egypt.

Never forget how He saved us.

Peter wrote that those who lack godly qualities are those who have forgotten their salvation. Let’s give thanks to the Lord for saving us out of Egypt as if it just happened, and one day we’ll give thanks to the Lord for bringing us into the promised land.

Practice the principle of Passover by giving thanks; for how God saved us and delivered us from bondage and live as if you just got saved to day. 2 Peter 1:9

This is such an important meaning of Passover …

and of this part of His journey from the cross to the throne.

Coming soon the conclusion with possible answers to the question…What did John see that we missed?

Happy Passover – Chag Sameach to all MMM family, friends, followers and visitors!

 

This Passover Please…

Make certain Jesus is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

Its all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.

NOT CERTAIN? YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.

THIS IS LIFE CHANGING Information- Guaranteed

The Sheltering Presence of God (cont.)

Hebrew: Succouth Sykkot Sukkot

Feast of Tabernacles – סוכות

Other names and titles used for this Appointed Time are:

Time of Our Joy – Zman Simchatenu–  זמן שמחתנו

Moadim L’Simcha (Appointed Times for Joy)

Zman Simchatenu Time of Our Joy – זמן שמחתנו

Simchat Torah – the Joy of the Torahשִׂמְחַת תורָה

Shemini Atzeret – Eighth Day of Assembly – שמיני עצרת 

Hoshanah Rabbah – Great Salvation – הושענה רבה

Chag Assif – Harvest Festivalחג אסיף.

The Four Species: Arba Minim

In Lev. 23:40, it is written, ‘On the first day you shall take the product of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafs trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.’

The Hebrew word for ‘goodly’ in the verse in Leviticus above is hadar {haw-dawr’} [01926] meaning ‘ornament,’ ‘splendor,’ or ‘honor.’        

There are 4 specific plants that are associated with the observance of Sukkot. The Hebrew name is The Four Species ארבעת המינים‎ Arbah Minim/Arba’at haminimThe command is to take these 4 plants each noted for their special beauty and wave them and ‘rejoice before the Lord.’ Each of the 4 species is different from the other and has its own unique significance.

The four consist of: 1st the Tamar (Palm branch which is defined in beauty by having a straight shape and leaves tightly bound.). The Hebrew word for ‘palm’ in this verse is tamar {taw-mawr’} [8558] meaning ‘palm tree’ or ‘date palm.’ Palm frond – lulav לולב
2nd: Three sprigs/branches/twigs of Hadas – hadass הדס – the myrtle branch hadasim (myrtle branches) which has a beautiful pleated pattern of three leaves coming out from the same point in the branch. The Hebrew word for ‘bough‘ in this verse is anaph {aw-nawf’} [06057] meaning ‘bough’or ‘branch.’3rd: Arava – the willow branch/twigs, two aravot – aravah ערבה – (the willow branches); which should have oblong leaves with a smooth edge. The Hebrew word for ‘willows‘ in this verse is arab {aw-rawb’} [06155] meaning ‘poplar’, ‘willow’ or a tree characterized by dark wood. 4th the Etrog  אתרוג the citron (a fragrant Mediterranean citrus fruit with a thick, white rind. It is often picked from the tree while green, and then ripens to a bright yellow.) It is about the same size as a lemon, but sweeter and spicier to serve as the ‘fruit of goodly trees’ that is mentioned in Lev. 23:40.
All the six branches are bound together and referred to collectively as the lulav.

Two willows placed on the left, one palm branch in the center, and three myrtles on the right.

Shaking the Lulav

The Etrog is held separately in the left hand and the Lulav in the right and with these 4 species in hand, each day during Succot, blessings, (example below) are recited over the Etrog and the Lulav.

Then they are lifted together with the Etrog, waved and shaken in all six directions (east, south, west, north, up, and down) reminding us that God is everywhere and also as a symbol of His mastery over all Creation.
(Lulav and Etrog are not biblical terms, however some do believe that Lev. 23:40 does refer to a lulav.)

(Psalm 23; Isaiah 43:1–2; Jude 1:24, 25) are references to the Biblical command to worship God with branches, (the Lulav,) which was to remind Israel of how God led them through the different stages of their wilderness journey by waving the three branches representing the different varieties of vegetation.

Of the largest was the Palm branches which grows in valleys and reminds them of their journey through the valleys and plains that God was with them.

Second was the thick boughs of the Myrtle tree with small dark leaves which grows in the high places and reminds them of their journey through the mountains where God was with them too.

The third one was the Willow, a drooping light green which grows by water and reminded Israel of the times and places when God was with them and provided brooks and streams of water for both the people and their animals to drink in the desert.The Etrog was to remind them of the fruits of the good land that the Lord had given them.

The Wilderness is this world, the journey is this life, and the instruction to all believers found in the Palm is stated in Psalm 23, no matter how dark or deep valley, and we are never alone.

With the Myrtle for when we go through the rockiest of times, facing seemingly insurmountable mountains, He will go with you and prevent us from falling.

The Willow is for the dry places and empty times in our lives, to remind us that He never leaves.

This is echoed 5 times in Hebrews: for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] Heb. 13:5b Amplified Bible,)

He will give us rivers and streams in the desert places, giving new life, sustenance and times of refreshing. The fruit speaks of the promised land. Regardless of what we go through in this life, it is not the end and only the journey to the place of our real future. Collectively it is the Lulav of the promises of God that we are never alone through all the valleys, mountains, deserts and all the hard,dry places, He has never left or abandoned us.

He is Jehovah Shammah the God who is Always there. At the start of the Israelites ceremony, the Etrog is upside down. The spiritual meaning is: before we came to God, we were in a state of being upside down. Through the ceremony, it is turned right side up and joined to the other three. This represents a marriage/covenant that is taking place. After we are turned right side up and turn to God, we later are joined to Him in marriage/covenant.

In Deuteronomy 16:14, the Etrog also represents the stranger who is the Gentile/Heathen/Goyim, who has joined themself to Israel (Ephesians 2:11-13). This is symbolic of the great congregation of non-Jewish believers in the Messiah Jesus/Yeshua.

 The One New Man (Eph.2:15).Like most ceremonial items in Israel, the Lulav (palm branch, myrtle, and willows) and the Etrog (citron) also have philosophical meanings. The ancient Rabbis (Hebrew word for Teachers, Jesus was often addressed as Rabbi), spent many hours discussing and trying to interpret the words and meanings of each instruction. Through the centuries, they have handed down various interpretations of the symbolism of the Lulav and the Etrog.

One popular teaching is that the 4 components of the Lulav and the Etrog, which are called in Hebrew the Arba Minim, symbolize the human condition and one’s relationship with God.
One famous interpretation of the 4 species likens each to a body part: the Etrog is shaped like the human heart;the palm fronds of the lulav are like the spine;

the myrtle leaves are shaped like the eyes,

and the willow leaves like the lips or the mouth.

Together, these 4 elements show that just as all 4 species are waved before God on Sukkot, so too we use all the parts of our bodies to worship and serve God: heart, spine, eyes, and mouth.

Rabbi/Teacher Stern developed additional meanings for the symbols of the Lulav and Etrog.

The Etrog stands for the heart of our society united in response to September 11th.

The Palm branch is our courage and fortitude in face of adversity.

The Myrtle leaves are the tears shed for the victims and

the Willow is our mouth to speak in praise of the heroes.

There is another symbolic layer of meaning related to the Etrog and Lulav and the two forms of Judeo-Christian lifestyles: study and good deeds. There are many wonderful drashot (homiletical explanations) for the number 4. Perhaps the best known is that there are 4 types of believers:

There is thought to be spiritual significance based on the characteristics of the Lulav and Etrog/Citron:

While the combined Lulav which has a good taste, but no smell, is like a person with knowledge, but who does no good deeds.

The Palm bears fruit (deeds) but is not fragrant (spiritual blessing). This is like a person who lives by the letter of the law but does not have compassion or love for others. The Palm branches possess taste but no fragrance, symbolizing those who possess learning but do not perform good deeds. The Etrog /citron, which has a good taste and smell, creates both fruit and fragrance is like those who know the Torah and do good deeds. This is like a faithful believer who lives a balanced life in wisdom before God and man. Believers should desire to be like the Etrog or citron/citrus fruit, which possesses both taste and fragrance symbolizes those who possess both learning and good deeds. The Myrtle is the inverse of the palm, but can’t bear fruit having only has a pleasant fragrance but no taste, is like a simple person who has no knowledge and learning but do good deeds. They may recite scripture, but they don’t produce fruit, yet are innately kind and caring . Lastly, the Willow, which cannot produce fruit and has neither taste nor fragrance, This is like a person who is intrigued by different doctrines but never produces fruit and symbolizes those with no interest in gaining knowledge, neither learning nor good deeds and no innate sense of responsibility towards others and no feeling of the need to help others.We, of course, want to be the Etrog, possessing both learning and good deeds. However, the reality of life is that our communities are made of all 4 types of people and because community is such a high priority in the Israeli lifestyle, all 4 species are tied together, as we ought to bring together all those in one community.The Four Species are also held during the service when the Hallel Prayer is said (select prayers grouped together for the holidays – Psalm 113 – 118) They are also held during the processions around the bimah*.

(The pedestal where the Torah/Scripture is read) each day during the holiday.

Bimah/Bema* also refers to Judgment Seat.

Bema* Judgment Seat at Corinth   Rom 14:10 2 Cor 5:10

 This is for believers only and occurs after 1Thess 4:15-17. Jesus is the judge and its for service not sins, quality not quantity, (obedience) and results in rewards or loss as our ‘works’ are tried by fire.

Messiah In The Feast Of Tabernacles:

There are several other ways to see how the Messiah adds to this holiday.

We are told in John’s Gospel, “The Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us…” (John 1:14). God’s presence came in the incarnate Messiah who was present with His people. He was Immanuel, Hebrew for God with us. The word dwelt here in the Greek means tabernacled. When He became flesh, Jesus inhabited the temporary shelter of an earthly body, He dwelt with us in a corruptible body, knowing He soon would be required to leave it. He did it so that we might find a home in Him – not a temporary shelter in the wilderness, but an eternal home in a Kingdom that abides forever.  Clearly in many ways this festival points to Yeshua (Jesus). God gave the Israelites manna and water in the wilderness, Jesus is spiritual bread and water for all who believe in Him.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst (John 6:35).

Paul taught that as the Israelites wandered in the desert over those 40 years they all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ (1 Cor.10:4).Jesus/Yeshuah is the bread, the water, the light (Jn 8:12) and the man whose name is The Branch (Zech.6:12). In short, Sukkot is all about Him.There is also further significance in the materials used for the Sukkah and Lulav, which are symbolical. The Palm is an emblem of victory throughout the Scriptures. In Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem: “And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road” (Mk. 11:8).

We’re also told that the multitude from the Tribulation will be ‘…standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ (Rev. 7:9-10).

Another perspective is that the true meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles will be fulfilled when Messiah Jesus gathers the ‘harvest’ of His children unto Himself. ‘…gather together his elect…’ (Mat 24:30-31) ‘.. the harvest of the earth is ripe …'(Rev 14:14-16) Jam. 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently until it receives the early and latter rain.  During the Feast of Tabernacles there was a great ceremony called the Illumination of the Temple, (Beit HaMikdash) which involved the priests and the Levites going into the Court of Women and lighting 4 very large golden oil-fed lamps.These lamps were huge menorah candelabras (50 cubits high) (73 feet high) (22.25 metres) with 4 golden bowls placed upon them and 4 ladders resting against each candlestick. 4 youths of priestly descent stood at the top of the ladders holding jars containing about 7.5 gallons of pure oil, which they poured for each bowl.They were lighted in the temple at night to remind the people of the pillar of fire that had guided Israel in their wilderness journey.

The priests and Levites used their own worn-out liturgical clothing for wicks.

The light emanating from the four candelabras was so bright that the Mishnah (Hebrew commentary Sukkah 5:3) records that there was no courtyard in Jerusalem [Yerushalayim] that was not lit up with the light of the libation water-well ceremony (Beit Hashoevah).In addition, during this festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) and this time, in the court of the women of the temple between the four posts of light, the accusers brought to Jesus/Yeshua, the woman caught in the act of adultery (Jn. 8:1-11). Jesus/Yeshua forgave the woman and proceeded to write a message on the ground (Jn. 8:5-9).What did Jesus/Yeshua write? The answer is in Jeremiah 17:13,14.

In these things, we can see that Jesus/Yeshua was no doubt reminding the people of the prophets warning and the messages of the festivals they were celebrating with the need to apply it to real life situations.
In celebration and anticipation, the holiest of Israel’s men danced and sang psalms of joy and praise before the Lord.This festival was a reminder that God had promised to send the Light, to a sin-darkened world. God promised to send the Messiah to renew Israel’s glory, release them from bondage, and restore their joy. Imagine what the atmosphere was like in ancient Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles as we try to visualize seeing those massive menorahs giving a tremendous amount of light.Now its easier to imagine the impact of the words said by Jesus in the Temple courtyard when He announced, “I am the Light of the world” (John 9:5).Spiritually speaking, the light represented the shekinah glory that once filled the temple where God’s presence dwelt in the Holy of Holies (1 Kings 8:10-11; Ezekiel 43:5). During this time, the temple (Beit HaMikdash) was thought of as “the light of the world.” In the brilliance of this gloriously lit temple, Jesus/Yeshua was the One who said of Himself, ‘I am the Light of the World’; and we are to be too.Jesus is the Light, the source of illumination to bring the lost out of darkness. It is not clear from the text when this incident happened, but it was some time between the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah); both of these celebrations focused on light.

Our bodies are temporary just like the Sukkah was temporary. God dwelt with the Israelites in the desert and the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us today. Jesus is God tabernacling among men and women. ..tabernacle of God is with men…” (Rev 21:1-3)Zechariah Chapter 14 prophesies about this holiday. He writes when the Messiah comes, after there is judgments against the nations that come up against Israel, this holiday of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) will become something that all the remaining nations celebrate.

The Feast of Tabernacles is a picture of the Messianic Age, when God’s dwelling Presence will be with mankind. This can be seen in Zechariah 14, which describes the Messianic Age, and specifically notes that the Feast of Tabernacles will be observed during that time.

‘Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths’. The Lord will establish His Tabernacle in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 37:26), and the world will come every year to appear before the King and worship Him (Zechariah 14:16-17).Prophetically, Sukkot points not only to past fulfilled prophecies but also points ahead to future prophecy that will be fulfilled with Jesus second coming. Zechariah 8:3 teaches us that someday God will once again dwell with us in Jerusalem.

The Celebration of Water Pouring Simchat Beit HaShoevah The water libation was also full of meaning and significance. 1Samuel 7:6

The Messiah’s presence in the Feast of Tabernacles is also found in the rite of the Water Libation.

As Jesus was on the cross, (an altar of sacrifice), suspended between heaven and earth, (Himself making the bridge between the two realms); His side was pierced and out flowed blood and water and trickled down the side of the ‘altar’.

This ceremony was handed down as part of the Oral Law (Mishnah) and was known also as “Nissuch Ha Mayim.” This ties Jesus into the Gospel of John. The pouring out of the water and was also related to God pouring out His Holy Spirit.

The Daily Sukkot Ceremony

Nightly “Water-Drawing Celebrations,” reminiscent of the evening-to-dawn festivities held in the Holy Temple in preparation for the drawing of water for use in the festival service, fill the synagogues and streets with song, music and dance until the wee hours of the morning.The 2nd temple was destroyed in 70AD following Jesus’ prophecy in Mark 13:2 ‘And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.’Before that time, Each day (Beit HaMikdash), there was a special ceremony out of the temple. The priests were divided into three groups. The first division were the priests on duty for that festival. They would slay the sacrifices (Num. 29). At this time, a 2nd group of priests went out the eastern gate of the temple (Beit HaMikdash) and went to the Motzah Valley, where the ashes were deposited at the beginning of the sabbath. There they would cut willows. The willows had to be 25 feet in length. After this, they would form a line with all the priests holding a willow. About 25 or 30 feet behind this row of priests, allowing room for the willows, would be another row of priests with willows. So, there would be row after row of the willows.The whole road back to the temple (Beit HaMikdash) was lined with pilgrims as they went to Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) to celebrate the festival as they were commanded by God to do. Sukkot (Tabernacles), along with Shavuot (Pentecost), and Passover (Pesach), were known as the pilgrimage festivals (Deuteronomy 16:16).

Three Pilgrimage Festivals שלושת הרגלים

 During the times of the Temple, the Israelites used to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, as commanded:

“Three times each year, all your males shall thus present themselves before God the Master, Lord of Israel.” (Exodus 34:23)

There would be a signal and the priests would step out with their left foot, and then step to the right, swinging the willows back and forth. Meanwhile, a third group of priests, headed by the high priest (Cohen HaGadol), went out the gate known as the Water Gate. They had gone to the pool known as “Siloam” (Jn. 9:7,11), (which means “gently flowing waters”from which the High Priest used to draw the water for the Water Offering in ancient times.There the high priest had a golden vase and drew the water known as the living water (mayim hayim) and held it in the vase.His assistant held a silver vase containing wine.Just as the priests in the valley of Motzah began to march toward Jerusalem so did the priests in Siloam. As they marched toward the city of Jerusalem the willows made a swishing sound in the wind as they approached the city. The word wind in Hebrew is Ruach. The word spirit in Hebrew is also Ruach.

Therefore, this ceremony was symbolic or representative of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) of God coming upon the city of Jerusalem.

As each of the party reached their respective gates, a trumpet (shofar) was blown.Then one man would stand up and play the flute (the flute represents the Messiah). The flute player is called “the pierced one.” The flute is pierced, and Jesus/Yeshua was pierced during the crucifixion (Psa. 22:16; Zech. 12:10; Jn. 19:34-37; Rev.1:7).The flute player led the procession. The pierced one blows the call for the wind and the water to enter the temple. The priests from Motzah swishing the willows come into the temple (Beit HaMikdash) and circle the altar 7 times. The priests that were slaying the sacrifices are now ascending the altar, and they begin to lay the sacrifices on the fires. The high priest and his assistant ascend the altar and all the people of Israel are gathered into the courts.

The people start singing the song Mayim, saying, “With joy we will draw water out of the well of salvation [Yeshua]” (Is.12:3; Mishnah, Sukkah 5:1).

 

The high priest takes his vase and pours its contents on one of the corners of the altar where the horns are.There are two bowls built into the altar. Each bowl has a hole in it. The water and the wine are poured out over the altar as the priests who had the willow start laying the willows against the altar, making a sukkah (a picture of God’s covering).
Messianic Understanding:  Again this is a picture of Jesus/Yeshua as He was on the tree. He was on the altar (tree) when His heart was pierced (John 19:34), then the water and the blood separated and they were poured out. The wine here representing His Blood shed for us.

God through Yeshua was providing a covering (sukkah) for all those who would believe in Him.
Wine is representative of marriage, blood, covenant, joy, and the Messiah in Scripture. The priests took the willows to the altar and set them upright on the side of the altar, forming a wedding canopy or chupah and representing the marriage covenant. The high priest will take his golden vessel and pour out the water on the altar. The assistant will pour out his silver vessel of wine on the altar. Jesus/Yeshua said that He was the living water being poured out during this ceremony (John 7:2, 37-38).

Spiritual Application (Halacha). During the time of Jesus/Yeshua, the Feast of Sukkot set a magnificent stage for the preaching of the Messiah. Rain is essential to the growing of crops and Israel, an arid land, prizes rain greatly as a blessing from God.Rain was a prominent feature in the celebration of the Feast of Sukkot. The ‘ceremony of the water drawing’ held a significance much deeper than its agricultural implications.

The rain represented the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) and the water drawing pointed to that day when, according to the prophet Joel God would rain His Spirit upon (all flesh) (Joel 2:28-29).
The connection of water to this verse is God pouring out His Spirit. ‘With joy shall ye draw out of the wells of salvation'” (Is.12:3).Sukkot was given by God to teach us of the coming Messianic era, the Millennium, when the earth will experience the greatest outpouring of His Spirit. 


  On Hoshanah Rabbah, “The Great Hoshanah,” the priests circled the altar seven times. On this final day of Sukkot, probably during the water ceremony, Yeshua (Jesus) stood up and proclaimed Himself to be the source of Living Water—the salvation they joyfully prayed for.  He invited all who were thirsty to come and drink, the water representing the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Yeshua stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’  By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.” (Jn. 7:37–39)
Another sign of Jesus the Messiah being part of the Feast of Tabernacles is what is commonly called His Triumphant Entry (Zechariah 9:9) found in all four Gospels. This also shows another connection between Passover and Sukkot.

The 6th day of Sukkot it is a cry for salvation, hoshea na rabah – save us now, let us increase or deliverance now. This is the time/season for repentance which is a precursor to, and without which, salvation is not possible. It is also a reminder of Yom Kippur just 11 days prior. On this day during the days Jesus was on the earth, in the second Temple period, there was a procession in Jerusalem. The people walked the streets singing from Psalm 118:25 Hoshea na in Hebrew and Hosanna in Greek which means Save us now.Those who were familiar with this procession understood the full meaning of the practice and when Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem it did not pass without them understanding its significance.   (Matt. 21:1–11; Mk. 11:1–11; Lk. 19:28–44; Jn. 12:12–19)

For believers in Messiah this prayer has already been answered: “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). The cry for salvation at Tabernacles is heard and answered through Jesus the Messiah, for He came to “save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).On the 7th day of Sukkot, 7 circuits are made. For this reason, the 7th day of Sukkot is known as Hoshanah Rabbah (the Great Hoshanah). It is considered a holiday in of itself.In the end, the entire planet earth will become a Sukkah where God dwells (Rev. 21:3-4).

Some believe that Revelation 7:9 gives a glimpse into a Heavenly Tabernacle Celebration when it says: ‘After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands’.

In the fullness of time Messiah cameIn the fullness of time Messiah will return

 The Sheltering Presence of God Abides With Us Always.

While learning more about His Appointed Times, may we all remain in the Sukkah of His Loving Protection.