Hashanna Rabba - The Great Hossana
On the last day of the feast ( 21st Tishrei. ) - The day of the Great
Hosanna was celebrated. It was the climax of the day that was the climax
of the whole season of feasts / holy days. - (Hosanna translates as "Save
Now") The people prayed especially for GOD'S salvation through Meshiach /
MESSIAH - (the anointed one )
A joyous crowd assembled, carrying palm branches a couple of meters in
length. It was said to resemble a forest in motion if seen from a rooftop.
There was silence in the crowd as the priest said the Hallel (praise)
Psalm 118, to which the people responded at every line with Halleluyah. The
people processed seven times around the altar.
As they got to verses 25 - 29 they joined in with the words "Hossana, make
thy salvation now manifest, o Lord" and "O Lord send now prosperity" and
they would wave their palm branches. As they reached the words "Baruch
haba bashem Adonai" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD", the
godly would greet the coming Messiah in their hearts, knowing it applied to
Him.'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; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, which
sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb' (Rev 7:9,10).Matthew 23:39 "You will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord.'"
The joy of this celebration became proverbial. "He that has not seen
Simchat bet ha Sho'ebhah has not seen joy in this life"
It was on this "last great day of the feast", the day of messianic
expectation, that Jesus said, "If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and
drink" (John 7 v37). He offered living water to anyone who would believe
and accept him. He was saying "Look to me and be saved - I AM the great
Hosanna."
On the afternoon of the seventh day of the feast the people began to remove
from the 'booths.' For at the Octave, on the 22nd of Tishri, they lived no
longer in booths."For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we
have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with
our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be
found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened:
not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might
be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing
is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we
are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we
are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are
confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be
present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent,
we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat
of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according
to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:1-10Hoshanah Harabbah
The 21st, or last day of the festival is called Hoshanah Harabbah, or the
Great Hosanna day. This day was distinguished by the fact that the priests
would march around the altar seven times, instead of just once, and the
people would take hold of the willows that formed the canopy over the altar
and shake it so vigorously that all of the leaves would fall in a pile on
the ground. People would also bring palm branches and beat them against the
altar. When this was over the children would throw away their lulavs and eat
their etrogs. On the afternoon of this day, the people would remove the
furnishings from the Succoth. On the day after the festival, called Shemeni
Atzeret, there would be a holy convocation and a Sabbath of rest. The people
no longer lived in the sukkahs,, there was only a simple sacrifice, and the
court of women was no longer lit by night. The drawing of water also ceased.
The processions around the altar are reminiscent of Joshua's processions
around Jericho -- once each day for six days, then seven times on the
seventh day. This was the first great conquest in the Promised Land, and
prefigures the opening of Messiah's kingdom when he returns.Could the 7th day of Tabernacles be our great salvation day, when we no
longer live in the earthly tents, but are changed and given bodies of
immortality? Could the "walls" fall down as they did in Joshua's day as
Jesus comes for His bride? October 23 or 24, 2005 is the 7th day of
Tabernacles, exactly 7 years to the day from when the covenant was confirmed
on October, 23, 1998 (see Daniel 9:27). The solar eclipse on October 3, 2005
and lunar eclipse on October 17, 2005 started the Feast of Trumpets and
Tabernacles respectively. The last day of Tabernacles is one week after the
lunar eclipse. Noah was given some sort of seven-day warning before the
Flood: "And after the 7 days the floodwaters came on the earth" (Genesis
7:10). The return of Christ is compared to the Flood by Jesus in Luke 17.Jesus said, "The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its
light.at that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and
all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming
on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And He will send His
angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the
four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." Perhaps October
23/24, 2005 will be the time of our redemption.