The “Great Day of the Feast”
The Awesome Mystery of
Hoshana Rabbah!
Many are confused about
the “great day of the Feast” when Jesus
stoop
up and said for people to come to Him, and He would give
them
living water. What day was that? What does it picture?
is
it the “Eighth Day”? Or is it the
seventh day of the Feast of
Tabernacles?
What is the real truth behind the mystery of this
“Great Day of the
Feast”? What does it picture in God’s Plan?
William F. Dankenbring
In John, chapter 7, we find that
Yeshua went down to
What is the “last day” of the
Feast? Why is it called, “the Great
Day”?
Many have assumed, and taught, that
this refers to the concluding festival which follows right after the Feast of
Tabernacles, called “The Eighth Day.” In
Hebrew it is called Shemini Atzeret, which simply means, “Eighth Day.”
However, a strict interpretation of
this verse would suggest that it is discussing a festival itself which has more
than one day, and the day in question is the LAST day of that particular
Feast! Now the Feast of Tabernacles is
just such a Feast. It has “seven days”
(Lev.23:39-42). On these seven days the
people of God are to take palm branches, and other branches, and rejoice before
the Lord (v.40). During these seven days
they are to dwell in booths, or temporary dwellings, called sukkah in
Hebrew (verse 42).
After this festival, on the eighth
day, comes an entirely NEW festival, called Shemini
Atzeret! It also is an annual Sabbath
day – a day of solemn assembly (Lev.23:39; Numbers 29:35).
During the seven days of the Feast
of Tabernacles, the Jewish people celebrated at the
Therefore, it seems most clear that
the “last day of the Feast,” when Jesus spoke words about “living water,” He
was connecting this with the pouring out in the
What is the special significance of
this day? What does Jewish history tell us?
The seventh day of the Feast of
Tabernacles is not an annual Sabbath day -- yet it has special meaning and
significance of its own. In ancient
times it was known as the “great day of the feast.” The entire Feast of Tabernacles pictured, in
a spectacular way, the great fall harvest, and it was called “The Festival of
the Harvest.” But the seventh and last
day of the Feast -- and the culmination of the Feast – had a special meaning of
itself. It represented in a unique way
the FINAL DAY OF HARVEST!
Therefore, it also pictured the FINAL DAY of JUDGMENT! It pictured the celebration of the gathering
in of the final great harvest of souls in God’s plan.
We read in the book Celebrate! --
“Therefore, the final
day of the festival, when the last sacrifices were offered on
behalf of the other nations, was identified as the occasion when
the earth is
JUDGED
regarding
replenishment of water, and consequently, when mankind’s
FATE,
collectively and individually, IS SEALED.
(Rabbinic literature identifies
this Yom Darvata, Day of the
extension of Yom Kippur.) Striking the willows then had the added
connotation
of casting away of sin or symbolizing the thrashings one
would receive in punish-
ment for sin” (p.214).
The seventh day of the Feast is called “Hoshanah Rabbah,”
meaning “the many hoshanahs.” This
is a contraction of hoshiah na -- or “The Great
Salvation.” During the Middle Ages,
customs associated with Yom Kippur -- such as dressing the Torah in white
vestments, and the cantor’s wearing of a kittel -- were adopted for
Hoshanah Rabbah, looked upon as “the final day of judgment.”
Says
Avraham Finkel in Essence of the Holy Days,
“Hoshana Rabbah,
the
seventh day of Sukkot, has a solemn undertone, it is closely
linked to Yom Kippur, for it is on this day that the FINAL
SEAL is placed on the
verdict that was pronounced on Yom Kippur. . .
“On
Hoshana Rabbah we are mindful of the fact that during Sukkot, judgment
is
rendered concerning the rainfall for the entire world (Rosh
Hashana 16a). The
economic fortunes of the world depend on abundant rainfall,
so our prayers for
rain are of crucial importance for the global economy as a whole
and for Eretz
Yisrael in particular.
“This
is evident in the special prayers of Hoshana Rabbah. During the Shacharit
(morning) service of the first six days of Sukkot, the entire
congregation makes one
circuit around the bimah with lulav and etrog
in hand while the chazzan leads the
recitation of the hoshana prayer that is punctuated
by the congregation’s saying aloud,
Hoshana,
‘Please save!’ On the seventh day of
Sukkot -- Hoshana Rabbah -- seven
circuits
are made, hence the name Hoshana Rabbah, which means ‘many hoshanas.’
“In the hoshana
prayers we ask for rain, ‘to give life to the forsaken wastes, to sustain
with
trees, to enhance with sweet fruits, to rain on the sproutings, to elevate the
thirsty
earth.’ After the seven processions around the bimah,
additional prayers are said, after
which
the lulav and etrog are laid aside and the hoshana bundle,
consisting of five
willow
branches, is picked up. The hoshana bundle
is beaten on the ground five times
in
accordance with an ancient custom that was instituted by the prophets
Haggai,
Zechariah,
and Malachi (c. 350 B.C.E.)” (The Essence of the Holy Days, p.94).
Notice that although this custom of
of shaking the bundle of willow branches in not found in the Torah, Jewish
history tells us it was added by God’s prophets, Haggai, Zechariah and
Malachi.
What
does this final day of celebrating the Harvest, and Ingathering, therefore,
picture?
As most of us know, the Feast of
Tabernacles as a whole, pictures the Millennial Reign of the Messiah, Yeshua,
over the nations of the world for one thousand years. But what about this “last day” of the Feast?
During the Millennium, all the
nations will be taught the ways of the Lord.
“In days to come the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established
as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the
nations shall stream to it. Many peoples
shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the
house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk
in his paths. For our of Zion shall go
forth instruction and the word of the
LORD from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:1-3, NRSV).
Isaiah says further, of that time,
“For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover
the sea” (Isa.11:9).
That’s all very good. But in the book of Revelation, we read of
what is to happen after the millennial reign of Christ. The apostle John declares that the righteous
dead will be resurrected to reign with Christ during the millennium
(Rev.20:1-4). But, he adds, “The rest of
the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended” (v.5). This encompasses all the millions and
billions who ever lived, who will not be in the “first resurrection” which
occurs at the coming of the Messiah!
John goes on, “Then I saw a great
white throne and the one who sat on it; the earth and heaven fled from his
presence, and no place was found for them.
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before the throne, and
BOOKS were OPENED. Also another book was
opened, THE BOOK OF LIFE. And the dead
were judged ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS, as recorded in the BOOKS” (Rev.20:11-12).
Here is depicted the resurrection of
all who ever lived, from Adam to the End Times – all who lived, died, and did
not come up in the first resurrection.
Notice that they will NOT all be condemned to death and destruction, but
that they will all be JUDGED according to their WORKS while they were alive!
This great time of judgment is also
pictured in Matthew, chapter 25. We read
of the Son of Man, after He comes: “All
the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from
another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the
sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those on his right
hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me
food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and
you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took
care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord,
when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you
something to drink? And when was it that
we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in
prison and visited you?’ And the king
will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of
these who are members of my family, you did it to me’” (Matt.25:32-40).
Notice! This is
resurrection to LIFE, for many people who lived, because they will be
judged according to their righteous deeds in their lives – the GOOD that they
did! There are many “good” people in the
world, and they will be judged accordingly, at that time.
However, there are also people who
have been predominately wicked in their lives.
They have rejected the good and turned to selfish evil and
wickedness. The Messiah will condemn
these “goats,” because they did NOT do the righteous, loving, caring deeds
which the righteous did! He will say to
them, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for
the devil and his angels” (v.41-46).
John says of these, in Revelation, “And the sea gave up the dead that
were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and ALL were
judged according to WHAT THEY HAD DONE.
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire; and
anyone whose name was NOT found written in the book of life was thrown into the
lake of fire” (Rev.20:13-15).
On the other hand, there will also
be many people who were neither very good or very bad. There will be many who are “in between.” There will be many who died as babies, or who
were born without a mind to understand, deficient in mental ability, and many
who just never had real understanding.
What about them? And what about
aborted babies, or those who were miscarried in the womb? Will they be resurrected and be given a
chance for salvation?
Yes, they too will come up in this
“second resurrection,” to receive their own opportunity to learn God’s way and
receive eternal life! God says of that
time, “No more shall there be in it [Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God] an infant
that lives but a few days, or an old person that does not live out a lifetime;
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth”
(Isa.65:20). Those who never really
understood or had a chance will be given a chance to live out full lives, and
to repent of their sins and to receive their chance for salvation!
This “second resurrection,” this
final stage of God’s plan of salvation – this is the Seventh Day of the Feast
of Tabernacles, also known as the “Last Great Day. ” In Judaism, it is called ‘Hoshana Rabbah” –
the “Great Salvation” – because that is the time when BILLLIONS will be judged
and enter the Kingdom of God! It is the
time period called the “Great White Throne Judgment” in Revelation, chapter
20! It literally pictures the final day
of “judgment” and sealing those who will receive eternal life (compare
Rev.20:11-15), as opposed to those who will suffer the second and final death
penalty (v.14-15).
This final day of harvest
celebration pictures the vast second resurrection – the resurrection of all
people who ever lived, who did not quality to be in the first resurrection, at
the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah (Rev.20:1-4). All these others will rise up, to human life,
after the 1,000 year period (Rev.20:5-6).
They will be judged at that time – the time of the “Great Salvation,” or
“Many Hoshanas.”
Mitch and Zhava Glaser tell us
concerning this day of Hoshana Rabbah:
“The seventh and
last day of Sukkot, known as Hoshana Rabbah, ‘The Great
Hoshana,’
is somewhat a festival in itself. On
other days of the feast, when the
family
goes to synagogue, one procession is made around the sanctuary with
lulav
and etrog while the congregation sings, ‘Hoshianah, save us.’ This
particular
tradition is believed to date back to the time of the Maccabees, around
165
B.C.
“On
the final day, the entire congregation marches around seven times, carrying
even
more willow leaves with them. These
seven times, a memorial of the circuits
made
by the ancient priests around the Temple altar during worship, remind us
of
God’s goodness in destroying Jericho once Israel had circled it seven times.
“After
the seventh time around the synagogue, the willow branches are beaten
until
their leaves fall off – a symbol of beating off our sins and a prayer
for
plenteous
water for next year’s willows. . .
“In
contrast to the festive days of Sukkot, Hoshana Rabbah is observed solemnly,
as
an extension of the Day of Atonement. On
this day, the rabbis tell us, the GATES
OF
JUDGMENT FINALLY CLOSE and the decrees pronounced by God on the Day
of
Atonement take effect” (The Fall Feasts of Israel, p.198-199).
At this time the Spirit of God
will be poured out on all these nations and people who come up in this
resurrection, who never had a real opportunity for salvation, who died in
ignorance of the ways and truth of God.
They will “beat off their sins” and pray for God’s Holy Spirit, which is
typified by “water,” and they will receive it abundantly (Joel 2:28-29).
Joel Ziff, in Mirrors in Time: A Psycho-Spiritual Journey through the Jewish
Year, tells us more about Hoshana Rabbah:
“The seventh day
of Sukkot is known as Hoshana Rabbah. On
this day, the ritual of
Hoshanot
[marching around the synagogue or room] involves seven circlings of the
synagogue
with the four species. At the end of
this ritual, willow branches are beaten
against
the ground. Hoshana Rabbah is viewed as
the END of the cycle which began
on
the first day of Elul” (p.235).
In other words, Hoshana Rabbah is
the culmination of the holy day season that begins with the month of Elul,
which is the preparation month for the great feasts of the month of
Tishri. Thus the process begins with
self-examination and repentance, enjoined on us during Elul, heightened with
Rosh Hoshana, and the trumpet warnings sounded on that day to repent and draw
close to God. This Feast of Trumpets is
followed by the Days of Awe, leading up to Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement,
picturing judgment and cleansing -- forgiveness to the deserving and judgment
upon the wicked. This is followed by the
joyousness of the Feast of Sukkot, but this time is terminated by the FINAL
judgment of Hoshana Rabbah!
In reality, then, we have the
following scenario:
1) Month of Elul -- 30
days -- warning to examine ourselves and come to
deeper repentance
2) Rosh Hashanah -- Day
of Blowing -- pictures final warnings of God symbolized
by the seven trumpets of Revelation, picturing the final
call to repentance
3) Days of Awe -- final
“ten days” of warning to prepare to meet the Messiah
4) Yom Kippur -- Messiah
returns, and judges the world, and marries His bride
5) Feast of Sukkot --
seven days of joyous exuberance and feasting -- symbolizing
Millennial Kingdom of
Messiah, and the wedding feast and Marriage of the Lamb
6)
Hoshana Rabbah -- last great day of the Feast of Sukkot -- symbolizes Great
White Throne Judgment, when all who ever lived receive opportunity for
salvation
After this comes Shemini Atzeret,
the “Eighth Day,” which we will discuss later in this article.
Each day of the Feast of Tabernacles,
a vital celebration took place called Simkhat Beit Hashoavah, that is,
“The Rejoicing at the Place of the Water-Drawing.”
“Each morning of
Sukkot, the priests went to the pool of Siloah (Silwan) near
Jerusalem
to fill a golden flask. Shofar blasts
greeted their arrival at the Temple’s
Water
Gate. They then ascended and poured the
water so that it flowed over the
altar
simultaneously with wine from another bowl.
When the priest was about to
pour
the water, the people shouted ‘Raise your hand!’ because of an incident that
occurred
in a previous year: The high priest
Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 B.C.E.)
showed
contempt for the rite by spilling the water at his feet, a transgression for
which
worshippers threw their citrons at him.
“The
pelted priest had demonstrated his alliance with the Sadducees, who literally
followed
Torah and only what was specifically in Torah. (Explained as an oral
instruction
given to Moses at Sinai, this water rite was not mentioned in The Five
Books.) The deliriously happy celebration connected
with the water drawing
developed
when the Pharisees (who believed in the Oral Tradition and interpretation
of
Torah and gave us the rabbinic Judaism we know today) triumphed over them
in
the first century.
“Based
on Isaiah’s promise ‘With joy shall you draw water out of the wells of
salvation’
(12:3),
rejoicing began at the end of the first day and took place every night except
Shabbat. Talmud recorded that ‘one who had never
witnessed the Rejoicing of the Place
of
the Water Drawing has never seen true joy in his life.’ (Although the celebration
was
for the libation that would be made the next morning, it was named for
the prepar-
ation
for the ritual -- the water drawing -- which the rabbis said showed that
getting
ready
was sometimes of greater merit than the mitzvah itself because of its
positive
effect
on the person doing it.)” (p.213-214).
For this fascinating ceremony, four immense candelabrum
were set in the Temple courtyard for the Feast of Sukkot, 75 feet in
height. Each candelabra had four golden
bowls, and was reached by four ladders.
Each bowl was capable of holding many gallons of oil. Four youths of priestly descent each held a
pitcher of oil, which they used to fill the bowls. Wicks were made from the old, cast-off
priestly garments and rags from worn-out vestments. When the candelabrum were lit, they generated
such intense and brilliant light, that not a courtyard in the whole city of
Jerusalem failed to be illuminated by the blazing light. As the mighty torches blazed in the night, we
read:
“A Levite
orchestra of flutes, trumpets, harps, and cymbals accompanied torchlight
processions,
and men who had earned the capacity for real spiritual joy through their
purity,
character and scholarship danced ecstatically to the hand-clapping, foot-
stomping,
and hymn-singing crowds.
“We
do not imagine our distinguished sages as acrobats and tumblers, but they were
often
agile physically as well as mentally. Rabbi
Simon ben Gamaliel juggled eight
lighted
torches and raised himself into a handstand on two fingers, a gymnastic feat
no
one else could master. Others juggled
eight knives, eight glasses of wine, or eight
eggs
before leaders and dignitaries” (p.214).
Why was this ceremony called “The Water-Drawing
Ceremony”? Alfred Edersheim gives us the
emphatic reason, as understood by the Rabbis.
He writes:
“For though that
ceremony was considered by the Rabbis as being a subordinate
reference
to the dispensation of the rain, the annual fall of which they imagined
was
determined by God at that feast, its main and real application was to the
future
outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as predicted -- probably in allusion to
this
very
rite -- by Isaiah the prophet. Thus the
Talmud says distinctly: ‘Why is
the
name of it called, The drawing out of water?
Because of the pouring out
of
the Holy Spirit, according to what is said:
“With joy shall ye draw waters out
of
the well of salvation.”’ Hence, also,
the feast and the peculiar joyousness of it,
are alike
designated as those of ‘the drawing out of water’; for according to the
same
Rabbinical authorities, the Holy Spirit dwells in man only through joy”
(The
Temple,
p.279-280).
In the days of Nehemiah, at the
return of the Jews from Babylon, when they celebrated God’s festivals once
again, the people were told, “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your
strength” (Nehemiah 8:10, NRSV).
“Joy” is a product of the Holy Spirit of God (Gal.5:22), coming right
after “love.” The Rabbis said the Spirit
of God “dwells in man only through joy,” and surely true JOY is proof of the
Spirit of God! Those who don’t have it
are missing out, and evidently don’t have God’s Spirit dwelling within them!
The celebration of the Water-drawing was a highlight of the
Feast. It was a happy, even ecstatic
occasion, with a torchlight parade, including musicians, jugglers, and dancers,
marching to the Temple, at night, as the whole city of Jerusalem was lit up by
giant torches and the light of giant menorahs.
As the lyres, drums, cymbals, trumpets, drums and horns played, the
Rabbis entertained and clowned, adding to the joy. Not one day of Sukkot passed without joyous
festivities that celebrated the happiness of the harvest, and the joy of
community.
As the dawn of each day approached, the priests descended
the steps to the Women’s Court, with trumpets blaring, and marched in
procession to the Eastern Gate of the Temple, and then turned their faces toward
the Temple, to the west, and proclaimed, “Our fathers who were in this place
stood with their backs to the Temple and their faces eastward and worshipped
the sun, but our eyes are unto the Lord” (based on Ezekiel 8:16).
We read in the gospel of John that
Jesus Christ went up to the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem (John
7:1-9). Then, about the middle of the
Feast, He went up to the Temple, and taught the people (v.14-30). We then read this amazing fact:
“On the LAST
DAY, THAT GREAT DAY OF THE FEAST, Jesus stood and cried
out,
saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me,
as
the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living
water.’ But this
He
spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the
Holy
Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37-39,
KJV).
The last day, the “great day of the Feast,” was clearly
this day -- Hoshana Rabbah! It was the
seventh or last day of the Feast of Tabernacles! Jesus therefore made this statement, about
the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit, on the last day of the Feast of Sukkot --
picturing the Day of Final Salvation, the Day of Great Salvation, and the Great
White Throne Judgment!
For more information on this, be
sure to read the article “The Annual Holy Days Reveal the Awesome Plan of God,”
and the article entitled “The Mystery of the Resurrection of the Dead!”
Notice how everything fits in perfectly and dove-tails with
God’s Plan, His mercy, and provides a wonderful way of salvation for the billions
who have lived and died, never having understood God’s Plan, and never
having even heard the name of Jesus Christ -- Yeshua the Messiah!
Nineveh, Tyre and
Sodom
Jesus alluded to the many wicked of past ages, who died in their
wickedness, when He said to His disciples: “The men of Nineveh shall rise in
judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at
the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south [queen of Sheba during
Solomon’s day] shall rise up in the judgment with this
generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the
earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is
here” (Matt. 12:41-42).
Jesus went even further. He told His disciples that if a city rejected
their message, “Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the
land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city”
(Matt. 10:15). Notice also Matthew, chapter 11. We read: “Then began he [Jesus] to upbraid
the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented
not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto
thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done
in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth
and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall
be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for
you.
“And
thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell:
for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of
Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee” (Matt. 11:20-24, KJV).
The
time is coming when all these ancient cities, and their inhabitants, will be
judged -- some more severely than others.
This will occur on the FINAL day of salvation, pictured by Hoshana
Rabbah – the day of “Great Salvation,” which is the concluding day of the Feast
of Tabernacles!
The Valley of Dry Bones
Ezekiel prophecies of this same future
time of salvation for the billions who have died. He says: “The hand of the Lord was upon me,
and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of
the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them
round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and lo, they
were very dry” (Ezek. 37:1-2). These dry
bones symbolize the millions of people who lived and died long, long ago --
perhaps thousands of years ago in many cases.
That is why they were “very dry.”
What
happens to these bones?
“And
he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou
knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy
upon these bones, and say unto them, O Ye dry bones, hear the word of the
Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these
bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall
live, and I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon
you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, AND YE SHALL LIVE:
and ye shall know that I am the Lord” (verses 3-6).
Here
a great resurrection to physical, mortal life is described! These people will
be raised to physical life once again.
They will be breathing creatures.
They will have sinews, flesh, skin -- they will be physical human beings
once again!
Ezekiel
says: “So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a
noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his
bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews
and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above; but there was
no breath in them.
“Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind,
prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the
four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
“So
I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they
lived, and stood up upon their feet, AN EXCEEDING GREAT ARMY” (Ezek.
27:7-10).
Who are these people?
“Then
he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are THE WHOLE HOUSE OF
ISRAEL: behold, they say, Our bones are died, and our hope is lost: we are cut
off for our parts. Therefore prophesy
and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I WILL OPEN
YOUR GRAVES, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you
into the land of Israel. And ye shall
know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and
brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my spirit in you, and
ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that
I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord” (verses 11-14).
When
will this great resurrection to physical life occur? It will be at the same time God brings the
peoples of ancient Sodom, Gomorrah, Tyre, Sidon, and the Queen of Sheba, back
to life, to stand before judgment!
The
time frame of this stupendous event is given in the book of Revelation!
The Great White
Throne Judgment
John writes: “And I saw a great white
throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven
fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great [who are
these?], stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book
was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of
those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Rev.
20:11-12)
Here is the same time of resurrection that is
described in Ezekiel 37, the “dry bones” chapter. These vast teeming millions, including the
vast majority of mankind that ever lived -- billions of people -- will be
resurrected to new physical life, and they will be “judged.” All those who never had a true opportunity
for salvation will be given a time to qualify and to be tested, so that they
can enter God’s Kingdom also. They will
be flesh and blood, not immortal. These
people will be the millions who were never called by God during this life;
those millions who never understood the Plan of God, who never heard of Jesus
Christ, the only name under heaven whereby men may be saved, or never
understood the whole thing even if they did “hear” the name itself, because of
the deception of false religion and false teachers (Acts 4:12). These millions will include the little
babies who died in childbirth, the young children who died at a very young age,
and others who died in simple ignorance.
Among them apparently will be all the babies
who were aborted in their mother’s womb, and killed, through no fault of their
own – and even children who died because of accident in the womb, such as
miscarriages. These children died never
having had a chance for salvation. They
will be given that opportunity! Those who were blinded to God’s truth from Adam
to the present day, and just never understood, will at that time be resurrected
to mortal life, and given their first and only real opportunity for salvation
(see Matthew 12:41-42).
Notice
that the “book of life” will be opened.
And that they will be judged according to their “works” (Rev.
20:12). These people will apparently
live, build houses, and plant vineyards, and live a natural, normal life for
perhaps one hundred years (Isa.65:20), during which time they will be tested
and tried and receive their opportunity for salvation. They will be taught, for
the first time in their existence, the real truth of God. They will be able to compare their previous
life, under Satan’s way, with life and blessings under God’s way, in the
Kingdom of God. And the vast majority
will repent of their sins, accept Christ as Saviour, and be saved. As Paul
wrote: “And so all Israel shall be saved” (Rom. 11:26). God is
longsuffering and patient, not willing that any should die or perish (II
Pet.3:9). Everyone who ever lived will have a complete and unhindered chance to
learn God’s ways, and to be saved.
But
what about those who are the incorrigibly wicked? What about those who refuse to repent, and to
obey God, and who continue on in sin no matter what God says, and no matter how
patiently He holds out His hand offering them forgiveness? What about those who REJECT the laws of God
and give themselves over to sin and wickedness?
The
Awesome Fate of the Wicked -- Total Destruction
As we already
saw, the “goats” will be cast into eternal fire, where they will be burned
up. As we read in Revelation, “And the
sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead
which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in
the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:13-15). Those who perish in the lake of fire will
never again be resurrected. Their
chances were wasted, and their punishment is final.
At
the end of this great time of testing and trial, at the conclusion of this
period of DIVINE JUDGMENT, all the incorrigible wicked will perish – they will
be cast into a lake of fire, and consumed to nothing but smoke and ashes. Those who refuse to repent of their sins and
blasphemies, who turn aside from God’s way and trample on the shed blood of
Christ, treating it as a little thing, those who reject and refuse God’s
way, will suffer the final judgment -- they will burn up in the lake of fire.
And they will never live again. Their life will be extinguished, with finality.
They will be put out of their misery. That is how God will banish all sin and
punish the sinners who refuse to repent.
At
that time, Peter says, “the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are
therein shall be burned up” (II Pet. 3:10).
At that time “sinners [shall] be consumed out of the earth” and “the
wicked [shall] be no more” (Psalm 104:35). At that time God will “renew the
face of the earth” (Psa. 104:30).
The
prophet Malachi describes the scene this way:
“For, behold, the day cometh, saith the LORD, that shall BURN as an
oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up,
saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
. . And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under
the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of
hosts” (Malachi 4:1-3).
Hoshana
Rabbah pictures that awesome day! It is
the last, final day of judgment -- the final opportunity for all mankind to be
saved, and to enter into the eternal Kingdom of God as His sons. Those who reject God’s mercy and plan, those
who fail to make the grade, those who turn away from God and rebellion as Satan
the devil did, will suffer the same fate as the devil. They will be destroyed -- forever! If you haven’t read it, be sure to read my
article, “Satan’s Fate -- Will Satan Be Punished Forever?”
Yes,
God IS supremely FAIR! He
is perfectly just, righteous, and absolutely perfect in judgment! All will have a chance -- an opportunity --
for salvation. What they do with that
opportunity, however, is up to them.
Isn’t
that wonderful? Isn’t God
wonderful? Isn’t the Plan of God
marvelous, surpassing human wisdom and understanding?
Paul
wrote: “For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained
mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that
through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all
in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the
wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways
past finding out!
“For
who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor? Or who
hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of
him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever.
Amen” (Rom. 11:30-36).
This
day, Hoshana Rabbah, pictures the LAST GREAT DAY of harvest -- the final great
time or dispensation of SALVATION! After
it, there is no more harvest -- the harvest is finished -- over.
The
last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, then, represents the Great White Throne
judgment, the time when the billions of people who have lived and died, never
understanding God’s Plan of Salvation, will be resurrected to mortal life, and
will be given their first and only chance for salvation, as they, too, will be
re-educated and taught the truths of God!
It also pictures the awesome time of final judgment -- and the final
judgment of God upon the wicked, the proud, and the ungodly, who refuse God’s
Laws and His way.
But there is still one Holy Festival
left in God’s sacred calendar. What
about it? Many have confused it with the
“Great White Throne Judgment.” Many
think it is the “final day of salvation.”
However, they have totally misunderstood its real, vital significance
and spiritual meaning! It pictures
something else entirely. It pictures eternity!
Shemini Atzeret -- the “Eighth Day”
The Plan of God now stands almost complete --
except for one final thing. And that
final portion is pictured by the LAST of God’s seven annual holy days! Notice!
Right
after the Feast of Tabernacles comes the final “Feast” of the Lord -- the last
“holy day” of the religious year. This
is “Shemini Atzaret,” that is, “the
Eighth Day.” What does it
represent?
The
eighth day itself is a special Holy Day and the concluding Feast of the
Lord. During the feast of Tabernacles,
or Feast of Sukkot in the Hebrew, the children of Israel dwelt in
flimsy, quickly constructed booths, with thinly thatched roofs which were open
to the sky, so the people could see the stars.
This observance connected them with the “booths” which the harvesters used
to dwell in, out in the fields, during the fall harvest. The “booths” also depicted the temporary
shelters the children of Israel lived in as they journeyed through the desert,
after leaving Egypt, before they settled in the Promised Land.
But
on the final holy day of Shemini Atzeret, the people no longer dwelt
in the booths depicting the harvest. On
this day, they once again lived in their homes.
By this day, the HARVEST IS OVER!
What does it represent, then, in the overall Plan of God?
The key to understanding is in the name of the day -- the “eighth day.” The number “8” has awesome significance in Scripture! There were 8 people in the Ark of Noah, when his family was saved, to begin a NEW WORLD AGE.
There are seven days in the week, and the Sabbath Day depicts the Millennial reign of Christ and the Feast of Tabernacles. The day after the Sabbath is the “eighth day” -- and begins another week, another round of “time keeping” -- a NEW CYCLICAL WEEK. Since the “week” itself depicts God’s Plan, the beginning of a NEW week depicts the beginning of a NEW PHASE in the Plan of God -- it represents A NEW BEGINNING!
The
NEW Heavens and NEW Earth
What comes after the final day or
time period of universal Judgment, pictured by Hoshana Rabbah, and The Great
White Throne Judgment?
Notice!
God says, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new
earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind” (Isa.
65:17). John describes it in the book of
Revelation: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first
heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her
husband. And I heard a great voice out
of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell
with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them,
and be their God.
“And
God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:
for the former things are passed away” (Rev. 21:1-4).
At this time, God says, “See, I am
making ALL THINGS NEW” (Rev.21:5, NRSV).
In that new heaven and earth, there will be NO
MORE DEATH for those who have been given immortality! Everybody will live forever! The whole earth will be populated with SAVED
CHILDREN OF GOD – IMMORTAL SONS OF GOD!
“And
he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for
these words are true and faithful.
“And
he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha
and Omega, the beginning and the end. I
will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit
all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son” (vs. 5-7,
KJV).
The
new Jerusalem will sparkle like a diadem upon the earth (Rev. 21:9-21). It is the bride of Christ. Those who qualify to enter God’s Kingdom, to
be born of God through the Holy Spirit, will be made immortal sons of God and will
dwell in the New Jerusalem, with Christ, and reign with Him on His throne, over
the entire Universe, forever and ever!
Jerusalem will be the headquarters for the
Throne of God; from it God’s rule will extend throughout all the galaxies of
space, to the uttermost bounds of the Universe, to the farthest reaches of all Creation itself! Yet, believe it or not, the Plan of God will
CONTINUE!
In the new heavens and earth, there will be a NEW CYCLE of
the PLAN OF GOD!
There are several “hints” to this ongoing Plan of God. It will enter into a new phase after the Millennium, during the “New Heavens and New Earth.”
In Genesis, during the time of Noah,
God said, when He gave mankind the symbol of the “rainbow,” “This is the sign
of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that
is with you, for PERPETUAL generations” (Gen.9:12). What is meant by “perpetual
generations”? The Hebrew word for
“perpetual” is olam and means “everlasting,” “always,” “eternity,”
“without end,” “to the vanishing point.”
Does this imply that God will begin
again with new human life, and start a new cycle of His Great Plan?
Since the creation of Adam and Eve,
about 6,000 years have passed. According
to Scripture, there are 40 years in a Biblical generation (Num.14:34). So there have been about 150 generations
since the time of Adam.
Yet, God says in the Torah, speaking
of God and His Covenant, “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the
faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy FOR A THOUSAND GENERATIONS with
those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deut.7:9).
You’d better rub your eyes, and take
another, closer look at that promise.
God speaks of A THOUSAND GENERATIONS!
Simple arithmetic shows that 40 years to a generation multiplied by
1,000 generations equals 40,000 years!
Yet we are living in the 6000th year since the sin of
Adam and Eve and their banishment from the Garden of Eden, in 3997 B.C. The year 2004 A.D. is 6,000 years from that
ancient event.
But David also alluded to this
promise of God. He wrote in the Psalms,
“He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in the earth. He remembers His covenant FOREVER, the
word which He commanded for A THOUSAND GENERATIONS” (Psalm 105:7-8).
In fact, when God revealed Himself
to Moses, He revealed the “Thirteen Divine Attributes” of God to Him. “And the LORD passed before him and
proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and
abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty” (Exodus
34:6-7, NKJV).
In The Book of Our Heritage, Eliyahu
Kitov explains the Thirteen Attributes of God’s Mercy. He writes:
“The following
are the Thirteen Attributes:
1. Lord -- I am He Who is compassionate before man sins, although
I know that he will sin in the end.
2. Lord -- And I am He Who is compassionate after Man sins and
repents.
3. God -- This too is an attribute of mercy, as it is said,
"My God,
why have You forsaken me?" And one cannot say to the attribute
of stern justice: "Why have You forsaken me?"
4. Who is Merciful -- He has mercy upon the poor;
5. and Gracious -- He is gracious unto the wealthy;
6. Long-suffering -- He is patient and is not quick to exact
retribution, in the hope that
the guilty will repent;
7. Abundant in lovingkindness -- He acts with lovingkindness toward
those who lack merit;
8. Truthful -- He rewards those who fulfill His will;
9. Guards
lovingkindness unto the thousandth generation -- He
guards the lovingkindness which a person does before Him, unto
the thousandth, AND EVEN TWO THOUSANDTH, GENERATION;
10. Forbears transgression -- He is forbearing over transgressions
which men commit willfully;
11. and Iniquity -- He bears the iniquities which a person commits
in a spirit of rebelliousness;
12. and Misdeeds -- He bears sins which are committed
unintentionally;
13. and He will not hold clear of guilt -- He will clear those
who repent, but will not clear those who fail to repent.”
The Hebrew for “thousands” here is ‘eleph,
a form of aleph, the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet. It denotes “thousands” – or , in this case,
“thousands of generations.” It also denotes “a family,” as the Aleph is like
an ox’s head and is the first letter of the alphabet, and was eventually used
as a numeral – it represents both 1, and 1,000, or thousands. Alaph is a primitive root, meaning
“to associate with,” hence, “to learn, teach, utter.”
The Hebrew in Exodus 34:7 can refer
to the thousandth or even two thousandth generation – which literally could be
interpreted as 1,000 X 40 years or 40,000 years; or 2,000 X 40 years = 80,000
years. Or, literally, multiple
“thousands” – stretching forward into virtual infinity/eternity.
Isaiah the prophet also alludes to
this mystery. He writes in chapter 9,
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; and the government will
be upon His shoulder. And His name will
be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace. Of the INCREASE of His
government and peace there will be NO END, upon the throne of David and
over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from
that time forward, EVEN FOREVER. The
zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7, NKJV).
That is, the Kingdom of God will
grow and grow, multiply and expand – FOREVER – always INCREASING, with justice
and peace, WITHOUT EVER ENDING THE INCREASING GROWTH AND EXPANSION! A growing Kingdom “with no end” – no
limitation, no boundary, no termination point!
Is that exciting – or what? And we today have the opportunity to be, as
it were, “on the ground floor”! We have
the chance to jump on board just as the train is getting started out of the
station! ALL ETERNITY stretches on
before us, out in front of us, past the horizon, far as the eye can see, and
beyond, forever!
John calls it the “New Heavens and
New Earth.”
John
declared, “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine
in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light
thereof.
“And the nations of them which are saved
shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of earth do bring their
glory and honour into it. And the gates
of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of
the nations into it” (Rev. 21:23-26).
Says the NRSV, “The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the
earth will bring their glory into it.
Its gates will never be shut by day – and there will be no night
there. People will bring into it the
glory and the honor of the nations” (Rev.21:24-26).
The King James Version uses the word
“saved” but this can be understood as the nations which at that time are “being
saved,” or which are then “in a saved condition.” It does not necessarily mean those who have
already been made immortal!
Rather, they will be in the process
of attaining salvation, serving the LORD, and obeying His commandments!
What
a society that will be! What a glorious
Kingdom! Can you imagine it?
The
earth will be the headquarters of the entire Universe! The Plan of Salvation will be extended
throughout eternity!
How marvelous! How
majestic and wonderful! Truly, as Isaiah
wrote, “From ages past no one has heard,
no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those
who wait for him” (Isa.64:4, NKJV). As
Paul the apostle wrote, “But as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, or ear
heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love
him’ – these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit
searches everything, even the depths of God” (I Cor.2:9-10, NRSV).
For more information about “Shemini Atzeret,” write for our
article which explores that final holy day in detail. For more information about the Feast of
Tabernacles, and its full meaning, write for our articles, “The Deep Meaning of
the Feast of Tabernacles,” and “Secrets of the Sukkah.” For greater insight in the “Day of Atonement,”
write for “The Awesome Mystery of Yom Kippur.”
For the Feast of Trumpets, write for, “New Insight into the Feast of
Trumpets.” For Pentecost, write for
“Pentecost – the Whole Story.” For
Passover, “The Awesome Mysteries of the Passover.”
In the meantime, let us celebrate God’s wonderful Holy Days,
including the Fall Festivals, The Feast of Trumpets, the Days of Awe, the
Festival of Yom Kippur, the Feast of Tabernacles, and Hoshana Rabbah, and
Shemini Atzeret with renewed understanding, greater conviction, tremendous joy
and excitement, as we rejoice in and review the wonderful Plan of God for our
salvation, and His incredible TRUTH which He has revealed to us about His Holy
Days in these last days! Let’s
celebrate the Festivals of God with JOY!