Hoshana Rabbah begins at sunset!
John 7:37 Now on the last day of the festival, Hoshana Rabbah, Yeshua stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him keep coming to me and drinking! 38 Whoever puts his trust in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his inmost being!” 39 (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who trusted in him were to receive later — the Spirit had not yet been given, because Yeshua had not yet been glorified.)
40 On hearing his words, some people in the crowd said, “Surely this man is ‘the prophet’”; 41 others said, “This is the Messiah.”
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The water-drawing celebration during Sukkot is known as Simchat Beit Hashoavah (The Rejoicing of the House of the Water-Drawing).
What the Ceremony Was
The Ritual: During the days of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, a priest filled a golden flask with water from the Pool of Siloam.
The Procession: The priest carried the water back through the Water Gate to the Temple, accompanied by trumpet blasts from Levite musicians and joyous crowds.
The Pouring: The water was poured over the altar alongside wine as a prayer and plea for abundant winter rainfall for the coming agricultural year.
The Celebration
Nightly Festivities: The courtyard of the Temple lit up with massive golden candelabras that illuminated the entire city of Jerusalem.
Music and Dancing: Sages, Levite orchestras, and crowds sang, danced, juggled torches, and rejoiced through the night.
The Joy: The Talmud states that "he who has never seen the joy of the water-drawing has never seen joy in his life".
Readings
On Hoshana Rabbah, it is customary to stay awake through the night and read the entire Book of Deuteronomy (Devarim) followed by the entire Book of Psalms (Tehillim).
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Our joy is in knowing the Father has poured out His Spirit for all who will receive Him, and the same Messiah in John 7 is coming back to take us with Him!
In reading the Holy Word, “Who do you say He is?” I call Him, Yeshua HaMashiach, my Messiah. Get ready, Family. He is coming back and tonight we celebrate with joy as we await His glorious return.
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Enjoy “G-d Is Here” by Martha Munizzi
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