Shabbat Chol Hamoed Sukkot - Exodus 33:12–34:26; Ezekiel 38:18–39:16
During the weeklong festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles), the regular Parsha (Torah portion)
for Shabbat is suspended, and a special Parsha pertaining to the holiday is read
in synagogues around the world.
Previously posted ...
Feast of the Tabernacles -10/8/14 -Tishre 14, 5775 - Erev Sukkot !!!
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And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in
any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
Exodus 34:10 KJV
Shabbat Shalom - Chol Hamoed Sukkot - the Sheltering Presence of God !!!
Shabbat Shalom !
During the weeklong festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles),
the regular Parsha (Torah portion) for Shabbat is suspended,
and a special Parsha pertaining to the holiday is read in
synagogues around the world.
Please read along with us and learn how Sukkot
represents the sheltering presence of God. We know
you will be blessed!
Shabbat Chol Hamoed Sukkot
Exodus 33:12–34:26; Ezekiel 38:18–39:16
Shabbat Chol Hamoed Sukkot
Exodus 33:12–34:26; Ezekiel 38:18–39:16
“Behold, I make a covenant: before all
your people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in
all the earth,
nor in any nation: and all the people among whom you are
shall see the work of the Lord: for it is an awesome thing
that I will do with you.”
(Exodus 34:10)
(Exodus 34:10)
Jewish men hold the Four Species in their hands as the Torah scroll is
opened at the Western (Wailing) Wall on Sukkot. (Leviticus 23:40)
In this special Sukkot reading, Moses asks that
God’s presence would go with Israel, and God agrees.
Encouraged by this positive response, Moses also asks to
see God’s glory. Once again, God graciously complies with
his request and invites Moses to ascend Mount Sinai
with two newly hewn stone tablets so that He can re-carve
the Ten Commandments.
On the mountain, God
reveals His glory to Moses in such a
fearsome spectacle of power that God must
protect Moses from being destroyed by it.
"There is a place near Me where you can stand on
a rock. When My glory passes by, I will put you in an
opening in the rock. I will cover you with My hand until I have passed
by. Then I
will remove My hand. You will see My back. But My face
must not be seen." (Exodus 33:21–23)
It's clear that Moses, having experienced the power of
the presence of God, understands that His presence
is more than sufficient against any threat Israel might
encounter inside or outside of the Promised Land.
Tourists hike down Mount Sinai after enjoying the
sun rise above the mountain where Moses
experienced the presence of God.
Gog and Magog:
Challenging the Restoration of Israel
“This is what will
happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel,
My hot anger will be aroused.” (Ezekiel 38:18)
In the Haftarah (prophetic portion) for this Shabbat
Chol Hamoed (intermediate day of the festival) of Sukkot,
the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel describes an end-time scenario in
which formidable armies from the north, under the
leadership of Gog, will challenge the restoration of
Israel.
Gog is a chief prince living in the land of Magog (Ezekiel
38:2). Many scholars believe Magog refers to
Russia. The invading land of Gomer is often believed to
be Germany.
However, several lands in the coalition army are
easily identifiable: Iran (Persia), Northern Sudan
(ancient Ethiopia or Cush), Libya (Put), and Togarmah
(Turkey).
These forces will come upon Israel "like a cloud that
covers the land;" yet, God will not abandon His
People. He will utterly destroy the coalition
forces of Gog so that all nations will come to know
the holiness of the Lord
(Ezekiel 38:16).
The forces that come
against Israel will be so large in their day of defeat
that Gog’s
weaponry will provide fuel for Israel for seven years
(Ezekiel 39:9).
"They will not need to gather wood from
the fields or cut it from the forests, because they will
use the weapons for fuel. And they will
plunder those who plundered them and loot those who looted
them, declares the Sovereign LORD." (Ezekiel 39:10)
Moreover, so many soldiers will die in this battle that
it will take seven months for Israel to bury them
all and cleanse their land
(Ezekiel 39:12).
A yad (Torah pointer) is used when reading from the Torah scroll in order
to protect the parchment and the cherished handwritten Word of God.
(Ezekiel 39:12).
A yad (Torah pointer) is used when reading from the Torah scroll in order
to protect the parchment and the cherished handwritten Word of God.
Sukkot
and the Protective Covering of God
Why do we read about this end-time battle
during Sukkot?
According to
Rabbinic tradition, this war will be waged during
the month of Tishri, the month in which the
holiday of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) falls.
Interestingly enough, the war that is described in
Ezekiel is similar to the war described in the 14th chapter
of Zechariah, the Haftarah reading on the first day of
Sukkot. And in Zechariah we learn that the Gentiles
who survive the war against Israel will be required to keep
Sukkot annually by coming up to the Holy City of
Jerusalem to worship the Lord.
"Then the survivors from all the nations
that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year
to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate
the Feast of Tabernacles [Sukkot]. If any of
the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to
worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no
rain." (Zechariah 14:16–17)
Jewish men pray at the Western (Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem on Sukkot.
Psalm 27 presents a clear connection
between Sukkot and God’s protection of Israel and
those who trust in Him:
“For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in
His tabernacle
[sukkah]; In the secret place of His tent He will
hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.” (Psalm 27:5)
The word translated here as tabernacle is the Hebrew word sukkah (סכה).
When evil
threatens God’s people, He will hide them in His sukkah,
inaccessible from the enemy on the rock of His presence.
Now that is
a promise we can trust in during these last days!
A festively arrayed public sukkah in Safra Square, Jerusalem
The Battle of Armageddon
A festively arrayed public sukkah in Safra Square, Jerusalem
The Battle of Armageddon
“When the
thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his
prison, and will go out to deceive the nations in the
four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to
gather them for battle.” (Revelation 20:7–8)
Gog and Magog are also mentioned in the Brit
Chadashah (New Testament) in connection with Armageddon
and the final battle between the forces of good and
evil.
The word Armageddon
is possibly derived from the city of Meggido
(meaning invasion),
which is mentioned many times in the Tanakh (Old
Testament).
Archaeologists have found 25 layers of settlements
built one on top of the other at Tel Meggido. During
Roman times, a Roman outpost was built here to guard Via
Maris (Way of the Sea), an important trade route
connecting ancient Egypt with Mesopotamia.
Armageddon is mentioned only once in the Brit
Chadashah (New Testament) in chapter 16 of the Book of
Revelation.
"They are spirits of demons performing miraculous
signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to
gather them for the battle on the great day of God
Almighty.... Then they gathered the kings together to the
place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon." (Revelation 16:14, 16)
In this end-time scenario, we once again see Israel’s
enemies mounting a war against Jerusalem. This time,
however, we see the
spiritual forces behind the rebellion against God:
“They had as king
over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is
Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.” (Revelation 9:11)
(The words Abaddon
and Apollyon
mean Destroyer.)
And this time, God pours out on all rebels the full
extent of His judgment, including everlasting torment for
Satan, the beast and the false prophet.
"They marched across the breadth of the
earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city He
loves. But
fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And Satan,
who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning
sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been
thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and
ever." (Revelation
20:9–10)
An Orthodox Jewish teenager prays on Sukkot in Jerusalem.
With an
Outstretched Arm
As we read how God will hurl His fury against Gog with
pestilence and with blood, floods, giant hailstones, fire
and brimstone, it's easy to see from this
Haftarah portion that God is furious with those who come
against the Land of Israel (Ezekiel
38:22).
In fact, there are several parallels between God’s
deliverance of Israel from Egypt long ago and His future
deliverance of Israel from Gog in the end times. In both, we see
that God saves and rescues Israel with a strong hand
and with an outstretched arm.
The phrase with a strong hand
and an outstretched arm (בְּיָ֣ד חֲ֭זָקָה וּבִזְר֣וֹעַ
נְטוּיָ֑ה) has special meaning in
Jewish tradition. It represents God using His power on
behalf of His people. The "arm of the Lord" also
represents His salvation (Yeshua).
A beautiful sukkah atop a roof in Jerusalem beckons the family to dinner.
This special Sukkot Parsha reveals that
God’s divine sheltering presence over Israel has not
ended, but will continue past the end of this age.
God is not finished with the Jewish People and
Israel. This is plainly evident when we consider how
Bible Prophecy concerning Israel is being fulfilled
during these end times.
The Brit Chadashah (New Covenant) also tells us that
God’s plan to reach out to the nations through Israel
did not end with the death and resurrection of Messiah,
but continues to this day and will in the world to come.
“For if their
casting Yeshua [Jesus] aside means reconciliation for
the world, what will their accepting Him mean? It
will be life from the dead!” (Romans 11:15)
The Book of Romans promises that when the
Jewish People come to know Yeshua, it will be like
life from the dead for the world.
Before this can happen, however, they must first
hear the Good News of Yeshua!
"How can they
call on Him unless they believe in Him? How can they
believe in Him unless they hear about Him? How
can they hear about Him unless someone preaches to
them?"
(Romans 10:14)
(Romans 10:14)
"On the first
day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from
palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice
before the LORD your God for seven days."
(Leviticus 23:40)
Shabbat Shalom and Chag
Samaech (Happy Holiday) from all of our ministry
staff!
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