Tonight we begin celebrating Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles/Booths), which completes the cycle of the Biblical Fall Feasts.

Sukkot begins at sunset tonight and lasts for seven days until nightfall on October 20. This is one of three pilgrimage festivals called Shelosh Regalim in which the Jewish people were to go up to the Temple in Jerusalem on a national scale. The other two are Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot (Feast of Weeks).

(Deuteronomy 16; Exodus 23: 14-17)

One of the names of Sukkot is the Festival of the Nations. In Israel, people from all nations of the earth gather in Jerusalem to celebrate Sukkot. According to the prophet Zechariah, this holiday has a prophetic dimension that is yet to be fulfilled. When Messiah returns and establishes His Kingdom, all the nations will be required to keep this holiday by coming up to Jerusalem to celebrate Sukkot. 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 Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles). 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) In that day, Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) will become Israels sukkah (tabernacle). His presence will shelter Israel and she will no longer be oppressed by the nations.
Sukkot (booths) is a Biblical pilgrimage festival that lasts seven days. It's one of the three major holidays known collectively as the Shalosh Regalim (three pilgrim festivals), when the Jewish populace traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem and lived for a week in booths (temporary shelters), such as the one on this front porch. Today, Jews still travel to Jerusalem for Sukkot.

Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles/Booths) Leviticus 22:26-23:44, Numbers 29:12-16, Zechariah 14:1-24, Revelation 7:1-10 The first day of Sukkot is a Sabbath and most forms of work are prohibited. The next six days of the holiday are called Chol HaMoed. During these days the workload is reduced and here in Israel many people take the week off as vacation. After the somber, introspective time of Yom Teruah (Rosh HaShanah) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Sukkot is a joyous celebration of renewed relationship with God following atonement for sin. During this festive season, we recall how Gods faithfulness provided for our ancestors as they wandered the Sinai Desert wilderness for 40 years before entering the Promised Land of Israel.

You shall dwell in Sukkot for seven days... So that your future generations shall know that I had the children of Israel live in Sukkot when I brought them out of Egypt.... (Leviticus 23:42-43) At Sukkot we remember Gods kindness and mercy in leading and guiding Israel by day with a pillar of cloud and protecting them by night with a pillar of fire, and for providing them with daily manna. Just as Israel dwelt in temporary shelters called sukkot in Hebrew (sukkah is singular), so are we to dwell in sukkot for this entire week. Most people in Israel and Jewish people around the world build a temporary hut or shelter with a covering of branches or palm leaves. For seven days and nights, we eat in the sukkah and consider it our dwelling; some even live in the sukkah entirely for the duration of the festival. Arba Minim: The Four Species You shall take for yourselves on the first day [of the festival] the splendid fruit of a tree (etrog), palms of dates (lulav), the branch of the thickly leafed tree (hadas), and willows (aravot) of the brook... (Leviticus 23:40) Another observance carried out each day of Sukkot, except Shabbat, is the Four Species (Arbah Minim): an etrog (citron), a lulav (Palm frond), three hadassim (myrtle twigs) and two aravot (willow twigs). They are bound together is such a way that they can be held together easily. The lulav, hadassim and aravot are first taken up with the right hand and then the etrog is taken with the left hand. A blessing is recited over the Four Species: Blessed are You, God who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to take the lulav. Facing towards the east where the Temple in Jerusalem once stood, the Four Species are then shaken in all six directions: right, left, forward, up, down and backward. Rabbinic tradition explains that the Four Species represent the various personalities that make up the community of Israel. They are held together and a blessing is recited over them to bless the unity of all people, which is emphasized on Sukkot. The Season of our Joy You shall rejoice before the Lord your God. (Leviticus 23:40)

One of the names for Sukkot is Zeman Simchateinu (The Season of our Joy). In Scripture, in fact, the word joy appears several times in connection with Sukkot. Be joyful at your Feastyou, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.

(Deuteronomy 16: 13-15)

Since Sukkot is also a harvest festival, we can well imagine that there is great reason for joy. Indeed, one of the other names for the holiday is the Feast of Ingathering. Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field. (Exodus 23: 16)
Harvesting the fruit of the vine in Israel

The joy of this holiday is so singular and complete that many rabbinic texts just refer to it as hachag (the festival). During ancient times, every day of The Festival, except Shabbat, was characterized by music, song and dancing. Even today, Jewish people gather near the Western (Wailing) Wall to dance, sing and rejoice before the Lord. People fill the synagogues and streets with singing and dancing with tremendous joy until the wee hours of the morning. This in is partial fulfillment of prophecy. The Prophets tell us that a day will come when the exiles of Israel return to Zion, her streets will be filled with the sounds of joyful melodies; and sorrow will disappear. The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. (Isaiah 51:11)
A poolside sukkah may seem unusual, but during Temple times, water was a key theme during Sukkot for the Water Pouring Ceremony.

The Water Libation Ceremony With joy you shall draw water out of the wells of salvation. (Isaiah 12:3) During Temple times, a special Water Libation (offering) ceremony took place every day of Sukkot.

Every day, the priests along with a procession would go down to the Pool of Shiloach (Siloam), which was fed by the Gihon Spring, the original source of Jerusalems water. At the pool of natural running water, they would fill a golden flask. The water was then brought back to the altar in the Temple to accompany the morning sacrifice. This pouring of the water on the altar is called in Hebrew nishuch hamayim. This water offering ceremony not only celebrates the hope of winter rains in Israel, but also symbolizes the future Messianic Redemption when the Spirit of God (symbolized by the water) is poured out upon the nation of Israel. Yeshua on the Final Day of Sukkot: Hoshana Rabah I wash my hands in purity and circle around Your altar, O Lord. (Psalm 26:6) The seventh and final day of sukkot, called Hoshana Rabah (Great Salvation), is marked by special synagogue services. In commemoration of the priests circling the altar with palm branches in their hands once every day of Sukkot, and seven times on the seventh day, on this day, seven hoshanot (circuits) are made around the synagogue. 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. 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, Jesus 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. (John 7:37-39)

Children playing in the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem, from which the High Priest used to draw the water for the Water Offering in ancient times.

Sukkot in the End-Times and the New Jerusalem For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle. (Zechariah 14:1)

The Haftorah for Sukkot contains a graphic apocalyptic vision of the destruction of all the nations which attack Jerusalem. The judgment on the nations is characterized by earthquakes, plagues, heavy darkness, and signs of nuclear destruction, all manifesting Gods personal intervention on behalf of Israel. The eyes of the world will be opened and all the nations will see that Israel is the apple of Gods eye. Woe to those who dare to touch her. The Lord declares through the Prophet Zechariah, It will happen in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples. All who burden themselves with it will be severely wounded. (Zechariah 12:3) In those days, all nations will be required to come to Jerusalem to celebrate Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles). Those who refuse will be cursed with lack of rain. (Zechariah 14:16-19) While many Christians believe that Gods moadim (appointed times of Feasts and Festivals) have been abolished, we see here that this is not true. Today, many Christians from the nations come every year to Jerusalem to celebrate Sukkot together with Israel in a beautiful foreshadowing of what will take place after the Lord returns and establishes His Messianic reign on earth. Gods Timeline The Kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 11:15) While the spring feasts were fulfilled by the death and resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus), the fall feasts will be fulfilled with His second coming. Some believe that when Yeshua returns as Messiah King, he will be hailed by the blast of the shofar on the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah/ Rosh HaShanah). His people will recognize Him as their Messiah and mourn nationally, perhaps on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). I will pour on the house of David, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they will look to me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for his firstborn. (Zechariah 12: 10)

Then, on Sukkot, on the Feast of Tabernacles, God will finally tabernacle with His people and dwell among us, establishing His Messianic Kingdom of righteousness. Look! Gods dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell (tabernacle) with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. (Revelation 21:3) Sukkot reminds us that God has not forgotten Israel. Scripture seems to suggest that this is a fabulous time for the nations to remember Gods people and stand with them. As we look forward to the prophetic fulfillment of God establishing His Kingdom of Righteousness on earth, we ask our readers to give a special gift during Sukkot to our Bible project.
"I will bless those who bless you." (Genesis 12:3)

"If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call Shabbat a delight, ADONAI' s holy day, worth honoring; then honor it by not doing your usual things or pursuing your interests or speaking about them. Isaiah 58:14 If you do, you will find delight in ADONAI-- I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Yaakov, for the mouth of ADONAI has spoken." Isaiah 58:13-14
The new Jewish Year is at the door. Take the opportunity to study Torah starting with the highly prophetic Book of Genesis. Torah is the key for the end times; everything has been written in it. We just need to dive into it and receive tremendous revelations on Yeshua and His plan for our lives. Study Torah and be transformed!

Meaning and celebration of Sukkoth,

The coming back of the Great King
The angel said to me, "Write: 'How blessed are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!'" Then he added, "These are God's very words. Revelation 19 :9

Sukkot means booth or tent, a temporary dwelling, reminding us of the wanderings of the people of Israel in the desert. It also reminds us that we are sojourners in the earth . It is during the festival of booths that we eat and/or sleep for seven days in our own hand-made booths. The roof must be made of tree branches so as to be able to see the sky to remind us that it is G-d who protects us during our stay on earth.

It is the third festival that has a solemn convocation and to which the Jewish people are to attend by going up to the Temple. It is a rejoicing festival with two holidays; the first and seventh days. It is celebrated on the 15th of the month of Tishri. "You are to keep the festival of Sukkot for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing-floor and winepress. Rejoice at your festival--you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, the L'vi'im, and the foreigners, orphans and widows living among you. Seven days you are to keep the festival for ADONAI your God in the place ADONAI your God will choose, because ADONAI your God will bless you in all your crops and in all your work, so you are to be full of joy! Deuteronomy 16 :13-15 A particular commandment requires us to tie together four fruits, forming the Lulav, also the name of the tallest specie, the palm. It is to be shaken in front of the Sukkah. These four fruits are: The palm The willow The citron The myrtle These four species represent the different types of Jews, both pious and non pious but all indivisible in G-d's eyes: The citron (etrog) is delicious and smells good; it represents the scholarly Jew in the Torah who practices what he studies: But those sown on rich soil hear the message, accept it and bear fruit! -thirty, sixty or a hundredfold." Mark 4:20 The myrtle (hadas) also smells good but is not edible; it represents the person who "forgets what he was taught": Likewise, those receiving seed on rocky patches are people who hear the message and joyfully accept it at once; but they have no root in themselves. So they hold out for a while, but as soon as some trouble or persecution arises on account of the message, they immediately fall away. Mark4:16-17 The palm (lulav) is edible but has no smell; it represents the one who owns the knowledge but not the works: You believe that "God is one"? Good for you! The demons believe it too - the thought makes them shudder with fear! But, foolish fellow, do you want to be shown that such "faith" apart from actions is barren? James 2:19-20 De 6:4

The willow (arava) has no taste nor smell; it represents the one without Torah and without works, but who still is part of the Jewish people and needs to become integrated within the community so as to provoke in him an awakening that will bring him back to his faith: My brothers, if one of you wanders from the truth, and someone causes him to return, you should know that whoever turns a sinner from his wandering path will save him from death and cover many sins. Proverbs 10:12 , James 5:19-20 Therefore, the festival of Sukkot is a call to fraternal unity, and it is a duty to invite one another under the Sukkah to rejoice together for G-d's kindness. It is the festival of fraternal love! It is also the festival of water and rain. Prayers are said to bring the first rains, blessings for the dried earth. For this occasion, during the period of the Temple, seventy bulls were offered for the atonement of the seventy nations of the world! The portion of the prophets' writings read at this time is the messianic celebration of Sukkot in Zachariah 14. The eighth day is called Simchat Torah, the joy of the Torah, a convocation to celebrate the end of the annual reading cycle of the Torah. What about the body of the Mashiach, the Kehila (assembly) of G-d today? The good news is we are all invited to Jerusalem to celebrate the coming back of the Great King and His Reign together with the people of Israel. He is the source of living water and in Him we find the true fraternal unity, in the shelter of His wings. On that day, the earth will be filled with His knowledge. He will be proclaimed ONE. Then ADONAI will be king over the whole world. On that day ADONAI will be the only one, and his name will be the only name. Zachariah 14:9 G-d's plan to gather everything in Him will be fulfilled so that we are one in Him, Jew and Gentile, the Two Houses reunified under the same G-d and His Torah. But before anything, He has to come back to Jerusalem, the city of the Great King, and to invite us all to celebrate Sukkot and to celebrate Him, the Living Torah! It will also be at Sukkot, that His eternal Torah will be read before the whole world! Deuteronomy 31:10-12 Moshe gave them these orders: "At the end of every seven years, during the festival of Sukkot in the year of sh'mittah, when all Isra'el have come to appear in the presence of ADONAI at the place he will choose, you are to read this Torah before all Isra'el, so that they can hear it. Assemble the people-- the

men, the women, the little ones and the foreigners you have in your towns-- so that they can hear, learn, fear ADONAI your God and take care to obey all the words of this Torah; It was also on that date that Yeshua decided to come in flesh to bring us the Light Pesach: the deliverance Shavuot: the gift of the Holy Spirit Rosh Hashana: His coming back and the rapture Kippur: our sins have been forgiven Sukkot: His messianic reign Chanukka: He is the Light of the world Purim: the defeat of Amalek Let's prophetically celebrate Sukkot while awaiting the glorious celebration to come, with Him!

Celebration of the festival

Build a booth keeping the sky and the stars visible Make decorations about Israel; add garlands, kids' drawings, symbols of the twelve tribes of Israel... Jerusalem. Prepare a festive meal. Sfaradic Jews start the meal with couscous which reminds them of the manna in the desert because of its numerous seeds. Pomegranate is the typical fruit for Sukkot because of the seeds that are a reminder of the manna and because of its crown, reminiscent of that of the Great King. If you were able to obtain Lulav, shake it in front of the Sukkah to symbolize fraternal unity. The blessing upon the wine, Kiddush (sanctification) : Blessed are you Hashem, our G-d, King of the universe, Who created the fruit of the vine Readings for Sukkoth: Leviticus 22:26-23:44; Numbers 29: 12-16; Haftarah: Zachariah 14; Ecclesiastes. May the L-rd bless you in this day of joy and fraternal unity, while we are awaiting that day when we can rejoice together in Jerusalem! Chag Sameach Happy

festival! the Twin Goats on Yom Kippur are prophetically connected to two brides (Leah & Rachel) and Two Houses of Yisrael (Ephraim & Judah). See how

Messiah became the Kinsmen Redeemer and the bride price was two goats for two brides!
"Fulfillment" by Blood, Water and Sacrifice Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again

Four Species Visualization

A Meditation for the Sukkah

By Shimona Tzukernik

Ulekachtem lachem bayom harishon pri eitz hadar, kappot tmarim, veanaf eitz avot, varvei nachal You shall take for yourselves on the first day (of Sukkot) the magnificent fruit of a tree, the leaf of a date-palm, boughs from the plaited tree, and willows of the brook. (Leviticus, 23:40) You are sitting in a sukkah. Its walls are panels of fragrant wood. On the floor beneath you dance patterns of light and shade, cast by the sechach ( ), the scented roof of leaves above your head. Take a deep breath. Imbibe the peace within your sukkahs walls.
the vegetative covering of a sukkah

The sechach is a shadow cast by a heavenly tree. It is ancient, wide, alive. Nestled within the inner branches, you notice a fruit, a citron, or etrog ( ). It is the heart within the heart of the Tree of Life and pulsates with G-ds infinite love for you.
lit. "citron"), used during the festival of Sukkot for the mitzvah of the Four Species

You long to internalize this love. Breathe in deeply. Feel you spine stretch and open. It is the shape of a palm frond, a lulav ( ). Its pointed tip tapers beyond you, transcending you rational mind, reaching above you, beyond the schach ( ), into the heart of the tree. Feel the point quiver as the lulav and esrog make contact. G-ds love begins to flow down your lulav-spine; downward between your shoulder blades, down, down to its base, to your sacrum.
the palm branch used during the festival of Sukkot for the mitzvah of the Four Species the vegetative covering of a sukkah

Your sacrum is warm. The love begins to rise up. It reaches your heart. Look inward at the ventricles of your heart, the corners you reserve for love and hatred, forgiveness and grudges, abundance and stinginess, surrender to a Higher Being and the need to control, the myriad emotions of lifeThe love of the lulav penetrates your heart. It awakens you to your higher self. It allows you to let go of the pockets of darkness you use in defense of your ego-I. The darkness gives way to light and love Your heart has become one whole. It too is an etrog pulsating with love for G-d, for the Gdly spark within your soul and for the world. Joy surfaces as this hidden, innate love is released. The love and joy flow outwards, filling your lungs, and rise upward toward your mouth. Your

lips are the shape of a willow leaf. Silent leaves fluttering on the winds of love and joy. You have no need to speak; simply being bespeaks the loftiness of your soul. The energy flows ever upwards, entering your eyes and seeping into the centre of your forehead. Illuminated myrtle eyes. Take a moment to envision your life through the lens of abundance and joy. Observe the way you awaken in the morning, interact with others, the way your pray and play when drenched in love and joy. Sit in your sukkah, spray of etrog, palm, willow and myrtle. You are in a circle of love; you are a bouquet of Joy.

Symbolism
Several explanations are offered as to why these particular species were chosen for the mitzvah. The Midrash[7] notes that the binding of the Four Species symbolizes our desire to unite the four "types" of Jews in service of God. An allusion is made to whether or not the species (or their fruits) have taste and/or smell, which correspond to Torah and good deeds. The symbolism is as follows:

The lulav has taste but no smell, symbolizing those who study Torah but do not possess good deeds. The hadass has a good smell but no taste, symbolizing those who possess good deeds but do not study Torah. The aravah has neither taste nor smell, symbolizing those who lack both Torah and good deeds. The etrog has both a good taste and a good smell, symbolizing those who have both Torah and good deeds.

A second explanation[8] finds the four species alluding to parts of the human body. Each of the species or its leaves is similar in shape to the following organs:

Lulav the spine Hadass the eye Aravah the mouth Etrog the heart

By binding them together for a mitzvah, the Jew shows his desire to consecrate his entire being to service of God. An additional reason for waving the Four Species in all directions alludes to the fact that all these species require much water to grow. The lulav (date palm) grows in watered valleys, hadass and aravah grow near water sources, and the etrog requires more water than other fruit trees. By

taking these particular species and waving them in all directions, the Jew symbolically voices a prayer for abundant rainfall for all the vegetation of the earth in the coming year. The Benefits of Keeping the Feasts:
You will come to know the heart, will, ways and love of the Father like never before (1 John 2:36). Your spiritual walk will deepen. You will be refreshed and energized spiritually. You will feel spiritually bonded and knit together with your brethren in a very special way. You will receive intense spiritual teaching that you cannot get anywhere else in any other way. You will make some awesome memories with your family and friends. You will have a great time! You will walk away forever changed because you obeyed YHVH and he met with you! He reaches down to kiss you, his spiritual bride, and to love you in a special way on his feasts.

The Complete Four Kinds Owners Manual

Become a knowledgeable Four Kinds consumer!

On every day of the holiday of Sukkot (with the exception of Shabbat), theres a mitzvah to take the Four Kindsa lulav (date palm frond), an etrog (citron), at least three hadassim (myrtle branches) and two aravot (willow branches). In the words of the verse (Leviticus 23:40), And you shall take for yourselves on the first day, the fruit of the hadar tree [myrtle], date palm fronds, a branch of a braided tree, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the L-rd your G-d for a seven day period. Many purchase their lulav sets from their rabbis, in which case the rabbi ensures that they receive a ready-to-go, quality, kosher set. For the adventuresome folks, however, who wish to venture into the uncharted waters of the Four Kinds market, here are some basic guidelines and tips that, when followed, will allow you to be a relatively knowledgeable consumer. In addition, the information below is valuable regardless where you purchase your Four Kinds for certain common defects can invalidate an originally kosher set. (The laws concerning the Four Kinds occupy several chapters of the Code of Jewish Law. Below we will only discuss the most common issues that arise nowadays. It is always wise, however, to show your Four Kinds to your rabbi, to be absolutely certain that they meet all requirements.)

General Information Beauty

The Torah (Leviticus 23:40) commands us to take a beautiful fruit. The Torah is referring to the etrog; but the sages, employing Talmudic methodology, deduced that the requirement of obtaining a beautiful product applies to the other three species as well. Therefore, while we will discuss various concerns that
Since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, no two people share the exact same taste when choosing their sets

can possibly invalidate any of the Four Kinds, it is also important to choose specimens that are fresh and aesthetically pleasing. And since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, no two people share the exact same taste when choosing their sets. The Vendor It is of utmost importance that you purchase your Four Kinds from a trustworthy, G-d-fearing vendor, and that the etrog is rabbinically certified. An etrog that is harvested from a tree that was cross-grafted with another speciesa practice that is quite common, as the hybrid product is quite beautifulis invalid for Sukkot use. Rabbinical certification guarantees that the etrog is from a tree that was inspected to ascertain that it is purebred. This is one of the reasons why many prefer to use an etrog that comes from the Italian province of Calabria, also known as Yanover etrogs. The etrog orchards in this region have been providing etrogs for centuries, and are known to be of untainted pedigree.

The Lulav
All the leaves on a lulav are naturally doubled, with the two halves of each leaf folded over and tightly connected to each other. The middle leaf on the very top of the lulav, called the tyomet i.e., the leaf extending from the top of the lulavs spine, as opposed to the leaves that branch off from its two sidesis quite crucial, for if it is significantly divided, then the entire lulav is invalid. If, however, it is only slightly divided, the lulav is still kosherbut ideally you should try to purchase a lulav whose tyomet is complete.
1

The tyomet is very delicate, and is very easily split. For this reason, the lulav should always be handled carefully; one should never allow its point to bang against anything. Aside for the tyomet, when choosing a lulav, one should try to find one that is straight and fresh (more green, less yellow).

The Etrog
The beauty of an etrog is determined by its cleanlinessi.e., its lack of any defects or discolorationsand its shape. The ideal etrog is somewhat oblong, not round like a ball; bumpy, not smooth; and its stem should protrude from a depression at its bottom. An etrog that is missing even an iota of its rind is invalid (unless it was pierced while it was still on the tree, and a new layer of skin grew to cover the cavity). Be careful with your fingernails
2

when handling the etrog . . . If the etrog has bubbles projecting from its exterior in more than two places, it is invalid. Similarly, it is invalid if it is discolored in more than one area. Discoloration invalidates an etrog only if it is noticeable when taking a cursory glance at the fruit; there is no need to closely examine it for this purpose. Oftentimes, an etrog has light brown spots on its skinsimilar to a scabresulting from a leaf lying on that area while it was growing. These spots do not invalidate an etrog. Black spots on the etrog, however, do pose a problem if they are easily noticeable and appear in more than one area. Manybut not alletrogs grow with a pitam, a stem-like piece of wood that protrudes from its top. If the pitam completely falls off or is entirely removed, leaving the fruit bare, the etrog is invalid. An etrog that grew without a pitam is one hundred percent kosher. Likewise, the etrog is invalid if its stem, on its bottom, is completely removed. The main beauty of an etrog is in its top third, the part that slopes outwards. In this area, even one bubble or area of discoloration invalidates it.

The Hadassim
In order for a hadas to be kosher, its leaves must protrude from the stem in sets of three (or more). This pattern is known as being meshulash, tripled. If the leaves grow in sets of two, with the third leaf higher or lower than the other two, the hadas is invalid. However, it is kosher as long as the top 4 inches of the hadas is meshulash. Today, most hadasim come prepackaged and certified kosher.

The Aravot
There are no real requirements for the aravah, other than that it be from the correct species, the river willow. (One thing to be wary of: aravot are often quite long, and are trimmed in order to fit the lulav. Care must be taken that they are trimmed from their bottoms, not their tops.)
FOOTNOTES 1. The splitting of the middle leaf invalidates the lulav for use only for the first two days of the holiday (the first day, in Israel).

2. This, too, applies only to the first two days of the holiday (or the first day only, in Israel).

And you shall take you on the first day the fruit of the goodly tree

[in Hebrew, "pri etz hadar"].(Lev. 23:40)

Post-Sukkot Uses for the Etrog

A Collection of Recipes and Ideas from our Readers

So we go to all this trouble to buy a beautiful etrog, which represents the heart of the Jewish people, and then after just one week, Sukkot is over... What to do? For anyone who has seen the movie Ushpizin we know that there is always the option of using its juice to make a great salad, but believe it or not, it has some other great uses as well. Here are some tried and tested successful uses for your precious etrog...enjoy! Etrog Schnapps Ingredients:

Up to 3 Etrogs (citrus) 3 cups Vodka 1.5 cups superfine sugar

Rinse the Etrogs well, and peel the thick yellow skin. Place the peels in a 4-cup container, and add 2 cups of vodka. Store for a minimum of 48 hours in a cool, dark place. Remove the peels from the vodka. Add all the sugar and stir until the liquid is clear. Add the remaining cup of vodka and stir until the mixture is clear. Seal the top and keep it in a cool place for about 6 weeks. The schnapps will have a distinctive citrus aroma, and a delicate and sweet flavor. A wonderful addition to any occasion. Etrog Slices Cooked in Syrup

4 large Etrogs (citrus) 5 cups sugar 2 cups water Juice of 1/2 lemon

Rinse the Etrogs and soak them in cold water for at least 3 hours. Cut them into thick slices (about 1/3 inch or 1 cm) and remove the seeds. Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a large pan and bring to a boil. Press the Etrog slices firmly into the syrup. Cover with a lid

and let it simmer lightly for 1 1 hours, or until they are very soft. Remove the slices and arrange on a serving dish. Continue simmering the syrup, uncovered, until it has thickened. Pour the remaining syrup over the slices. This is an enchanting - but easy - dessert that can be served with a tad of cinnamon, chopped nuts and some cream to top it off! Etrog Jam

1 Etrog (citrus) 1 Orange Sugar Water

Rinse the Etrog and orange. Cut them lengthwise and slice them very thinly. Remove the seeds. Soak the fruit overnight. Change the water (and make sure the fruit is fully covered). Place it in a pot and bring it to a boil. For a second time, change the water and bring to a boil again. Pour out the water, and weigh the fruit. Match with an equal amount of sugar. Cook over a low flame for about 45 minutes, or until it takes on a jam-like appearance. Etrog jam has a strong and distinct flavor that will carry the spirit of Sukkot long into the year. Many people have the custom of saving this jam for the holiday of Tu B'shvat. Create an Etrog Spice-Box Puncture holes in your Etrog and fill them with dried cloves. Once the Etrog has dried and hardened, all the cloves will remain in place, releasing a wondrous aroma of citrus and spice. It can be used as a creative version of a Havdalah Spice-Box. Editor's Note: This past Hebrew calendar year, 5768, was a Shemitah (Sabbatical) year. Fruit grown in Israel during this year retain a special holiness and there are certain restrictions on their consumption (click here for more on this topic). Most etrogim are imported from Israel, and as such are subject to Shemitah rules. If you have an Israeli etrog, consult with your rabbi who will advise you whether and how it can be eaten, and how you may dispose of it.
I make etrog and orange jam, and then make a basic cake - mixing a few tablespoons of the jam into a cake for Shabbos - the flavour goes throughout and it tastes delicious. This way your etrog is used respectfully and for a holy purpose, and lasts for quite a while. For decadence - use 3/4 cup of etrog jam in a basic cake recipe and you will have a very rich etrog cake that is divine! In Australia a basic etrog is usually $100 plus so etrog recipes are really luxurious. If I was in Israel I think I'd be using them much more often!!

Posted By Avigayil Fletcher, Dianella, Australia

ESROG RECIPE Easy and simple ESROG RECIPE (5 simple steps) 1 Large Esrog (etrog/citrus) 1 1/4 cup sugar 2 Cups water 1 Tbsp Hadar's lemon Juice 1) Rinse the Esrog and peel it. 2) Cut it into thick slices (about 1/3 inch or 1 cm) and remove the seeds. 3) Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a 4 qt pot and bring to a boil. 4) Add the esrog slices and cover with a lid and let it simmer lightly on medium to low flame for 1 to 1 hours, or until the slices become very soft. 5) Remove the slices and arrange on a serving dish. Continue simmering the syrup, "uncovered", until it has thickened. Pour the remaining syrup over the slices. This is a very simple and easy recipe to make, and it"s DELICIOUS.

Posted: Jan 20, 2011

Posted By isaac stern, brooklyn, ny

Posted: Apr 26, 2009

i think the etrog is called a CITRON not a citrus.citron is the name of the fruit
Posted By chana

etrog besamin i started covering the etrog with cloves but it began to decompose and became brownish. is that normal?

Posted: Oct 28, 2008

Posted By Rossana B, Plantation, FL

etrog I will look for the citrus now, and thanks for introducing me to the marvelouls aroma.

Posted: Oct 16, 2008

Posted By Rita Chemers, Orange, Ca via chabadtustin.com

post sukkot etrog use One more idea; Let the etrog dry and place in large dish as centerpiece on coffe table/dining table. Tip: Collect as many etrogs as possible for the centerpiece.

Posted: Oct 13, 2006

Posted By Tzirl G

THE FEELER

The Feeler often has a bible in tow and easily interjects God and Jesus into everyday conversation.

The Feeler takes great comfort in his Savior, and any inconsistencies or chaos in the world can be quickly brushed away with the knowledge that God Is In Control.

The Feeler has a heart as big as Dallas but is easily flustered. Scientific, philosophical and moral challenges to his faith frustrate him, like an irritating noise that must be blocked out.

Thinking with the heart makes him easy fodder in any real debate on spiritual issues.

Ask him about the logistics of the Creation argument. Attempt to discuss guided evolution, or the fossil record, or physical evidence of a divine hand. Ask him why he believes in Jehovah opposed to any other god. Ask him any question that includes the words how or why, and youll rarely get an answer that goes deeper than I just know it in my heart.

He doesnt know how or why. And according to him, hes not SUPPOSED to know. No proof is required before purchase. God is beyond all of us, and we simply must trust and have faith. The Feeler speaks earnestly, but with no real answers.

I cant imagine any other arena where ignorance is brandished like a badge of honor. For The Feeler, its perfectly fine to accept his role as a drone in the ant farm. Dont bother him with sticky, complicated scenarios. In fact, hell freely admit that hed rather be wrong, embrace a fantasy and be happy.

THE THEOLOGIAN

Some of the most elaborate responses have come from educated bible scholars.

Each discussion usually begins with a quick resume (where he presents his degrees like movie credits), and then he delves into a thick, eloquent tirade designed to impress and overwhelm.

The Theologian likes to respond to questions about the authenticity of the scriptures by quotingthe scriptures! (Isnt that like quoting the Quran to prove the Quran?)

Instead of addressing why God would instruct man with a book (written by man) in primitive Palestine 2,000 years ago, or why some books were canonized while others were ignored, or why God doesnt give us real-time communication, The Theologian attempts to win the intellectual tug-of-war with wordy diatribes, convoluted scripture analysis and thick rebukes of the unwashed, unsaved masses.

The Theologian instructs us to learn biblical Truth with helpful bible-reading pointers:

Go back to the original Greek.

See the passage in the proper context, taking into account the time period and local customs.

Cross-reference the passage with another passage.

(my favorite) Remember that you cant take the entire bible LITERALLY.

That last point is great for getting other Theologians to argue amongst themselves over whether the bible is literal or not. Or which translation is the most accurate. Or how wrong some interpretations are. Or whether all of the scriptures apply to today. Put a dozen of these guys in a room and see how much consensus you get on any subject. (Not much.)

Nobody stops to ask the most basic question: Isnt this subjective, archaic, hand-me-down method of communicating scriptural Truth rather INEFFECTIVE for such a smart and timeless God?

Instead of addressing these issues, the Theologian loves to redirect the conversation back to his comfort zones, responding to questions you didnt actually ask.

Toss out a zinger about why God doesnt intervene to prevent tragedies in todays headlines, and you might get 3 paragraphs about why Eve was tempted in the Garden of Eden.

If you take that bait and ask about the provability of the Adam and Eve Creation argument, The Theologian might skip past the belief part and start telling you why he disbelieves that we came from monkeys (which isnt proof of Creation). He usually tosses out Darwins name at least twice, often followed by words like idiot and stupid.

If you take THAT bait and ask him to reconcile the vast discrepancies between Creationists and the scientific record, The Theologian might jump into a soap box about the book of Revelation and the End Times. Its all very jarring.

Almost always, The Theologian finishes with a few lofty words from his high perch, giving assurances that he has studied the bible, traveled to biblical places, immersed himself in history and applied his formidable intellect to the study of Gods Word. There can be no question. Alas, ye lesser minds, ye must lean to my wisdom. I am no fool. But if you reject this faith, you certainly are.

The Theologians platform is thick and condescending. Fortunately, our next category provides some levity:

THE FOLKLORIST

The Folklorist has just enough information to make him dangerous. His antennae are always up, listening for another piece of proof that God exists, and then he re-transmits that information without bothering to fact-check it.

Hell hear a headline about a boat-shaped geological discovery in Turkey, and hell email 50 people that Noahs Ark has been found without checking to realize that the site is actually a natural formation of the earths crust.

Hell send you photos of the final moments of the World Trade Center in 2001, where an image of the devils face can be discerned amidst the ball of flame. 9/11 was attack by Satan, and here is the proof! (Apparently, The Folklorist has never heard of Photoshop, because hes always sending you doctored images.)

Remember back in the 80s and 90s, when Christians boycotted Proctor & Gamble products because the P&G trademark was a sign of Satan? The man and moon symbol was demonic, and The Folklorist did his Christian duty by spreading the protest. (The symbol was actually created by a crate maker in the 1800s to help organize dock shipments. P&G grew so tired of the controversy that they eventually changed their emblem.)

The Folklorist probably grew up playing his records backwards to find Satanic messages, looking for God-shaped cloud formations, bending everything in the book of Revelation to match the evening news, and ascribing divine meaning to everyday coincidences. (I ran into Suzie today at Wal-Mart after 20 years. God must have brought her into my life for a REASON.)

The Folklorist is usually knocked out in the first round, because his claims are so easily refuted. One or two sentences are usually all it takes to send him packing, albeit usually in an embarrassed and somewhat wounded state.

The Folklorist never actually allows any of these exchanges to change his mind, however. He simply removes the debunked myth from his list and carries on to the next one. (But he STILL refuses to buy Proctor & Gamblejust in case.)

My final category is a somewhat defensive, angry fellow:

THE FOOT SOLDIER

Usually a strong personality, The Foot Soldier attempts to defend God by flipping the discussion 180 degrees.

Not as well-versed as the Theologian, he champions Christianity from the front lines instead of the war room. Legitimate questions are bounced back with righteous indignation.

ISSUE: Why did God allow the horror of Germanys Holocaust?

ANSWER: Miracles happened during the Holocaust! Talk to the survivors! And evil was defeated! America won! Who are you to question God?

ISSUE: Why doesnt God help to provide for the tens of thousands of starving people in the world?

ANSWER: God uses man. God wants man to be a missionary to the world. God WANTS to save them, but he WANTS to use man. Who are you to question God?

ISSUE: Why does God create a physical, tangible creature desperate for answers, and then insist on providing no physical, contemporary proof of Himself?

ANSWER: God has proven Himself! Hes real! Hes in my heart! Who are you to question God?

See a pattern? The Foot Soldiers tactic is to use force to keep the questioner on the defensive. From his perspective, anyone who dares to put Christianity to the fire MUST be delusional, misled or seeks to be God himself.

The Foot Soldier loves a good fight, argues with passion and often tramples over weaker opponents with sheer verve. But simply because his debate vessel is loud and fast does not mean it was soundly constructed.

Ultimately, The Feeler, The Theologian, The Folklorist and The Foot Soldier all have one thing in common: theyre all convinced. Their varied paths have all led them to a destination of subjective certainty. They cant prove it, but somehow the un-provability of God makes His existence even truer.

It has become apparent to me that arguing against the existence of God might well be counter-productive, and a complete waste of time. Why should Christians embrace a complicated reality when a simple faith will do?

ROMIYAH ROMANS 14
Him that is weak in the emunah receive, but not criticizing his thoughts. 2 For one believes that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him that eats meat despise him that eats no meat; and let not him who does not eat meat judge him that eats meat: for vuvh has received kol Yisrael. 4 Who are you that judges another mans eved? To his own Master vuvh he stands, or falls. Yes, he shall be held up too: for vuvh is able to make him stand. 5 One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He that regards the day of eating, regards it to vuvh; and he that regards not the day, to vuvh he does not regard it. He that eats, eats to vuvh, for he gives hodu; and he that eats not, before vuvh he eats not, and neither gives vuvh hodu. 7 For no Yisraelite man lives for himself, and no Yisraelite man dies for himself. 8 For whether we live, we live for vuvh; and whether we die, we die for vuvh: whether we live, or whether we die, we belong to and for vuvh. 9 For this purpose Moshiach both died, and rose, and was revived, so that He might be the Master vuvh both of the dead and the living. 10 But why do you judge your Yisraelite brother? Or, why do you despise your Yisraelite brother over these secondary issues? For we shall all stand before the bema seat of our Moshiach. 11 For it is written, As I live, says the Master vuvh, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to the Master vuvh. 12 So then each one of us shall give an account of himself to vuvh. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but rather be mindful of this that no man put any unnecessary stumbling-block, or an occasion to fall into his Yisraelite
actual armor of YHWH, as described in Ephesians 6. See notes in and on Ephesians 6. 2 The word eat is used six times in these verses. The issue obviously is food. Some eat meat, some dont and the same goes for vegetables. Some eat meat on Thursday some eat meat only on Monday. Some fast every morning, some fast only one morning a week. We are not to make issues out of things that YHWH says are gray areas, such as what days we fast, or eat certain clean foods. In a case of a gray area, do not criticize a new brother, or a weak brother, in the ways of Yisrael. This applies only to gray areas that remain unaddressed by detail in Scripture. Therefore verse 5 does not talk about Shabbat at all, or pick your own Shabbat, or your own favorite day for your own worship, simply because first the topic is eating habits, and secondly because Shabbat is not a gray area. The Spirit would never tell mankind to pick their own day in direct violation of His word. brothers path. 14 I know, and am persuaded by the Savior gauvh, that there is nothing unclean of
1 The

itself: but to him that esteems anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 But if your Yisraelite brother is grieved with your food choice, now you are no longer walking in ahava. Do not destroy him with your food choices, for whom Moshiach died. 16 Let not then your tov be evil spoken of: 17 For the malchut of vuvh is not food and drink; but tzedakah, and shalom, and simcha in the Ruach Hakodesh. 18 For he who in these choices serves Moshiach is acceptable to vuvh, and approved of men. 19 Let us therefore follow after the things that make for shalom, and things with which we may edify one another. 20 For food choices will not destroy the work of vuvh. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eats so as to cause stumbling. 21 It is tov neither to eat meat, nor to drink wine, or anything whereby your Yisraelite brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak. 22 Have you a certain food emunah? Keep it to yourself before vuvh. Favored is he that condemns not himself in that thing which he allows. 23 And he that doubts and eats violates his own emunah, because he eats not with emunah: for whatever is not of emunah is sin. We then that are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his tov and edification. 3 For even Moshiach pleased not Himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached You fell on Me. 4 For all things that were written in the Tanach were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Keetvay HaKadosh might have tikvah. 5 Now the tvkt of patience and comfort, grant you the ability to regard one another with equal worth according to Moshiach gauvh: 6 That you may with one mind and one mouth esteem vuvh, even the Abba of our Savior gauvh ha Moshiach. 3 Again gray area issues that are not black, or white
cannot be judged to be clean, or unclean, while Shabbat-breaking and eating pig certainly can be. 4 As can be seen, the entire chapter does not depart from this theme and again has nothing on earth to do with Shabbat, or making up your own holidays. 5 Mans choices dont matter. It is what the Spirit says about our food and drink choices, which we receive with joy. 6 Both meat and vegetables as outlined by Torah. 7 Meaning when alone, in your food choices and such, dont do anything against the Torah, lest you wind up

condemning yourself with your own unclean behavior. 8 Meaning we better get our Yisraelite values from a full trust in Torah and the faith of Messiah, and not man, or mans emotions, or dogmas.

four kinds of believers

[] (Jpn shi-shu ) Also, four kinds of Buddhists, four categories of Buddhists, four categories of believers, four types of Buddhist believers, or four kinds of people. (1) Four categories of people who believe in Buddhism monks (Skt bhikshu ), nuns (bhikshuni), laymen (upasaka), and laywomen (upasika). (2) Four kinds of people in the assembly where Shakyamuni Buddha preaches: those who ask the Buddha to expound the teaching; those who praise it; those who, having attained sufficient maturity, listen to the Buddha's teaching and immediately benefit from it; and those who attain no immediate benefit, but nevertheless form a bond with the Buddha's teaching and benefit from it at a later time.

1.

Four Types of Christians

John 11:44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, Unbind him, and let him go. #1 - THE DEAD CHRISTIAN The man who had died came forth, The first type of Christian we find is The Dead Christian. Interestingly enough,the dead Christian isn't a Christian at all. Jesus was talking to dead Christians in Revelation 3:1 when He said to them, "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. When Jesus says they have a name that you are alive He means they call themselves Christians (Christian means one who follows Christ), but in reality they are dead because they dont follow Christ in their hearts. Perhaps they call themselves Christians because their parents make them or its tradition or whatever. There are many dead Christians out there today, but Jesus offers them hope. He ended His conversation with these Dead Christians in Revelation 3 by saying if they could overcome their sin He would make sure their name was in the Book Of Life and would confess their names before the Father and His angels. But how does one overcome? 1 John 5:5 tells us: Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (See also 1 John 4:15 & 1 John 5:1) Once a person believes in, and follows Jesus with their heart, they are in Christs love and forgiveness. And all who are in Christ shall be made alive (1 Cor 15:22).

#2 - THE BOUND CHRISTIAN bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. The second type of Christian we find is The Bound Christian. This is a Christian who is alive in Christ, but one who is bound by their sin. Romans 6 is a great chapter for gaining insight into this. Listen to what Paul says in verse 16: Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? (See also John 8:34) We can follow sin or we can follow God. The first leads to breaking fellowship with God, the second leads to a wonderful relationship with Him (John 15:10). So how does the Bound Christian become free? First, he applies 1 John 1:9 to his life: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (See also Psalm 32:5 & Proverbs 28:13) If you confess your sins Jesus will forgive you. When you do that you are set free from sin. And if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36). Second, we pray a prayer like we find in Psalm 25:4: "Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths. We ask God to teach us His ways, to help us follow His commands. Yes, there will be times when we stumble, but we dont have to be slaves to sin. We can be slaves to righteousness. When this happens we can rejoice they way Paul did when in Romans 6:17-18 he said: Thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

#3 - THE FREE CHRISTIAN Jesus said to them, Unbind him, The third type of Christian is the Free Christian. The free Christian is alive in Christ, and is free from sin and that allows him to enjoy fellowship with God. His life is full of blessings. So whats missing? Just one thing: The free Christian is keeping his blessings to himself. Let me explain. First look at John 21:17 Jesus is talking to Peter: Do you love Me? And Peter said to Him, Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You. Jesus said to him, Tend My sheep. We are all blessed with some sort of gift. Some are good at encouraging, others are able to teach, and still others have the gift of compassion. There are many other gifts as well and as you study them youll notice that all the gifts God gives are designed to serve others. Thats what Jesus is saying in the verse above: If you love Me serve others. This stands in sharp contrast to the world which put its emphasis on serving yourself. And that brings us the final type of Christian

#4 - THE COMPLETE CHRISTIAN

and let him go.'' The fourth and final type of Christian we find is the Complete Christian. We call him complete because he is alive in Christ, freed from sin, has a wonderful relationship with God, and is a blessing to everyone around him. Look what Jesus said in Matthew 5:16: "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. What this verse means is we should live our lives in a way that when people see us, they see Jesus. When we took the name Christian we took all the blessings that go along with it. Forgiveness from sin, Freedom from sin, Fellowship with God and the honor of representing the living God to the dying world.

Five Types of Believers

Five Types of Believers

Romans 14:1-2 As we study the New Testament, Christians tend to fall in five different types depending on how they understand and respond to the liberty we have in Christ

I. The Weaker Brother: four weaknesses define the weaker brother.

A. He is weak in his faith. (ROM 14:1-2) "HIM THAT IS WEAK IN THE FAITH RECEIVE YE, BUT NOT TO DOUBTFUL DISPUTATIONS. FOR ONE BELIEVETH THAT HE MAY EAT ALL THINGS: ANOTHER, WHO IS WEAK, EATETH HERBS." (ROM 14:22-23) "HAST THOU FAITH? HAVE IT TO THYSELF BEFORE GOD. HAPPY IS HE THAT CONDEMNETH NOT HIMSELF IN THAT THING WHICH HE ALLOWETH. AND HE THAT DOUBTETH IS DAMNED IF HE EAT, BECAUSE HE EATETH NOT OF FAITH: FOR WHATSOEVER IS NOT OF FAITH IS SIN." 1. Faith as used here means a firm, intelli-gent conviction based on Scripture that something is okay or not okay. 2. It is a person who doubts and is not sure concerning what he believes. B. He is weak in knowledge. (1 COR 8:7) "HOWBEIT THERE IS NOT IN EVERY MAN THAT KNOWLEDGE: FOR SOME WITH CONSCIENCE OF THE IDOL UNTO THIS HOUR EAT IT AS A THING OFFERED UNTO AN IDOL; AND THEIR CONSCIENCE BEING WEAK IS DEFILED." (ROM 14:14) "I KNOW, AND AM PERSUADED BY THE LORD JESUS, THAT THERE IS NOTHING UNCLEAN OF ITSELF: BUT TO HIM THAT ESTEEMETH ANY THING TO BE UNCLEAN, TO HIM IT IS UNCLEAN." 1. This is the reason for his lack of conviction, a lack of biblical understanding of God's grace. 2. His faith is either misinformed or lacking in biblical content which included three issues. a. They did not realize the idol was nothing. b. They did not know that food offered to "a nothing" was not spiritually affected and that it could not be unclean in itself. c. They do not understand that food cannot commend us to God, that food in itself has no spiritual bearing on our spiritual lives (1 Cor. 8:8). C. He is weak in conscience. 1. This means his conscience is based on human standards and norms. 2. His conscience is overly sensitive, condemning him for things Scripture does not. (1 Cor. 8:7; 10, 12). D. He is weak in his will. 1. He is weak in his will because he can be influenced to do something contrary to his con-science, or to act without becoming fully convinced by Scripture that something is either right or wrong. 2. In this case, the weaker person acts on the example of the stronger believer without biblical conviction and faith. 3. This violates his conscience, and so causes him to sin against the Lord (1 Cor. 8:10). The weaker brother is any believer who, because of the weakness of his faith, conscience, knowledge and will, can be influenced to sin against his conscience by the example or life style of a stronger brother. The weaker brother is not just a new or immature believer; he is not a Christian who happens to differ with you or me on some issue, but he or she is one who can be influenced to act contrary to their conscience or personal convictions (14:23; 1 Cor. 8:9-12).

II. The Stronger Brother.

(ROM 15:1) WE THEN THAT ARE STRONG OUGHT TO BEAR THE INFIRMITIES OF THE WEAK, AND NOT TO PLEASE OURSELVES. A. Conversely the stronger brother is the one who is strong in his faith (conviction). (ROM 14:22) HAST THOU FAITH? HAVE IT TO THYSELF BEFORE GOD. HAPPY IS HE THAT CONDEMNETH NOT HIMSELF IN THAT THING WHICH HE ALLOWETH. B. Knowledge of grace and what is truly right or wrong (1 Cor. 8:7, 10) (ROM 14:14) I KNOW, AND AM PERSUADED BY THE LORD JESUS, THAT THERE IS NOTHING UNCLEAN OF ITSELF: BUT TO HIM THAT ESTEEMETH ANY THING TO BE UNCLEAN, TO HIM IT IS UNCLEAN. C. Strong in his conscience and will. 1. So the stronger brother is the believer who is certain of his biblical convictions. 2. He understands his freedom in Christ, and exercises his liberty without doubting and without being improperly influenced by differing opinions or behavior.

III. The Pharisee Believer

A. He lacks in biblical understanding of the believer's freedom in Christ and his deliverance from the works of the law, or from human works as a means of salvation or spirituality. B. So he is a legalist. 1. Legalism is not simply the conviction certain things are wrong, nor the avoidance of certain things. 2. Rather it is an observance or an avoidance done in order to merit favor with God. 3. Not understanding God's righteous- ness in Christ, he works to gain God's righteousness or to be accepted with God. C. He has very strong convictions about his list of taboos. 1. But his convictions are based primarily on his own background and prejudices rather than the teaching of Scripture. 2. They are based in the traditions and teachings of men. D. He is often strong willed. 1. He is able to resist pressure from others to conform to their standards. 2. He tends not to be influenced by the example of others and often takes religious pride in his taboos, for to him they are a sign of his super-spirituality. 3. Above all he tends to be hyper-critical and judgmental and seeks to get others to conform to his opinions. 4. Those who will not conform he rejects and refuses to accept. E. He is usually not too hungry for the in depth study of Scripture, He tends to be superficial and an externalist.

IV. The Stumbling Block Believer.

(ROM 14:13) LET US NOT THEREFORE JUDGE ONE ANOTHER ANY MORE: BUT JUDGE THIS RATHER, THAT NO MAN PUT A STUMBLINGBLOCK OR AN OCCASION TO FALL IN HIS BROTHERS WAY. A. This believer may have all the characteristics of the stronger brother. B. But he uses his liberty without regard to biblical principles which govern behavior in the questionable things. C. The majority of 1 Corinthians 8 and Romans l4 and 15 are aimed at this type of believer, or at keeping the stronger believer from misusing his or her liberty. D. This is a believer who is weak on LOVE and concern for the one another responsibilities laid out in the New Testament.

V. The Servant-Type Believer.

(ROM 15:1) WE THEN THAT ARE STRONG OUGHT TO BEAR THE INFIRMITIES OF THE WEAK, AND NOT TO PLEASE OURSELVES. A. This believer too has all the characteris-- tics of the stronger believer. B. But, he forgoes his liberty out of love 1. For the sake of others, whenever it might harm another believer 2. Hurt his testimony with unbelievers 3. Or violate any of the principles necessary for exercising our liberty, and for guiding us as to when we should or should not do certain things. C. The servant-type is strong on love and follows the model of His Savior. 1. He pursues the things which make for peace and the edification of one another. 2. Rather than becoming a stumbling block, he seeks to a stepping stone. Guiding Principles Under Grace for Deciding Right and Wrong: Freedom in Christ never means to freedom to do as we please, but the power to do as we ought in accordance with the character of Christ as His life is reproduced in the believer by a Spirit filled, Word filled life.

I. The Principle of Love

A. Though convinced that I have liberty to do something, nevertheless, out of love for the weaker brother, I will limit my freedom when necessary to avoid being a stumbling block (1 Cor. 8:1-13). (ROM 14:15) "BUT IF THY BROTHER BE GRIEVED WITH THY MEAT, NOW WALKEST THOU NOT CHARITABLY. DESTROY NOT HIM WITH THY MEAT, FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED." B. If my actions may cause a believer to stumble by influencing him or her to follow my example, the question is, "Do I really have liberty to follow my own conviction regarding the doubtful thing?"

C. The answer is an emphatic no!--not if I am walking by love. D. Listen to the warning of the following passage: cf Romans 14:15-21

II. The Principles of Profitability and Edification

A. While all things that are not specifically forbidden by Scripture are lawful to me as a believer B. The question I must ask is, "Is it profitable to my spiritual life, to God's goals for me, to my health, to my testimony to the lost and my life as an example to other believers?" C. (1 Cor 6:12) All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. D. (1 Cor 10:23) All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

III. The Principle of Enslavement: Who and What is in Control

A. The answer to this question becomes a determining factor as to whether we really should or should not do the thing in question. (1 COR 6:12) "ALL THINGS ARE LAWFUL UNTO ME, BUT ALL THINGS ARE NOT EXPEDIENT: ALL THINGS ARE LAWFUL FOR ME, BUT I WILL NOT BE BROUGHT UNDER THE POWER OF ANY." 1. Believers are to walk under the control of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:16). (EPH 5:18) "AND BE NOT DRUNK WITH WINE, WHEREIN IS EXCESS; BUT BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT;" (GAL 5:16) "THIS I SAY THEN, WALK IN THE SPIRIT, AND YE SHALL NOT FULFIL THE LUST OF THE FLESH." 2. The Holy Spirit is to have control over all aspects of our lives and never our practices or habits. 3. The body is a wonderful slave and God's instrument of service, but it is a poor master. B. The questions we must ask are: 1. Will it enslave me? 2. Is it something that is known to be habit forming or addictive so that it could enslave me? 3. This does not automatically exclude something and anything can become a habit that controls me, but this principle does pose a warning.

IV. The Principle of the Temple

A. The New Testament teaches us that the body is the temple, the very dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and should be cared for accordingly (1 Cor. 6:19-20). (1 COR 6:19-20) "WHAT? KNOW YE NOT THAT YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GHOST WHICH IS IN YOU, WHICH YE HAVE OF GOD, AND YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN? FOR YE ARE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE: THEREFORE GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY, AND IN YOUR SPIRIT, WHICH ARE GODS." B. The body is an instrument used by the Spirit of God, a vehicle of service by which we can glorify God. 1. A weak body becomes a weak instrument, so we need to care for it, protect it. 2. This means proper rest, diet, exercise, and the elimination of those habits which are unhealthy and harmful.

V. The Principle of Exaltation

A. Here we must ask the question, "Will it glorify or exalt the Lord and His glory? B. (1 Cor 10:31) "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

VI. The Principle of Constraint: Living as an Example in Supreme Self Sacrifice

(2 COR 5:14-15) "FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST CONSTRAINETH US; BECAUSE WE THUS JUDGE, THAT IF ONE DIED FOR ALL, THEN WERE ALL DEAD: {15} AND THAT HE DIED FOR ALL, THAT THEY WHICH LIVE SHOULD NOT HENCEFORTH LIVE UNTO THEMSELVES, BUT UNTO HIM WHICH DIED FOR THEM, AND ROSE AGAIN." A. This principle applies to all Christians. B. But it is especially vital for those in leadership. 1. One of the characteristics so necessary for a leader is that of self sacrifice, of giving up our rights for the benefit of others and for the glory of God. 2. Why? Because of their influence upon others. (MARK 10:45) "FOR EVEN THE SON OF MAN CAME NOT TO BE MINISTERED UNTO, BUT TO MINISTER, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR MANY." 3. This means the need for sacrifice whenever and wherever, or one forfeits the right of leadership. (1 TIM 4:12) "LET NO MAN DESPISE THY YOUTH; BUT BE THOU AN EXAMPLE OF THE BELIEVERS, IN WORD, IN CONVERSATION, IN CHARITY, IN SPIRIT, IN FAITH, IN PURITY." (TITUS 2:7) "IN ALL THINGS SHOWING THYSELF A PATTERN OF GOOD WORKS: IN DOCTRINE SHOWING UNCORRUPTED, GRAVITY, SINCERITY,"

http://www.brandonweb.com/gbt/sermonpages/romans22.htm

Different Types of Christians

The True Gospel

What are the requirements to go to heaven? There is only one requirement. That is that your sins must be forgiven. The only thing that separates us from God is that we are guilty of sin.So why doesn't He just forgive eveyone's sins. For one thing, unlike some other religions like Islam, the God of the Bible demands that sin be payed for. He demands this to satisfy his requirement of Justice. He will not forgive sin without it being payed for. But God Himself payed the penalty for sin by sending His only Son Jesus Christ into the world in order to be tortured to death and in this way pay the penalty for the sins of the world.

This is the essential message of the Bible which up to this point I would hope most of us Christians agree on. However, there is more to it. For this payment which Christ accomplished is not automatically credited to everyone's account. Having payed the penalty for sin, God could have automatically forgiven everyone. He doesn't do that. So what must you do to have this payment of sin, which accomplished on the cross, credited to your account? Very seldom when I've heard the gospel preached is this point clarified. Yet this is the most important question of your life. I have found many Christians even many baptized, church-going Christians who do not know the correct answer to this question. Why? So I hope to clarify some misconceptions about this question as to what you must do to have eternal life. And the Bible is very clear about what a person must do to have eternal life. John 3:14-16.
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." The only requirement to receive eternal life is to believe in Jesus. What does it mean to believe? In this passage itself, Jesus gives an illustration to clarify what it means to believe.

He uses an illustration from the Old Testament, from Numbers chapter 21. This is a summary: The people of Israel were complaining against God and God sent poisonous snakes among them to kill them. But then they confessed their sins and prayed to be saved from the snakes. So God had Moses erect a snake made of bronze and put it on a pole. (This is the symbol that you see on the back of ambulances). And His promise was that whoever had been bitten by the snakes but then looked on the bronze snake, they would live.

Jesus was saying I am that bronze snake on the cross. He was saying that if people recognize that they are bitten by sin and subject to eternal death but they look to Christ on the cross believing that he atoned for their sins, they will not die, but have eternal life. John 5:24. And there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom 8:1) And it is a permanent thing, as I've spoken on before. It cannot be taken away. Furthermore, for you who believe this, you have become children of God. You were children of the devil. Having believed, you are now children of God. And you have been given the Holy Spirit to dwell in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him (Rom 8:9) Why does God do it this way? Because it requires those who want to have a right relationship with God to accept His character. You cannot be reconciled to God unless you agree with him about your sin. If you don't think that you are a sinful person who must be saved from your sinfulness, God doesn't want to have anything to do with you. If you don't think that your sin should be punished, that you are not worthy of going to hell for your sin, then God may very well put you there. Or if you don't accept God's gracious love in that he offers eternal life freely by faith, but that you make up your own requirements for salvation, then you insult God by rejecting his grace.

Alternate Views
The Group of the Baptism There are those who say that in order to be forgiven of sin, you must be baptized and follow the commandments of Christ. In the book of Galatians, Paul writes of a group of people he calls the group of the circumcision. These were those who taught the you must believe in Christ to be saved, but you must also be circumcised and follow the Law of Moses. Paul's attitude Gal 1:6-8. "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!" What was Paul so upset about? He was upset that they added on to God's requirements for salvation. They added on the person's performance. Gal 3:2 "I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?" What is the Law? Jesus said that the law can be summarized as to love God and love your neighbor. But that's basically Jesus commandments. There are those who think that the requirements to receive the forgiveness of sins were simply changed from circumcision to Baptism and from obeying the law of Moses to obeying Christ's commands.

But the righteousness of faith is a much different thing.

Gal 3:21,22 "Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given (like Christ's commandments) that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe."

Eph 2:8,9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast." Rom 4:4,5 "Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."
If your faith is that you must be baptized to be saved, or you must obey Christ's commandments to be saved, or you must change your behavior to be saved. You are still an unbeliever. As it says in Gal 5:4 "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." By grace, God freely gives eternal life to those who freely accept it. Catholicism But then there are also those who believe that only the sins that you confess are forgiven. They believe that every time you sin, you lose your salvation. And you can only gain it back by confessing your sin and asking for forgiveness. Once again, these are people who find the need to add on to the requirements for salvation. They just can't accept God's gracious gift by faith alone. If you lose your salvation every time you sin, then it seems that such a person would lose his salvation many times a day. Or they may believe that Christ died for the sins you had before you became a Christian, but not for the sins afterwards. These are those who reject God's graciousness in forgiving all of their sins - past, present & future - at the point in time that they put their faith in Christ. God knows that Christians are going to sin. When one becomes a child of God, all is forgiven. And there is nothing that can separate you from the love of God. Your destiny to heaven is secure. As believers, God wants us to call sin for what it is. But you don't need to constantly ask forgiveness of your sins. Don't you believe your sins have already been forgiven? Faith in Faith But then there are also those who agree, "yes, faith alone saves". But then rather than have Christ's atoning work on the cross as the object of their faith, they put their faith in their own faith. They speak highly of faith as if faith itself was an object. They may say that you have to believe hard enough to be saved. But then are very obscure about what it is you're suppose to believe. How can you "believe hard enough" if you don't know what it is you're supposed to believe?

Such people have not yet believed the gospel either. Those who put their faith in their own faith are not putting their faith in Christ. Their confidence is in themselves rather than their confidence being in Christ. These people must make Christ's atoning work on the cross the object of their faith. Or else they too will perish.
Antinomianism Then there are those who say they believe, but then don't apply their faith. They say they believe Christ died for their sins, but then refuse to recognize sin in their own lives. They are comfortable with living a lifestyle of sin. They refuse to obey Christ's commands. They refuse to change their behavior. Does such faith save? For though they say they believe, they don't. For if they believed, then they would have considered the implications and applications of their faith. The quality of faith that saves is simply real faith. If you are believing the right thing, then I simply ask you do you really believe it? For faith without applications is not saving faith. It is true that as believers we don't put our faith in the applications of our faith to save us, such as obedience to Christ's commands, but rather we treat Christ as our Lord because it is appropriate to do so. Since we reckon we who have believed are children of God, therefore we try to behave that way, not in order to have our sins forgiven, for by faith we already consider our sins as having been forgiven. But rather we try to behave properly because we know who we are and what our destiny is. Why so Vague? If we're going to go out and tell others about the promise of eternal life, let's not be unclear about it. By being vague and unclear it is true that we avoid conflict among ourselves. For there are many in the Christian community who do not believe the gospel (1Cor 15:34). By making the gospel vague and unclear, we allow everyone to have their own gospel. Each person can fit in their own ideas into it. And by offending less people, we can get more people into the church. I say to hell with that idea. For what is man's opinion compared to God's Word. And much of our work would simply be in vain. And many will end up going to hell. Would you chose a pastor and not care what he believes about the gospel? Or to chose one who speaks so vaguely you have no idea what's he's talking about? Just to avoid conflicts over truth? So let us put to death artificial, politically correct, feel good Christianity and let us conform our definition of the Christian life to the Bible.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

The Sower and The Four Types of Believers
July 10, 2011

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is 55,10-11. Rm 8,18-23 Mt 13,1-23 = The Parable of the Sower is one of the most magnificent teachings of our Lord recorded in the Gospels. Every time one hears it, he may have mixed emotions to the point of asking, saan kaya ako dito?

And who may not ask? The parable is about a sower who scattered seeds on four places, the ground, the stones, the thorns, and the soil. The seeds grew but it had faced different fates. The seeds on the ground were eaten by the birds, like bird seed. The seeds on the stone grew a little bit but died eventually because there is practically of the suns heat and loss of soil. The seeds on the thorns were chocked because the thorns grew up with them. And as for the seeds which fell on good soil, they grew up and multiplied, some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundredfold. As Jesus explains further the parable, we can see the different underlying personalities in the parable. God comes as the sower, and the seeds His Word. This comes to us every Mass, as we listen to the readings. This comes to us through the teachings of the Church. And most certainly, this comes from deep inside us through our conscience. As we live every day, we are all the more exposed to the Word of God that as his children, we are called to follow what it is saying, and follow it in thought, word and deed. We may not know it, but Jesus classifies us like the four places where Gods Word is being scattered. We shall call it THE FOUR TYPES OF BELIEVERS. Lets see who fails and who tops. Some of us are told to be PATH-TYPE. They are the type of people who listen to Gods Word, but before they may know it, the evil one snatch in and puts in the believer bad sentiments. Slow people who, instead of giving the needed focus on the Word, are giving room for the devil to dwell inside him. Typical examples of this are those who sleep while listening to the Homily inside Mass, and those who refuse to go to Mass when invited by a relative or friend. FAIL. Some are STONE-TYPE. These are the people who listen to the Word, welcome it, but do not ponder much from it. They just listen, period. No understanding, no sign of surrender to Gods will. And so, when trials come, they tend to give up. They dont believe anymore in what the Church has to offer, and instead go to somewhere they may feel God in another way. Examples of this are our brethren who were once Catholics but are now born-again Christians, members of Iglesia, Saksi, Daan, etc. FAIL. Some of us are THORN-TYPE. These are people who tend to HEAR Gods word but dont care at all. They are more focused on the worldly tasks, i.e. their job, family, fame, political will, riches, and other things that have no connection to the Divine Providence. They are those who say, Anong Diyos? Ni hindi nga niya ako matulungan noong nangangailangan ako! Lahat ng ito, pagsisikap ko. Lahat ng ito, pinaghirapan ko. Walang Diyos at walang Hesus na tumulong sa akin. Examples of this are the typical call center agents who were swept away by the western-style secularization, and the freethinkers. FAIL. But above all these, there are people who listen to Gods Word, welcome it, and understand it in full detail. They are the SOIL-TYPE. We have no need to describe these people, since it is enough for them to entrust themselves to Gods Will, for they know that God will take care of their every need. And once they are blessed materially and spiritually, they fulfil their duty of sharing it to others and bringing souls nearer to God. Their motto is Solo Dios basta! The examples of this are the saints, and the Holy people who, though anonymous, are striving hard to bring Gods Kingdom here on Earth. Now, the message is so clear that we should ask ourselves, In which type of believer do we belong? It is only for us to answer and for God to confirm. Throughout the years of encountering Gods Word both through the Sacraments and through our daily endeavour with others, are we fully giving attention to it? Or are we like the other types that, in one way or another, do not give attention to Gods Word AT ALL? And so, Jesus invites all of us who are faced by these four types of believers. All you who has ears, SHEMA! LISTEN! If you are a Path-type, listen and welcome God, and he will take away the evil one from your being. If you are a Stone-type, listen and welcome God, and he will guide you out of your misunderstanding, towards a brighter understanding of His will for you. If you are a Thorn-type, listen and welcome God, and he will wipe away the worldly being in you. Let him teach you the path of Divine righteousness, something which is different from your view of fulfilment. And if you are a Soil-type, continue to listen and welcome God in your being. Continue to be His servant. Continue to be of service to him, to the Church, and to your brothers and sisters in need. Continue to be blessed and be a blessing to others. Continue to bear fruit, thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold! And so we pray... Jesus, you are the sower who continues to scatter the Good News of Salvation throughout the world. You don't let us be like the path, stone or thorns who do not give proper attention to your utterance. You would want us to be like the good soil wherein you dwell, grow and multiply within our beings. Continue to shower us with your blessings, that as we listen to your word and ponder from it, we may grow and be fruitful Christians who may lead others to your Father, some thirty, some sixty and others a hundredfold. You live and reign forever. Amen.

5 types of believers in Jesus Christ: Which one are YOU? Why?

(1) Judaism origins - Those who originally still await for the Messiah, but have come to know for themselves that Jesus actually is the Messiah. (2) Catholic origins - Those who claim that the Apostlic Succession of Peter (the priesthood authority to administer the Gospel of Jesus Christ) has safely continued to be passed within the Church even through the Dark Age since Peter and the other apostles. (3) Protestant origins - Those who claim that the early Church became corrupt and needed to be corrected, based on reformed interpretations of the Bible, and according to the new doctrines that dismissed the priesthood authority in the Catholic Church: That since the corruption of the early Church, priesthood administration began to be manifested through the Holy Ghost to mankind. (4) Latter-day Saints (misnomer: Mormons...): Those who claim that the priesthood authority to

administer the Gospel was lost, as the early Church was gradually destroyed by non-believers, and that God's Plan would be fulfilled through a Restoration of all things, including authority and keys of the holy priesthood to represent God and officiate in the work of the kingdom on Earth. (5) Those who say they believe in the scriptures but have no motivation to get live them by observing anything more than professing a belief in Jesus, and mocking those who actually do believe in the scriptures, in word AND deed. == Now, which one are YOU, and why?

Additional Details
OK so I'll add a sixth category: (6) Those who refuse to accept the Bible as defining any specific authority and who want to basically tell God what he requires them to believe. I mean, come on, isn't that exactly what you're saying if you don't belong to a specific organization that represents God and administers in his Plan???

FOUR TYPES OF BELIEVERS

I. INTRODUCTION: We look at the Scriptures and say there are only two types of people, the lost and the saved. This is very true and Biblical. I believe that the Scriptures divide these two classes of people into a group in which I call the four types of people. There are two types of unbelievers and two types of believers. I believe that there is enough Biblical evidence to divide the lost into two groups and to divide the saved into two groups. The four groups are 1. The unbelieving unbeliever (a lost person) 2. The believing unbeliever (a lost person) 3. The unbelieving believer (a saved person) 4. The believing believer (a saved person) II. THE UNBELIEVING UNBELIEVER: This is the lost person, the unbeliever, who claims to be an atheist. This is the person who from his heart acknowledges that there is no God. They are heart-hardened towards the Gospel message and according to Scriptures are fools and liars. Psa 14:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. Psa 53:1 To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. Pro 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

Pro 18:2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself. Pro 18:7 A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. Pro 23:9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words. 1Jn 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. Rev 21:7-8 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and

whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Gods Word tells us that these antichrists are among us now. Those who walk with the spirit of antichrist have always existed. Notice as you read the Scriptures from 1 Jn.2 that the antichrists came out from among the believers. They hardened their hearts and left the circle of believers. 1Jn 2:18-19 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 1Jn 2:22-23 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 1Jn 4:2-3 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. III. THE BELIEVING UNBELIEVERS: The believing unbelievers are those who have mentally acknowledged that God is real and they may even confess with their mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord. The problem is that they do not believe with their hearts. This is a mental accent that God is real and that Jesus died on the cross. There are many believing unbelievers in the church. The Bible refers to them also as Tares. There are many who were moved by the sermon or by the music. Many were manipulated by a plea to pray and prayer. Prayers do not save people, Jesus does. Without a heart of faith, the confession with the mouth is an empty activity. The believing unbeliever could also identify those who once believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, yet left or walked away from the faith. They are still religious but their faith has been shipwrecked and their hearts hardened. These people operate on knowledge of the religious system which they are a part of. This would also include those who have been religiously active and done many things in that religious institution. They many have even seen and performed signs and wonders in the name of Jesus, but have never knew Him. The believing unbelievers can understand religion, denominationalism, and church

life, but they cannot discern the truths of the Christian life nor can they understand the Word of God. Mat 7:20-23 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Act 24:24-25 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. 2Co 13:5-6 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. 2Ti 3:1-8 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. Tit 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. Jud 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

Rev 21:7-8 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. IV. THE UNBELIEVING BELIEVERS: This group would be those who are truly and genuinely saved having placed there trust in the Lord Jesus Christ with a heart faith. They fully believe that God loved them enough to give His Son on a rugged old cross to die so that their sins may be forgiven and that they can have eternal life. Although this group of believers can embrace the basic faith of salvation they never seem to go beyond that. For the most part this group walks in fear and have a difficult time believing that the miracles of the Scriptures are real for today. Right now in history this is most likely the largest group among the believers. These make up the Christians who got saved, followed the Lord in water baptism, joined a church, learn the church doctrine, yet never matured in the faith and in the Word of God. This group would be classified by the Word of God as spiritual babes. Rom 10:8-11 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 1Jn 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

1Jn 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 1Co 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? Heb 5:11-14 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: Mat 17:17-20 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. V. THE BELIEVING BELIEVERS The believing believers are the most exciting people to be around. They have faith to trust God for anything. They believe that the things that our Lord Jesus Christ did they can do and should do. They push the spiritual and natural envelope seeking the heart of the Father. Their walk is an offense to the religious people and to the baby Christians. They dont mean to be, an offense but their faith challenges the average person to look beyond the natural, beyond the circumstances and see what God can do by faith to those who believe. Mar 16:17-20 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Luk 18:27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Mat 18:19-20 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Rom 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Php 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; 1Th 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 1Ti 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 2Ti 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

As we read through the New Testament we find at least four types of Christians.
1) The Dead Christian

I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Revelation 3:1

The first type of Christian we find is one who is a Christian in name only. The Dead Christian may go to church, and may even claim to follow Christ, but hasnt truly come to Him for forgiveness. Jesus addressed the Dead Christian in Revelation 3:2-3 when He told them, I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. What is the work of God He found to be incomplete? John 6:29 tells us that the work of God is that you believe in him whom he has sent. And what is it were to believe? We find the answer to that in 1 John 5:11-13, God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. Once a person believes in, and calls on Christ to forgive them, they are forgiven and are made alive in Him (1 Cor 15:22).
2) The Bound Christian

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13a The next type of Christian we want to look at is the Bound Christian. This is a Christian who is alive in Christ, but is bound by sin, and this hinders his relationship with the Lord. Romans 6:16 warns that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness. And Galatians 5:17 tells us of a battle that wages between the Spirit and the flesh. The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. We follow the Spirit when we crucify the flesh with its passions and desires and produce the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-24) Well stumble in our walk, but when we do, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

We dont have to be slaves to sin. We can be slaves to righteousness if we follow the Lords ways. Romans 6:17-18 gives thanks to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

3) The Loner Christian

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one anotherand all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:22-25 The third type of Christian is the Loner Christian. The Loner Christian is alive in Christ and enjoys fellowship with God. His life is full of blessings but the Loner Christian is keeping his blessings to himself. Jesus said He came so that we may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) Christianity is a faith that should be lived through both our words and our actions. Jesus told Peter in John 21:17 that if he loved Him he would care for His followers. Were all blessed with some sort of gift. Some are good at encouraging, some are able to teach, some love to pray, others have the gift of compassion. There are many different types of gifts but what they all have in common is the gifts God gives us are designed to serve others. This stands in sharp contrast to the world which put its emphasis on serving yourself. 4) The Complete Christian We are Gods workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 The final type of Christian we want to talk about is the Complete Christian. We call him complete because he alive in Christ, has a strong relationship with God and is a blessing to everyone around him. We are encouraged in Matthew 5:16 to let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. We should live our lives in a way that when people see us, they see Jesus, and God is glorified. When we came to Christ we took all the blessings that go along with it. Forgiveness from sin,

freedom from sin, fellowship with God and the honor of representing the living God to the dying world.
Acts 2:42-47 The Early Community of Believers

January 25, 2011 in Observations on Acts | Tags: Acts 2, Communal Living, koinonia Clint Arnold points out in his Acts commentary that they community in Acts Two was characterized by four types of activities. Acts 2:42 says that the believers were devoted to these four activities. The verb here () has the idea of being busy with something, or even to persist (BDAG). The word appears twice in this paragraph, in verse 46 the community is daily worshiping in the temple and sharing meals together. First, they devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles (). This instruction is for new converts who may not have heard Jesus teach. The apostles are witnesses passing along the things which they have seen and heard. It is entirely possible that the apostles had common set of instruction which they regularly passed along to new converts. If this is the case, then there was a basic body of tradition within months of the death of Jesus which could be called the teaching of the apostles. Second, they devoted themselves to fellowship (). Since this word has the connotation of sharing common, this is likely an allusion to the communal life described in the next verses (Fitzmyer, Acts, 269). At the very least this includes alms and care for the poor. I would suggest that many of those who needed assistance were Diaspora pilgrims who accepted the message of Jesus and remained in Jerusalem rather than to return home after Pentecost. Third, they devoted themselves to breaking of bread. While this phrase can be used of sharing a meal together, it is likely that Luke is describing the community as celebrating some form of communion. In Luke 21:19 the same words are used as Jesus takes bread and breaks it. In Luke 24:35 it is used for the resurrected Jesus breaking bread as two disciples realized who he was. I think that Jesus practice of common meals was the foundation for this practice they all ate and drank together as one group. Fourth, they devoted themselves to prayers. Since the Greek is plural this is plausibly a reference to daily prayers in the Temple. It would not be unusual for Jewish men to go to the Temple several times a day to pray, so the community continues to worship at the Temple regularly. In fact, Acts 2:46 indicates that the disciples met in both private homes and in the Temple. This likely put them into contact with other observant Jews who would then be introduced to Jesus as Messiah.

Since a major interest in this series of studies is how to apply the book of Acts, it is critical to ask if Luke is describing an ideal Christian community, or the specific community in Jerusalem. While it is easy to see these four elements as generic components of Christian community everywhere, there are other elements in this paragraph which do not seem to be found elsewhere. I will come back to this later, but notice for now that the community sold property, pooled resources, and distributed these funds to the poor. Giving to the poor is a standard description of Christian community, but living in common only appears here in Acts 2. There is nothing which makes me think the Antioch church was pooling resources, nor does Paul give any such instruction to his churches. The fact that these earliest believers are devoted to these activities daily is also unique in the apostolic period. There is no other group of believers who appear to have left their jobs to devote themselves to spiritual activity. In 1-2 Thessalonians Paul seems to instruct the members of the church to not retire from daily life and be constantly devoted to ministry. 2 Thess 3:11-12 specifically tells people to go out and get jobs so that they are not a burden. What is the reason Christians are quick to apply Acts 2:42 but not Acts 2:43 (miracles) or 2:4445 (communal living)? What is the difference between what is happening in Acts 2 and 2 Thessalonians 3?
The Structure of the Passage

Our text falls into four divisions: (1) The parable of the soils told by Jesus8:4-8 (2) The purpose of our Lord using parables8:9-10 (3) The interpretation of the parable of the soils8:11-15 (4) The implications and applications of the parable8:16-21
The Setting

From the accounts of Matthew and Mark we learn that Jesus was probably at Capernaum. Matthew tells us that Jesus went out of the house (Matthew 13:1), which at least suggests that this was the house where our Lord usually stayed while at Capernaum, the early headquarters for His ministry. A large crowd from various cities and towns had gathered along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, so that our Lord found it necessary to speak from a boat, anchored close to the shore (cf. Matthew 13:2; Mark 4:1).

The preceding context in all three gospel accounts indicates a strong resistance to Jesus, His teaching, and His ministry, on the part of the Pharisees. The clash between Jesus and the Pharisees was evident in His claim to have authority to forgive sins (Luke 5:17-26), His association with sinners (Luke 5:27-32), and His failure to keep the Sabbath according to their prescriptions (Luke 6:1-11). Jesus miraculous power was attributed to Beelzebub, the prince of demons (cf. Mark 3:22). By this point in time they had already determined to put Jesus to death (Matthew 12:14; Mark 3:6). It was only a question of finding the right place and time. The parable of the soils is found in all three of the synoptic gospels (Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:134; Luke 8:4-18). Lukes account informs us that teaching by parables began with our Lords second Galilean campaign (cf. Luke 8:1). Teaching by means of parables became the Lords method of teaching the crowds: With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything (Mark 4:33-34). The disciples to whom our Lord revealed everything was the larger group of His followers, including those previously mentioned in 8:1-3. Mark especially makes this clear: When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, (Mark 4:10-11a).
The Parable of the Soils (8:4-8)

The parable of the soils describes what becomes of seed that is sown in four different types of soil. The first type of soil is the hardened soil of the pathway. This seed does not penetrate the soil at all, but is quickly snatched up by the birds of the air. The second type of soil is the rocky soil, a shallow layer of earth, barely covering to rock below. The seed which falls upon this type of soil quickly germinates, aided by the warmth retained by the rock, but hindered by a lack of depth and by a lack of moisture. The seed which germinates quickly also terminates quickly. The third soil is the thorny soil, a soil populated with thorns. The seed falling into this soil germinates and begins to grow, but is eventually crowded out by the hardier thorns. The fourth soil is the fruitful soil, that soil which produces a bountiful crop. Having told the story, Jesus put an exclamation point after it by adding these words: He who has ears to hear, let him hear (v. 8).
The Purpose of the Parables (8:9-10)

The disciples apparently kept quiet as our Lord was teaching by means of this parable and many others. They may have been reluctant to admit that they didnt understand what He was trying to teach them. It would seem that no one else asked what He meant, either, or they would not have needed to ask Jesus privately about His meaning.

The disciples who accompanied Jesus (more than just the twelve, cf. Mark 4:10) privately inquired about the parable. Lukes account tells us that they asked Him about this parable (v. 9), while the other accounts inform us that they were also asking about the meaning of all the parables. Matthew tells us that they inquired as to why Jesus switched to teaching by means of parables (13:10). Mark says that they asked Him about the parables (4:10). All of these questions are intertwined, and so it is easy to see that all of these questions could have been put to our once they were away from the crowd. In Lukes account, even though he says that they asked Jesus what this parable meant, Jesus first explained to them why He had changed His method of teaching the crowds by means of parables. Lukes account of our Lords response is brief and to the point. Jesus answer is brief, but loaded with implications. Let us consider what He said: The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand (Luke 8:10). Let us make several observations concerning what our Lord has said: (1) Jesus began using parables to conceal His teaching from some, and to reveal it to others. (2) Jesus used parables to conceal truth from the crowds, while revealing it to His disciples. We can see from our text that the disciples did not understand our Lords parables any more than the crowds, but He did explain the meaning to them later (Mark 4:34). (3) By teaching in parables, Jesus did not withhold anything which the people were both eager and able to understand. Mark clearly tells us that Jesus taught the crowds all they could handle: With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand (Mark 4:33). (4) Jesus viewed His teaching by parables (and thus His concealing and revealing) as a fulfillment of prophecy, or at least as consistent with the ministry which God gave to Isaiah. Our Lord cites from Isaiah chapter 6 to vindicate His actions. God had sent many prophets to the nation Israel, and all of them were rejected, along with their message. John, the last of the Old Testament prophets, was also rejected, at least by the religious leaders of Israel. Isaiah chapter 6 is the account of this prophets commission. The words which our Lord cited are the word of God to Isaiah, indicating that his ministry was essentially not one of calling men to repentance, but rather of confirming their condemnation. Isaiahs words sealed Israels doom, and preceded the outpouring of Gods judgment on His disobedient people. Jesus viewed His ministry as similar to that of Isaiah, and thus teaching in parables could be vindicated by referring to Isaiahs account of Gods words addressed to Him. (5) The teaching which Jesus was simultaneously concealing and revealing concerned the secrets of the kingdom of God. I believe that on His first Galilean campaign Jesus concentrated on identifying Himself as Israels Messiah (cf. Luke 4:16-21). Now, He seems to be concentrating more on the nature of the kingdom itself.

(6) Those from whom the secrets of the kingdom of God are concealed are unbelievers, whose doom is thereby sealed. Jesus conceals the truth from those who are without so that they wont understand and will not repent, and thus not be able to enter into His kingdom. This is implied in Lukes account, but clearly stated in both Matthew and Mark, not to mention the prophecy of Isaiah. You will recall that when the teachers of the law attributed Jesus works, accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit, to Beelzebub (Mark 3:22f.), Jesus said that this was one blasphemy which could not be forgiven them. Their doom was sealed, and speaking in parables was one aspect of their condemnation. Our Lords words of explanation reveal that some decisive changes have occurred in His ministry:

They reveal that there is a change in the message of our Lord. I believe that in the first Galilean campaign of our Lord, the emphasis was on His identity as Israels king. Now, the Lords teaching has shifted to the more intimate (secret) aspects of His kingdom. Our Lords words reveal a change of method. Our Lord is now speaking by means of parables more indirectly than before. Our Lords words reveal a change of focus and emphasis. Jesus is beginning to spend more time with His disciples. In our Lords first Galilean campaign, it would seem that His disciples were not always present. From now on, Jesus pours more effort into the teaching of His disciples (not just the 12, either, but the larger group of His followers).

The Interpretation of the Parable of the Soils (8:11-15)

Jesus has just finished explaining His purpose in speaking by means of parablesto conceal the secrets of the kingdom from the crowds, while revealing them to His followers. Now, having explained His purpose in using parables, Jesus goes on to explain the meaning of this particular parable of the soils. The parable explains the different responses which men have toward the gospel. Four different responses are given, along with four different causes and four distinct results. The sowing of the seed symbolizes the spreading of the gospel. The seed which is sown is the word of God (v. 11). The hardened soilthose alone the pathare those whose hearts have never been open to the gospel, who never responded positively to the Lord Jesus Christ. The scribes and Pharisees seem generally to fall into this category. The gospel makes no impression on them whatsoever. Satan immediate snatches the gospel from their hearts, so that there is no response, no new birth, no fruit. The second soilthe shallow soilrepresents those who positively (joyfully) respond to our Lords teaching, but only due to an inadequate grasp of its implications. These folks respond positively to the word because they think that it is a kind of prosperity gospel, a gospel which promises only good times, blessing, happiness, and bliss. The quickness of the response is an indication of their lack of depth, or their lack of perception as to what the gospel really means. And, let me quickly add, this is not due to our Lords misrepresentation of the gospel. It is the

result of selective hearing, of hearing only the good and pleasant things, rather than hearing of the costs involved in discipleship, of which our Lord often spoke. A simple reading of the Sermon on the Mount will show how our Lord carefully represented the blessings and the costs of following Him. The third soil, the thorny soil, represents those who have a more complete grasp of the cost of discipleship, but who have never rid themselves of the cares of this world. Their concerns for money and for pleasure outgrow their seeking first the kingdom of God, and thus their priorities are reversed. It is not that the people represented by this thorny soil do not understand the costs of discipleship, but that they are not willing to pay the price. It is not lack of knowledge which causes them to err, but lack of commitment, lack of dedication. The fourth soil, the good soil represents all those whose hearts are prepared for the gospel, and whose lives are uncluttered with competitive interests and values. In this fourth soil the word not only bring forth life, but the plant comes to maturity and it bears fruit. Here is the goal of discipleship.
Which of the Soils is Saved?

When I have taught this text before I have spent considerable time attempting to answer the question, Which of the four types of soil represent those who are saved? I am now inclined to approach this parable differently. I believe that the first soil represents those who are lost, and that the fourth soil represents those who are saved, but I do not believe that the Lords purpose in telling the parable is to distinguish between believers and unbelievers. There is only one kind of soil which attains the goal. The goal which our Lord holds out in this parable is not that of being saved, but that of reaching full maturity and of bearing fruit. Someone might argue that a rocky soil person or a thorny soil person is a true believer, but our Lord would have us understand that they have not reached the goal for which they were saved. We are saved, not only to escape divine wrath and to live forever in heaven, but to attain to the fullness of the stature of Christ (Eph. 4:13) and to bear fruit (John 15:5). The problem with many contemporary Christians is the same as that of the Pharisees and many other Jews of Jesus daywe are two-category thinkers. We think of the world only in terms of those who are saved and those who are not; those who are going to heaven and those who are going to hell. The Jews thought of the world in terms of two categories: the Jew, who was Gods chosen, the object of Gods blessings; and the Gentile heathen, who was lost and the object of divine wrath. The parable of the soils which Jesus told forces us to think in terms of more than just two categories. It is not enough to have merely escaped hell, and to have our foot wedged in the doorway of heaven. The goal for which we are saved is to persevere, to grow, to reach maturity, and to produce more fruit. To fall short of this goal (even though we may have been saved), is to fail to attain that for which we were called and set apart. The kind of Christian which pleases the heart of God is not one which makes a dramatic start and then dies out, nor one whose commitment to Christ is slowly choked out by worldly desires. The kind of Christian which pleases God is that one which thoughtfully hears the gospel, understands its implications, and then consistently grows and matures, and which bears fruit as a result.

Over the years of my ministry I have seen only a few who were so bold as to admit that all they wanted was to be saved by the skin of their teeth, who wanted to live this life with a minimum of commitment and obedience to Christ, and with a maximum of worldly pleasure. The few who were honest enough to say so admitted that they did not care about heavenly rewards, but only wanted to be sure of making it through the gate. While few are honest enough to admit to this kind of thinking, many of us are guilty of it. Our Lords parable of the soils should exhort us to desire and to depend upon Him to enable us to be like the fourth soil, and to find all other soils unacceptable. It is only this fourth soil kind of person who perseveres through adversity to maturity and fruitfulness (cf. v. 15). In the gospel accounts we find that these four types of soil describe nearly all of those who heard the gospel of the kingdom. We find those who immediately rejected it; those who too quickly accepted it, those who fizzled out over a longer period, and those who endured and who bore fruit. These four types of soil also provide us with a grid by means of which we can categorize church-goers today. How few are those who can be called good soil saints.
The Reason for Hiding the Truth (8:16-18)

In the previous verses Jesus has told His disciples that He meant to hide the truth of the kingdom from the masses, while revealing it to His intimate followers. Now, in verses 16-18, Jesus makes it clear that this hiding of the truth is only temporary. The truth, Jesus taught, was like a light, and light was not intended to be hidden, but to be brought into the open, where men in darkness could benefit from it. In verse 17, Jesus went on to say that nothing which was presently hidden was to stay hidden for long, but would be brought out into the open. Jesus was not revealing His secrets to His disciples so that they could keep these things to themselves. Jesus was revealing His secrets to His disciples so that very soon they could broadcast them to the world. The disciples were thus urged to listen well, for as they distributed that which the Lord had entrusted to them they would be given even more. The secrets they were told were to be publicly proclaimed. As the truth was broadcast, more truth would be revealed. Jesus did not envision a gnostic few, who discovered and kept His secrets to themselves, but a dynamic force which would proclaim them abroad. Why, then, were these truths, these secrets of the kingdom, temporarily concealed from the masses? Why were only the disciples told? I believe that that which was secret here was that which pertained to the sufferings and sacrificial death of Christ. The reason why these secrets were not made known to the crowd of Israelites was that many of them were to be the ones who would publicly deny Christ and who would demand His execution, while calling for the release of Barabas. Isaiahs prophecy was veiled because the nation Israel had too long rejected the prophetic warnings and exhortations of previous prophets. When Isaiah came on the scene his message was veiled because Gods judgment was at hand. Thus, Isaiahs preaching was to solidify Israels state of unbelief. Something similar is happening in our Lords shift to teaching in parables. The nation Israel has not received Jesus as their Messiah. Their leaders have rejected Him and have determined to put

Him to death. The people demand miracles and signs. Jesus began to veil His teaching, focusing more on His disciples and revealing more and more to them about His upcoming rejection and sacrificial death. Jesus concealing of these mysteries of the kingdom allowed the unbelieving nation to intensify its efforts to rid itself of this kind of Messiah. It signaled a change from speaking of a crown to suffering death on a cross. These mysteries would only be proclaimed and understood after our Lords crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. The principle has been laid down that Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him (v. 18). The question is, What constitutes having or possessing the truth? The answer, I believe, is this: WE HAVE THAT WHICH WE POSSESS BY PRACTICING IT. The inner circle of our Lords followers not only heard our Lords teaching, they took it to heart, leaving everything behind them to follow Him. Those who did not possess the truth only heard it, but did not apply it. Jesus is teaching that the one who possesses His teaching is the one who acts on it, who makes it his (or her) own, and who thus perseveres, grows to maturity, and bears fruit. To those who use the truth, more is given. To those who only hear it, even what they appear to possess is taken awayit has done them no good at all.
The Real Family of our Lord (8:19-21)

This principle of possession is applied by our Lord in a very practical way in verses 19-21. His mother and brothers came to the house where He was staying and requested to see Him. Some brought word inside to the Lord, informing Him that His family was there and wished to see Him. Jesus responded by saying that His true family was made up of those who heard His word and put it into practice. The real followers of Jesus are those who had ears to hear and hearts to do what He taught.
Conclusion

This text teaches us some very important principlestruths which have pertinent and practical application to our own daily living. Let me conclude by mentioning some of these principles: (1) Men are unable to grasp Gods truths, apart from divine enablement. Not only the crowds, but the disciples of our Lord as well failed to understand what Jesus was teaching by means of the parables. The disciples were enabled to understand what the parables meant only because Jesus explained their meaning to them at their request (Mark 4:34). Apart from our Lords explanations, the disciples would have been just as much in the dark as the crowds. Even when Jesus spoke plainly to the disciples, they did not fully grasp what He was saying (cf. Matt. 16:9,11; Mark 9:30-33). Divine revelation requires divine interpretation. This is because Gods truths are vastly above our ability to grasp or comprehend:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isa. 55:8-9). This principle, that divine revelation requires divine interpretation, is not just true for those who lived in Jesus dayit is true for saints today as well: No, we speak of Gods secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would hot have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, No mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Cor. 2:7-9). In this context, Paul tells the Corinthian saints that Gods truths are above human comprehension. He goes on to say in the verses that follow that it is through the Holy Spirit that God makes these truths known to men. The Spirit has inspired the human authors, and it is also the Spirit that enables gifted teachers to explain them, and who illuminates individuals to grasp their meaning and application. While the disciples went to Jesus to learn the meaning of His words, we must look to the Holy Spirit to enable us to grasp the meaning of Scripture (cf. 1 Cor. 2:10ff.; John 16:12ff.). (2) When it comes to possessing the truths of God, we must use it, or lose it! Our Lord informs us that He does not inform His followers of His secrets only for their information, but for their transformation (cf. John 17:17; Rom. 12:2). And not only are we to see to it that the Word of God is applied to our own lives, we must also proclaim it to others. Here is fruitbearing. The Word of God is like the manna of the Old Testament: it is not given for us to store up, but to use. That which is not used rots. (3) Problem passages should draw us to Him. Often times people will use difficult texts as their excuse for not studying the Bible, or for not following Christ. The difficult sayings of Jesus drew the disciples closer to Him, for He alone knew their meaning. Problem passages should do this for the true Christian. They should cause us to seek His face, to learn from Him through His Spirit. Problems should draw us to Him, not from Him. (4) The parable of the soils has an evangelistic lesson, as well as a warning. Note that the sower sowed seed on all four kinds of soil. You might say that he sowed indiscriminately. You and I do not know what kind of soil our unsaved fried or neighbor might be. Because of this, we must proclaim the gospel (sow the seed) indiscriminately. We will not know what kind of soil men are for some time. Let us therefore be on guard against pre-judging others and simply proclaim the truth of Gods word to all. For those who have heard the word of God, who have heard the gospel and yet have not responded, there is a clear word of warning here. To disregard the gospel is dangerous, for Satan will not allow the seed to remain for long and the seed may never be sown in our hearts again. If you have heard the message of the gospel, knowing that you are a sinner in need of Gods grace, in need of the forgiveness found only in Christ, and yet have not acted so as to receive it, you are

presuming on the grace of God, expecting another opportunity which may never come your way again. Receive Him today!
Four Types of Teacher/Leader: Which One Are You?
Believers are people who espouse the core values of the school; they buy into the mission statement/philosophy of the school and believe that all students are capable of learning. They especially recognize that they have a direct impact on student success. They function in a student-centered paradigm and their drive to realize student success is central to their values. Believers are eager to embrace change especially if it means improving student engagement and learning. Their motivation is intrinsic and not dependent on the influence of leadership. In other words, these teachers will do it anyway even if the consensus opinion is that these efforts dont matter because little Jonny wont ever pass the course or learn anything. The believers are highly flexible in their teaching strategies and ready to embrace new technologies and other change in their belief that all students can learn. Believers have a high level of personal connection to the school and the surrounding community. Many will organize their lives to be in close proximity with their work environment. Their commitment to their work and school brings them a sense of stability and shared community. The most striking characteristic, according to Dr. Muhammads research, is the high level of flexibility believers adopt in their attempts to achieve the goal of student success. When one approach is clearly not effective with a student, believers quickly switch and find one that does. Rules about classroom management are not more important than student success. Believers wont sweat the small stuff because they remember the bottom line: student learning and success. They rely on student loyalty, which they gain through their obvious commitment to their students. Believers give the students a clear message: they expect them to succeed and will do everything to help them achieve this. That attitude is communicated by caring and consistency of effort. Students display a high level of respect for this type of teacher and are often motivated to achieve more because of the positive pressure exerted by the teacher. I think that all teachers begin their careers as believers and motivated by the highest values of selfless work in the service of learning and education of the young. Something happens to turn that initial vision and dedication to others into a concern for maintaining the status quo. Thats the subject of my next post. Stay tuned. Please leave a comment and share your ideas.

THE CHURCH HAS 4 TYPES OF BELIEVERS 1. PIONEERS - those who make things happen. They are always spoiling for action and often put pressure upon the church to move forward. They keep expanding the borders of church ministry to embrace every opportunity Gods giving their way. They create a momentum until others are absorbed into the flow of their vision for the Lord. 2. ENABLERS - those who support things happening. The pioneers have clarified their hearts and captivated them for action. They will bring in their talents, time and resources to help fulfil the vision of the pioneers. They will also encourage others to participate in the move. They are basically exhorters and ministry of helps. 3. RESISTOR A - those who dont know what is happening. These are people who resist because they are ignorant of what is taking place. Things are happening faster than they want or are ready for. They do not see the whole picture of what God is doing and their fears and inner limitations are exposed in their objections to this new thing. They can be won to become enablers if spiritual understanding is given to them. 4. RESISTOR B - those who will not allow anything to happen. They oppose change because they do not want to pay the price for change to take place in their lives. Normally these are people who have settled and have an upper hand in the situations at present and fear to loose their position through changes that might take place. Their inabilities to move forward in the present move is covered up by their strong objections and reasoning. They do not want their comfortable life to be pressured by spiritual convictions and activities. They do not want anybody to unsettle their comfort zone.

Four Species

The Four Species according to Ashkenazi tradition. Halakhic texts relating to this article: Torah: Leviticus 23:40

Babylonian Talmud: Sukkah Chapter 3 Mishneh Torah: Laws of Shofar, Sukkah, and Lulav 7:18:11 Shulchan Aruch: Orach Chaim 645-658

* Not meant as a definitive ruling. Some observances may be rabbinical, customs or Torah based.

The Four Species (Hebrew: , Arba'at Ha-Minim, also called Arba Minim) are plants mentioned in the Torah as being relevant to Sukkot. Karaite Jews build their Sukkot out of branches from the four specified species, while Talmudic Jews take three types of branches and one type of fruit which are held together and waved in a special ceremony during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The waving of the Four Species is a mitzvah prescribed by the Torah, and contains symbolic allusions to a Jew's service of God. In Talmudic tradition, the Four Species are:

Lulav ( )a ripe, green, closed frond from a date palm tree Hadass ( )boughs with leaves from the myrtle tree Aravah ( )branches with leaves from the willow tree Etrog ( )the fruit of a citron tree

Contents

1 Practice 2 History 3 Reciting the blessing 4 Selecting the Four Species 5 Symbolism 6 Other interpretations 7 Bibliography 8 References

[edit] Practice
The mitzvah of waving the Four Species derives from the Torah. In Leviticus, it states: And you shall take for yourselves on the first day [of Sukkot], the fruit of the beautiful [citron] tree,

tightly bound branches of date palms, the branch of the braided [myrtle] tree, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.[1] During the time of the Temple in Jerusalem, the waving ceremony (called na'anu'im eht ni demrofrep saw ( Holy Temple on all seven days of Sukkot, and elsewhere only on the first day. Following the destruction of the Temple, Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai ordered that the Four Species be waved everywhere on every day of Sukkot (except on Shabbat), as a memorial to the Temple.[citation
needed]

To prepare the species for the mitzvah, the lulav is first bound together with the hadass and aravah (this bundle is also referred to as "the lulav") in the following manner: One lulav is placed in the center, two aravah branches are placed to the left, and three hadass boughs are placed to the right. (This order is the same for both right-handed and left-handed people.[2]) The bundle may be bound with strips from another palm frond, or be placed in a special holder which is also woven from palm fronds. Sephardic Jews place one aravah to the right of the lulav and the second aravah to its left, and cover them with the three hadass boughsone on the right, the second on the left, and the third atop the lulav's spine, leaning slightly to the right. The bundle is held together with rings made from strips of palm fronds. Many Hasidic Ashkenazi Jews follow this practice as well. In all cases, all of the species must be placed in the direction in which they grew. (For the etrog, this means that the stem end should be on the bottom and the blossom end on top; this is the direction in which the etrog begins to grow, though as it matures on the tree it usually hangs in the opposite direction.)

History
In old Jewish Eastern European communities, the Jews lived in cities far from fields, which then required substantial travel in order to purchase the Four Species. Often whole towns would have had to share them. The etrog especially was rare and thus very expensive. In Northern African communities, in Morocco, Tunis and Tangier, the communities were located closer to fields, but the etrog was still fairly expensive. There, instead of one per city, there was one per family. But in both areas, the community would share their etrogs to some extent. Today, with improved transportation, farming techniques etc., more people have their own. An etrog can cost anywhere from $3 to $500 depending on their quality. [1]

Reciting the blessing

The Tosher Rebbe of Montreal, Canada, waving the Four Species during Hallel

To recite the blessing over the lulav and etrog, the lulav is held in one hand and the etrog in the other. Right-handed users hold the lulav in the right hand and the etrog in the left. The customs for those who are left-handed differ for Ashkenazim and Sephardim. According to the Ashkenazi custom, the lulav is held in the left hand, and according to the Sephardi custom, in the right hand.[3] According to Sephardi custom, the blessing is said while holding only the lulav and the etrog is picked up once the blessing is completed. According to Ashkenazi custom, before the blessing is said, the etrog is turned upside-down, opposite the direction in which it grows. The reason for these two customs is that the blessing must precede the performance of the mitzvah. Should all the species be held in the direction in which they grew, the mitzvah would be fulfilled before the blessing is recited. After reciting the blessing, "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to take the lulav" (the "Shehecheyanu" blessing is also recited the first time each year that one waves the lulav and etrog), the etrog is turned right side up (or picked up), and the user brings his or her two hands together so that the etrog touches the lulav bundle. The Four Species are then pointed and gently shaken three times toward each of the four directions, plus up and down, to attest to God's mastery over all of creation. The waving ceremony can be performed in the synagogue, or in the privacy of one's home or sukkah, as long as it is daytime. Women and girls may also choose to perform the mitzvah of waving the lulav and etrog, although they are not required by Halakha to do so. Because women are not required to perform this mitzva, some are of the opinion that Sephardi women do not need to recite the blessing.[4] The waving is performed again (though without the attendant blessings) during morning prayer services in the synagogue, at several points during the recital of Hallel. Additionally, in the synagogue, Hallel is followed by a further ceremony, in which the worshippers join in a processional around the sanctuary with their Four Species, while reciting special supplications (called hoshaanot, from the refrain hosha na, "save us"). From the first through the sixth day of Sukkot, one complete circuit is made; on Hoshanah Rabbah, the seventh and last day of Sukkot, seven complete circuits are made. As the Four Species are not used on

Shabbat, there are variant customs as to whether hoshaanot are said and a circuit made on that day.

Selecting the Four Species

While all mitzvot should be performed in the best manner possible, hiddur mitzvah (beautifying the mitzvah) especially applies to the Four Species. The halacha is explicit on what constitutes the "best" in each species.[5] To that end, people will spend large amounts of money to acquire the most perfect etrog, the straightest lulav, and the freshest hadass and aravah. Usually a father will buy several sets of the Four Species to outfit his sons, as well. Another custom for hiddur mitzvah is to, depending on your custom of wrapping lulav and etrog, is to have more than two aravos and three haddasim. Some people have the custom to have as many as 40 extra haddassim and aravos. Hiddur mitzvah applies to all mitzvot, but its absence does not impede the mitzvah from being performed. For the Four Species specifically, there is a further "technical" requirement of hadar (beauty), which does impede the mitzvah of the Four Species from being performed. Despite their similar names and details, these two requirements are distinct from one another.[6]

Symbolism
Several explanations are offered as to why these particular species were chosen for the mitzvah. The Midrash[7] notes that the binding of the Four Species symbolizes our desire to unite the four "types" of Jews in service of God. An allusion is made to whether or not the species (or their fruits) have taste and/or smell, which correspond to Torah and good deeds. The symbolism is as follows:

The lulav has taste but no smell, symbolizing those who study Torah but do not possess good deeds. The hadass has a good smell but no taste, symbolizing those who possess good deeds but do not study Torah. The aravah has neither taste nor smell, symbolizing those who lack both Torah and good deeds. The etrog has both a good taste and a good smell, symbolizing those who have both Torah and good deeds.

A second explanation[8] finds the four species alluding to parts of the human body. Each of the species or its leaves is similar in shape to the following organs:

Lulav the spine Hadass the eye Aravah the mouth Etrog the heart

By binding them together for a mitzvah, the Jew shows his desire to consecrate his entire being to service of God. An additional reason for waving the Four Species in all directions alludes to the fact that all these species require much water to grow. The lulav (date palm) grows in watered valleys, hadass and aravah grow near water sources, and the etrog requires more water than other fruit trees. By taking these particular species and waving them in all directions, the Jew symbolically voices a prayer for abundant rainfall for all the vegetation of the earth in the coming year.

Other interpretations
The mitzvah is derived from the Book of Leviticus: "And you shall take for yourself on the first day the fruit of goodly (meaning of Hebrew uncertain, but modern Hebrew "citrus") trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook" (Lev. 23:40). The use to which these species are to be put is not indicated; this gave rise to divergent interpretations at a later time. Two breakaway sects, the Sadducees and the Karaites, maintained that they were meant for building the sukkah, based upon Neh. 8:14-18. However, Nehemiah described five species, including different species than those written in the Torah. For example, Nehemiah does not mention fruit at all in the construction of the sukkot, whereas the Torah (Lev. 23:40) clearly states "pri eitz hadar" (fruit of a beautiful tree)is one of the four species. In addition, Nehemiah does not mention "ar'vei nachal" (brook willows) which are specifically mentioned in the Torah. Moreover, Nehemiah adds three species not mentioned in the Torah: "alei zayit" (olive leaves), "alei eitz shemen" (leaves of an oil tree) and "alei hadas" (myrtle leaves). According to normative Jews, these substantial differences indicate that Nehemiah was not supporting the use of the four species as part of sukkah construction.
A Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacles booklist may be accessed here: http://www.fni.com/worship/200110/msg00266.html I. TRADITIONAL JEWISH WEBSITES http://aish.com/holidays/sukkot/default.asp http://www.bookrags.com/sukkot http://jewish.com/holiday/sukkot http://urj.org/holidays/sukkot/ http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot

http://www.ehow.com/how_8242_celebrate_sukkot.html http://www.judaism.com/holiday/sukkot.asp http://learn.jtsa.edu/sukkot http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hdaysu.htm http://www.sukkahs.com/why.htm http://www.njop.org/html/Sukkot.html http://www.ou.org First access this site, then click on "Jewish Holidays", then click "Sukkot." http://joi.org/celebrate/sukkot http://www.jewish.com/search/Holidays/Sukkot http://www.jajz-ed.org.il/festivls/tish/index.html http://www.jajz-ed.org.il/calendar/7.html http://www.jewishappleseed.org/apple/homeframe.html http://www.rigal.freeserve.co.uk/jewish/customs/index.html http://www.theholidayspot.com/sukkot http://www.jafi.org.il/education/festivls/tish/sukkot.html http://sukkot.123holiday.net http://www.hanefesh.com http://www.amit.org.il/learning/english/Sukkot http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Sukkot.htm http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/judaism_holidays/sukkot/index.htm http://www.funmunch.com/events/sukkot/index.html http://www.hebrewsongs.com/sukkotsongs.htm

THE KARAITE TRADITION http://www.karaite-korner.org/sukkot.shtml

II. CHRISTIAN/JUDEO-CHRISTIAN/MESSIANIC WEBSITES http://www.amfi.org/sukkoth.htm http://www.annieshomepage.com/tabernacles.html http://www.biblicalholidays.com/tabernacles.htm http://www.hebroots.org http://www.israelsharvest.com/sukkot.htm http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/ds/q0408/point3.html http://www.haydid.org/ff.htm http://www.derech.org/sukkot.html http://www.homeworship101.com/holy_days_intro.htm http://messiahpa.org/succot.htm http://www.ahavta.org/festivals.htm http://www.godwithus.org/holidays/sukkot.html http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Fall_Holidays/Sukkot/sukkot.html http://christianactionforisrael.org/judeochr/sukkot/sukkot.html http://www.wholebible.com/tabernacles.htm

THE CHRISTIAN CELEBRATION OF THE FEAST OF TABERNACLESJerusalem http://www.icej.org

III. GREAT AGRICULTURAL SITES AND ETROG SITES These contain information on the Four Species and the fascinating history and cultivation of the etrog/citron: http://www.jajz-ed.org.il/festivls/tish/29.html http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/citron.html

http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/10920/ http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20070814/TCMAG/708140304/-1/NEWA06apps http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/etrog http://www.jewishroots.it/art001-etrog-eng.shtml

http://www.esrogfarm.com The "Mother of All Etrog Websites!" Dr. David Wiseman sells etrog tree seedlings, young etrog trees, very fragrant etrogs, and has written fascinating books on the etrog and Sukkot. He will also ship lulavs, myrtles, willows and etrogs to churches and congregations.

IV. GREAT ETROG RECIPES http://kosherfood.about.com/od/sukkot/Succoth.htm http://www.jewishrecipes.org/recipes/sukkot/etrog-cake.html http://www.jewishrecipes.org/recipes/sukkot/citron-slices-cooked-in-syrup.html http://sukkot.123holiday.net/sukkot_recipes.html http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/jewish_holidays/sukkot/recip.htm

V. GREAT SOURCE OF LULAVS AND ETROGSat reasonable prices! Call first, to place your order. FAMOUS ETROGIM Mr. Aaron Weider 1-800-461-5016 25 Adar Court Monsey, New York 10952

VI. HOW TO BLESS AND WAVE THE LULAV/ETROG The lulav/etrog are blessed and waved every day of Sukkot, waved in procession around the synagogue, and also waved during the recitation of Hallel, usually Psalm 118. It is waved whenever the Levites' psalm "O give thanks unto the LORD/YAHWEH, for He is goodHis mercy endures forever!" is read, chanted or sung, and also waved on the refrain "His mercy endures forever!" It

is taken in procession on Hoshana Rabbah, the last day of Sukkot, at which seven circuits are completed around the synagogue. This is lots of FUN and everyone enjoys waving their praise! The lulav/etrog is waved three times in six directions--east, west, north, south, up, downto show that YAHWEH ELOHIM/GOD is everywhere and His presence fills the universe.Waving the lulav/etrog also demonstrates God's sovereignty of the entire created order"The earth is the LORD's and everything in itthe world, and those who live there!" (Psalm 24:1); recalls Yeshua's/Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem before His passion and resurrection (Matthew 21:1-16; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-48; John 12:12-18) and depicts the innumerable host of believers of "every kindred, tribe, nation and language" who wave palm branches and declare "Salvation belongs to our God Who sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb!" (Rev. 7:9-17)

Here are the websites that discuss waving the lulav/etrog, from very simple instructions to the super-complex, esoteric interpretations of Talmudic scholars: http://www.hjncy.org/shake.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Species http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Sukkot/Overview_Sukkot_Community/Lulav_basics/Lulav_Symbolism.htm http://www.sssm.org/uploads/1303Sukkot.pdf http://www.clal.org/rl46.html http://www.toad.net/~kolami/html/sukkot.html http://vbm-torah.org/sukkot/suk59-ral.htm http://www.vbm-torah.org/sukkot/suk63bg.htm http://www.mazornet.com/jewishcl/Holidays/sukkot-lulav.htm http://members.aol.com/LazerA/sukkos.htm http://www.angelfire.com/mi/rothenberg/lulav.html http://www.triumphpro.com/waving_the_lulav.htm

YOUTUBE VIDEOS http://www.youtube.com There are many Sukkot-Feast of Tabernacles videos available on the YouTube website! Just type Lulav shake, Sukkot, Feast of Tabernacles and similar terms in the search field, and you can watch a young woman bensching lulav, a young man going into a sukkah-mobile to shake the lulav, people gaily dancing and waving the lulav, little kids singing and explaining Sukkot, folks constructing sukkot to a Grease tune, and lots of other fun stuff. My personal favorite is the Lulav Shake video.

VII. HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN SUKKAH http://www.chelm.org/jewish/chags/sukkot/build.html http://www.davecurtis.net/succah/succah.html http://www.holidays.net/sukkot/pdf/sukkahplan.pdf http://succah.telarian.com

VIII. THE "EDIBLE SUKKAH" http://www.chadiscrafts.com/fun/ediblesukkah.html

IX. GREAT SUKKOT POSTER FOR CHILDREN TO COLOR http://www.learn.jtsa.edu/topics/kids/egalpos/imgthree.shtml This poster can be enlarged to 11"x17", and features a young girl saying the blessing for the lulav and etrog under the sukkah.

X. CUTE SUKKOT HANDOUTS FOR CHILDREN TO COLOR http://www/aish.com/graphics/holidays/sukkot/succot_aish_9_images.pdf http://www.torahtots.com http://www.chagim.org.il/color.html http://www.shemayisrael.co.il/yomtov/sukkot/skpages.htm

XI. CUTE TOY LULAV/ETROG FOR YOUNG CHILDREN http://www.chaikids.com http://www.judaism.com This is a stuffed felt lulav and etrog set for the Tiny Tot/pre-school crowd.

XII. SUKKOT HOLIDAY PUZZLE FOR CHILDREN http://www.oytoys.com/Melissa-and-Doug-Sukkot-Holiday-Puzzle-p/md-3819.htm

XIII. SUKKOT SONGS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/holiday_themes/jewish/sukkot_songs.htm This website has a wealth of Sukkot activities and songs for pre-schoolers.

XIV. SUKKOT CRAFTS http://www.holidays.net/sukkot/crafts.htm http://www.jdc.org.il/fsu/jewishyear/english/tishrei_sukkot_crafts.htm http://geoparent.com/home/crafts/sukkot.htm http://www.jewishcrafts.com/sukkah%20crafts.html http://www.traditionsrenewed.com

XV. SUKKOT CLIP-ART http://www.angelfire.com/home/avital/ascii/sukkot.html

XVI. GREAT SUKKAH-KIT WEBSITES http://www.sukkot.com Kits of all sizes to help you construct your own sukkah, and help you build the church/synagogue sukkah, too! These kits are built by Steve Herman and Family. There is also a "sukkaleh"a little sukkah that can be built for children. Steve also has other items such as banners and artificial fruit to decorate your sukkah, and a Sukkot T-shirt.

http://www.sukkahsoul.com Unusual free-standing sukkah kit, created by architect Susan Shender. Here's an interesting article about this sukkah: http://www.forward.com/articles/sukkot_from_humble_to_inspired

XVII. BEAUTIFUL STAINED GLASS SUKKOT ART http://www.glasspainter.com/synagogue/sukkot.htm

XVIII. FREE SUKKOT E-CARD GREETINGS http://www.123greetings.com http://www.1001postcards.org http://www.judaicacards.com http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/holidays/sukkot.asp

XVIV. SUKKOT T-SHIRTS AND ACCESSORIES http://www.feastgoer.org http://www.cafepress.com/buy/feast/christian http://www.cafepress.com/buy/sukkot http://www.teesoftheyear.com/sukkot_feast_of_tabernacles.html

CHAG SAMEACH and have a blessed autumn in the Zeman Simchatenu, the Season of our Joy!

Charity Dell [email protected] Jubilate Deo omnis terra! (Psalm 100:1)

Jewish Ritualism or Biblical Command?

The Mystery of the "Lulav"

Why do Jewish people during the Feast of Sukkot or Tabernacles carry a "lulav" -- four special species of plants -- and wave it back and forth as they march in a procession around the synagogue? Is there something Biblical about this custom? Or is this just a "ritual" that stems from either "legalism" or "tradition,"

and nothing we as Christians should be concerned with -- even though we observe the Annual Holy Days? "Lulav? What is the world is that?" many people would ask, or think, when they first heard the word. 'Is it Biblical?" others would ask. Why is there so much ignorance and lack of understanding about the "lulav," in supposedly Christian circles, including those churches which profess to observe the "Feast of Tabernacles"? Yet every year, at the Feast of Tabernacles, Jewish people purchase a special bundle of branches of various plants, composed of a palm branch, three myrtle branches, two willows, along with an "etrog" or citron -- called a "lulav" -- and then use them in worshipping before the Lord! But why do they do this? And why are Christians, who even claim to observe the Feast of Taberncacles, totally ignorant of this ancient custom?

What IS the "Lulav"?

What about this matter of "lulavs"? What are they? What does the "lulav" have to do with observing the Feast of Tabernacles? Is it mere ritualism? Legalism? Jewish "tradition"? Or approved Biblical command -- custom -- and something we should take note of , and observe, during the Feast of Tabernacles? Certainly, if YEHOVAH God Almighty says "DO IT!," then we should jump up and DO it -- without hesitation, equivocation, or hemming or hawing! Who are we to refuse a direct commandment of YEHOVAH GOD? YEHOVAH is the FINAL AUTHORITY! As Solomon warned: "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the END thereof are the ways of DEATH" (Prov. l4:12; 16:25). What does YEHOVAH's Word have to say about the "lulav"? Where does modern Rabbinic Judaism come up with the idea of waving a collection of branches before the LORD during the Feast of Tabernacles? Let's notice! The original instructions YEHOVAH God gave on this matter are found in Leviticus 23. We read, beginning in verse 39, the following:

"v.39. Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. "v.40. And ye shall take on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall REJOICE before the LORD your God seven days." Now notice! The Septuagint makes this even more clear: "v.39. And on the fifteenth day of this seventh month, , when ye shall have completely gathered in the fruits of the earth, ye shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days; on the first day there shall be a rest, and on the eighth day a rest. And on the first day ye shall take goodly fruit of trees, and branches of palm trees, and thick boughs of trees, and willows, and branches of osiers from the brook, TO REJOICE before the Lord your God seven days in the year." Do you see the meaning of this commandment? YEHOVAH instructs His people to take these fruits and branches, and to REJOICE before Him! How simple can it be? Yet how many people today even begin to have an inkling of what this commandment of YEHOVAH God is all about? Going on, then: "v.41. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a STATUTE FOR EVER in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. "v.42-43. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelite born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD thy God" (Lev. 23:39-43). Now let's notice one important discovery, right from the beginning. In verse 40 YEHOVAH tells us to take unto us on the first day of the Feast the boughs of various trees (which the Jews refer to as the "lulav"), and we are to REJOICE WITH THEM SEVEN DAYS. Then in verse 41, YEHOVAH RECAPITULATES the Festival instructions, and says we are to observe the Feast itself SEVEN DAYS, during the seventh month (the month of Tishri). He says we are to do this FOREVER. Notice that this verse ends the train of thought. Verse 40 tells us to take various

branches, and rejoice seven days. Then YEHOVAH says we are to observe the Feast for these seven days, for ever -- a perpetual covenant. But then, in verse 42, YEHOVAH introduces a NEW INSTRUCTION -- a new thought, separated from the instructions to take various branches, and to rejoice with them, by the summary instructions of verse 41 regarding observing the Feast "forever." Now, in verse 42, YEHOVAH says we are to "dwell in booths seven days." Why did YEHOVAH add this new instruction? "That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord thy God" (verse 43). The Septuagint has this passage thus: "Seven days ye shall dwell in tabernacles: every native in Israel shall dwell in tents, that your posterity may see, that I made the children of Israel to dwell in tents, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God" (v.42-43). Notice! This is NEW instruction! It is not defining the "boughs" of verse 40 -- it says nothing about the boughs of verse 40. Rather, it is completely separated from that verse and those boughs by verse 41, which recapitulates the basic instructions of celebrating the Feast! Therefore, verse 42, which mentions dwelling in booths, has no direct connection with verse 40, which discusses taking boughs and REJOICING BEFORE THE LORD seven days! The Jewish rabbis noticed this distinction, and therefore concluded that we are to take these boughs of verse 40, and use them in REJOICING before the LORD! During the time of the Second Temple -- from 445 B. C. to 70 A.D. -- they took these boughs to the Temple, and waved them "before the LORD" during the Temple services, especially the "Water Drawing Ceremony, " every morning of the Festival. The priests and Levites themselves also waved the "lulavs" before the LORD, at the Temple, as they paraded in a procession around the Altar, each morning during the Feast!

The Voice of Josephus and History

The Jewish historian Josephus, who lived in the first century, and who was himself of the Jewish priestly line, and a Pharisee, in his opus Antiquity of the Jews, writes about the Feast of Tabernacles, and the custom of carrying

fruit and branches from trees -- the "LULAV" -- as an integral part of the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles! Notice! "Upon the fifteenth day of the same month, when the season of the year is changing for winter, the law enjoins us to pitch tabernacles in every one of our houses, so that we preserve ourselves from the cold of that time of the year; as also that when we should arrive at our own country, and come to that city which we should have then for our metropolis, because of the temple therein to be built, and keep a festival of eight days, and offer burnt offerings, and sacrifice thank offerings, THAT WE SHOULD THEN CARRY IN OUR HANDS A BRANCH OF MYRTLE, AND WILLOW, AND A BOUGH OF THE PALM TREE, WITH THE ADDITION OF THE POME CITRON" (Ant., bk.3, chap. 10, par.4). How clear it should be that Josephus, a sage and historian among the Jewish people of the first century, who fought in the war against Rome in 69-70 A.D., knew the customs of his people, and plainly wrote that they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles by pitching "booths" or "tabernacles," and by carrying "in their hands a branch of myrtle, and willow, and a bough of the palm tree, with the addition of the pome citron" -- the "lulav"! This was a commanded, integral part of the celebration of YEHOVAH's Feast! Josephus further alludes to this custom in his discussion of the reign of Alexander, about one hundred years before the Messiah. This "king-priest" was of the party of the Sadducees, who rejected the oral law handed down by the Pharisees. Josephus records an incident which occurred during the Feast of Tabernacles during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 B.C.): "As to Alexander, his own people were seditious against him; for at a festival which was then celebrated, when he stood upon the altar, and was going to sacrifice, the nation rose upon him and PELTED HIM WITH CITRONS, [WHICH THEY THEN HAD IN THEIR HANDS, BECAUSE] THE LAW OF THE JEWS REQUIRED, THAT AT THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES EVERY ONE SHOULD HAVE BRANCHES OF PALM TREE AND CITRON TREE: which things we have elsewhere related" (Ant., bk. 13" chap. 13, par.5). The fact that the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated with the holding, waving, and shaking of the assorted branches composing the "lulav" should be self-evident from these historical references.

However, E. P. Sanders, in Judaism Practice & Belief 63 BCE-66 CE, provides us with further insight into this ancient festival. He relates of the "Feast of Booths": "This was also an agricultural festival, marking the conclusion of the season of harvest. It was a showy and happy occasion with something of a carnival spirit. WORSHIPPERS CARRIED LULAVS, MADE OF BRANCHES FROM PALM, WILLOW AND MYRTLE TREES, TO WHICH A CITRON (a citrus fruit) WAS ATTACHED (Lev.23:40, Antiq.3.245). Priests carrying willow branches marched around the altar. There was flute playing and dancing by night" (p. 139). Clearly, the use of the "lulav" in worshipping YEHOVAH God, and praising Him and thanking Him for a bountiful harvest was done at the Feast of Tabernacles in obedience to YEHOVAH's command! So why aren't many church people who claim they are celebrating the "Feast of Tabernacles" in the fall of the year OBEYING THIS PLAIN COMMAND? Indeed, why not? One reason, I believe, is that too many people simply follow their own customs, or the customs of their church, rather than look into the Scriptures to see HOW YEHOVAH God commands us to observe His festivals! Too many people try to look at YEHOVAH's Word, and His commandments, in "isolation" -- without considering at all the historical setting, and the observances and practices of YEHOVAH's people -- the Jews -- and how they have historically and traditionally observed the annual holy days. Many, because of latent anti-Semitism, have dismissed anything and everything "Jewish" simply because the Jews rejected the Messiah and did not accept Yeshua as the Saviour. The Mishnah, the Oral Law of the Jews as handed down from generation to generation, and compiled into written form in the centuries after the fall of Jerusalem, that is, from 200-500 A.D., in the section on "Sukkah," part 3, gives the instructions regarding the "lulav," in detailed form. These instructions pointed out the form of the lulav -- according to Rabbi Ishmael: "Three myrtle branches [are needful] and two willow branches and one palm branch and one citron . . ." (Sukkah 3:4). The Mishnah also declares, "Beforetime the Lulav was carried seven days in the Temple, but in the provinces one day only. After

the Temple was destroyed, Rabbi Jonathan B. Zakkai ordained that in the provinces it should be carried seven days in memory of the Temple" (Sukkah 3:12). Even today, the Jews in the synagogues obtain lulavs, and wave them in worship during the Feast of Tabernacles. It is a fascinating and wonderful ceremony, tracing back to ancient Biblical times. Why, then, do the many "churches of God" entirely neglect this Biblical practice? Isn't it about time we do as the apostle Jude exhorted? He wrote: "Beloved, my whole concern was to write to you in regard to our common salvation. [But] I found it necessary and was impelled to write you and urgently appeal to and exhort [you] to contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints" (Jude 3, Amplified Bible). Isn't it time we "contend earnestly" for the faith once delivered, and strive to recapture the "true values" of Scripture -- and the Biblical Festivals? Isn't it time we observe YEHOVAH's Feast of Tabernacles in the way and in the manner He commanded?

Salvation Is "of the Jews"

Yeshua himself plainly said, "Salvation is of the JEWS" (John 4:22). The apostle Paul explained in simple terms, and clear language, "What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto THEM were committed the ORACLES of God. For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid" (Rom. 3:1-4). The Jews as a people, even though most of them have never recognized Yeshua as the Messiah -- nevertheless, they have preserved not only the Old Testament Scriptures, but also many important historical writings, commentaries, and religious works, relating to the Bible, and its observances and ordinances. Therefore, when it comes to gaining insight and understanding of the Festivals of YEHOVAH God, who better to turn to than the Jews, who have been observing them for centuries -- and millennia? Here is a vital storehouse of knowledge which the vast majority of Christians, including festival observers, have totally ignored! The apostle Paul was himself a Jew. Did he disparage and denigrate the knowledge of the Jews, when it came to the laws of YEHOVAH God? Not at all! In fact, Paul himself declared of the Jews, "Who are Israelites; to who

pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises" (Rom. 9:4). Obviously, therefore, there is a great deal we can learn from the Jewish people -- if we are open-minded and sincerely searching for truth!

The Apostle Paul's Own Background

Paul himself even "boasted" -- and claimed, under divine inspiration of YEHOVAH God -- "I am a man verily which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city [Jerusalem] at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the LAW of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day" (Acts 22:3). Paul had high respect for the Jewish laws and knowledge of YEHOVAH God. He did not reject all the teachings and ramifications of the Judaism of his time -- not at all. In fact, Paul even boasted, "If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcized the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee ... touching the righteousness which is in the law, BLAMELESS" (Phil. 3:4-6). Paul was a Pharisee -- he himself said so. He identified with them even after being called of the Messiah into the Church as an apostle -- even in A.D. 60, some twenty five years later, in fact ! Paul also tells us, in the last chapter of the book of Acts, in his discourse to the Jewish leaders of Rome: "Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people or CUSTOMS of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans" (Acts 28:17). Common sense, therefore, tells us that Paul himself did NOT preach against the waving of the lulav, a very notable "custom" of the Jewish fathers, and rabbis, during the time of the Messiah and the apostles! However, this is certainly not all of the proof we have that the waving of the lulav is a commandment of YEHOVAH God, as initially given in the book of Leviticus! The Pharisees of the time of the Messiah very plainly taught that this should be done, as they interpreted the meaning of Leviticus 23:40. But what does Yeshua the Messiah say about this?

Notice! Yeshua the Messiah tells us this simple, basic fact -- and we must deal with it honestly and objectively. He said very simply: "Upon the seat of Moses the Pharisees and the sages sit. Now all which (they) SAY to you KEEP AND DO; but (according to) their ordinances and deeds do not do because they say and do not" (Matt. 23:2-3 -- Shem Tob). Now let me make this plain: The scribes and Pharisees taught that the 'lulav" was to be used in celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles! This fact is not in dispute. It is crystal clear. Therefore, the real question is: Should Christians follow this example today, in observing the Feast of Tabernacles? If we are to listen to the words of the Messiah, the answer is very simple: It is a resounding YES!!! So with these principles in mind, let us research further into this question. Just what do the Scriptures really say?

What the Scriptures Say

We read in Leviticus 23 concerning the Feast of Tabernacles, the following statements: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein" (Lev. 23:33-36). Here the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles is commanded. Additional instruction in observing YEHOVAH's festival is given in verses 3943 of this chapter. Notice: "Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees ["thick" trees: the Hebrew word for "thick" is awboth, and means "intertwined, dense"], and willows of the brook; and ye shall REJOICE before the LORD your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It

shall be a STATUTE FOR EVER in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month" (Lev. 23:39-41). Notice that if we simply read this passage as YEHOVAH God inspired it to be written, on the first day of the Feast the Israelites were to "take...the boughs of goodly [Strong's #1926, hadar, meaning, "magnificence, ornament, or splendor: -- beauty, comeliness, excellency, glorious, glory, goodly, honor, majesty"] trees [Strong's #6086, 'ets, meaning: "a tree, hence wood, sticks, staff, stalk, stick, stock, etc.], branches of palm trees, and willows of the brook." And then what does Scripture say we are to do? The very next YEHOVAHbreathed words -- the very next commandment -- is, "AND YE SHALL REJOICE before the LORD your God seven days." Can't we see the connection here? It is really very straightforward. First, we gather these beautiful, ornamental branches of various plants, including the palm, and the willow, and other ornamental, goodly plants, and then USE them in REJOICING before YEHOVAH God! Then what? We are commanded to DO this "seven days" (v.40). Verse 41 says, "It shall be a statute forever"! What is the "statute for ever"? Everything YEHOVAH has said up to this point -- keeping the Feast, keeping it in the seventh month, keeping it seven days, and taking the branches and boughs and rejoicing before the LORD during the seven days of the Feast! So far, so good. Then what? The next thing we are told, in verse 42, is that "Ye shall dwell in booths seven days." This Feast, then, was to be celebrated in "booths." The Hebrew word for "booths" here is sukkot and means "hut or lair; booth, cottage, pavilion, tabernacle, tent" (Strong's #5621). This is where the Feast of "Tabernacles" gets its name. This passage concludes: "Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelite born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD thy God" (Lev. 23:42-43). Some have assumed that the branches, boughs and "trees" mentioned in verse 40 are the source of the building materials for these "booths." But carefully reading this passage, we find it does not say that at all. That is a mental "leap" that a modern person may conclude, not knowing either the history of Israel, or the customs of the people of Israel, in regard to this

Festival of YEHOVAH God. This shows the danger of trying to interpret and understand these commands of YEHOVAH without a teacher -- without further knowledge!

In the Days of Nehemiah

What we have just read is the totality of YEHOVAH's command, concerning the Feast of Tabernacles, as He gave it in Leviticus 23. Other Scriptures show that this Feast was to be observed at the place where YEHOVAH God chose to put His name (Deut.14:23-25), and celebrated there, using a tithe of their increase, year by year (v. 22). This would be a "second" tithe, because the first tithe in its entirety belonged to YEHOVAH God (Lev. 27:30-33). This "second tithe" was to be used "for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after [i.e., desires], for oxen [beef steaks, etc.], for sheep [lamb roast, etc.], or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thine household" (v. 26). This was YEHOVAH's command. But over the centuries, the nation of Israel was negligent in observing this Feast. We read in the book of Nehemiah, that after Israel returned from Babylon, in the days of Ezra the scribe, they observed the first day of the seventh month, reading in the book of the law of Moses (Neh. 8:1-2). They read also from the law on the second day (v. 13), and found a commandment they were not aware of! As the people were gathered to learn more of the laws of YEHOVAH God, "they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month: And that they should proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written. So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the manner" (Neh. 8:14-18).

Here again the Feast of Tabernacles is described -- and the statement is made that the festival had not been observed in this manner, with the construction of booths, since the days of Joshua himself! Truly, in the days of Ezra, there was a turning back to observe the laws of YEHOVAH God among the people, and much more attention was given to proper and correct observance. Now, the question arises -- since the Israelites used olive branches, pine branches, myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make their booths, was this act the fulfillment of the command to "take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs from thick trees, and willows of the brook: and ye shall rejoice before the LORD..."? The original instructions in Leviticus said the people were to take various branches of various plants, and "rejoice before the Lord"! Period! Mainstream Judaism, while corrupt in many areas, is descended from the Pharisees of the Messiah's time, and correctly teaches that this verse means exactly what it says -- no ifs, ands, or buts! That is, we are to take these boughs of palm trees, the myrtle ("thick" with leaves), and the willows, together with "goodly" fruit -- the citron or etrog -- and REJOICE with them! But the instructions in Nehemiah refer to "olive" branches in addition, plus "pine" branches, as well as others. The olive and pine are not mentioned in Leviticus 23. These instructions in Nehemiah also said the Israelites were to build "booths" to dwell in for seven days -- temporary shelters -- with these branches, including the olive and pine. These are a separate set of instructions -- specifically designed to inform us as to what we should use in building the "sukkah" booths! But the instructions in Leviticus 23:40 refer to what we are to take and REJOICE with! There is a huge, gaping difference between the two sets of instructions! In Ezra's day, over a thousand years later, they rediscovered the "law" and kept the Feast of Tabernacles for the first time in many generations! They used the materials mentioned in Nehemiah to build the booths. When we put both of these passages of Scripture together, then it is clear that the Israelites 1) used the branches mentioned in Leviticus and waved them before the LORD, in a rejoicing and worshipping context; and

2) they also used these and other branches (pine and olive) of various trees to construct their booths. The Scripture is Nehemiah is not re-interpreting the passage in Leviticus as to HOW the branches were used in "rejoicing." Rejoicing means literally "rejoicing" -- not building a booth, or constructing a dwelling! The Hebrew word for "rejoice" in Leviticus 23:40 is samach [Strong's #8055], and means, "to brighten up, to be blithe or gleesome, cheer up, be glad, have joy, make merry, make to rejoice." That is the first command, all by itself! The second command is to build a "booth"! They are NOT the same thing! Building a booth itself is not rejoicing, but building. On the other hand, taking the branches described, and waving them, and marching in procession with them, before the Lord, shouting praises to YEHOVAH God, and singing worshipful songs, THAT IS REJOICING BEFORE THE LORD, and that is what the people of Israel did during the time of the Second Temple -- and during the time of the Messiah! Isn't this clear?

A Lesson from Rabbinic Judaism

Notice! Let's take a look and examine how the people of YEHOVAH God, who preserved the oracles of YEHOVAH God -- the Jewish people, and Jewish rabbis, and the Pharisees, who "sat is Moses' seat," remember -- understood this commandment! In the book Celebrate! The Complete Jewish Holidays Handbook, we read: "Khag HaAsif (Festival of Ingathering) was to take place once the produce of the vineyards and product of the threshing rooms was collected (Exo.23:1417; 34:22). Beginning on the fifteenth of the seventh month, this Khag Adonai (Festival of God) would last seven days, the first a sacred occasion when no work was to be done. The Israelites were to take the 'product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook' (later called the four species) and rejoice with them before God. "Then another dimension was added as a 'law for all time.' For the duration of the festival the Israelites were to live in booths (sukkot) 'so that future generations will know that I made the Israelite people live in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I the Lord your God' (Leviticus 23:3943) " (Celebrate!, by Lesli Koppelman Ross, p.211).

During the time of the second Temple, festival goers would gather in Jerusalem, which was festive in garlands of olive, palm, and willow branches, fragrant with fruits and flowers. The people would participate in public prayers, sing hymns, and watch or join in with religious processions at the Temple. At this time, the "four species" of foliage, specified in Leviticus 23, would be used to celebrate and rejoice before the LORD. We read the following: "The four species (definitively identified through Oral Tradition as palm, willow, and myrtle bound together into a lulav, and an etrog [citron]) were now part of the ritual. Each day of sukkot, the priests, holding the lulav and etrog in hand, marched around the altar, which had been adorned with freshly cut willow branches. As they circled, they recited a psalm asking God to 'please save us' (Hoshiah na) " (p.213). Why are these "four species" used to celebrate Sukkot? Says The Jewish Book of Why by Alfred J. Kolatch: "The use of four species of plants is PRESCRIBED IN LEVITICUS 23:40: 'And you shall take on the first day [of the holiday] the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees [myrtle branches], and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.' The Bible does not specify precisely which trees and fruits are to be taken. "Jewish authorities have interpreted the 'fruit of goodly trees' to mean the etrog [the citron] , and the 'branches of [date] palms' to mean the lulav. The 'boughs of thick trees' refers to the myrtle (called hadasim in Hebrew], and 'willows of the brook' are the familiar willow trees (called aravot in Hebrew). These four species were to be held in the hand and blessed each day of the Sukkot holiday" (p. 250). Why are so many people so loathe to do ANYTHING that smacks of "Judaism" -- even when it is clearly supported by the Scriptures? Why are so many people inclined to follow the system of teachings of the SADDUCEES, and REJECT the teaching of the Pharisees, on this and many other issues? It's about time many of us WAKE UP, AND REPENT of our attitudes, our selfrighteousness, our spiritual PRIDE!

The Sadducees VERSUS the Pharisees

It is a historical fact that the Sadducees disputed with the Pharisees over this issue of waving the "lulav" in rejoicing before YEHOVAH God. As Alfred Edersheim writes in The Temple: Its Ministry and Services: "As usual, we are met at the outset by a controversy between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The law had it: 'Ye shall take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook,' which the Sadducees understood (as do the modern Karaite Jews) to refer to the materials whence the booths were to be constructed, while the Pharisees applied it to what the worshippers were to carry in their hands." Here was one of the great schisms between the Pharisees and the Sadducees! The Sadducees interpreted the "law of Moses" to say that these plant boughs were to be used in the making of the booths. But the Pharisees said they were to be used in REJOICING before the LORD! Who was right? Declares Alfred Edersheim: "The latter interpretation [that is, the PHARISEES'S INTERPRETATION!] is, in all likelihood, the correct one; it,seems borne out by the account of the festival at the time of Nehemiah, when the booths were constructed of BRANCHES OF OTHER TREES than those mentioned in Leviticus 23; and it was UNIVERSALLY ADOPTED IN PRACTICE AT THE TIME OF CHRIST" (p. 273). Do you see? There is a difference even in the kinds of trees mentioned in Leviticus and Nehemiah. Also, the common Jewish practice in the DAYS OF YESHUA THE MESSIAH was to take the branches, and make "lulavs" of them, and use them to carry in their hands and wave before the LORD in worship! And again -- who was right? The Pharisees? or the Sadducees? Remember, Yeshua himself said the "Pharisees sit in Moses' seat" -- not the Sadducees! (Matt. 23:2). He further said, "Now ALL which (THEY) [the Pharisees!] say to you KEEP and DO" (v. 3). In other words, the issue is clear-cut. The Pharisees, in this case, say we are to carry the "lulav" branches, and wave them before the LORD -- that is what they bid us to "keep and do" in this case -- so, to obey the Messiah, THAT IS PRECISELY WHAT WE OUGHT TO DO!!!

The Sadducees, on the other hand, were, according to the Messiah himself, ignorant of the Scriptures, and the power of YEHOVAH God! He rebuked them, saying, "Ye do ERR, not knowing the Scriptures..." (Matthew 22:29). They were so ignorant, they did not believe in a resurrection from the dead (Matt. 22:23), or the existence of angels, or spirit beings (Acts 23:8). I suppose the real question is simple: Who do you wish to follow? The Sadducees, whom most end-time churches of God seem intent on following -or the Pharisees, whom Yeshua the Messiah HIMSELF said "sit in Moses' seat," and who commanded us, in plain words: "Now all which (they) say to you keep and do" (Matt. 23:2-3). Can we not get this straight? Must we allow the Devil to plant doubts in our minds, and succumb to his temptations and seductive arguments and wiles? This principle seems to me as easy as boiling water! Woe to those who can't even get this straight!

The LULAV -- the Four Species

The four species of plants waved before the LORD, in celebrating the Festival of Sukkot, are called Arba Minim in Hebrew. Jewish rabbis have several explanations for the meaning of these fruits and boughs. Symbolically, the four species represent the four kinds of people that make up a congregation or community. 1) The etrog or citron, a tasty fruit which also has a pleasant aroma, represents the righteous people who have both Torah (Bible) knowledge and good deeds (or works). 2) The lulav, or branch of a date palm, produces a sweet fruit, but has no aroma or fragrance. This represents the person who has Torah knowledge (such as a scholar), but is lacking in good deeds. He is deficient in good works. 3) Then the hassidim, or sweet-smelling myrtle, are the people who have good deeds, but may not have much technical knowledge -- these people do good works, but are deficient in knowledge or scholarship. The majority of people may fall into this category. 4) Finally, there is the willow, or aravot. This species grows near the water, and needs water, but is odorless and tasteless -- representing those people

who are lacking in both knowledge and good deeds. Yet even they have potential! All four types of people can be found in a typical community or congregation. Says Finkel: "Thus the lulav bundle symbolizes the totality of the Jewish people, all extending a helping hand to one another, all striving toward the same goals: Fulfillment of Torah to the best of their abilities and thereby proclamation to all humankind that God is the Creator and Maker of the universe" (p. 80). In the book Celebrate! we read of the profound significance of the waving of the lulav to the six directions: "The qualities of the four species are likened to those of four categories of Jews. The etrog, possessing both taste and aroma, stands for Jews who have knowledge of Torah and do good deeds. The palm's fruit (date) with taste but no aroma, represents people with Torah knowledge. The myrtle, with no taste but aroma, represents the opposite, and willow, with neither aroma or taste, stands for those self-concerned and ignorant of Torah. "We serve God with all four elements held together, the spiritually lofty with the mundane, the scholar, aristocrat, merchant, and laborer. In society, all elements must likewise hold together, so that the wise and righteous can influence those less so, and because each contributes its part to society's functioning and progress when they UNITE for COMMON WELFARE. As our sages put it, 'As one does not fulfill his duty on Sukkot unless all four species are bound together, so some will not be redeemed unless all Jews hold together.' A strong message about the need for UNITY among our diverse segments" (p. 222). Another analogy of the "lulav" is to compare the palm branch to the backbone in the human body -- which gives strength and uprightness -- righteousness. The myrtle then is compared to the eyes, with which we see. The etrog is comparable to the heart, with which we understand, have compassion, and empathize with others. And the willow is comparable to the mouth, which speaks words and communicates (or fails to do so). In this picture, then, we must use ALL FOUR SPECIES -- backbone, heart, eyes, and mouth -- to serve YEHOVAH God and our fellow man, to do the Work of YEHOVAH God, and to fulfill the purpose for which YEHOVAH placed us on this earth -- to be His Partners in Creation!

Says Leslie Koppelman Ross: "From the body of Israel the rabbis moved to the body of the individual, seeing through their shapes the palm as backbone, the citron as heart, the myrtle as eye, and the willow as mouth. Together they express our desire to use all our vital components to worship God, and to atone for transgressions resulting from an envious eye, malicious mouth, or lustful heart. In mysticism, each species represents one letter in God's name. The lulav is the vav ('and') uniting them as a conduit for Divine energy into the world. "Myrtle represents beauty and mercy, like the heroine of the Purim story who had the same Hebrew name (hadas [sah]. Since myrtle stays fresh for days after it is cut, it became an ancient symbol for success and immortality. In contrast, willow leaves droop as soon as the branches are cut. On the one hand representing our exit from the desert to the Land full of water [a type of the Holy Spirit], it also symbolizes our exile from the Land and the sadness and longing we have felt at the separation" (p. 222). Interestingly, the four species express a fundamental but hidden truth about the Godhead! The Tetragammaton (Yod He Vav He) name of YEHOVAH God, expressed in the four letters, is also expressed in the four species of the lulav! The yod represents YEHOVAH God the Father, or the Hand of God; the first he (pronounced "Hay") represents the resurrected Messiah -- the firstborn of many brethren; the vav represents the connecting link between God and man, the Shekinah Glory of YEHOVAH God; and the final he -- what does it represent? It represents the final addition to the Godhead, the extended family of YEHOVAH God, being prepared for salvation and rulership with the Messiah and the Father (see Romans 8:14-18). In other words, the final he represents spiritual Israel, the true "body of Christ" (compare Matt. 16:18; Ga1. 6:16; I Cor. 10:17; Eph. 4:3-4), being prepared for entrance into the YEHOVAH Kingdom as the "bride of Christ" (Eph. 5:23-27). A Spanish Rabbi, Aaron Ha]evi, at the end of the thirteenth century, in a book called Sefer HaHinukh ("The Book of Education") illustrated the basic, underlying principle of the lulav in these words: "...Since the rejoicing [of the holiday of Sukkot] might cause us to forget the fear of God, He, praised be He, has commanded us to hold in our hands at that time certain objects which should remind us that all the joy of our hearts is for Him and His glory. It was His will that the reminder be the four species...for they are all a delight to behold.

"In addition, the four species can be compared to four valuable parts of the body. The etrog [citron] is like the heart, which is the temple of the intellect, thus alluding that man should serve his Creator with his intellect. The lulav is like the spinal cord [or backbone], which is essential for the body, alluding that one should direct one's entire body to His service, praised be He. The myrtle is like the eyes, alluding that one should not be led astray after his eyes on a day when his heart rejoices. The willow branch is like the lips. We complete our actions through speech, and thus the willow branch alludes to the fact that we should control our mouth and the words that issue from it, fearing God, praised be He, even at a time of rejoicing." Learning to use all our resources and senses to serve YEHOVAH God is no easy task. Worshiping YEHOVAH with all our being requires diligent effort and focus. Solomon wrote, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and ]et thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil" (Prov. 4:23-27). As the apostle Paul writes: "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Cor. 6:20). Also, Paul wrote: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (I Cor. 10:31). Paul adds, "And whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" (Colossians 3:17). This is a full-time commission -- a full-time job!!!

How We Use the Four Species

During the Feast of Sukkot, the people of the congregation take the Four Species -- the lulav, etrog, hassidim, and aravot -- and hold the etrog or citron in their left hand, with the pitam facing down, and the bundle of the palm branch, myrtle, and willow in the right hand. After reciting the blessing, the etrog is turned over, with the pitam pointed upward, the two hands are joined together, and the bundle of the lulav in the right hand with the citron in the left hand are waved in front of the person, then in back, to the right side, then to the left, upward and then downward -- the six directions. This is done as we parade or march around the room, as our forefathers marched around the altar at the Temple, singing praises and shouting hoshanahs to YEHOVAH

God, "Save us," "Help us," "Deliver us," "Blessed by Thy Name," "Blessed be the Name of the LORD," and so forth. What does this picture for us? In Temple times, the worshippers of YEHOVAH God marched around the Temple court, singing praises and shouting for joy. Today, we cannot do that, as there is no Temple. However, in remembrance of the Temple, or Sanctuary, and this service, we can march or parade around our meeting room, or even out-of-doors, where we hold services to worship YEHOVAH God, on the seven days of Sukkoth -- the Feast of Tabernacles -and thus fulfill the Biblical command! Marching around the room -- or, the altar in the Temple court, in Temple times -- gives us an opportunity to act out our faith in YEHOVAH, as we call on Him to save us, to be with us, to deliver us from our trials, our enemies, and Satan's wrath! Then, on the final day or seventh day of the Feast, that is, on Hoshana Rabbah, we parade or march around the room seven times, reminding us of the Israelites, who marched around the city of Jericho seven times! Then they shouted, Hoshana Rabbah, "Save us!" and YEHOVAH smote the walls of Jericho and caused them to fall flat in a mighty earthquake!

"Be Ye DOERS of the Word"

As we enact, or act out this ancient mitzvah, or commandment to wave the lulav and rejoice, we are following a custom that goes back to the very time of the Messiah, and the Second Temple period! This is not some weird "legalism" -- this is not some silly "ritualism" -- these are not some mere "traditions" of the Jews, or additions that Rabbis came up with in the Middle Ages! Rather, this custom goes all the way back to the time of the Messiah and the apostles -- and they never condemned it! When the Messiah disagreed with the Sadducees and Pharisees, and the Rabbis of his time, he made it plainly known, and rebuked them publicly! (Matt.15; Mark 7). But when he remained SILENT on a matter of worship, then it should be plain that he endorsed and approved of it. It is much like the Dentist, who examines your teeth. He says nothing about the good teeth, as he explores your mouth. But when he comes to a tooth with cavities, he says, "Aha! There's a cavity!" Even so, when the Messiah found something objectionable in the teachings and interpretations of the Rabbis, he let it be made known! His silence, therefore, concerning the common practice of waving the lulav, and parading around the Temple courtyard, praising

YEHOVAH God, speaks volumes, showing that he did not disapprove of this custom! Nor did the apostle Paul disapprove. In fact, he wrote, "Men and brethren, though I committed nothing against the people, or CUSTOMS of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans" (Acts 28:17). The custom of waving the "lulav," then, is THE TIME-HALLOWED CUSTOM of YEHOVAH's people! There are lessons WE should learn, in performing this custom, today! It should be very meaningful -- even for US! As the apostle Paul said, "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the DOERS of the law shall be justified" (Rom.3:13). And as James wrote, "But be ye DOERS of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:22). One of the lessons of the lulav waving ceremony is simply the lesson of UNITY, as the people of YEHOVAH God. As we joyously do this custom, together, as the body of the Messiah, we picture SPIRITUAL UNITY -- our being united together in the Messiah. Performing this together, as one body, pictures SPIRITUAL UNITY!

The Lesson of UNITY

The fact that we do this together, as a congregation, even as Israel marched around Jericho as a congregation, reminds us that we are in this spiritual struggle and fight together -- we need each other -- and we must help one another! When ancient Israel marched into the Promised Land, so long as they were united, as one, and obedient, YEHOVAH gave them miraculous victories over powerful nations. But when disunity occurred, and some disobeyed, then even the smallest city, like tiny Ai, could overwhelm and defeat the Israelite armies! When we are united in truth, then we are powerful by the Spirit of YEHOVAH God flowing through us and out from us. Therefore, Paul wrote, "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no DIVISIONS among you, but that you be PERFECTLY JOINED TOGETHER IN THE SAME MIND and in the same judgment" (I Cor. 1:10).

As David wrote, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in UNITY! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion: For there the LORD commanded the blessing -- Life forevermore" (Psalm 133:1-3). How can we have true love, when we don't even have true unity?

The Lesson of LOVE

Joel Ziff, in Mirrors in Time, tells us how the experience of the Feast of Sukkot teaches us the lesson of community, sharing, and loving one another. He writes: "We do not limit ourselves to the symbols of support and nurturance; the sukkah ritual encourages us to the actual experience as we feed one another. We invite guests into our sukkah and accept invitations [or we dine out together, and enjoy the fellowship of one another] from our neighbors. Difficulty in coping successfully with our stresses is often exacerbated by isolation and alienation. When we regard our problems as too overwhelming or difficult, we tend to expect others to be disinterested or unable to help. As a result of the changes we have made during the Days of Awe, we are more open, honest, and responsive. Others who have similarly worked to change themselves are also more open, honest, and responsive. On this Holy-Day, we strengthen the BONDS WITH OTHERS, feeling the ability to GIVE TO OTHERS and to receive from them" (p. 239). Ziff continues this theme, showing how the Feast of Sukkot focuses our attention away from selves and outward to others, teaching us the lessons of giving and sharing. He writes: "In contrast to the inward turning quality of the Days of Awe, on Sukkot, our energies EXTEND OUT. In the ritual of the four species, we make the blessing and then point the lulav to each of the SIX DIRECTIONS -- south, west, north, east, upward, and downward. In the Hoshanot and in the Hakafot, we circumnabulate the synagogue in a PARADE. We emphasize prayers for peace and prosperity, for water for our crops, not only for ourselves as a people but for ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD. We extend OUTWARD towards others as well. We SHARE our meals in the sukkah, and we join hands and voices as we celebrate with singing, dancing, and merry-making. The ritual thereby helps us turn our energies outward as well. As we

experience changes in ourselves, we begin to translate those changes into our activity in the world. We are energized by our experience and move naturally outward" (p. 239). Joel Ziff concludes this theme, saying, "Sukkot serves as a BRIDGE by helping us translate our experience of Essence on Yom Kippur so that we can apply and integrate what we have learned into everyday life activity" (ibid.). In other words, Sukkot teaches us to express love, which is out-going, and which is the very nature and fundamental character of YEHOVAH God Himself. As the apostle John wrote: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born [begotten] of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another....God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him" (I John 4:7-16). As Yeshua said so plainly, we must learn to really "love one another" (John 13:34). He added, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have LOVE for one another" (v. 35). He added, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:12-13). Yeshua prayed to the Father that his Church would truly be unified, even as he and the Father are in total unified agreement (John 17:11). He prayed that true Christians "all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be ONE just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one..." (John 17:21-23). Peter put it plainly: "And above all things, have FERVENT CHARITY [LOVE] among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins" (I Peter 4:8). And as Paul wrote: "And above all these things put on CHARITY [LOVE], which is the bond of perfectness" (Co1. 3:14). True brotherly love creates perfect unity. The strong help to uphold the weak, the rich help to support the poor, and everybody adds his particular strength

and gift and talent to the pool, so that all may be nourished and strengthened in faith, hope, and love. The apostle Paul sums it up nicely. He wrote: "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely; does not seek its own; is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.... "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three: but the greatest of these is love" (I Cor. 13:4-13). The "booths" of the Feast remind us of our need for FAITH. The command to "rejoice" reminds us of our eternal HOPE, our calling and destiny in life, by the grace of YEHOVAH God and His goodness. The "lulav" reminds us of our need to develop LOVE for others in our heart and soul -- true godly compassion and chesed -- which is translated "loving-kindness."

Waving the Lulav -- an Awesome New Vitality

There is far more meaning and significance to the waving of the 'lulav," and rejoicing before the LORD with branches and goodly boughs of trees, than most of us, if not all of us, have ever imagined. The "lulav" ceremony itself -something which most Christians are totally ignorant of -- contains awesome meaning and significance -- more than any of us have even begun to remotely imagine! Lesli Koppelman Ross in Celebrate! sums up the awesome meaning of the lulav in a powerful way. Notice: "Like the four plant types themselves,the wavings (na'anu'im) have symbolic significance. They represent Israel's acceptance of God's sovereignty over all of nature (the four directions), heaven (up) and earth (down). The Talmud likened the motion to the offering of omer brought on the second day of Passover and waved in four directions to contain ill winds [symbolic of false doctrines and bad news -- see Eph. 4:14] and to a sacrificial offering on the altar. LIFTING THE LULAV EXPRESSES JOY (as when you lift a child or a trophy into the air) AND VICTORY, publicly proclaiming Israel's successful emergence from the Divine Judgment of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. (When people used to appear before a judge, the one who exited holding palm branches was recognized as the victor.) According to midrash, the outcome of the Yom Kippur judgment of all nations of the world is not revealed

until the first day of Sukkot. The procession of Israelites AROUND THE ALTAR (or bimah), THEIR LULAVIM HELD ALOFT, PROCLAIM'S ISRAEL'S VICTORY and hints at MESSIANIC fulfillment as promised in Isaiah (55:12): 'You shall leave in JOY and be led home SECURE. Before you mountains and hills shall SHOUT ALOUD, and all the trees of the field shall CLAP THEIR HANDS....When we shake the lulav, the palm leaves hit against each other as if hands clapping, bringing to mind God's promise to Israel" (Celebrate!, p.227). Meditate on these words. Read them slowly, and make them part of your heart and mind. The "lulav" is no mere insignificant "ritual" of the Jews -- it is a POWERFUL WEAPON to show our faith and reliance on YEHOVAH God, and our JOY in serving Him, and our VICTORY through His power and assistance in our lives! We hold it aloft, in faith, in worship, in praise and trust in YEHOVAH to give us the FINAL VICTORY through the Messiah! As the apostle Paul declared: "But thanks be to God who giveth us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 15:57). Paul went on, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (v. 58). So let's shake those lulavs, brethren, at the Feast of Tabernacles next year, and every year hereafter!

The Waving of the Lulav

The basic command concerning the four species (arba minim) is to take them, hold them in your hand, and shake them, in an attitude of rejoicing before YEHOVAH God. The four species, or "lulav," consists of a long palm branch (2 or 3 feet in length), with a holder attached, in which are placed two willows (aravot) and three myrtle branches (hadasim). These are held in the right hand, and a citron (etrog) in the left hand. (Although a citron is the fruit of choice, depending on circumstandes, other fruits will do; such as the lemon, lime, or orange, etc.) The procedure is as follows: While standing, pick up the lulav, with its attached willows and myrtle in your right hand, holding it upright so that the spine of the palm branch is toward you. Pick up the etrog in your left hand with its tip (pitom) pointing down. Hold the etrog next to the lulav, bringing your hands together. The blessing is then recited, as follows:

'Baruch Atta Adonia, Melek Ha Olam, Asher Kidshanu B'Mitzvotav, V'tzivanu Al Netilat Lulav." "Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe Who has sanctified us by your commandments, And who has commanded us concerning the Taking of the Lulav." Turn the etrog right side up, and shake and wave the lulav! The blessing can be recited at home, and it is also customary to recite it inside the Sukkah. It is also customary to wave the lulav when reciting the Hoshanot psalms (those beginning with "Hosha na," or "Save us"). For example, although there are many customs, one custom is that the lulav is waved or shaken twice when reciting Psalm 118, verse 1, twice in Psalm 118, verse 25, and twice in Psalm 118, verse 29 -- or six times in all, during that Psalm. How do we shake the lulav? One common custom is to point the lulav in front of you, while facing east, and shake it three times, then bringing it back to your heart; then shaking it toward your right (south) three times, and bringing it back to your heart; then shaking it three times over your right shoulder (west), behind you, and bringing it back to your heart; then shaking it to your left three times (north, and bringing it back to your heart; then shaking it three times pointing upward, toward heaven (YEHOVAH's Throne), and bringing it back to your heart; and finally lower it below you, bending over a little bit, holding it downward, though not pointed down, toward the earth, and shaking it three times, then bringing it back to your heart. What does this symbolize? Our rejoicing before YEHOVAH God, and blessing YEHOVAH, who is our Protection and the Giver of every good and perfect gift (Psalm 18:2; 27:1; James 1:17), from whom all blessings flow. We wave the lulav in every direction, thus honoring and worshipping YEHOVAH God in every aspect of our lives -- in every direction. He surrounds us, and encompasses us, with His love and protection. Waving the lulav in every direction is expressive of our seeking His Divine presence in every aspect of our lives, and His total involvement in our lives. Says Michael Strassfield in The Jewish Holidays: A Guide and Commentary,

"A mystical interpretation begins with the obvious masculine imagery in the lulav and the feminine breast imagery in the etrog. The four species are seen as conduits of the divine flow into the world, each representing one of the four letttrs of God's special name [yod he vav he, or YHVH], with the lulav [palm] as the letter vav, which is the main channel for that flow. There is a striving for union, out of which comes blessing" (p. 131). Strassfield goes on, saying: "As we shake the lulav and etrog in the six directions, we acknowledge God's surrounding presence. By shaking it forward and then drawing it back, we are drawing into ourselves God's presence. It also suggests a gathering in of our resources before the coming winter.... "The motif of gathering in and encircling is a constant refrain of Sukkot. We surround ourselves with the walls of the sukkah. We remind ourselves of how God encircled the Israelites in the desert with the clouds of glory. We shake the lulav in all directions'..." (p. 140). In another interpretation, the seven elements of the lulav (2 willows, 3 myrtle, 1 palm branch, 1 etrog = 7), tie in with the seven sefirot or characteristics of YEHOVAH God mentioned by the prophet Elijah, according to an ancient Jewish midrash. They are as follows: chesed gevurah tiferet netzach hod yesod malkut lovingkindness contained strength beauty, mercy, compassion victory, triumph, eternity glory, splendor foundational strength kingdom, leadership, manifestation

3 myrtles --

2 willows -1 palm -1 etrog --

As we wave and shake the lulav, then, we are drawing into ourselves and our inner being the characteristics of YEHOVAH's own holy, righteous character. We are expressing unity with the Divine Presence -- union with YEHOVAH God Almighty. And as we wave and shake the lulav, we are worshiping Him with all our heart (citron), strength (palm branch), mind (willow -- symbolizing

the mouth, which speaks the thoughts of the mind), and soul (myrtle -- the symbol of the eyes which reflect the inner soul or life essence). Are you willing to worship YEHOVAH God with your entire being -- heart, mind, soul and strength? Then let's express our love and joy in Him by waving the lulav, as He commanded, with all our hearts!

Waving Palm Branches or "Lulavs" in the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God

In ancient Israel, during the water libation ceremony, called the Beit Ha Shoevah, when the high priest poured out water from the pool of Siloam on the altar at the Temple, during the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles, it was the custom of the people to wave their lulavs with the palm branches in rejoicing before YEHOVAH God. Say Kevin Howard and Marvin Rosenthal in The Feasts of the Lord: "At the proper time, the congregation waved their palm branches [lulavs] toward the altar and joined in singing: "Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity' (Ps. 118:25). At the same time the priests, with palm branches [lulavs] in hand, marched once around the altar. "Psalm 118 was viewed as a messianic psalm and as such gave the feast a messianic emphasis. This is why Jesus was greeted by the crowds shouting Hosanna (Hebrew for 'Save now' in Ps. 118:25) and WAVING PALM BRANCHES on his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Mt. 21:8-9; Lk. 19:38; Jn. 12:13). They viewed Him as the Messiah King, come to deliver ('save now') Israel in fulfillment of Psalm 118. They hailed Him with the messianic imagery of PALM BRANCHES from the Feast of Tabernacles. THIS SAME IMAGERY IS IN VIEW IN REVELATION 7:9-10 WHERE REDEEMED SAINTS WORSHIP, WITH PALM BRANCHES IN HAND, around the throne of God and the Lamb" (page 139). Did you catch that? Did you really notice that statement? What were these saints doing? WAVING LULAVS -- PALM BRANCHES! During the coming KINGDOM OF YEHOVAH GOD, when YEHOVAH God Himself and the Messiah will reign on this earth, what will the redeemed saints of YEHOVAH God DO? What will they actually DO around the THRONE of YEHOVAH God and the Lamb?

They will wave LULAVS -- represented by the dominant PALM BRANCHES! Read it for yourself! The apostle John writes plainly of a very strange phenomenon that he witnessed: "And after this I beheld, and, lo, a GREAT MULTITUDE, which no man could number, of ALL NATIONS, and KINDREDS, and PEOPLES, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, AND PALMS [LULAVS!] 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, KJV). "After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, WITH PALM BRANCHES IN THEIR HANDS. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!"' (New Revised Standard Version). In the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God -- which is symbolized and depicted by the very Feast of Tabernacles, during which palm branches, or lulavs, were waved every day in worship by the people at the Temple (throne) of YEHOVAH God in Biblical times -- the people, the saints of YEHOVAH God -will once again WAVE THEIR PALM BRANCHES, or lulavs, in worship and praise before the throne of YEHOVAH God! Isn't this clear? Then what are we waiting for? Brethren, its time to "shake and bake," it's time to wave those beautiful lulavs, once again, as was done in Biblical times, as we today celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles which YEHOVAH God Almighty ordained! What about you? Will you obey YEHOVAH God -- and follow this Biblical custom, joyously, with rejoicing and joy welling up in your heart? Or will you be a spiritual Sad Sack -- a comatose "basket case" -- a glum chum, a gloomy puss -- and refuse to take part in this joyous celebration and happy mitzvah of YEHOVAH God? The choice is up to you!

-- Edited By John D. Keyser.

Hope of Israel Ministries -- Taking the Lead in the Search for Truth! Hope of Israel Ministries P.O. Box 2186 Temple City, CA 91780, U.S.A. www.hope-of-israel.org
The lulav (palm), etrog (citron), hadas (myrtle), and aravot (willow) are joined together, and a blessing is made over them. Then they are shaken. This occurs during all the days of the Sukkot holiday, except on Shabbat. According to the Midrash these plants are symbolic of the different types of Jews who make up our nation. The etrog has an appealing taste and beautiful scent and is likened to a Jew who has a solid Jewish education and performs many mitzvot. The dates which grow from the lulav/palm have a taste but no aroma; they are like our brethren who have a solid Jewish education but don't necessarily excel in their performance of mitzvot. The myrtle has a scent but no fruit; this is like Jews who are constantly doing mitzvot and good deeds, but lack Jewish knowledge. Lastly, the willow has neither scent nor taste; it represents those of us who neither immerse ourselves in Jewish studies nor occupy ourselves constantly with mitzvot.

An ancient ritual

During the time of the Temple, the waving ceremony naanuim was performed on all seven days of Sukkot, elsewhere only on the first day. After the destruction of the Temple the ceremony continued as a memorial. This mitzvah (commandment) is prescribed by the Torah and contains symbolic allusions to a Jews service of God.
The waving ceremony

During the (ancient) waving ceremony the lulav (consisting of the bundled palm frond, aravah and hadass) is held in the right hand, the etrog in the left. This can be different though, depending if youre Sephardic, Ashkenazi or a Lubavitcher Hasid.

Facing east, the Four Species are blessed with a special benediction, then pointed and gently shaken three times in all six directions (east, south, west, north, up and down.) This symbolizes the fact that God is everywhere and Master of all creation.
Water advocates

According to the Talmud, the Four Species are water advocates.

The date palm is a sign of water in the desert The myrtle (Hadas) can survive many months without water The etrog requires an exorbitant amount of water to grow The willow only grows near water

During Sukkot there are many water and rain-based ceremonies and prayers, e.g. the water libation on the altar and accompanying celebration.
Different symbolic meanings

The Midrash notes that the binding of the Four Species symbolizes the desire to unite the four types of Jews in the service of God:

Lulav those who study Torah but dont possess good deeds Hadass those who possess good deeds but dont study Torah. Aravah those who lack both Torah and good deeds. Etrog those who have both Torah and good deeds

As they bind the Four Species together, the Jew shows his desire to consecrate his entire being to the service of God.
The whole body serving God

Another explanation is that the Etrog symbolizes the heart, the seat of our emotions; the Hadas leaves are shaped like the eye; the Lulav represents the spine, while the Aravah represents our lips and speech. As the Four Species must be held together, thus the spine, heart, eye and mouth teach us that our whole body must serve God.
The Name of God

The Four Species also represent the Name of God. Aravah, Hadas, Lulav and Etrog stand for the Yud, Heh, Vav and Heh of the four-letter Name of God.

Four environments

The Four Species refer also to the four different environments:

Etrog requires artificial irrigation and grows on the plains Lulav grows in desert oases Hadas is a mountain shrub Aravah is the willow of the brook; grows in the river valleys

Thanking and praying

The Four Species are part of the thought provoking ritual of thanking God for the rain of the previous year, and the need to pray for the rains to come. By combining the Four Species, the various elements the Jewish people are unified, like the land of Israel in all its diversity.
A Feast for Jew and Gentile

Sukkot is in origin a Jewish Feast, which the gentiles can celebrate as well. For more than 20 years, the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem organizes an international Christian celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. They celebrate it up front; for Gods Word says that in the future the people of the world will come up to Jerusalem, as written in Zechariah 14:16 -19. And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.

Read more: http://relijournal.com/judaism/the-four-species-of-sukkot/#ixzz1aR9jurHu

The Tabernacle in the Wilderness was a Sukkah, which was a Chuppah - a portrait of the Marriage of the Lamb with His True Bride (Redeemed ISrael). "I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their ELohim." (Exod 29:45) How lovely are your TENTS, O Jacob! Your TABERNACLES, O ISrael (Num 24:5) Each home is to be a dwelling place for His Presence, an individual Sukkah / Chuppah! Chag haSukkot Lev 23:33-36.

Did you know that there is a command for us to rejoice? Indeed, the one biblical Holy Day that emphasizes rejoicing with gladness to the utmost is Succoth; and this command to rejoice during Succoth is mentioned three times in Torah (the first five Books of the "Old Testament"): 1) "And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast. . . ." (Deuteronomy 16:14). 2) ". . . therefore thou shalt surely rejoice" (Deuteronomy 16:15). 3) ". . . and ye shall rejoice before YHWH your Elohim seven days" (Leviticus. 23:40). " rejoice evermore" (1 Thessalonians 5:16). From a scriptural standpoint, therefore, our joy will be full on a day-to-day basis when we willingly obey the command of Succoth; for it was the Savoir Himself Who said, ". . . if ye keep My Commandments. . . My joy [will] remain in you, . . . and your joy [will] be full" (John 15:10, 11). ' Thus, as with all the other Commandments which were given to us "for our good always" (Deuteronomy 6:24), no human circumstance should prevent the Believer from rejoicing at this appoint ed time. The Apostle Paul seems to suggest that this aspect of Succoth should pervade every moment of our everyday lives, when he says " rejoice evermore" (1 Thessalonians 5:16). From a scriptural standpoint, therefore, our joy will be full on a day-to-day basis when we willingly obey the command of Succoth; for it was the Savoir

Himself Who said, ". . . if ye keep My Commandments. . . My joy [will] remain in you, . . . and your joy [will] be full" (John 15:10, 11). pagan holidays that have stealthily crept into the Christian Church through the Greco-Roman influence on Christianity. Therefore Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and the like, can never bring real and lasting joy}, "for the simple reason that they were never commanded", and hence "YHWH, and His joy" is not in them to be received, with which one can be replenished to the "full." ' {It is in this context that one can see the emptiness of the pagan holidays that have stealthily crept into the Christian Church through the Greco-Roman influence on Christianity. Therefore Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and the like, can never bring real and lasting joy}, "for the simple reason that they were never commanded", and hence "YHWH, and His joy" is not in them to be received, with which one can be replenished to the "full." The Saviors Birth at Succoth? So instead of the Christmas tree being the symbol of the joy over the birth of a "messiah" that is steeped in Greek mythology it is the Succah that we see as the symbol of the true joy associated with the entrance of the Redeemer of mankind into this world because "the Succah is a living symbol of the Holy Temple." And hence this Succah becomes the symbolism of "the dwelling of the divine." "all Nations shall come" to fill the second Temple with His Glory. See Haggai 2:3, 9. That ancient "seer" was given a glimpse of this glorious Event "in the seventh month, in the twentieth day of the month, when came the Word of YHWH by the prophet Haggai. . ." (See Haggai 2:1). And as Succoth was commanded to be celebrated from the "fifteenth to the twenty-second day of the seventh month" (See Leviticus 23:34-36), It is not coincidental that the Messiah announced the commencement of His Ministry during Succoth (See Luke 4:17-24). ' The prophet Haggai, looking down the ages, saw the very day when the "desire of all Nations shall come" to fill the second Temple with His Glory. See Haggai 2:3, 9. That ancient "seer" was given a glimpse of this glorious Event "in the seventh month, in the twentieth day of the month, when came the Word of YHWH by the prophet Haggai. . ." (See Haggai 2:1). And as Succoth was commanded to be celebrated from the "fifteenth to the twenty-second day of the seventh month" (See Leviticus 23:34-36), It is not coincidental that the Messiah announced the commencement of His Ministry during Succoth (See Luke 4:17-24). "And the fact that He promised the indwelling of the Holy Spirit when" in the last day, that great day of the Feast [of TabernaclesSuccoth] He stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink . . . and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (a symbol of the joy of the Holy Spirit, John 7:37-39), is further proof of the joy that Succoth brings with its celebration. Joy will flow freely from him. He will willingly and automatically share the love of the Savior with every person with whom he comes in contact. It is this "last . . . great day of the Feast" that is called the Day of the Great Hosanna "Great is our Master" that climaxes Succoth with great rejoicing! Rejoicing for All People Not at Christmas, BUT On One Of YHWH's Holy Days; The Feast of Tabernacles " Not at Christmas, BUT On One Of YHWH's Holy Days; The Feast of Tabernacles The heavens declare the glory of YHWH; the skies proclaim the work of his hands, To YHWH all praise and glory! I claim no credit of my own, with out Yahwehs leading Spirit, NONE of this work could even begin to be possible for me. {Glory Be To Yahweh.} " The heavens declare the glory of YHWH; the skies proclaim the work of his hands, To YHWH all praise and glory! I claim no credit of my own, with out Yahwehs leading Spirit, NONE of this work could even begin to be possible for me. {Glory Be To Yahweh.} Succoth is the season of our Joy. It is a celebration of the Word of YHWH {Yahweh} tabernacling in humanity in the Incarnation; it is a celebration of the Ruach ha Chodesh (the Holy Spirit) making His Succah within us as symbolized by the "living water" flowing from within us. It is a celebration of when YHWH {Yahweh} Himself will make his Succah with men in the world to come. What a time of rejoicing that will be! At the stake Yahshua won spiritual dominion over Satan for all true Believers. At Armageddon, Yahshua will vanquish Satan physically. After the Millennial reign of Yahshua and for all time, Satan will be eternally damned. From the most solemn and profound day of the year, Yom Kippur to the beginning of Booths, there is only 4 days. The solemnity and sobriety of Teshuva-Elul and the Days of Awe can not lend itself to the spirit of Booths. One must wait for the proper time. "In the fullness of time "Prepare ye the way of the Master, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain (government) and hill (religion) shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of Yahweh, Yahshua Luke 3:4-6 "(Which is now the season) " Revelation 7:9-17 depicts a people redeemed from all nations waving the lulav or palm branches while shouting joyous praises of thanksgiving. This is distinctive to the festival of Succoth (Leviticus 23:40). Revelation 21 pictures the whole earth restored to its Edenic glory, becoming a Succah where YHWH {Yahweh} will succoth with and among His people (Revelation 21:3). Thus Succoth points to the great ingathering of the people who are saved and redeemed from among the nations of the earth, as well as the eternal dwelling of YHWH {Yahweh} with men. " Revelation 7:9-17 depicts a people redeemed from all nations waving the lulav or palm branches while shouting joyous praises of thanksgiving. This is distinctive to the festival of Succoth (Leviticus 23:40). Revelation 21 pictures the whole earth restored to its Edenic glory, becoming a Succah where YHWH {Yahweh} will succoth with and among His people (Revelation 21:3). Thus Succoth points to the great ingathering of the people who are saved and redeemed from among the nations of the earth, as well as the eternal dwelling of YHWH {Yahweh} with men. "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of YHWH {Yahweh} YHWH is with men, and he will dwell [tabernacle, booth, or succoth] with them, and they shall be his people, and YHWH {Yahweh} Himself shall be with them, and be their Elohim (Revelation 21:3). This verse must be seen as an allusion to Succoth during the ultimate consummation of the Plan of Redemption. "Joy to the World" WHERE IN THE SCRIPTURES ? First of all, WHERE does it say that Yahshua was born in the fall of the year? Scriptural proof of the Birth of Yahshua on the First day of Tabernacles. "Birth of Yahshua during Succoth" John the Baptist conceived ... Luke 1:5-25 Yahshua conceived .... Luke 1:26-55 Birth of John the Baptist .... Luke 1:56-80 Birth of Yahshua.... Luke 2 Yahshua date of birth....Tishri 15 (First day of Sukkot) Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) celebrated from Tishri 15 to Tishri 22.

LEADER'S GUIDE

1 Corinthians 6:1-11 - Avoiding Lawsuits with Christians (1-8) and Barriers to Entering the Kingdom of God (9-11)
1. Does Paul think that all Christians should get along together and not have disputes with each other? What does this mean for you? A: No. His concern is not that the Corinthians have disagreements or even that those disagreements need resolution by a "judge." Rather, his protest is that they place the matter before the judicial system of Corinth rather than handling it within the church. 2. With your background and attitude, if you were a judge, what kind would you be: Hanging judge? Lenient? Pushover? Known for creative sentencing? Why? 3. Both verses 2 and 3 begin with the phrase, do you not know... or dont you realize... Did Paul think that the Corinthians really didnt know what he was stating? A: He begins with two "do you not know . . ." questions. This expression was commonly used in the Greek world and in Greek letters. The clear implication was that the Corinthians did know what Paul will mention in verses 2 and 3 and he assumes that they should have drawn the same conclusion that he drew. 4. Explain verses 2-3 in which Paul says, first, that saints (or believers) will judge the world and second,

that you will judge the world (or angels)? (see Daniel 7:22) A: Verse 2 asks if the Corinthians do not understand that Christians will someday judge the world. Daniel 7:22 says, Then God Most High, the Eternal God, came and judged in favor of his chosen ones, because the time had arrived for them to be given the kingdom. (CEV) Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. (KJV) Verse 3 simply enlarges on this thought by extending it into the future when Gods kingdom has come and we Christians will actually judge angels. This has all kinds of far-reaching implications, one of which is that even when Gods kingdom finally does comewhat we think of as heaventhere will still be disputes that must be judged. Think about that! The bottom line here is that Paul views believers as competent to judge cases where Christians have claims against each other, because they view matters from a Godly vantage point. Compared to our future role in judging the world and angels, judging things of this life is insignificant. 5. What point does Paul make in Verse 6 that applies to you today? A: When you have disputes with other Christians, it makes Christianity unattractive to non-believers. They look at us as hypocrites (i.e., people who say one thing but do another). Note that Paul is NOT saying that Christians wont have disputes, but he is saying dont air your dirty laundry in front of non-believers, and especially, dont ask them to judge your disputes. Do you ever do that? You have a dispute with your wife or a friend, and then you go to someone else (not necessarily a Christian) and tell your side of the story to get some support. 6. What does Paul mean in verse 7 when he says lawsuits with one another are a defeat for you? (Matthew 18:21-22) A: He probably means that you are defeated by greed, retaliation, and vengeance. Doesnt the world tell us that we should get even? How about that popular movie from last summer, V is for Vengeance? Or books like Getting Even and The Complete Revenge Kit? He means we are not forgiving one another as Jesus tells us to do. Paul says that we should be willing to accept the injustice and leave it at that. Jesus said to forgive, to turn the other cheek. Matthew 18:21-22 - Then Peter came to him and asked, Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times? 22 No, not seven times, Jesus replied, but seventy times seven! 7. In this next paragraph (verses 9-11), Paul identifies a number of wrongs (or sins) that will prevent people entering the Kingdom of God. The first category is sexual sin. What are the four types of sexual immorality he lists here and in Romans 1:26? A: 1) Adultery. 2) Male prostitute. 3) Male homosexual. 4) Female homosexual. Romans 1:26 - That is why

God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 8. Does that mean that if you committed adultery or had sex with a man you cannot enter Gods Kingdom? A: No. God will forgive you if you truly repent and ask for forgiveness. Notice that Paul uses the present tense of the verb which implies that those who are continuing to indulge in sexual sin or continue to commit adultery are the ones he is speaking about. In fact, Paul even says in verse 11 that some of you were once like that, but you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God. How? By calling on the name of Jesus Christ and by the (forgiving) spirit of our God. 9. In addition to those who practice sexual immorality, what other types of people does Paul say will not enter the Kingdom of God? A: 1) Those who worship idols. 2) Thieves. 3) Greedy people. 4) Drunkards. 5) Those who are abusive. 6) Cheaters and swindlers. 7) Several versions of the Bible add slanderers and liars. It is interesting to look at different Bible translations of verse 10 as several add even more sins. For example, the Amplified Bible says, Nor cheats (swindlers and thieves), nor greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foulmouthed revilers and slanderers, nor extortioners and robbers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God. The Contemporary English Version adds, anyone who curses. The 21st Century King James and Youngs Literal add, extortioners. 10. Paul seems to have gone well beyond the Ten Commandments here (Exodus 20:1-17). What justification does he have for doing so? (Matthew 5:21-40) A: Actually, it was Jesus who first enlarged the meaning of the ten commandments when he said in Matthew 5:21, You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, Raca (Empty-head), is answerable to the Sanhedrin. And anyone who says, You fool! will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to that person; then come and offer your gift. 25 "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. 27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for

your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. 31 "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. 33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.' But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply 'Yes,' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. 38 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 11. Is there anything you are doing in your life today that would prevent you from entering the Kingdom of God?