New Commands For TRUE Believers: Temporary Dwellings, Waving Palms, Pouring Water

It is Feast time and the COG's are scattering all over the globe for this annual observance.  But there are a few reprobates who are staying home if they live in the local Feast areas.  The Apostle Malm says that if you do, you are NOT acceptable to God.

He then goes on to how you should be waving palms and branches during the feast and also pouring out water as you dance around the room.

 If you are staying in your houses for the Feast you are NOT observing the Feast and your attempts to do things your own way, instead of as God has commanded are NOT acceptable to God.

I know that because of poverty or illness or great age not all of us can travel, yet we must make every effort to obey God and keep the Feast as God has commanded.   I also know that it is quite acceptable to build a Sukkot,  booth or pitch a tent in your back yard or even in your basement if you live in an area of extreme weather.  I am also aware of the needs of the ill and the aged.  Notwithstanding; every possible effort should be made to dwell in a temporary shelter for the full seven days.

You also need to be shaking tree branches or waving palms during the Feast:

Here we have a direct command to take branches and to rejoice with them for seven days.  How many times have you done that in the years that you have kept the Feast?  Does your organization obey this command of Almighty God?  if not they are losing out on a valuable lesson and much understanding of the meaning of this Feast.

What does this command mean?  Boughs or branches of goodly [healthy, beautiful or strong] trees are to be cut on the very first day, the High Holy day of this Feast and we are to rejoice with them for seven days.  The palm and willow are specifically mentioned, however we are NOT told that these branches are limited to the palm and willow. We are NOT told to build our booths out of these branches, although Nehemiah thought that such was the intent of Moses, before Christ came to reveal the real intent of the command, Neh 8.

We are to rejoice with them.  Why are we to take branches of trees and rejoice [wave or shake] them?  Because of what they represent!

In the ancient celebration, on each day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the people in the Temple courtyard would hold the clusters of branches, waving them before the LORD and make a circular procession around the altar. The first six days they would circle the altar once. On the seventh days, they would circle the altar seven times, to increase the joy.

During the procession they would pray a prayer that came to be known as Hoshanos. It is a prayer for God’s blessing, ending each phrase of the prayer with the word hoshana (“Please save”, “save us” or “save now!”). For this reason, the last day came to be known as Hoshana Rabba, meaning the Day of the Great ‘O Save’.

Each day (except for the first day) of the festival, a group of priests would set out to gather large willows that they would wave back and forth as they proceeded toward the temple, thus making a “swooshing” sound, the sound of the wind or the Ruach, Holy Spirit.

While this was going on, another group of priests would proceed to the Pool of Siloam from which the High Priest would gather a flask full of “living water”.

On the first Holy day and the regular Sabbath water was obtained the previous day and then poured out on the high Day and regular Sabbath. Both groups would then return to the Temple, and while the group with the willows would circle the altar waving their willows, the High Priest with his flask of water and his assistant with a flask of wine would both empty their pitchers on the southwest corner of the altar, thus picturing the coming of the Holy Spirit as living water.