Sukkot begins in a few hours - it's
a Joyous Biblical Festival for both Jews and Christians-2
Blood
Moon of Sukkot
"There will be signs in the sun, moon and
stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the
roaring and tossing of the sea." (Luke 21:25) This year, Sukkot essentially begins
with the second Blood Moon (full lunar eclipse) of the Blood Moon Tetrad, which is four second of four
consecutive lunar eclipses that coincide with Passover and Sukkot in 2014 and
2015. “Not since 1967—and only four times in the past five hundred
years—has a Tetrad of total solar eclipses corresponded to the Jewish Feasts, which
historically has signaled the beginning of dramatic events that change the
course of world history.
This series of blood moons is no different,” said Pastor John Hagee, author of
the New York Times bestseller Four Blood Moons. “God has absolute control of the sun, moon, and
stars. He has used them in the past to send signals to humanity that
something big was about to happen,” Hagee said. “The heavens are still
God’s billboard that sends signals to us today—but are we watching for them?”
This Science at NASA graphic reveals the sequence of the tetrad, four
lunar eclipses occuring in six-month intervals with no partial lunar
eclipses in between. The next will happen on Passover (April 4, 2015)
and the last on Sukkot (September 28, 2015).
Indeed, the
first Blood Moon on April 15, hailed significant events in Israel.
Shortly after it, the rival Palestinian groups of Fatah and
Hamas formed a unity government. Just after that, three Jewish teens were
abducted and murdered. Next Hamas
unrelentingly bombed Israel, causing war to break out between Israel and the
Gaza Strip. As war raged, anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism grew around
the world.Also
since that first Blood Moon, the terrorist group ISIS grew in strength and
numbers. The world has seemed to stand helpless as resistance across Iraq
was crushed with extreme violence, as people who refused to convert to ISIS'
brand of Islam were killed or driven from their homes, and as people were
brutally beheaded. It is quite possible that today's second Blood Moon comes
before more events that signal we are in the Last Days, especially pertaining
to prophetic events unfolding in Israel. "The
sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the
great and dreadful day of the LORD." (Joel
2:31)
During a full lunar
eclipse, the moon turns red as it reflects the glow from
the earth of all of the earth's simultaneous sunrises and sunsets. (NASA)
Sukkot:
Remembering God's Faithfulness
The first day of Sukkot is a Sabbath and most forms of work
are prohibited. The other days of the holiday are called Chol HaMoed (weekdays of the
festival or intermediate period).
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 / Jewish New Year) 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 God’s 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 ... 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)
Jewish children learn to recite the blessings over
the Arba Minim (Four
Species) on Sukkot at the Western (Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem.
At Sukkot we remember God’s 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 (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 live in the sukkah entirely for the duration of the festival, even
sleeping in it through all kinds of weather.
Sukkot in Israel are often built on verandas and balconies.
