SHALOM!

This is teaching is inspired by “THE GREAT SABBATH (SHABBAT HAGADOL)”!

Psalm 92:11-13 Names of God Bible (NOG)

¹¹ My eyes gloat over those who spy on me.
My ears hear the cries of evildoers attacking me.

Interestingly, The RIGHTEOUS People (those considered to be righteous by YAH/ELOHIM Almighty) are compared to PALM TREES and CEDARS of all plants in the world.

Palm Branches were plucked from Palm Trees and used at the Moed Sukkot (a.k.a Feast of Tabernacles). Additionally, many years later, when YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH was on the earth, they were used to wave at HIM hailing HIM KING.

Further on, Balaam when prophesying as seen in the Book of Numbers, compares the TENTS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL (a.k.a Tents of Jacob) to PALM TREES in some scripture translations and CEDAR TREES in other scripture translations.

Numbers 24:5-7 Modern English Version (MEV)

⁵ “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,
and your tabernacles, O Israel!

⁶ “Like palm trees are they spread out,
like gardens by the river’s side,
like the aloe plant, which the Lord has planted,
and like cedar trees beside the waters.
⁷ He will pour the water out of his buckets,
and his seed will be in many waters.

⁷ He will pour the water out of his buckets,
and his seed will be in many waters.

The tradition of palm branches on “Palm Sunday” actually originates with the Jewish Festival of Sukkot (also called the Festival of the Tabernacles or Booths) which was probably the most popular holiday among the Jews in the first century.

In the observance of Sukkot(h), worshippers processed through Jerusalem and in the Temple, waving in their right hands something called a lulab, which was a bunch of leafy branches made of:

• Willow,
• Myrtle

and

• Palm.

As they waved these branches in that procession, the worshippers recited words from Psalm 118, the Psalm normally used at Sukkoth. Among these words were “Save us, we beseech you, O Lord.” Save us in Hebrew is hosianna or hosanna. This is typically followed by “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. (Psalms 118:25-6).”

Note that in the following Psalm, is contained the Scripture that talks about THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED HAS NOW BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE!

Psalm 118 Names of God Bible (NOG)

Psalm 118

¹ Give thanks to Yahweh because he is good,
because his mercy endures forever.
² Israel should say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
³ The descendants of Aaron should say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
⁴ Those who fear Yahweh should say,
“His mercy endures forever.”

“His mercy endures forever.”
³ The descendants of Aaron should say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
⁴ Those who fear Yahweh should say,
“His mercy endures forever.”

⁵ During times of trouble I called on Yah.
Yah answered me and set me free from all of them.
⁶ Yahweh is on my side.
I am not afraid.
What can mortals do to me?
⁷ Yahweh is on my side as my helper.
I will see the defeat of those who hate me.
⁸ It is better to depend on Yahweh
than to trust mortals.
⁹ It is better to depend on Yahweh
than to trust influential people.

¹⁰ All the nations surrounded me,
but armed with the name of Yahweh, I defeated them.
¹¹ They surrounded me. Yes, they surrounded me,
but armed with the name of Yahweh, I defeated them.
¹² They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were extinguished like burning thornbushes.
So armed with the name of Yahweh, I defeated them.
¹³ They pushed hard to make me fall,
but Yahweh helped me.
¹⁴ Yah is my strength and my song.
He is my savior.

¹⁵ The sound of joyful singing and victory is heard
in the tents of righteous people.
The right hand of Yahweh displays strength.
¹⁶ The right hand of Yahweh is held high.
The right hand of Yahweh displays strength.
¹⁷ I will not die,
but I will live and tell what Yah has done.
¹⁸ Yah disciplined me severely,
but he did not allow me to be killed.

¹⁹ Open the gates of righteousness for me.
I will go through them and give thanks to Yah.
²⁰ This is the gate of Yahweh
through which righteous people will enter.

²¹ I give thanks to you,
because you have answered me.
You are my savior.
²² The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
²³ Yahweh is responsible for this,
and it is amazing for us to see.
²³ Yahweh is responsible for this,
and it is amazing for us to see.
²⁴ This is the day Yahweh has made.
Let’s rejoice and be glad today!
²⁵ We beg you, O Yahweh, save us!
We beg you, O Yahweh, give us success!
²⁶ Blessed is the one who comes in the name of Yahweh.
We bless you from Yahweh’s house.
²⁷ Yahweh is El, and he has given us light.
March in a festival procession
with branches to the horns of the altar.
²⁸ You are my El, and I give thanks to you.
My Elohim, I honor you highly.

²² The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
²³ Yahweh is responsible for this,
and it is amazing for us to see.
²³ Yahweh is responsible for this,
and it is amazing for us to see.
²⁴ This is the day Yahweh has made.
Let’s rejoice and be glad today!
²⁵ We beg you, O Yahweh, save us!
We beg you, O Yahweh, give us success!
²⁶ Blessed is the one who comes in the name of Yahweh.
We bless you from Yahweh’s house.
²⁷ Yahweh is El, and he has given us light.
March in a festival procession
with branches to the horns of the altar.
²⁸ You are my El, and I give thanks to you.
My Elohim, I honor you highly.

The palm branch is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace, and eternal life originating in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world. The palm (Phoenix) was sacred in Mesopotamian religions, and in ancient Egypt represented immortality. In Judaism, the lulav, a closed frond of the date palmis part of the festival of Sukkot. A palm branch was awarded to victorious athletes in ancient Greece, and a palm frond or the tree itself is one of the most common attributes of Victory personified in ancient Rome.

In conclusion, PALM BRANCHES (original Hebrew Plural: KIPPOT; original Hebrew Singular: KIPPAH) are symbols of:

RIGHTEOUSNESS!

as well as:

PEACE

PLENTY

VICTORY

TRIUMPH

ETERNAL LIFE

The Hebrew word used today for a PALM BRANCH is LULAV.

Amazing Facts about PALM TREES

(Source for the following is: https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/10-surprising-facts-about-palm-trees)

The quintessential image of a tropical paradise, the palm tree is much more significant than you might think. At the sight of a palm tree, most people imagine a sunny beach setting — but these sturdy plants can also grow in a variety of other environments. Here are 10 things you may not have known about these tropical beauties:

1. There are over 2,500 species of palm trees. The Arecaceae family of plants includes wonderfully diverse species found throughout the world, from the desert to the rainforest.

2. Not all palm trees are “trees,” and not all plants called “palms” are truly palms. These evergreen plants can grow in the form of shrubs, trees or long, woody vines called lianas. Plants like the yucca palm, Torbay palm (pictured right), sago palm and traveler’s palm are not part of the Arecaceae family.

3. Palm trees have two different types of leaves: palmate and pinnate. Palmate leaves, like hands, grow in a bunch at the end of a stem. Pinnate leaves are like feathers, growing all along either side of a stem.

4. Palm trees are important religious symbols. In the Bible, the people of Jerusalem greeted a triumphant Jesus just one week before his death and resurrection, a tradition now known and celebrated as Palm Sunday the week before Easter. Palms are mentioned dozens of times in both the Bible and the Quran. In Judaism, palms represent peace and plenty.

5. Lots of staples come from palm trees. Coconuts are an obvious product of palm trees, but did you know that dates, betel nuts and acai fruit all come from palm trees as well? Palm oil, as its name indicates, also comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree.

6. Palms grow best in USDA Zones 8-10. You don’t have to live in Florida or California to use large palm trees in your landscaping. Check out this handy guide to discerning the USDA’s planting zone map to find out if the plants would be viable where you live.

The Ceroxylon quindiuense, or Quindio wax palm, towers over the Cocora Valley in Colombia. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

7. The tallest palm tree can grow up to 197 feet tall! The Quindio wax palm (seen above), Colombia‘s national tree, is the tallest-growing species of palm.

8. The coco de mer palm tree has the largest seeds of any plant on Earth. The seeds can be as large as 20 inches in diameter and as heavy as 66 pounds!

9. Palm trees have a history with humans as old as the first societies. Archeological finds have shown that the date palm was commonly used in Mesopotamian society, for food and other purposes. Romans gave palm branches as a symbol of triumph to the triumphant champions of games and wars.

10. Have you ever heard of palm wine? Yeah! Also called “kallu,” palm wine is a common alcoholic spirit in regions of Asia and Africa. It can be created from coconut palms, date palms, the Chilean wine palm, and other species.

Though many species of palms are sturdy and plentiful, as many as 100 species are endangered due to deforestation and unsustainable cultivation practices, such as for the heart of palm, which comes from a part of the tree that cannot be regrown. The rarest palm tree is the Hyophorbe amaricaulis; the only one left currently lives at the Botanic Gardens of Curepipe in Mauritius (pictured right).

I am reminded of Psalm 1 as I study about and write this teaching. I am therefore including it below as lesson and reminder for us:

Psalm 1 Names of God Bible (NOG)

BOOK ONE

(Psalms 1–41)

Psalm 1

¹ Blessed is the person who does not
follow the advice of wicked people,
take the path of sinners,
or join the company of mockers.
² Rather, he delights in the teachings of Yahweh
and reflects on his teachings day and night.
³ He is like a tree planted beside streams—
a tree that produces fruit in season
and whose leaves do not wither.
He succeeds in everything he does.^[a]

take the path of sinners,
or join the company of mockers.
² Rather, he delights in the teachings of Yahweh
and reflects on his teachings day and night.
³ He is like a tree planted beside streams—
a tree that produces fruit in season
and whose leaves do not wither.
He succeeds in everything he does.^[a]

⁴ Wicked people are not like that.
Instead, they are like husks that the wind blows away.
⁵ That is why wicked people will not be able to stand in the judgment
and sinners will not be able to stand where righteous people gather.