In the Hebrew Bible, Hoshianna is used only in verses such as “help” or “save, I pray” (Tehilim 118:25).
It is applied in numerous verses of the New Testament including “Hoshianna; blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” (Markos 11.9), “hoshianna in the highest” (Mark 11.10); “hosanna to the Son of David” (Matt 21:9). The old interpretation “Save, now!”, based on Tehilim 118:25, does not fully explain the occurrence of the word in the Gospels as a shout of jubilation, and this has given rise to complex discussions.
In rabbinic literature, the holiday of Sukkot is associated with water. Specifically, the Rabbis, following the P’rushim, believed that the Oral Torah included a requirement for a ritual called Nissuch HaMayim, the pouring of the water, which was performed at the Temple from the second day of Sukkot through the seventh. This ritual is also the origin for the term the Rabbis use regarding the night time Sukkot celebrations that occurred in the Temple: Simchat Beit haShoeivah, “The Celebration of the House of the Drawn Water.”
Sukkot marks the end of the dry season and the beginning of the rainy season in Israel. This transition from dry season to rainy season is marked in Rabbinic liturgy; on the day following Sukkot, the holiday of Shemini Atzeret, the prayer for rain is recited by the congregation and the request for rain is inserted into the Amidah prayer, where it will remain until Passover, the holiday marking the beginning of the dry season.
Considering the devastating nature of a drought, the desperation in the tone of the Hoshana Rabbah prayers begins to make more sense. Additionally, when one understands that this is a pettioning ritual, a number of other features of the holiday and the ritual begin to make more sense as well.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Jewish tradition sees Hoshana Rabbah as the final day of the High Holiday cycle, the last day before the decrees go into effect, the day the gates of heaven are closed, a mini Yom Kippur.
Hoshana Rabbah, is the Great “Save us now”.
Water libation
The Talmud states, “He who has not seen the rejoicing at the place of the water-drawing has never seen rejoicing in his life.” So, the water pouring ceremony became the occasion for an outpouring of intense joy.
Isa. 11:2
Judgment of Water
Sukkot and seeking water
During the time of Yeshua, the Feast of Sukkot set a magnificent stage for the preaching of the Messiah. Rain is essential to the growing of crops and Israel, an arid land, prizes rain greatly as a blessing from G-d.
Rain was a prominent feature in the celebration of the Feast of Sukkot. The ceremony of the water drawing held a significance much deeper than its agricultural implications. The rain represented the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) and the water drawing pointed to that day when, according to the prophet Joel [Yoel], G-d would rain His Spirit upon (all flesh) (Yoel 2:28-29). The connection of water to this verse is G-d pouring out His Spirit. In the Talmud we read, “Why is the name of it called the drawing out of water? Because of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, according to what is said, ‘With joy shall ye draw out of the wells of salvation'” (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 12:3).
Sukkot was given by G-d to teach us of the Messianic era, the Millennium, when the earth will experience the greatest outpouring of G-d’s Spirit.
Hoshanna
The word hosanna (Latin osanna, Greek ὡσαννά, hōsanná) is from Hebrew הושיעה־נא, הושיעה נא hôshia-nā’ which is short for hôšî‘â-nā’ from Aramaic הושע נא meaning “save, rescue, savior”.
Messiah announced on Sukkot
Messianic expectation
The Rock
Fountain of living waters
Genesis 26:19,
John 4:10-11
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”(John 7:37-38)
This was no statement secretly whispered in the dark corner. The text says that Jesus “stood” to make His announcement, and He “cried” meaning He spoke with a loud voice. He wanted everyone to hear the good news. The stunned crowd did hear and they knew what He meant. yeshua was declaring that He was Messiah and that everyone who would believe in Him would receive the gift or indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the “living water,” not measured in terms of a trickling spring, the Spring of Gihon, but a flowing river-even numerous rivers!
Yeshua was trying to communicate this to Nicodemus (Nakdimon) in Yochanan 3:1-6. He also was teaching this during the Feast of Sukkot in Yochanan 4:14, which concluded with His statements in Yochanan 7:37-39. At the ceremony of the water drawing, the people’s attention was focused on the pool of Siloam. It was here that Yeshua healed a man who had been blind from birth (Yochanan 9:1-7). Notice again the statement in Yochanan 9:5. This is the last day of the feast (Hoshana Rabbah) (Yochanan 9:14; Vayikra 23:34-36).
Are you thirsty? Are you in a parched land right now? Messiah calls out to everyone who thirsts. Not a physical thirst , but rather a spiritual thirst.