Chapter Twenty/A Multitudinous Great Crowd - Confirming the Identity of the Great Crowd - Continue

 As he looks on in his vision, John's thoughts must be taking him back more than 60 years to Jesus' last week on earth. On Nisan 9, 33 C.E., when the crowds flocked to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem they "they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him. And they began to shout: "Save, we pray you! Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah's name, even the king of Israel!" (John 12:12, 13) In like fashion, the waving of palm branches and crying out on the part of the great crowd shows their unbridled joy in accepting Jesus as Jehovah's appointed King. 

Doubtless, the palm branches ad exulting cries also remind John of the ancient Israelite Festival of Booths. For this festival Jehovah commanded: "And you must take for yourselves on the first day of splendid trees, the fronds of palm trees and the boughs of branchy trees and poplars of the torrent valley, and you must rejoice before Jehovah your God seven days. "The palm branches were used as a mark of rejoicing. The temporary booths were a reminder that Jehovah has saved his people out of Egypt, to live in the wilderness. "The alien resident and the fatherless by and the widow" share in this festival. All Israel were to "become nothing but joyful." - LEVITICUS 23:40; DEUTERONOMY 16:13-15.

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