2 Maccabees 10:7

Deuterocanon

5 It happened that on the same day on which the sanctuary had been profaned by the foreigners, the purification of the sanctuary took place, that is, on the twenty-fifth day of the same month, which was Chislev. 6 They celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the festival of booths, remembering how not long before, during the festival of booths, they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals. 7 Therefore, carrying ivy-wreathed wands and beautiful branches and also fronds of palm, they offered hymns of thanksgiving to him who had given success to the purifying of his own holy place. 8 They decreed by public edict, ratified by vote, that the whole nation of the Jews should observe these days every year. 9 Such then was the end of Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes.

Revelation 7:9

New Testament

4 Now I heard the number of those who were marked with the seal, 144,000, sealed from all the tribes of the people of Israel: 5 From the tribe of Judah, 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000, from the tribe of Gad, 12,000, 6 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000,from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000, 7 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000, from the tribe of Levi, 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar, 12,000, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin, 12,000 were sealed. 9 After these things I looked, and here was an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. 10 They were shouting out in a loud voice,“Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

 Notes and References

"... 'Palm branches in their hands.' Palm branches are a symbol of triumph and victory. When, under the leadership of the Maccabees, Jerusalem was freed from the religious oppression of Antiochus Epiphanes, the people celebrated the victory with palm branches and harps and psalms." At the time of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the crowd greeted him waving palm branches (John 12:13). Here in Revelation 7, the redeemed are portrayed as celebrating the victory by waving palm branches ..."

Stefanović, Ranko Revelation of Jesus Christ: Commentary on the Book of Revelation (p. 265) Andrews University Press, 2002

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