There are many scriptures that speak of things in Jesus/Yeshuas’ hand….

….including…

Ezra 8:22; Job 2:10 Goodness

Ps. 18:35 Holds us up.

Ps. 48:10 Right hand is full of righteousness.

139:10 Hand leads us, gives direction.

145:16 Open and satisfy every living thing.

Prov. 3:16 Length of days in her right hand (wisdom).

Song Sol. 2:6 Right hand embraces, left hand under head.8:3

John 13:3 Father has put everything into His hands.

Habb. 3:4. The hiding place of His power.

Matt. 8:3; Mark 7:33. Healing from His touch.

John 9:6. Mud/salve for our eyes.

Ps.23. Rod and staff of the good shepherd chastening, guide, guard and govern

John 6:35, 56. The Bread of Life.

Matthew 26:27; Luke 22:19.  The cup of Redemption

Which includes salvation, deliverance and comfort.

Mk. 1:41; Matt. 9:35-36. Compassion in His touch.

John 1:35-42; Matt. 4:18-23; Luke 5:1-11. Discipleship as He beckons to us to follow Him

Isaiah 41:13.  He bears us up in His hands, carries us.

Isaiah 49:16.  Our names are engraved there.

John 14:27. His Shalom/Peace He gives to us.

John 20:27. Holes from the nails.

Rev. 1:18. Keys of Death and hell he holds the timing of our departure.

BUT

What did

Yohanan say was in His cousins hand?

Yohanan is Hebrew for John

יוֹחָנָן and means: God is gracious.

and his cousin of course, Jesus/Yeshua.

Yohanan/John said …

Whose

winnowing fork 

is in His hand

..in context:

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.

Matthew 3:11-12 Mark 1:8 Luke 3:16! And John 1:33

One who is coming

said John, shouting from the Judean desert, as a prophetic forerunner of the Messiah with his call for repentance; and his warnings to the Pharisees and Sadducees, calling them “You brood of vipers!”

His main focus was Repent!

Note the meaning of the letters:

return to the cross of grace!

In Matthew 3:12

Hebrew : תשובה,

literally meaning: return.

tshuva or teshuva

pronounced: te-shoov-ah

to turn from the way you were going and return to God for healing, forgiveness and instruction in righteousness.

תשובה

Teshuvah, a Hebrew word often translated as repentance; however it is more accurately understood as turning back/returning – shuv to our Heavenly Father/YHWH and to obey Him. Deut. 4:30

 

In Modern Hebrew Teshuvah means an “answer” to a shelah, or a question. God’s love for us is the question, and our teshuvah – our turning of the heart toward Him – is the answer.

Teshuvah is one of the great gifts God gives each of us – the ability to turn back to Him and seek healing for our brokenness.

The book of the words of Isaiah the prophet foretold his message and his role: “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’” [Isaiah 40:3]

John declared that the kingdom of heaven was at hand and called sinners to repentance/Teshuvah. He was very careful to distinguish his role and message from that of the Messiah, whose arrival he announced, and whose WAY he made straight.

John made it clear, I baptize you with water but he will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He who is coming after me is mightier than I, John acknowledged. His sandals I am not worthy to carry.

Directly addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees, he called them out as a brood of vipers and warning them that even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Judgment is at hand. Do not presume to say to yourselves . . . .  John understood their hearts and their future rejection of the Son of God and Son of Man and he warned that the unfruitful tree will be thrown to the fire.

The eschatological imagery is clearly that the wheat represents those who are truly repentant, the chaff those who are not.

Messiah will judge the world, and those that are worthy would be brought into his barn/kingdom while those that were unworthy will burn in unquenchable fire.

His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Verse 12 teaches us that Jesus will come as one with a winnowing fork.

The winnowing fork separates the wheat from the chaff.

Figuratively, He will gather the wheat, or true followers of Jesus/Yeshua, into the barn; but the chaff will be burned up. 

As with the axe already placed against the tree in the preceding verse, the winnowing fork is already in hand, emphasizing the nearness of judgment. 

We know what an Axe is and what it is for; however, we may not be so familiar with a winnowing fork especially if we are not from an agricultural background.

These references were used because those hearing them were familiar not only with what they looked like, but what they were used for; and the whole process of farming, growth and harvest. So together with their knowledge and obedient celebration of the Appointed times/harvest cycles of the Lord it made complete sense to them.

 So this description would have been obvious to John’s listeners. At the time of the harvest a winnowing fork would be used to toss the stalks and heads of grain into the air, usually in the face of a breeze.

The wheat would fall to the ground to be collected, but the chaff would blow away to be collected and burned. The Lord of the harvest will collect his grain into the barn, but the chaff will be burned with unquenchable fire.

His winnowing-shovel is in His hand, and He will make a thorough clearance of His threshing-floor, gathering His wheat into the storehouse, but burning up the chaff in unquenchable fire.

It Is A Process:

After

It is placed on the Threshing Floor and trodden out by animals 

or

The stalks and grain would look like this after threshing.

In Job 39:15 and Dan. 7:23

the Hebrew verb ‘to thresh’ is  דּוּשׁ
Strongs#1758 to tread, thresh

and has as its root-meaning

‘to trample down’, ‘to tread under foot'”

Transliteration: dush or dish
Phonetic Spelling: (doosh)

At the season of Shavuot we remember part of the event celebrated, was the fire of the Ruach HaKodesh/Holy Spirit, falling upon those who had patiently waited since Messiah had instructed them to tarry in Jerusalem; the place of His presence, preparing their hearts while counting the Omer.

This season also remembers Ruth and the meeting with Boaz on the threshing floor in Jerusalem.

For more on Ruth Boaz and the threshing floor click link below

https://www.minimannamoments.com/knot-just-another-string-theory/

So it is a place – location specific.

And we are reminded that the threshing floor in question is that very same location that David purchased and brought the ark/presence of God to reside. And where his son Solomon eventually built the Temple.

2 Sam.24:21

 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”

“To buy your threshing floor,”

David answered,

“so I can build an altar to the LORD, 

As we understand more of the life culture and times of Messiah we gain more understanding of His words and how they relate to us; and how they can enable us to mature in Him.

The construction of the floors are very simple. Comprising a circular space, from 30-50 feet, (9-15 meters), in diameter, and made level. The ground is smoothed down and beaten solid so that the earth will not get mixed with the grain during threshing. Over time, the floors, especially on the mountains, are covered with a tough, hard grass. They are often the prettiest, and in many places the only, green plots in the village, here any traveller appreciates to pitch his tent. Daniel calls them summer threshing floors; and this is the most appropriate name for them, since they are only used in that season of the year.

Why A Winnowing Fork?

And what exactly does it do?

רַ֫חַת noun [feminine] winnowing-shovel, 

rachath: winnowing shovel –

strongs # 7371

רַחַת

From ruwach; a winnowing-fork

(as blowing the chaff away) — shovel.

Referenced in Is. 30:24.

Transliteration: rachath
Phonetic Spelling: (rakh’-ath)

Note Ruwach root to Ruach רוּחַ

strongs #7317 breath, wind, spirit

Transliteration: ruach
Phonetic Spelling: (roo’-akh)

zarah: to scatter, fan, winnow

strongs #2219

זָרָה

Transliteration: zarah
Phonetic Spelling: (zaw-raw’)

 

John describes the Messiah as a discerning judge, who will separate the good from the bad because, Winnowing forks, generally made of wood, were common at the time, and several dating from this period have been found.

Modern scholars mostly agree that the term “winnowing fork” is the most accurate but older versions have fan, shovel, broom, amongst other translations. 

The description of the winnowing or threshing process was the one farmers used to separate husks from grains of wheat.

(Keep in mind the process is spiritual for us.)

Then The Process of Winnowing:

The stalks and grain were thrown up for the wind to separate the grains of wheat from the chaff or husks which cannot be used because they are inedible.

They used winnowing fans (or forks) to toss the harvested grain into the air.

Winnowing the grain was accomplished by the use of either a broad shovel or of a wooden fork which had bent prongs.

With this instrument, the mass of chaff, straw, and grain was thrown against the wind. Because there was generally a breeze blowing in the evening, this was the time when it was normally done.

The wheat berry is surrounded by a sliver of dry husk that has to be separated from the wheat.  After threshing, which removed most of the bigger stuff, harvesters used either a fork or a basket to toss the wheat up into the wind. 

The wind blows through the tossed wheat and the chaff, which is very light, dislodges from the wheat in the action of winnowing. 

The wheat falls to the ground into a nice pile of relatively clean, useable grain.

 

Winnowing separates the good and useful from the worthless.

It cleans.

 

“His winnowing fork is in his hand.”

This metaphor perfectly describes Yeshua/Jesus’ actions.

There will come a time when God does this work of separating in a final sense, those whose names are written in the Lambs Book of Life, from those whose aren’t. 

His winnowing fork is in His hand – applies to us now and to the content of our hearts.

Some separating needs to take place.

The chaff can also refer to sin in the lives of the overcomers, and sin needs to be removed, if not willingly then through the winnowing and sifting processes. Then good fruit needs to come forth and be seen.

The world needs to see His Bride becoming more like her Bridegroom.

So Naomi Said to Ruth concerning Boaz:

“Behold, he winnoweth barley tonight in the threshing floor”

(Ruth 3:2).
When the Bible speaks of the farmer’s fan, it does not mean that some instrument was used to increase the speed or movement of the wind. It meant, the fan was the shovel or wooden fork used when unseparated grain and straw was thrown against the wind.

In Jeremiah 15:7, he tells of God using a fan to winnow His people Israel:

I have

winnowed them with a fan

in the gates of the land.

The chaff (the unwanted husks) would separate from the grain and be lifted away by the breeze, while the heavier grain would settle back onto the ground.

When the grain and straw, not as yet separated, are thrown into the air, the wind causes the mass of material to fall as follows:

Since the grain is the heaviest, it naturally falls beneath the fan. The straw is blown to the side into a heap, and the lighter chaff and the dust are carried beyond into a flattened row formed by the wind.

This gave the Psalmist David, his picture:

“The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away” (Psa. 1:4).

As Scriptures often indicate the chaff is burned.

And the flame consumeth the chaff  (Isa. 5:24).

John the Baptist was familiar with the winnowing process and the burning of the chaff which is why he said:

“Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matt. 3:12; Luke 3:17).

Sifting the grain:
When the winnowing process is over, then comes the sifting of the grain.

The wheat or barley will still be more or less mixed with certain amounts of chaff, little stones, and perhaps some tares.

Sifting is therefore necessary before the grain can be ground into meal.

The sifter sits on the floor, and shakes the sieve which contains the grain, until the chaff begins to appear on the top, and this is blown away by the sifter. Here, the stones and tares are removed.

 
Yeshua/ Jesus made reference to the sifting process in Luke 22:31. He said: 

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you all as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Jesus/Yeshua, is referring to ALL of the 12 ( the word you here is plural). This indicates that ALL who follow Him will also be sifted as they were.

Before separating a part from itself – it has to be broken!

The image He chose, that of sifting like wheat, is painfully graphic. The picture is of grain in a sieve, where the head of grain is taken apart (cf. Amos 9:9). Our English idiom of picking someone to pieces or taking someone apart, brings a similar image to mind.

Strongs Greek #4617 siniazo: I sift,

prove by trials,

winnow.

Original Word: σινιάζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: siniazo
Phonetic Spelling: (sin-ee-ad’-zo)

לְנַפּוֹת  לִבזוֹק

sieve, scrutinize,

 filter, filtrate, strain,

In other words, hasatan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat.

He was warning them that ALL of them would be attacked by the devil but, as their leader, Peter would be most obviously singled out. Just as satan would temporarily succeed in scattering the disciples by striking down the Chief Shepherd, he would also temporarily knock Peter down.

Once this process is completed, the farmer could then gather the grain and store it in his barn.

 Transfer these images to our lives and see the process for those who will follow Him.

This was the image John used to describe the ultimate judgment Messiah will bring. After using his winnowing fan, He will clear his threshing floor, gathering the good grain into His barn and burning the unwanted chaff with unquenchable fire.

This reference His threshing floor today, is to the temple, of which we are, specifically the sanctuary where His Spirit/ruach/presence reside/abides/lives.

The outer court of the Temple was open to all and sin had to be allowed there because they came to bring their sacrifices to the altar to obtain forgiveness through the covering by/of innocent blood.

Now Jesus/Yeshua is going to clear/purge His threshing floor that is, those who are His that still have sin in their lives. It’s the preparation process, the final one, before the gathering in of the grain to His Barn.

This depiction of Jesus/Yeshua as the one who separates good from bad, then gathers the good to Himself and burns the rest. This may not be our favorite image of Messiah from the scriptures however, it is one that John the Baptist and the evangelists after him wanted us to hear. We are not supposed to be afraid of Messiah or of future judgment, but we are supposed to be forewarned and aware: What we do and who we are matters to God.

WHY?

Because, we cannot be with Jesus/Yeshua, in his warm barn full of good grain, unless we are ready.

Below a picture of a Fine Tooth Comb which is also used in the harvests separating process and where our metaphor comes from.

Why Fire?

Because the Messiah will be mighty and will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. John then describes the Messiah as a discerning judge who will separate the good from the bad.

For individuals, it is to burn away all that is not of Himself. All flesh will one day be consumed but until then, we are to eliminate the fleshly things of this life while still in the physical body.

His Holy fire purges the flesh of impurities and cleanses our hearts and minds. This is of course is the view we have now that since Jesus/Yeshua came, died and was resurrected and said He would never leave or forsake us because He was leaving His Spirit, the comforter with us. His Ruach/Spirit, came and was released into the earth and received by individuals who were properly prepared vessels.

Let this be a timely warning to us, because followers of Messiah must never be so naïve as to think that satan pays most attention to those who have already surrendered to his demonic powers. In fact, the opposite is true. It is those who follow Yeshua/Jesus and have a Godly reputation who have targets on their backs.

 Hasatan/adversary, cares little about professing believers who are not seriously following Messiah because they are no threat to his kingdom.

2 Cor. 2:11 says, We must not knowingly allow him to take advantage of our weakness, or remain ignorant of his schemes, however, we must also never minimize our personal responsibility. Surely we throw open the door to making the devil’s work so much easier, whenever we allow our pride to control us and we can fall when we least expect it.

“In the story of Peter’s fatal self-confidence and pitiable fall every believer has a permanent and powerful warning never to rely arrogantly on his own strength. A healthy confidence is indeed necessary to every Christian, but this must be in the sense of reliance on God—i.e. faith, not in our own resources, but in the power given to us by Him” (Geldenhuys).

“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

How do we do that?

We cooperate with His working in us…the process…all of it…

Fortunately for us, the winnowing process has already begun. The words of Yeshua/Jesus and his forerunner John the Baptist have already begun threshing us, separating the worthless, husky part of us from the valuable, substantial grain. Our will must be surrendered to His will, it is that part of us that needs to be broken the rebellious part that makes up who we are spiritually, just like that of a wild horse needing to broken to be of use to his owner. We are to yield willingly and then the process is not so painful and takes much less time!

The sifting is happening now… so don’t be alarmed or discouraged..you are not alone..

12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12-13

Cast Your Cares on Him … 8 Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.…1Peter5:9

But I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not:

He prays for us just as He prayed for Peter.

The faithful preacher is like the winnowing fork in the Lord’s harvest.

True gospel preaching leads to wheat collected into the barn, but also leads to chaff collected for the burning. It is not the most heartwarming message, however, it is the glory of the calling of a true minister of His Gospel and the end result is the best conclusion we can ever have…eternal life in the Fathers presence.

Sifted but saved!

We are facing difficult days with unprecedented challenges.

There will be only one place to hide…IN HIM…Get into the Ark/Yeshua/Jesus.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Col. 3:3

and of course among others Psalm 91!

Make these scriptures your own – stand on them – they are the rock of our salvation and with this firm foundation underneath us along with His everlasting arms, we will withstand every storm and He is with us even to the end of the age,

Our calling is clear, we are to

preach the Word,

proclaim the Gospel,

herald the truth

that the kingdom of the heavens is at hand.

Be humble,

take courage,

be not afraid,

the time of sifting His harvest is here.

Shalom shalom mishpachah/family and cheverim/friends! You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read the posts. If they have been a blessing and if you haven’t already, please sign up for free email notification, like, share and subscribe, it all helps to freely spread the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth and reaches others with His Truths. MMM will continue as long as the platform is accessible… meanwhile let’s remember

it’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.