Tag: Bride of Messiah

Shalom Ha Makem – The Place For Our Life To Mature

Etz Chayim – Tree of Life.

Followers of Yeshua/Jesus understand that He (alone) is the Tree of Life, the Center of the true Paradise of God in Rev. 22:2. Yeshua/Jesus is the Seed, Root, Trunk, Branches, and Fruit that comes from heaven. 

Speaking words of life from the source of the tree of life, to give the Word a platform; with shalom, a place for our life, (lives/chaim), to mature; and connecting some more pieces together.

Faith comes (X) BY hearing and hearing (X) BY the word. (X = Sign for multiply in math.)

 see last post. https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-paradox-the-echad-of-elohim/)

When you hear yourself say the words, it reinforces your faith and God watches over His Word to perform it to cause it to come to pass.

Jeremiah 1:12 then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well; for I watch over my word to perform it.”

Is. 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

When we speak words of truth from scripture, faith is stimulated and rises up in our hearts. When we give His words a voice, He hears and can energize them on our behalf, causing them to be filled with His life/lives (Chaim) and manifest His power in the natural, physical realm, where the answers are needed. We create a platform for His miracles to occur and (X) By His Word (X) By His Blood (X) By His Spirit (X)

https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-mystery-of-in-his-deaths/

By His death(s) we are raised in His life/lives/chaim. All the X multiples = 1 – the Echad of Elohim.

In Hebrew the word for “life” is chayim ( חַיִּים ), which is plural to show us that we cannot live life alone… within the word itself are embedded two Yods ( יי ), representing unity in plurality
(Yod-Yod is also a Name of God).
The LORD is called Elohim Chayim
( אֱלהִים חַיִּים),…
the living God and we only come to life BY our unity with Him in the truth.
https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-paradox-the-echad-of-elohim/

In the Ephesians armor of The Lord the sword (of the spirit) which represents the (S)Words of God coming out of our mouths with His authority which empowers them. The sword is the only offensive part of the armor, the rest are defensive, for protection. The Word only needs an S in the front of it to make it effective as an optimum offensive weapon.

The Sword contains the Word and is integral to its’ pronunciation, therefore you cannot have the sword of the Lord without the word in it, making up the majority of its letters. If this is the only weapon then it must be all we need, or God would have supplied more.

This is focusing on the Ephesians 6 armor and of course…

we overcome by the Word of our testimony and the Blood of the Lamb.

This is the testimony of what the Blood has done for us as regards salvation, deliverance, protection, etc. (see confession statement below.)

I testify to Satan personally as to what the Word of God says the Jesus/Yeshua’s Blood does for me. Through the Blood of Yeshua/Jesus, I am redeemed out of the hand of the devil. Through the Blood of Yeshua/Jesus, all my sins are forgiven. The Blood of Yeshua /Jesus Christ, Yeshua my God’s Son, continually cleanses me from all sin.

Through the blood of Yeshua /Jesus, I am justified, made righteous, just-as-if-I’d never sinned. Through the blood of Yeshua /Jesus I am sanctified, Made holy, set apart to Hashem my God. My body is a temple of the Ruach Ha Kodesh/Holy Spirit, redeemed, cleansed by the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Satan has no place in me, no power over me, through the Blood of Yeshua /Jesus.

It is not referring to our life’s story. (Unless we are thinking we can bore the enemy into submission! He already is well aware of what we’ve done. We instead need to declare the victory in our lives and what God has done for us.)

Angels also hearken to the Word of God: Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. Psalm 103:20

This suggests we can expect angelic aid when necessary and when we speak out words of scripture.

A quick reference to one of the images on homepage – when we dig we will find our treasure here – this image highlights the letter TAV which is represented by an X

This in reference to the last post concerning Echad and a way to try and understand the concept of the oneness of God!

https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-paradox-the-echad-of-elohim/)

Tav is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

In the picture above represented by an X as the Middle Age way of depicting the letter as shown in image below.

The image of the Early Paleo Hebrew script is in the shape of a cross!

Thousands of years before it was used by the Romans as a means of execution or became the well known ‘Christian’ symbol. As it evolved into today’s modern script, it was also represented in the shape of the X, the same symbol used today in mathematics as a sign of multiplication.

(See post for further explanation.)

As the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet Tav denotes the end, the finish, the Completion. These were among Jesus/Yeshua’s last words on the TAV/cross (It is finished). He said about Himself, He is the Alef and Tav. (In Greek, the alpha and the omega); the beginning and the end; the first and the last.

Col.1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

And he is before all things, and BY him all things consist. Col.1:17

BY (X) Him All things consist … It’s in the DNA.

For more on this interesting and amazing connection of the miracle about Laminin click link.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/hubble-cross-ing-the-great-divide/

Rev 4:11. “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

When we choose to look at the Word as if we are seeing/reading it for the first time, it will allow Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh, to quicken it’s meaning to us.

We have such a deep rooted western, greek influenced mind set on things; because it’s what we were told and how we raised. The roots of our faith are Jewish, Hebraic, Israelite in their origins, whether we like it, embrace it, or believe it or not, it’s still the truth.

During the last 2000 years, leaders of Christendom have sought to separate Christianity from those roots. (In the fourth century, during the Councils of Elvira and Nicaea, church elders established many rules and regulations to separate the Church from the Jewish roots of Her faith.)

Today Bible prophecy is being fulfilled as the reconciliation of both Messianic Hebrew/Jewish/Israelites and Gentile/Goyim/Heathen/Nations come together to become the one new man. With this restoration comes greater understanding of scriptures as the truths lost in translation are restored to His challah/bride, His ecclesia/called out ones.

The two are made “one new man;” the Gentile is not turned into a Jew, nor the Jew into a Gentile, but both into one new man, thus removing all grounds of jealousy. This transformation is “in himself;” in vital union to Messiah they are formed into one body.

Echad.

Many Jews in Israel today are traditional and Orthodox Jews and do not recognize that Yeshua/Jesus was the Messiah and for whom they are still waiting. Those who have accepted Jesus/Yeshua as Messiah are known as Messianic Jews. They are not to be confused with the orthodox Jews who are the ones wanting the 3rd Temple to be built as they are the same that Jesus/Yeshua had issue with in His day. We are to continue to pray for their eyes to see their true Messiah.

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ” (Matthew 16:6,11,12, NKJV also in Mark 8:15 and Luke 12:1)

Beware the Leaven of the Pharisees “Leaven was a common Jewish metaphor for an invisible, pervasive influence.”

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees and be a wise Christian. When Messiah did the work of redemption, the Israelites blindly follow the Pharisees’ words to nail Jesus/Yeshua to the cross so that they were self condemned to destruction.

The Jews quickly assumed full responsibility for His death: We accept the punishment for such a crime; let it be upon us and upon our children. They were visited with the same kind of punishment and worse, for the Romans crucified them in such numbers that there were no more crosses or place for them (Luke 21:20-24).

As many as 500 a day were scourged and crucified. Their children for ages have gone through untold sufferings in all lands. They are yet to suffer the greatest time of tribulation that has ever been on earth or ever will be. Besides, if the Jews were the only ones who killed him, then he didn’t die for anyone else. But he died for all, not just for Jews: the righteous Messiah died for everyone who is unrighteous, which is to say, for everyone. Everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, is a sinner.

 If one does a study of who the Pharisees were and what they believed and practiced they would be shocked to find they are still among us today. Not just in the Judaism as in the Ultra Orthodox, but in some areas of under the guise of “Christianity”. This is why we are given the gift of discerning of spirits, so we‘ll not be deceived.

Since it only takes a small amount of yeast or other leavening agent to transform an entire lump of dough, Messiah must mean that it takes only a little bit of what the Pharisees and Herod have to offer to ruin a person.

The Pharisees used a form of dis-fellowshipping to keep the Jews inline. Being thrown out of the synagogue would mean complete ostracism from Jewish society. The Pharisees used that as a form of coercion to prevent the Jews from confessing their belief that Jesus/Yeshua was the Messiah.

If and when they do build the temple, the false anti, (against), messiah, the man of sin spoken of in Revelation will quickly arrive on the scene. Israel is an indicator of where we are in God’s timeline, we should keep an eye on Jerusalem as prophecy unfolds before our eyes. The scripture says if a peace treaty is signed it will trigger specific ‘end of this age’ events. (Not the ‘end of the world’, so don’t be scared, be prepared spiritually. Men and the devil think they are in control of things but they are not God is.)

1Cor.2:8 says None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Berean Study Bible.

The same could be said today, the (spiritual) rulers still don’t understand, they think they are going to win.

Coming back to the One New Man – Here in Ephesians 2:15 it says: having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.

This can also mean the new man made out of each individual that He molds and makes us into.

And also the Lords ‘body of believers’ the ecclesia, the called out ones, who are to be His Challah/kallah, His bride.

(Jeremiah 3:14 says the I AM (ANOCHI) married Israel. You will call Me ishi My husband and will no longer call Me Baali, My Husband.

חָתָן bridegroom 2860 chathan khaw-thawn’

כַּלָה bride Kallah 3618 kallah   kal-law’

Jeremiah 3:14 , saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: declares the LORD, “for I am your husband.

Husband in Greek

Isaiah 54:4 is One of the most significant names is husband\ bridegroom.

For your Maker is your husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and your Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

My husband – ISHI in Hebrew.

Hosea 2:16 speaking of Israel and remembering we are grafted in to the Olive tree and are ‘spiritually Israel’.

Hosea 2:18/ and it will be in that day, says the Lord, you will call me Ishi, my husband, and will no longer call me baali, my husband.

Here Ishi and baali, both mean my husband, in Hebrew however baali, also means my master. Ishi is the equal status in which Adam and Eve were created. So His desire is for us, His ‘bride’, to no longer call Him Baali, Master, (meaning we are in a relationship as a servant); but to call Him, Ishi, the intimate, close relationship of a husband, kinsman redeemer.

It is not important how old we are or how bold we think we are, we are His children.

He is our loving Father and if we are really honest with ourselves, there is a childlike quality in each of us still …

that softens at the thought of curling up and nestling warm and safe under the feathers of His wings.

Even the furry members of our extended families seem to know this is true of blankets!

Just like we do under a blanket in our favorite chair, sofa or bed… but we have to let Him hold us.

He cannot, if we are always wriggling and restless, squirming around with life’s worries and problems. He said shalom alecheim. My peace I give it to you. We have be still.. and know that He is God.

Shalom,

It means to set, to establish you in shalom. the word normally translated peace, means health, welfare, security, justice, and tranquility, also freedom from all disaster. A Hebrew scholar gave the best English translation of shalom: no good thing is withheld. Jesus/Yeshua gave us in this peace in John 14:27 saying, ‘shalom aleikhem’.

Shalom it cannot be translated into English with a single word.

Shalom comes from shalem meaning to be complete, shalam = restore.

When there is shalom there is tranquility just as sufficient food clothing Housing. There is divine health, with no sickness. Shalom means an absence of: disorder, injustice, bribery, corruption, conflict, flat, hatred, abuse, violence, pain, suffering, immorality and all the other negative forces.

Therefore, when we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we are praying for the shalom of Jerusalem. We are praying that there will not be any injustice, disorder, strife, violence, poverty, sickness, abuse, accidents, homelessness, pain, anger, and more. When shalom rains there will be no where morality, no injustice and the principles advocated in the scriptures will be followed by all. Then the command to love your neighbor will be to made complete.

And it appears that one aspect of the secret place is right in the center of those soft feathers. We need to learn the definition of that which Jesus/Yeshua gives us because as often as we need it…. it is always there for us.

In Ps 91, this feathery nest is a place of safety it is another place of our hiding protected against all snares, and destruction.

The wings, of Boaz’ blanket in Ruth, showed us it is a place of intimacy.

Boaz (who was a type and shadow of Jesus as the kinsman redeemer) his blanket was his prayer shawl and the skirt of it in the literal Hebrew is wing.

It was a Jewish practice for a groom to cover his bride with a garment, the wings of the tallit, his prayer shawl. It was a precursor of the chuppah in today’s Jewish weddings. Ruth was saying let’s get married you are my kinsman redeemer.

Under the Lord’s wings is a statement of intimacy with Him indicating conversion to worship of the Lord.

When we abide under his wings we are his betrothed, the bride saying let’s be married, let’s be echad one. 1X1=1

It is the agreement and acceptance of the covenant. Prophetic of Messiah, and as Ruth was a Moabitess, also refers to the Gentile nations becoming a part of the covenant forming the One New Man.

This is where we can enter in to a deep relationship akin to that of a marriage.

This is the secret place,

Strong’s Hebrew: 4565. מִסְתָּר (mistar) — a secret place

mistar: a secret place, hiding place, concealment

מִסְתָּר

Transliteration: mistar g

Phonetic Spelling: (mis-tawr’)

The place – ha makem

‘Ha Makem’- ‘The Place’-המקום

The place of closeness, of relationship, of communion, Holy – set-apartness. This is the holy of holy’s הַקֳּדָשִׁים קֹדֶשׁ Kodesh HaKadashim. 

Termed also the “miḳdash ha-ḳodesh” (Lev. xvi. 33 The Inner Sanctuary. The Holy of Holies (Kodesh HaKadashim in Hebrew Qṓḏeš HaQŏḏāšîm), as its name implies, was the most sacred part of the entire Temple.

Today our bodies are His Sanctuary/Temple, His spirit dwells in us. Could it be said our spirit is the ark the container the Kodesh HaKadashim, The Inner Sanctuary – miḳdash ha-ḳodesh?

And when we make Him our refuge, when we abide in this place of habitation, we will look out from there and see He has taken care of all that would trouble us.

There are angels watching over us and all the power of the enemy is under his feet. Psalm 91:11

Verse 4, His protection extends around us, we are enveloped by His buckler; which means that which goes around – (see post)

 https://www.minimannamoments.com/because-10/

A buckler*. (*Heb. ‘Buckler’ means, ’that which goes around’, a very large shield to protect the whole body on 3 sides. The Lord gives full protection).   His Glory is also our protection/ rereward behind us.

Most likely it is referring to the large shield that protected on three sides and because we all have a north, south, east, and west direction to our person. He is also our re-reward, which is the protection for the fourth side, behind us, where unforeseen sudden attacks sometimes come.

Isaiah 52:12 the God of Israel shall be your Rear guard

and

Isaiah 58:8 the glory of the Lord shall be your Rear guard.

Just as the protection came after the ark of his presence –we are the ark of his presence today. Just as His presence protected them in the wilderness and at the Reed sea.

Isaiah 58:12 the Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your rearguard.

So who is the Lord in this verse?

There are 2 here The Lord and The God of Israel.

Is that the pre-incarnate Messiah? Is it Holy spirit? Is this an example of Echad as 1X1?

Is it likely referring to Messiah, who is the subject of the following verses from 13 in chapter 52 to the end of Chapter 53?

Image from Christian Inspirational Designs

In verse 15 when we call upon Him with our whole heart requiring Him [as a vital necessity] He promises to answer and declares I AM – anochi – who is with us in trouble.

Delivering us from trouble and in verse 16 with long life that is everlasting, eternal, lives, chaim in both realms.

And He will reveal to us and show us His full salvation. Salvation, meaning, rescue, deliver, bring us out deliver from bondage. Restore the broken fellowship, redeeming us by His life’s, (lives chaim), blood as His family His kin, and taking us to Himself as His challah.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-season-of-our-hiding/

It does not matter how ‘macho’ we are, or how independent we are, we are all His children and are required to be as little ones, it’s not a sign of weakness but of great, strong and enduring faith and trust.

For it is BY(X) and in Him, not of ourselves that none should boast. Will He find faith, (that faithfulness), on the earth when He returns?

Could this be what He will be looking for, the humility of the childlike faith?

Humility is akin to meekness, which has been inverted by modern definition to be associated with weakness, insipidity and ineffectiveness. When He said the meek shall inherit the earth, it is indicating to us that the contrary is Truth, as we misunderstood the concept of meekness, because it means exercising God’s strength, demonstrating power without undo harshness. He was the humble servant and did not use His power to rule over others but rather to serve, instead being the servant leader, yet not a ‘pushover.’

So let’s continue speaking, to give the Word a platform; with shalom, a place for our life to mature; and in meekness exercise God’s strength, demonstrating His power without undo harshness.

How to do the word – simply take scriptures that answer your need and read them out loud. Make it personal by reading it in the first person, with your name, or ‘I’ in the verse.

It’s up to us to make the Words of scripture personal, making it our own. We have to ‘own the Word’, by praying the words, for confession is made into salvation, deliverance, healing etc.

Some more examples will be posted on a separate page link below and have been a daily source of strength since compiling them many years ago.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/first-things-first/

This is only an aid and starting place for personal secret places!

There are other examples of scripture based prayers for specific needs at..

https://www.minimannamoments.com/scripture-based-prayers/

Image above from MMM family at Christian Inspirational Designs,

thank you

and welcome to all new subscribers/followers here and on fb, and thank you again to all the faithful, you are prayed for as family. Apologies for not replying to your messages in a prompt manner, it is nothing personal, simply not enough hours in the day! Please continue to ‘like’ the pages, as it helps the search engines to link to words others look for online. Also please share the site with others that they may be blessed and encouraged too.. Special thanks to those who have left encouraging comments and recommendations, it is greatly appreciated!

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim and mishpachah!

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week, you are greatly loved and don’t leave here without assurance of your salvation or without the joy of the Lord ENVELOPING you and the assurance that you are sealed to the day of redemption by the Blood of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua.

Not sure ..you can be…

Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

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

You are very precious in His sight.

SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute, SAY IT 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. 

The Hidden Mystery of the Kallah

The Hidden Mystery of the Kallah כַּלָּה ; phonetically pronounced (kal-law’).

These days there is much chatter about the signs of the times, end of days and Jesus soon return. The catching away from 1 Thessalonians is often termed the rapture.

Also called the Parousia and the blessed hope of Titus 2:13

 The rapture is an eschatological term used by certain Christians, particularly within branches of American evangelicalism, referring to a end time event when all Christian believers will be “caught up”, translated into the clouds, in a moment in time, to join the Lord in the air. 

In fact the specific word ‘rapture’ itself does not appear anywhere in the scripture text however It has become a much used by word and originated right out of the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible.

…deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Domino in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus.. –1 Thessalonians 4:17 (Latin Vulgate)

In the New American Standard Version, the English phrase, “caught up,” is used. The same phrase is used in the King James and New International Versions. .” In the Latin Vulgate, one of the oldest Bibles in existence, the appropriate tense of rapio appears in verse 17. (Raptus is the past participle of rapio, and our English words “rapt” and “rapture” stem from this past participle.)

So this term “Rapture” comes from a Latin word, “rapio,” that means “to catch up, to snatch away, or to take out.” It is, in turn, a translation of the Greek word, “harpazo. the Harpz, the “snatching up” of the Church.

The Latin equivalent of the Greek Harpazo is the Latin verb rapio, “to take away by force.

The very definition of the word “harpazo” that we get the word “rapture” from, is: to openly and forcibly snatch something from someone.

Strong’s Greek Concordance #726 harpázō – properly, seize by force; snatch up, suddenly and decisively – like someone seizing bounty (spoil, a prize); to take by an open display of force (i.e. not covertly or secretly).

Notice in the preceding definition, “harpazo” means to “openly seize” – not covertly or secretly.

 Used in the late 16th century (in the sense ‘seizing and carrying off’): from obsolete French, or from medieval Latin raptura ‘seizing,’ partly influenced by rapt. This post is not attempting to focus on or to prove/disprove any of the options proffered by believers. Intended only to show Messiah’s use of and reference to ancient Israel and the Jewish/Hebrew wedding and how it relates to forthcoming events; and to those that have already occurred, including the fulfillment of the promise which our Lord confirmed at the Last Supper: John 14:1-3

This is a wide subject however this focus is on the wedding part.

The elements of a Jewish wedding normally include the following: one chosson (the groom), one kallah (the bride), and a ceremony sometimes referred to as kiddushin. Separate steps usually accompany a traditional wedding: Shidduch – it’s a match! Vort – formal engagement; Ketubah – or Betrothal marriage contract.

We the believers in Jesus the Messiah/Yeshua Ha Mashiach are His kallah /Calah. kallah /Calah is Hebrew for bride. (Seems both spellings are used.)

It may be easier for ladies than for men, in identifying with being a bride. The likeness is simply for God’s purposes, and to reveal His covenant and the deep close relationship that the children of Israel have with Him; which would be a reminder for them beginning with Moses at Sinai.

This mystery is hidden in the Hebrew covenant of a marriage and the wedding ceremonies in which the focus was originally more on the groom than the bride!

Looking at Isaiah 62:5: “For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee. And as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.”

In the first part of this verse in Isaiah it appears that Israel is playing the role of a bridegroom rather than a bride if we consider the word sons as male. Then in the second part he is addressing Israel as if they were to be a husband to God, as this second part of the verse declares that the ones he is addressing are now the bride to God who is in the role of the bridegroom.

The word bridegroom here is katan, which is another word for marriage. This word for marriage has the idea of joining together in complete truth and honesty.  When God as the bridegroom is married to us He is joined to us in complete truth.  Remembering here Jesus words, “They that worship God must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.”  John 4:24.

So that is God’s side of the deal, He is the bridegroom, but what are we as the bride or Kallah? In it’s primitive form the word Kallah has a double lamed which represents prayer with uplifted hands.

Hebrew letter Lamed

This word is a picture of reaching up to your lover with an open empty heart asking him to fill your heart with his presence.   The root word is a little strange because it means both a filling or completion and a wasting away.  However, the sages chose this word to represent a bride because a bride is to fill her heart with the desires of her bridegroom while her own desires waste away. Hard for us to understand, as this flies in the face of our modern thinking.

 God gave us a marriage relationship to help us understand our relationship with Him.  It cannot be just one sided, looking to God as a bride to a bridegroom, there is the other side of the coin to consider, our beloved God has a heart similar to the heart He breathed into us.

Just as our hearts can be broken, so too can we break His heart. He has chosen to make Himself vulnerable to those He loves and love Him in return.

We must make sure we do not break His heart.

כַּלָה is the Hebrew word for bride is Kallah, (Calah) which comes from the root word Kalah meaning; to finish, complete, prepare, to make perfect (in the sense of totality rather than of being unblemished) and to consume. (Strong’s #3618 and 3634).

There is also the meaning in this word of something fulfilling its purpose. Also means daughter in law.

From the Cross Jesus said, “It is finished” or in keeping with our Hebrew word for completed/fulfilled.

Jesus returns to initiate the catching away of believers.

Lekhah Dodi means “come my beloved,” and is a request of a mysterious “beloved” that could mean either God or one’s friend(s) to join together in welcoming Shabbat that is referred to as the “bride“: likrat kallah (“to greet the [Shabbat] bride“).

Chatan: Hebrew word for groom.

Strongs 2860 Chathan חָתָן

phonetic pronounced (khaw-thawn’) חָתָן

The biblical word chatan means both son-in-law and bridegroom, (most scholars believe that the initial meaning was only son-in-law, and that bridegroom was a later development) and ‘ka•la’ also means daughter-in-law.

In the Hebrew wedding song: “The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom [hatan] and the voice of the bride [kalah].” the voice of those who shall say, Praise the Lord of Hosts; for the Lord is good; for his mercy endures for ever; and of those who shall bring the sacrifice of praise to the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, says the Lord’.

Jeremiah 33:11

The wedding in Jesus day began with an agreement between the bride and groom, like engagement today. The bridegroom Journeys to the bride’s house for the covenant is made at her house.

Applying the process to believers, the Bridegroom has already made his visit! We are engaged, we are betrothed to Him.

At the time of this agreement a formal document called the Ketubah , was signed.

The Ketubah Agreement or covenant of marriage/ betrothal, included a price to be paid for the bride. In Hebrew the Mohar/Mohair.

We sometimes know it as a Dowry.

It was considered that the husband and his family were gaining an asset and the bride’s family were losing one.  And the price was according to the wealth of the Groom’s Father. The choice of whom the Bride would be and the Bride price or Mohar as it was called, was to reflect the Father of the Groom’s honor, integrity and stature; His future generations were at stake. Even if the Bride’s family was not wealthy, if the Groom’s Father was, the price was to reflect his wealth.

At that time the couple was considered to be married, even though the marriage was not consummated. She belongs to him now, for she has been “bought with a price’, and this purchase has been witnessed and confirmed.

Matthew 26: 27-28
“Then having taken a cup, after He gave thanks He gave the cup to them saying, “You must all drink from this, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out on behalf of many for forgiveness of sins.”

Luke 22:20
“This is the cup of the New Covenant in My blood which is being poured out on your behalf.”

Considering the stature and wealth of the heavenly Father, what would be a better fitting price for the Bride of Christ, the Church other than the life of His Son.

Jesus already paid the ultimate price for us His bride. By giving up his life for us at Calvary’s cross. The father of the bride may accept the bridal price.  If he does, then it is up to the bride to accept the offer of marriage.  She (the bride to be) accepts his offer when she drinks from the cup filled with wine or grape juice.

In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the renewed covenant in My blood. As often as you drink it, do this in remembrance of Me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Master until He comes.  1 Corinthians 11: 25-26

After the wine is drunk, the young man says the words in John 14:2-3:  “In My Father’s house are many rooms.   I go to prepare a place for you.  And, if I go to prepare and place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also”.

This is not so we can have a mansion of our own and do nothing but sit around. It is so we can be with Him and to share eternity with Him and be a part of the future He has planned for us.

The groom then went back to where he came from, his father’s house. He prepared a place, usually on family property, for the couple .

This Ketubah has 2 parts involving a shared cup of wine, with one at the initiation of the agreement and the other at the consummation.

The first part happens at the initial acceptance of the agreement with the sharing of the first cup of wine.The second part happens when the wedding actually happens with the sharing of the second cup of wine. 

The groom steps on the glass breaking it to indicate that this is a serious commitment and just as serious as the shattered glass is not repairable. 

Notice how Jesus says to do the New Covenant, Communion, in remembrance of Him. He is the Groom going away. But He will return for His Bride and bring her unto Himself.

I Corinthians 11:25-26
“Likewise also the cup after supper saying, “This cup is the New Covenant by means of My blood: you must regularly do this, as often as you would drink it, in remembrance of Me.”  For as often as you would eat this bread and you would drink the cup, you are proclaiming publicly the death of the Lord until He would come.”

Mark 14:24-25
“And He said to them “This is My blood of the covenant which is being poured out on behalf of many. Truly I say to you that never again am I drinking from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”

When we take the Cup, Communion, we are remembering Him, the price He paid with His Body and His Blood; this is symbolic of the first cup of the Ketubah.

We should also stop, pause and rejoice in that: The next time the Lord takes the cup of wine again, it will be with us, His Bride. This will be symbolic of the second cup of the Ketubah. We should take Communion in honor of Him as He has asked, but also with the comfort and intent of someday, being with and sharing the Wedding Cup with Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. 
The entire New Testament (New Marriage Covenant) is a reflection of the Ancient Jewish Wedding, whereby Yeshua, the Bridegroom, will one day come back for His Bride (all 12 tribes and those grafted into the olive tree, One New Man).

Right now He is preparing many dwelling places in his Father’s house (John 14:2) for his Bride.

When we choose to accept the offer of the Lord, as Lord and Savior, we enter into a covenant relationship.  We are betrothed to the Lord spiritually and we reject all other gods and idols and stay faithful to Him. We are like the Bride of those days, in that we have all the legal rights of being betrothed, even though the marriage is not complete until the final ceremony. 
Having been bought with a price, the Bride now keeps herself for him.

During this time, the Bride is to be eagerly awaiting his return.

Then the Father of the Groom will tell his Son to go snatch up his bride.

1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17

It is important to realize that in the Ancient Jewish Wedding, there is no date set for the wedding unlike in our western world.  The custom back then was that the date was to remain a mystery and only the father of the groom had an idea of when the wedding would take place.

Only when everything was completed to the fathers satisfaction would he tell his son to go and get his bride.

This is where at the reference (Matt 24:36).  that no one knows the day nor the hour when he will become for his bride, but the father only.

Because neither the bride nor groom knew when the father would say it was good enough, it was critical that they both needed to be ready as the finishing touches were about to be completed.

This prophecy is a reflection of the Fall Appointed Feast Days of Yom Teruah (The Feast of Trumpets) as it is accustomed for the High Priest to say, “No man knows the day or the hour.”  The reason for this saying is that no one would know on which day the sighting of the crescent moon would appear that would be necessary in order to initiate the feast day celebrations starting with Yom Teruah.  Here we see the connection with the wedding as well as with Yom Teruah.

Scriptures attributed to Yom Teruah are (1Thess 4:16-17)(Rev 19:7-9).

The couple do not see each other again until the day of the wedding but spend their time in preparation for it.

As was the custom, the bride was to prepare herself for the wedding ceremony that would take place from one to two years from the acceptance of the proposal.

(For us it has been 2000+ years (1000 years as a day?) and we are still waiting for Him to come and get us, His Bride). There is much anticipation of this event and it is meant to be a surprise for the Bride as the Bridegroom comes as a thief in the night at the Appointed Time/Feast (Mow’ed).

For the bride, life seems the same, she lives with her family doing daily activities, she is married but What has changed? Everything! For she is now CALAH.

God came to our house as Jesus 2000+ years ago and made a covenant with us if we said yes to Him. Then the bridegroom according to the Hebrew custom leaves to return to His home, His Father’s house. Jesus returned to heaven and where we are now, these are the days of separation. The bride in her house, Earth. The groom in His House, heaven.

John 14:2-3:  “In My Father’s house are many rooms.   I go to prepare a place for you.  And, if I go to prepare and place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also”.

We are still in this in the present world, still in the same House, everything seems the same it looks unchanged. But, something unseen has changed, not the exterior House or the world around us. However, we have changed inside, and we are no longer OF this world even though we are still IN it.

The time of preparation:

Again, it’s important to realize that the custom was, the wedding date was to remain a mystery and only the father of the groom had an idea of when.

The wedding was a prophetic type of the coming Messiah set in for the children of Israel as a symbolic preparation of the spiritual life enacted as the marriage process. The wedding, the covenant, the betrothal, the holy convocation, the rehearsal. This was on purpose so every time two individuals became a couple they enacted God’s eternal plan out in their own lives.

Just as many modern Western ceremonies today, have a rehearsal dinner or Church rehearsal meetings to go through the order of ceremony to be performed at the appointed time. So the cycle of 7 appointed times of the Lord throughout the year are also a rehearsal and a preparation for the fulfillment of God’s plan of the ages through Jesus and His coming as Messiah in fulfillment of those prophetic events.

So is the wedding a type and shadow of His relationship with us and why He referred so much to it. The people of His day who were around Him listening to Him were familiar with such events and understood the process. It made sense to them and it’s why He used it to explain His mission, Ministry and ultimate future in relationship to us, His Calah.

After the building of the wedding chamber/room is complete, and after the father has determined that his son is ready, then the father would send His son back to where the bride would be eagerly awaiting his return from her hometown (Earth) to retrieve her for the Wedding.

“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Master is coming. Matt 24:42

Then the groom would go for the bride, often at night and she would have to be ready.

The guests too would be notified at the last minute.

At that time, there would be a procession led by the bridegroom back to where the bride is from (Earth).  The processional wedding party would stop outside the town, and there would be a cry made for the bride with the sounding of the shofar to go out to meet the Bridegroom.

14 For if we believe that יהושע died and rose again, so also Elohim shall bring with Him those who sleep in יהושע.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Master, that we, the living who are left over at the coming of the Master shall in no way go before those who are asleep.

16 Because the Master Himself shall come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of a chief messenger, (archangel) and with the trumpet (Yom Teruah) of Elohim, and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. 

17 Then we, the living who are left over, shall be caught away together with them in the clouds to meet the Master in the air – and so we shall always be with the Master. 1 Thess 4:14-17

50. And this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood is unable to inherit the reign of Elohim, neither does corruption inherit incorruption.

51. See, I speak a secret to you: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52. in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound,

and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.1 Corinthians 15: 50-52

 

The following is a parable by Yeshua describing how there will be those who would not be made aware of the times of His second coming and will miss this moment.

“Then the reign of the heavens shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” (Matt 25:1-13)

 

“Now while the bridegroom took time, they all slumbered and slept.

6. “And at midnight a cry was heard, ‘See, the bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him!’  (Matt 25:5-6)

At the voice of the Bridegroom calling them up, Messiah Yeshua comes out of heaven with a trumpet blast, to gather His whole Bride for the wedding, and the 7 days in the chuppah. The “bride has made herself ready”.  He collects His Bride who is alive and waiting for Him on the earth. As betrothed brides, they were supposed to be preparing for their wedding, sewing the various garments, purifying, learning, etc. in anticipation of the Big Day… but 5 grew drowsy and were sleeping.

They were to keep a light in the window during the nighttime and have more oil on hand, ready to make the journey to meet the Groom.

Without a light in the night, how would they find their way to meet the Groom? They would stumble and fall, stray off the path being unable to navigate in the dark.

They were to “meet up” with the Groom and head for the Wedding Ceremony, Honeymoon and Marriage Supper.
Five of the betrothed made it, Five did not…. All ten had the opportunity. 

Five had their heart in it were focused and kept to their purpose. These 5 stayed on course with well supplied lamps, trimmed wicks and fresh oil on hand. This is how we must be as the betrothed Church waiting for our Groom, Messiah Jesus/Yeshua.

Only the “prepared ones” will make it. There will not be any second chances.

Those arriving late will be locked outside the door. We must remain passionate for our Lord and be able to stay on course through the darkness, and many times that darkness can seem very heavy.

We must set our hearts and live our lives as the prepared Bride of the Lord.

The parable of the wise virgins, of Matthew 25:1-11, shows us that only the prepared Bride gets to go into the chuppah with Him.  The guests are shut out.

“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.  (Matt 25:10)

The bride, and her family would go out to meet the bridegroom.  The bridal company (bridesmaids) would join the procession back to the bridegroom’s hometown (Heaven). It is clear in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5 that Paul was speaking to a Jewish audience who understood the cultural idoms of the day.

The true meaning is to “take by surprise.” And the Lord makes it clear to His church through His Word, that He does not want us to be taken by surprise but on the contrary for us to be faithful, alert and watching.

The phrase is not about the Lord being like “the kind” of a “thief” that would come in the night by sneaking in and sneaking out. In the day and age of Jesus and the apostles, most people lived in one or two room houses. Anyone would know when someone came in or out, including in the night. Jesus will be coming “like” a “thief in the night” in that “He will take the world by surprise” when He comes to get His church.

When he spoke of, “as a thief in the night,” those listening would realize that he was possibly speaking about the Captain of the Temple that may have been the high priest.  The Captain’s job was to make sure that the watchman or guards were not sleeping but rather doing their job. If the Captain of the Temple found any guards asleep, then he would set their garments on fire with his torch. ‘Not found naked’, as he would have ripped off his clothes to save from being burned.

Thus, the Captain of the Temple was known as a Thief in the Night.  The term/idiom, A Thief in the Night, was used by Jesus/Yeshua Himself and is used to identify a sleeping or dead church.

1 Now, brothers, as to the times and the seasons (mow’ed), you do not need to be written to. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of יהוה comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then suddenly destruction comes upon them, as labour pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. (1 Thess 5:1-5)

Returning to the wedding reference:

and when his father approved of the apartment or house, the son would come for his bride and the wedding ceremony would take place. Today the ceremony takes place under a chuppah, a prayer shawl over 4 supports representing the room that was prepared.

Once the ceremony is over, the two would go into the bridal chamber (chuppah) for 7 days (now known as a honeymoon). The tradition of a husband staying home with his new wife for the first year of marriage symbolizes the millennial reign the 1000 years, (1day=1000 years), when we rule and reign with Him

Revelation 14:1-3; 20:1-4; Romans 8:17

Picture this: It was in the early morning while it was still dark, the Morning Star Shone upon his opening tomb.

Everyone was sleeping as it was still during the hours of darkness and rest for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Jesus arose, His rising did not disturb the slumbering citizens. The watchmen of the night saw and heard nothing to alert them that in the spiritual realm everything has changed. For them it was just another early morning and that they would begin in the natural realm just like any other.

It may well be that it is very early in the morning while it is still dark, when 1 Thess 4:16 occurs; when only the morning star is shining that the believers who make up Messiahs body on earth shall be called up to Him joining the dead in Christ who have been raised exactly a twinkling of an eye before them.

Like Him, somewhere in the earth His saints will awake, while the children of the night and darkness are still sleeping. Not one will be disturbed and as on that morning in Jerusalem, the rest of the world will not hear the voice of the archangel, nor the trumpet that calls them to His side.

He will awaken each one when the hour arrives. The words of Isaiah 26:19 Will accompany the quickening. ‘awake and sing you that dwell in dust.’

 What does the phrase “in the twinkling of an eye” mean? Many say it is “faster than a blink.” Whatever it means, it’s very very fast! The next question is, “what happens in the twinkling of an eye?” This verse in 1 Corinthians 15, may be one of the most misquoted verses of all time.

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed– in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

It says “we shall be “changed” in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. It does not say that the Rapture happens in the twinkling of an eye.
In the previous verses..

“As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed– in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

 For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

This whole section of scripture seems to be about “how we shall become like the Lord.” How “corruption” is not fit for heaven. The flesh and blood bodies that we now have are mortal and of corruption.

Both the bodies of the saints in heaven and those who are still alive, must be made “fit for heaven.” It is about the speed of the changing of the bodies and remains, not about the speed of the Rapture.

Our very DNA miraculously revived and made alive supernaturally as the power of the risen Savior re-creates all bodies new and in His image.

The first rays of the sun penetrate the darkness of each saints grave, one massive unprecedented miracle around the globe simultaneously re-creating each and every child of God who died in faith believing in His return.

The rays of His glory will penetrate each one, pouring into the depths and as the shadows of the morning and the eastern clouds slide away hope is rewarded and mortality is flung aside and all at once the uprising glorified bodies changed at the speed of light, faster than an eye blink we meet Him in the air, the Lord of glory, Creator of the heavens and the earth, the King of the universe.

(From quantum physics considerations, this transformation, “in the twinkling of an eye,” will possibly occur digitally in 10-43 of a second.) 

His Glory like the Star of Bethlehem which heralded His first coming and shone beams of light guiding those seeking Him into His presence;the star of the morning will again shine beams of light to direct us Heavenward. A new path for us but also the last leg of the journey along life’s Way, in the Truth and to the everlasting Life He promised.

The sleeping church, or believers who do not understand the Appointed Feasts, may miss the wedding!

1“And to the messenger of the assembly in Sardis write, ‘He who has the seven Spirits of Elohim and the seven stars, says this, “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

2“Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before Elohim.

3“Remember, then, how you have received, and heard. And watch and repent. If, then, you do not wake up, I shall come upon you as a thief, and you shall not know at all what hour I come upon you.  (Revelation 3:1-3)

The wedding takes place and the bride and the bridegroom are married in the bridegroom’s hometown (Heaven).

(Maybe under the grooms prayer shawl/ chuppah)

The bride and the bridegroom would consummate the marriage in the bridal chamber built by the bridegroom at their new home, while the entire wedding party would wait outside the bridal chamber. 

Once the consummation had taken place, there would be a great celebration as the wedding party would last for 7 days or less. (Marriage supper of the Lamb 7 years)

And he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” Revelation 19:9

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him praise, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife prepared herself.”

8And to her it was given to be dressed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the set-apart ones.

9And he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true words of Elohim.”  Revelation 19: 7-9

After 7 days or less of celebration, a processional of the entire wedding party would return back to the Bride’s hometown (Earth) to continue with the celebrations. (Messiahs second Coming.)

They really DO live happily ever after!

 The Archangel whether it be Michael, Gabriel, Rafael or another, whose voice we shall hear is like a morning call for all of us. It’s time to wake up to arise, weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning of our resurrection.

Encourage one another with these words.

He will receive us and so shall we ever be with Our Messiah.

“He came among His own people, but His own did not take* Him. And so many as did receive Him, He gave them authority to become children of God, to those who believed in His name, they are not from blood and not from the desire of flesh and not from the will of man but were begotten from God. ” John 1:11-13

*take: This word means to take as your betrothed, speaking of the intimate relationship Y’shua came to seal.

Jesus did not come just to be lightly received. He came from the Father to bring us back to Him. To “take Jesus, to receive Him,” meant to “believe in His Name in a life changing manner.” It was (and is) entering into a Covenant relationship with our Holy God. Because He called us out, chose us. Note it says, He gave them authority to become children of God, not just became children of God.

 “The coming of the Lord” will be “unexpected” by those who “are not watching and waiting” for Him.

This great day will surprise the lost “as” a “thief in the night.” But God’s people – who are not of the night nor of darkness – will be looking for Him. God’s people know the signs and nearness of His coming and are watching for Him.

The Amplified Bible has verse 4 as this: “But you are not in [given up to the power of] darkness, brethren, for that day to overtake you by surprise like a thief.”
There may not be much more time to trim the lamps or seek more oil… We should decide which of the groups we are a part.

For the bridegroom cometh and when ever He comes, let‘s make sure that we are awake, prepared and ready to go with Him.

The wedding process is already in motion and we are His Calah/Kallah, כַּלָּה,  pronounced (kal-law’).

Even so, maranatha, come Messiah!

Extra Point of interest to explain what were Jewish Night Watches:

The Jewish people in the Old Testament divided the 12 hour night into three military watches instead of hours. Each watch was 4 hours long.

The first or “beginning of the night watches” was from sunset (or for practical purposes, 6pm) until 10pm and was mentioned in Lamentations 2:19.

The “middle watch” is from 10pm until 2am and was mentioned in Judges 7:19.

The “morning watch” was from 2am until 6am and was mentioned in Exodus 14:24 and 1 Samuel 11:11.

“Night watches” are also mentioned in Psalm 63:6 and Psalm 119:148.

Each new 24 Jewish day began at sundown (or 6pm.) That is why the Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown.

In contrast our Roman days begin at midnight.

Jewish Daytime began at 6am; and ends at 6pm for counting hours. The first hour is therefore 7am; the second hour is 8am; the third hour is 9am, the sixth hour is noon or 12pm; and so forth.

Examples of some time references

Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44 – “from the sixth hour” refers to noon and “until the ninth hour” refers to 3pm

Matthew 20 – In verse 3 “third hour” refers to 9am/ “Sixth and ninth” hours in verse 5 refers to noon and 3 pm/  “eleventh hour” in verse 6 refers to 5pm

Acts 2:15 – “third hour of the day” is 9am

Acts 3:1 – “ninth hour” is 3pm

Acts 10:3 – “ninth hour” is 3pm

Acts 10:9 – “sixth hour” is noon

Acts 10:30 – “during the ninth hour” is 3-4 pm

Acts 23:23 – “third hour of the night” is 9pm

 Roman Night Watches: Rome takes over in the time period between the Testaments and rules the Jewish people. The Romans broke their number of military watches into four 3-hour watches. These were called:

First Watch, also called Evening Watch  – sundown, 6pm to 9pm

Second Watch, also called Midnight Watch – 9pm to midnight

Third Watch, also called Cock-crow or Cock-crowing Watch – midnight to 3am

Fourth Watch, also called Morning Watch – 3 am to sunrise, 6am

Some Roman watches are mentioned in the New Testament:

Matthew 14:25 – “fourth watch of the night” refers to 3-6am

Mark 13:35 – “evening”, “midnight”, “when the rooster crows”, “morning”

Luke 12:38 – “second watch” refers to 9pm to midnight and “third” refers to midnight to 3am

Note this was the reference to Peters 3 denials by Jesus!

 Older versions of the Bible say the Gospel of John used Roman time. (Again, Roman time is how we keep time.) Newer versions of the Bible say the hours mentioned in John are Jewish time. Looking at the context of the verses, I would agree with Jewish time.

John 1:39 – “the tenth hour” could refer to the Roman time of 10am or the Jewish time of 4pm.  (4pm makes more sense.)

John 4:6 – “the sixth hour” is perhaps Roman time of 6am or Jewish time of noon  (The heat of the day at noon makes more sense.)

John 4:52 – “the seventh hour” is either 7am Roman time or 1pm Jewish time.  (Again, Jewish time makes more sense.)

It’s not clear why scholars of the newer versions have decided it is Jewish time in the Gospel of John. Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written between AD 58-67. John was written about AD 80-90 when the Roman Empire ruled and the Jewish people had been scattered after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. Perhaps when John wrote the gospel most people kept time by Roman standards and that is why older versions say it was written with Roman time. But John being Jewish, the advancement in scholarship of ancient texts and the context of the verses makes the thought feasible that he wrote using Jewish hours.

When reading the Bible is it critical to know the Jewish hours and the Roman watches? Not really, but it helps with context of the passage. For instance in Matthew 14:25 when Jesus comes walking to the disciples on water it was the “fourth watch” or 3:00 to 6:00am. Matthew 14:22 tells us Jesus had the disciples get into the boat and go before Him. Verse 23 tells us Jesus went to pray and then evening came. This means the disciples had been in the boat over nine hours and may have been battling the storm a long time before Jesus came to them. That would be enough time to become really terrified! Is that crucial to the text to know that? No, not really – you get the point of the passage without that knowledge, however knowing the context makes your understanding richer. 

Please don’t leave this page before making certain Jesus is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

Its all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.

NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus 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 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 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. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Mystery of a Pur, a Secret Name and a Miracle.

If I Perish, I Perish –

Remembering Purim 

 On the fourteenth day of the month of Adar in the late winter, (early springtime), the Feast of Esther is celebrated as her amazing life is remembered. From evening of Feb 28th to evening of March 2nd on Western calendar, and  13th 14th 15th of Adar on the Hebrew calendar.

The story of Purim is recorded in the Book of Esther (Megillat Esther).  There are three main characters: the heroes of the story Esther and her cousin Mordecai, and Haman, the villain who wickedly plots to destroy the Jewish People. This is an account of the Queen of Persia, (a Jewess) who was victorious over the evil intentions of Haman. It was Haman’s intentions to initiate a nation wide program of genocide against all the Jews in the Medo-Persian empire.  Haman was the chief Minister of the Persian emperor, Ahasuerus (Xerses), King (486-465 BC.)  There’s much that people didn’t know about Queen Esther. For one, her name wasn’t Esther. It was Hadassah, but she took the more Persian-sounding name for her public face. 

For more on this click on link https://www.minimannamoments.com/who-was-hadassah/Purim is the story of how God used the courage of Esther, a young girl, who was known for her engaging personality and surpassing beauty; to save “God’s chosen people”, at the time they were threatened by extermination.“Who know whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 

When Mordecai challenged her with the urgent truth, she demonstrates loyalty, to Mordecai her foster father who had raised her from a small child. (He was also her genetic cousin and some scholars maintain she was married to Mordecai).With faith filled prayer to God, together with fasting by her 7 handmaidens (2:10; 4:15) and all the Jews in Sushan fasting for 3 days, Esther risked her life. In order to save her people, scattered all over the empire, from death; she courageously sought the direct audience of the King without his invitation.Esther, an orphan who had been raised in Persia by her cousin Mordecai, is a beautiful, young Jewish woman. 

When Vashti, the Queen of Persia, falls out of favor with Ahasuerus, (King of Persia), Esther becomes part of his harem. The hidden hand of God is at work in her life in the king’s harem, and he falls head over heels in love with her. He loves her so much, in fact, that he singles her out to be his queen.

The king does not know, however, that Esther is a Jew, since Mordecai had advised her not to reveal her identity. The Story of Esther gives us an insight into the Jewish cultural identity at the time, and how it can sometimes be important to hide that identity to preserve social harmony, which can be engineered using official ignorance. It was a need to know basis! Her secret name was a Hebrew one.

There is a difference between hiding one’s identity and losing that identity altogether and the danger is in compromise.

Compromise is what happened when Babylon took the Jewish people into captivity, their Jewish identity disappeared going underground; they reappear in the Persian Empire not as people of a Jewish nation, but as a race.  This makes the Book of Esther distinctive.   Within the story, Esther, is fully a Persian (todays Iran), her life is surrounded by the culture of Persian life; and she lives a life without publically showing any cultural identity, either to the people, or to the God, in whom she believed.  The story concerns wicked Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, who was promoted to the role of viceroy or prime minister. The age old tension between the descendants of Esau is still going on, as the arch rivals of the Hebrews, through the Amalekites, from whom Agag was descended, (1 Samuel 15:8) in the 16th generation. (Targum Sheni, Josephus Antiquities xi.6.5) Agag was the king that King Saul had refused to kill in 1Samuel 15:9. Although Samuel finally killed Agag, members of his family escaped and had children; so Haman was born due to Saul’s disobedience.

Disobedience always has consequences; for it is an outward show of pride, in that an individual thinks they know better than God and declares it by their following actions/decisions just as Saul did.

King Saul believed he was showing mercy to King Agag but it was based on human feelings. Gods Mercy is not based on feelings, He was seeing ahead to save His people from future destruction. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts not as ours. 

The Scriptures tell us clearly that, pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.

James gives an explanation of human wisdom that can often be touted as common sense. This is why we need the Holy Spirit to teach us and to be led by Ruach HaKodesh; not simply by a need or by our feelings, emotions and five physical senses; but by His leading alone. None of us wants, or needs to miss Gods leading.

Sometimes there is a delay before consequences take effect and in such cases, people do not always make the connection. Esther 9:28.1Samuel 15:33, records the prophet Samuel being obedient when God told him to complete what Saul had not done.Haman, as a type of anti-Messiah, not only hates the Jewish people with a venomous passion, but all those who refuse to bow their knee to the kingdom of darkness.Because of petty pride, Haman is seeking revenge when he does not receive the respect he felt he deserved from Mordecai, who worked at the gate of the citadel. This escalates out of proportion when Haman decides that revenge is not just personal but is on a greater level, and involves a whole nation.  This ‘type’ was repeated in our modern generation in the WW2 Holocaust. 

 In a world where human life has little value, personal and petty whims can cause the massive annihilation of people.

To sacrifice an entire race in genocide on the whims of one individual in not uncommon in ancient history. It is one of the most nefarious in the devils arsenal of tactics to eliminate God’s chosen.Darius I

A few years prior to this, the father of Ahasuerus (Xerxes), Darius I, massacred the entire class of Magi.  Fifty years before that, there was a general massacre of the Scythians in the North Lands. 

NOTHING JUST HAPPENS…

In a world where there is plurality and tolerance, acceptance is assured unless one chooses to be different.  That difference may be either too good or too bad.  Even if we are too good, being different will eventually trigger animosity and hatred, this has been the reason for anti-Semitism throughout the ages.  

For Esther to remain silent, during the first five years of her being queen is commendable.  However there comes a time when we are called to testify and become transparent before the world and Esther’s time had come. 

And it was a time of miracles…

God always puts people in places to be agents of His deliverance, yet sometimes He has to act beyond the assistance of willing human agents.

This was the idea that triggered Mordecai to say, “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from anther place, but you and your father’s house will perish.  Yet who know whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (4:14)Esther appealing to the King.

For those with eyes to see, and ears to hear, the hand of God was unmistakably working with His people, the providence of God stands supreme everywhere in this book. 

“Esther ‘happens’ to be chosen queen;

Mordecai ‘happens’ to be in a position to thwart a palace coup and to get his name recorded in the king’s chronicles;

the king  ‘happens’ to be unable to sleep, so as to call for the chronicles to be read to him;

it ‘happens’ that the account of Mordecai’s actions should be read at that time.

The book seems to say that none of this is happenstance.  Esther denouncing Haman.

Many times when God appears to be silent, He is at work to keep His covenant promises with Abraham’s seed.Of all the books of the Old Testament The Book of Esther is unique.  The New Testament does not contain quotes from it and among the Dead Sea Scrolls no fragments of it were found.  Scholars have noted the lack of religious overtones, as there is no mention of the Torah or the covenant. 

However as the Bibles central theme is about the revelation of God,

He is revealed here as being hidden in the heart. 

Both the people and the days of Esther could be considered a reflection of Gods people in the End Times who, though sealed (6th Seal), by Him, they still remain hidden and dispersed throughout the whole world.  The remnant church, which will only be known to God, will no longer exist as an institutional hierarchy.

Remnant, meaning faithful believers.

 Many question are posed by the events recorded in Esther.

What if Esther did not exist, or she did not respond to the calling of God and be willing to give up her life for her people? 

Within eight years, Ahasuerus was assassinated by a courtier, Artabanus.  Esther before King Ahasueras.

No doubt, Ezra, the lawyer and scribe, was alive at the time of Esther.  Fifteen years later, under the rule of Artaxerxes I, Ezra leads the second group of Jews back to the Holy Land in 458 BC. 

Was Artaxerxes I, the son of Esther and Ahasueras (Xerxes I)? 

Without Esther, would Ezra have been killed in the genocide?

Without Ezra, would the compilation of the Tanach, the Old Testament, been completed? 

Without Esther, would Nehemiah, the governor, have been killed?

Would the third migration back to Israel have never occurred? 

Maybe there would not have been enough Jews to migrate back to the Land of Israel. Esther was important to the redemption of God’s chosen people and without Esther, we would not have a clear picture of how the hand of God works in a pluralistic, segregated and subjugated society as will exist in the End Times. 

It shows that for those who humble themselves in fasting and in prayer God lifts them over the demonic forces, which oppress them. 

Could the book of Esther be a prophetic book? 

These End Days may still have further revelations from God as type meets anti-type.The sages say that the very SECRETS OF REDEMPTION are found in the Megillah of Esther. It is an extremely deep book:

E.g. “What happened to Mordecai?” Why is he not mentioned elsewhere? Well in fact he is!! In the Mishna Sh’kalim 5 (Historical commentary), it records that he became an officer in the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) when it was rebuilt and he was in charge of overseeing the “bird” offerings. His name was changed to P’sakia, because he P’SAK could “open up” the understanding of WORDS.** The P’siska Niddah says the bird offerings are the most difficult job in the Temple.

** https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-rules-of-pardes/

One of the sages pointed out that Mordecai is also mystically hidden in the Torah in the reference to one of the types of incense!!! “Pure myrh” is literally in ARAMAIC  “MOR DACHAI”.What we are left with in remembering Esther is …Gods timing is perfect.

God humbles the proud and exalts the lowly who trust in Him. He knows everything that is happening and we are to trust Him completely with our lives and everything and everybody in them.

One person can change everything.

One person’s actions or non-actions can influence the outcome of critical decision-making.

Here in this instance, one woman’s obedience and courage led to a whole nation of people being saved from extinction.

And more importantly by their continued presence on this earth, they gave birth to descendants who in turn produced the line from which Messiah Yeshua was born.

No Esther, would have meant no Israel….

and therefore no Savior

with no redemption for anyone!

We owe so much to certain individuals whose faith and commitment has been pivotal in forming the future in which we now live.

Lets remember those whose lives really mattered and learn from their sacrifices and emulate their faith and courage as if the lives of our nation depended on it.

For in truth – they do!

It is often a date on the calendar that slips by unnoticed, however, when we see a reference to Purim or Esther, there’s a whole lot more going on.

And who knows that whoever is reading this today…“Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 

As Mordechai implored Queen Esther to plead for the Jewish People before King Ahasuerus, the Ruach HaKodesh is calling to those who follow Yeshua (Jesus) to plead with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to save Israel from those with murderous agendas against her. We must remember, however, that the battle is ultimately not with flesh and blood, but with principalities, powers and rulers of the darkness—spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.  (Ephesians 5:12)

Yeshua called us to pray for our enemies and, therefore, even as we seek God’s deliverance of Israel, we also pray for the salvation of those who are now enemies of the Jewish People, of Israel, and even of God Himself.

 This is not a time for true Believers, the Bride of Messiah, to remain silent. 

Time is quickly running out…

We cannot be complacent and think that we are safe simply because we are in the King’s house.

The same forces that seek to destroy Israel, also have in their evil plans to annihilate all of God’s people, including Christian believers.

Mordechai: A Picture of the Holy Spirit

Mordecai Writing The First Purim Letter

Many other parallels can be drawn in the Book of Esther between the Ruach HaKodesh and Mordechai.

For instance, Mordechai seems to have one real task and that is to raise Esther to maturity.

 He instructs, teaches, leads, and guides her, directing her when to speak and when to remain silent (Esther 2:10; 4:14).

Similarly, it is Holy Spirit/ Ruach HaKodesh, that faithfully continues the work that has begun in us, leading and guiding us, bringing us to maturity and preparing us to be a beautiful Bride without spot or blemish, whom Messiah will soon be returning for.

 Mordechai faithfully watches over Esther,

THE BRIDE OF THE KING.

He stands outside the gate; hovering over her to make sure she is kept safe. (Esther 2:11)

Likewise, the Ruach (Spirit) of God hovered over the waters at creation, and He hovers over each of us keeping a protective watch.

Mordechai is privy to secret information, such as the plot against the king, just as the Ruach knows all deep and secret things of the hearts of men. 

Mordechai intercedes for God’s people with cries and groaning (Esther 4:1).  The Ruach also intercedes for us, even when we don’t know what to pray.

“We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”  (Romans 8:26–27)

Like the partnership between the Holy Spirit and the Body of Messiah, Mordechai partners with Esther to carry out the authority of the King in saving the Jewish people from destruction.

As Purim is kept with great joy, remember Esther’s bravery in rising up and speaking out on behalf of the Jewish People.It takes courage to resist the “Hamans” of this world and stand firm against popular opinion in our culture, which is most often opposed to God and righteousness.

Purim is Hebrew for, ‘the lots that were cast.’

Pur means Lot.

The lots that were cast, Esther 3:7, determined the fate of the Jewish people so the story appears to be about the law of lots and chance.

Mathematicians and scientists call it the ‘P’ factor and they insert it into all equations and formulas. It is the ‘P’ of Probability.

In the story, everything seems to be out-of-control, the wicked and ungodly prosper and the righteous who love God are cast down.

As the book comes towards his conclusion those seemingly circumstances of chance start coming together and everything begins to turn around for good. The hand of God is evident and He turns the outcome to His Plans and Purposes.

The same can be said of our lives, which often emulate the book of Esther, with events seemingly happening by chance or for no reason. (Many name it luck.)

It is the Purim of life.

However as we follow Him in obedience and not going our own ways and decisions, then He will work for good, all the things we don’t understand, that don’t make sense.

Even though sometimes it is hard to see when they are happening right in front of us. As we stay close to Him, nothing in our lives will ever happen for no reason, when we love God and are called according to His Purpose.

It is conditional of course to that fact as all His Promises are.

So when we don’t understand, just trust on Press on, for in the end we will always have more than enough reason to celebrate his love.

In these end times, it will take great courage, infused by Holy Spirit, to count the cost and say with Esther, “If I Perish, I Perish.”

Shalom and Happy Purim!

ARE WE REALLY READY FOR THE RETURN OF THE KING?

Its very reminiscent of the ‘hide and seek’ game we played as children.. and the cry, ‘I’m coming ready or not’! .. and He is..

Please don’t leave this site without knowing you are saved and assured that you belong to Him; with a deep conviction that you know where you will go, when your body can no longer sustain you in this realm. 

Make certain Jesus is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him. 

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

Its all about Life and Relationship not Religion.

NOT SURE?

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

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

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus 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 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. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/welcome-come-taste-some-bread-of-life-bread-from-heaven/life-changing-information-guaranteed/