Why 40?

A look at the number 40,

its’ meaning, and association to covenants,

and where it was evident in the lives of biblical characters.

There are many references to the number 40 in both the old and new testaments. Mentioned 146-149 times. The English word “forty” appears 158 times in King James Bible verses. This breaks down to 134 occurrences in the Old Testament and 24 times in the New.

Hebrew Strongs #705  

arbaim: forty

Original Word: אַרְבָּעִים
Part of Speech: noun plural indeclinable
Transliteration: arbaim
Phonetic Spelling: ar-baw-eem’
Definition: forty

The number 40 is associated with seasons of probation and preparation where spiritual awareness is deepened. It also represents a time of leadership, fasting and victory as well as testings of faith, trials and chastisement. This chastisement is not the same as judgment, like the association represented by the number 9 which operates in connection with punishment of enemies; but rather is in connection to the chastisement of sons, family and of a covenant people who are loved.

As we are in the days of counting from the Omer, which comprise 7×7 weeks, equaling 49 days and on the 50th day is Pentecost/Shavuot. We are aware of the 40 days that Messiah remained with His disciples/talmidim after His resurrection and appeared to many.

As Shavuot/Penetcost is also the Moed/Appointed Time of remembering the giving of Torah to Moses/Moshe. We remember that Moses was called up onto Mount Sinai. Exodus 19:1-3 Moses went up the mountain and in v14 he came down; then in verse 20 he goes up the mountain again -25.

He goes up the mountain in Ex. 24:1-3 with others plus the 70 elders. In verse 9, they ate and drank. Moses went up in verse 12 -18 and stayed 40 days and forty nights; then in chapter 32:15 he came down again.

In chapter 34:1-4 it is recorded that Moses went up the mountain again.  In verse 18 he was instructed to keep the feast of matzah. In 34:10 God says: I am making covenant. From verse 22 to verse 27 it records Moses was another 40 days and 40 nights on Mt Sinai and verse 29 tells us when Moses came down his face was shining.

Moses was up and down Mt Sinai several times and twice for 40 days and nights.

Exodus 24:18, 34:1 – 28. He was there in order to receive God’s Torah/teaching/instructions and directives for the children of Israel.

The first 40 years of Moses’ life entails him from growing up in Pharaoh’s royal household and living in Egypt until he slays a man and has to flee to Midian.

The second part of his life is spent as a shepherd in Midian tending Jethroes sheep in the wilderness, until God calls him at age 80 (2×40), to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.

During the last third of his life he leads the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness until he dies at age 120. 3×40 years.

Deut. 34:7

40 years is also applied as encompassing a generation according to Numbers 14:26-38 as with the children of Israel 40 years wandering while the generation died out.

Moses had sent spies, for 40 days, to investigate the land God promised the Israelites as an inheritance. Numbers 13:25, 14:34.

Believing the report of the ten doubters, the people lost heart and rebelled. They “raised their voices and wept aloud,” grumbling against Moses and Aaron, saying, “If only we had died in Egypt…Num. 14:1-10

Num 14:34

According to the number of days in which you spied out the land [of Canaan], 40 days, for each day, you shall bear and suffer a year for your sins and guilt, for 40 years, and you shall know…

They then had to experience the consequences and cost of disobedience and unbelief. The 40 year Wilderness wandering for what was only an 11 day journey!

God told Moses that Because of their sins and initial unwillingness to enter Canaan, God swore that the generation of Israelites who were 20 years old or older, (except for Joshua and Caleb), who left Egyptian bondage would not enter the Promised Land; they would wander in the wilderness until this generation died and a new one could inherit what the Lord promised. 

16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies 

Hebrews 3:16 -4:11

Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against Me . . .

And your children shall feed in the wilderness forty years and bear your whoredoms until your dead carcasses have been consumed in the wilderness (Numbers 14:29, 33, HBFV).

Some more instances of 40:

The book of Exodus, KJV, is the only book that has 40 chapters.

The chapters Exodus 25, Numbers 29, Judges 6 and 11, 1Chronicles 7, 8 and 12, Job 31, Psalm 37, Jeremiah 23 and 31, John 18, Acts 8, 16 and 21, 1Corinthians 7 and 14, along with Hebrews 11, all have 40 verses in the KJV.

From the time they entered the Promised Land, to the time of King Saul, Israel was sporadically governed by a number of individuals known as Judges. Though they did not rule like a king, they nevertheless had a tremendous influence on the people, as they represented God and were inspired to execute His will. Judges who served 40 years include Othniel, Deborah and Barak, Eli and Gideon.

The first three human kings over the children of Israel, Saul, David and Solomon, each ruled for forty years (1050 to 930 B.C.). After the united kingdom split into two separate pieces, King Joash served 40 official years (39 actual years) as one of Judah’s better kings.

Absalom’s rebellion was near David’s death. The time cannot exceed the stated 40 years. Saul reigned forty years as first king Acts 13:21. And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom …

Abraham began his bargaining with God to save Sodom and Gomorrah if 50 righteous were found, then he asked if they could be spared if 45 existed Genesis 18:23 – 28. He then pleaded to save the cities if only 40 righteous people were found. 

And he (Abraham) spoke to Him (the Lord) yet again, and said, “Perhaps there shall be forty found there.” And He said, “I will not do it for forty’s sake.” Genesis 18:29.

Both Isaac and Esau were 40 years old when they were first married Genesis 25:20, 26:34.

 

Elijah went 40 days without food or water at Mount Horeb. Yeshua/Jesus was tempted by the devil many times during the 40 days He fasted days in the wilderness, after His immersion in the Holy Spirit and before at the start of his public ministry.

40 days of repentance/teshuvah, is observed every year before Rosh Hashanah.

40 days from conception to the initial formation of a human baby, and 40 weeks of gestation until birth.

God flooded the earth by having it rain for 40 days and nights. Genesis 7:12.

After the patriarch Jacob (Israel) died in Egypt, the Egyptians spent 40 days embalming his body. Genesis 50:3.

God allowed the ancient Israelites, from time to time, to be harassed and dominated by certain enemies in order to chastise and humble them for their sins. The Philistines, in the southern and western parts of Israel’s land, harassed them from 1105 to 1065 B.C. God’s resolution to the harassment was Samson who would become one of Israel’s Judges Judges 13:1, 1Samuel 7:13, 15 – 17.

The prophet Jonah powerfully warned ancient Nineveh, for 40 days, that its destruction would come because of its many sins. 

And Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the Word of the Lord. And Nineveh was a very great city of three days’ journey across. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Jonah 3:4, 

The prophet Ezekiel was commanded by God to first lay on his left side for 390 days for the Kingdom of Israel. He was then told to lay on his right side for 40 days for the Kingdom of Judah. This act represented, in years, the length each kingdom would suffer correction for their disobedience to God.

For I have laid on you the years of their (Israel’s) iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days. So you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when you have fulfilled them, lie again on your right side, and you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days; a day for a year; a day for a year, I have set it upon you. Ezekiel 4:5 – 6.

Yeshua/Jesus, just days before His crucifixion in 30 A.D., prophesied the total destruction of Jerusalem. Matthew 24:1-2, Mark 13:1-2. 40 years after his crucifixion the mighty Roman Empire destroyed the city and burned its beloved temple to the ground, A.D.70.

There are 21 words and phrases in the Bible’s original languages that are recorded exactly 40 times.

Number 40 is equal to 2 x 2 x 2 (or 2 cubed) x 5. Both 2 and 5 are prime numbers.

In the Hebrew AlefBet, the 13th Hebrew letter called Mem, has the numerical value of 40 and is thereby associated with the following: 40 days and nights of flood waters; 40 years in the wilderness; 2×40 days Moses was on Mt Sinai.

Traditionally the letter Mem has several related meanings: waters, people, nations, languages and tongues.

The name of the letter in its most ancient form resembles waves of water. With this in mind such sayings as: sea of torah, the ocean of knowledge and wisdom are often used.

Mem is regarded as the letter of water/mayim; symbolizing the spring of the Torah – Rivers of Living water, i.e. Gods Word. Just as the waters of an underground spring rise upward from an unknown source to reveal themselves, so does the spring of wisdom rise up from the mysterious Source that is our Heavenly Father. This flowing stream of the inner wisdom can be expressed through the gift of human speech. Proverbs 18:4 the words a man speaks are deep waters, a flowing stream, a fountain of wisdom.

In the Hebrew alef -bet, the letter Mem has 2 forms when it is written: an open form and a closed form.

The open form, peucha,  is said to represent the revealed truth of God as demonstrated by Moshe/Moses. The use of the closed letter Mem, stumah, is said to represent the concealed truth of our Heavenly Father as was demonstrated by Yeshua/Jesus, the revealer of mysteries.

Matthew 13:10–11 10. The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” 11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.”

and 

Matthew 13:35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.

Yeshua/Jesus is the only One Who truly satisfies the inner thirst we have for real life, He is the only One Who can satisfy and quench our thirst. Faith/emunah in Him brings refreshment and healing for those He has called His own. John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

The letter M is represented in the Greek alphabet by the letter Mu.

The Old Testament writings use the word “forty” for the number 40. The ones containing the most, are the book of Numbers (19 times) followed by Genesis and Deuteronomy (15 times each). The New Testament books that use the word the most forty, are the book of Acts (10 times) followed by Revelation (6). It is first used in Genesis with its last appearance in Revelation.

And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters. Genesis 5:13, KJV. 

The Hebrew word ephah, Strong’s Concordance #H374, is written 40 times in 29 Hebrew Old Testament verses. Its spelling stays the same in the KJV. It is found the most in Ezekiel (17 times) followed by the book of Zechariah (5).

An ephah is used in Scripture as a measure of dry goods such as flour, barley meal, parched corn, wheat and so on. It is roughly equivalent to 22 liters or 20 dry quarts. One of its first uses is in the book of Leviticus.

But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering . . . Leviticus 5:11, KJV.

Caleb, who was 40 years old, and Joshua, were two of the twelve spies Moses sent to the Promised Land, as previously noted, He and Joshua were the only two to have the faith to encourage the people to take the land God had promised them.

Forty-five years later he requested from Joshua the land he was promised for obeying the Lord. He received part of the hill country of Judea which included the cities of Hebron and Debir.

Joshua 14:7 – 15.

King Ahaz, who ruled over the Kingdom of Judah from 735 to 715 B.C., died when he was forty years old.

God’s law allowed a wrongdoer, in certain cases, to be beaten with 40 stripes (scourging) as part of their punishment. Deuteronomy 25:1-3. The Jews would later change this to 39 stripes in order not to exceed this amount per Deuteronomy 25:3. Both Messiah and the Apostle Paul were scourged five times by the Jews for preaching the gospel. 2Corinthians 11:23 – 24.

The Bible was written by 40 different people. There were 32 writers of the Old Testament and only 8; Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, James, Peter, Jude, and Paul of the New.


A brief note on the covenants.

The Mosaic covenant, Ex 19:3-6, on the basis of the Abrahamic covenant and promise made to Abraham in Gen.15; God delivered the children of Israel from Egypt and established another covenant with them at Sinai. God used Moses as the deliverer and mediator of this covenant between Israel and Himself. It’s not a covenant of salvation but instead a covenant of blessing and cursing based on trusting and faithfulness on Israels part. The Mosaic covenant is similar to a marriage covenant/contract. This is called a Ketubah or a vassal treaty between God as husband and king, and Israel as His wife and people. It spells out the boundaries and guidelines of the relationship between them, and is summarized in Ex. 19 and 20. The Mosaic covenant includes blessings and security in the land for faithful obedience, Deut. 28; and curses and exile for faithless disobedience. Deut. 27.

The Mosaic Covenant further includes a promise that even though Israel will not keep this covenant fully, and will ultimately be removed from the land; God will not completely forsake them, but He will punish them and scatter them among the nations. From their exile God will circumcise their hearts and they will return to Him in repentance/teshuvah. The Lord will gather Israel back and atone for His people and the land. Deut. 30-33. This promise is to confirm and keep His promise to Abraham. This generation that made the covenant with God at Sinai was not able to enter into the land. The next generation reaffirmed the covenant and entered the land under Joshua, who was a type of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus. Each generation of Israel in the land and diaspora must confirm the Abrahamic Covenant by the circumcision of their males; and confirm the Mosaic Covenant by binding the words of God on their foreheads, called teffilim. Though they waver in their faithfulness to the covenant, God remains faithful.

The promises of this covenant must be fulfilled. Messiah Yeshua/Jesus says in Matt. 5:17-19 that until heaven and earth pass away based on the covenant with Noah, the smallest letter or stroke of letter will not pass from the Torah /Mosaic covenant until it is all fulfilled.

Our Heavenly Father said through His prophets that, as long as the heavens and the earth remains, consistent with the Noahide Covenant, Israel would remain a people before Him. The Mosaic covenant is not a replacement of the covenants with Noah and Abraham. It is dependent upon them and along with them is presently in effect. The Davidic covenant also affirms and expresses the earlier covenants. Therefore the new covenant fulfills, adds to and completes, rather than merely replacing the previous covenants. Some denominations are mistaken when they claim that the new has replaced the covenant made between Moses and the children of Israel and God at Sinai. It is simply renewed and added onto the existing covenants, line upon line and precept upon precept. Messiah Yeshua/Jesus came to show us how to live them and complete them according to Gods teachings, ways and decrees, not mans rules regulations and laws.

The Highlight of Revelation, Sinai and the Messiah – Exodus 19:6

When the children of Israel arrived at Mount Sinai, Adonai made Himself known to all those people and gave them the Torah by the hand of Moses. Jewish tradition says that this encounter occurred on Pentecost/Shavuot – the Festival of Harvest or Weeks, based on the chronology and Exodus 19:1, 10–16.

Since the event is the highlight of God’s revelation to Israel, it is also known as the Festival of Revelation. At a earlier occasion when Moses encountered the burning bush, God declared that Mt. Sinai was the goal of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. When you have let the people out of Egypt you will worship me on this mountain. Exodus 3:12.

Throughout the Exodus story leading up to this climax, the Lord repeatedly declares that He will make Himself known both to the children of Israel; Exodus 6:7, 10, 29:46; 31:13 and to the Egyptians, Exodus 7:5, 17, 9:29, by His Mighty acts of deliverance. At Mount Sinai this process of self revelation reaches its climax, as all Israel witnesses God’s presence on the mountain. Exodus 19 Deuteronomy 5:2. They accept God’s instruction contained within the Torah. Exodus 24:3 –8

According to Jewish commentators the fact that the nation of Israel witnessed the Lord speaking to Moses from Mt. Sinai, established the Torah as Gods Word; a Word that includes Gods call to Israel to be a kingdom of priests /cohanim.

For me a nation set apart. Exodus 19:6.

Ex. 19:5 -7 the children of Israel and their 12 tribes were supposed to be a whole nation of priests, a kingdom of priests/cohanim, but it ended up with only the Levites being the priestly tribe out of 12 sons and their families.

Messiah Yeshua/Jesus Himself, is an even higher pinnacle of revelation. He doesn’t supersede Torah but rather embodies and perfectly fulfills/completes it. He has made His Word above His Name. Psalm 138:2 For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. |

Like Israel, called to be a nation of priests at Mount Sinai, and although they do not replace the nation of Israel, Messiahs followers are also a chosen people, the Kings Cohanim/priests, a holy nation, a people for God to process.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1Peter 2:9

Are our lives a true reflection of what we are called to be?

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim and mishpachah!

Peace to friends and family.

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.

Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord, Deliverer 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.

Not sure ..you can be…

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.

Bride of Isaac vs. Bride of Messiah

Last post we looked at the story in Genesis 23- 25 where Abrahams servant Eliezer, was sent on a long journey to choose a wife for his son Isaac. This search resulted in Rebecca becoming the bride of Isaac.

So many instances in the old testament scriptures are fore-shadowings of future events; and this account of finding

a bride for Isaac

is a foreshadowing of

the bride of Messiah.

First let’s compare

the Bride of Isaac to the Bride of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua.

Bride of Isaac (Rebecca)          

Bride of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua (Obedient Believers).

She fell in love with someone she had never met.

We fall in love with Messiah Yeshua/Jesus we haven’t seen.

Eliezer is a type of Holy Spirit: he told her all about the father(Abraham) and the son Isaac) but never gave his name. He referred to himself only as the servant of Abraham..

Holy Spirit tells us about the Father and Son. John 14:26

Eliezer was to bring the bride to the groom.

Holy Spirit brings the bride of Messiah into Fathers presence.

Eliezer gave the bride gifts as directed by father Abraham.

The Father gives gifts to the bride through His Holy Spirit. Hebrews 2:4.

Eliezer said that father Abraham had given all his possessions to his son. Genesis 24:36

The Father loves the Son Messiah Yeshua/Jesus and has given Him all things. John 3:35

Rebecca was asked if she would go with this man and she answered yes.

We must make a decision to follow Holy Spirit and the ways of the Father in order to become the bride of Messiah.

Rebecca was blessed for going.

Those who follow and go with Messiah will be blessed.  Psalm 16:11

Rebecca would jointly rule the house/ Kingdom of Isaac as his bride.

We will jointly rule the kingdom under Messiah. Revelation 1:6

Isaac came to meet her after prayer to the Heavenly Father.

Messiah is interceding for us and will come to meet us when our Heavenly Father says it is time.

Rebecca met Isaac after a long journey to the land.

Messiah describes Himself as a nobleman who went to a far country to receive a kingdom and return. Luke 19:12

Eliezer led Rebecca on a long and difficult journey.

Holy Spirit leads us through the difficult journey of life.

Eliezer’s name is not mentioned in this whole passage.

Holy Spirit does not speak of Himself but only of the Heavenly Father and the Son.

The hospitality and kind acts performed by Rebecca led Eliezer to worship the Heavenly Father.

This is the first time that the word worship is used in the Torah, (first 5 books of the Old Testament). Because Eliezer is a foreshadowing of Holy Spirit, we see that the Spirit of our Heavenly Father leads us into worship when we are obedient to His desires.


Next is a comparison of

Isaac as a foreshadowing of Messiah:

Isaac was the long awaited promised son Genesis 17:17

Messiah Jesus/Yeshua was the long awaited promised Son from Genesis 3:15.

Isaac was called Abraham’s only son.

Messiah is the only begotten of the Father. John 3:16

Abraham gave all his possessions to his son. Genesis 24:36

The Father loves the Son and has given Him all things. John 3:35

Isaac was offered in type and shadow on mount Moriah after a 3 day journey. He was considered as dead from the beginning of the journey because he was to be a sacrifice.

Messiah was offered up on the same Mount Moriah. He was in the grave for three days and nights. Matthew 12:40

Isaac came to Mount Moriah with Abraham and two servants, a total of four people.

Messiah Yeshua/ Jesus came to Jerusalem on the day of Nisan 10 and was crucified on the 14 Nisan a total four days.

There is no record of Isaac committing any sin.

Messiah lived a sinless life.

Isaac submitted completely to his father’s will even to the point of death.

Messiah submitted completely to His Father’s will even to death.

Isaac was raised from the dead in a type and shadow.

Messiah was raised from the dead after His death on the tree.

A nameless servant went to a far country to take him a bride.

The Spirit of the Heavenly Father came into the world for the bride of Messiah.

The bride had never seen him.

The bride of Messiah has never seen Him

Isaac waited for his father to get him a bride.

Messiah waits for His Father to say when it is time to get His bride. Matthew 24:36

Isaac and Rebecca came to meet each other in the field.

We will meet Messiah in the air. 1Thessalonians 4:17

Isaac married Rebecca, a beautiful bride adorned with the jewels that were given to her by the father of the groom.

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isaac did the work his father had done Genesis 26:18

Messiah does the works of His Father. John 5:19

Isaac marries his bride on the day they met it was evening.

Messiah will marry His bride today He returns at the end of the 6000th year day?


Interesting notes on a Hebrew/Jewish wedding.

Revelation 19:7 -9

The Jewish wedding is a unique illustration of Messiahs’ relationship with His followers. It is not strange then, that there are numerous references to it in the New Testament. In Bible times the process of getting married was made up of three phases that took more than a year to complete. The actual ceremony was the culmination of these three stages:

The first stage of the process is called

shiddukhin

and the word means

match

and it begins with the selection of the bride.

This is called:

making a match

in hebrew shidduk,

and it is performed by a match maker,

in Hebrew shad khan.

There is a reference to this in Genesis 24, where Abraham sends Eliezer his servant to make a Match for his son Isaac/Yitz’chak; trusting that God will guide the search. Women often become matchmakers and sometimes the father of the groom would make the match. In either case this is no longer commonly practiced; however, this is still a picture of all believers in Messiah Yeshua/Jesus having been chosen as Messiah bride. Ephesians 1:4

The second stage it is called

eyrusin

and means

betrothal.

It is the formal one year period of time when the two parties receive the betrothal blessings and become officially engaged.

They are not to live together, but the commitment is so secure that it would take a religious divorce, which is called a get, to nullify the agreement and the get is an option available only to the husband. So here we see a clear lesson from the Hebrew/Jewish wedding,

that believers are eternally secure in Messiah covenant,

because it cannot be broken unless He breaks it, which He says He never will.

As Jesus/Yeshua said: I give them eternal life they will absolutely never be destroyed and no one will snatch them from my hands.

John 10:28.

During this time of eyrusin, the groom has responsibilities, and the most pressing one being preparing the couple’s future home. Messiah Yeshua/Jesus said in my fathers house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be alsoJohn 14:1-3 …

The nissuin completes the 3 part process and the spiritual picture of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus – the Bridegroom and His bride.

According to ancient tradition, the groom comes for his bride at the end of the one year- eyrusin. Everything is made ready and the bride eagerly awaits his arrival. The groom could come for his bride only after the grooms father had given the command and when the father had given his approval that the place prepared for the son’s new bride was ready. Which is very clear here, that only the father knows that time; the son did not know the hour or the day when this would take place.

Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of [ a]heaven, but My Father only.

When the father said it was a time the groom leading the procession through the streets of the village to the brides home; the shofar would be sounded to the shouts of the bridegroom comes!

At the close of nissuin there is a very happy celebration as is the modern Jewish wedding. In Revelation 19:7-8 there is a description of the time when Jesus Messiah marries His bride – the body of messianic believers. Let us rejoice and be glad. “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”. Revelation 19:9 will be a great blessing to those who are invited.

Betrothed in Hebrew is ‘aras

There is a reference in Hosea 2:19

and I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.

The book of Hosea and the book of the song of Solomon both seem to portray our relationship with God as a betrothal. As noted, betrothal is similar to an engagement, only the couple are really married but do not live together or engage in intimate relationships. It lasts for about a year when the bridegroom comes to the bride’s father’s house and takes her away to his father’s house where he has built an addition to the family home and then they consummate the marriage.

The comparison here is that we are betrothed to Messiah Yeshua/Jesus while we are on the earth but the day will come when we pass from this earth when He comes to take us to His Fathers house to consummate the marriage covenant. This is what He was alluding to,  that we are merely in a betrothal stage in John 14:2

As already mentioned, the Hebrew the word

betrothal is aras

the lexicon simply says it means to betroth. Looking a little deeper into the Hebrew language and the Jewish meaning will give us a better understanding and help us to make a clearer comparison to our relationship with Messiah.

The word aras comes from a semetic root in the Sumerian language which means to desire. So the whole idea behind a betrothal is to build a desire between a man and woman. Many times a young man and woman did not really meet until their wedding day. So the betrothal was a time to get to know each other. Physical looks chemistry and love did not have anything to do with marriage. Love came after they were married or betrothed.

When a young couple were betrothed, traditionally the parents were to support the young man so he would not have to work during this period. The length of time for the betrothal was generally one year but it could be more or less. The idea was that this time would be spent where the couple would begin to learn about each other understand one another and learn to love each other and as they were falling in love their desire and passion for each other would increase to the point that the man would one day become to snatch his bride away and make her his wife by consummating the marriage covenant in the room he built onto his fathers house.

This is the same for believers, where our desire to be with our Savior grows daily and as we come to know him more intimately and long to be in His presence forever. No one, not even the bride knew when the bridegroom would come for his bride; everyone would anxiously await that day, watching all the signs that the bridegroom was getting ready. Then when the father gave the word and said it is tonight, then everyone would light a lamp and follow the groom as he went to his brides house. (think 10 virgin parable.)

Not even the bride knew the time,

but she knew the seasons,

and she had a good idea ,so much so that she would be

dressed and ready

when it was time and the bridegroom comes knocking at her door.

This is so clearly a picture of our lives here on earth. We accept Messiah Jesus/Yeshua as our Savior and then we are

betrothed to Him.

We live our remaining days in a betrothal with Yeshua/Jesus, learning to love Him, spending time alone with Him, letting Him meet our needs. All the time our desire for Him grows deeper and deeper, until the day comes we will no longer be separated from Him, and our Heavenly Father says it is time. Then He will come to take us to live in His Fathers house forever because we are part of Messiahs Bride.

The question we must ask ourselves is:

are we dressed and ready?

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim and mishpachah!

Peace to friends and family.

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.

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.

Not sure ..you can be…

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 Man – The Tribe -The Land – Yisrael/Israel – Prophetic In Every Way.

Appearing more than 2,500 times

in the Old Testament/TaNaKH

and about 80 times

in the New Testament/Brit Chadashah,

Israel/Yisrael/יִשְׂרָאֵל

is the most used name in the scriptures.

Israel/Yisrael/יִשְׂרָאֵל

It is also a perfect example of the use of a specific name and of its’ prophetic nature being fulfilled in the future connections we frequently see in biblical names.

The Man

It all began in the beginning!

Beresheet

The genesis/beresheet

of the name

Israel/Yisrael/יִשְׂרָאֵל

started with the patriarchs/fathers,

it was first introduced in the Bible/TaNaKH in

 

Gen. 32:29. “And he said, ‘Your name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for as a prince you have power with God and with men, and have prevailed.’”

 

beginning with

Abraham/Avraham/אַבְרָהָם.

The words: you have power

in this scripture

is rather a weak translation,

because the Hebrew word that is used in this verse is

sa-ri-ta.

It is a past-tense verb that comes from the root word

Sar.

Sar is a prince or leader,

but as it is used as a verb in this verse,

it‘s related to the main characteristic usually associated with leadership: battle/fighting.

In the verse above,

sa-ri-ta

relates to the biblical verb that means: to fight

or put a better way: to wrestle.

Here, it illustrates as:

taking the action of a prince,

leader or hero in a battle or fight.

When the word

Israel/Yisrael/יִשְׂרָאֵל

is spoken out loud

Phonetic Spelling: yis-raw-ale’

the connection between the 2 words

is clear as they sound similar.

Here we learn the origin of the word

Wrestle

and we now know the full meaning of the name

Israel/Yisrael/יִשְׂרָאֵל: wrestled with God.

Israel/Yisrael/יִשְׂרָאֵל

started with the patriarchs/fathers,

Genesis 12:50

Abraham אברהם 

While many suggest that Abram means:

exalted father

and

Abraham means:

father of a multitude,

Actually both names mean exactly the same thing

father lifted up

or

exalted father.

The beginning of both names is:

אב AB/AV

meaning: father.

The letters

ram in Abram is דם meaning:

lifted,

which in the Hebrew language is a parent root.

The raham in Abraham is רהם

also means:

lifted,

a secondary root out from the parent root MR.

Strong’s Hebrew: 85. אַבְרָהָם (Abraham) — “exalted father …

In Genesis 17:5, the Lord promises Abram that he would be the

father of many nations

which in Hebrew is:

אב המון גוים, ‘ab hamon goyim

God changes Abram’s name to Abraham.

The Lord also promises that

Abraham‘s half-sister and wife Sarai

would

become nations

or rather:

become international

היתה לגוים,

 heyata le’goyim

and changed her name to Sarah 17:16.

 

Similar to the name Abraham,

the phrase is not related to the name.

The name Abraham אברהם

has its root from the name

Abram אברם

by adding in the letter ה he h hay hey;

in front of the final ם mem.

The name Sarah שרה

follows from Sarai שרי

by putting the same letter ה  he/h/hey/hay

in place of the final י yod.

Abraham’s father was the one who named him

אברם Abram

and it was later changed by God to

 אברהם Abraham.

As every Hebrew name has a meaning, and is always related to the character of the individual, it’s important to know what their names mean as it gives us insight to the person and also what their future may hold: especially when our Heavenly Father is the one giving or changing the name. Recall the instructions given via angelic messengers for naming John the Immerser and Yeshua/Jesus.

Then his miracle son

Isaac/Yitzak/יִצְחָק

Strong’s Hebrew: 3327. יִצְחָק (Yitschaq) — “he laughs,” son .

H3327 – יִצְחָק Yitschâq, yits-khawk’; from ; laughter (i.e. mochery); Jitschak (or Isaac), son of Abraham:—Isaac.

and then

Jacob/Yaakov/יעקב,

one of יִצְחָק/Isaacs twin sons.

Again as every Hebrew name has a meaning, and is always related to the character of the person; we see that the name

Yaakov/Jacob comes from the verb

עקב ‘abaq, meaning:

to follow at the heel

or

supplant. עקב.

The noun עקב ‘aqeb 

means heel

In the case of

Ya’acov /Jacob/ יעקב,

he grabs the heel of his twin

His name was changed by God to

Yisrael/Israel/יִשְׂרָאֵל:

with a meaning:

turns the head of God.

Because there was a change in character,

there is also a change in the name.

As the story concerning each individual unfolds, provided that we focus on the Hebrew translation, we learn how the name is connected to the narrative.

English, Spanish, Greek and Latin, along with all other languages do not accurately or fully reveal how the Biblical name foreshadows the events in the lives of each personality, and secondly, the Hebrew name reflects and supports the accuracy of biblical events and prophecies.

Although reading the Bible in the English translation is understood by believers as reading truth, the immediate sense of confirmation, as reflected in the Hebrew name, is missing from the non-Hebrew reading experience.

This is just one reason why it is so important for every Bible follower to obtain some knowledge of Hebrew.

 

As recorded in the scripture

Jacob/Yaakov/יעקב,

had an encounter with the God of his forefathers the God who answers by fire in the form of a dream.

The ladder he saw extended from the earth to the heavens

with angelic messengers going up and down it.

He called the place the gate of heaven

And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! this is no other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven’”

Genesis 28:17

and he built an altar there.

At the river Jabbok Genesis 32:28, Jacob wrestled with a supernatural messenger/angel of the Lord,

(some scholars suggest it was the pre-incarnate Yeshua/Jesus);

and as a result of finally prevailing in the struggle he too had a name change, just as his grandfather Abraham had decades before.

Jacob became

Yisrael Israel

ישראל

from the Hebrew text in Genesis 32:28,

the form

ישראל Israel Yisrael

appears to be a compilation of two elements.

The final one is the noun 

אל  El,

the common abbreviation of Elohim,

meaning:

God

but consists of many nuances and facets.

Strong’s Hebrew: 3478. יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisrael) — “God strives …

Yisrael: “God strives,”

another name of Jacob and his descendants.

Original Word: יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine. 

Transliteration: Yisrael.

Phonetic Spelling: yis-raw-ale’

Pronounced: Iss-rah-el

then

Jacob/Yaakov/יעקב,

 now

Yisrael/Israel/יִשְׂרָאֵל:

became a father himself…..

 the father of 12 sons and 1 daughter

The Man The Tribe The Land Yisrael Israel Prophetic In Every Way

Continues in Part 2

Shalom shalom

‘Mishpachah’

‘Family/Tribe’

משפחה

Mish-pa-KHa,

friends, visitors and every reader…

Please don’t leave this page before making certain you are His

and are truly born from above.

Know of a certainty that Jesus/Yeshua 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.

It’s 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.

 

WHAT LIES BENEATH … Ancient Urusalima?

Ever wondered what exactly is under that golden Dome on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel?

MMM takes A DEEPER DIG Under The Dome of the Rock; (“Kippat ha-Sela” in Hebrew; (“Qubbat al-Sakhrah” in Arabic).It is front and center almost every time we look at a panoramic view of Jerusalem. Often dismissed as something, not of much importance to believers in Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach, yet there remains a measure of curiosity and there is great significance to the location we may have overlooked or forgotten…..

…And what is the mysterious “Well of Souls”?

The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine and the Temple Mount is referred to as Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary).

Situated in the Old City of Jerusalem, it was built by the Umayyad caliph ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān.

The construction was initially completed in the late 7th-century, approx. 691 CE; (only 1300 years ago). According to the Islamic tradition, here Prophet Muhammad flew with the archangel Jabrail and met prophets Ibrahim, Musa and Isa (Abraham, Moses and Jesus respectively).

A rock rises towards the roof of the Dome. From this rock, according to legend, Muhammad ascended to Allah. Today, the Temple Mount is a home for the Al-Aqsa Mosque with the Dome of the Rock architectural complex. The mountain is open to tourists at certain times which are not related to the time of Muslim worship.

So why is it of any importance to us?

This mystery connects to events that have taken place over the last 5,000 years, thousands of years prior to the construction of the ‘Dome’.Then it was called Mount Moriah, on which was also located the mysterious city Urusalima, the forerunner of Jerusalem, (Salem).

For more on the picture above click links https://www.minimannamoments.com/more-than-one-palm/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/i-will-put-my-name-part-2/

Salim/Salem/Jerusalem is inscribed in the Tell el-Amarna Letters, an archaeological find dated to the 1400s BC.

The original name of Jerusalem was Babylonian, Uru-Salim, “the city of Salim,”or the city of Salem.

” Jebus” makes its appearance for the first time in the Old Testament (Judges 19: 10,11).In Hebrew, Yerushalayim

Mount Moriah is the name of the elongated north-south ridge of rock that rises from the junction point of the Hinnom (Hagai) and Kidron valleys between Mount Zion to the west and the Mount of Olives to the east.It rises through the City of Davidand reaches its highest elevation just northeast of the Damascus Gatein the Old City.

The Temple Mount today covers about 45 acres and is built around the outcropping of the bedrock under the Dome of the Rock.

It is about 118 feet lower than the highest point of Mount Moriah.

Hinnom valleyKidron Valley

Jewish tradition holds that it is the very same site where God gathered the dust to create Adam before placing him in the garden.and in Genesis 22. where the Binding of Isaac for sacrifice by Abraham took place believed by many biblical scholars to be the same mountain in the region of Moriah mentioned in the Book of Genesis.There is a grotto inside the Dome of the Rock where limestone forms into a cave.In 1 Chronicles 21 it is identified as The Jebusite “Zion” was situated on the southern slope of Mount Moriah, above the Gihon Spring.

After King David captured the city he made it his capital and named it for himself: the ‘City of David’. The northern area of the mountain’s summit lay desolate for long after Zion’s capture by David. It was in fact still the private property of Araunah, the city’s former Jebusite king.For various reasons David did not confiscate the site of the Jebusite threshing floor but preferred to buy it from Auranah for full value: “So David paid Ornan ) the Jebusite [Auranah] for the site 600 shekels’ worth of gold.And David built there an altar to the Lord and sacrificed burn offerings and offerings of well-being” 1 Chron. 21:25, and a slightly different version at 2 Sam. 24:18-25.

The very same threshing floor where Ruth and Boaz were.

This purchase is an important fact since it demonstrates that the Jews received this area through a legal transaction. They have never sold the rights to Mount Moriah.King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David paid Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the site; and David built there an altar to the Lord and presented burnt offerings. – 1 Chronicles 21:24, 25 

The Old Testament describes how an army led by David, the second king of ancient Israel, breached the walls of Jebus around 1000 B.C. David then built a palace nearby and created his capital, Jerusalem. At the site of a threshing floor atop the mountain, where farmers had separated grains from chaff, David constructed a sacrificial altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt and peace offerings.It was here that King David brought the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the tablets with the Ten Commandments.

In the course of time the mountain had acquired an aura of sanctity and was the subject of many traditions. Indeed, its sacred status may date back to the early Canaanite period, when it perhaps was the cultic center of “El Elyon,” god of Melchizedek, king of Salem:‘And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High [=El Elyon].’ Hebrew 7:1-3(Salem ancient name of Jerusalem). Gen.14:18.He blessed him, saying, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, creator of heaven and earth” Gen 14:18.

The Bible calls Yeshua, Jesus, the Great High Priest.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

 Hebrews 7:17

For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Isaiah 9:6

The tradition of “Jacob’s Dream” is also identified with Mount Moriah: “He came upon a certain place and stopped there for the night, for the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of that place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. He had a dream; a stairway was set on the ground and its top reached to the sky, and angels of God were going up and down on it. And the Lord was standing beside him… Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, … “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the abode of God and that is the gateway to heaven” Gen 28:10-18.

This is perhaps the most colorful representation of the essential nature of the site which some would later claim was the “navel of the world”.At the summit of Mount Moriah, traditionally, is the “Foundation Stone,” the symbolic fundament of the world’s creation, and reputedly the site of the Temple’s Holy of Holies, the supreme embodiment of the relationship between God and the people of Israel.According to the Second Book of Kings and the First Book of Chronicles, David’s son, Solomon, built the First Temple (later known as the Beit Hamikdash) on that site.Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. – 2 Chronicles 3:1Solomon dedicates the Temple.

Upon the completion of King Solomon’s Temple, famed for its sumptuous splendor, the Ark of the Covenant was placed within its confines.

The sanctity of the site is reflected in the graphic description provided by the Book of Kings: “the priests came out of the sanctuary for the cloud had filled the House of the Lord and the priests were not able to remain and perform the service because of the cloud, for the Presence of the Lord filled the House of the Lord…” 1 Kings 8:11.Solomon built his palace in the “miloh” (infill), area which separated the summit of the mountain and the Temple from the city below. This was also a concrete expression of the divine inspiration that was attributed to his kingship. Other palaces were also built nearby, such as the “House of the Forest of Lebanon” and the House of Pharaoh’s Daughter. 

Solomon used dirt to fill in this east-west lateral rift, hence the area’s name: “miloh” (infill), or Ophel , from a Hebrew word referring to the road that ascended to the Temple from the city which at that time was topographically lower and seen as a name on some maps.

King Solomon, according to the Bible, built the First Temple of the Jews on this mountaintop circa 1000 B.C., only to have it torn down 400 years later by troops commanded by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, who sent many Jews into exile. In the first century B.C., the Babylonian Army destroyed the First Temple in 586 B.C. The ark of the covenant disappeared, possibly hidden from the conquerors. Following the conquest of Jerusalem by the Persians in 539 B.C., the Jews returned from exile and, according to the Book of Ezra, constructed a Second Temple on the site.

At the summit of Mount Moriah, the supreme embodiment of the relationship between God and the people of Israel was realized. Upon the completion of King Solomons Temple, the Ark of the Covenant was placed inside, it contained the tablets with the Ten Commandments, the Jar of Manna and Aarons Rod that budded.

In the first century B.C., King Herod undertook a massive reshaping of the Temple Mount. Herod expanded and refurbished a Second Temple built by Jews who had returned after their banishment. He filled up the slopes surrounding the mount’s summit and expanded it to its present size. He enclosed the holy site within a 100-foot-high retaining wall constructed of limestone blocks quarried from the Jerusalem Hills and constructed a far more expansive version of the Second Temple.

It is here that, according to the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ lashed out against the money changers (and was later crucified a few hundred yards away). The Roman general Titus exacted revenge against Jewish rebels, sacking and burning the Temple in A.D. 70.

We are familiar with the much photographed Western Wall, it’s one that’s easily recognizable together with the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.The Western Wall is the holiest site for Jews. Thousands of people — Jews and non-Jews alike — come to this wall every day to pray.

But the commonly known religious site and tourist destination represents only the tip of the Western Wall complex. Its main treasures are found inside a tunnel excavated by Charles Warren from 1864 to 1870.

The tunnel follows the street level of the first century, which lies about 30 feet (9 meters) below the current level of the Western Wall plaza where the tourists and worshipers usually gather. It exposes magnificent stones measuring 45 by 9.8 by 11 feet (13.7 by 3 by 3.3 meters) and weighing 520 metric tons. The stones comprised the foundation of a retaining wall that King Herod ordered so he could create a level platform for the temple complex. 

A significant site is found 150 feet (46 meters) inside the tunnel. Above picture is the sealed-off gate, close to the place where the temple’s most Holy place, KOTEL – the Holy of Holies, is believed to have been located. The site of the Western Wall and its tunnel are managed by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.

The upper part of the Temple Mount where both temples once stood is controlled by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf foundation, financed by the Kingdom of Jordan. Arabs refer to the place as Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary. The complex includes the golden Dome of the Rock, which stands on the supposed spot on Mount Moriah where Abraham prepared to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice.

The area controlled by the foundation also includes the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site for Muslims who believe it was here that the Prophet Muhammad ascended to the “Divine Presence” on the back of a winged horse—the Miraculous Night Journey, commemorated by one of Islam’s architectural triumphs, the Dome of the Rock shrine. A territorial prize occupied or conquered by a long succession of peoples—including Jebusites, Israelites, Babylonians, Greeks, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, early Muslims, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans and the British—the Temple Mount has seen more momentous historical events than perhaps any other 35 acres in the world.

The Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls are classified as a World Heritage Site.

 During the time of Solomon and of Nehemiah, the walls also encompassed the City of David, an area south of theTemple Mount.

So what exactly is under the golden dome?

The bedrock, or the actual stone, of the top of Mount Moriah. known as the Foundation Stone where all the aforementioned events took place.

(According to a medieval Islamic tradition, the Stone tried to follow Muhammad as he ascended, leaving his footprint here while pulling up and hollowing out the cave below. The impression of the hand of the Archangel Gabriel made as he restrained the Stone from rising, is nearby.) The Stone — known as Even haShetiya in Hebrew and es-Sakhrah in Arabic — is considered the holiest site in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam.)It can be seen covered by the Muslim’s Dome of the Spirits.

This is about 285 feet north of where the Ark of the Covenant would have sat on similar bedrock in the Jewish Temple. Today the Muslim’s Dome of the Rock covers that location.

The Well of Souls, also known in Christianity and Judaism as the Holy of Holies, is a partly natural, partly man-made cave located inside the Foundation Stone under the Dome of the Rock.

Below The Sakhra (rock) in the Dome and shows the possible location of the ark lower left part of exposed rock surface.

This is a closer view of the actual bedrock, or the original rock, from the top of Mount Moriah. It is located under the Muslim’s Dome of the Spirits and is located just outside the Dome of the Rock. Abraham would have walked across parts of this rock when he came up here to sacrifice Isaac.

This would be close to where the Jebusite threshing floor would have actually been located when David purchased Mount Moriah.

Looking across the pavement that has been built over Mount Moriah to create a level surface. This is the site of the ancient Jewish Temple Mount. The golden Dome of the Rock stands where the Jewish Temple formerly stood.Notice the location of Mount Moriah on this map showing Jerusalem’ topography.

In a cave under the sacred rock, there supposedly is a mysterious Well of Souls from which the spirits of the dead can be heard.

Whether it is true or not, the Temple Mount is a place of veneration of believers of the three world religions and has a unique energy that can be really perceived.  The Well of Souls is a supernatural dimension that is guarded by the Archangel Azrael. It is said to hold power over life and death, and it acts as a receptacle for the souls of the departed. From a purely biblical standpoint, the Well of Souls is referenced as Sheol, the pit where un-regenerated souls are held until judgment.

The Foundation Stone in the floor of the 

Dome of the Rock shrine in Jerusalem. 

Photo above showing:

1 The cage-like structure just beyond the hole covers the stairway entrance to the cave beneath the rock

The round hole at upper left penetrates to a small cave, known as the ‘Well of Souls’, below.

3 Rock (Al Sakhra) where Muslims believe Muhammad ascended to the heavens.

The Well of Souls (Arabic: بئر الأرواح ‎ Bir al-Arwah; sometimes translated Pit of Souls, Cave of Spirits, or Well of Spirits in Islam), also known in Christianity and Judaism as the Holy of Holies, is a partly natural, partly man-made cave located inside the Foundation Stone under the Dome of the Rock shrine in Jerusalem.

The name Well of Souls derives from a medieval Islamic legend that at this place the spirits of the dead can be heard awaiting Judgment Day.  The name “Well of Souls” has also been applied more narrowly to a depression in the floor of this cave and to a hypothetical chamber that may exist beneath the floor. The famed 19th-century British explorer Sir Charles Warren could neither prove nor disprove the existence of a hollow chamber below the cave. They believed the sound reportedly heard by visitors was simply an echo in a small fissure beneath the floor.For Believers, the site is known as the Holy of Holies (alluding to the former inner sanctuary within the Temple in Jerusalem) .

Both Jewish and Muslim traditions relate to what may lie beneath the Foundation Stone, the earliest of them found in the Talmud in the former and understood to date to the 12th and 13th centuries in the latter.

The Talmud indicates that the Stone marks the center of the world and serves as a cover for the Abyss (Abzu) containing the raging waters of the Flood.Muslim tradition likewise places it at the center of the world and over a bottomless pit with the flowing waters of Paradise underneath. A palm tree is said to grow out of the River of Paradise here to support the Stone.Noah is said to have landed here after the Flood. The Mosaic floor covers the opening to the well of souls.

The souls of the dead are said to be audible here as they await the Last Judgment, although this is not a mainstream view in Sunni Islam.

The Foundation Stone and its cave entered fully into the European Christian tradition after the Crusaders recaptured Jerusalem in 1099 and converted the Dome of the Rock into a church, calling it the Templum Domini, (Latin for the Temple of the Lord).They made many radical physical changes to the site at this time, including cutting away much of the rock to make staircases with 16 marble steps and paving the Stone over with marble slabs.

They certainly enlarged the main entrance of the cave and probably are also responsible for creating the shaft ascending from the center of the chamber. The Crusaders called the cave the “Holy of Holies” and venerated it as the possible site of the announcement of John the Baptist’s birth, since Luke says it happened in the Temple.

  (Modern scholarship indicates that the Temple Holy of Holies was probably on top of the Foundation Stone, not inside it.)Here the original granary, (similar to picture above), where the corn was threshed or rather trodden out, upon the plain on either side, and winnowed from the Rock.The entrance to the cave is at the southeast angle of the Foundation Stone, beside the southeast pier of the Dome of the Rock (Sakhrah) shrine. On the way down, bedrock masses project in towards the stair; the one to the right is called “the tongue”. (because, according to legend, when Caliph Umar thought he had discovered the stone which was Jacob’s Pillar in his vision at Bethel, he exclaimed, “Es Salámo Alaykúm” (“Peace be unto thee”), and the stone answered Caliph Umar, “Alaykúm us Salám, wa Rahmat-Ullahi” (“Peace be to thee, and the mercy of God”).To the left (south) as one descends is a prayer niche where David prayed. 

To the right is a shallower, but ornately decorated, prayer niche dedicated to where Solomon traditionally prayed; and where Abraham and Elijah and Mohammed met on the occasion of his night flight upon El Borak.

This mihrab is certainly one of the oldest in the world, considered to date at least back to the late 9th century. (Some even suggest that it dates back to the 7th century and to the time of Abd al-Malik, builder of the Dome of the Rock — making it the oldest in the world — but this is disputed.

The cave chamber is roughly square, about 6 meters on a side, and ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 meters (about 4.9 to ~8.2 feet) high.

At the center of the ceiling is a shaft, 0.46 meter in diameter, which penetrates 1.7 meters up to the surface of the Stone above. It has been proposed that this is the 4,000-year-old remnant of a shaft tomb. Another theory is that it represents a Crusader “chimney” cut for ventilation to accommodate lighted shrine candles.Still others have tried to make a case that it was part of a drainage system for the Temple altar of Sacrifice; that the cave was the cistern for the blood, which ran off by the Bir el Arwáh, (Well of Souls) into the Valley of Hinnom.

There are no rope marks within the shaft, so it has been concluded that it was never used as a well, with the cave as cistern. The ceiling of the cave appears natural, while the floor has been long ago paved with marble and carpeted over.So now we know what is under that golden dome and next time we see a photograph it will serve as a reminder of its place in our history and that it reveals another of the reasons for its ownership and possession being such hotly disputed territory. 

Shalom..

Please don’t leave this page before making certain Jesus/Yeshua 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.

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

NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..

You can have His love – His Forgiveness – His Grace and His Compassion and live like Royalty in the Womb of His Mercy..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…Don’t put it off one more day…

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.You are now Born Again by the Holy Spirit of the Living God and you are part of the ever growing family of believers. You will never be the same again!