Tag: Jerusalem

Entering and Leaving Sha’ar Yerushalayim – Part 4

continuing from part 3

We must remind ourselves that

The Old City of Jerusalem 

Hebrew: העיר העתיקה‎,

HaEer HaAtika

is a walled area within modern Jerusalem and is just a 0.9 square kilometer (0.35 square mile) in area.

שַׁעַר  sh’ar  gates

Yerushalaim

יְרוּשָׁלַם

Yerushalayim

The 2 gates in this post are Not named in

Nehemiah’s Jerusalem…

but still an important gate is

שער ציון

Zion Gate

Sha’ar Tzion

ZION

Zion Gate

The Hebrew for the Zion Gate is

Sha’ar Tzion.

 שער ציון

Zion is one of the biblical names of Jerusalem,

and this gate is on Mount Zion.

Note there are old and new areas with the same name.

The third of the four major gates of Jerusalem is the Zion Gate. This gate faces the compass direction south, and is located along the southwestern walls of the Old city.

It is named such because the gate faces, and provides access, to Mount Zion.

The gate was built by the Ottoman sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent in 1540; who built many of the gates of Jerusalem which along with the Zion Gate still stand today.

It is one of the gates of Jerusalem that lead into the Jewish Quarter of the Old City.

Walls near the Zion Gate date from the Hasmonean and Herodian periods of the history of Jerusalem.

Similar to the previously mentioned gates of Jerusalem, the Zion Gate was built with an L-shaped internal structure.

One window on each side of the gate lent its distinguishable characteristic; and like the Jaffa Gate, can support both foot and vehicle traffic. However, vehicles are not allowed to enter only through the gate, only to exit.


Other names of the Zion Gate are;

the Gate of the Prophet David,

and the Gate to the Jewish Quarter.

The name, the Gate of the Prophet David, 

is due to Muslim tradition

which places the tomb of king David on Mount Zion;

and in Arabic the gate is called Bab Nabi Daud.

It is believed the Crusaders and other early Christians misidentified the location of David’s tomb. David was
not buried on Mount Zion, but in the City of David, probably on the Ophel outside the northern walls of the
city at that time:

Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. – 2 Kings 2:10 

The tomb of David was still in Jerusalem in 30 AD when Peter addressed a crowd of Jews and said:

Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. – Acts 2:2

The Zion Gate saw much fighting in the 1967 war of Independence and it was one of the main gates used to enter and liberate the Old City, even today Zion Gate is riddled with bullet holes from the War of 1948.

 Both the Zion Gate and the Jaffa Gate were closed from 1948 to 1967 when the Jordanians (Arabs) maintained control of the Old City.

They closed the gates because they faced West
Jerusalem, which was controlled by Israel.

However, during the Six Day War of 1967, Israeli troops erupted through the Zion Gate, dashing through the Armenian Quarter on their way to the Jewish Quarter.

At the same time Israelite forces flooded through the other gates of Jerusalem converging on the Wall.

This gate leads to the Armenian quarter, through which you can reach the Jewish Quarter. Picture below showing bullet holes and a Mezuzah on the entrance wall of the gate.

Jaffa Gate

   שער יפו   

Sha’ar Yaffo

Also called:

The Gate of David’s Prayer Shrine,

Porta David.

This gate was added into the walls of the expanded city limits and we looked at its predecessor called the Valley Gate in a previous post.

Today’s Jaffa Gate seems to have taken the place of the ancient Valley Gate, though the western portion of the city wall lies much further west than it did in the city of David and Nehemiah.

Jaffa Gate‘s entry was strategically built

and retains its original L-shaped interior.

 

The Jaffa Gate,

also known as

Sha’ar Yafo

שער יפו

or

David’s Gate,

Sha’ar David שער דוד

And in Arabic Bab el-Khalil,

This gate gets its name because it leads to the Jaffa/Joppa road, the main thoroughfare, the forerunner of the contemporary highway to the port of Jaffa/Joppa.

It is also known as David’s Gate because of the proximity of the Tower of David or David’s Citadel.

The present tower was built by Suleiman the Magnificent, but still called the Tower of David because the current structure was built on the foundations of the original tower built by King David.

The main entrance to the Old City is the Jaffa Gate, which was also built by Suleiman in 1538.

The name in Arabic, Bab el-Halil 

or Hebron Gate,

means

The Beloved;

 and refers to Abraham,

the beloved of God who is buried in Hebron. 

The Jaffa gate also leads to the road to Hebron.

 Facing due west, the Jaffa Gate is the best known and busiest of the gates of Jerusalem and is the only gate on the western side of the Old city. Today it is the main vehicle entry point into the Old City, and one of only two of the gates of Jerusalem that allow vehicle access.

Located above the Hinnom Valley, or Gehenna Valley (Valley of Hell), it was the main entrance into the Old city until 1948.

This was mentioned in previous post in Nehemiah’s rebuilding of the smaller Jerusalem and was then known as the Valley gate.

The main road from the Jaffa Gate runs between the northern hill of the Acra and the southern hill Mount Zion; it leads eastward into the city down into the Tyropeon Valley.

Each of the gates of Jerusalem has a unique or distinctive quality or feature about it.

The Jaffa Gate’s distinctive characteristic is

a small sphere on each side of the arch.

The gate is constructed of large, hewn, sand-colored bricks and the entry is about twenty feet in height. The wall rises another twenty feet above the gate. The Jaffa Gate was strategically built on a right angle with the wall as a defensive measure.

Just inside the Joppa /Jaffa Gate

is David street.

As one enters, to the left is the Christian Quarter,

to the right the Armenian Quarter,

and straight ahead is the Muslim Quarter of the city.

 

A square is located across the street from the nearby Tower of David.

In times past wheat and other goods and merchandise were sold in this square. During the Crusader conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 AD, Moslem defenders and their wives and children sought refuge and protection inside the Tower of David.

The gate on the western side of the Old City marked the end of the highway leading from the Jaffa coast and now leads into the Muslim and Armenian quarters. A road allows cars to enter the Old City through a wide gap in the wall between Jaffa Gate and the Citadel. 

This passage was originally built in 1898 when Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany visited Jerusalem. The ruling Ottoman Turks opened it so the German Emperor would not have to dismount his carriage to enter the city.

In the early 1900’s Pasha, the tyrant of Jerusalem, staged hangings near the Jaffa Gate to coincide with the dismissal of Friday Prayers so that large audiences would see the dead bodies.

Up until the end of the 19th century AD the Jaffa Gate was locked each night. This was done in order to keep out marauders, bandits and thieves, as well as jackals, hyenas, and other unwanted invaders. Travelers at dusk carried lanterns to identify themselves, and those who arrived after dark were forced to sleep outside the city gate. The gate was reopened at dawn. 

Jaffa gate Sha’ar Yaffo  –  this western facing gate was traditionally the main entrance to the Old City. It is named for the port city of Jaffa which faces this gate, and from where visitors and pilgrims to the Holy Land would disembark from their boats to start the last stretch to Jerusalem by foot or carriage.

Also known as the Hebron Gate,

in Arabic, this gate is called Bab el Halil;

or Bab-el-Khalil, the Gate of the Friend.

Halil is the one of the names for Abraham who is buried in Hebron, which is where the name Abraham, the friend of God, comes from; and this gate also links Jerusalem to Hebron via the Patriarchs Route which starts just outside the gate.

From the Jaffa gate, there is access to the Arab Market,

or the King David Citadel or to

go into the Jewish Quarter via the Armenian Quarter. 

It was also called Joppa Gate because the road to the port city of Joppa – on the Mediteranean coast also began from it.

This gate is the only one on the western side of the Old City and is called the gate of Hebron, because the main road to Hebron also started from here.

Herod built three towers, which he named the

Hippicus, Phasael and Mariamme

connected to the western section of the walls in 37 – 34 B.C.

One of these towers, now known as the Tower of David, stands today just inside the Jaffa Gate.

It is the highest point in the Old city, and the gate was originally built to defend and protect the approach from the west.

The Tower of David is the dominating feature near the Jaffa Gate.

It has also been called the Chevron Gate, as the road from this gate leads to Chevron as well.

Another name for this gate, the Gate of David’s Prayer Shrine.

Porta David/the Gate of David and so not surprisingly the gates of Jerusalem can quickly become a confusing mixture of names.

The Crusader name for the Jaffa Gate was Forte David. An anonymous pilgrim spoke of the area in 1220 A.D. while traveling through the city and is recorded as saying:

“In the city of Jerusalem there are four principal gates, in the shape of a cross, one opposite the other… David’s Gate faces west, and stands exactly opposite the Golden Gate, which faces east… This gate belongs to the Tower of David, and is therefore called David’s Gate.”

The present day name of this gate is the Jaffa Gate since it still leads to the port of the city of Jaffa. In the photo above, the Jaffa Gate is on the left and the Citadel/Tower of David on the right.

This is the wall south of Jaffa Gate (in between the gate and the Citadel/Tower) which was removed in 1898 by the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II. The moat, which was located where the road is now, was also filled in at that time. The sultan did this to give the Kaiser the impression that he was entering Jerusalem through the Jaffa Gate when really he was not, since there is a legend that says all conquerors will enter through the Jaffa Gate!

It was through the Jaffa Gate the mayor of Jerusalem exited the city seeking out the British army in order to surrender the city. On December 9, 1917 Brigadier General CF Watson and Lt. Colonel H Bailey entered Jerusalem with the mayor through the 1898 opening near the Jaffa Gate used by the Kaiser.

Two days later, British General Edmund Allenby entered through the Jaffa Gate on foot and gave a speech on the steps of the Citadel. General Allenby entered, on foot, through the Jaffa Gate, deliberately ignoring the German Kaiser’s opening, and accepted the surrender of Jerusalem to the British.

General Allenby chose the Jaffa Gate because it was one of four major gates of Jerusalem. Some have suggested his first choice would have been the Golden Gate, however, this required walking through a Muslim cemetery, thus Allenby chose the Jaffa Gate as his point of entrance. He did so as a show of respect to the city and to differentiate and distance himself from any comparison to Kaiser Willem.

Accompanying him was Major T.E. Lawrence, who is better known by his later name Lawrence of Arabia.

The Jaffa Gate was the focus of Israeli forces in 1948 as they tried to capture the Old City in order to unite it with Israeli-controlled western Jerusalem. However, the Jews did not gain control of it until 1967. Between 1948 and 1967 the Jordanians could not use this gate for traffic so they had to widen the Dung Gate to get access the Old City and its Citadel.

In 1908 a clock tower was erected just outside the gate to accommodate the budding business district in that location. However, the tower lasted just ten years and then destroyed by the British.

In 1948 during the Israeli Independence War, Haganah forces were defeated by the Jordanians in their attempt to capture the Jewish Quarter of the old city and connect it with Western Jerusalem. It was only after the 1967 Six Day War that Israeli forces were able to regain control of the Jaffa Gate.


The Jaffa Gate has been, and will continue to be, one of the four primary gates of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Its strategic location, nearby artifacts and historical importance, as well as its ability to host vehicle traffic, make it also one of the most unique of the gates of Jerusalem.

The gates will continue in next post….

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.

The Man The Tribe The Land – Yisrael/Israel – Prophetic In Every Way Part 3

The Land

Eretz  land  אֶרֶץ

Yisrael

pronounced: Iss-rah-el

The term

Land of Israel

is a direct translation of the Hebrew phrase

ארץ ישראל ‎ 

Eretz Yisrael,

which occasionally occurs in the Bible,

and is first mentioned in the

Tanakh/Old Testament in

1 Samuel 13:19,

following the Exodus, when the

Israelite tribes were already in the

Land of Canaan.

The Name Yisrael means

God strives,

it is another name of Jacob and his descendants.

ישראל

Strongs 3478

Original Word: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Transliteration: Yisrael
Phonetic Spelling: yis-raw-ale’

The name Israel was first introduced in the Bible 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.

The study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history is called Etymology.

The roots of the word Yisrael come From the verb

sarah  שרה sara:

to become rigid from the retention of liquidity,

and

 the word

el אל

 God.

and from (1) the verb

ישר yashar, to be upright,

and (2) the word אל  ‘el, God.

This name has been translated several different ways including:

he wrestles with God,

Prince of God,

he struggles with God,

and several others.

The name Israel

is actually a complete sentence in one word.

The name has three components –

Y, SR and AL.

The Y is a prefix meaning he.

The AL usually pronounced as

el is the Hebrew word for God.

The SR is the part that seems to have caused

most of the problems in translation.

The Hebrew word

SR

literally means

turn the head.

It is often translated as

prince or ruler

one who turns the head of the people.

The feminine form of this word is SRH or Sarah.

Abraham’s wife Sarah was very beautiful

and probably

turned the head 

of the men who saw her.

Another word related to

SR is yasar

meaning discipline.

When you discipline your children you are

turning their head

from a path of bad to a path of good.

Because the Y is in front of the word SR 

we know that this is a verb and not a noun, this is standard Hebrew grammar; and can literally be translated as

he turns the head of God.

It can be understood that when Israel, either Jacob or his descendants; speaks to God, as the Father of Israel, He stops what He is doing and turns to His son and says

What do you want My son.

Today’s name is the Hebrew name of the

Land of Israel,

E•retz Yis•ra•el.

The word

a•retz

is the general word for

land,

and eretz

becomes more specific, and it means

the land of.

The Land of Israel is one of several names for an area of indefinite geographical extension in the Middle East. Related biblical, religious, and historical English terms/names include:

the Land of Canaan,

the Promised Land,

the Holy Land, and 

Palestine.

The land was called other names before being named Israel and through the centuries, the territory was known by a variety of other names, including

Canaan,

Djahy,

Samaria ,

Judea,

Yehud,

Iudaea,

Syria Palaestina

and Southern Syria.

Because of geopolitical reasons, the boundaries of

Eretz Yisrael

and, hence, the final borders of the

State of Israel,

have not yet been agreed upon between Israel and its neighbors.

The major obstacles are the territories of Judea and Samaria, which are claimed by the Palestinians as their land.

Biblically, these areas are under the definition of the

Land of Israel,

and especially those which comprise of major large parts of Jerusalem.

The official name of

Israel

in

Hebrew

is

 מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל ‎,

Medīnat Yisrā’el

or the

State of Israel.

And upon gaining independence in 1948,

the country formally adopted the name.

Israel has been the name of an ethnic group in the Levant going back at least 3200 years, based on the first known mention of the name in the written record, which was in ancient Egypt.

Based on the Bible itself, the ancient peoples of the Levant were generally named for their progenitors.

For example,

the smaller southern

kingdom of Judah

is named for Judah,

the son of Jacob.

The Levant

is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia

with its islands

and neighboring countries.

In this post we have seen

the prophetic nature of

Israel

The Man – The Tribe – The Land 

in scripture

as in just how many prophecies have been fulfilled, not least that of Isaiah; in chapter 35:1-2,

the prophet said that although Israel would become a desolate land, its deserts would one day bloom again. Isaiah lived about 2,700 years ago.

He declared that the wasteland will come to life and recent rains in Israel have caused the deserts to bloom, just as Isaiah prophesied!

 

These prophesies confirm and reaffirm

YHWH

Yehovehs

hand is on His chosen place and people spiritually and physically; and leaving no doubt that as each one has been fulfilled to date that everyone yet incomplete will be, in His perfect timing.

15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

Exodus 3:15

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

His ways are not our ways and His thoughts not as ours.

As it’s only within the confines of the physical earth realm that we experience time constraints; the hour of His revealing will no doubt come as a thief in the night to the unprepared.

He has given us His Word both written and in Messiah Who was His Word made flesh.

Everything is written for our understanding so we should not be surprised or fearful of how He concludes His plan and the events of the end of the age. We are clearly given the signs/signals of their unfolding in His teaching about the very last days before His return, He told His disciples to watch Israel/Yisrael and the increasing interest that other nations show in her, as a sign/signal of His coming:

When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that it will soon be destroyed….

This is recorded in Matthew 25, Mark 16 and Luke as well as in His Revelation in the Brit Chadashah /the new Testament; and by all the Prophets in the Tanakh/the old Testament.

 

Surely the end times began as Yeshua/Jesus’ physical earthly life ended. The religious leaders and many others missed the day of their visitation. It seems crazy that all the prophets had told them ahead of time what to look for, that they did not see it, and recognize the events unfolding before their very eyes as literal prophecy was being fulfilled in real time.

But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.

And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 2 Cor.3:14.

2000+ years later let’s be sure that we do not miss the signs/signals of His imminent return according to His Word and specifically those of Yeshua/Jesus recorded in

Matthew, Mark, Luke and Rev.

For as certain as those we have just looked at have already come to pass; so will every word ..

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished. Matthew 5:18.

Maranatha  – Come Lord Jesus/Yeshua HaMashiach

The cup of indignation of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Yisrael is full.

Once more it is at critical measure and the earth is again filled with violence as in the days of Noe/Noah and Lot. This time He is not sending a flood but fire and He is coming as judge to those who have rejected Him, His Son, and His offer of forgiveness and redemption.

The compensation is that on seeing Him,

the scripture says

all Israel/Yisrael will be saved

for they shall look upon the one they pierced.

As the veil is removed from their eyes.

Mishpachah’

Family

משפחה

Mish-pa-KHa

we are grafted in to spiritual Israel;

A Jew is not one

outwardly

but

inwardly

and there is no scripture that demands anyone convert to the religion of Judaism. The words of Jesus/Yeshua are clear..

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly,

nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 

but he is a Jew who is one inwardly;

and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose [a]praise is not from men but from God.

Romans 2:28

Let’s remain humble and thankful in a

repentant attitude of heart and mind.

In the midst of the worlds chaos

we must stay in that place of true shalom/peace.

As Job said,

I know that my redeemer lives

and He is returning for

His Bride

and we are

His Kallat Mashiach

His K’doshiym – His Holy Ones.

Israel/Yisrael is the apple of His eye

His land

His first fruits

it is where

He chose to put His Name. 

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

And it is His focus for timed events to unfold.

So do NOT be afraid or dismayed when events concerning Yerushalyim/Jerusalem are in front of our eyes and she is surrounded by her enemies once again.

Luke 21:20

According to scripture all

These things must take place; and when

is trodden underfoot for 42 months,

remember…

it was prophesied,

and so it will happen.

He is cleansing

His House – Beit El

and Mt Moriah;

it begins with the house of God.

1Pet 4:17 So, Judgment begins in the house of God

means:

That discipline begins in the house of God.

Accountability begins in the house of God.

Weeding (holiness; separation) begins in the house of God.

Time to circumcise our hearts….Because

The Man The Tribe The Land Yisrael/Israel

IS Truly

Prophetic In Every Way..

His will be done His kingdom come both in the earth and in our individual lives…

 

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.

 

Sukkot – The Promise of a Permanent Dwelling Place

It is the 3rd of 3 Appointed Times that all males are required to travel to Jerusalem to participate in annually.

Known in Judaism collectively as

The Three Pilgrimage Festivals.

In Hebrew:

Shlosha Regalim  שלושה רגלים

They are:

Pesach, Passover

Shavuot, Weeks or Pentecost

and

Sukkot, Tabernacles, Tents or Booths –

and relate in order to: our Physical Salvation

our Spiritual Salvation and our

Joyful Thanks to God for His Encompassing Protection and for the future when He will be Dwelling, Tabernacling with His people forever.

The secret place of the Most High/El’yon is the shield and surrounding wall of His Truth; it’s not a fictional location made up from imagination it’s a real place to be found in His presence.

The scripture says

Yeshua/Jesus is the Truth and when we are

IN Him

then we are in that secret place.

This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.

And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.

1John 4:13 also Psalm 91

When the ancient Israelites were living in the Kingdom of Judah they would make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem, as commanded by the Torah.

And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.

You shall keep it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month

You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, so that your descendants may know that I made the Israelites dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’ ”

Lev 23:40, 42-43

Feast of the Tabernacles

in Hebrew סֻכּוֹת

Chag haSukot,

also Succouth, Sukkot or Sykkot.

This post includes links to previous ones that have covered most of the relevant information on this season. It is hard to not repeat the wonderful nuances and types and shadows of what we have ahead of us and also to ponder on all that Our Heavenly father/Av has prepared for us.

1 Corinthians 2:9 Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

And 2Tim 4:8 for those who love His appearing Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.

So here follows some thoughts and Hebrew greetings for this glorious appointed time.

Sukkot is a joyous holiday celebrating the fall harvest.

The booths, called sukkahs,

that are built during this week-long festival, are reminiscent of the booths ancient farmers used to sleep right in their fields during harvest season. They also commemorate the 40 year period during which the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, sleeping in tents.

This appointed time calls for a temporary dwelling here, meaning it’s not a permanent structure.

Part of Sukkot is spent in synagogue at prayer, and much of it is spent eating, drinking, sleeping, and generally dwelling in the sukkah.

But wherever you happen to meet people during this particularly joyous holiday, it’s nice to know how to greet them.

It is still considered appropriate at this time to wish each other a Happy New Year or Shana Tovah in Hebrew, just as people continue saying Happy (Gregorian) New Year for many weeks into January and beyond.

To wish someone a Happy Sukkot in Hebrew simply say

Chag Sameach which means Happy Holiday.

Moadim L’simcha Moh-ah-DEEM Le-sim-CHAH

This is used on both Sukkot and Pesach/Passover, particularly the intermediate days of the festival

Chag Sameach is Hebrew for joyous festival.

The traditional response is

chagim u’zmanim l’sasson 

khag-EEM oo-zmahn-EEM le-sah-SOWN.

The individual who initiates the greeting says: Mo’adim l’simhah!
and the one who replies says: Hagim u’z’manim l’sasson!

Here is a hint about pronouncing the greetings: Each of the Hebrew words above puts emphasis/stress on the last syllable.

Chag Sameach pronounced khahg sah-MAY-akh

literally means happy holiday

and applies to most Jewish holidays.

Gut Yontiff pronounced goot YUHN-tiff

is a yiddishized version of the Hebrew phrase 

yom tov meaning good day

and referring to any major holiday on which work is traditionally forbidden.

Mo’adim = moments, festivals, appointed times.
Singular: mo’eid

l’ = for/to

simhah = joy, gladness, happy occasion

Hagim = holidays, celebrations.
Singular: hag

u’ = and

z’manim = seasons, times
Singular: z’man

sasson = joy, happiness

ברכות סוכות

sukkah: a thicket, booth

Strongs #5521

: סֻכָּה

pronounced: sook-kaw’

booth, cottage, covert, pavilion, tabernacle, tent

Deuteronomy 16:13 
HEB: חַ֧ג הַסֻּכֹּ֛ת תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה לְךָ֖
NAS: the Feast of Booths seven
KJV: the feast of tabernacles seven
INT: the Feast of Booths shall celebrate seven days

Other titles used for this feast:

Time of Our Joy – Zman Simchatenu–  זמן שמחתנו

Moadim L’Simcha – Appointed Times for Joy

Zman Simchatenu Time of Our Joy – זמן שמחתנו

Simchat Torah – the Joy of the Torah – שִׂמְחַת תורָה

Shemini Atzeret – Eighth Day of Assembly – שמיני עצרת

Hoshanah Rabbah – Great Salvation – הושענה רבה

Chag Assif – Harvest Festival – חג אסיף

Sukkah is the Hebrew term for the temporary building that is constructed for this holiday.

Sukkot(h) is the Hebrew name of the holiday,

the moed

and usually translated as

booth or small hut and 

to tabernacle with someone, is to dwell with them.

Yehoveh/Adonai, tabernacled with the children of Israel as they wandered in the desert for 40 years, manifesting Himself as a cloud by day and fire by night.

The Hebrew word for tabernacle is sukkah. It means a booth, a hut, a covering, a pavilion or tent.

The Greek word for tabernacle is sk’en’e, which also means a tent, hut, or habitation; and the context by which the word tabernacle is used in the New Covenant /Brit Hadashah.

This Greek word, sk’enos, means ‘tabernacle, booth, shelter, or covering’ and also appears in Rev. 21:3.

This same word, sk’enos, is used to speak of Yeshua/Jesus during His first coming, John 1:14. here we can see the protection provided in Rev. 7:16, corresponding to Isa. 4:5-6, and the fountain of living waters in Rev. 7:17 and 21:4.

It is interesting to note that as these were set in place by the Father through Moses and have been followed and celebrated annually ever since.

 Luke 2:41 states that Joseph and Mary and Jesus/Yeshua made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem every Passover.

Joseph and Mary went to the Passover celebration in Jerusalem every year: Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 

Also, Luke records Paul

“hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible,

on the Day of Pentecost” Acts 20:16 Acts 20:16

all went up to Jerusalem… indicating they are not done away with after Jesus/Yeshua ascended?

Sadly western Christianity detached itself from the observance of our Heavenly Fathers’ Appointed Times/Jehovehs Moedim; and those then in power changed the dates and days to ones we have become more familiar with as easter and Christmas etc.,

This could be the ‘feasts’ that God says He hates as prophetically declared in Amos 5;21  I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. As well as those they had adopted from Babylon. Some scholars say the dates were messed up from that era and when they returned from captivity they did not rectify the changes…

In the modern Gregorian calendar we label all years with B.C. (before the birth of Christ) or A.D. (anno domini or “in the year of our Lord”) There is no zero year. In our modern system, the year Christ was born is supposedly A.D.1 and the year preceding it is 1 B.C. The most favored view amongst Bible scholars is that Messiah Jesus/Yeshua, was born in 5 B.C. which agrees with this timeline which was due to Herod the Greats death occurring in 4 B.C. If Jesus/Yeshua was born in 5 B.C. possibly on Tabernacles, then our current year should really be the year A.D. 2023 and not 2021! And as noted in a previous post this year is 5782 according to the Hebrew calendar count. Notwithstanding the possible fudging of dates and missing centuries (200 years) that would put the date from Genesis closer to 5982! Could this be the reason for Yeshua/Jesus statement that no man knows the day of His coming???

It seems that not only did the early Roman Catholic Church get the year of Yesua/Jesus’ birth wrong but it seems they got the month wrong as well. Some of the evidence that Yeshua/Jesus might have been born earlier in the year is the fact that it would be highly unlikely for shepherds to still be in the field with their sheep in December. This is in the middle of the winter and they wouldn’t be in the fields at this time of the year. Click link for more on this:

https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-lambs-tale-and-a-mysterious-tower/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/endings-are-simply-new-beginnings/

The Feast of Tabernacles symbolizes

the restoration process,

which will be completed with the return of

Messiah Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach.

The Tabernacle of New Jerusalem,

descends from Heaven to Earth to

tabernacle, dwell or shelter His people with His presence.

The Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, is the last of the seven Moedim/ Feasts of the Lord and the most joyful, occurring on the 15th day of Tishri and lasts for eight days.

It is sometimes referred to as the 

feast of booths

or feast of ingathering. 

The word ingathering is in reference more to people than crops, as the wheat and most of the fruit has already been harvested by this time of the year.

It is noteworthy according to Numbers 29:15,32 that on each of the 7 days of Tabernacles, they were to offer 14 (7×2) lambs without blemish. There is an interesting parallel in Matthew where he lists the genealogy of Messiah, the Lamb of God. The generations from Abraham to David are 14, from David to the Babylonian captivity are 14, and from the captivity to Christ are 14. Matthew traced the genealogy back to Abraham and divides Israel’s history into 3 sets of 14 generations. However, there were probably more than those listed here. Genealogies often compressed history and not every generation of ancestors was specifically listed, especially if they were evil. The Tenakh/ Old Testament genealogies are much more precise such as in 1 Chronicles chps. 1-9.

In Zechariah 14:16-19. it is stated that everyone will learn about this Moed/Appointed Time:

And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

The Feast of Tabernacles is also a picture of the judgment of the inhabitants of the earth who live during the 1,000 years according to Isaiah 2:4  And he shall judge among the nations,

So it is something that will still be celebrated in the future so whether we learn now or later, it will be part of life/chaim, for those in the millennial kingdom as we understand the scriptures to indicate.

This may have been what Peter was referring to at the Mt. of Transfiguration?

Their experience must have been overwhelming and we are told they were terrified. The presence of God in the form of His Glory Cloud, overshadowed them, engulfing them, and they heard His voice in its midst.

Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

A little intimidating to put it mildly!

They must have thought the Kingdom had come and wanted to build Booths/Sukkah to them in celebration of the event. Their thoughts would have been flying wildly in all directions trying to make sense of what was happening to them.

Sukkot is about remembering God/Yehoveh’s provision in the 40 year wilderness journey and His protection while they travelled. It’s celebrating His ever-presence Yehovah Shammah, His guidance and care of His people who were chosen to be His Challah/Bride and as we are kallat mashiach/Bride of Messiah; we are His K’doshiym/His Holy Ones. He made covenant with them and called them His own precious treasure.

Through Yeshua/Jesus, all is being fulfilled, the Moedim/ Appointed Times of the Lord, reflect Yeshua/Jesus as we have seen in previous posts. Sukkot is the one that will never end as it is the climax of Yehoveh/Gods plan to be reunited with His children and dwelling together with the Bride of Messiah. At One, following the AtOnement of Yom Kippur, the celebration of Sukkot Tabernacles/Booths/ is preparing us for when He permanently Tabernacles with His people, not in frail booths or in these frail temporary bodies, but in the fullness of His presence in the new Jerusalem/Yerushalyim.

Literally Heaven on earth! Nothing we try to accomplish ourselves on this fallen earth can even begin to be like the restoration Yehoveh/God will implement . We are spiritually returning to Eden and to the Holy Mountain of God which scripture says is Jerusalem/ Yerushalyim from above; the location of Mt. Moriah where all the pivotal events have occurred through the ages past.

Whether we have yet or not, one day we will all go up to Jerusalem/Yerushalyim to the city of Adonai, His chosen location where He has put His Name. The apple of His eye, His First fruits, the land of promise; and the glory of His presence will one day be for all to see. It will not be hidden from view in a sanctuary of the Holy of Holies for just 1 man to experience once a year, but for all to behold Him in majesty and splendor.

 

For now we see through a glass darkly, but then all eyes will see Him face to face …but for now we are the containers of the glory of His presence, we are the living stones, we are the sanctuary of His Ruach HaKodesh/Spirit of Holiness. The Holy of Holies resides within each of His called apart ones/ecclesia/body. As darkness increases and the times of the gentiles are fulfilled, we will all shine so much more brightly. He has always wanted to be with us from the Genesis and soon this will be completed.

On the last day of the feast John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Yeshua/Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

This was right in the middle of the water pouring ceremony.

This was the last day of the seven-day long

Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacles celebration;

known as:

the Last Great Day, in Hebrew Hoshana Rabbah.

On this day, a joyous festival occurred called the Water Pouring Ceremony, where the Jews prayed for rain for the upcoming agricultural season resulting in a bountiful harvest.

Click link below for more on this:

https://www.minimannamoments.com/sheltering-presence-god/

Messiah said: I AM the living water All who come to Him will never thirst again.

During these few days, let’s especially remember He has led us through our wilderness. How He has provided and cared for and protected us along His Way then available as our Israelite family celebrates and rejoices in His Torah; let’s give thanks that His Word is so freely to us.

He is the Word made flesh and if we follow the annual cycle of reading the Bible in a year ..its time to start over…a new beginning. Whatever day of the year it’s always a good time to read the Word of God/Yehoveh! Sometimes, things are simply traditions of men, but the Moedim/Appointed times, are set in by our Heavenly Father and understanding them and their meanings enhances our knowledge and appreciation of Who He is and Why Yeshua/Jesus came; and why we can be certain He is coming back!

The clouds in the wilderness are called ‘the clouds of glory’ and the wilderness experience is a picture of the future Messianic age, the Millennium.

Jesus/Yeshua tabernacle/sukkot among us John 1:14.

Peter spoke about his body being a tabernacle 2 Peter 1:13-14.

The apostle Paul told us that our earthly bodies were earthly houses or tabernacles in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5.

Jesus/Yeshua was the true tabernacle of God according to Hebrews 9:11.

In Hebrews 8:1-2; Revelation 13:6; 15:5; the Scriptures speak of a heavenly tabernacle . Revelation 21:1-3 says this heavenly tabernacle will come to earth.

Links to the posts for Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret they are:

https://www.minimannamoments.com/sheltering-presence-god/

includes The Four Species: Arba Minim

https://www.minimannamoments.com/in-the-end-its-all-about-yeshua-jesus/

At this season of Sukkot, Isa.12:3 was often quoted, as it is written, ‘Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.’ Jesus/Yeshua in Hebrew means ‘salvation.’

Note again the statement in John 9:5.

This is the last day of the feast,

Hoshana Rabbah.

John 9:14; Lev. 23:34-36.

The post Endings Are Simply New Beginnings

includes reference to Jesus/Yeshuas birth.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/endings-are-simply-new-beginnings/

The final, 8th day, of this feast is known as 

Shemini Atzaret, Yom haSh’miyniy’Atzaret,

The 8th day assembly.

In Israel, the 8th day is a day that speaks of eternity and the Bible ends in Revelation with that same day, the day of eternity where we will reign forever with Him.

The 8th day is about resurrection and leaving the old life, a day of transcending, of breaking out of the limitations of the finite and into the realm of the infinite. Of transcending the old, overcoming the ultimate limitation, death, and thus every limitation.

The day after the end of the old life, the old existence and gaining the power to live beyond it in and through Yeshua/Jesus.

So the day of the resurrection and the day of the beginning of eternity are in inevitably joined together.

The Sheltering Presence of God Abides With Us Always.

may we all remain in the Sukkah of His Loving Protection.

In sharing about the Moedim/feasts/Appointed Times and having done much research a brief disclaimer is needful only because
there are many Hebrew Roots, Messianic and Messianic Jewish believers who are under the impression that the modern Rabbinical calendar tabulated by Hillel II is the same as the Biblical calendar. It would seem that unfortunately, this is not the case and although it is true that the modern Rabbinical calendar is very close, the two calendars are calculated using entirely different methods, because of this, there are minor and major variations.

Why is this important?

Our heavenly Father has commanded us to follow His Moedim/ feasts/Appointed Times according to His calendar, not one calendar that estimates it. The modern Rabbinical calendar rarely has Moedim/Appointed days at the same time as the Biblical calendar, this can lead even the most faithful followers of Yeshua/Jesus to observe days that have not been divinely ordained and neglecting days that have been.

We are reminded that Messiah said if you love me keep my commandments and that He did not come to destroy or do away with but to fulfill them.

We must remind ourselves that these Appointed Times are not exclusively “Jewish” Moedim/feasts.

These are Yehoveh/God’s Moedim/feasts and Appointed Times; and that it is His calendar that determines, not ours. His calendar is the only one that truly counts. It should be noted that there are several differences of opinions in how to decide the exact days of the calendar as written in Leviticus 23. As we are all on the WAY and learning as we travel, everyone is encouraged to do their own research in studying about the calendar according to the Scriptures, which our Heavenly Father has set in place. We still keep the 10 sayings/commandments that were given through Moses and Jesus/Yeshua quoted them on several occasions in answer to peoples questions on what we sould follow keep and do; so why do we humans think that we can choose which parts of the Bible we want to follow and which parts are no longer important??

So what is the purpose of Sukkot?

The sukah serves to remind us that our trust is NOT to be in what we call, permanent structures made with human hands; but in the One who has the power to protect us against every form and type of adversity. This is another opportunity for us to remember that we dwell in safety not because we have the security of 4 well constructed walls, but because our Heavenly Father is protecting, providing and caring for us each and every day. In the end, even the most reliable shelter is just a sukkah! One day it will be gone but instead, we will have a permanent home with Him forever. 

This is the spiritual truth true and most important aspect of the meaning of sukkot. This is the focus we are to have, that of our future hope and home; when He will dwell with us and we will be with Him forever. Now that’s something worth celebrating and being joyful over as we await the final ingathering!

The Sheltering Presence of God

Abides With Us

Always!

May we all remain

in the

Sukkah of His Loving Protection.

Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).

The cry for salvation at Tabernacles

is heard

and answered through

Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah,

for He came to

save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21).

Shalom shalom

‘Mishpachah’

‘Family/Tribe’

משפחה

Mish-pa-KHa,

friends, visitors and every reader…

Blessed are You, HaShem, Who spreads the Sukkat Shalom upon us, upon all of His people and upon Israel.

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.

4 times throughout the book of Revelation Jesus says

“Surely I am coming quickly”

He is coming back very soon – so let’s keep looking up!

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.

Five Chosen In A Line Unbroken – Part 4 continued

Five Chosen In A Line Unbroken –

Part 4 continued from…

 https://www.minimannamoments.com/five-chosen-in-a-line-unbroken-part-4/

In Bethlehem, Ruth looked after her aging mother-in-law Naomi, as if she were her own mother; and to keep them from going hungry, Ruth gleans grain in the field of Naomi’s relative, Boaz.

Boaz בעז

Meaning:

In Strength, By Strength

From the prefix ב – be, in,

and

the verb עזז – ‘azaz,

to be strong, powerful or strong.

Boaz = fleetness.

Strong’s Hebrew: 1162.

בֹּ֫עַז

Boaz — quickness.

Here while gleaning in the fields of Bethlehem, Ruth meets Boaz.

He was a wealthy Bethlehemite,

a rich land-owner

and kinsman to Elimelech the husband of Naomi.

Ruth 2:3 says that

‘as it happened’

Ruth went to the field of Naomi’s rich relative, Boaz.

This phrase

as it happened

is often used in the Bible to suggest that God is setting the scene for something significant.

It also implied, with a touch of Jewish humour, that Naomi and the people of Bethlehem saw a good match for Ruth and edged her into meeting Boaz. (Matchmaking!)

Naomi knew that Ruth was beautiful and respected, Boaz was the ideal choice. He was available, childless, well respected and rich. and she knew that a rich husband for Ruth would solve all their problems.

He was also a relative of Naomi’s through her husband’s family, (see Leviticus 19:9-10). so he had a legal obligation to help Naomi and to redeem the estates of her deceased husband Mahlon. (Ruth 4:1)

Boaz was second in line to the position of go’el in Naomi’s, and therefore Ruth’s, family.

In English, the word go’el

is often translated as ‘nearest kin’,

but in ancient Judah it meant much more than that.

A go’el was a close male relative with the duty of looking after a family when the male head of the family was absent.

In earlier times, the go’el of the family was expected to marry the widow of an Israelite man if she wished it

Deuteronomy 25.

Ruth, who may not have understood the formalities of Israelite law,

called Boaz – go’el =

Kinsman Redeemer.

It seems to have been love at first sight for him, and he ordered his workers to treat Ruth well when she worked in his fields. picking up leftover grain

Ruth 2:1-23    

He went to great lengths to get extra grain for Ruth, to protect her from young men who might harass her, and to see that she was properly fed.

 

‘At mealtime Boaz said to her “Come here, and eat

at some of this bread, and dip your morsel in the sour wine”.

So she sat beside the reapers, and he heaped up for her some parched grain. She ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over.’

Naomi saw immediately what had happened, and encouraged Ruth to keep on working in Boaz’s fields. who has heard about her kindness to Naomi.

Ruth 2:11,12

Boaz replied, “I have been made fully aware of all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and how you came to a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay your work, and may you receive a rich reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have taken refuge.”

Following Naomi’s guidance, Ruth visits Boaz at night.

When Boaz finally lay down and is

fast asleep after winnowing barley on the threshing floor,

she approached

and lay down at his feet.

Someone always slept there at night until the grain was removed, to guard against thieves.

Ruth 3:1-18

‘When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and he was in a contented mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came stealthily and uncovered his feet, and lay down.’

The threshing floor is the same that David bought from and it became the site of the Temple!

It is Mount Moriah the scene of many meetings and sacrifices.

The Threshing floor and

the significance of threshing:

The context of King David’s initiative to purchase that threshing floor was the need to stop the Angel of Death, who was exacting the punishment for sin.

2 Samuel 24:15-16

As believers this connection makes sense – it’s the place of God’s victory over sin and where the power of spiritual death was stopped.

King David purchases the threshing floor of

Araunah the Jebusite

and, according to one classic rabbinic opinion,

the entire city of Yerushalayim /Jerusalem.

That threshing floor,

the place where he intends to offer sacrifices,

is now called the

Har HaBayit –

Temple Mount in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem.

Araunah in Hebrew: אֲרַוְנָה ‎

’Ǎrawnāh was a Jebusite mentioned in 2 Samuel,

who owned the threshing floor on Mount Moriah

which David purchased and

used as the site for assembling an altar to God.

1 Chronicles, a later text, renders his name as

Ornan – in Hebrew: אָרְנָן ‎ ’Ārənān.

David built an altar on Ornan’s – Araunah’s threshing-floor

2 Samuel 24:18-24 1 Chronicles 21:18-27,

which later became the site of the Temple.

2 Chronicles 3:1.

David probably chose this place for his altar because it was elevated, and the ground was already level and prepared by the rolling action from all the threshing activity.

It is very significant that the threshing floor of Araunah was on 

Mount Moriah–the Temple Mount–

where the temple was built because it was

where Messiah was also threshed/beaten for us:

2 Chronicles 3.1

Then Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David.

The angel of Adonai

was then by the threshing floor

of Araunah the Jebusite.”

2 Samuel 24:15-16

So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for 50 shekels of silver. Then David built there an altar to Adonai , and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.

A threshing floor like that sold by Araunah, would have been a large, open, elevated area to facilitate threshing and winnowing.

A threshing floor was a large, open, hard surface, so threshing floors were often located on hilltops. After bundles of stalks were laid on the surface of the floor, oxen were repeatedly led over the piles until the dried plants were broken up. Then it was thrown up in the air to separate and remove the chaff as the wind blew upon it.

More details at:

https://www.minimannamoments.com/why-a-threshing-floor/

He awakes to find Ruth at his feet.

Why did Ruth do this? Her action would seem strange unless you knew that in ancient times ‘foot’ was a euphemism for the male reproduction, as ‘sandal’ was for the female.

Threshing floors at harvest time were often the scene of intimate misconduct but not in Ruths case. Lying beside Boaz, Ruth suggested that he, as the go-el of Naomi’s family, should ‘cover her with his blanket’, a euphemism for marriage, And this would no doubt have been his prayer shawl which even in present day is used as a canopy over a couple getting married.

It is also a reference to the healing in His wings of Isaiah of the future Messiah and the place of safety under those wings which is the name given to the corners of the Tallit/Prayer shawl

Click links below for more on the Tallit Prayer Shawl.
https://www.minimannamoments.com/life-on-the-fringe/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/knot-just-another-string-theory/

Ruth had the right to demand marriage of the go-el of her family. Following Jewish customs, Ruth lets Boaz know he is a kinsman-redeemer and that she is eligible to marry him –

Ruth 3:1-18.

 Yeshua/Jesus is our Go’el and He says the same to each of us today and we can put our name in here ……… I will redeem you!

So…

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you [g’al’tika]; 

I have called you by name; you are Mine!

Isaiah 43:1-3a

Boaz happily agreed, but pointed out to her that there was another man who had that right, a closer relative even than himself.

Boaz promises to act as kinsman-redeemer for her if the one closer male relative will surrender his right to the position.

Ruth stayed beside Boaz until morning, leaving before first light to return to Naomi.

Boaz had to give him the option first, before he could marry Ruth. He was careful to do everything correctly, so that there could be no question about the legality of the marriage.

Ruth 4:1-12    

To fulfill the laws of inheritance, another kinsman – who is more closely related to Ruth than Boaz – is given the option of buying the land, but he cannot afford it. So Boaz buys the land from Naomi and then marries Ruth in order to keep the ownership of the land within Elimelech’s family.

Boaz negotiates with the other man and obtains the right to redeem Ruth and Naomi.

Kindness and loyalty permeated Ruth’s character. Further, she was a woman of integrity, maintaining high morals in her dealings with Boaz.

As a relative, Boaz agrees to help Ruth and Naomi by buying a plot of land which belonged to Naomi’s husband Elimelech. 

Leviticus 25:25.

Naturally as people in small towns usually are, the people in Bethlehem were well aware of what was happening. When Boaz went next morning to the meeting place at the gate of the town, he was met almost immediately by the official go-el of Naomi’s family – and probably by a good many interested onlookers as well.

Some complicated negotiation went on regarding a small parcel of land that Naomi either owned outright or had put up for sale at some previous time, but this was just a formality.

Ruth 4:9-10
Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”

‘So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son.

Then the women said to Naomi “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next of kin. May his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourishment for your old age. For your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him”.

Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse.’ Ruth 4:1-22

  Boaz marries Ruth;

together they care for Naomi.

Ruth and Boaz have a son Obed,

He becomes the father of Jesse,

the father of King David.

In due course, Bethlehem becomes the ‘City of David’.

Book of Ruth 4:16-17
Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. 

The women of Bethlehem exalted Ruth as the loving daughter-in-law who meant more to Naomi than seven sons, the ideal number.

Ruth 4:15. 

Although people from Moab were often hated by the Jews, God selected Ruth to be a direct ancestor of Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach.

The book of Ruth is a beautiful illustration of God’s impartiality and faithfulness to those who are true to Him.

She had little idea that her decision would affect the future of multiplied millions and 

that a sequence of God ordained events that had been unfolding 1000’s of years before, were dependent on her choice!

Gods’ promise of a Savior in Genesis, through the promise to Abraham, that all families would be blessed through him and his offspring – encompassed her, a foreigner, a widow, a Moabite, a gentile, heathen, goyim…

She would have had no idea at that point that her choices and subsequent actions would lead her into a country where she would meet a relative of Naomi named Boaz.

This man would become her

kinsman redeemer

according to Israelite law and would

restore the lost heritage.

Just as we saw in the story of Tamar.

The truth is that her great grandson would become the king of Israel; and David was called the man after Gods own heart and was the royal line that eventually brought forth the long awaited and long promised Messiah. (The phrase man after Gods own heart was due to his repentant attitude.)

Remember that Boaz is Rahabs son

and his great grandmother was Tamar!

As we have seen, Ruth was a Moabitess and her ancestors were called Moabites because Moab was the incestuous son of Lot and one of his daughters after the destruction of Sodom and Gororrah. See charts…

Ruth and Boaz become the parents of Obed, the grandparents of Jesse and the great-grandparents of David, the king of Israel, and finally the ancestors of Jesus/Yeshua the Nazarene.

Matthew 1:5

 Ruth is spelled Ρουθ, Rhouth in Greek.

Strictly speaking, therefore, Yeshua/Jesus

was not only a son-by-law of Joseph,

he was also a son-by-law of Mahlon and not of Boaz.

It is interesting that the word love never appears in the book of Ruth, even though it is story full of love. The love is recorded in the words and action, rather than being cited as an emotion or feeling. Love is action its doing and being. God is a God of love and of unconditional love, not the same kind as our feelings and emotions dictate to our flesh life.

Its this unconditional love that God extended to all the heathens, gentiles and Goyim when He sent His Son Jesus/Yeshua to show by action the ultimate act of love; by dying in our place, by sacrificing His life on our behalf… how many individuals do we know today that would lay down their own lives for another, for us; and would we do that for someone else?

 

Its always a good time to reassess what Jesus/Yeshua did for us to remember where we came from,

where our Moab was;

and where we are today….

grafted in by grace and mercy, forgiven, redeemed, sanctified, justified, by His precious Blood that continually cries Mercy from that kapporet in heaven mercy seat –

the throne of grace in Hebrews 9:23–26

 

Hebrew כפורת , Kaporet, meaning atonement seat.

What manner of love is this??…

it’s beyond our comprehension –

how marvelous – how wonderful

is our Saviors love for us.

the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3.

Lets return to our first love and ask Him to renew the joy of our salvation and strengthen our resolve like Ruth; to follow Jesus/Yeshua, the One we love above all else. To make Him the focus of our life and the director of our future.

Let our steps along the WAY to the house of Bread – Beth lechem – be guided by the One who was The Bread from Heaven and whose life began in that very town; fulfilling the words of the prophets so many millennia ago.

In an age when childbearing was seen as the highest honor for women, Ruth played a key role in the coming of the promised Messiah. Ruth, being one of Messiahs’ Gentile ancestors, showed that Yeshua/Jesus came to save all people whosoever will.

Ruth’s life seemed to be a series of timely happenstances/ coincidences, but her story is really about the perfect plan and providence of God. In His loving way, He orchestrated natural circumstances toward the birth of David, then from David to the birth of Yeshua/Jesus. In the natural course of events, it took centuries to put in place, and the result was God’s plan of salvation for the world.

Ruth and Naomi were rare female heroines at a time when women were often consigned to a secondary role and status. To survive as outsiders, they had to remain true to themselves and their God.

The main themes of Ruth’s story?

Friendship: Ruth was poor and a foreigner, but she listened to the advice of an older, wiser woman. In turn, Naomi was rewarded by Ruth’s unfaltering loyalty.

The message?

Courage and loyalty – triumph over misfortune.

Family:  The story of Ruth celebrates the family and the way it continues through many generations. Ruth, a childless widow at the beginning of the story, became the great-grandmother of Israel’s great king, David.

God’s plan: The story of Naomi’s family and the way it endured is a universal theme. Even Ruth, a foreigner from the despised Moabites, could move God’s plan towards fulfillment.

Faithfulness 

kindness

honor

and

redemption

are key themes of this book.

We see Ruth’s faithfulness to Naomi,

Boaz’s faithfulness to Ruth,

and everyone’s faithfulness to God.

In return, God rewards them with great blessings.

These characters’ faithfulness led to

kindness toward each other.

Kindness is an outpouring of love.

Everyone in this book showed the type of selfless love toward others that God expects from His followers.

By this all people will know that you are my disciples,

if you have love for one another.

Romans 5:8

There is a great sense of honor that is also highlighted as Ruth was a hardworking, morally chaste woman. Boaz treated her with respect while fulfilling his lawful responsibility showing examples of obeying God’s laws.

She was also a hard worker in the fields, gleaning leftover grain for Naomi and herself.

Finally, Ruth’s deep love for Naomi was rewarded when Boaz married Ruth and gave her love and security.

Book of Ruth 2:11-12

Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband–how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” (NIV)

A sense of safekeeping is emphasized too.

Ruth took care of Naomi, Naomi took care of Ruth, then Boaz took care of both women, and God took care of all of them, blessing Ruth and Boaz with a child they named Obed, who became the grandfather of David.

From David’s line came Jesus /Yeshua of Nazareth, Savior of the world.

Finally, redemption is the underlying theme.

As Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer, saves Ruth and Naomi from a hopeless situation, he illustrates how Yeshua/Jesus redeems our lives.

Some thought provoking facts:

Ruth worked in the field belonging to her relative Boaz and ultimately became his wife.

The reputed site of this field –

the Field of Ruth –

can still be seen at 

Beit Sahur 

Village of the shepherds

near Bethlehem!

Where the lambs were raised for the sacrifices!

For more on the shepherds field links below

 

https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-lambs-tale-and-a-mysterious-tower/ 

https://www.minimannamoments.com/because-he-came/

Bethlehem is also the site of the tomb of Rachel, the wife of Jacob, who had died here about six hundred years earlier, in c.1690 BC.

Rachel’s tomb can still be visited today, on the main road leading from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

Almost a thousand years after the death of Rachel

Genesis 35:16-20,

the prophet Micah, writing between 747BC and 722BC, declared,

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are too small to be among the army groups from Judah, from you will come one who will rule Israel for me”

Micah 5:2.

This prophesy was fulfilled seven hundred years later when Yeshua/Jesus – a descendent of Isaac, Jacob and Judah, and of Ruth and Boaz – was born at Bethlehem in Judaea

Matthew 1:2 & 5 and Genesis 49:10.

The kinsman redeemer it’s a story again of salvation

Yeshua/Jesus is our kinsman redeemer.

Yeshua/Jesus said

Follow Me…

Ruth said

wherever you go I will follow you.

 

For Ruth, it led to her salvation…

we must be ready,

willing and

available

to follow Him

wherever He goes;

and Ruth was loving not her life unto death,

she said, where you die I will die.

She had to follow up her words with actions

and was faithful to do so.

Can we say the same?

Ruth’s words are so remarkable that they are still echoing today  through several thousand years and for good reason.

They indicate a love so faithful and strong that she would stay with Naomi always and that only death would separate them. She was prepared to leave everything behind abandoning her old life in every aspect.

Jesus/Yeshua said He called us friends and yet He requires that we leave all behind to follow Him.

And again I say unto you, my friends, for from henceforth I shall call you friends, it is expedient that I give unto you this commandment, that ye become even as my friends in days when I was with them, traveling to preach the gospel in my power; John 15:15.

When we are called, He also equips or qualifies us: it has a twofold meaning; one, that He has given us giftings to match our callings and second, He establishes and strengthens us.

Romans 8:30; Ex.4:10-11; Hebrews 13:21.

By bringing tests and trials into our lives that qualifies us to become what He has destined for us. Ruth once more encourages us that whatever our background,

wherever we have come from,

and whatever we have done

there will be a situation or a person

that points us to Yeshua/Jesus,

which in turn leads us to salvation.

It is our choice to accept the gift of all gifts;

but like Ruth

we too will have to leave the past behind,

take up new family,

new land,

and become the bride of the heavenly bridegroom –

our kinsman redeemer..

Ruth was one of five in a line unbroken

as she would not let Naomi go without her…

let’s hold onto Yeshua/Jesus

with even greater hope and love in our hearts .

Do not fear,

for I have redeemed you [g’al’tika]; 

I have called you by name;

you are Mine!

We would still be spiritually destitute, heathen, gentile, goyim, dead in our sins, poor in spirit and without hope…without Messiah….

BUT now…

Ephesians 2:12 -14, 18-19.

Ruths decision for the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob/Israel led her to being grafted into the family of God. The second of the gentiles incorporated into the line of the Tribe of Judah.

When we decide for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel, we too are grafted in and through Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah/Yeshua HaMashiach. We are saved by Him our Kinsman Redeemer; Who cared enough to make sure the gentiles are included in His plan of the ages.

Let’s not simply discard the monumental actions of Ruth

because her descendent was and is

our Savior, Lord and soon returning king.

Ruth was indeed one of five,

another brave woman sealed into

the line unbroken

another story connected to the

House of Bread

and of Him, who when we eat of,

we will never hunger again for

He is the Bread of Life!

 

Don’t leave this page until you are certain this is true for your life too….

Shalom, shalom, mishpachah!

You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily.

Please don’t leave this page without the knowing in your heart you are totally His.

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/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

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