Tag: Temple

In The End – It’s ALL About Yeshua/Jesus

The Feasts/Moedim – Appointed Times of the Lord

are all

an annual rehearsal

for the prophetic fulfillment of

the first coming and the soon return

of the Messiah of Israel.

The last Appointed Time

of the Hebrew Calendar Year

has been completed for this years’ life cycle and…

It ended with

the water pouring ceremony

on the

8th great day of Sukkot.

This is to be our… 

The Season of our JOY!

It is a good opportunity to refresh our understanding of the meaning behind this celebration

and links follow to the posts

that cover these important and timely days

of our Heavenly Fathers Calendar.

Yeshua/Jesus –

The Word of God –

was made flesh

and

still

Tabernacles among us.

One of these days we will be with Him forever

and the cycle will be completed

as we dwell, live, abide in His Eternal Presence.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words; on the ground of that Divine revelation which I have made unto you. 1Thess. 4:18

Chag haSukot,

also Succouth, Sukkot or Sykkot

If you haven’t already located the posts for

Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret

they are:

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

https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-sheltering-presence-of-god-cont/

 

His Life was poured out for us 

 

We need to remember that

with God, our Heavenly Father,

Endings

are simply

New Beginnings….

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

Also included below is a video compilation of rare photographs taken in the 1800’s showing scenes of daily life in Jerusalem including these images:

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).

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

https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-sheltering-presence-of-god-cont/

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

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.

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.

The Stones Cry Out As Jerusalem Shakes The Dust Off Her Feet

The City of David

( Hebrew: עיר דוד, Ir David ),

it’s the home to the ancient Biblical Jerusalem!?

Something a little different this post!

Many folks are not able to visit Israel or experience actually walking in the places we read of in the Scriptures.

It is one reason why so many pictures are added into the posts because we are very visual creatures and love to see what we are talking about.

Having not too long ago remembered Shavout/Pentecost and previous to that, Passover/Pesach. It is timely that in the following videos, both Appointed Times were mentioned because they were recorded only a few weeks ago and contain some archeological dig sites and discoveries as yet unseen by the general public!

The claims of those excavating are certainly food for thought!

Please note, this post is simply reporting some recent archeological news and is not making claims or statements to cause confusion or argument… everyone is encouraged to do their own research concerning any information included here.

Jerusalem is built with Jerusalem stone, a pale limestone common 3000 years ago and today, and up until 150 years ago, everybody thought that the ancient Biblical Jerusalem lies within the confines of the Old City within the walls there.

Apparently, while the history of the City of David goes back 3000 years to King David, only in the past 150 years was it clear that the original biblical Jerusalem lay just south of and outside what’s today known as the Old City.

Here is a portion of the interview:

The City of David,” Heymann told CBN News. “It’s the home to the ancient biblical Jerusalem and up until 150 years ago, everybody thought that the ancient biblical Jerusalem lies within the confines of the Old City right behind you in the wall – within the walls there. So the question is what happened 150 years ago and where is the ancient biblical Jerusalem?”

The area in red shows probable borders of Davids Jerusalem and Parking Lot (Givati) excavation site above left.

Starting at the ancient site of the City of David, they show the roads that would have been walked on by the thousands of people who made their annual pilgrimages to the temple in Jerusalem, bringing their sacrifices with them;

obeying the biblical commandment to travel to Jerusalem three times a year for a Temple sacrifice – at Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost), and Succoth (Feast of Tabernacles).

The Jerusalem pilgrim road is an ancient road used by ritual processions ascending from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site, via the Hulda Gates in the Southern Wall.

These places have been mentioned in so many previous posts and in stumbling upon them, it seemed right to share them.

The city of David in relationship and proximity to Jerusalem is shown below.

What we read in the scripture comes alive as we see with our own eyes the original stone steps and roads just now uncovered after almost 2000 years.

These are the same stones that they would have walked on as they ascended up the Temple with their families and singing the Psalms of Ascent.

The ancient drainage channel/tunnel is underneath the road.

The Songs of Ascent are a special group of psalms comprising Psalms 120—134.

They are also called Pilgrim Songs, Gradual Psalms, Songs of Degrees, Songs of Steps or Songs for going up to Worship.

Shir Hama’aloth

Song of the Ascents

Hebrew: שִׁיר המַעֲלוֹת 

The Strong’s number for the word “ascent,” as used in the collection of psalms, is H4609. In Hebrew, the word is מעלה (ma’alah) which is used to describe upward movement, such as going up a hill or climbing stairs.

The Bible is true,

these places are real,

and events described within its pages actually happened.

A bell found in the excavations, thought to have come from the High Priests Garments.

An Exceptional woman’s 500 year-old seal unearthed

and the ear ring mentioned in the videos.

A few notes follow that may help in clarifying the locations mentioned in the videos.

The second video is the one that was spoken of at the end of the first so there is a continuation.

City of David The Struggle over Mount Zion City of the Great King.

“Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me.  We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.”  (Isaiah 8:18)

Mount Zion is a hill just outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.  It is actually older than the Old City: it is the original city.

A view of the Old City of Jerusalem extending from Mount Zion at the left edge of the frame to the corner of the Temple Mount near the right edge.

The first time Zion is mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures is in 2 Samuel 5:7, when David captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites.

“David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David [Ir David].”  (2 Samuel 5:7)

Zion originally referred only to that ancient fortress and was called the City of David (2 Chronicles 5:2).

An 1845 map of Ancient Jerusalem identifying Mount Zion with the Pool of Siloam beside it.  To the right of Mount Zion is the Hill of Offense, so named because Solomon built high places to false gods there.

 Silwan is built on its steep western face and now extends down into the Kidron Valley (Valley of Jehoshaphat) and up to Mount Zion.   The Mount of Olives is the elevation just north of Silwan.

After Solomon built the First Temple in 967 BC on Mount Moriah, however, Zion came to refer to the Temple and its surrounding area and, later, the entire City of Jerusalem, which had expanded uphill and northward, beyond the original Mount Zion site.

From the time of King Solomon’s reign through the reign of Hezekiah,

water from the Gihon spring (above) was brought up to the Temple on Mount Moriah for use in the sacrifices during God’s commanded feasts.

Psalm 48:2 calls Mount Zion the city of the great King.  It sounds majestic and it truly was in Solomon’s day when the First Temple stood in all its glory!

“Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.”  (Psalm 48:2)

Although ancient rabbinic commentaries describe the area of Mount Zion/ City of David as the center of the Land of Israel (Zamib i 5), today, the mostly Arab village of Silwan extends into Mount Zion, making the area the subject of hot dispute.

The Spring That Runs Through It: Silwan, Siloam, and Shiloach

The Arabic name Silwan comes from the Greek term Siloam, which is derived from the Hebrew name Shiloach. Where we also get the name Shiloh.

Both the Arabic and Hebrew mean Gihon spring, which flows through the Kidron Valley that runs north-south between the Mount of Olives and the City of David on the southern edge of the Temple Mount.

 

FULFILLED IN ISRAEL: THE ROCKS ARE CRYING OUT IN THE CITY OF DAVID

“You can see exactly how she (Jerusalem) slowly disappeared from civilization because one city was built upon the other, and you could see how probably the city could have lost hope, thinking ‘who’s ever going to discover me again? Until God says, but in a time of favor, nothing can stop it and that’s what we see …  Jerusalem is slowly being revealed.” -Anarina Heymann

City of David and the Mount of Olives

Silwan is located on a steep ridge

southeast of the Temple Mount called the Ophel in Hebrew, which means climb, extending to the ridge of the southern peak of the Mount of Olives.

The houses of Silwan

The original City of David was built on the Ophel ridge.  David’s palace was located on the crest and the people’s houses cascaded down the hill.  That slope, in fact, enabled King David to see Bathsheba bathing on her roof (2 Samuel 11:2).  

Today, houses still stretch down the hill, likely appearing much as they did in King David’s time.

The City of David lay hidden for nearly 2,000 years until a British archaeologist began a discovery that continues to this day.

In 1867, British officer and engineer Charles Warren set out to discover Jerusalem.  He was the first to begin to unearth 2000 years of civilizations that had been buried as foreign occupiers destroyed and then built new atop the old. 

For thousands of years, while the world looked inside the relatively modern walls of the Old City, the original Jerusalem lay buried.

Warren’s Shaft, which was discovered in 1867 by Charles Warren, is thought to be the shaft through which King David conquered Mount Zion from the Jebusites.  (2 Samuel 5:6–10)

Another remarkable discovery during construction of the visitor center in 1997, unexpectedly uncovered two monumental towers that date back to the age of the kings of Judea: one protecting the base of Warren’s Shaft (a tunnel that allows access to the Gihon Spring from inside the city walls), and the other protecting the spring itself.

More than 10 years ago, archaeologists uncovered another Biblical site, the Pool of Siloam,

The Pool of Siloam

Hebrew: בריכת השילוח ‎,

Breikhat Hashiloah

was a rock-cut pool on the southern slope of the City of David, the original site of Jerusalem, located outside the walls of the Old City to the southeast.

The pool was fed by the waters of the Gihon Spring, carried there by two aqueducts.

It’s the place where Jesus healed the blind man and also where the Jewish people would gather for the Feasts of the Lord.

Below is the place when Charles Warren came through the fascia that he found. He saw something.  And when Charles Warren saw this, he knew that he rediscovered the ancient biblical Jerusalem.”

Asked if this Warren’s work was the beginning of the unveiling of the City of David in modern times, she responded, “Exactly because we’re speaking of a 2,000 year period where nobody knew where the ancient city was. Most people thought when they – when they came – that what they saw in the Old City, that was ancient biblical Jerusalem. It’s only when he found this that they discovered…the ancient Jerusalem lies outside of what we call today the Old City.”

The discovery of the tunnel system known as Warren’s Shaft visually tells how King David captured the city and brings the Bible to life.

Is this final ascent a merger between archaeology and prophecy?

Something amazing is happening because as they are now excavating this road, prophecy is being fulfilled because it says in Isaiah: ‘build up, build up the road,’ the highway remove the stones for My people’s return,”

The entire history of Jerusalem is being revealed as if

the rocks are crying out.

It’s said [In Hebrew] ‘shake off your dust, arise, take your rightful place, Jerusalem.’ If you see the excavations here on a daily basis, you can see the buckets flying. You can see the dust literally flying about, how she’s shaking off her dust.”  

It certainly seems that The Stones of Jerusalem Cry Out as She Shakes The Dust of Her Feet!

If you love archeology and Israel, the country and the people where our Heavenly Father chose to send His Son, Yeshua/Jesus you will enjoy these videos.

The Journey along the Pilgrimage Road in the City of David, the Heart of Ancient Jerusalem..mp4

Underground Journey from the City of David to the Temple Mount Foundation Stones.mp4

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THESE IMAGES AND VIDEOS,THE USAGE OF THE IMAGES AND THESE VIDEOS IS PURELY FOR SPIRITUAL ENCOURAGEMENT PURPOSES ONLY

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

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

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

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

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

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

What’s The Connection Between Almonds and Olive Oil with Messiah and Lamp stands? Part 2

We left Part 1 with the question:

Why were they told to make the Menorah with shape of almond blossom and not olives, vines or figs???

Scripture records that the pattern for the Menorah was given by God to Moses and almonds have specific meaning which was understood. We have seen the connection between the almond shaped receptacle for the olive oil at the top of each branch of the menorah. Only the Priest could tend the wicks and light them.

The next connection to Almonds was the Rod of Aaron:

Numbers 17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

8 Now on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9 Moses then brought out all the rods from the presence of the LORD to all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.

Aaron’s Rod not only leafed out the next day, it also had flower buds, flowers, and even ripe almonds on the same stick! (Numbers 17:8).

Num. 17:1-5 God spoke to Moses: “Speak to the People of Israel. Get staffs from them—twelve staffs in all, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write each man’s name on his staff. Start with Aaron; write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi and then proceed with the rest, a staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe.”

The man’s name written on the sticks showed that it was the original one, but the growth in various stages of maturity also proves that no one had cut an almond branch and put it in its place.

Sometimes tribes are called Shevatim, which also means: supple BRANCH (still attached to the tree); sometimes they are called Matot, which means hard stick, cut off from the tree.

Although obvious that branches are alive and supple and growing when still attached to the tree and draw their strength from it and its roots; it must be noted that as we are grafted in, we too must stay connected to the tree of life. In our case this is Messiah Jesus/Yeshua HaMashiach, in order to stay alive and grow.

Aaron had his own staff. And it was Aaron’s staff which became a “serpent” before Pharaoh and which swallowed up the “serpents” of the magicians (Exodus 7:9-12). 

Possible symbolic prophetic meaning that death would be swallowed up in life.

The spiritual shown subduing and overcoming the natural. The Creator shown superior over His creation – good triumphing over evil.

Aarons staff was from the almond tree and every tree bears the fruit God created it to produce.

In Ex. 25:31-36 The golden candlestick is recorded and in Isaiah 11:1 the prophetic word declared that…

A shoot, rod or branch (cutting) is how olive trees are reproduced. Just as we are grafted in to Him and He reproduces Himself in us.

1 A shoot (rod) will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a BRANCH will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;

4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD

Here the 7 Spirits of God are listed right along side the BRANCH connecting them there are 7 lamps and there is a confirming reference by John in Rev 4:5 – 7 lamps – 7 spirits.

Num 17:8-10; Jer 1:11-12

Has similar language

The budding of the staff/literally the BRANCH of an almond tree, is symbolic of resurrection life and fullness of God

and is typified in three elements connected to the menorah.

The Bud

the Flower

and

the Fruit.

See chart below for other symbolism.

The Priest is a picture of Yeshua/Jesus and represents man to God.

The Budding is a picture that assures us that HE IS our High Priest.

Apocalypse of the menorah – (revealing the meaning) – and the significance of the almond tree.

The shape reminds the onlooker of a flowering tree of life.

The Menorah was made from 1 piece and resembling a tree with branches, tradition says it also represents the tree of life that was present in the beginning – Beresheet.

The Tree of Life is in the Beginning – Genesis and at the end – Revelation.

On each of the six side arms were 3 golden almond blossoms and together with the 4 on the center shaft, there were exactly 22 almond blossoms. Between the 22 flowers, there are 21 connections. From the lowest flower to the top flower on the shaft to the 6 lamps, there are 3×8+3=27 connections, and together with the highest connection from the top flower on the shaft to the middle lamp, there are a total of 28 (4×7) connections. Together they are 50 parts + 7 lamps.

In Israel, toward the end of January, while the rest of the trees continue their winter slumber, the Almond Tree is the first to awaken to life and blooms.

Therefore, the white almond blossom is a symbol of life and purity.

God paid attention to the details from the very beginning; for He commanded that every single almond blossom on the Menorah should consist of three parts, namely, the cups, buds and blossoms (petals). Together they are 3 x 22=66 single flower parts.

The Menorah stood in the Tabernacle and in Solomon’s Temple. The Menorah also stood in the Temple of Herod in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified.

The BIBLE: 7 parts, 49 scrolls with 66/70 books = the word of God = the light in this dark world.

Three of the many 7’s in Scripture:

7 Appointed Times

7 Spirits of God

7 Days of the week, etc.

Some symbolism meanings:

The pattern of the menorah was for 3 decorative cups to be on each of the 6 branches only on the main center branch was there to be 4 cups.

4 cups of the Passover meal! For the servant/shamash, was at the center of the Menorah.

The cups of the menorah remind the bride of the cups she drank during the marriage vows with her bridegroom at His Appointed Feasts, vowing to be His faithful bride.

The cups on the menorah and the branches were designed in the shape of open almond blossoms because as already noted, the almond tree represents first fruits and in Israel is the first tree to bloom after the winter. Just as we saw in song of Solomon.. the winter is past the spring has come she was watching for her beloved.

Jesus/Yeshua is the First Fruits from the dead and we are His first fruits. We like the rod of Aaron were dead outside of Jesus/Yeshua. When He redeemed us and was resurrected, then He raised us from death to life and we became His First Fruits. Ezek. 37:1-4

Was it also a reference to the burning bush or the almond tree or the type of sage that grows in Israel? Unless it is very clear, we don’t need to caught up too much in symbolism! However, there are some very clear ones with the blossoms and almond shapes.

How does an almond tree grow?

And what we can learn?

Today the temple of God is where He lives now, within the heart of the believer.

If believers do not know how to maintain the light of the menorah or preserve the bread of His presence, how will the bride know the timing of her wedding or be prepared to join her bridegroom?

The menorah is the only light in the Holy place.

Oil has been provided for the brides journey to light her way but, the oil can only be useful if the menorah has been maintained and the wicks are trimmed. Tended to daily by the priest.

Without the light the bride is unable to see the word, which is the bread of His presence and her path WAY Will be darkened. Maintaining the menorah will allow her to see clearly and find her way to her wedding.

The Lamp stand, the Menorah, represents the Messiah of Israel in John 8:12 Jesus said, I am the light of the world.

As the Bridegroom of Israel, He will light the path/WAY, to reveal the WAY of the bride.

The menorah is also a symbol of the brides mission.

As the Mishkan is to be made in the pattern given, when the bride walks in Jesus/Yeshua’s right ways, she will reflect His light to the nations. Isaiah 42:7

It is said that pure gold is one of the easiest metals to work with. It can be beaten into a transparent gold foil over 500 times thinner than the human hair. God required that the menorah was to be made using one piece of pure gold.

The cups of the menorah:

The pattern of the menorah required three decorative cups to be on each of the six branches extending from the lampstand.

The 3 cups of the six branches of the menorah are symbols which represent the commandment for the Israelites to come before the Lord at His Moedim/Appointed Times/ feasts, three times a year to worship Him. Deut. 16:16 – Devarim.

Only on the main shaft itself were there to be 4 cups. The cups on the menorah remind the bride of the cups she drank during the marriage vows with her bridegroom at His appointed feasts, vowing to be His faithful bride.

The first cup represents the cup of acceptance that the bride will drink at the first feast in the spring at the Passover and the 7 day Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The second cup represents the cup of betrothal the bride drinks at the second feast in late spring or early summer called the feast of Shavuot /Pentecost.

The third cup represents the cup the bride will drink at the 3rd Feast in the Autumn /Fall at the feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot. This will be the wedding (Yom Kippur/ atonement) and celebration cup at the wedding supper of the lamb. Sukkot/ tabernacles).

Only on the main shaft of the menorah, which is also called the branch, is there a 4th cup.

This BRANCH represents Messiah Jesus/Yeshua and the 4th cup represents the cup He drank on our behalf at His death – the cup of bitterness.

He took our cup in fulfillment of the law of jealousy, regarding a wife suspected of being unfaithful to her husband. Ex. 5:11-18; 25-28.

Believers are the ‘unfaithful bride’. In Jesus’s faithfulness to His bride and in fulfillment to the covenant He made with her, He took our cup and drank our judgment and our death upon Himself. This is the cup of judgment that sets us free and brought about our salvation and deliverance. Numbers 5:5 – 31; Luke 22:42.

The cups on the Menorah and the BRANCHES, were designed in the shape of open almond blossoms. The almond tree represents first fruits and as already noted, is the earliest tree to bloom after the winter in Israel. Jesus/Yeshua is the first fruits from the dead and we are His first fruits. We were dead (in our sins) outside of Jesus/Yeshua, when He redeemed us and raised us from death to life we became His first fruits. Ezek. 37:1–4.

The buds and blossoms of the menorah:

Gods’ pattern for the Menorah was to have buds and blossoms on the main branch as well as on the six branches. They were to be placed directly below the cups. These buds and blossoms represent how believers will start to bear seed and glorify Yeshua/Jesus bearing much fruit when they abide in His word. A solid piece of gold in the shape of a Menorah cannot stand on its own without some internal strength to support it.

Jesus/Yeshua has been tried and He is the living testimony, the true Menorah, the Light of the world. Only He can keep the covenant perfectly. His testimony is revealed in His Feasts/Appointed times/Moedim. He will be faithful to fulfill all that He has promised and appointed concerning His heirs.

The almond Blossom turns into fruit that contains an edible seed called a nut.

Almond in Hebrew is Shaqad (Strongs#H 8246 from the root verb Strongs# 8245) meaning to diligently watch.

Jeremiah 1:11 – 12

What do you see Jeremiah?

You have seen correctly for I am watching to see that My Word is fulfilled.

The bride is to diligently watch her ways, by rightly walking in His instructions and being obedient to His commandments as she eagerly waits for the return of her bridegroom, Jesus the Messiah/ Yeshua HaMashiach.

(Heres a reference back to the Song of Solomon 2:10–12.)

Notice the description begins at the base of the menorah and rises up through the description from the ground up from the earth to the heaven.

Base – shaft – knops and cups/blossoms in order.

When it begins before spring, the tree has only small buds on the branch, life is trying to push through.

It bends towards the light, receiving its’ nourishment from the stem to which it is attached; then the bud bursts into blossoms/flower and it gets its’ nutrients from the sun.

Then the blossom fades and falls away leaving a tiny green knop.

Even as a bud, technically it has within it the almond but that is not what we see. With continual feeding of the flower, it matures into the green shape of an almond, with a velvet like covering, which finally matures into a nut.

The outer shell is hard, pitted and tan in color. When fully ripe, inside this shell is the kernel or nut or fruit, which is protected from the elements.

It is always moving upwards to the light. Aarons rod showed all the stages of growth and had come to life.

When a branch is cut from a tree it loses its source of life and becomes a dead stick, a dead piece of almond wood that Aaron used as a staff to walk with; until it was submitted under the authority of God when it was imbued with new life and purpose.

This is just like our lives, death to life, everything with God is from death to life. This is symbolic of resurrection of coming back to life from death.

However, while the sacrifice of Jesus/Yeshua gives us atonement (כַּפָּרָה) with God, the resurrection of the Messiah (i.e., techiyat ha-Mashiach: תְּחִיַּת הַמָּשִׁיחַ) justifies His work of salvation on behalf of the sinner and forever vindicates the righteousness of God.

Techiyat HaMaitim – המתים תחיית – 

The Resurrection Of The Dead

Interesting note: We have seen that the Almond tree blossoms first, before all other trees in the spring and yet, it will be the last to drop its leaves in the fall; while the Olive tree is the last fruit to be harvested in the fall.

The husbandman of the orchard watches carefully for the Almond trees to bloom and burst forth in color; it is the signal to begin pruning his Olive trees! Those pruned are interior branches hidden from the light that would produce no fruit. Soon these broken off branches, littering the ground will be gathered, bundled and burned!  The pruned tree can then reach for the sun, breathe and will spend the growing season developing good fruit. 

At end of January /February, trees are clothed in spectacular white for only 2 weeks. It comes for a season and then its gone. Jesus’ resurrection is always likened to the blossoms of the almond tree and in 1Cor. 15:20-23 but now Christ is risen the first fruits!

Is the almond saying: this is how I am performing my word, He will die and will resurrect as the first fruits?

This interesting relationship between the Almond tree and the Olive tree illustrates our own relationship with the God of Israel – if we make the connections that exist between the Menorah of the Tabernacle….(described as an Almond Tree Ex 25:31-40) and the Oil for the Menorah which comes from the Olive Tree. This oil is to be brought to the Priest by the Children of Israel continually….(Ex 27:20).  In the natural earthly realm, the almond and olive trees represent the First and the Last to produce fruit.

In the spiritual realm, the inner intimate Holy Place of the Tabernacle – the almond tree and the oil come together and become one to produce and contain the light.

Helped by linen wicks, the olive oil in the almond-shaped cups bring forth the light that shines toward the bread, wine and incense on the table in the same room.  

John 17:21.. that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

According to John 6:29  … the ‘work’ of God is this: that you believe in Him whom He sent.

Oil represents both Word of Truth and Holy Spirit and it could be said that it is the work of the children of Israel to bring pure oil to keep the lamp of the tabernacle burning. (Ex 27:20)

 They were to bring the pure olive oil representing Truth and Instruction of His Word (Torah) and the Holy Spirit (Ruach).  Jesus/Yeshua/The Word, said that we would… worship the Father in Spirit and Truth. (John 4:24)

When we think this through, we see that the gold Menorah shaped like an almond tree, together with the pure oil from the olives representing the Torah and Spirit; becomes symbolic of the burning bush/tree that would not consume itself.

Our God is a consuming fire to those who are not one with Him, and if we are one with Him will not be consumed. We can draw near and become one with Him because of the finished work of Messiah….if we believe that He is the One sent forth from the Father.

No one comes to the Father except through Messiah. Even as Jesus/Yeshua told the Samaritan woman: the Father is seeking those who will one day worship Him in Spirit and in Truth; represented spiritually by the pure Olive Oil brought continually by the Children of Israel to the Priest tending the Menorah.  

Matthew 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Are our lives like the Menorah giving His Light and Life to a dying world?

Conclusion in Part 3 – including what did Jeremiah see?

Shalom Shalom ‘Mishpachah’ ‘Family’!

Please Don’t leave this page until you are certain He is the Light of your life.

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

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

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

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

 

What Is The Connection Between Aliyah, Aloe, Spikenard, Gardens, Trumpets and a Plough?

In the recent Post: Swords, Mountains and Gardens, the garden of Solomon was referred to… because

A shofar is a rams horn/trumpet.

winds blow, trumpets blow, Gods’ Spirit blows and there is a connection between Edens Garden

where Gods life was blown into Adam that is the same spirit of the bridegroom blowing upon the garden in song of Solomon

Awake, O north wind, and come, O south, Cause my garden to breathe forth, its’ spices let flow…

Blow on my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and taste his precious fruits.

AMPC [You have called me a garden, she said] Oh, I pray that the [cold] north wind and the [soft] south wind may blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out [in abundance for you in whom my soul delights].

she calls the garden both hers and his, because of that oneness which is between them, Song of Solomon 2:16 & 4:16, whereby they have a common interest one in another’s person and concerns. This is of course symbolic of our relationship with the Lord, (the Bridegroom Yeshua/Jesus and the ecclesia/called out, ‘church’);  as it is of Israel to her God.

That the spices thereof may flow out; that my graces may be exercised to thy glory, the edification of others, and my own comfort.

Aliyah and the Plough.

עֲלִיָּה – Aliyah

There are several meanings to Aliyah in Judaism. Aliyah has the meaning for immigration of Jews from the diaspora to the Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael in Hebrew).

Also defined as “the act of going up”—that is, towards Jerusalem—”making Aliyah” by moving to the Land of Israel is one of the most basic tenets of being an Israelite.

Another is the honor of reciting the blessings over the Torah and standing at the bimah while it is read; this is also called an aliyah (plural, aliyot), which means “going up.” This refers both to the physical ascent of the person to the bimah where the Torah is read and to the spiritual uplifting associated with participation in this event.

The third is connected to the Three Pilgrimage Festivals which are: 

Sukkot/ סוכות /Feast of Tabernacles /Festival of Booths which commemorates the wanderings of the Israelites in the desert after the exodus when they resided in booths. It is also the harvest festival – the  gathering of the fruits and grain from the field before the rains.

Passover/Pesach: the celebration of the exodus from Egypt is also the Spring Festival and the barley harvest and, 

Pentecost/Shavuot: is a celebration of the giving of the Torah, the grain harvest, and the festival of the first fruits.  

“Three times each year, all your males shall thus present themselves before God the Master, Lord of Israel.” (Exodus 34:23)

During the times of the Temple, three times a year the Israelites were called to pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

One in Passover/Pesach springtime, the second in early summer, Pentecost /Shavuot and the third for Sukkot in the autumn/fall; also called the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths. Of course there are 4 other feasts Unleavened Bread is connected to Passover; Yom Teruah/Trumpets and Yom Kippur are immediately prior to tabernacles.

The journey they all made is called the ALIYAH or the going up.

shloshet haregalim

הרגלים   שלושת

Simply because where ever you come from your journey was going to be an upward one in elevation due to Jerusalem’s location on seven hills. 

According to the tradition, the pilgrims used to stay with local Jerusalem families and despite the high number of visitors there was always room for all of them.

The pilgrims would bring the priests of the temple gifts from their fruits, harvest, cattle and flocks.

The main objective of the pilgrimage was to visit the Temple. Since the destruction of the Temple, the pilgrimage isn’t observed anymore.

As they traveled they sang and recited the Psalms of Ascent. The word ascent means a step, or an upwards climb. The Songs of Ascent is the ancient title of a collection of 15 Psalms, (or sacred songs).

These Psalms are so called because of the Aliyah and comprise Psalms 120 -134. They are also sometimes called Pilgrim Songs.

Israel Jerusalem old city; typical street sign in Hebrew/Arabic/ English. Note the word Ascent bottom right of the street signs because this was part of the road along which they walked.
Glazed ceramic street sign in English/Hebrew and Arabic of as saraya/ascent in the muslim quarter old city east Jerusalem Israel.

In Hebrew, the word Ascent is מעלה (ma’alah) which is used to describe upward movement, such as going up a hill or climbing stairs.

This was by way of preparation for the upcoming Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement, and the week of Tabernacles/Sukkot that followed.

It gave time for the Israelites to get their hearts right. This was an annual ‘making things right with God time’, prior to the first coming of Messiah.

Teshuvah

תְּשׁוּבָה, “turning to God”

In Modern Hebrew teshuvah means an “answer” to a shelah, or a question.

Here, God’s love for us is the question, and our teshuvah – our turning of the heart toward Him – is the answer.

Teshuvah is the Hebrew word for repentance and literally means to return to our Heavenly Father… and obey Him.

Deuteronomy 4:30 30 When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to YHVH your Elohim and listen to His voice.

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

There is a period of ten days between

Rosh HaShanah/Head of the Year/The Feast of Trumpets

and

Yom Kippur / יום כיפור/ The Day of Atonement, which are called the

“Days of Awe/Yamin Nora’im/עשרת ימי תשובה,”

They are also called Aseret Yemei Teshuvah – the “Ten Days of Repentance.”

Then the blood of the Yom Kippur sacrifice was placed in the Holy of Holies, on the Kapporet/mercy seat, as the High Priest entered before the ark at this one time of the year.

These sacrifices are no longer necessary for the lamb of God has fulfilled all righteousness, however, as believers in Messiah Yeshua/Jesus Christ we can participate with personal prayer.

Another point of the Aliyah relevant to believers is that we are all called to continually, go up, on our journey through life; choosing the higher path every day, not just three times a year.

This time of reflection prior to the start of the fall feasts which begin this year with Rosh Hashanah at sundown on 29 September and ends at sundown 1st October. It is also the new year on the Hebrew Calendar and it will be the year 5780. (Hebrew: ראש השנה), (literally “head of the year”).

The trumpets will sound, the shofar – שופר – will be blown worldwide to call the children of Israel to the start of the 10 Days of Awe. The shofar blast is the annual signal that the spiritual year is coming to a close.

Yamin Nora’im/עשרת ימי תשובה.

A time of repentance, of getting right with God, before the Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement and subsequent Tabernacles celebration, which foreshadows that Messiah is coming one day to dwell with us; to permanently tabernacle with man.

This time of preparation is accompanied by a spiritual house cleaning and can often include a time of crisis, confusion, problems, dislocation and chaos.

After every harvest the fields are turned over and plowed ready for the next planting.

This is a picture of our life it is not something we like or even look forward to or see the flesh ever willingly initiate, nevertheless it is we that have to do it, God does not do this for us!

However Hosea 10:12, plowing up the follow ground is part of life.

12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. King James Version (KJV)

If we plant the good seeds of righteousness, our reaping will be a harvest of love.

If soil is never touched it gets hard because it settles down and it will never produce a great harvest, maybe just a few weeds.

Soil produces abundant fruit after the plow has gone through it, some people just use weedeaters/ Strimmers/ weedwhacker’s/ edge trimmers, etc. It’s really a lazy way of making a good show on the exterior because if we don’t pull up the roots, the weeds grow back. The plow turns everything over moving the earth completely upside down and it makes a big mess.

Only by doing this can the soil become loose and the rocks and stones be brought to the surface. It seems like chaos but it allows the oxygen, (breath of the Spirit) into the soil, then it is ready to become fruitful and bear life.

So when this process begins in our lives and it will… when we encounter crises, problems, turmoil, challenges and shaking, it is all the plowing of the Spirit.

He is allowing our lives to be turned over, not because we have done anything wrong, or that He doesn’t have a good purpose. It is because He does have a great plan and He wants our lives to bear much more fruit.

It is not something to fear or try to avoid but rather embrace, with a trusting submission to His faithfulness.

Our trust could be interpreted in the pictograph as: Look it is revealed that He is placing a fence around us, supporting and protecting us in the situation.

Just as the farmer prepares the fields, or the gardener the ground, it’s as natural as every process of growth.

1Cor. 4:17

6 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 

17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

It is part of the pattern of life’s pilgrimage, they’re a necessity.

So be greatly encouraged for He has considered you worthy of such careful and precise attention and treatment, that in the end, will yield untold blessings beyond all comparison.

We are His

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7

It seems foolish to place a treasure inside a jar of clay. Neither does it make much sense to hide something of value inside something that is not worth very much; however as the believer undergoes these harsh attacks the jar of clay is broken down, but then, the Life of God within, which can never be destroyed, can be both seen and shared more easily to others who need this treasure.

Paul says in vs.12 that the breaking process at work in his life resulted in new life in Messiah for the Corinthians.

The reason that God put His treasures into jars of clay, is so the jars of clay would be constantly reminded that they have no power and that they are as fragile as a clay pot, only He has all-surpassing power.

If there is turmoil in our lives right now recognize it as the Spirit of God plowing up our fallow ground and preparing it to receive the new seed, we are to look joyfully for the harvest that will come.

This is one natural season of the plough, another is the spring, after the winter months have hardened the earth.

So whenever your plowing season arrives and it will…

For it comes to every believer and those who choose to make Aliyah in that season, as the wind of His spirit/Ruach blows on my/His garden of our lives, that its spices may flow out we will be a sweet smelling fragrance..

2Cor. 2:15 For we are like a sweet-smelling incense offered by Christ to God, which spreads among those who are being saved and those who are being lost. For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

Song of Solomon: The fig-tree hath ripened her green figs, And the sweet-smelling vines have given forth fragrance, Rise, come, my friend, my fair one, yea, come away.

..And will be released to those being saved

For we are a sweet fragrance to God in The Messiah among those who have life and among those who perish;

To God we are the aroma of Christ among those who are saved and among those who are dying.

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Ephesians 5:1-2 

The Sweet Smelling Fragrance of our Worship. In Hebrews 1:9 we see that Messiah, the King of all Kings, was

“anointed of God, with the oil of gladness (joy), above all of His fellows.”

As a result of our worship of Him, of being in the Presence of our God and King Who was anointed above all… we will begin to exude the fragrance of His royalty.

Jam 5:7, Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8, Be ye also patient;…

The more abundant the yield, the more pleased is the husbandman, for His work is not in vain. Jesus’s parable not only informs us that God will do the cultivating, but it also tells us something about the manner in which that work will be carried out:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.”John 15:1

yielding to that husbandmans work makes it easier.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:1-2).

The soul that expects to be fruitful must be prepared to submit to pruning, and that means sorrow, heartbreak, heartache, and all that goes along with pruning.

The branch does not perform the care, the vine provides it all; the branch only has to yield itself and receive. It is seeing this truth that leads to the blessed rest of faith and the true secret of growth and strength:

“I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.”

Our lives would change dramatically if we only acted as the branches!

The ultimate goal of a true vine is to produce the right fruit of the desired quality by the husbandman and after all the tender care given to the branches, if it is not yielding fruit – the very purpose of that branch becomes defiled.

James 5:7, KJV: “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

My father is the gardener and He knows the plans He has for us…

Jer. 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 

For a tikvah/hope and a future for blessing and for a good outcome a future for blessing, we must let the ploughing and pruning prepare us for the plan He has for our lives.

As we remember Messiah at this season of fall feasts, we should also be mindful that one day the last trumpet will sound, the last shofar will be blown…. one year He will return …are we ready?

are we that sweet aroma?

 

He will make us like a garden of fountains whose streams are fed by the mountain springs from the same mountain of spices.

Look beyond,

look up,

for redemption draws nigh

Pruning seems to be destroying the vine and looks as if it’s all being cut away; but the gardener, the husbandman, makes his cut with a sharp knife because he sees the future and knows the final outcome will bring greater harvest. There are blessings we can never have unless we are ready to pay the price of pain. There’s no way to reach them save through suffering. This is the bitter sweet WAY and is not the gospel most want to hear or experience…but it is His Truth and the Way to Life.

Will He find faith (faithfulness of His Bride) when He comes…

Could this be the temptation that Jesus/Yeshua prayed we would not be led into; recorded in Matthew 6:13 – It is the faithlessness of unbelief, and of trying to change our viewpoint from that of our Heavenly Fathers, to one less hard in our eyes?

Jesus/Yeshua only said and did what He heard and saw the father do – nothing more nothing less – and was obedient to death. This is our path also, to take up our cross and follow Him. This is not an easy road and we are not to pray for an easy one but for the strength to follow Him on the one He took and the one He calls us to take after Him.

When He blows upon our garden let’s answer with all our spiritual senses and prepare ourselves for the return of the gardener, the husbandman and our bridegroom. Let’s be alert for the sweet fragrance of His presence as He calls us to Himself and be ready to say, ani lo. 

Listen for His call as the shofar trumpets sound this month… one day He will catch us away to be with Him to tabernacle/Sukkot with Himself forever. Is this the year?

Plough up that fallow ground, repent and get right with God, make aliyah, ascend the mountain of spices whereof the streams make glad.

In Ps. 46:4 David tells us prophetically

4There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 

Yeshua/Jesus is the river of life..

“And then they will see The Son of Man when he comes in the clouds with great power and with glory.” Mark 13:26

for He comes in the clouds with great glory to receive His bride unto Himself

Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him–even those who pierced Him.

The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s. אשִׁ֥יר הַשִּׁירִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִשְׁלֹמֹֽה: 

It is a timeless allegory of the relationship between God and the People of Israel, in terms of the love between a man and a woman.

A rose of the valleys: This is prettier than the rose of the mountains because it is always moist.

“As a rose among the thorns” 

Lily of the Valley has the meaning of:

humility, chastity, sweetness, purity.

Also means the return of happiness, which is the reason why it’s often used in weddings.

After Lily of the Valley finishes blooming, the red berries appear on the stem. 

The Latin name Convallaria means “valley” and Majalis means “blooming in May” (from Greek). This woodland plant is native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia and Europe. In different countries Lilies of the Valley are associated with sorrow, love, purity, innocence, tenderness and faith.

Spices in the Song of Songs permeate Solomons sweet story,  Shir Hashirim, is the equally pleasant presence of the fragrance of spices.

From previous post to refresh our memories:

Without the spices mentioned in this book of love between the Messiah and his Bride Israel, it would be harder to imagine the prophesied marriage, or the communion of believers with their God.  Spices seem to be referring to the ascent/aliyah to the heights of Israel, (Jerusalem) and pointing to spiritual heights experienced by being in the presence of our Lord and Savior. 

Conspicuously, the spices are found in the presence of both Bride and Bridegroom, and in the ‘garden enclosed’—a virtual garden of each delicate and holy spice.   Most of the spices mentioned are the spices of the Tabernacle, the use and purpose of each spice commanded by God to Moses and Israel, and pointing to the pleasant, beautiful realm of Heaven and the throne of God. 

A deeper look at each of the spices, shows not only the symbolic value of each substance, but the nature of the spices which point to Messiah and His suffering. (not included in that post but are in this one.)

We can say something like this to our Heavenly Bridegroom….Breathe upon me with your Spirit wind, stir up the sweet spice of Your life within me and spare nothing as you make me your fruitful garden. Hold nothing back until I release your fragrance. Please come and walk with me as you walked with Adam in your Eden paradise garden. Come and taste the fruits of Your life in me.

When Solomon talked of his beloved feeding the garden and gathering lilies: The Lord keeps on feeding and strengthening those who are maturing spiritually and gathering those who are away from His word and still need to know Him.

So man placed God in a garden of death and laid on Him spices, which also came from a garden.

In the Song of Solomon reference is made to the bride (us).

Let my beloved come into His garden.

Our lives are His garden too and we are also collectively His bride.

Song of Solomon 4:14. with nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and aloes, with all the finest spices.

Song of Solomon 8:14. Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.

The title in the Hebrew text is Shir Hashirim Solomon’s Song of Songs, meaning a song by, for, or about Solomon.

The phrase “Song of Songs” means the greatest of songs (cf. Dt 10:17,

“God of gods and Lord of lords”; 1Ti 6:15, “King of kings”).

The Shir Hashirim is our tikvah and our place of grace which is Messiah Himself.

The book took its title from the first two words, shiyr hashiyrim, usually translated as “the song of songs.” This remained the title in Greek and Latin Bible translations in later centuries. The repetition of the word song indicates that the writer considered this “the greatest of all songs.”

A deeper look at each spice, shows not only the symbolic value of each substance, but the nature of the spices which point to the life of Messiah and His suffering.

The spices in the Song of Songs are mostly found also in many other places in the Word of God:  occasionally they are used as parts of the Salvation message, sometimes they are only mentioned as rich and elegant elements for Kings and the very wealthy. 

The spices of Myrrh, Aloes, Frankincense, Saffron, Calamus, Cinnamon and others like a tapestry, weave and waft through the Scriptures, telling the history of God’s Way with mankind in a thread as amazing as the history that is recounted.

It is somewhat hidden from view in the mystery of the Tabernacle, the light and presence of God in the Ark of the Covenant, and the ministry behind the veil/vail entered into only by the High Priest until such time that the veil/vail is torn and the High priest forever was revealed. (Matthew 27:51)

Spices are present in 2 significant journeys into Egypt of those loved whom God loves dearly.  They are present as Joseph is carried captive into Egypt by the Midianites for the later deliverance of Israel; and spices were part of the early years of Jesus/Yeshua, who like Joseph son of Jacob, was also on his way down into ‘Mizraim’.

Scripture also mentions spices that were part of the clothing of the Levites, and they were present with each covenanted sacrifice.  in Song of songs, the betrothed are adorned with spices but in Proverbs, they are used in a mocking way concerning the harlots enticements.

(Proverbs 7:17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon)

First and last mentioned in the Scriptures.

We read of spices early in Genesis, and 3,000 years later find them in the burial and the resurrection of the Lord,

Luke 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

later noting that in Heaven,  they are expressed as the sweet scent of the prayers of the saints.

Luke 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

To ignore the quality of glory the scripture assigns to the spices, deprives believers of the deeper understanding of the love and grace/ of God, and the intricate fashioning of prophecies and similarities pointing to the finished work on the Cross.  

The term ‘spice’ or spices is first mentioned in Genesis 43:11, although Genesis 37 mentions ‘myrrh’ as one of the spices borne by the captors of Joseph on his way down into Egypt. Spices play an important role and symbol throughout the scriptures, so that while they do not appear called by name earlier, they do appear in the first book of the Torah/Pentateuch, marking one of the first fore-shadowings of a Hebrew/Israelite son, who was rejected by his brethren, and sold into captivity with brutal treatment, the history of which will twist and turn its way into their salvation.  The first mention of the general term ‘spices’ in Genesis 43:11 is found among the gifts that Jacob sends to Pharaoh:

And their father Israels aid unto them, If [it must be] so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

we note that in the Garden of Eden,  there are distinctions made regarding edible plants— those that are seed bearing vs. those that are not, and we can be pretty sure that the Garden was permeated by the fragrance of spices. 

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. Gen 1:29

The term used for ‘spice’ or ‘spices’ is :

נְכֹאת or ‘nekot’

referring to a fragrant powder.

Gesenius.  

Following that, the term next used most frequently for ‘spice’ is

בֶּשֶׂם or ‘besem’

which can refer particularly to balsam wood or to any sweet smelling fragrance or spice. 

The first mention of ‘spice’ is in Exodus in which it is referred to as a substance in the Tabernacle of God:

Exodus 35:52 And spice 1314, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.

…although it is mentioned twice before in Ex 25:6 and 30:23 where it is translated as the plural,‘spices’.  Beside the gift to Pharaoh from Jacob during the famine, and the mention of spices accompanying Joseph, a type of Christ into Egypt,  spices are mentioned early in the Bible as the visual component of worship and the Tabernacle: its sacrifices, incense, scent of the priests’ robes and furnishings, but most centrally, the special spices commanded of God to attend the Shekinah glory of God behind the vail of the Holy of Holies.

Last Mention

The Bible mentions the general words ‘spice’ (besem) 29 times in 25 verses, and ‘spices’ (nekot), 29 times in 31 verses though that is not an entirely accurate picture since the same words are at times translated both as singular and plural.  ‘Besem’, ‘Basam’ and nekot are all used, and the number is big if all the variations of the individually named spices such as spikenard, calamus and myrrh are included.  The last mention in the Bible of the word ‘spices’ is in the gospel of John at the burial and resurrection of Messiah:

Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

The greek word,

ἄρωμα or ‘aroma’ is used.

The aroma of spices then is seen on the wind of Eden, as Adam and Eve are cast out into the world where nothing grows, and immediately following the rejection of Joseph by his brothers; Joseph as the one who would save Israel is taken to Egypt, attended by myrrh and spices.

Within 400 years of that departure, those spices and others will adorn the Tabernacle and the presence of God in the Ark of the Covenant.  What a beautiful picture of the fragrances of paradise, weaving on the wind and the Word, and attending the worship of Israel for her God.

Spices coming in PART 2

Shalom to all!

Don’t leave this page without assurance in your heart that the fragrance of His Ruach HaKodesh is filling your garden today….please

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

NOT CERTAIN?

YOU CAN BE..

Its all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and very precious in His sight.

He longs to give you the Shalom He paid the ultimate price for..

Simply and honestly 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. Amen.