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...who is the Bride of the Lamb?
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the Who Is Israel? series
the Covering
by haRold Smith
a citizen of the Commonwealth (Ephesians 2:19)
"For through Yeshua we
both
have access by one Spirit to the Father
of Israel.
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the
household of YaHoVeH." Ephesians 2:18-19
"Truly YaHoVeH is good to Israel, to those who are of a
pure heart." Psalm 73:1
John the Immerser declares Yeshua to be the "Bridegroom" in
John 3:28-29 (click on highlighted words to view content).
If those embracing the example of Life in Yeshua as the promised Messiah of Israel constitute the
Body of the Messiah
who is the "BrideGroom" and, considering there is no precedent set forth in scripture for anyone to marry themselves (you cannot be both the Bridegroom and the Bride at the same time) - then
who is the Bride?
This is not an analogy or symbolism, folks, and even though Christianity proclaims itself to be the bride; there is only one place in all of scripture that actually states, "...here is the Bride of the Lamb" found in
Revelation 21:9-14,
describing the New Jerusalem descending from a higher place "out of" (not "down from") the heaven we have already established in a
previous article
as being within
(Luke 17:20-21,
Isaiah 57:15).
and the scriptural depiction as being comprised of PEOPLE - not some brick and mortar structure.
A previous article,
the Gentile,
revealed that the first time the Greek word,
ekklesia
(translated as the English "church"), appears in scripture is not in the book of Acts as Christianity teaches; but, rather, was used by Yeshua in the book of Matthew to define who is considered Israel. He uses this word to draw a distinction between a Gentile (someone who worships gods other than the Holy One of Israel) and members of the family of YaHoVeH - of Israel. The definition of ekklesia found in
Matthew 18:15-17
means "those called out of their homes to an assembly, an assembly of Israelites". When Yeshua made this statement, there were no "Christians" around. He was speaking to Hebrews who understood
"the assembly"
to have existed long before Pentecost. In the wilderness, whenever the family of YaHoVeH gathered before the tabernacle, they were called
qahal
translated as the English "assembly" from which the Greek word ekklesia gleans its definition
(Leviticus 8:3
- translated as the English "gather" in this verse). The reason this information is important is in realizing that in
Ephesians 5:29-32,
where Sha'ul (the Hebrew apostle Paul) says that when he speaks of the marriage relationship, he is speaking of the mystery between Yeshua and the Hebrew assembly - not a
Gentile "church".
The mystery that occurs in a marriage between a man and a woman is where, even though we see two distinct individual entities - in the Father's Eyes, He sees them as one flesh. Yes, one spirit, but, more importantly, ONE FLESH. Reach down and pinch yourself - this is the flesh he is speaking of. In verse 31, Sha'ul is quoting from
Genesis 2:24.
The word translated as the English "cleave" in this verse comes from the Hebrew word
devaq
which, from the
Paleo-Hebrew pictograph
these letters represent, present a picture of two sticky mudballs smacked together so as to form one seamless mudball (Frank Seekins, Hebrew Word Pictures - Seekins is the acknowledged founder of the modern study of Hebrew word pictures). Sha'ul likens this relationship as the same type existing with the Body of Yeshua - with Yeshua as the Head and those who embrace the Life of Yeshua as the Promised Messiah of Israel (not the "savior of the world") constituting the members of His Body thus fulfilling His prayer of
John 17:20-23.
It is a mystery but, just as your head does not float around apart from your body, so Yeshua's Head is not separate from the members of His Body, waiting somewhere in the sky to be reattached. Likewise, the members are not separate from either the Head or from each other - even though, looking through natural eyes, it may appear otherwise. This is why it only takes
two or more
for Yeshua, as the Head, to be present at any one time and for His Body to function as a whole. This is the mystery of
echad
(Hebrew for "one"), the two becoming one (see what it means to be in
Communion).
In Hosea 2:19-20
the English word betroth comes from the Hebrew
'aras
and means to engage, to erect or to build. Hence, to build a bed or couch with a canopy - from the idea of a bed-fellow, a husband or wife, one espoused. To be betrothed in Hebrew culture is not like it is in the West where engagement is treated as a time to find out if the two individuals like one another or if they are "compatible." In Hebrew Culture, the vow is made by the woman at the time of acceptance of the offer to wed and can only be put aside by divorce. It is at the time of betrothal that the husband begins to build their house but not until after he comes for her as a "thief in the night" that the wedding feast begins
(see Hebraic Betrothal Customs).
It is important we not be confused as to who these People are. We are not speaking of a religion. Juda"ism" is just as much a collection of man's rituals as is Pentecostal "ism", Catholic"ism", Evangelical"ism" or any other "ism". While Yeshua was in the Temple daily
(Luke 19:47 and elsewhere),
it is not recorded anywhere that He built, endorsed or lent himself to any religion, structure, organization or institution
(Philippians 2:7).
In fact, the harshest words He ever used were reserved for the structuralized religious leaders of His Day because, not only did they close up the Kingdom from themselves by their traditions, they prevented those who followed them from entering in as well - He called them "vipers" and "snakes"
(Matthew 12:34,
Matthew 23:13).
The same argument can be made of the religion "Christianity" today. The scriptures do not speak of a religion by which YaHoVeH has covenanted a marriage; they speak of a
Land-People
- Israel, brought up out of bondage from Egypt who are of His
Blood.
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the Covering of YaHoVeH
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A traditional Hebrew wedding ceremony takes place under a
"chuppah,"
a canopy under which the newly consummated couple make public their vows to one another. Chuppah comes from the root word,
chaphah,
which has as its definitions - "a covering: to cover; by implication, to veil, to encase, to protect." If we consider YaHoVeH to be the chuppah over the house of, Israel, then it is under that covering which exist two separate entities, the Bridegroom and the Bride - the Body of Yeshua and the ethnic Hebrew remnant who keep His Words but do not yet recognize Yeshua as the Messiah. It is under this protective covering of Spirit that the family of YaHoVeH will become one entity with the Father - the fulfillment of the Plan and Purpose of YaHoVeH from the beginning to have a family, a nation of Priests holy set apart to Him, who would be a Light to the other nations of the world
(Isaiah 49:5-6,
see A Nation of Priests,
and the Inheritance).
Yeshua said it would be on this
rock of Revelation
about Who He Is (the Groom, the Husband of Israel) that He would re-build, re-store
(oikodomeo)
His Kingdom, the assembly of Israelites
(ekklesia).
We see where YaHoVeH repeatedly describes Himself in scripture as "the husband" Who has been married only once - to Israel. He made a covenant vow with her at
Mount Sinai
which she accepted after she was brought up out of Egypt. Evidence of YaHoVeH being the husband and Israel being His betrothed, His wife, is found in
Isaiah 54
v5 - "For your Maker is your Husband and Redeemer."
Jeremiah 3
- "Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her Husband, so have you dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel"...v14 - "Turn, O backsliding children, says YaHoVeH; for I am married unto you."
Jeremiah 31
v32 - "although I was a Husband unto them, says YaHoVeH."
But surrounding each of these passages dealing with Israel forsaking her vows is YaHoVeH's commitment to redeeming her and restoring her to her original place as His Wife. In
Jeremiah 31:35-37
YaHoVeH declares His Husbandry to Israel and speaks clearly concerning when this marriage relationship will be at an end - never.
Romans 7:2
and 1Corinthians 7:39
both speak of the wife as being bound by law to her husband as long as the husband lives.
But Revelation 19:7-8
tells us that the consummation of the marriage of the Lamb will come when the Bride, Israel, has "made herself ready." If it is the Father Who has proclaimed His Husbandry to Israel - how is it the Son seemingly takes the place of the Husband? Unlike there being no precedent in scripture for someone to marry themselves, there is precedent for sons to marry their mother
(Isaiah 62:5,
Galatians 4:25-27).
If we consider the marriage relationship becoming echad (Hebrew for "one") as Sha'ul discusses in Ephesians 5, then it is from this Hebrew root manifested in Yeshua that all who embrace the Holy One of Israel have been birthed - thus, the 'mother of us all' and the legitimacy needed for her sons to marry her by becoming echad with the Father, the Husband -
Just As
Yeshua became echad with the Father
However, even in the natural, no marriage can take place if either of the two parties do not recognize the validity of the other. Because Christianity has successfully divorced itself from the Hebrew root, it has no comprehension of the familial history accompanying that root. They forget that all these books contained in what is called the Bible were all written by Hebrews from a Hebrew perspective to explain this Hebrew phenomena of the reason for a Messiah (not a "Christ" which is a Greek alteration of the Hebrew "Messiah" -
see Who's Name Is It?
for an appreciation of the effects of changing His Name). To Christianity the "begets"
(Genesis 5,
Luke 3)
are just boring passages to skip over in order to get to more exciting stuff without realizing that everything recorded in all of scripture comes back to this reason for the tracking of their genealogy.
Romans 7:2-3
and 1Corinthians 7:39
tell us the only way for YaHoVeH to bring the House of Israel back and re-marry her was to first die. But, if He is eternal, if there is no death with Him - how is He to die? Christianity solves this dilemma by saying that YaHoVeH became Yeshua in order to accomplish this feat. However, the truth of scripture is revealed in the provision YaHoVeH set up to address this situation legally without violating His Nature and without any mystical mumbo-jumbo. In a
previous article,
we explored the origin of the Hebrew word
segullah,
(translated as own possession in Exodus 19:5) to mean "a valued property to which one has an exclusive right of possession". The Seal or Signet of Ownership establishes an exclusive legal right of possession to an entity that has an enforceable claim or right to something - whether created or purchased. An Inheritor receives from an ancestor the right of ownership by legal succession through a will, by bequest or as a legacy. While that succession usually transpires upon the death of the principal owner, it is not a necessity. Co-ownership means that more than one person has a legal right in the same thing at the same time. Co-ownership is a legally binding status placed upon both parties who enter into an agreement (covenant) to honor the actions of the other. Thus, co-ownership can be the result of an act of bequeathment while the primary owner is still alive and the recipient agrees to his terms. In Hebrew culture, while becoming a member of the family qualifies each member to receive an inheritance, the firstborn son was usually chosen to be the
Kinsman Redeemer
- receiving a double portion, his father's seal (ring) and the right to be the head of the family (what is known as
Primogeniture).
The Father of the family pronounced which son was to become son-placed. Once this son was confirmed as the Kinsman Redeemer, he was trained and disciplined to take the responsibility accorded the head of the family.
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"For as the Father has Life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have Life in Himself. And He has given Him
authority
to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man...for on Him (Yeshua) the Father (YaHoVeH) has
set His seal." John 5:26-27, John 6:27
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The authority Yeshua carries is as the legal recipient of the
status of first-born,
to be able to act in His Father's stead - as His Father. Because of Yeshua's faithfulness to walk in His Father's stead, when Yeshua died, it was the same as His Father dying - thus opening the way for Spirit to remarry
His Bride.
He came and died for her, the House of Israel, who are called the Lost Sheep who went astray and were
"swallowed up in among the Gentiles".
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YaHoVeH
| The blood sacrifice
of the first-born status of the Kinsman Redeemer, the Son (not the Father), facilitated the redemption of the family of YaHoVeH whose blood had been compromised and corrupted by the disobedience of
the first son,
Adam - not for yours or my personal salvation. It is important to understand who the ethnic part of the family of YaHoVeH (Israel) is comprised of. While many believe it is the whole of the populace, scripture makes clear it is and always has been the remnant of Israel who have chosen to be set apart to Him
(Joel 2:32).
For those who would become
Grafted In
to the Kingdom by the washing of the water of YaHoVeH's Words and becoming one in the Nature of Spirit with YaHoVeH
(John 3:5,
see what To Be Born Again scripturally means)
just as Yeshua was one with the Father - they certainly benefit from His sacrifice; but by Yeshua's own confession,
His purpose
was for the restoration of the Kingdom to YaHoVeH's family, Israel - thoroughly chronicled in
the Kinsman Redeemer Series.
Consequently, because Christians have erroneously been taught there is no further need to keep Torah, the Words of YaHoVeH; while, at the same time, elevating this person "Jesus" as a god who replaces YaHoVeH thereby violating the first of those Words (what have come to be known as commandments found in
Exodus 20:1-17,
with emphasis on verse one) - ethnic Hebrews are unable to see Yeshua as the promised Hebrew Messiah spoken of in Hebrew scripture
(see In Addition
which explains the scriptural distinction of being divine apart from being a deity). Christianity has joined the world in shunning the Yud - but, the Father of Israel does not behold His Family with such a jaundiced eye
(Deuteronomy 32:7-10,
Zechariah 2:8).
Therefore, it becomes imperative that those whose eyes have been opened to the importance of Israel to provide a covering of forgiveness toward our ethnic brothers because we do not as yet know just who are to be counted in that remnant.
???Questions???
Please feel free to email me at harold@hethathasanear.com.
While not claiming to have all
the answers, it would be an honor to partake with you of what Spirit is uncovering.
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