A Wing and a Prayer
To follow my teaching in this article it is important to understand that the Old and New Testaments are always in agreement with each other.
It is also important to understand that the Old Testament still applies to Modern day Christianity through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself followed all 613 Laws of the Old Testament to become the fulfillment of those Laws. (Matthew 5:17) “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
In Judaism, there is a tradition that the Torah contains 613 mitzvot (Hebrew for “commandments, “from mitzvah: plural precept “,”–הוצמ-mitzvot, הוצ from; tzavah – “command”).
613 Mitzvot or 613 Commandments (Hebrew גמצוות”תרי: translated as Taryag mitzvot; Taryag is the acronym for the numeric value of “613”) area list of commandments from God in the Torah.
According to tradition, of these 613 commandments, 248 are mitzvot aseh (“positive commandments “commands to perform certain actions) and 365 are mitzvot lo taaseh (“negative commandments” commands to abstain from certain actions). However, there were two commandments which God delivered directly to the Jews and spoke in the first person tense. These are the first two of the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:1-3) First: And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Second: “You shall have no other gods before Me.
The numerical value of the Hebrew word “Torah” is 611. Moses’s 611 commandments combined with the two directly from God add up to 613. 365 corresponded to the number of days in a year and 248 was believed by ancient Hebrews to be the number of bones and significant organs in the human body.
(Deuteronomy 33:04) Moses transmitted the “Torah” from God to the Jewish people: “Moses commanded us the Torah (law) as an inheritance for the community of Jacob ”
Jesus also instructs us to follow him and do as he does. (John 13:15-16) For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. (Matthew 16:24) Take Up the Cross and Follow Him Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
With this understanding of Jesus and the aid of Strong’s Concordance and Dictionary gives us the unique opportunity to look up the original Hebrew and Greek words in the bible, this allows us to gain further insights and interpretations of key words to enrich our understanding of God’s Word.
Follow along with me as I give you a few words from the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, along with direct interpretation from the original Hebrew and Greek from the Strong’s Concordance and Dictionary.
From the Strong’s Concordance and Dictionary (#6734) matches the Hebrew צִיצִת (tsiytsith ), fringe, tassel, lock Root Word (Etymology) feminine noun From (צִיץ (#6731 matches the Hebrew צִיץ (tsiyts ) feather, wing, flower, bloom
tsiytsith, tsee-tseeth’ is the feminine of (#6731); a floral or wing-like projection, i.e. a forelock of hair, a tassel, fringe, lock.
Strong’s #3671 matches the Hebrew כָּנָף (kanaph ), wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt
Strong’s #2899 matches the Greek κράσπεδον (kraspedon), kras’-ped-on of uncertain derivation; a margin, i.e. (specially), a fringe or tassel, border, hem.
***Note: To sum things up: The original Greek and Hebrew words from the Old and New Testaments in the above examples bring together the unified interpretation of God’s Word to mean fringes, wings, hems, or borders on clothing.
One of the most effective perversions of God’s Word that Satan has accomplished was to convince modern day people that there is a separation of the Old and New Testaments.
Watch how the Old and New Testaments come together in perfect harmony as I thread the stitches of a prayer shawl together with some passages from both.
(Malachi 4:2) But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings;(#3671) and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.
(Malachi 4:2) Malachi said that “the Sun of righteousness” would “arise with healing in his wings”, The word “wings” is the same as the word “borders” in (Numbers 15:38).
(Numbers 15:37-41) (KJV) And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes (#6734 feminine of #6731 wing-like projection) in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders (#3671 Wing) a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.
The tzitzith (“knotted fringes“) of the tallit (“prayer shawl”) are connected to the 613 commandments by interpretation: principal Torah commentator Rashi bases the number of knots on a gematria: the word tzitzith (Hebrew: itsin,תיציצ,) Biblical (תציצ Mishnaic spelling) has the value 600. Each tassel has eight threads (when doubled over) and five sets of knots (Books of the Torah), totaling 13. The sum of all numbers is 613.
This means that wearing a prayer shawl (tallit) with tzitzith (“knotted fringes“) reminds the person wearing it of all Torah commandments. The 613 Mitzvot (Commandments) can also be related to the positive and negative mitzvot. The mitzvot can be divided into: 365 Negative Mitzvot (days of the year) + 248 Positive Mitzvot (the number of bones in the body. In essence when you do these mitzvot you do them with all of your body) = 613
(John 14:15) Jesus says, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” This means to follow the Old Testament teachings. The only Old Testament rituals that Jesus ended was animal sacrifice.
Jesus Christ put an end to all of the animal sacrifice by becoming the ultimate sacrifice for the atonement of sins by the shedding of his blood. He did not put an end to the Law. (Hebrews 10:1-18), (John 1:29), (Revelation 13:8), (1 Corinthians 2:7-10).
In Matthew we learn of a Woman with an issue of blood. (Matthew 9:20-22) And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem (Strong’s #2899) of His garment. For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
The Gospel Book of Luke uses the word border. (Luke 8:44) came from behind and touched the border (#2899) of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
Above we learned that in (Numbers 15:37-41) God instructed mankind to wear a tallit (“prayer shawl”) for all generations. By this we can easily deduce that Jesus also wore a Tallit prayer shawl.
Have you ever wondered why the woman with the issue of blood didn’t touch Jesus’ toe, sandal, arm or hand.
She most certainly would have know about the Old testament Prophets to discern the Messiah of (Malachi 4:2) with healing in His Wings. She knew this to be the hem of his tallit.
When she touched the hem of his shawl she was standing on her faith in Jesus as the Messiah who fulfilled all 613 commandments and demanding her healing.
This is why Jesus was surprise when he said, “who touched me.” (Luke 8:45) And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’
The woman’s ultimate demanding faith commanded God’s Covenant word to leap out of Jesus and heal her. Faith in the Messiah!
She touched one of the corners, one of the hems, one of the fringe, One of the Tzizith. She touched His Authority, His Status, and His Purity.
She knew His ‘true’ Identity because, the “True Messiah has Healing in His wings”
The woman had spent a fortune on Doctors (Luke 8:43) “And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any.” So when she was fighting through the multitudes thronging and pressing Jesus, she knew what she was touching. (Luke 8:45)
In a male dominated society, the fact that she was unclean, and because she was an outcast. She had no hope for a Husband and Family. She was not even welcome in a place of worship.
This woman knew that she was considered unclean and that everyone she touched was at risk. As a matter of fact just like a leprous person she was supposed to announce, “I am unclean” Keep your distance, do not touch me, do not touch my clothes, don’t even sit where I have sat, you will be rendered unclean.” (Leviticus 13:45)
The woman’s healing happened through the transference of her faith. Jesus stopped what He was doing to respond to that act of faith. Her absolute faith and the prophet Malachi, also taught others that there was healing in His Wings. (Malachi 4:2)
In the Books of Matthew and Mark we see the evidence of this as others follow her faith example.
(Matthew 14:34-36) and begged Him that they might only touch the hem (#2899) of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.
(Mark 6:56) Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem (#2899) of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.
The Tallit is known as a prayer shawl or little tent (tabernacle) because it can be worn over you like a little tent.
(Psalms 61:4) I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.(#3671)
(Psalm 63:7) Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings (#3671) I will rejoice.
We as believers or Christians belonging to the true Church (Israel Romans 11:17-24) can choose to wear the talit with the tassels or tzitzith as a visible reminder of our Messiah who is now seated at the right hand of God. The tzitzith reminds us to remember Yeshua’s (Jesus) commands and do them, as well as to live a holy life.(1 Peter 1:13-16)
The gospel of Zechariah foreshadows the prophecy of Jesus Christ’s return. (Zechariah 8:23) “Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt (#3671 Wing) of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.”
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Since this is the ‘Gospel truth’, we now know that at His return everyone (Jesus and all Saints) including the ‘Last Generation’ of (Numbers 15:37-41) will be clothed with white robes and a tallit (“prayer shawl”) (Revelation 19:13-16)
I look forward to wearing one made by God’s own Hands.
