TAV, and the Cross of Christ

[Rose]

The 22nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet is TAV. (http://www.biblewheel.com/Wheel/Spokes/Tav_Seal.asp) It is the last letter, and the letter that governs Spoke 22 on the Bible Wheel. The meaning of this letter is: a mark, a sign, or a cross. An amazing and unmistakable pattern emerges in the 22nd chapter of three prominent books of the Bible (Genesis, Psalms, and Isaiah), which shows explicit shadows and types of the crucifixion of Christ.




Gen. 22: 2-13 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.




Isa. 22:3-9 All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far. Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly,labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people. For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains. And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield. And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate. And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest. Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the watersof the lower pool…..12-13) And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die…..16-18) What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock? Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee. He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord's house…..20-25) And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22) And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.




Psalm 22:5-8 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him…..13-19) They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me…..22) I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee…..27) All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.


Rose

[Victor]

Two of the greatest antecipations of the Cross event in the OT are the ones found in Genesis 22 (http://www.biblewheel.com/InnerWheels/Genesis/Genesis22.asp) - the Genesis of the Cross - and Psalm 22 (http://www.biblewheel.com/InnerWheels/Psalms/Psalm22.asp) - the Psalm of the Cross!

As for Isaiah 22, the image of the Cross is not as obvious as in the other two, but once you read it typologically, you cannot help but see the Cross foreshadowed in the desolations of Jerusalem and the fall of the king's steward!

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Two of the greatest antecipations of the Cross event in the OT are the ones found in Genesis 22 (http://www.biblewheel.com/InnerWheels/Genesis/Genesis22.asp) - the Genesis of the Cross - and Psalm 22 (http://www.biblewheel.com/InnerWheels/Psalms/Psalm22.asp) - the Psalm of the Cross!

As for Isaiah 22, the image of the Cross is not as obvious as in the other two, but once you read it typologically, you cannot help but see the Cross foreshadowed in the desolations of Jerusalem and the fall of the king's steward!
Ha! You beat me to the punch again Victor. I was going to post links to those articles. The significance of their correlation with Tav can not be overstated because the Sacrifice of Isaac in Gen 22 is the primary OT prophecy of the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, and Christ Himself quoted Psalm 22 from the Cross! We are gazing into the glorious Gospel Wisdom of Almighty God - engraved in the structure of His Word and the pattern of the Hebrew alphabet! There is no end to the glory revealed in the Holy Bible.

Amen! :pray:

[Victor]

Ha! You beat me to the punch again Victor. I was going to post links to those articles. The significance of their correlation with Tav can not be overstated because the Sacrifice of Isaac in Gen 22 is the primary OT prophecy of the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, and Christ Himself quoted Psalm 22 from the Cross! We are gazing into the glorious Gospel Wisdom of Almighty God - engraved in the structure of His Word and the pattern of the Hebrew alphabet! There is no end to the glory revealed in the Holy Bible.

Amen! :pray:

This is the Glory of God. These two chapters have been considered OT foundational verses of the Doctrine of the Cross for millenia. I have even seen people with no knowledge of the Wheel connect the fact that the chapter number in Psalm 22 coincides with the position of Tav in the alphabet! They didn't know the multiplicity of links that confirm this pattern on the other Spokes, but the glory of this one gem shines with great clarity so that even those who are unaware of the alphabetic structure of the Bible can perceive it!

[Victor]

Isa. 22:3-9 All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far. Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly,labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people. For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains. And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield. And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate. And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest. Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the watersof the lower pool…..12-13) And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die…..17-18) Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee. He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord's house…..20-25) And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22) And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Rose

Hey Rose,
Do you have any insights on how Isaiah 22 links to the theme of the Cross?

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Hey Rose,
Do you have any insights on how Isaiah 22 links to the theme of the Cross?

THE KEY TO THE HOUSE OF DAVID:

Isaiah 22:22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
This forms an Inner Cycle KeyLink between Isaiah 22 and Revelation on Spoke 22:
Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
And how did Christ acquire the Key of David? The first reference to a key in Revelation is associated with Christ's death and resurrection:
Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
This is a fundamental Tav theme. It is continued in the next three verses of Isaiah 22:
Isaiah 22:23 And I will fasten him as a nail (on the cross) in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. And they shall hang (telah - fundamental Tav KeyWord meaning to "hang on a tree" - i.e. crucify) upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off (fundamental covenant word karat): for the LORD hath spoken it.
Note that the "offspring" were "hung" with Christ! The vessels seem to represent the sin He bore on our behalf. The word "karat" is used when God makes a covenant, as in Daniel 9:26:
Daniel 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off (karat), but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
The connections between Isaiah 22:22-25 and the theme of the Cross (Tav) are extremely profound and amazing to behold.

Richard

Edit to add: I just noticed that the Inner Cycle KeyLink between Isaiah 22 and Revelation on Spoke 22 is also another example of a unique and highly significant element that occurs only on the first and last spokes which we are currently discussing in the thread called First and Last Spoke Connections (http://www.biblewheel.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1213).

[Rose]

Isa. 22:3-9 All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far. Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly,labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people. For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains. And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield. And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate. And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest. Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the watersof the lower pool…..12-13) And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die…..17-18) Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee. He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord's house…..20-25) And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22) And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it. Hey Rose,
Do you have any insights on how Isaiah 22 links to the theme of the Cross?

Hi Victor, great question!

The "Key" to the answer to that question lies in verse 22 :D "the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder;". Immediately the context of the chapter is clarified and we know whose shoulders the "Key" is placed upon. The Hebrew word for Key in that verse is מפתח Maphteach, the same word that is used in Zechariah for the engraving on the "stone with seven eyes".
Zec.3:9 "For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave (Maphteach) the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day."

The next significant connection is "he discovered the covering of Judah" the Hebrew word for discovered is Galah meaning to reveal, and the covering is the "curtain of the Tabernacle", so the picture that is being presented to us here is the revealing of the "Lion of the Tribe of Judah".

Then there is the strong overtones of Isa.9:6 which directly point to Christ.
Isa. 22:21 And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.

There's much more to add......Isaiah 22 is a treasure chest full of gems!

Rose

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Hi Victor, great question!

The "Key" to the answer to that question lies in verse 22 :D "the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder;". Immediately the context of the chapter is clarified and we know whose shoulders the "Key" is placed upon. The Hebrew word for Key in that verse is מפתח Maphteach, the same word that is used in Zechariah for the engraving on the "stone with seven eyes".
Zec.3:9 "For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave (Maphteach) the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day."
The next significant connection is "he discovered the covering of Judah" the Hebrew word for discovered is Galah meaning to reveal, and the covering is the "curtain of the Tabernacle", so the picture that is being presented to us here is the revealing of the "Lion of the Tribe of Judah".

Then there is the strong overtones of Isa.9:6 which directly point to Christ.
Isa. 22:21 And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.

There's much more to add......Isaiah 22 is a treasure chest full of gems!

Rose
Those are powerful connections. Especially the promise of the government which is also promised in the great prophecy earlier in the same book:

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
And we have the fulfillment of this promise in Revelation:

Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Note that they both say it is for ever: Isaiah - from henceforth even for ever, Rev - and he shall reign for ever and ever. And there is more! But I have some other work to do ...

Richard

[Victor]

Thank you friends for deepening the links between Isaiah 22 and the Cross! There's much food for thought! :thumb:


THE KEY TO THE HOUSE OF DAVID:

Isaiah 22:22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
This forms an Inner Cycle KeyLink between Isaiah 22 and Revelation on Spoke 22:
Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
And how did Christ acquire the Key of David? The first reference to a key in Revelation is associated with Christ's death and resurrection:
Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.


That's an excellent exegetical association. Twice in Revelation does it say that Christ has keys: the keys of Death and the key of David. This parallelism leads us to think that Isaiah 22:22 can be applied to the Cross, for in the Cross Christ conquered Hades and Death. He thus used the Key of David. This theme can be amplified a lot more.


This is a fundamental Tav theme. It is continued in the next three verses of Isaiah 22:
Isaiah 22:23 And I will fasten him as a nail (on the cross) in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. And they shall hang (telah - fundamental Tav KeyWord meaning to "hang on a tree" - i.e. crucify) upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off (fundamental covenant word karat): for the LORD hath spoken it.


Oh yeah, and there's a lot more into it! I wish I had more time. But the mention of the "nail" is quite impressive, since the name of the letter Tav also lays implicit the concept of nail: Tav is spelled Tav Vav - Cross and Nail.

Telah is indeed a fundamental Tav KeyWord. It links to the final reference to crucifixion in Scripture (Revelation 11:8, governed by Tav). It also links to the central shaft of the Menorah, the candlestick which holds 22 bowls.

And the "glory of his father's house" being hanged reminds us that Christ spoke of His crucifixion as being His glorification.

Everytime I read this passage again I get a clearer sense of the prophetic connection with the Cross.


Note that the "offspring" were "hung" with Christ! The vessels seem to represent the sin He bore on our behalf.

Oh yes! Christ died for us, so the "offspring" was hung with Christ. The Children of God share in Christ's sufferings. In Galatians, on Spoke 4, which together with Spoke 22 has a deep link to the Cross, we read:

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

[Victor]

Hi Victor, great question!

The "Key" to the answer to that question lies in verse 22 :D "the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder;". Immediately the context of the chapter is clarified and we know whose shoulders the "Key" is placed upon. The Hebrew word for Key in that verse is מפתח Maphteach, the same word that is used in Zechariah for the engraving on the "stone with seven eyes".
Zec.3:9 "For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave (Maphteach) the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day."

The next significant connection is "he discovered the covering of Judah" the Hebrew word for discovered is Galah meaning to reveal, and the covering is the "curtain of the Tabernacle", so the picture that is being presented to us here is the revealing of the "Lion of the Tribe of Judah".



These points are very deep. I'll need some time to meditate on them. They make much sense!! The Cross is also referred to in the sentence: "I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day."

Congratulations for your discoveries! It is nice to find two texts that we link to the Bible Wheel (Isa 22:22 and Zec 3:9) using the same fundamental word Petach to describe both the Key and the Engraving.

[Victor]

There's much more to add......Isaiah 22 is a treasure chest full of gems!

Rose


Note that they both say it is for ever: Isaiah - from henceforth even for ever, Rev - and he shall reign for ever and ever. And there is more! But I have some other work to do ...

Richard


Hey, keep the gems comin'!! :sBo_reflection2:

[Rose]

Hey, keep the gems comin'!! :sBo_reflection2:

Here's another gem for you Victor...:D
Isa. 22:16 What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre (qeber) here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre (qeber) on high (marowm), and that graveth (chaqaq) an habitation for himself in a rock?

The Hebrew word for "graveth" chaqaq, is the same word that is used in prophetic verse for the coming of Shiloh.....that word is "lawgiver". It is also used in Isaiah 33, where it specifically refers to the Lord our Lawgiver.
Gen. 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver (chaqaq חקק) from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Isa. 33:22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, (chaqaq) the LORD is our king; he will save us.


The sepulcher that hewn out on high, and a habitation in the rock is spoken of in reference to the Lord in two important verses in Isaiah.

Isa. 53:9 And he made his grave (qeber)with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Isa. 33:16 He shall dwell on high (marowm): his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

This is all from just one verse in Isa.22!

Rose

[Rose]

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a wedding
Matt.22 - Spoke 22 -TAV

The final Chapter 22 connection with TAV, and the Cross of Christ has the theme of consummation, and is found in Matt. 22. The implications of this "Grand finale" I don't think have quite sunk into my brain yet (I'm still recovering from the pattern that forms from this discovery :dizzy:). As you can see below quite a significant pattern has emerged in the ordinal order of the books presented.


Gen.22 (book 1, [5 books of the Torah]) = story of Isaac (the only son) offered as a sacrifice, being a type of Christ

Psalms 22 (book 19, [5 books of Wisdom]) = prophecy of Christ on the Cross (quoted by Jesus on the cross)

Isaiah 22 (book 23, [5 books of Maj. Prophets]) = prophetic type of Christ’s burial and resurrection power (Keys of David given to Him)

Matt. 22 (book 40, [5 books of N.T. History]) = consummation of the Marriage of the Son of God


The way these books are displayed on the Bible Wheel forms a symmetrical, chronological account going from the sacrificial Lamb of God (Gen.22), to the prophetic Cross of Christ (Pslam 22), the significance of His burial and resurrection (Isaiah 22), and ending with the consummation of His marriage to the Bride (Matt. 22), all of which are profound TAV themes, and are displayed in the divisions on the Bible Wheel that represent the heavenlies.
Matthew 22: 2 'The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,'
First Jesus likens the Kingdom of Heaven, to a king who puts on a marriage feast for his son. This Parable is meant to give us in story form the image of God as the King, and Jesus as His Son. So the whole of God’s Kingdom is likened to a wedding and centered on the marriage of His Son.

Matt. 22:3 'And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.'
Matt 22:4 'Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things ready: come unto the marriage.'
Matt 22:5 'But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:'
Matt. 22:6 'And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.'
Then the King sent out his servants (the parallel is God sending out His Prophets to continually invite His chosen people to repent of their adulteries and turn back to their husband) to call all those who have been invited to the wedding (what comes to mind here is that salvation was offered to the Jew first, and then the Gentile). All those that were first invited refused to come to the wedding, so the servants returned to the King. Again the King sends out his servants to bid those who were invited to come, for the wedding feast is ready. This time not only do they refuse to come, but they mock the King’s servants, and kill them (this is exactly what happened to the Prophets that God sent to His Chosen people to call them to come back to Him, they refused to hear what they said and shed their blood upon the land).

Matt. 22:7 'But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.'
When the King hears this, he sends forth his armies to destroy the murderers and burn their city (singular). The parallel here is the judgment from God the King that came down upon Jerusalem for the blood of the righteous Prophets that was shed in her, ending with the city being destroyed by fire.

Matt. 22:8 'Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.'
Matt. 22:9 'Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.'
Matt. 22:10 'So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.'
Then the King tells the remaining servants that the wedding feast is ready, but those who were first invited are not worthy to attend the feast (God sent His Prophets to His Chosen people 'the Jews' first to invite them to the wedding but they not only rejected His invitation but they killed the Prophets whom He sent, so now the invitation has been taken from them and given to others, Matt. 21:43 'Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.').The Kings servants are now sent into all the highways, and told to gather as many as they can find, both good, and bad to attend the wedding (This is parallel to when the Gentiles were first invited to become partakers of the Salvation that was first offered to the Jews first). The wedding is now furnished with those who will sit at the table of the marriage feast.

Matt. 22:11 'And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:'
Matt. 22:12 'And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.'
The King arrives to see who has been gathered to come to the feast. He notices one who is not clothed in a wedding garment (according to Revelation, the wedding garments are white, for it is the righteousness of the Saints), and says: 'Friend why do you not have on wedding clothes?' (A very interesting point to note is that the word translated as 'friend' (hetairos) is the same word that is used of Judas when he betrayed Jesus in the garden, that word is only used in the negative sense). The 'Friend' is speechless (what this seems to be saying is that this 'friend' is really a betrayer, and deceiver; he tried to come to the wedding thinking no one would notice….but we know all those who are the true friends of the bridegroom have on wedding garments). All of us who are the Bride of Christ have on our white wedding garment which is our salvation.

Matt. 22;13 'Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Matt. 22:14 'For many are called, but few are chosen.'
The King then tells his servants to take this so called 'Friend' bind him, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness. Many will be invited to the wedding, but only a chosen few will come. All of mankind is invited to repent and turn to Christ and so partake in the marriage of the Lamb; those who stand before God on judgment day without a wedding garment (Salvation) will be cast into outer darkness.
Then to complete this magnificent thematic connection, that exemplifies the final letter of the Hebrew alphabet TAV, there is the direct link between Matt. 22, and Revelation 19 (on the 22nd Spoke) where the consummation of the marriage of the Lamb revealed.


Matt. 22:2 The Kingdom of Heaven
Rev. 19: (Spoke 22)The Kingdom ofHeaven

Matt. 22:2 A King who had a son
Rev. 19: (Spoke 22) God the King and the Son of God

Matt. 22:2Wedding feast for the King’s son
Rev. 19:7 (Spoke 22) Wedding feast for God the King’s Son

Matt. 22:3 Many are invited to the wedding
Rev. 19:9 (Spoke 22) Many are invited to the wedding

Matt. 22:4 Servants of the king are sent out to bid those who are invited to come
Rev. 19:10 (Spoke 22) Servants are the Saints and Prophets of God who hold the testimony of Christ

Matt. 22:6 Servants are persecuted, and killed because of their message of invitation to the son of the king’s wedding.
Rev. 19 (Spoke 22) Servants of God are persecuted and killed because of their message of invitation to the Son of God’s wedding.

Matt. 22:7 The King sends out his armies, who are his servants to avenge the blood of his servants.
Rev. 19 (Spoke 22) God the Kings sends out His Son with His army of Saints to carry out judgment, and avenge the blood of His servants.

Matt. 22:8-10 The King now sends out his servants to gather together all the strangers they can find both good and bad to come to the wedding feast of his son.
Rev. 19 (Spoke 22) God the King sends forth His mighty angel to gather together all the birds of heaven to come to the marriage supper.

Matt. 22:11-13 When all the guests have been gathered the king notices someone who doesn’t have on a wedding garment. That one is bound and cast into outer darkness.
Rev. 19 (Spoke 22) The Beast and the false Prophet are bound, and cast into the lake of fire, along with all those who are not found in the Book of Life.

The meaning of TAV (cross, consummation, completion) displays a powerful image of Gods plan of salvation through the Son of God, Jesus Christ, beginning with the first book (Gen.) in chapter 22, and ending with the last book (Rev.) in Spoke 22! :woah:

Rose