Mark a TAV ( t ) upon the Foreheads . . .
The MAN Clothed with LINENS*
Ezekiel 9 and 10
*( Yes, LINENS is PLURAL in this passage. )
Ezekiel the Prophet was given many visions. Ezekiel 9 tells us about the Work of the MAN with the Inkhorn:
Ezekiel 9:4
And the LORD said unto him,
Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
This vision strikes a familiar chord, especially in the literal Hebrew: Where have we seen THIS before ?
Ezekiel 9:4
And The LORD said unto HIM, Go through the midst of the
city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and mark a tav ( t )* upon
the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that
be done in the midst thereof. 
* With the Strong’s Concordance numbers indicated by “H” ( Hebrew dictionary part of Strong’s: )
וְ×”ִתְוִ֨יתָ H8427 mark 
*a tav H8420
The Hebrew Letter “t”= תָּ֜ called a “tav” ( or “tau” ) , is the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Originally, all Hebrew letters were written as pictographs and every letter MEANT SOMETHING.
See: Dr. Frank T. Seekins, Hebrew Word Pictures, 2012, pg. 211.
The early Hebrew pictograph for the letter “t” was in the form of a CROSS. Sometimes it was straight and sometimes it was tilted. But it ALWAYS was the shape of a cross.
The Hebrew “t” letter-pictograph meant: sign or cross.
The “V” in the word “tav” --- “tav” being the name of the Hebrew letter “t” --- is the Hebrew letter Vav ו The “Vav” letter-pictograph meant: NAIL.
Above graphic: Courtesy of http://beautyofthebible.com/blog/2008/08/19/salvation-of-the-earth
+ + +
Where, indeed, might we in this modern church age have seen
men’s foreheads marked with a CROSS ?
MIGHT this be considered the fore-runner of “Ash Wednesday” ?
+ + +
ASH WEDNESDAY in the Christian tradition is the day which begins the repentance-and-fasting season of the “Paschal Fast” now called LENT in the Westernized Church.
This “Paschal Fast” was long in place by the time of Irenaeus.
Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, circa 180 A.D., writes about the “Paschal Fast” which some churches of which he knew established that season of fasting for 40 days before Easter while others fasted a lesser amount of time.
Interestingly, Irenaeus states in this same passage . . .
“And this variety among observers [ of the fasts ] had NOT ITS ORIGIN in our time , but LONG BEFORE in that of our PREDECESSORS . . .
” AnteNicene Fathers, Vol. 1, Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus, Paragraph III, pgs 568-569.
See also other Early Christian ( Pre-Nicene ) writers which described the PASCHAL FAST, in David Bercot’s Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs, 1998, pg 402, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, MA , [ Seventh Printing, 2008 ]
The Pre-Nicene ( i.e., pre-Roman Catholic ) Christians wrote about the annual Paschal Fast which was commonly practiced by the Early Church.
But, what about marking the Sign of the Cross on Believer’s foreheads on Ash Wednesday ?
That tradition can be traced (somewhat) to the Roman Catholic church in the 600’s AD where the repentant ones wore a handful of ashes on their heads !
Much earlier, Tertullian ( 145 – 220? AD ) wrote this [Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 3, The Chaplet, or De Corona, chapter 3, pgs. 94-95, American Edition, Hendrickson Publishers Inc., Peabody, MA, second printing June 1995.]
“At every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at able, when we light the lamps, on couch, on seat, in all the ordinary actions of daily life, we trace upon the forehead the sign.”
+ + +
Now, back to the Bible. Let us look at these curious verses in Ezekiel.
Several verses in Ezekiel chapters 8, 9, and 10 set the context for “The MAN” marking the men’s foreheads with a tav ( t ) .
To set the context, The LORD gave Ezekiel this vision in chapter 8.
1And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that
the Hand of the Lord GOD [ Adonai YHWH ]
fell there upon me.
2Then I beheld, and lo a LIKENESS as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of His loins even downward, fire; and from His loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the color of amber.
Compare Ezekiel 1:26
And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
1:27 And I saw as the color of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
3And HE put forth the form of an Hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and THE SPIRIT lifted me up between the earth and the Heaven, and brought me in the visions of GOD to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the
seat of the image of jealousy,
which provoketh to jealousy.
+ + +
Throughout chapter 8, The LORD showed Ezekiel many abominations that the Elders of the House of Israel were doing behind closed doors. They provoked The LORD to fury.
The account continues in chapter 9 …
9:1HE cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.
9:2And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one MAN among them was clothed with LINENS, with a writer’s inkhorn by His side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.
9:3And the Glory of the GOD of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon HE was, to the threshold of the house. And HE called to the MAN clothed with LINENS Who had the writer’s inkhorn by His side;
9:4 And the LORD said unto HIM, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and MARK A TAV ( t ) upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
9:5And to the others HE said in mine hearing, Go ye after HIM through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
9:6Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is THE MARK a tav ( t ); and begin at MY Sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
9:7And HE said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.
9:8And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said,
Ah Lord GOD! [ Ah, ADONAI YHWH ! ] wilt THOU destroy all the residue of Israel in Thy pouring out of Thy Fury upon Jerusalem?
9:9Then said HE unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.
9:10And as for ME also, Mine eye shall not spare,
neither will I have pity,
but I will recompense their way upon their head.
9:11And, behold, the MAN clothed with LINENS, Who had the inkhorn by His side, reported the matter, saying,
I have done as THOU hast commanded Me.
10:1 Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim(s) there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a Throne.
10:2 And HE spake unto the MAN clothed with LINENS, and said,
Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubim(s), and scatter them over the city.
And He went in, in my sight.
10:3Now the cherubim(s) stood on the right side of the House, when the MAN went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
10:4Then the Glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the House; and the House was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’s Glory.
10:5And the sound of the cherubim(s)’ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the Voice of the ALMIGHTY GOD when HE speaketh.
10:6And it came to pass, that when HE had commanded the MAN clothed with LINENS, saying,
Take fire from between the wheels,
from between the cherubim(s);
then He went in,
and stood beside the wheels.
10:7And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim(s) unto the fire that was between the cherubim(s), and took thereof, and put it into the Hands of HIM that was clothed with LINENS Who took it, and went out.
+ + +
That is the last we see of the MAN Who was clothed with LINENS.
. . . OR, IS IT ?
No comments:
Post a Comment