“The Betrothal Cup and the Breath of G-d” (Parts 1 and 2)

How the Holy Spirit came to us

(PART TWO IS POSTED BELOW PART ONE)

I need to tell you a story from my people to help you to think a little more in depth. An old Jew and a young Jew were by chance riding on the same train to the same destination. The old Jew never said anything and this began to wear on the young Jewish man as they traveled. At first he just squirmed in his seat a bit and then he twiddled his thumbs. He began to hum to himself, quietly at first and observing the old Jew for his reaction. The old Jew did not react at all; he just sat there in his seat silently riding the train. Finally the young Jew could not stand it any longer… “Excuse me. What time is it?” The old Jew was as he was before… silent. The young Jew would not be ignored by this old Jewish man who sits there silently and will not answer him. So the young Jew asked his question again. “Excuse me. “Sir”, what time is it?” Still no answer comes from the old Jew. The young Jew is getting angry with the old Jew. “How rude and ill-mannered”, the young Jew thought to himself. Not to be put off by the perceived insult from this old Jew the young Jew speaks up yet again. “SIR”, I am asking you what time is it. Why won’t you answer me?” With a sigh the old Jew finally responds to the young Jew’s inquiry with this dialogue; “Son, the next stop is this train’s last stop of the day. I do not know you, so you must be a stranger to me. The sun is setting and the “Sabbath” is about to begin. It is obvious to me that you are a Jew as am I. If I answer your question “hospitality” dictates that I invite you to my home. You… are a handsome young Jewish Man! I have a beautiful daughter whom I love deeply. You both would fall in love and want to get married. So, you have asked me a question that I shall not answer.” This was far too much for the young Jew to deal with he knew that he should just ignore the old Jewish man and move to another compartment. As I said the inquisitor is a “young” Jewish man. The impatience of the young was in the young Jewish man’s heart and he had to ask so that he could better understand what had just happened. “I cannot understand why you won’t just simply tell me what time it is? What do you mean?” The young man was almost vibrating he was so angry about the old Jew’s response to his question of time.

The old Jew sighed again and responded with a query of his own to the young Jew. “Tell me, why would I need a son-in-law who can’t even afford a watch? The young Jew left the compartment and the old Jew smiled as he turned in silence back to the window.

What’s with the story? I told you this story so that you can understand how we think and it is that Jewish thought process, which seems to confound “Gentiles”. (If you are not a Jew you are considered a “Gentile”.) The reason is that Jews follow their traditions as devoutly as the American Indian Traditionalists. There are certain customs and traditions that must be kept in order to retain our cultural identity as Jews. These customs and traditions go as far back as the covenant between G-d and Abraham. To truly understand many of the teachings of Messianic Judaism set fourth by the Messiah we must look to the Jewish roots of Christianity. It is in the growth patterns of these Jewish roots we have revealed to us the teachings and hidden meanings in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Saul/Paul the Apostle calls this necessary soul food, “MEAT” not “milk”. Here is an example of what I mean.

In the first century A.D. in the Roman province of Judea there was a betrothal custom, which entailed the sharing of wine in a cup between the two parties to be engaged. There are very striking similarities between this custom and what has come to be known as the “Last Supper”. The Last Supper was held in a rented room and it was officiated over by “Yeshua Ben Yosef” the Jewish “Sacrificial Messiah”. Today Christians the world over call Him Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ. The story of this “Last Supper” can be found in The New Testament of the Christian Bible in The Book of Matthew in chapter 26 verses 17 through 35, in the Book of Mark in chapter 14 verses 17 through 26, and also in the Book of Luke chapter 22 verse 1 through 39. If you will read these three accounts of the “Last Supper” you will begin to see the mystery of the “Betrothal Cup” unfold.

I will skip over the part where the marriage contract is negotiated between the relations of the future bride and the groom and get straight to what we shall call for now the “meat” of the story. Here is the custom and it’s functioning. The father of the bride sits or stands between the future bride who is his child and the future groom who is to become his “son-in-the-law”. (This is where the label of “son-in-law” comes from.) As I have said before I will skip over the part where the marriage contract is negotiated between the relations of the future bride and the groom. The Wine cup is filled and the Father of the bride first presents the filled cup to the future bridegroom. The bridegroom takes the cup that is given to him by the father of the bride and drinks some of it. Some scholars say half of the wine others say just some of the wine. After the future bridegroom has finished drinking his share the bridegroom hands the cup back to the bride’s father. The father receives the cup but he does not drink from the cup instead the father of the bride passes the cup on to his child, the future bride. If the bride accepts the cup she must drink from the cup if she does not drink from the cup the betrothal is not completed. I have never heard of an instance of the cup being refused by the future bride once the father of the bride offers it to his child. The previous statement does not mean that refusal of the cup’s acceptance never happened it just means what I wrote, that I have never heard of it being refused. What I can be certain of is that the father of the bride and the prospective bridegroom would consider the reluctant bride to be dead to them. The high priest of the Temple who condemned Yeshua/Jesus to the Roman Procurator Pontius Pilate before The High Priest sent Yeshua/Jesus to be condemned The High Priest tore his garments. The rending of the garments is a sign that the person who rends their garments is signifying that the person before them is to be considered as if they were dead. Now what on Earth or in heaven does this mean and what does it have to do with the “Last Supper”?

In the 1st century custom of the “Betrothal Cup” the three people represented are as follows. The first is the Father of the Bride, the cup’s presenter and the cup’s possessor in this instance the father represents G-d the Father. The second party in the ceremony is the son the first partaker of the cup’s contents as received from the hand of the Father of the bride. The Father of the bride is representative of the brides creator much the same as G-d is our creator. To continue, the son receives the cup and the contents from the Father/Creator of the bride. The Son is the first to taste the contents of the betrothal cup. Once the Son drinks from the cup it is a sign of the Son’s acceptance of the marriage contract. The cup is then given back to the Father/Creator of the bride. The Father then “offers” the betrothal cup to His child/creation, the future bride. This is done so that the potential bride may accept or reject the betrothal cup and thus to accept or reject the proposed union between her and the bridegroom. Afterwards a meal of roasted “lamb” is prepared for the prospective bride and Groom. This is also called the marriage feast of the lamb. If the coincidence of this label has not hit you yet it will latter on.

Now to tie up most of the loose ends to show you a mystery revealed and to give you the chance to seek the “Spirit”/Ruach ha Kodesh so that you may see more for yourself in that “Spirit”.

The Father took a cup and filled it with wine. The Father then gives the cup of wine to the Son that He might drink of that cup to seal the betrothal. The Son must accept this proffered cup from the Father. Then the Son must drink deeply from the cup and return the cup to the Father so that the Father may offer it to His daughter the future bride. This is the first part of the betrothal ceremony and it must happen before the marriage feast of the Lamb is to begin. (Christian Bible, Matthew chapter 26 verse 39; And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (kjv) An interesting passage and even more so because of the possible other meanings. “Let this cup pass from me”, what exactly was the meaning of this phrase? Why did the cup need to pass from the groom back to the Father? In the Christian Bible, Matthew chapter 26 verse 42; He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. (kjv) The Groom initiated the marriage contract or His family initiated it, if the groom did not drink from the cup and return it to the Father who then presented it to the bride the betrothal would not be complete and the marriage could not take place. Are you beginning to see the significance of this first century Jewish ceremony and how it relates to the Last Supper and our salvation? The two biblical quotes were in the time frame of after the Last Supper. Lets look at the Last Supper itself and a “Betrothal Cup” ceremony of another kind contained there in Part 2.
“The Betrothal Cup and the Breath of G-d” (Part 2)

“The Betrothal Cup and the Breath of G-d” (Part 2)


Why the Last Supper?

We have given the “Passover Supper” shared by Jesus/Yeshua and his twelve disciples a special name. We gave it that special name to the “Passover Supper” because of that meal’s “special nature”. The nature is in the symbolism that it holds and this symbolism has been overlooked or was the symbolism never really understood by the later “Christians”. The later Christians did not know the roots of Christianity. Those roots were and still are Jewish in their nature. If you do not know the culture of the Jews of “First Century Israel” then you do not fully understand true Christianity in its original depths as Jesus/Yeshua taught it to the people of the first century. Allow me to explain just what I mean.

In part one we discussed the custom of the “Betrothal Cup” as it was in the first century. We saw that there were three major participants, the father of the bride, the future groom and of course you cannot have a true marriage without the bride. The question now before us is what does all of this have to do with the “Last Supper”? Everything! G-d caused the ten plagues to fall upon Egypt BUT… each of the ten plagues of Egypt also has a natural explanation. (If you want to learn more about that I recommend that you rent or better still purchase a copy of Simcha Jacobovici’s film “The Exodus Decoded” it is available on the History Channel’s website.) What Simcha Jacobovici’s film shows us is that G-d works within our understanding of how things work in nature so that we can’t just point to something and say “look here is proof of G-d.” G-d wants us to believe in Him by FAITH! Something we can only do that by looking within ourselves or by seeking G-d in the “Holy Scriptures”. There is another excellent of way to “find G-d” if you are willing to study and compare the “Holy Scriptures” to the cultures of it’s settings. In simpler words you want to know about what Jesus/Yeshua was talking about in the Bible, learn the “man” as well as the G-d. Learn the man through Jesus/Yeshua’s culture and family. Learn the truth of what He was talking about by the New Testament writings compared to the Tanakh or Old Testament writings and the Jewish culture of Jesus/Yeshua’s day. Let’s look at this amazing example that is or was lost or hidden in the custom of the Betrothal cup.

First let’s look at the Biblical account of the “Last Supper”. Matthew chapter 26 verses 27 through 29; (27) And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; (28) For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (29) But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. (kjv) (The whole story of this is in each of the four “Gospels”. I suggest that you read them again after you have read this series and Let me know via e-mail comments what you have discovered in your studies. If you ask you shall receive, don’t have faith in me but in Him who sent you to this website!) In the 1st century custom of the “Betrothal Cup” the three people represented are as follows. The first is the Father of the Bride; the father represents G-d the Father the cup’s presenter and the cup’s possessor and creator. The second party in the ceremony is the Son or Jesus/Yeshua the first partaker of the cup’s contents as received from the hand of G-d. The cup itself also represents an aspect of G-d… Ruach ha Kodesh in Hebrew. In the English language Ruach ha Kodesh means the Breath of G-d or what Christian’s today call the Holy Spirit! The third and final participant in the ceremony is the bride… can you guess who the bride represents? The New Testament mentions another ceremony called the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Following the “Translation” of believers, which is also called, the “Rapture” or “Catching Away” a ceremony will take place in Heaven it is called the “Wedding Feast of the Lamb”. We who are the followers of Jesus/Yeshua are also referred to as the bride or brides of Christ and we will be co-participants with Jesus/Yeshua in this “Wedding Feast of the Lamb”.

Now we see the Betrothal Cup Ceremony in the true light that it was to be seen in. The Father/G-d Presents the Cup to His Son, (Jesus/Yeshua), first. Jesus/Yeshua in return asks the Father/G-d if it is in G-d’s will that He, (Jesus/Yeshua partake of the contents of this Cup. (Mark 14:36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. (kjv) Why did Jesus/Yeshua not want to partake of the contents of that Cup? Many will say that it is a great mystery and not to be known by us until it is revealed by Jesus/Yeshua Himself at the “Wedding Feast of the Lamb” in Heaven. I say it may well be that the Ruach ha Kodesh/the Holy Spirit knows and will reveal it to you when you are ready to handle it and accept it. The Cup contains the wine of the New Covenant, which is the very Blood of G-d. Within that cup is a priceless gift from G-d it is His precious blood. The same Sacred Blood of G-d that flowed from the wounds of Jesus/Yeshua as He died on the cross as the ultimate and only sacrifice which could atone for all of our sins from Adam to you and me and beyond. The Blood price that G-d paid to redeem us from the fires of hell was G-d’s own blood and death. G-d always was and always will be so how can G-d die? Jesus/Yeshua was G-d, is G-d and shall always be G-d! And G-d became flesh and that flesh was called Jesus/Yeshua. The Spirit of G-d is Ruach ha Kodesh/the Holy Spirit… that Holy Spirit can never be killed and can never die. The Holy Spirit is eternal and the Holy Spirit is G-d! Ok, then who died on the cross? The Flesh of G-d who was the vessel which contained G-d’s “Life” Blood, this vessel has a name His name is Yeshua ha Mashiach/ Jesus of Nazareth the only begotten Son of G-d. Here is that mystery unveiled, G-d cannot die or be killed nor can He be removed from His Holy Throne. John Chapter 3 verses16 through 21 (16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (19) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (20) For every one that doeth evil hates the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (21) But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (kjv) Beloved! To some of you this will not be revealed because you are blinded by this world. All that Lucifer or his companions, those who are fallen, need to do to stop you from seeing this is to distract you by the things of this world which are friends, family, food, clothing, work, money etc. These are the blinders upon your eyes and the very reason that Saul/Paul said to us ALL; Romans Chapter 8 verses 4 & 5 (4) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (5) For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. (kjv) Jesus/Yeshua knew through the very Breath of G-d that was in Him, (the Holy Spirit), once He had partaken of that glorious Cup that nothing could possibly be changed that the final sacrifice would be given unto G-d the Father and for all who believed they even down to those poor little ones, (us, you and I), who had never seen Jesus/Yeshua in the flesh, we who had never heard Him speak, (save through the Holy Spirit), as long as we believe upon His “Holy Name”, then, even we would be saved from the eternal death and hell. Beloved nothing can take you from the hand of G-d once you truly believe that Jesus/Yeshua was/is/shall be the only begotten Son of the eternal G-d and He gave up His life and G-d’s Sacred Blood upon the cross as full and complete atonement for all of your sins! Once the Sacred Cup was accepted and drunk by Jesus/Yeshua it could not be stopped and once salvation was granted it could not be revoked by anyone but him or her who had received that glorious gift! One of the reasons that we are to partake of what we call the “Communion Cup” is so that we will remember Jesus/Yeshua and honor Him BUT we are also to do it in memory of what we are now! Beloved, if you have believed then you are saved from your sins and you have within you the Ruach ha Kodesh/Holy Spirit and you must, must, must remember that and walk in G-d’s Righteousness and in His Spirit and do not rely upon your own weak flesh. It was explained best by Jesus/Yeshua Himself best; Matthew Chapter 26 verse 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (kjv) Remember you have partaken of the real Holy Grail… The Betrothal Cup of G-d Himself who gave it to Jesus of Nazareth who is the Messiah for you and me!

Hillel Yeshua ha Mashiach! (Praise Jesus the Messiah!)