Ruth, a
descendant of Moab, is another
Bible character that exhibits Bride characteristics. Ruth,
whose
name means "friend or companion," appears a total of 13 times in
Scripture. The number 13 is a revealing sign that Ruth
herself is a
Bride-type, as the number 13 speaks of Love. She
was the "daughter of Naomi" -
prophetically meaning she "had the
characteristics of Naomi." Now the name Naomi
means "my
delight," and comes from a word meaning "beauty" and
"pleasant."
So we see that this name-characteristic is prophetic of Ruth herself,
and of the Bride (See Song 7:6).
The first
Bride Characteristic of Ruth that makes her stand out most notably can
be seen in the following passage.
"And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from
following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and
where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and
thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be
buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part
thee and me. When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she
left speaking unto her." (Ruth 1:16-18) It
is here that Ruth's actions reveal her steadfast commitment and
devotion to Yahuweh. Her devotion to Yahuweh most assuredly
qualified
her as one the Bridegroom would single out as "my delight."
Barley
and Wheat HarvestsAs we look further at Ruth, we see more of
her actions that exhibit some very revealing Bride characteristics:
"So
she kept
fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end
of barley harvest and
of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in
law."
(Ruth 2:23) Here
we are
also told
that
Ruth gleaned through to the end, of both the barley harvest and of the
wheat harvest, a
prophetic picture of the Bride's work of proclaiming Truth, of
preparing the Way, and of gathering souls, during barley Harvest, and even during the time of
the
Wheat Harvest. Barley and
wheat are mentioned together in 13 separate Scripture passages,
attesting again to these important Bride features revealed by
Ruth. The number "13," which speaks of "Love," is a primary
Bride-Characteristic number (See Prophetic
Numbers In Scripture).
We
are told that Ruth gleaned "unto the end" of Barley
Harvest. Here we understand that the Bride's work
includes gleaning - of searching for, finding, and gathering
of the Scriptural food - for
herself. Likewise, the Bride's work includes giving the food
she has
gathered, to those of her household. We
then notice, however, that her gleaning continued, not
just to the end of Barley
harvest, but unto the end of "barley harvest and of wheat
harvest."
Our
current understanding is that the "Wheat Harvest" begins after the
"Barley Harvest" is finished. But the "Barley Harvest"
signifies the coming of the Bridegroom for the
Bride! Here
we might ask,
"How will the Bride continue to glean,
and
provide for her household, after the Bridegroom comes - until the end
of wheat Harvest?"
The answer is found in
the Bride picture we see in the account of Elijah. Just before
Elijah (who
pictures
the Barley-Harvest Bride-Company) went up in a
whirlwind, he passed
along his "mantle" to Elisha (who pictures the Wheat-Harvest
saints). Elijah's mantle was the "Glory" of Elijah, received
by Elisha, who received a double-portion of Elijah's anointing.
The mantle also became the "ministry" of Elijah passed on to
Elisha, who continued in the work of Elijah, after Elijah had gone up.
It
will be the same with the Bride. The mantle of the Barley-Harvest
Bride-Company will be passed on to the Wheat-Harvest
saints.
This "mantle" passed on from the Bride consists of the Scriptural
Truths and instructions she has gleaned and gathered for her household
- for Yahuweh's family, the Elisha-Wheat-Harvest believers.
This
mantle is the provision the
Bride makes for her household. In this way, the
Bride will
be able to provide for her household before she is taken by the
Bridegroom, and also after she is taken. The ministry of Ruth
will surely continue until the end of the Wheat Harvest.
Continuing
in the prophetic
picture, we see that Ruth, through her faith and diligence, is married
to Boaz. The name Boaz,
because it is mentioned 24 times in
Scripture, carries some significant clues for us. The number
24
itself is significant, as it reminds us of the 24 elders that surround
the throne of Yahuweh. Also, the name of the Bridegroom, in
the
chronological order that Strong's numbers portray, is the Strong's
number <2424>, and speaks of two working together
(Messiah-in-you) to provide the government (number 12) of the Kingdom.
Thus we see that the number 24 is a fitting clue to this
Bridegroom picture of Boaz, who became Ruth's Kinsman-Redeemer.
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