The Book of Ruth

[Southtown]

Ruth is a staple of scripture that ties many layers of Old Testament prophecy together. I have to explain a few Old Testament prophecies first before I can adequately convey my view of the Book of Ruth. I know it may be long, but please, please try and understand this as it is extremely vital to understanding the scriptures in general.

 

In Leviticus 23, Yahweh proclaims the yearly feasts that Israel is supposed to observe. These feasts not only commemorate past events, but they foretell future events. For example, the Passover lamb and the accompanying rituals bear a perfect resemblance of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. To illustrate the magnitude of the similarities, I must explain the Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and the Feast of Weeks.

 

The Passover lamb is normally sacrificed on the 14th day of the 1st month. The next day, the 15th, starts the 7-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. The first and last days of this feast are holy convocations (high sabbaths) and no work is done. These high sabbaths usually do not fall on regular, weekly Sabbaths because the Jewish year begins with the new moon and operates independantly of the 7-day cycle.

 

The weekly Sabbath that occurs during the Feast of Unleavened Bread is the Feast of First Fruits and 7 weeks later is the Feast of Weeks. On the Feast of First Fruits, a portion of the barley crop is harvested and sacrificed to Yahweh as a wave offering. Then, 7 Sabbaths are counted, and on the day after the 7th Sabbath, is the Feast of Weeks. This feast ends the 7 weeks of harvesting the barley.

 

Now, I can explain the prophetic relevance that a native Jew would read into the New Testament accounts of the events detailing the life of Jesus. If this intro was too brief, you can read some of my other posts on the subject:

 

G.R.A.C.E. Discussion Board: "I never noticed that" post

http://hypography.com/forums/theology-forum/6230-feasts-lord-part-1-a.html

 

The Last Supper took place the day before Passover, on the Day of Preparation where all the yeast (leaven) is removed from the house in 'preparation' for the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Last Supper resembles the custom of Preparation because Jesus then told Judas Iscariot "what you do, do quickly" (John 13:27) and in so doing, the Messiah 'purged the leaven from the house' just as the Jews have been doing on this day for centuries. It's a wonder the disciples didn't catch on until it was later explained to them by the risen Messiah.

 

Jesus was then tried and crucified on the Passover, fulfilling that part of the prophetic Law of Moses. This Passover occured in the middle of the 7-day week, not on Friday, because 3 days later Jesus rose on the first day of the week. The crucifixion was on the 4th day, or Wednesday. (7-3=4) Daniel's prophecy was then fulfilled which says "But in the middle of the week he [Messiah] shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering". (Daniel 9:27)

 

Now we come back to the Feast of First Fruits. This feast occurs on the first day of the week (Jesus rose on Sunday) that follows the weekly Sabbath within the 7-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. Just as the First Fruits of the barley harvest are an offering to Yahweh, the "first fruits" of the saints rose with Jesus, again fulfilling that part of the prophetic Law of Moses.

 

"

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

" --

Matthew 27:51-53 nkjv

 

Next is the Feast of Weeks. Starting with the Sabbath preceding the Feast of First Fruits, 7 weekly Sabbaths are counted. The day after the 7th weekly Sabbath is the 50th day. (49+1=50) As you may already know, "Pentecost" is Greek for "fiftieth". The day that the Gentile believers referred to as "Pentecost", is actually the Jewish Feast of Weeks. On this day the Holy Spirit came down from heaven in the form of tongues of fire. (Acts 2)

 

There is also a future fulfillment of this feast in the last days. If the seven weeks are viewed as 1000s of years, then they would represent the time from creation to judgement. The seventh millenium is the 1000 years of Christ, beginning with a resurrection of the righteous and ending with the resurrection of the wicked. At this point in time, the figurative seperation of the wheat and the tares will come to pass which is an obvious comparison of the judgement to the harvest. (Matthew 13:30)

 

Finally we come to the Book of Ruth. Ruth makes reference to the Mosaic Law regarding the feasts. Leviticus 23:22 says not to harvest the corners of the fields so that the poor people and sojourners (non-Israelites) can have something to eat. Ruth's widowed mother-in-law wants to return to her home land of Israel at harvest time because she knows that she can eat of the corners of the field. But the similarities do not stop there. This is merely the main concept tying Ruth into the prophetic Law of Moses.

 

Naomi is Jewish, and her husband dies. (The husband represents Jesus, and Naomi represents Israel.) Naomi had two daughter-in-laws, Orpah and Ruth, which were both Gentiles, or non-Jewish Moabites. (Daughter-in-laws represent all non-Jewish people.) Orpah stays in Moab while Ruth follows her Jewish mother-in-law back to Israel. (Orpah represents Gentiles who reject the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Ruth represents Gentiles who conversely decide to worship him.) Back in Israel, Naomi and Ruth glean the corners of the field of Boaz who is kin to Naomi's departed husband. (The field that feeds them is owned by a relative of Naomi's husband, Elimelech, who represents the Messiah. This symbolically declares that both Jews and Gentiles are foreigners that depend on grace through Jesus.)

 

"

And she said, 'Look,

your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods

; return after your sister-in-law.'

But Ruth said:

 

'Entreat me not to leave you,

Or to turn back from following after you;

For wherever you go, I will go;

And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;

Your people shall be my people,

And your God, my God

.

Where you die, I will die,

And there will I be buried.

The LORD do so to me, and more also,

If anything but death parts you and me.'

" --

Ruth 1:15-17 nkjv

 

There is much more, but I will stop here and allow you the pleasure of re-reading Ruth with the above concepts in mind. And take heed the subtle messages that are in it. Because it is dripping with messages for us in these latter days, I assure you. Please do not associate the return of Naomi and Ruth to Israel as a return to Mosaic Law. Think of their journey to Israel as a journey of both Jews and non-Jews to the heart of that which is Israel, Jesus.

 

"

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

" --

John 5:39 nkjv

 

Also, there is much more regarding the feasts that I have not covered. I touched on the ones leading up to Leviticus 23:22, which is the verse regarding the corners of the fields that is reiterated in the Book of Ruth. There is much more prophecy to be fulfilled in these last days that is covered in the rest of Leviticus 23 that I have not touched on. Happy reading! =P

 

Blessings