Who is the Bride of Christ?
THE KEY OF DAVID
In this chapter, we will answer the question, What is the key of David? In Revelation 3:7, Jesus said to the church at Philadelphia that He had the key of David. In Revelation 22:16, Jesus sent his angel to testify to the church that He is the root and offspring of David. In Acts 13:22, we find that David was a man after God's own heart. WHY did God call David a man after His own heart? WHY did Jesus testify to the church of Philadelphia that He has the key of David? WHY did Jesus send His angel to the churches to testify that He is the root and offspring of David? WHYdoes God identify Himself with David and WHY does Jesus identify Himself with David? The answer is the Key of David !!! . The key of David is found in Psalm 119. The reason why David was called a man after God's own heart and the reason why Jesus has the key of David is David LOVED God's Torah. The Key of David is the Torah !! Let us examine this truth.In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, letters are written to seven churches in Asia Minor. Of the seven churches, the church with the highest praise from God is the church in Philadelphia. The church of Philadelphia can be viewed as the model church among the seven churches in the book of Revelation. Jesus tells this church that He has the key of David. In Revelation 3:7 it is written:- "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that has the key of David, He that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth."
A key is critical in opening and closing a door. If Jesus has a key to a door, it MUST be important. In addition, there MUST also be an importance concerning WHAT key that Jesus is holding. In Revelation 3:7, Jesus tells us that the name of this key points to David. Therefore, we must begin to question why Jesus is highlighting and emphasizing David.Because the Bible is the Word of God, the last book in the Bible must be important in revealing the complete plan of God. Indeed it is! The book of Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to show His servants of things to come (Revelation 1:1). If the last book of the Bible is important, then the last chapter in the Bible must be important also. If the last chapter of the last book of the Bible is important then the last few verses must be important. The last few verses of the book of Revelation speak of the desire for the second coming of Jesus and the desire that the Bride of Christ would be married unto Him. In Revelation 22:16, Jesus speaks His final words to the churches as it is written:- "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning Star."
The churches are already believers that Jesus is Messiah. So, Jesus couldn't be reminding the churches through His angels that He is the Messiah. So, why did Jesus send His angel to testify to the CHURCHES and NOT to the unbelievers that HE is the root and offspring of DAVID? Once again, Jesus wants His CHURCH to identify with David when they identify with Jesus. Why?David in Hebrew means, "Beloved." It is the Strong's word 1732. Beloved is a term for God's Bride. The Song of Solomon is a poetic song between God and His Bride. In Song of Solomon 6:3 it is written:- " I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine ... "
Therefore, David is a type of God's Bride. Consequently, the Bride of Christ MUST identify with David even as Jesus tells us that He has the key of David and is the root and offspring of David.The next verse in the book of Revelation following the words of Jesus that He sent His angel to testify to His churches that He is the root and offspring of David isRevelation 22:17 as it is written:- " And the Spirit and the bride say, Come ... "
Therefore, it seems that the testifying to the CHURCHES that Jesus is the root and offspring of David is associated with the marriage of God's Bride. Could this be so? I believe that it is.HER HEBRAIC ROOTS
In most recent times, the Spirit of God is awakening the church concerning her Hebraic roots and the role of God's Torah in our lives. This is God's final testimony to the church through the outpouring of His Holy Spirit to encourage all believers in Jesus as Messiah to embrace and understand the role of the Torah in God's prophetic plan before Jesus comes to get His Bride.Because the Bride of Christ will teach the Torah to all nations during the 1,000-year Messianic Age, (Isaiah 2:2-3) the Holy Spirit must awaken the church to the knowledge and understanding of the Torah so that God can raise up an army of people who will love God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength, be spiritually mature, and have the knowledge of the Torah of God written upon their hearts. Therefore, this mighty move of God's Holy Spirit is a preparation for the Bride of Christ to make herself ready for her wedding to Jesus, the Bridegroom.THE TORAH BE GOD'S BRIDE?
Does that mean that everyone who embraces the Torah through the awakening of God's Spirit will be the Bride of Christ? No! The reason is that the Bride of Christ must be spiritually mature AND have the knowledge of the Torah of God. Some believers who embrace the Torah are spiritually immature. Only God can judge our hearts and only He can determine among the Body of Christ who is spiritually mature and who is not spiritually mature.KEEP GOD'S COMMANDMENTS
Keeping the Torah of God has a role to play in reaching spiritual maturity. We know from the words of Jesus that those who keep the commandments (Torah) of God and teach others to do so will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven but those who break the commandments (Torah) of God and teach others to do so will be least in the Kingdom of Heaven. In Matthew 5:19 it is written:- "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Therefore, Jesus is testifying to the churches through His angel that He is the root and offspring of David because God's Bride will be a people after God's own heart and will love the Torah of God just like David. David in Hebrew means "Beloved" and "Beloved" is a term for God's Bride.David was a man after God's own heart. In Acts 13:22 it is written:- "And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my wiIl."
Why was David a man after God's own heart? The answer is found in Psalm 119. The reason that David was a man after God's own heart is because David LOVED God's Torah! Let us examine Psalm 119 to understand this truth.Psalm 119 was written by David. Psalm 119 consists of 176 verses. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 119 is a poetic psalm which goes through the entire Hebrew alphabet in units of eight verses each. Twenty-Two times Eight =176.The Hebrew alphabet begins with the letter, Aleph , and ends with the letter, Tav . In Revelation 22:13, Jesus spoke these words as it is written:- "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."
The Alpha and the Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet . The way that this would be said in Hebrew is "I am the Aleph and the Tav."In Genesis 1:1 it is written:- "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. "
If you examine this verse in Hebrew, you will find that the fourth Hebrew word is "Aleph, Tav."Therefore, in Hebrew, Genesis 1:1 reads:- " In the beginning (Bereishit), God (Elohim) created (bara), (Aleph, Tav) ..."
From this we can understand that Jesus is indeed the Aleph and the Tav, the beginning and the end.In each verse in Psalm 119, David praises God for His Torah. Since Jesus is the Aleph and the Tav, the beginning and the end, then the entire Psalm 119 is written about Jesus. From this we can understand that Jesus is the Living Torah!!There are three main things highlighted in Psalm 119. They are as follows:- The Hebrew Language
- The Torah of God
- The Number Eight
In Psalm 119, the Hebrew language is being highlighted because Psalm 119 goes through the entire Hebrew alphabet letter by letter. The Torah of God is being highlighted because in each verse in Psalm 119 David praises God for His Torah. The number eight is highlighted because Psalm 119 goes through the entire Hebrew alphabet in units of eight verses each.Each verse in Psalm 119:1-8, begins with the first letter in the Hebrew language, the Aleph . Each verse in Psalm 119:9-16, begins with the second letter in the Hebrew language, the Beth . Each verse in Psalm 119:17-24 begins with the third letter in the Hebrew language, the Gimel . This pattern is repeated for the entire Hebrew alphabet to the end of Psalm 119. Therefore, Psalm 119 highlights the Hebrew language, the Torah and the number eight.THE NUMBER EIGHT
Why is the number eight being highlighted in Psalm 119? Seven is God's number for perfection and completion. The seven days of creation represent 7,000 years of time. In Psalm 90:4 it is written:- "For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. "
In 2 Peter 3:8 is it written:- "But, beloved, (a term for God's Bride) be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
Therefore, the seven days of creation are a spiritual picture of seven thousand years of time. The seventh day of creation, the Sabbath, is a spiritual picture of the 1,000-year Messianic Age.In Leviticus 23, God gave His people seven festivals. They are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles. Once again, seven is the Biblical number for perfection and completion. These seven festivals are important because they reveal the prophetic plan of God. The first four festivals give insight about the first coming of Jesus. The last three festivals give insight about the second coming of Jesus. All of these festivals teach about our personal relationship with God. For more information about the Biblical festivals, please read my book, The Seven Festivals of the Messiah . This book can be purchased by writing to Hebraic Heritage Ministries International.The seventh festival is Tabernacles. The feast of Tabernacles is to be celebrated for seven days. In Leviticus 23:33-34 it is written:- "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord."
The Feast of Tabernacles is not only the seventh festival but it happens on the seven month and it is to be celebrated for seven days. In this, God is highlighting the Feast of Tabernacles and the number seven. The Feast of Tabernacles is prophetic of the 1,000 year Messianic Age. The end of the l,000 year Messianic Age ends the prophetic picture of the seven days of creation and the seventh of the seven festivals. Therefore, at the conclusion of the l,000 year Messianic Age, God's prophetic plan for mankind will be completed and we will enter eternity.The number eight in the Bible is the number of new beginnings. At the conclusion of the 1,000-year Messianic Age, God will create a new heaven and a new earth. This is mentioned in Revelation 21:1-3. Therefore, the number eight represents new beginnings, the time beyond time or eternity.God gave a prophetic blueprint of eternity when He gave instruction concerning the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. In Leviticus 23:33-34, 36 it is written:- "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly .. "
The Feast of Tabernacles is a seven-day festival unto God. It is celebrated on the Jewish Calendar on Tishrei 15-21. The eighth day, Tishrei 22, is known in Hebrew as "Shemini Atzeret " which means, "The eighth conclusion". The day following "Shemini Atzeret " is Tishrei 23 which is known in Hebrew as "Simchat Torah "which means, "The rejoicing in the Torah."Therefore, after the completion of time as represented by the Feast of Tabernacles, which is the seventh festival, the seventh month and celebrated for seven days and is a spiritual picture of the l,000 year Messianic Age, we have"Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah " which represents eternity.Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are celebrated jointly with each other and is seen by the Jewish people as one day even though it extends over two physical calendar days. Therefore, the eighth day which God attached to the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles was done by God to represent the time following the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles or eternity. Because Shemini Atzeret (the eighth conclusion) is associated with Simchat Torah (the rejoicing in the Torah) and this represents eternity, we can understand that during eternity, all believers who will be in heaven will be rejoicing over the Torah of God. Therefore, the number eight represents the new heavens and the new earth (Revelation 21:1-3) and eternity.Eternity is highlighted in God's Biblical festivals by the eighth day following the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Simchat Torah is known in Hebrew as the "Rejoicing in the Torah." Therefore, the number eight in Psalm 119 is highlighting eternity. Eternity is foreshadowed by all believers who will be in heaven and rejoicing in the Torah of God even as David rejoiced and praised the Torah of God in each verse of Psalm 119.In conclusion, what is the key of David and why did God call David a man after God's own heart? The Key of David is the Torah. Because David loved God's Torah, God called David a man after His own heart. David in Hebrew means, "Beloved." Beloved is a term for God's Bride. Therefore, the Bride of Christ shall be the "beloved " of God because she will be like David and love God's Torah.In the book of Revelation, Jesus testified to the churches that He has the Key of David and He is the root and offspring of David. By doing so, Jesus wanted His Church to identify with David when they identified with Jesus. When Jesus lived on the earth, He was a Torah-Observant Jew. When Jesus associated Himself with David, He was identifying Himself with the Torah and the role of the Bride to rule and reign on the earth as kings and priests with Him during the Messianic Age and then for all eternity.In Psalm 119, God highlights the Hebrew language, the Torah and the number eight. Hebrew is the spiritual language given by God to His people. The number eight in the Bible represents new beginnings as well as eternity. In Psalm 119, the Torah is highlighted along with the number eight because God wanted to communicate a spiritual message to His people through the Holy Spirit that God's Torah is eternal. God's Torah will be kept by His people for all eternity when God creates the new heavens and the new earth. David was a man after God's own heart because David loved God's Torah. The Key of David is the Torah. The Key of Davidis written on the heart of God's Bride. 
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