Jesus came with healing in His wings

What does this mean? It is a reference to a prophecy found in the book of Malachi.

Malachi 4:2

“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall." 

This verse is prophetic. According to Jewish sages and tradition “the sun of righteousness” in this verse was understood to be a reference to the Messiah to come, which would have the power to heal who ever touched the tzitzit (wings) on His garment. No doubt this is what the women in the following Scripture had been taught and was hoping for when she reached out to grab Yeshua’s tzitzit (wings).

Matthew 9:20-22
“And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.”

The word translated as the “hem of His garment” is kraspedon in the Greek. This is the very same word used to translate the word for tzitzit, meaning fringes or tassels, in the Septuagint (Greek version of the Old Testament). She was grasping at His tzitzit! This story is also related in the following passage in the gospel of Mark:

                                      

Mark 5:25-34
“Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."”

What exactly was she putting her faith in? Was it the fringes? I don’t think so. I think she understood the prophecy, recognized her Messiah and wanted to reach out and touch the tzitzit (wings) of the One that was promised to have healing in His wings in the prophetic writings! She had faith that Yeshua was the awaited Messiah!

A couple more passages in regard to Yeshua’s fulfillment of this prophecy are here:

Mark 6:56
“Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the marketplaces, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.”

Matt. 14:35-36

“And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured.”

Again the word translated as “fringe of His cloak” is referring to His tzitzit or fringes located on the four corners of His garment. How do we know this? Well, first of all Yeshua was an obedient Jew who followed every command of YHVH’s law. If He did not He could not have died for our sins as He was required to keep every law perfectly in order to be the spotless lamb worthy of slaughter as the Passover sacrifice. Secondly, as I pointed out before, the very word used in the Greek in the above verses is also the word used in translating the fringes described in the Old Testament.

So what are these fringes? What is the garment that Yeshua wore? Historically the males of Israel wore what they called a talit as an outer garment. This was much like a robe, a long sheet with a hole for the head and a rope tied around the waist. The fringes or tzitzit would have been attached to the four corners of this garment. Around the year C.E.135 the wearing of the talit was outlawed by Rome. At this time the Talit became a concealed garment worn underneath one’s clothes. It became a type of four-cornered undershirt with tzitzit on each corner. This same type of garment is still used by many Jews today. There is an outer garment used as well today that is more common. It is like a shawl and worn across the shoulders with the tzitzit on each corner. Below are a couple pictures of these types of talits.

The Talit, or outer garment, is referenced throughout Scripture and quite significant. We find it present in the interaction between Ruth and Boaz, David and Saul, throughout the Psalms, in the Prophetic books including Revelation and in the Gospels as well. Any time you read of a robe, wings, covering, cloak or garment it is probably a reference to the very same garment that Yeshua wore daily with His tzitzit attached to the corners.

We have already discussed the prophetic fulfillment of healing coming from Yeshua’s tzitzit. In doing so I have shown how Yeshua did in fact wear a garment with tzitzit. So what does that mean for us as followers of Messiah? Are we not to follow in His footsteps? Should we, gulp, be wearing tzitzit? And if so how often? Should they be according to Jewish tradition? Are they only for men? What do the Scriptures tell us about this commandment?

There are two main passages regarding the commandment to wear fringes. Let’s take a look at them.

Numbers 15:38-40 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your Elohim.”

Deuteronomy 22:12 “You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself.”

It seems pretty clear that this is a commandment of YHVH. But what does it mean? Let’s start with who this command is for. Numbers tells us that it is for the “sons” of Israel. Okay, so the men right? Well not exactly. When you look at the word that is translated as “sons” it actually means children, it is not gender specific. So this command is for all of Israel. Since I believe that I have been grafted into Israel I consider myself to be commanded to wear these fringes. Now traditionally these fringes were only worn by men. Women today in the Jewish community are considered exempt from this command. I did a lot of reading only to find that there is controversy on this subject. The Orthodox do not allow women to wear tzitzit as they say it is to be attached to a man’s garment and women are forbidden to dress like men. Yet, the commandment is pretty clear in my reading, it is for all of the children of Israel, not just the men. Then I read that The Talmud in Menachot 43a reports that Rabbi Judah attached fringes to the aprons of women in his household and there it says:

"All must observe the law of tzitzit, Cohanim, Levites and Israelites, converts, women and slaves." 

So at least some Jewish sages in the past have required women to wear tzitzit. This was reassuring of my reading of the commandment which led me to conclude that women may actually be included in the commandment to wear tzitzit. But I recognize that there are debates on this. At any rate I don’t see any indication that women should be exempted of this commandment.

There is no clear indication of how often or when to wear tzitzit. Some suggest that because the commandment states that the four corners of the garment should contain the tzitzit that this is a reference to everyday clothing and therefore should be worn daily. During Yeshua’s time these garments were most certainly worn daily.  What does the text tell us is the reason to wear these tzitzit?

“…It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, …”

In my opinion it couldn’t hurt to wear them daily, after all when do we need to be reminded of YHVH’s commandments? Is it only during prayer, during religious gatherings and special occasions? Or are we to remember and follow the commandments in our daily lives? I personally feel that we need the most reminding when out in the world living our daily lives. But, again that is my personal leading on this subject.

In Deuteronomy we see that the tassels are to be placed on the four corners of the garment. This word “corners” is translated from the Hebrew “Kanaph”. Here is Strong’s definition of the word:

“1) wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt

a) wing

b) extremity

1) skirt, corner (of garment)”

The same word is translated as wing, skirt, borders and corners in Scripture.

The word tzitzit literally means like a blossom, fringe, tassel or lock (like a lock of hair). It is an outgrowth of something else. Like a flower brings forth fruit from the plant the tzitzit are to be a reminder of the fruit we are to bear as we follow the commandments of YHVH.

Let’s take a look at where the words Kanaph and tzitzit show up throughout Scripture. We see the word Kanaph used during the interaction between Ruth and Boaz in the following passage:

Ruth 2:12 

"May YHVH reward your work, and your wages be full from YHVH, the Elohim of Israel, under whose wings (kanaph) you have come to seek refuge."

Ruth 3:8-9 

"In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet. ‘Who are you?’ he asked. ‘I am your servant Ruth,’ she said. ‘Spread the corner (kanaph) of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman- redeemer." 

Boaz recognizes that Ruth was taking refuge under the “wings” kanaph of YHVH. She had placed herself under His divine covering and protection. And then she came under the corner (kanaph) of Boaz’s garments. The garment being referred to would have had his fringes on the corners. Ruth was asking Boaz to marry her by suggesting that he place his cover over her just as she had been covered by YHVH.

You will also find the word kanaph throughout the psalms:

Ps. 17:8 "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings (kanaph)."

Ps. 36:7 "...both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings (kanaph)."

Ps. 57:1 "Have mercy on me, O YHVH, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings (kanaph) until the disaster has passed."

Ps. 61:4 "I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings (kanaph)."

Ps. 63:7 "Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings (kanaph)."

We are to find our protection and shelter in the wings (kanaph) of YHVH. When a person comes under YHVH’s kanaph they are placing themselves under His authority and His commands. In a Jewish wedding the groom and bride are married under a huppah. The huppah is a structure made by the groom of which the roof is the man’s talit, or prayer shawl (garment) which he attaches his tzitzit to (his kanaph). The symbolism of the bride coming under the talit as she is to marry the groom is significant. She is essentially placing herself under her husbands’ wing and authority. It is the same with YHVH; we are to be under his wing and authority.

In conclusion, I think it is quite clear that we are to wear tzitzit. Books have been written describing exactly how they should be tied, what exact color blue should be used in the thread, who should wear them and how often, but never is it questioned IF we should wear them. It is a commandment of YHVH. Yeshua wore them. We should be wearing them, whether you wear them just during prayer or everyday they are a reminder and a marking of the set-apart life that we are to live as followers of the One True G-d.

I would like to leave you with the following prophetic word out of the book of Zechariah:

Zechariah 8:23 “Thus says YHVH of hosts, 'In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment (kanaph) of a Jew, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that Elohim is with you.”

There will come a time in the future that Gentiles will be trying to grab the tzitzit of a Jew. Why would they do this? I believe we are seeing the beginnings of this today in the Messianic movement. Many Gentiles are grasping at the Jews in order to learn the commandments of YHVH that have been lost and hidden from them through the doctrines of men that teach to disregard YHVH’s commandments. True gentile believers are starting to recognize the need to return to Torah and are going to those that know Torah to learn it.

There really is so much more that could be written regarding the significance of the talit and the tzitzit within Scripture. But, for the sake of space I would like to challenge all of you to think about wearing the original ‘What Would Jesus Do’ accessories. Those that Yeshua Himself wore as a fulfillment of the commandment of YHVH. After all what would Jesus do? I can assure you He would wear tzitzit.

Shalom!