SIGN OF THE CROSS - The Lord is returning for a bride who is prepared to meet Him. She will be pure and spotless, made white by His cross and purified through her submission to His careful preparation. Illustrated by the letter "Tav" in ancient Hebrew, her identifying mark will be that very cross.

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Sign Of The Cross

Do You Have The Sign?

by George Whitten

Editor of Worthy Devotions 

Ezekiel 9:4-6 “and the Lord said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark (Tav in Hebrew) on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.’"

To the others He said in my hearing, "Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark (Tav in Hebrew); and begin at My sanctuary."

So they began with the elders who were before the temple.

The Ancient Word Tav, which is also the spelling of the Hebrew Letter Tav translated as mark in Ezekiel 9:4, 6.

The Vav is the image to the left of the cross which means in Ancient Hebrew a nail or a wooden peg.

To the right of the Vav is the image of the cross, which was the method the Hebrew Letter Tav was originally written. 

We began identifying the ancient Hebrew alphabet and exploring the potential symbolic meanings of its letters.

The last letter, "Tav", as we saw, strongly resembles a cross.

Today, we’re going to look at how "Tav" is spelled in ancient Hebrew.

The phonetic spelling of "Tav" is Tav (T)-Vav (V).

Now the ancient letter, "Vav" strongly resembled a commonly used tent peg, and then, later, a common nail.  

So the spelling of "Tav" contains a cross and a nail.

This word in Hebrew is translated, "mark," in the verses above; so, this ancient Hebrew "mark" that was on the foreheads of righteous men who grieved over abominations in the Lord's house, was identified by a word containing a cross and a nail.

Interesting ... since the prophet is told to pass over all those that have that mark, beginning at the Lord's sanctuary, we have an Old Testament picture of the protection of the Lord's cross, expressed by ancient Hebrew letters.

Perhaps this is just another way in which the Lord has expressed His sovereignty, weaving His revelation into the entire fabric of His Word, revealing the protection of the cross in both the Old and New Testaments.

Another interesting aspect of this verse is the location where the Lord's judgment begins: the Lord's sanctuary.

1 Peter 4:17 states that, "it is time for judgment to begin with the house of God."

I understand this to mean that those who are most accountable, who stand, as it were, closest to place where God dwells, will come under His judgment first.

For us who believe, this judgment will be purification, possibly through suffering, as Peter suggests.

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For the wicked, who are increasingly distant from God, His judgment means eternal condemnation.

The Lord is returning for a bride who is prepared to meet Him.

She will be pure and spotless, made white by His cross and purified through her submission to His careful preparation.

Illustrated by the letter "Tav" in ancient Hebrew, her identifying mark will be that very cross.

Are you prepared as a bride should be for her husband?

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Your sorrow and weeping over the abominations in our Lord's world, and even in His body, confirm the mark which is upon you.

Wear the sign with honor -- glorying in it, and carry your cross faithfully to the end, protected from the eternal judgment which awaits all men at His coming.

Would you want to have a deeper relationship with God?

God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life by receiving His Son, Jesus Christ, and have eternal life.

Say the following prayer:

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“Father God, I confess I am a sinner and my sins have separated me from You.

I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my past sinful life and live a new life pleasing to You. I receive Your free gift of salvation.

Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again.

I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer.

I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Thank You that according to your Word, I am now born again, has eternal life, and I am now Your child.

Please send Your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. I promise to study Your Word – the Bible.

Please use me for Your glory.

In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.”

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If you have just put your trust in Jesus Christ, you have been born into God’s family.

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As a spiritual baby, you need to grow by feeding on God’s Word – the Bible (1 Peter 2:2).

You must have a good modern translation Bible and begin prayerfully reading it. Start in the New Testament, such as the Gospel of John or Paul’s letters to the Ephesians.

Also, you need to join a Christian fellowship where the Bible is taught and where God is truly worshiped.

God bless you as you begin your new life with Him!

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