Jovial (17 Aug 2005)
"Unlocking the Prophetic Message in Ps 22 with the 42 Journeys"

There's a prophecy of the Messiah in Psalm 22, telling us about His sufferings. Most Orthodox Jewish versions of Ps 22:17 read kari in the traditional Jewish Masoret manuscript and karu or "they have pierced" in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the LXX. Most Jewish translations use the kari reading and translate this phrase as "like a lion", while most Christians translations use the karu reading and translate this as "they have pierced", understanding that this is refering to the piercing of the Messiah on the cross.

Is there a way we can prove which interpretation is correct? Yes. Because each verse in Psalm 22 develops the theme of the various encampments in sequence. I will show a few examples, although for brevity, I won't start at the beginning because it would take too long. But it can be shown that each verse thematically develops the next encampment in Numbers 33 and this is something done in the book "The 42 Journey Pattern...". Let's just start with verse 14 where Chatzeroth is the theme of the verse in question...

Verse Encampments Psalm 22 section

Numbers 33:14 Chatzeroth = "surroundings" or refers to an area that surrounds another area (a courtyard, etc) In Ps 22:16 ends with "...Dogs have encompassed me.", which of course thematically matches the stage of Chatzeroth in Num 33:15.

Num 33:15 Rithmah = hitched, fastened, bound, etc. Ps 22:17 says, "they have pierced my hands and my feat" in most Christian translations, but the Jewish JPS translation reads, "like a lion, they are at my hands and my feet."

Num 33:16 Rimmon Peretz = separation of fruit In Ps 22:18-19 it talks about separation of various things. That he can count all his bones; you can only count things that are separate. And that they divided His garments. His garments were a "fruit" of His execution, and the soldiers divided those garments among themselves. So this correlates thematically with the meaning of the stage called "Rimmon Peretz".

Now it can be shown that The entire Psalm in PS 22 does this, and in my book, "The 42 Journeys Pattern of our Spiritual Growth and Prophecy (click here for more info on it)" I show how the entire Psalm thematically uses the next stage in sequence of the Pattern in Num 33 poetically to describe the suffering of the Messiah. If we realize that Ps 22:17 MUST match the stage of Rithmah, or it will be the only sentence that does not fit the pattern, then we begin to see how the interpretation by those who believe in the Messiah MUST be the right one. Because if you interpret this as "like a lion", then this becomes the only verse in which there is no connection between the sentence and the Stage it corresponds to. But if we interpret this as "they have pierced", understanding this foretells them fastening the Messiah to the cross, then we have a thematic connection between this verse and Rithmah, which can certainly mean to fasten, hitch, bind, etc.

Luke 24:44-47 records our Savior telling His disciples this....

"This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶He told them, "This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached …"

Ps 22 was one of the verses He opened their minds to understand. In fact, "The 42 Journey Pattern..." shows how Psalm 23, which describes how we are blessed by God, is dependend on the death and resurrection of the Messiah by virtue of the way it is poetically connected to Psalms 22 and 24. "The 42 Journey Pattern..." also shows you EXACTLY WHERE in the wilderness story it tells us that His death would last THREE DAYS, and that He would rise again from the dead. But you have to see how these Psalms use the 42 Journeys symbolically, and how the various stages symbolize what they represent, and how the Life of our Messiah would fulfill each stage to understand this.

Some of you read my earlier work on The Creative Forces, and how the poetry of Psalms developes the symbolic meaning of each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Psalms 22, 23 , 24 and Revelation 12-16 do identically the same thing with the 42 Journey pattern. Both His first coming, and His second coming, are foretold in the 42 Journey Pattern.

My new book, "The 42 Journey Pattern..." will help open your mind to understand the type of things that Luke was talking about in Luke 24:44-47. In fact, it will help you understand a lot of issues related to this. For example, Hosea 11:1-2 says...

"When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images."

Matt 2:14-15 says this...

"So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

Hosea was talking about Israel. Matthew was talking about the Messiah. So why does Matthew quote a verse that talks about Israel? The answer is explained in the 42 Journey Pattern. When you see how the Messiah's life fulfilled this 42 Journey Pattern, you'll understand EXACTLY why Matthew quoted this verse, because this book will help open your mind to understand the Scriptures at the level Luke was refering to in Luke 24:44-47.

The 42 Journey Pattern is a pattern that is fulfilled in MULTIPLE ways....

In the life of each believer - we go through these 42 journeys spiritually as we grow and develop. The book "The 42 Journey Pattern..." will help you learn how to overcome those tests in your personal life.

In the life of the Messiah - His death and resurrection after THREE DAYS (the exact time period prophecied) is reflected in the 42 Journey Pattern.

In the History of the World - The 42 Journeys started when Adam fell from the Garden. He went through three stages. Noah went through one. Those at the Tower of Babel went through 3 stages. Sodom and Gomorrah went through 6 stages. The last two in Numbers 33 relate to His 1000 reign. But there are still about 4 encampments that must be fulfilled before He returns. What are they? I talk about that in my book. One has to learn this pattern well to use this information to be able to watch for the signs of the times, but it can be done.

In at least one 42 month tribulation period, possibly each of the 42 month periods specified in Revelation. In my book "The 42 Journey Pattern...", I show how each even in the 42 month period of Rev 12-16 fits each stage of the wilderness journey. You'll be amazed at how much this opens your mind to understand the symbolism it uses. But also, if you've ever wondered aboutthe timing of the book of Revelation, this will settle the issue of whether anything in this section is not in chronological order.

This book is a must read for any prophecy student. For more information, click on http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jovial/ads/42journeys.htm to read all about it.

Shalom,

Joe
Home Page : http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jovial/learn/mc/mcindex.htm

Verse	Encampments	Psalm 22 section
Numbers 33:14	Chatzeroth = "surroundings" or refers to an area that surrounds another area (a courtyard, etc)	In Ps 22:16 ends with "...Dogs have encompassed me.", which of course thematically matches the stage of Chatzeroth in Num 33:15.
Num 33:15	Rithmah = hitched, fastened, bound, etc.	Ps 22:17 says, "they have pierced my hands and my feat" in most Christian translations, but the Jewish JPS translation reads, "like a lion, they are at my hands and my feet."
Num 33:16	Rimmon Peretz = separation of fruit	In Ps 22:18-19 it talks about separation of various things. That he can count all his bones; you can only count things that are separate. And that they divided His garments. His garments were a "fruit" of His execution, and the soldiers divided those garments among themselves. So this correlates thematically with the meaning of the stage called "Rimmon Peretz".