Dear Five Doves,

For several months now I have been reading John 11. It tells about Martha and Mary meeting Yahshua as He approaches their town after Lazarus’s death. Anytime I see two women in a story I immediately think of Israel and the Church. And I thought that when I started examining this story but had some trouble with that relationship. I am going to present my observations and see what comments you have.

I really believe that the story has elements concerning prophecy in it. Mary’s name means “bitterness” in Hebrew. Martha’s name is of Chaldean, or gentile, origin and may mean “mistress” as in the mistress of a house--one who runs the household. Lazarus is listed by Strong’s as probably having the origin of Eleazer meaning “God of help” or “God is helper”. Bethany is Hebrew for “house of figs”.

As the narrative goes (John 11), after Yahshua received the news of Lazarus’s death He waited two days to begin his journey to see him giving the reason to the disciples that it was for their benefit. When Yahshua arrived in the area the scriptures say that Lazarus had been in the grave four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem. When Martha heard Yahshua was coming but before He arrived she went out to meet Him while Mary stayed in the house. After Martha has a discussion with Yahshua and confesses that she believes that He is the Maschiach--the equivalent of a confession of faith--close to being born again, she speaks to Mary “secretly” and says that Yahshua is calling for her. As soon as Mary “hears” that she “arose” quickly and came to him. The next verse (v 30) emphasizes that Yahshua has not come into the village yet--like it will be at the rapture-but that Mary meets Yahshua where Martha met Him.

The interaction between Mary and Martha and Mary’s subsequent ability to “hear” is reminiscent of the narrative of Joseph. When the Jewish brothers had to return to Yaacov without Simeon--which means hearing--they did not discover who Joseph--the equivalent of Yahshua--was until they were reunited with Simeon. In other words they could not recognize the Maschiach until their hearing was restored.

I wonder that Martha with a Chaldean or “gentile” name might not be the church. That Mary could be symbolic of the Jews and Lazarus of Israel. This could be a scenario of the end times where Martha meets Yahshua in the “parousia” when He is hovering over the earth--the pre-trib rapture--and Mary could be the Messianic Jews in the pre-wrath rapture--much like Marilyn Agee has proposed. The event is specifically dated by “days” and could be explained as the first two days being the time from Avraham to Yahshua’s first arrival and the second two days as from Yahshua’s first arrival to His arrival for the church. Israel around this time would as described by scripture as all but destroyed-- “dead” or almost so and in great need of being revived. For time comparison the few moments of the event of Mary and Martha meeting Yahshua compared to the days that Lazarus lay in the tomb would be consistent.

Martha, with the Chaldean name, is characterized as the busy one jealous and complaining that Mary, “bitter”, sat at Yahshua’s feet and “did” nothing to help with the guests. That would characterize the church--complaining that the Jews are not ’working in the fields” and “bitter” would definitely characterize the Jews of today!

Well this might be stretching it but there just seems to me to be something prophetic in this account. Maybe the Holy Spirit will empower some of you here at Five Doves with greater understanding.

Linda Hazelton