LUKE 13:34 BLESSED IS HE...
June 9, 2019
Baruch Haba Bashem Adonai
Luke 13:34-35
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate! For I tell you, you will never see Me until you say, ‘Baruch ha-ba b’shem Adonai. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
In the Jewish wedding, when the groom approaches the chuppah, these words are said: "Blessed is he who comes". In the book, "Made in Heaven" by Orthodox Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, he explains that this is actually an idiomatic expression which means "welcome". So, when Yeshua/Jesus said you will not see me (again) until you say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord", this is actually "wedding talk" and a Hebraic way of saying, "Welcome!". Yeshua said that He will not return back to the earth at his second coming until He is welcomed as the bridegroom and His people are crying out for Him to return and be married to His people !!! Baruch HaShem !!!!!
This connection with the wedding ceremony and its larger idiomatic meaning stem from a specific passage of scripture, Psalm 118. Psalm 118 is a Hallel Psalm and is associated with the Feast of Tabernacles. It is read throughout the Feast of Tabernacles (Succot) and is highlighted on the final day known as Hoshannah Rabbah, which is the same and yet also a separate celebration. The Jewish people wave their palm branches and plead, “save now” or “Hoshiana”, for the redemption to come. These two holidays point to Psalm 118 as a very glorious Messianic Psalm.
Historically, Psalm 118 testifies to the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles after the completion of the second Temple according to Nehemiah 8:13-18. The Jewish people, in 586 B.C., were a civilization that God removed from their land to be slaves in Babylon for seventy years. They became a lost society. The majority of the people who went into captivity died in Babylon. The Jewish children who went into captivity with their parents were now the elders leading the effort to rebuild the Temple. This was truly a resplendent resurrection of a civilization and faith that was considered dead.
There are several verses in Psalm 118 that are clearly Messianic in nature; 21 and 22 both lend to this:
21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner.
In 22, the word for salvation used is “Yeshua”, the Hebrew/Aramaic name most likely used by Jesus.
This article concentrates on verse 26 though. Due to the connection with Tabernacles/Succot, and the clear Messianic connection, it is this that was spoken by the people as Yeshua entered Jerusalem, as recorded in Matthew 21:9
The crowds going before Him and those following kept shouting, saying,
“Hoshia-na to Ben-David!
Baruch ha-ba b’shem Adonai!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hoshia-na in the highest!”
Hoshiana is from Psalm 118:25 and means “Save Now!”
The people thought this was the Messiah coming to save them, waving palm branches and quoting the Psalm. That is why Jewish tradition since before the captivity has stated that Messiah will not come until the Jewish people state, “Baruch Haba Bashem Adonai/Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord”. This is also why Yeshua quoted this passage Himself when as record in Matthew 23:
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate! [i] 39 For I tell you, you will never see Me again until you say, ‘Baruch ha-ba b’shem Adonai. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
He acknowledged this passage as true and proclaimed Himself as Messiah with this one phrase. There is a great deal of meaning in this one idiom.