Doctrine
of the Almond
Exo 25:33-34
Shaped like almond
blossoms … a knob/bulb and a flower.
Almond
This tree, a
member of the rose family, very much resembles the peach in form and blossom;
it is the only other species of the same genus,
A-myg-dalus com-mun-is
The almond is
diffused by culture from China to Spain, on both sides of the Mediterranean, in
the S of England, and in southern portions of the United States.
There is no
region, however, where it thrives better than in Syria.
There are four
species of wild almonds in the Bible lands.
Four being the
number of Creation and Material Completion.
The common variety
grows to the height of 25 feet
The almond tree
blossoms toward the end of January or the beginning of February, before the
coming of the leaves. So that the appearance of a tree in full bloom is
striking.
Although the
blossoms are tinged with pink, the general effect is white.
The bloom of some
varieties is almost pure white.
From a little
distance, in other parts the delicate pink, always present at the inner part of
the petals, is diffused enough to give a pink blush to the whole blossom.
The fruit is a
drupe with a dry fibrous or woody husk, which splits into two halves as the
fruit ripens.
The early
blossoming is the origin of the name shaôkÖeôdh, which contains the idea of “early,” The Hebrew name of the almond is the
“waker, wakeful, hastening,” in allusion to its being the first of the fruit
trees to awake in the winter and put forth its blossoms.
Ex 23:16 “Also you shall observe the
Feast of the Harvest of the first
fruits of your labors from what you
sow in the field;”
Turn to 1 Cor
15:20-23
Rom 8:23 “And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the
Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of
our body.”
1 Cor
16:15” Now I urge you, brethren (you know
the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that
they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints).”
James 1:18 “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so
that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”
The masses of
almond trees in full bloom in some parts of Palestine make a very beautiful and
striking sight.
Heb. shaôqeôd, “the
awakening one,” probably from its early blossoming.
The common wild
variety grows a kernel, which is bitter from the presence of a substance called
(amygdalon), which yields in its turn prussic (hydrocyanic) acid.
Young trees are
grafted with cuttings from the sweet variety or are budded with apricot, peach
or plum.
The fruit is eaten
in two stages, the first the tender, acidulous, unripe, crisp pod, and the
other the ripe almonds, so familiar everywhere.
The
bitter Almond was primarily used for is oil while the sweet was used for
desserts.
Gen 27:34 “When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly
great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!”
Rev 10:9 “So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he
said* to me, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter,
but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10I took the little
book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey;
and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. 11And they said*
to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues
and kings.”
Charles Ryrie: The
eating of the little scroll was to remind John that although these truths from
God may be pleasant to his taste, they were better when digested, because they
spoke of judgment. The revelation of
God's judgment, on careful reflection should always bring heaviness of heart to
the child of God. Ezek 2:8-3:27.
Bitter and sweet
speak to the dual effect of God's word.
To the one who
loves and obeys the Word it is sweet as honey, to the one who rejects the Word
and is bitter towards it, the Word judges them and is bitter to them, just as
Salt preserves flesh and deadens the Land.
Both represent His Word, one in provision for Life the other in
judgment.
Lev 16:12-13; “And he shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon
the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and
bring it inside the veil. 13And
he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense
may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony.”
Ex 15:22-27; 2
Cor 2:14-17
2 Cor 2:17; “For
we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as
from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.”
Peddling
êáðçëåýù - kapeôleuoô kap-ale-yoo'-o
A huckster, to
retail, to adulterate, corrupt.
Sincerity
åkëéêñéíåßá - eilikrineia [i-lik-ree'-ni-ah]
Clearness, purity,
sincerity.
åkëéêñéíÞò - eilikrineôs [i-lik-ree-nace']
ålëç - heileô: the sun’s ray, and
êñßíù - krinoô; to judge, decide
eilikrineôs: judged by
sunlight, tested as genuine, pure, sincere.
Here Paul contrasts the deceitfulness of
the religious hucksters of his day with his pure motives and honorable methods
in preaching the gospel.
Mat 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Ex 25:33-34,
“Three cups shall be shaped like almond blossoms in the
one branch, a bulb and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms
in the other branch, a bulb and a flower—so for six branches going out from the
lampstand; 34and in the lampstand four cups shaped like almond blossoms,
its bulbs and its flowers.”
ã÷LÜ
- shaòqad [shaw-kad']
To be / make
almond shaped, make like almonds. Cups shaped like almond blossoms
ã÷«LÜ
- shaòqeòd shaw-kade'
The almond tree or
nut; (as being the earliest in bloom).
ã÷LÜ
- shaòqad [shaw-kad']
A primitive root;
to be alert, sleepless; to be on the lookout, remain, wake, awake, watch for,
be alert. Wait.
Greek words
Gregoreuo gray-gor-yoo-o
Keep awake, watch,
be vigilant
PãñõðíÝù
- agrupneoô [ag-roop-neh'-o]
to be sleepless,
that is, keep awake, watch.
Turn to Mark
13:32-37
Mat 26:38-41 w/
Mark 14:34-38 in the Garden of Gesthemane
Mat 25:13 Ten Virgins w/ 24:42 Second coming of the Lord (including the
Rapture)
1Cor 16:13 “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14Let
all that you do be done in love.”
The first mention
of the word Almond in English is found in Gen 30:37, where “Jacob took
him rods of fresh poplar, and of the almond (luôz) and of the plane-tree; and peeled white streaks in them” as a means of
securing “ring-streaked, speckled, and spotted” lambs and goats.
The King James
Version hazel, Lauz is the modern Arabic name for “almond”.
Luz was the old
name of BETHEL (meaning which
see).
Jacob used the
almond (KJV, “hazel”) as a breeding device to increase his herds.
Although not the
same word, Almond has a fertile connotation bringing forth offspring.
Just as the Word
of God is fertile to bring forth Eternal Life.
The first use of
Shaqad our word is when Israel (Jacob) directed his sons to carry almonds as
part of their present to Joseph in Egypt. Gen 43:11
Note: Just after Joseph was
born Jacob performed the fertility process to gain his freedom from Laban.
Palestine is a
land where the almond flourishes, whereas in Egypt it would appear to have been
uncommon.
The Word
flourished in Palestine, while in Egypt (the world / Kosmos) it did not.
Isa 42:6; 49:6; Israel in the land of Palestine was to spread the Gospel throughout the
world.
Jacob sent almonds
as one of the best fruits of the land to satisfy the Egyptian ruler.
Just as the Word /
Christ Jesus should satisfy us today.
Next we see the
Blossoms of the almond are mentioned Ex 25:33 f; 37:19
“Cups made like
almond-blossoms in one branch, a knop
(i.e. knob) and a flower,”
It is doubtful
exactly what was intended—the most probable is that the cup was modeled after
the calyx of the almond flower, (blossom, flower, green protective outer
portion of the flower).
The bowls for the
oil were most likely shaped like almonds. (Ex. 25:33-34).
With its oblong
oval shape sharpened at one end and rounded at the other, the almond nut is
remarkably graceful possibly depicting the Grace of God. just as other things
already mentioned.
This naturally led
to its selection for ornamental carved work; and it was the pattern selected
for the bowls of the golden lampstand.
With its early
bloom and striking color it symbolizes the speedy awakening and powerful
results of light.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is
patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to
repentance.”
Then we see
Aaron’s rod that budded was an almond branch formed into a rod. Num 17:2, 3
Aaron’s rod
miraculously produced ripe almonds, showing he and his tribe were the only
chosen priests. Num. 17:8
Num. 17:8 “Sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe
almonds.”
w/ Heb. 9:4
It identified the
priesthood for the age of Israel and set the precedence for the
Priesthood.
In the age of
grace all believers are members of the new order of Priest and have our
precedence in the resurrected Christ. Heb
7:11-12, 24;
1 Peter 2:5-9
Next we see an
almond tree in full bloom upon a distant hillside has a certain likeness to a
head of white hair.
In Eccl 12:5,
where in the description of old age it says “the almond-tree shall blossom.”
The reference is
to the white hair of age.
The
early-appearing white bloom of the almond serves as a picture of the graying of
a person’s hair, pointing to the haste with which old age comes and the
certainty of death.
Almond blossoms
symbolize the end of ones days on earth.
Gen 42:38; 44:29, 31; Deut 32:25; 1 Kings 2:6&9
Prov 20:29 “The glory of young men is their strength,
And
the honor of old men is their gray hair.”
The early blossom
meant for Jeremiah that the almond watched for spring and gave the prophet a
word play on the almond (Hebrew, shaqed)
and his task to watch (Hebrew, shaqad)
(Jer. 1:11).
The almond tree
reassured Jeremiah that God was not asleep but that He was watching (Shaqad)
The striking
snow-white blossoms also reminded Jeremiah that God's care to perform what He
promised would be as striking as the blossoming almond tree.
This word is used
as an emblem of our Lord's promptness. (Watching, Hasten.)
Psa 70:1” O God, hasten to deliver me;
O LORD, hasten to my help!”
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is
patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to
repentance.”
James 1:19 “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear,
slow to speak and slow to anger; 20for the anger of man does not
achieve the righteousness of God.”
Bulbs
Hebrew kaphtoôr). Part of the ornamentation of the seven-branched lampstand in the
Tabernacle. Exodus 25:31-36;
37:17-22; “calyx”.
øBzôÀkÇ
- kaphtor
Knop, knob, bulb,
capital (top of a column), lintel, to encircle.
Amos 9:1-10
Amos 9:1 “I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said,
‘Smite the capitals so that the
thresholds will shake,
And break them on the heads of
them all!
Then I will slay the rest of
them with the sword;
They will not have a fugitive
who will flee,
Or a refugee who will escape’.”
7 “Are
you not as the sons of Ethiopia to Me,
O sons of Israel?” declares the
LORD.
“Have I not brought up Israel
from the land of Egypt,
And the Philistines from Caphtor
and the Arameans from Kir?
The original
homeland or staging area of the Philistines, perhaps the island of Crete or on
the southwest coast of Asia Minor.
Kaphtoòr
Caphtor, (a wreath shaped island)
The name of a city which means “a crown”.
This has the
connotation of strategic importance; of a nation, city, people or structure.
Just as our Lord
won the strategic victory by striking Satan on the capital. Gen 3:15
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and
the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head,
and you shall bruise him on the heel.”
Kaphtor - Zeph
2:10-15
The capitals or
the pillars of the temples and palaces shall lie broken and strewn upon the
ground, and among those desolate fragments of her pride unclean animals will
prey and devour.
The pelican, a
ceremonially unclean bird a.k.a. cormorant, perhaps an extinct bird, but it has
its Hebrew name from vomiting
It vomits up the
shells which it had swallowed whole, after they had been opened by the heat of
the stomach, and so picks out the animal contained inside.
The very image of
greediness and uncleanness.
2 Peter 2:22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and,
“A sow, after washing, returns to
wallowing in the mire.”
Rev 3:15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you
were cold or hot. 16‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot
nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17‘Because you say, “I am
rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know
that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
"The wild
birds will dwell there with the animals."
“Their beautiful
buildings will be buried under the sands.”
Nahum had also prophesied the fall of Nineveh and its complete destruction.
God describes the punishment of other
nations so the Jews would know that he would avenge them of their enemies in
the long run.
Flower
çø‡tÆ - perach [peh'-rakh]
Calyx, bloom,
blossom, bud, flower.
The Calyx is the
green protective outer coating of the flower.
The root Perach
figuratively means to flourish, break forth
Isa 27:6 “In the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and
sprout, And they will fill the whole world with fruit.”
Num 17:8 “Now on the next day Moses went into
the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi
had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe
almonds.”
Ezek 7:10 “‘Behold, the day! Behold, it is
coming! Your doom has gone forth; the
rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed. 11‘Violence has grown into
a rod of wickedness. None of them shall
remain, none of their people, none of their wealth, nor anything eminent
among them.”
The striking
manner in which flowers burst into bloom for a few short weeks in spring and
then faded into withered leaves was viewed as An illustration of the transient
nature of human life. Job 14:2; Ps. 103:15; Isa. 40:6;
1 Pet. 1:24
The flowers of spring (Song of Sol. 2:12)
signify renewal.
The “fading flower” of Isaiah 28:1 represented the downfall of God’s
disobedient people.
The “lilies of the field” (Matt. 6:28)
grew unassumingly and without any outward signs of anxiety.
If God takes care of the lilies, so God will
take care of His children who need not worry uselessly.
The phrase “flower of her age” (1 Cor.
7:36) described a girl reaching womanhood.
The rich pass away just as quickly as the
period of time for blooming flowers passes away (Jas. 1:10-11).
Living Simply—Yet Focused
“Look at the birds of the
air … . Consider the lilies of the field …” (Matthew 6:26, 28).
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor
spin”—they simply are! Think of the
sea, the air, the sun, the stars, and the moon—all of these simply are as well—yet what a ministry and
service they render on our behalf! So often we impair God’s designed influence,
which He desires to exhibit through us, because of our own conscious efforts to
be consistent and useful. Jesus said there is only one way to develop and grow
spiritually, and that is through focusing and concentrating on God. In essence,
Jesus was saying, “Do not worry about being of use to others; simply believe on
Me.” In other words, pay attention to the Source, and out of you “will flow
rivers of living water” (John 7:38). We cannot discover the source of
our natural life through common sense and reasoning, and Jesus is teaching here
that growth in our spiritual life comes not from focusing directly on it, but
from concentrating on our Father in heaven. Our heavenly Father knows our
circumstances, and if we will stay focused on Him, instead of our
circumstances, we will grow spiritually—just as “the lilies of the field.”
The
people who influence us the most are not those who detain us with their
continual talk, but those who live their lives like the stars in the sky and
“the lilies of the field”—simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that
mold and shape us.
If you want to be
of use to God, maintain the proper relationship with Jesus Christ by staying
focused on Him, and He will make use of you every minute you live—yet you will
be unaware, on the conscious level of your life, that you are being used of
Him.
The Almond Typology Summary
Early waker
Resurrection
First Fruits
4 - Material Completeness
2 - Incarnation
Bitter and Sweet - Word
First Mention - Fertility = Gen
30:37
First Hebrew - The Best = Gen 43:11
Client nations - Israel 1st
= Isa 42:6; 49:6
Bring it to the World
Candlestick = Ex 25:33-34
Light Glorifying Christ
Grace of God
Speed and Power
Aaron’s Rod =
Priesthood Precedence = Num 17:2-3
White Flower =
White/Gray Hair - imminence of death and depicting wisdom = Eccl
12:5