Healing in His Wings

But to you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will break out
leaping, like calves released from the stall. (Malachi 4:2)

Ever heard this phrase and wondered where it came from? Let’s take a look at the Hebraic and Greek roots,
as well as the Messianic prophesy hidden behind it. In Numbers 15, God sets a commandment for the
Israelites to wear tzitzit, or plural tzitziyot, the tassels that hang from each corner of their garments. Their
purpose was to remind the Israelites that they were set apart before God and all people.

The Hebrew word for the corner of the garment where the tzitziyot are attached is called the kanaph. Kanaph can also be translated as wings. For this reason, the corners of a prayer shawl are often referred to as wings. In Malachi 4:2 we read, “but to you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings…”. According to the messianic prophesy in Malachi, healing would be found in the wings of the Messiah, or in other words, in the tassels of his garments.

Fast forward about 400 years to Matthew 9, where a woman who has been bleeding for 12 years reaches out and touches Jesus’ garment. In English, the word is usually translated as hem, but the Greek gives a much clearer picture of what she actually reached for. The Greek uses the word kraspedon, meaning a tassel of twisted wool. She was in fact reaching for Jesus’ tzitzit.

This prophecy was well-known to the first-century Hebraic mind and no doubt this woman would also have been familiar with it. By touching his tzitzit, she was making a statement of faith, firstly by expressing her faith in Jesus as the sun of righteousness, and secondly by declaring her faith in God’s prophetic Word. Jesus tells her, “your trust has healed you,” and she was instantly healed.

Her reaching out to the healing power of God was an indicator of her spiritual condition. Is there an area of your life where God is calling you to reach out to Him and trust His miracleworking power? I exhort you to spend time in His Word and in prayer, and place your trust fully in Him. There is peace in His presence and healing in His wings.

in Him,
Ellie