Tobias with the Angel Raphael, by Pietro Perugino (Tobias holds the fish, Raphael the box of ointment) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
TOBIT chapter 6:
1 And as they went on their journey, they came in the evening to the river Tigris, and they lodged there. 2 And when the young man went down to wash himself, a fish leaped out of the river, and would have devoured him. 3 Then the angel said unto him, Take the fish. And the young man laid hold of the fish, and drew it to land. 4 To whom the angel said, Open the fish, and take the heart and the liver and the gall, and put them up safely. 5 So the young man did as the angel commanded him; and when they had roasted the fish, they did eat it: then they both went on their way, till they drew near to Ecbatane. 6 Then the young man said to the angel, Brother Azarias, to what use is the heart and the liver and the gall of the fish? 7 And he said unto him, Touching the heart and the liver, if a devil or an evil spirit trouble any, we must make a smoke thereof before the man or the woman, and the party shall be no more vexed. 8 As for the gall, it is good to anoint a man that hath whiteness in his eyes, and he shall be healed.
9 And when they were come near to Rages, 10 The angel said to the young man, Brother, to day we shall lodge with Raguel, who is thy cousin; he also hath one only daughter, named Sara; I will speak for her, that she may be given thee for a wife. 11 For to thee doth the right of her appertain, seeing thou only art of her kindred. 12 And the maid is fair and wise: now therefore hear me, and I will speak to her father; and when we return from Rages we will celebrate the marriage: for I know that Raguel cannot marry her to another according to the law of Moses, but he shall be guilty of death, because the right of inheritance doth rather appertain to thee than to any other.
13 Then the young man answered the angel, I have heard, brother Azarias, that this maid hath been given to seven men, who all died in the marriage chamber. 14 And now I am the only son of my father, and I am afraid, lest, if I go in unto her, I die, as the other before: for a wicked spirit loveth her, which hurteth no body, but those which come unto her: wherefore I also fear lest I die, and bring my father’s and my mother’s life because of me to the grave with sorrow: for they have no other son to bury them.
15 Then the angel said unto him, Dost thou not remember the precepts which thy father gave thee, that thou shouldest marry a wife of thine own kindred? wherefore hear me, O my brother; for she shall be given thee to wife; and make thou no reckoning of the evil spirit; for this same night shall she be given thee in marriage. 16 And when thou shalt come into the marriage chamber, thou shalt take the ashes of perfume, and shalt lay upon them some of the heart and liver of the fish, and shalt make a smoke with it: 17 And the devil shall smell it, and flee away, and never come again any more: but when thou shalt come to her, rise up both of you, and pray to God which is merciful, who will have pity on you, and save you: fear not, for she is appointed unto thee from the beginning; and thou shalt preserve her, and she shall go with thee. Moreover I suppose that she shall bear thee children. Now when Tobias had heard these things, he loved her, and his heart was effectually joined to he
The Apocrypha : King James Version. Bellingham WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995, S. Tob 6,1-17
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This word i heard by dear Rev. Anselm Gruen, Franciscan monch and business coach. When he finished, he prayed that an angel of the LORD would e coming on the audiance. I saw a lightning flash in the air and an angel come upon me.
Since that time, i find, that parts of the apocryph texts of TOBIT are comig truely realized in my life!-
I prayed for evil spirits to go out- and they had to flee. I prayed that my father should see again- ok. he had a laser eye operation on Grey Star and could see again.
My Family and one aunt gave their silver to me and my wife.
Now i see that the angel RaffaÈl is guiding my life and my ways.
This angel said in ff. chapter: „The secrets of the King shalll be kept in silence, but the wonders of the LORD shall be published.“-
So shall it be to the GLORY of the LORD!
What is the heart and liver of the fish foreshadowing, what is it´s symbolism, that we may use in our time and culture?-
I think, the Fish is the body of christ, the church.
In Chapter 6 of TOBIT a Big Fish jumped out of the river tigris and snapped to bite off the foot. -Sometimes the Body of Christ trys to rip our feet, like Jesus Christ, who has the fish as a symbol has been crucified with a long nail in his feet. So, places and houses and chapters and local churches can hold back the steps of a man because of a women. Tobit was forced by his elders in law to keep ong time of marriage, so that his own elders thought he was already dead. His wife Sara tried to marry 7 men before, but they all have died in the night of marriage celebration in the Honey Moon Chamber. Oh, not a very good party, was it?-
However, this was just a test, a challange for Tobias. He should trust in the angel and trust in GOD. In this incredible story, Tobias caught the fish and took the heart and liver out of the body and the gall as well, as the angel told him to do. He explained to him, that it shall be medicine. The Heart and liver shall be burnt at the perfume ashes, a traier to burn incence to the Glory of GOD. When the evil spirits, that made the earlier husbands of Sara victims (because Sara in former days prayed that she should dy), should smell teh burning sacrifice of the heart and liver of the fish, that bad devil should flee. And it did so and went to Egypt.
OK. there are evil spirits over nations, that hinder the people of Israel to marry and get children. Tobit was from Ninive in Assyria/Persia, while Sara was from the mountain tribes in Media, but of the same family like Tobit and Tobias, from Ephrai´m and Manasse.
When the blessing of Joseph turned to death curse, the heart and liver of the body of christ can turn the curse into blessing again. The burning sacrifice of the body of christ can work like a medicine. So does the gall to open the eyes of the fathers.
Catholic church in martyr times when the passion of Jeshuah Ha Maschich is remembered, reminds of the 7 martyrdoms of christ. He took Gall mixed with vine, and then he died at the cross. When he was dead, the leader of the Italian guard took a spear and choke it into the body of christ Jesus. He hit his side and split the liver and the heart. So water and blood came out of the wounds and have been poured out to the ground. This sacrifice of pierced hear and liver shall be an everlasting offer to forgive the sins of his people and give new life and cleanse them. Every curse is broken at the cross.
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- Jonah & Tobit (hashembible.wordpress.com)
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