Definition and Context:
The term "massing" is not directly found in the Bible; however, it can be understood in a biblical context as the gathering or assembling of people, often for a specific purpose. In the Scriptures, gatherings of people are significant events that can be for worship, battle, or communal decision-making. The concept of massing can be seen in various instances where people come together, either by divine command or human initiative.

Biblical Instances:

1. Worship and Religious Gatherings:
The Israelites frequently gathered for worship and religious observances. One of the most notable gatherings was at Mount Sinai, where the Israelites assembled to receive the Law from God through Moses. In Exodus 19:17 , it is written, "Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain." This massing was a pivotal moment in the establishment of the covenant between God and His people.

2. Feasts and Festivals:
The Law of Moses prescribed several feasts and festivals that required the massing of the Israelites. These included the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Deuteronomy 16:16 states, "Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles."

3. Military Assemblies:
The Bible records numerous instances of massing for military purposes. The Israelites often gathered to defend their land or to conquer territories as directed by God. In Judges 7:7 , God instructs Gideon, "With the three hundred men who lapped I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the others go home." This strategic massing of a small group was used by God to demonstrate His power and deliverance.

4. Community Decision-Making:
Assemblies were also convened for communal decision-making and addressing issues within the community. In Acts 15, the early church gathered in Jerusalem to discuss and decide on the matter of Gentile believers and the observance of the Law. Acts 15:6 notes, "So the apostles and elders met to look into this matter."

5. Prophetic Gatherings:
Prophets often called for the massing of people to hear the word of the Lord or to witness a prophetic act. Elijah's challenge to the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel is a prime example. In 1 Kings 18:20 , it is recorded, "So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel."

Theological Significance:
Massing in the biblical sense often signifies unity and collective purpose, whether in worship, warfare, or decision-making. It underscores the importance of community and the power of collective action under divine guidance. The gatherings of God's people are moments of covenant renewal, divine instruction, and communal solidarity. They reflect the biblical principle that God often works through His people corporately, not just individually.

Application for Believers:
For contemporary believers, the concept of massing can be seen in the gathering of the church for worship, prayer, and fellowship. Hebrews 10:25 exhorts believers, "Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." This highlights the ongoing importance of assembling together in faith communities to fulfill God's purposes and encourage one another in the faith.(p. pr. & vb. n.) of Mass.1471. goy -- nation, people
... Rarely (shortened) goy {go'-ee}; apparently from the same root as gevah (in the
sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a ...
/hebrew/1471.htm - 6k

Peace on Earth through Righteousness
... I saw, from my post of observation in Holland, the hosts of heathen Germany massing
for their attack on the world's peace in the spring of 1914. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/van dyke/what peace means/ii peace on earth through.htm

The Gethsemane Prayer
... It was the hour of massing all of Satan's forces for a final, last conflict Jesus
had said, "The prince of this world cometh and findeth nothing in me." The ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/xii the gethsemane prayer.htm

The Chronology
... the order of the gospel; (2) Mark 2:1 to iii.6 contains a group of five conflicts
with the critics of Jesus, which represents a massing of opposition that ...
/.../rhees/the life of jesus of nazareth/iv the chronology.htm

The Religious Uses of Memory
... But, by combining and massing and presenting the consequences of the apparently
insignificant and isolated events of the past, memory helps us to a clearer ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/the religious uses of memory.htm

More than Conquerors
... I. First of all, the impotent enemies of love. There is contempt in the careless
massing together of the foes which the Apostle enumerates. ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/more than conquerors.htm

What a Good Man Is, and How He Becomes So
... call 'good.'. Now, I suppose I need not spend much time in massing together,
in brief outline, the characteristics of Barnabas. He ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/what a good man is.htm

November the Eleventh Foiling the Enemy's Plots
... intercession. "But I have prayed for thee." That "but" is the massing of the
forces of heaven against the black and subtle hordes of hell. ...
/.../my daily meditation for the circling year/november the eleventh foiling the.htm

'As Sodom'
... We look with the narrator's eye at the deliberate massing of the immense besieging
force drawing its coils round the doomed city, like a net round a deer, and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/as sodom.htm

Whether the Damned are in Material Darkness?
... Some hold that this darkness is caused by the massing together of the bodies of
the damned, which will so fill the place of hell with their numbers, that no ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the damned are in.htm

Literature.
... Clinton, HF Fasti Romani, 1((Oxf.1845), 348-397; 2((1850), 86-94. This is a most
convenient massing of sources, including groupings of laws and inscriptions. ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/section 3 literature.htm

Massing (6 Occurrences)
... & vb. n.) of Mass. Multi-Version Concordance Massing (6 Occurrences). ... So all the
men of Ephraim, massing themselves together, kept the ways across Jordan. (BBE). ...
/m/massing.htm - 8k

Thunder-flames (8 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 10:13 At the sound of his voice there is a massing of waters in the heavens,
and he makes the mists go up from the ends of the earth; he makes the ...
/t/thunder-flames.htm - 8k

Mists (6 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 10:13 At the sound of his voice there is a massing of waters in the heavens,
and he makes the mists go up from the ends of the earth; he makes the ...
/m/mists.htm - 8k

Mist (17 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 10:13 At the sound of his voice there is a massing of waters in the heavens,
and he makes the mists go up from the ends of the earth; he makes the ...
/m/mist.htm - 12k

Storehouses (23 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 10:13 At the sound of his voice there is a massing of waters in the heavens,
and he makes the mists go up from the ends of the earth; he makes the ...
/s/storehouses.htm - 15k

Store-houses (32 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 10:13 At the sound of his voice there is a massing of waters in the heavens,
and he makes the mists go up from the ends of the earth; he makes the ...
/s/store-houses.htm - 16k

Sends (94 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 10:13 At the sound of his voice there is a massing of waters in the heavens,
and he makes the mists go up from the ends of the earth; he makes the ...
/s/sends.htm - 32k

Massias

/m/massias.htm - 6k

Massive (4 Occurrences)

/m/massive.htm - 7k

Pounce (2 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 33:4 And the goods taken in war will be got together like the massing of
young locusts; men will be rushing on them like the rushing of locusts. ...
/p/pounce.htm - 7k

Massing: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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