The Mysterious Secret of How a Worm Preached The Gospel

  The Secret of How a Worm Preached The Gospel.

 Yesterday was Nisan 1 and the first day of the Hebrew month that begins the Spiritual New Year and Passover/Pesach is on 14 Nisan (March 31st). This will be the first of the 7 annual Appointed Times of the Lord.

(Click links below for more details on the Feasts)

https://www.minimannamoments.com/palm-sunday-nisan-the-appointed-time-of-the-lamb/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/not-passing-over-passover-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/midweek-mannabite-secrets-of-the-seder-plate/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/unleavened-bread-matzot-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/first-fruits/

Passover is followed immediately by Unleavened Bread; then First Fruits with Pentecost 50 days later.

Mentioned in previous posts, is how everything is connected and that seemingly unconnected events should not be viewed in isolation. A great comparison is that of a jigsaw puzzle with all the pieces that seem to be scattered about in confusion. Taking the time to focus, we discover the pieces start to come together. Then, as we put the last piece into place, we realize everything we needed to understand was right in front of our eyes all the time.A seemingly random reference, in this case is a tiny worm, which has a more significant meaning than on first glance.

Having examined many aspects of the scriptures over the months, it’s time to tie some of them together… so this post promises to be a hearty meal…

Digging deeper, it becomes clear that the story of the Gospel, Jesus (Yeshua) dying on the cross (for the Lost Sheep of Israel and as the gentiles are grafted in with them making one new man); is told in the life cycle of a specific type of tiny worm. 

Several times in scripture, man is referenced as nothing more than a worm.

There are however two words used in Hebrew for the two instances of the word “worm”. Rimmah and Towla; they both have different meanings.

The first, Rimmah, means maggots. This is symbolic, as we see maggots when something is rotting or decaying. In the Bible, mankind is considered rimmah, not because they are the smallest, and most repulsive of all worms, but because of the decay that man is constantly undergoing.

We start dying from the moment we are born! It does not denote our lowliness, but rather our mortal sorrow in terms of our ever-present knowledge and fear of decay, and death. Reading in Genesis, mankind is decaying because of our sin.

There is a group of people who hold to ‘worm theology’ and only consider its literal translation of ‘maggot’. They believe this is how God literally sees us. This is untrue as we are God’s favorite creation, made in His image; God does not look upon Himself as a worm.

However, within this ‘worm’, is a secret message hidden for those who love to dig and it has nothing to do with our self-esteem. The message that everyone is missing out on is  that we are to seriously refrain from sin; yet (1John 2:1) when we do sin, we have an advocate with the Father in Jesus… Here’s how the worm preaches the gospel of the kingdom.

The second Hebrew translation of worm is Tola, Tolaat, Towla or Tow la ath, and is translated scarlet, which is not the normal Hebrew word for worm as the usual word for worm is rimmah (maggot); found in Psalm 22:2-6

But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

Vs. 6 but I am a worm (strongs number 8438 (towla).

08438   //  elwt  //  towla`   //  to-law’  //  and (fem) 
  //  helwt  //  towle`ah   //  to-lay-aw’  //  or 
  //  telwt  //  towla`ath   //  to-lah’-ath  //  or 
  //  telt  //  tola`ath   //  to-lah’-ath  //  

from   03216  ; TWOT – 2516b; n m 

AV – scarlet 34, worm 8, crimson 1; 43 

worm, scarlet stuff, crimson 

1a) worm – the female ‘coccus ilicis’ 

1b) scarlet stuff, crimson, scarlet 

1b1) the dye made from the dried body of the female of the 

worm “coccus ilicis” 

2) worm, maggot 

2a) worm, grub 

2b) the worm “coccus ilicis” 

The picture below is of many worms. They are collected for their body fluids the color of which is indicated by its name, the Crimson/Scarlet Worm.

Extracting this dye is a very difficult task, making it extremely valuable. It would have been used only for royal or Holy garments, and palace or temple decorations.In some cases, it has been recorded that it was even used as rent money.Here the worms are harvested.Each worm was carefully removed from the tree, taken back home,and they would crush the worm’s body over a glass of boiling water.

It is interesting to note that the harvesting of the worms prevents it from fulfilling its reproductive cycle.

The scarlet thread which was tied to the scapegoat at Yom Kippur and was also tied to the Temple doors. It turning miraculously white, when the annual sacrifice for sin had been accepted by the Lord on the Day of Atonement; after  the High Priest offered the sacrifice. Yeshua is our High Priest. (As this subject is also connected, see extended explanation at end of this post.)Wool dyed scarlet, a symbol of sin using the tola’at shani – the crimson worm,
(Latin – armenian conchial).
Jesus truly proved that He was the towla / scarlet when they stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe.    Matthew 27:28

(Adding yet another piece of the puzzle ***see extra note at end.)

Psalm 22 was written almost 1000 years before the crucifixion. However as we read the entire Psalm, it is clear that it is a prophetic event that would take place one day in the future.

In this Messianic Scripture, it parallels Jesus’s/Yeshua’s crucifixion so much, that many Bible scholars and theologians consider the entire prophetic chapter to be Messiah’s own words.If Psalm 22 is supposed to be Messiah’s own words, why would He say that He was a worm? Was Messiah a worm theologist? No absolutely not! Messiah would not associate Himself with the maggots that represent a sinful life symbolized by the word ‘rimmah’; but rather the Tolaath as the name of a specific worm. This Crimson or Scarlet worm is found in the Mediterranean and the Middle East and Israelites would have been familiar with it.

Psalm 22:6 but I am a (worm), Tow la ath, and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

In Matthew 27 and in Mark 15 we find Messiah reciting scripture, (as He taught us to do during temptation while suffering. Matt 4, Luke 4) Jesus is on the cross crying out to God, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” “Why have you forsaken me?!”

God cannot look on sin, so for a brief moment Jesus felt the separation that sin brings between man and God. The very definition of hell – being eternally separated from God’s presence.

Our Heavenly Father knows the future better than we can remember the past and He made sure that it was carefully recorded that His only Begotten Son would bear the punishment for our sin and become the redemption for those who would believe and receive His sacrifice.

A thousand years later, every detail was revealed and unfolded as the prophecy came to pass.

The tremendous truth revealed by this description is not obvious until we begin to study the lifecycle and characteristics of the Crimson or Scarlet worm.

It’s full name is Tola’at Shani; or Scarlet Worm (Coccus Ilicis.)

 This worm is actually a pea sized scarlet insect that feeds on tree sap.The scarlet or crimson worm is of a family of insects that live on oak trees. Its lifespan is about 4–14 weeks. For about the last four weeks of its life, the female is ready to be fertilized and lay eggs. It searches for a specific tree called the Kermes Oak, which is very symbolic of its destiny.

Then it chooses willingly to climb on to the tree, there is nobody forcing it to do so. Remembering that Jesus was not forced to go on the cross it was an act of His free will. Jesus fully obeyed a command from His Father to lay down His life for sinners and take it again as He died to display His love for the saints.

John 10:17 says Therefore, doth my Father love me,because I lay down my life, that I might take it again; No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

He died for all of us, seemingly rejected and alone even though He could have called 12 legions of angels from heaven to come to His aid and save Him.  Matt 26:53        (A legion was approx. 6000)

The Scarlet/Crimson worm climbs up the tree knowing that it will never come down alive. Its sole purpose is to go up the tree to give birth to a family and the only way it can do that is by dying.

Jesus/Yeshua of course knowing everything, He too was willing to die on a tree, (the cross made of wood) to give birth to a family.

Having climbed up, the Crimson worm attaches her body to the tree, fixing herself securely and permanently in place, virtually impaling herself on the tree; because when the babies are born her body will become a safe place in which the offspring will shelter. She remains still until death.

During the birthing process, the mother produces and secretes a Crimson gel or red fluid dye which covers and stains not only the eggs she lays, but also her entire body beneath which the eggs are kept safe.

As she dies, this gel or red fluid dye leaves a stain on the tree, which remains even with the passage of time.

Wind can’t fade it, the rain can’t wash it out.

Below is a picture of a kermes oak tree. The permanent red stain left by the Crimson worm can clearly be seen. The Blood of Jesus stained Him, the cross, and all of us, which are saved as the children of God.

The Bible proclaims in Hebrews 13:8 that Jesus the Messiah, (and His blood shed at the cross), is the same yesterday, today, and forever.As the young mature inside the mother, the body swells until it bursts—killing the mother in the birth process and leaving the dark-red stain upon the tree. The newborn young then feed upon the remaining body of the deceased mother; until they finally emerge and enter their own life cycle.

A further connection is to the Hebrew word for “sign” (owth) also means “a banner!” That banner is the “scarlet thread” that was placed on the hand of Tamar’s twin when he stuck his hand out in Genesis 38:29-30.

Bereshiyth (Genesis) 38:28 And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.This twin is named Zarah or “Zerach” in Hebrew (#2226), and he is a prophetic “type” of Messiah whose name means “rising of light.” On Yom Teruw’ah, the first sliver of the crescent moon is rising until it reaches it’s full light on the 15th of the month (at it’s peak) on the Feast of Tabernacles. But this twin stuck his hand out first as a “sign” or a banner that he was the “first-born!”

That first-born son of Tamar was a prophetic picture of the “first-born” son of Miryam who also became the “first-born” from among the dead.

The first-born son of Tamar bore the scarlet thread to symbolize our Messiah who is also the first-born from among the dead.

His blood flowing out of his hands when he was nailed to the tree was the scarlet thread:This female insect is an illustration of the woman giving birth to a man-child with the scarlet thread!

Meanwhile, something truly amazing occurs. This blood stain actually creates a thick, sticky film and for the three days following her death the worm and the crimson gel can be scraped from the tree. A colored dye can be made from this gel also.

It is the same dye that was used both for the garments of the High Priest and in the Tabernacle!

(Exodus) 35:25 And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.

The garments were Red/Scarlet, Purple and Blue and for specific meaning:

Blue represented Torah/Scripture and the Heavens where Gods throne is.The color Red represents the Blood of the lamb which atones for sins.

The Blue color came from the cerulean mussels were very difficult to find in the sea and thus the dye was very expensive and reserved only for the wealthy and royalty.

Click link for more on Tekhelet snails, the origin of the blue dye, which is the traditional color for Messiah.   https://www.minimannamoments.com/mysterious-secret-of-the-hilazon/

The color Purple is the product of these two colors mixed together, red & blue.

Purple is the color of royalty, as kings often wore purple as a sign of wealth.

Our Messiah symbolizes this worm whose color is mixed with the blue to produce the purple color of royalty; in other words the office of Melchizedek, both king and priest.

The Kings of Judah wrote their own copy of the Scriptures/Torah, (pronounced Towrah), by hand before taking office, so the color of the king is blue, for he executes judgment with the Word of God/Towrah. The priests offered up blood sacrifices for the nation of Yisra’el, hence the color red symbolizes the priesthood.

After the three days the young worms are ready to leave the safety of the shells.The mother is still attached to the shells and to the tree.

On the morning of the fourth day the worm has pulled her head and tail together and is now in the shape of a heart on the tree and begins to change its Crimson color.

When the blood finally dries, as weather affects it, the worm turns into wax which is as white as snow.

The snow white wax resembles a little patch of wool on the side of the tree and it begins to flake off and drop to the ground like snow (or manna).A perfect picture of our saviour! A humble man who should be royalty, leaving a scarlet stain on a tree so that our hearts may become white as snow and as we ‘eat Him’ we receive our daily manna.This wax can also be harvested and made into shellac that is a wood preservative. Just as the resurrection, which serves as the preservative of the message of the cross.The parallel is very clear, Jesus, as the Tolaath, suffered His WAY up the side of Moriah and was attached to the surface of a tree. His Blood stained the tree with a precious, dark crimson. From this sacrificial death, His offspring were given life. 

…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things… but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. I Peter 1:18-19 

On the cross, Jesus quoted the first verse of Psalm 22, thus directing the reader to another interesting discovery… 

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent…But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised of the people. 

The word “worm” in this text is the word Tolaath. This word was specifically used to illustrate what was actually happening in this mournful cry as He experienced separation from the Father. It was taking our sin upon Himself that separated Him and this is the ‘spiritual death’ the severing; i.e. eternal separation from God’s Holy presence.Yes there is death; yes, there is sorrow; yes, blood is shed; but through it all, new life in abundance is born. 

Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God… That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:3-8 

After the emergence of the young, they then feed upon the body of the mother so that they may gain initial sustenance. This picture now brings clarity to the words of Jesus as He institutes the partaking of the communion. Then He took a loaf of bread; and when He had thanked God for it, He broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is My body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” Luke 22:19 So, by His death, the ecclesia, the called out ones, the Congregation of believers, was born. His body and blood sustain us in our newborn state. 

“This wine is the token of God’s new covenant to save you—an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you.” Luke 22:20 

But what if the Tolaa/ Tolaath worm was not to die. Like all maggot larva, it slowly consumes and devours all that is in its path. Not only is there a slow consumption, there is also no new life given. 

“And if your hand makes you sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched; “…where ‘ their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ “And if your foot makes you sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched; “…where ‘ their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ “And if your eye makes you sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire; “…where ‘ their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'” Mark 9:43-48 

Three times Jesus refers to a worm that never dies, but lives on to consume and devour its captive for eternity. Jesus is actually quoting a description of hell described in the final verse of Isaiah. 

“They shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against [the Lord]. For their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched, they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” 

The word worm used in this quoted passage is once again the Tolaa/ Tolaath. This Tolaa/ Tolaath, however, is different in that it has never died. 

Instead of giving birth through its death, it remains alive as an eternal tormentor. 

Every living human being who has ever heard of Jesus dying on the cross as a payment for our sins has a Tolaa/ Tolaath. This Tolaa/ “Tolaath”, is a reference to knowing that salvation is available and that new life can be ours by receiving this free gift offered. This presents us with a choice. 

Either.. Reject Jesus as our personal savior, thus allowing the Tolaa/ Tolaath to live forever. This would be the knowledge in your conscious memory that you rejected the good news in order to live life according to your own desires and your own worldview. 

Or Receive Jesus as your personal savior, thus being part of a new birth that results from His sacrificial death. As you emerge from this Tolaa/ Tolaath, you will be covered and stained with the very blood that brought you forth. 

If the Crimson worm does not die on the tree, her children cannot LIVE.

Hebrews 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

If this tola worm (Jesus) dieth not; we cannot be resurrected into heaven. Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. If we reject what Jesus did on the cross for us, that’s what Mark 9:48 is referring to! Without the Tola’s sacrifice, her children are unable to hatch! Can you imagine burning in Hell, fully understanding you blew it!? You had your chance, but instead rejected your only chance at salvation; which was a sacrifice by someone else?

The similarities are that an individual willingly climbs on to a tree in order to die and birth a family. Jesus willingly went to cross to die so that we can live as His family with Him eternally. The newborn baby worms are covered with the red fluid of the dying mother worm just as we are covered with Jesus red blood and are washed as white as snow. Is 1:18 though they be red like Crimson (tolaath) they shall be as wool.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Is 1:18

In Isaiah 1:18 the words scarlet and crimson refer to red colors that come from certain dyes. Ancient cultures placed great importance on dyes, especially those used for sacred or ceremonial purposes, such as burial clothing or purification rituals (see Leviticus 14:6). The point of a dye is that it is not only colorful but also colorfastmeaning that its rich color will stick to the cloth and not fade or wash away.

Scarlet and crimson are: Bright red, because of the vibrancy of their redness, they are emblems that stand out.

Red has a strong psychological effect on people, and it can be reminiscent of blood, which is sometime a symbol of guilt.

Our sins can can be grievous and obvious. 

Permanent: The colorfast nature of scarlet and crimson dyes is similar to our sins, and the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance. According to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish. The Hebrew words for scarlet (shani) and crimson (tola) signify where the colors were derived from—a worm.

Just before the eggs were to hatch, these female insects were gathered, dried, and boiled. Alum was added as a mordant (a chemical that helps the dye stick to the cloth by combining to form an insoluble compound), and the resulting dye was used to make red-colored cloth.

Snow/Wool. Snow is rare but not unheard-of in most areas of Israel.In the northern part of the country, Mount Hermon is covered in snow every winter (there’s even a ski resort there today).

Wool was one of the most common fabrics in ancient Israel, and raising sheep was a common occupation. To make it a purer and brighter white in preparation for dyeing, wool was commonly soaked and washed in a strong soap.

Snow and wool are: Pure, bright white. White represents purity. When Isaiah says that the Lord can change our sins from scarlet or crimson to snow or wool, he is saying that the Lord can do something that is impossible for us to do on our own. A cloth dyed red stays red. But regardless of the stain of our sins, the Atonement of Messiah Yeshua can make us pure again if we repent.

The statement by the Lord when He calls Himself “a worm” is astounding.

At first glance, we know the worm has always portrayed depravity. It was in Gehenna where we are told in the Bible the worm dieth not and it was a worm that Job likened himself unto because he felt the lowliest of all creation.

“How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in His sight. How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?” Job 25:4-6

Picture above of Jonah who was used as bait like a towla worm as he was thrown from a ship and is swallowed by a great fish reminds us about Jesus as the towla worm.

Jonah 1:15 says ‘So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea, and the sea ceased from her raging’. Jonah 1:17 goes on to say, ‘Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights’.

How does the above picture of Jonah being used as a towla worm for a great fish to swallow relate to Jesus?

The answer can be found at Matthew 12:40 where it says ‘For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly (defined as a sea monster or devil’s belly), so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.’

     Jonah as a type of towla worm was swallowed by the devil sea monster or great fish. Jesus also as a towla worm was swallowed by the devil at the cross. But, in like manner Jonah, when Jesus was ‘swallowed by the devil,’ Jesus destroyed the devil at the cross and after three days the devil had to let loose of Jesus and of Jonah.

Ephesians 4:9 that says ‘Now that He (Jesus) ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.’

     The devil thought he had defeated Jesus at the cross but Jesus turned the tables on the devil and destroyed the work of the devil at the cross.

Hebrews 2:14 says ‘that through death He (Jesus) might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.’

Jesus totally stripped the devil of his power and proclaimed it in..

Revelation 1:18 ‘now I have the keys of hell and death and I am He that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore; Amen, and have the keys of hell and death.’

The worms also had their part in the death of the wicked king as recorded in the book of Acts. However, we also know that Jesus was sinless! He was never touched by the depravity, which is a part of our nature. He was tempted, yet without sin! Therefore, when He refers to Himself as a worm there must be a deeper meaning and there is!

Worm in Latin it is the “Coccus Illicus” coccus ilicis. (n.d.). Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary.

  1. The dried bodies of the females of a scale insect (Coccus ilicis), allied to the cochineal insect, and found on several species of oak near the Mediterranean. They are round, about the size of a pea, contain coloring matter analogous to carmine, and are used in dyeing. They were anciently thought to be of a vegetable nature, and were used in medicine.

    (Bot.) A small European evergreen oak (Quercus coccifera) on which the kermes insect (Coccus ilicis) feeds. –J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants). 

The crimson worm is also very fragrant when it is crushed. Like the crimson worm Jesus was crushed for our sin. 

Ephesians 5:2 ‘and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and has given himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.’And 2 Cor 2:16 To those who are perishing we are a fearful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved we are a life-giving perfume.

In the research of this post, it was discovered in

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary.

that the crushed worm is also used to make medicine.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isa 53:5 NIV

“… the crushed ìcoccus ilicisî contains a chemical that is an anti-bacterial agent which is why it was used in two types of purification ceremonies:

  1. When there was a plague, scarlet was included in the purification of the house. And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet. (Lev 14:52).

  2. The scarlet worm was also used in the formula with the ashes of the red heifer. And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer. (Num. 19:6)

These ashes were used to cleanse a person when they came into contact with a dead body (a host for bacteria). This crimson, the worm coccus ilicis, was necessary to make one clean, which is symbolic of the blood of Jesus removing the sin of disease and death from us.

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised [crushed] for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Is 53:5, Heb 9:13-14).

The word “finished” in the original Greek means “paid in full”.  “We owed a debt we could never pay” and Jesus “paid a debt He didn’t owe” for us.  Sin no longer has dominion over us if we accept His sacrifice for us, Rom. 6:14.

John 19:30 So when Jesus received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Jesus’ last act was to sacrifice His life for us. His last words were, “It is finished”.

“““

Sometimes we are willing to accept interesting stories that we think are evidence justifying our faith, will glorify God, or they just find inspiring, and then pass them on to others, without ever doing a fact check. Hopefully this reference has passed the test of scrutiny with reliable sources referenced for the insect facts and Hebrew language.

Everyday the Holy Spirit will reveal and enlighten to us the Scriptures as we sow them in our heart, we should continue to be thrilled at the new things He shows us in His Word. There is nothing new under the sun but there are some things that suddenly seem to come to life as we read them. Personal research is profitable and always encouraged. The same word Towla is also found in Num 19:6 And the priest shall take Cedar wood and hyssop and Scarlet (towla), and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer. (Notice anything unusual about the cow?!)And the priest shall take Cedar wood and hyssop and Scarlet (towla), and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.Three objects were burned with the heifer: cedarwood, hyssop and Scarlet (towla) thread from the sacrificial goat designated as the sin offering.

The Hebrew phrase for “red heifer” is פרה אדומה” – “parah adumah” and literally means “red cow,” however in the verses quoted above, we read the term “red heifer” because a heifer more specifically describes the kind of cow which was to be brought to Moses and Aaron. A heifer is defined as “a young female cow over one year old that has not produced a calf.” It was to be a particular kind of cow and it was to be a particular color as well, red.The red heifer that the children of Israel were to bring to Moses and Aaron had to meet all of the criteria that the LORD specified:

  1. “unblemished” – “תמימה” – “temimah” – “whole” or “complete”

  2. “no defect” – “אין בה מום” – “ein bo mum” – “no spot or defect in it”

  3. “on which a yoke has never been placed” – “אשר לא עלה עליה עול” – “asher lo alah alei’ah ol” 

This young, female, red cow had to fit these specifications exactly. She could never have worked a day in her life. She needed to be whole and complete, without any spot or defect in anyway. She had to be a perfect, red heifer.

For Jesus to be the red heifer sacrifice, these elements needed to be present at his sacrifice and they were.

     THE WOOD OF THE TREE; THE HYSSOP WITH THE SPONGE AND THE SCARLET ROBE; PLUS HE WAS WITHOUT SPOT OR BLEMISH MEANING HE WAS INNOCENT AND SINLESS.

The Red Heifer was the one mystery hidden even from Solomon who couldn’t understand its significance.Red hyssopWe can declare daily that we are crucified with Messiah and the Blood of Jesus/Yeshua covers us and by which we defeat and overcome the devil as we praise and worship Jesus/Yeshua as God. We believe the blood of Jesus is our most powerful weapon to destroy the works of the enemy and will give us victory daily in our lives. The Blood of Jesus will never lose its power. It continually speaks for us and cries ‘mercies’ -‘rachamim’. Thank you Lord Jesus/Adonai Yeshua, for forever covering your saints with the Blood of Your Covenant that will never fade away.

If you are not sure you are saved..

Please don’t leave this site without assurance in your heart, see prayer at bottom of page.

***Extra note as promised for those still a little hungry:

Miracle Of The Crimson Cord On The Temple Doors…

The Talmudic references (Hebrew commentaries) to the mystery of the scarlet cloth that was tied to the scapegoat and failed to turn white for 40 years after Yeshua died, until the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD. In the same story the Temple doors would open every night until the temple was destroyed. click link below:

 https://www.minimannamoments.com/mystery-of-the-hekel/

In the book of Leviticus chapter 15, the Lord/Adonai/Hashem/The Name; instructed Moses and Aaron to select two goats every year for an offering. One was to be used as a sin offering to atone for the sins and transgressions of the people.Once killed, its blood was to be sprinkled on the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant. There Hashem would view the blood of the sin offering and have Mercy on the people and forgive their sins. The high priest would then lay hands on the second goat which was allowed to live and he would confess the sins of the people putting them on the head of the goat. The goat would then bear the blame of all the transgression of the people and would be set free into the wilderness, where Hashem would remember their sins no more. The goat became known as the scapegoat.

Jewish history records that it was common practice to tie a red strip of cloth to the scapegoat. The red strip represented the sin of the people which was atoned for by the red blood on the mercy seat. According to the Jewish Talmud this red strip would eventually turn white, signaling Hashem’s acceptance of the offering.
There is an amazing reference in the Talmud that verifies that after Yeshua was crucified, Hashem no longer accepted the sin offering and the scapegoat offered by the Jewish high priest.

The Talmud states
       “Forty years before the Temple was destroyed (30 A.D.) the chosen lot was not picked with the right hand, nor did the crimson stripe turn white, nor did the westernmost light burn; and the doors of the Temple’s Holy Place swung open by themselves, until Rabbi Yochanon ben Zakkai spoke saying: ‘O most Holy Place, why have you become disturbed? I know full well that your destiny will be destruction, for the prophet Zechariah ben Iddo has already spoken regarding you saying: ‘Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour the cedars’ (Zech. 11:1).’  Talmud Bavli, Yoma 39b
 
It is important to note that this event recorded in the Talmud occurred approx. 40 years before the destruction of the Temple which was destroyed in 70 AD. The date of this amazing event was approx.30 AD, the same time that Yeshua shed his blood as the final scapegoat offering.

The Day of Atonement in Bible Times. In the ceremony of the two goats, the two goats were considered as one offering. A crimson sash was tied around the horns of the goat marked azazel. At the appropriate time, the goat was led to a steep cliff in the wilderness and shoved off the cliff. In connection with this ceremony, an interesting tradition arose that is mentioned in the Mishnah. A portion of the crimson sash was attached to the door of the temple (Beit HaMikdash) before the goat was sent into the wilderness. The sash would turn from red to white as the goat met its end, signaling to the people that G-d had accepted their sacrifices and their sins were forgiven. This was based upon Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 1:18. As stated earlier, the Mishnah tells us that 40 years before the destruction of the temple (Beit HaMikdash), the sash stopped turning white. This, of course, was when Yeshua was slain on the tree.

But Adonai came as High Priest..not with the blood of lambs, goats and calves,but with HIS own blood

He entered the Most Holy Place once and for all, setting people free forever. 

…And according to the Scriptures/Torah almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is not remission…so Adonai offered once to bear the sins of many.

To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation…For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goat could take away sins… By that while we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Yeshua once for all….this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God…For by one offering He was perfected for ever those who are being sanctified ..says the LORD: I will put My laws in their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”   Hebrew 9:11- 10:17

Shalom and Happy Spiritual New Year. If a worm can reveal so much of the Gospel how much more should we!

Make certain Jesus is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him. 

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

Its all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.

NOT SURE?

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/welcome-come-taste-some-bread-of-life-bread-from-heaven/life-changing-information-guaranteed/

The Sheltering Presence of God (cont.)

Hebrew: Succouth Sykkot Sukkot

Feast of Tabernacles – סוכות

Other names and titles used for this Appointed Time are:

Time of Our Joy – Zman Simchatenu–  זמן שמחתנו

Moadim L’Simcha (Appointed Times for Joy)

Zman Simchatenu Time of Our Joy – זמן שמחתנו

Simchat Torah – the Joy of the Torahשִׂמְחַת תורָה

Shemini Atzeret – Eighth Day of Assembly – שמיני עצרת 

Hoshanah Rabbah – Great Salvation – הושענה רבה

Chag Assif – Harvest Festivalחג אסיף.

The Four Species: Arba Minim

In Lev. 23:40, it is written, ‘On the first day you shall take the product of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafs trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.’

The Hebrew word for ‘goodly’ in the verse in Leviticus above is hadar {haw-dawr’} [01926] meaning ‘ornament,’ ‘splendor,’ or ‘honor.’        

There are 4 specific plants that are associated with the observance of Sukkot. The Hebrew name is The Four Species ארבעת המינים‎ Arbah Minim/Arba’at haminimThe command is to take these 4 plants each noted for their special beauty and wave them and ‘rejoice before the Lord.’ Each of the 4 species is different from the other and has its own unique significance.

The four consist of: 1st the Tamar (Palm branch which is defined in beauty by having a straight shape and leaves tightly bound.). The Hebrew word for ‘palm’ in this verse is tamar {taw-mawr’} [8558] meaning ‘palm tree’ or ‘date palm.’ Palm frond – lulav לולב
2nd: Three sprigs/branches/twigs of Hadas – hadass הדס – the myrtle branch hadasim (myrtle branches) which has a beautiful pleated pattern of three leaves coming out from the same point in the branch. The Hebrew word for ‘bough‘ in this verse is anaph {aw-nawf’} [06057] meaning ‘bough’or ‘branch.’3rd: Arava – the willow branch/twigs, two aravot – aravah ערבה – (the willow branches); which should have oblong leaves with a smooth edge. The Hebrew word for ‘willows‘ in this verse is arab {aw-rawb’} [06155] meaning ‘poplar’, ‘willow’ or a tree characterized by dark wood. 4th the Etrog  אתרוג the citron (a fragrant Mediterranean citrus fruit with a thick, white rind. It is often picked from the tree while green, and then ripens to a bright yellow.) It is about the same size as a lemon, but sweeter and spicier to serve as the ‘fruit of goodly trees’ that is mentioned in Lev. 23:40.
All the six branches are bound together and referred to collectively as the lulav.

Two willows placed on the left, one palm branch in the center, and three myrtles on the right.

Shaking the Lulav

The Etrog is held separately in the left hand and the Lulav in the right and with these 4 species in hand, each day during Succot, blessings, (example below) are recited over the Etrog and the Lulav.

Then they are lifted together with the Etrog, waved and shaken in all six directions (east, south, west, north, up, and down) reminding us that God is everywhere and also as a symbol of His mastery over all Creation.
(Lulav and Etrog are not biblical terms, however some do believe that Lev. 23:40 does refer to a lulav.)

(Psalm 23; Isaiah 43:1–2; Jude 1:24, 25) are references to the Biblical command to worship God with branches, (the Lulav,) which was to remind Israel of how God led them through the different stages of their wilderness journey by waving the three branches representing the different varieties of vegetation.

Of the largest was the Palm branches which grows in valleys and reminds them of their journey through the valleys and plains that God was with them.

Second was the thick boughs of the Myrtle tree with small dark leaves which grows in the high places and reminds them of their journey through the mountains where God was with them too.

The third one was the Willow, a drooping light green which grows by water and reminded Israel of the times and places when God was with them and provided brooks and streams of water for both the people and their animals to drink in the desert.The Etrog was to remind them of the fruits of the good land that the Lord had given them.

The Wilderness is this world, the journey is this life, and the instruction to all believers found in the Palm is stated in Psalm 23, no matter how dark or deep valley, and we are never alone.

With the Myrtle for when we go through the rockiest of times, facing seemingly insurmountable mountains, He will go with you and prevent us from falling.

The Willow is for the dry places and empty times in our lives, to remind us that He never leaves.

This is echoed 5 times in Hebrews: for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] Heb. 13:5b Amplified Bible,)

He will give us rivers and streams in the desert places, giving new life, sustenance and times of refreshing. The fruit speaks of the promised land. Regardless of what we go through in this life, it is not the end and only the journey to the place of our real future. Collectively it is the Lulav of the promises of God that we are never alone through all the valleys, mountains, deserts and all the hard,dry places, He has never left or abandoned us.

He is Jehovah Shammah the God who is Always there. At the start of the Israelites ceremony, the Etrog is upside down. The spiritual meaning is: before we came to God, we were in a state of being upside down. Through the ceremony, it is turned right side up and joined to the other three. This represents a marriage/covenant that is taking place. After we are turned right side up and turn to God, we later are joined to Him in marriage/covenant.

In Deuteronomy 16:14, the Etrog also represents the stranger who is the Gentile/Heathen/Goyim, who has joined themself to Israel (Ephesians 2:11-13). This is symbolic of the great congregation of non-Jewish believers in the Messiah Jesus/Yeshua.

 The One New Man (Eph.2:15).Like most ceremonial items in Israel, the Lulav (palm branch, myrtle, and willows) and the Etrog (citron) also have philosophical meanings. The ancient Rabbis (Hebrew word for Teachers, Jesus was often addressed as Rabbi), spent many hours discussing and trying to interpret the words and meanings of each instruction. Through the centuries, they have handed down various interpretations of the symbolism of the Lulav and the Etrog.

One popular teaching is that the 4 components of the Lulav and the Etrog, which are called in Hebrew the Arba Minim, symbolize the human condition and one’s relationship with God.
One famous interpretation of the 4 species likens each to a body part: the Etrog is shaped like the human heart;the palm fronds of the lulav are like the spine;

the myrtle leaves are shaped like the eyes,

and the willow leaves like the lips or the mouth.

Together, these 4 elements show that just as all 4 species are waved before God on Sukkot, so too we use all the parts of our bodies to worship and serve God: heart, spine, eyes, and mouth.

Rabbi/Teacher Stern developed additional meanings for the symbols of the Lulav and Etrog.

The Etrog stands for the heart of our society united in response to September 11th.

The Palm branch is our courage and fortitude in face of adversity.

The Myrtle leaves are the tears shed for the victims and

the Willow is our mouth to speak in praise of the heroes.

There is another symbolic layer of meaning related to the Etrog and Lulav and the two forms of Judeo-Christian lifestyles: study and good deeds. There are many wonderful drashot (homiletical explanations) for the number 4. Perhaps the best known is that there are 4 types of believers:

There is thought to be spiritual significance based on the characteristics of the Lulav and Etrog/Citron:

While the combined Lulav which has a good taste, but no smell, is like a person with knowledge, but who does no good deeds.

The Palm bears fruit (deeds) but is not fragrant (spiritual blessing). This is like a person who lives by the letter of the law but does not have compassion or love for others. The Palm branches possess taste but no fragrance, symbolizing those who possess learning but do not perform good deeds. The Etrog /citron, which has a good taste and smell, creates both fruit and fragrance is like those who know the Torah and do good deeds. This is like a faithful believer who lives a balanced life in wisdom before God and man. Believers should desire to be like the Etrog or citron/citrus fruit, which possesses both taste and fragrance symbolizes those who possess both learning and good deeds. The Myrtle is the inverse of the palm, but can’t bear fruit having only has a pleasant fragrance but no taste, is like a simple person who has no knowledge and learning but do good deeds. They may recite scripture, but they don’t produce fruit, yet are innately kind and caring . Lastly, the Willow, which cannot produce fruit and has neither taste nor fragrance, This is like a person who is intrigued by different doctrines but never produces fruit and symbolizes those with no interest in gaining knowledge, neither learning nor good deeds and no innate sense of responsibility towards others and no feeling of the need to help others.We, of course, want to be the Etrog, possessing both learning and good deeds. However, the reality of life is that our communities are made of all 4 types of people and because community is such a high priority in the Israeli lifestyle, all 4 species are tied together, as we ought to bring together all those in one community.The Four Species are also held during the service when the Hallel Prayer is said (select prayers grouped together for the holidays – Psalm 113 – 118) They are also held during the processions around the bimah*.

(The pedestal where the Torah/Scripture is read) each day during the holiday.

Bimah/Bema* also refers to Judgment Seat.

Bema* Judgment Seat at Corinth   Rom 14:10 2 Cor 5:10

 This is for believers only and occurs after 1Thess 4:15-17. Jesus is the judge and its for service not sins, quality not quantity, (obedience) and results in rewards or loss as our ‘works’ are tried by fire.

Messiah In The Feast Of Tabernacles:

There are several other ways to see how the Messiah adds to this holiday.

We are told in John’s Gospel, “The Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us…” (John 1:14). God’s presence came in the incarnate Messiah who was present with His people. He was Immanuel, Hebrew for God with us. The word dwelt here in the Greek means tabernacled. When He became flesh, Jesus inhabited the temporary shelter of an earthly body, He dwelt with us in a corruptible body, knowing He soon would be required to leave it. He did it so that we might find a home in Him – not a temporary shelter in the wilderness, but an eternal home in a Kingdom that abides forever.  Clearly in many ways this festival points to Yeshua (Jesus). God gave the Israelites manna and water in the wilderness, Jesus is spiritual bread and water for all who believe in Him.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst (John 6:35).

Paul taught that as the Israelites wandered in the desert over those 40 years they all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ (1 Cor.10:4).Jesus/Yeshuah is the bread, the water, the light (Jn 8:12) and the man whose name is The Branch (Zech.6:12). In short, Sukkot is all about Him.There is also further significance in the materials used for the Sukkah and Lulav, which are symbolical. The Palm is an emblem of victory throughout the Scriptures. In Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem: “And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road” (Mk. 11:8).

We’re also told that the multitude from the Tribulation will be ‘…standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ (Rev. 7:9-10).

Another perspective is that the true meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles will be fulfilled when Messiah Jesus gathers the ‘harvest’ of His children unto Himself. ‘…gather together his elect…’ (Mat 24:30-31) ‘.. the harvest of the earth is ripe …'(Rev 14:14-16) Jam. 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently until it receives the early and latter rain.  During the Feast of Tabernacles there was a great ceremony called the Illumination of the Temple, (Beit HaMikdash) which involved the priests and the Levites going into the Court of Women and lighting 4 very large golden oil-fed lamps.These lamps were huge menorah candelabras (50 cubits high) (73 feet high) (22.25 metres) with 4 golden bowls placed upon them and 4 ladders resting against each candlestick. 4 youths of priestly descent stood at the top of the ladders holding jars containing about 7.5 gallons of pure oil, which they poured for each bowl.They were lighted in the temple at night to remind the people of the pillar of fire that had guided Israel in their wilderness journey.

The priests and Levites used their own worn-out liturgical clothing for wicks.

The light emanating from the four candelabras was so bright that the Mishnah (Hebrew commentary Sukkah 5:3) records that there was no courtyard in Jerusalem [Yerushalayim] that was not lit up with the light of the libation water-well ceremony (Beit Hashoevah).In addition, during this festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) and this time, in the court of the women of the temple between the four posts of light, the accusers brought to Jesus/Yeshua, the woman caught in the act of adultery (Jn. 8:1-11). Jesus/Yeshua forgave the woman and proceeded to write a message on the ground (Jn. 8:5-9).What did Jesus/Yeshua write? The answer is in Jeremiah 17:13,14.

In these things, we can see that Jesus/Yeshua was no doubt reminding the people of the prophets warning and the messages of the festivals they were celebrating with the need to apply it to real life situations.
In celebration and anticipation, the holiest of Israel’s men danced and sang psalms of joy and praise before the Lord.This festival was a reminder that God had promised to send the Light, to a sin-darkened world. God promised to send the Messiah to renew Israel’s glory, release them from bondage, and restore their joy. Imagine what the atmosphere was like in ancient Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles as we try to visualize seeing those massive menorahs giving a tremendous amount of light.Now its easier to imagine the impact of the words said by Jesus in the Temple courtyard when He announced, “I am the Light of the world” (John 9:5).Spiritually speaking, the light represented the shekinah glory that once filled the temple where God’s presence dwelt in the Holy of Holies (1 Kings 8:10-11; Ezekiel 43:5). During this time, the temple (Beit HaMikdash) was thought of as “the light of the world.” In the brilliance of this gloriously lit temple, Jesus/Yeshua was the One who said of Himself, ‘I am the Light of the World’; and we are to be too.Jesus is the Light, the source of illumination to bring the lost out of darkness. It is not clear from the text when this incident happened, but it was some time between the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah); both of these celebrations focused on light.

Our bodies are temporary just like the Sukkah was temporary. God dwelt with the Israelites in the desert and the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us today. Jesus is God tabernacling among men and women. ..tabernacle of God is with men…” (Rev 21:1-3)Zechariah Chapter 14 prophesies about this holiday. He writes when the Messiah comes, after there is judgments against the nations that come up against Israel, this holiday of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) will become something that all the remaining nations celebrate.

The Feast of Tabernacles is a picture of the Messianic Age, when God’s dwelling Presence will be with mankind. This can be seen in Zechariah 14, which describes the Messianic Age, and specifically notes that the Feast of Tabernacles will be observed during that time.

‘Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths’. The Lord will establish His Tabernacle in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 37:26), and the world will come every year to appear before the King and worship Him (Zechariah 14:16-17).Prophetically, Sukkot points not only to past fulfilled prophecies but also points ahead to future prophecy that will be fulfilled with Jesus second coming. Zechariah 8:3 teaches us that someday God will once again dwell with us in Jerusalem.

The Celebration of Water Pouring Simchat Beit HaShoevah The water libation was also full of meaning and significance. 1Samuel 7:6

The Messiah’s presence in the Feast of Tabernacles is also found in the rite of the Water Libation.

As Jesus was on the cross, (an altar of sacrifice), suspended between heaven and earth, (Himself making the bridge between the two realms); His side was pierced and out flowed blood and water and trickled down the side of the ‘altar’.

This ceremony was handed down as part of the Oral Law (Mishnah) and was known also as “Nissuch Ha Mayim.” This ties Jesus into the Gospel of John. The pouring out of the water and was also related to God pouring out His Holy Spirit.

The Daily Sukkot Ceremony

Nightly “Water-Drawing Celebrations,” reminiscent of the evening-to-dawn festivities held in the Holy Temple in preparation for the drawing of water for use in the festival service, fill the synagogues and streets with song, music and dance until the wee hours of the morning.The 2nd temple was destroyed in 70AD following Jesus’ prophecy in Mark 13:2 ‘And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.’Before that time, Each day (Beit HaMikdash), there was a special ceremony out of the temple. The priests were divided into three groups. The first division were the priests on duty for that festival. They would slay the sacrifices (Num. 29). At this time, a 2nd group of priests went out the eastern gate of the temple (Beit HaMikdash) and went to the Motzah Valley, where the ashes were deposited at the beginning of the sabbath. There they would cut willows. The willows had to be 25 feet in length. After this, they would form a line with all the priests holding a willow. About 25 or 30 feet behind this row of priests, allowing room for the willows, would be another row of priests with willows. So, there would be row after row of the willows.The whole road back to the temple (Beit HaMikdash) was lined with pilgrims as they went to Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) to celebrate the festival as they were commanded by God to do. Sukkot (Tabernacles), along with Shavuot (Pentecost), and Passover (Pesach), were known as the pilgrimage festivals (Deuteronomy 16:16).

Three Pilgrimage Festivals שלושת הרגלים

 During the times of the Temple, the Israelites used to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, as commanded:

“Three times each year, all your males shall thus present themselves before God the Master, Lord of Israel.” (Exodus 34:23)

There would be a signal and the priests would step out with their left foot, and then step to the right, swinging the willows back and forth. Meanwhile, a third group of priests, headed by the high priest (Cohen HaGadol), went out the gate known as the Water Gate. They had gone to the pool known as “Siloam” (Jn. 9:7,11), (which means “gently flowing waters”from which the High Priest used to draw the water for the Water Offering in ancient times.There the high priest had a golden vase and drew the water known as the living water (mayim hayim) and held it in the vase.His assistant held a silver vase containing wine.Just as the priests in the valley of Motzah began to march toward Jerusalem so did the priests in Siloam. As they marched toward the city of Jerusalem the willows made a swishing sound in the wind as they approached the city. The word wind in Hebrew is Ruach. The word spirit in Hebrew is also Ruach.

Therefore, this ceremony was symbolic or representative of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) of God coming upon the city of Jerusalem.

As each of the party reached their respective gates, a trumpet (shofar) was blown.Then one man would stand up and play the flute (the flute represents the Messiah). The flute player is called “the pierced one.” The flute is pierced, and Jesus/Yeshua was pierced during the crucifixion (Psa. 22:16; Zech. 12:10; Jn. 19:34-37; Rev.1:7).The flute player led the procession. The pierced one blows the call for the wind and the water to enter the temple. The priests from Motzah swishing the willows come into the temple (Beit HaMikdash) and circle the altar 7 times. The priests that were slaying the sacrifices are now ascending the altar, and they begin to lay the sacrifices on the fires. The high priest and his assistant ascend the altar and all the people of Israel are gathered into the courts.

The people start singing the song Mayim, saying, “With joy we will draw water out of the well of salvation [Yeshua]” (Is.12:3; Mishnah, Sukkah 5:1).

 

The high priest takes his vase and pours its contents on one of the corners of the altar where the horns are.There are two bowls built into the altar. Each bowl has a hole in it. The water and the wine are poured out over the altar as the priests who had the willow start laying the willows against the altar, making a sukkah (a picture of God’s covering).
Messianic Understanding:  Again this is a picture of Jesus/Yeshua as He was on the tree. He was on the altar (tree) when His heart was pierced (John 19:34), then the water and the blood separated and they were poured out. The wine here representing His Blood shed for us.

God through Yeshua was providing a covering (sukkah) for all those who would believe in Him.
Wine is representative of marriage, blood, covenant, joy, and the Messiah in Scripture. The priests took the willows to the altar and set them upright on the side of the altar, forming a wedding canopy or chupah and representing the marriage covenant. The high priest will take his golden vessel and pour out the water on the altar. The assistant will pour out his silver vessel of wine on the altar. Jesus/Yeshua said that He was the living water being poured out during this ceremony (John 7:2, 37-38).

Spiritual Application (Halacha). During the time of Jesus/Yeshua, the Feast of Sukkot set a magnificent stage for the preaching of the Messiah. Rain is essential to the growing of crops and Israel, an arid land, prizes rain greatly as a blessing from God.Rain was a prominent feature in the celebration of the Feast of Sukkot. The ‘ceremony of the water drawing’ held a significance much deeper than its agricultural implications.

The rain represented the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) and the water drawing pointed to that day when, according to the prophet Joel God would rain His Spirit upon (all flesh) (Joel 2:28-29).
The connection of water to this verse is God pouring out His Spirit. ‘With joy shall ye draw out of the wells of salvation'” (Is.12:3).Sukkot was given by God to teach us of the coming Messianic era, the Millennium, when the earth will experience the greatest outpouring of His Spirit. 


  On Hoshanah Rabbah, “The Great Hoshanah,” the priests circled the altar seven times. On this final day of Sukkot, probably during the water ceremony, Yeshua (Jesus) stood up and proclaimed Himself to be the source of Living Water—the salvation they joyfully prayed for.  He invited all who were thirsty to come and drink, the water representing the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Yeshua stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’  By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.” (Jn. 7:37–39)
Another sign of Jesus the Messiah being part of the Feast of Tabernacles is what is commonly called His Triumphant Entry (Zechariah 9:9) found in all four Gospels. This also shows another connection between Passover and Sukkot.

The 6th day of Sukkot it is a cry for salvation, hoshea na rabah – save us now, let us increase or deliverance now. This is the time/season for repentance which is a precursor to, and without which, salvation is not possible. It is also a reminder of Yom Kippur just 11 days prior. On this day during the days Jesus was on the earth, in the second Temple period, there was a procession in Jerusalem. The people walked the streets singing from Psalm 118:25 Hoshea na in Hebrew and Hosanna in Greek which means Save us now.Those who were familiar with this procession understood the full meaning of the practice and when Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem it did not pass without them understanding its significance.   (Matt. 21:1–11; Mk. 11:1–11; Lk. 19:28–44; Jn. 12:12–19)

For believers in Messiah this prayer has already been answered: “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). The cry for salvation at Tabernacles is heard and answered through Jesus the Messiah, for He came to “save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).On the 7th day of Sukkot, 7 circuits are made. For this reason, the 7th day of Sukkot is known as Hoshanah Rabbah (the Great Hoshanah). It is considered a holiday in of itself.In the end, the entire planet earth will become a Sukkah where God dwells (Rev. 21:3-4).

Some believe that Revelation 7:9 gives a glimpse into a Heavenly Tabernacle Celebration when it says: ‘After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands’.

In the fullness of time Messiah cameIn the fullness of time Messiah will return

 The Sheltering Presence of God Abides With Us Always.

While learning more about His Appointed Times, may we all remain in the Sukkah of His Loving Protection.

 

 

 

At-One-Ment With The One You Love

Special Word of Introduction:

Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there are different times and seasons. This is a time to be serious and to put away, to cast down and throw from us all that would distract and keep us from the One to whom we owe EVERYTHING.

We will sing of your love for ever, we will declare your faithfulness and mercy to the generations.

This is the pen-ultimate appointed time of the Hebrew calendar year. The 6th of 7 specific dates the Lord set into the annual cycle of life, incorporating the harvest seasons of the grains and fruits. Times chosen when The Lord God wanted to spend time with His people.They were all a prophetic type and shadow, a fore-telling of the coming Savior. A rehearsal for the future Messiah, JESUS who came a little over 2000 years ago and literally fulfilled the words of the prophets concerning God’s plan of the ages.

In Hebrew,Jesus was the burden removing, yoke destroying answer, redeeming mankind and all who will believe and trust in His atoning sacrifice of substitution at Calvary.

There His Blood has paid the price for ALL our transgressions. The wages of sin is death, meaning eternal separation from God’s presence. Because of Jesus, we will never have to experience that or have to personally pay the price for our errant ways. Ezekiel 18:20 ‘the soul who sins he shall die..’

Yom Kippur is all about the sacrificial offering of a pure unblemished innocent life, freely and willingly given to cover for sin, through the shedding of its blood. (For the life of the flesh is in the blood. Lev. 17:11) Yom haKipuriym/day of the Atonements, falls on the 10th day of the 7th month. It is not a feast day but rather a Holy convocation, an opportunity to deny ourselves, a time for self examination. A perfect opportunity for a heart (spiritual) check-up.As the High Priest performs the atonements for himself, the altar, the Tabernacle, and the whole community in Israel, we are encouraged to stop and think. To turn those thoughts to our own lives and allow an inner conviction to lead us to true repentance and then to the acceptance of the blood sacrifice of Jesus as a means of cleansing and forgiveness.Jesus our Messiah has clearly fulfilled both the position of our High Priest and that of our personal sacrifice, He atoned for us once and for all and is continually making intercession for us before the Father.He does not need to make sacrifices for Himself and for us year after year in order to atone for our sins–it has already been accomplished for ever. Hebrews 9:6–12

The weight and penalty of the sins, was symbolically transferred to the animal sacrifices for that year, so that forgiveness could be attained.

Our willingness to deny self on this day does not cause, aid or enhance our atonement, however it allows us to become acutely aware of our own mortality, our sin, our continuing need for atonement, and our desire for life. At the same time it causes us to appreciate on some minute level, the sacrifice the Master made as He denied His own life on our behalf and to re-evaluate our own commitment to walk in the way, the truth and the life, by obeying and keeping His commandments.

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Matt.5:17-20

 

The sanctity and holiness of this day cannot be understated.

Though we may find great joy in our eternal atonement in Jesus the Messiah, this is a day for remembering the atonement in such a way that it should be very hard to forget in the busyness of daily life.

Although we are saved by grace and live by faith, we are still accountable for our individual lives and for changing our ways in compliance of being a ‘doer’ of the things Jesus taught and not a ‘hearer only’.

We are to be contemplative, repentant, humble and dead to ourselves because the self sacrifice necessary to atone for our sins is far beyond what any of us are able or willing to do. It would take every drop, every ounce of blood in our bodies to cover even our own sins, much less the sins of another.

However we can rejoice for the Messiah has come! Atonement has been made and He has obtained age enduring redemption, which is available for us! Justice is satisfied and Mercy fulfilled, once and for all!On Yom haKipuriym, day of the Atonements, we are also to remember that we live and breathe only because the Father so chooses, and that by His choice, He has the right and the power to take it away as well. A sobering reality.

Lk. 12:20; Mk. 13:44.

Hard though that is for some of us to admit, once born again and redeemed, it means that God through Jesus bought and paid for us and we belong to Him. Our life is no longer our own to live as we please and our destiny is His hands. At this time the story of Jonah is appropriate, teaching that sincere repentance can reverse even the harshest heavenly decreeand the prevention of Jonah’s flight shows that no one can escape from God.There is such an abundance of revelatory instruction around the 7th appointed time, it is prohibitive to attempt to include everything in one post, so some aspects are not mentioned below due to space and in an attempt to curtail longevity, however it is not out of ignorance or neglect.

(Further details regarding insights on the sacrifices and Temple proceedings followed at Yom Kippur will be posted on more mini manna moments/ deeper dig.)

Now for the Main Meal of the day! Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement (Lev. 25:9) 

The Biblical name for the day of Atonement is Yom HaKippurim, meaning ‘the day of covering, canceling, pardon, reconciling.’ Occasionally, it was called ‘the Day of the Fast’ or ‘the Great Fast’ (Lev. 23:27-31; 16:29-34). It is a unique ceremony which took place on the ancient Hebrew calendar for the children of Israel, it was the holiest day of the year and still is for believers and the Jewish community today. ‘Kadosh’, often translated as ‘Holy’, it also has a deeper meaning and conveys an understanding of being separate and set aside for Adonai /The Lord and not as the world and the things of the world are.Deut. 7:6, We are to be His own unique treasure.

This day marks the end of the Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe) and falls on the 9th/10th day of Tishrei (Tishri), the seventh month in the Jewish calendar.It’s not a feast like the others that we have looked at. It is a day of repentance and it’s still of great significance for Christian believers, because not one of us is perfect.  It’s a time for us to make a decision to be better in the coming year than we were in the past year. Paul makes mention of Yom Kippur when he refers to it in Acts 27:9 saying that the fast had already gone by, as the main focus of this day is to fast before the Lord.Names used are:

Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement)

Face to Face
The Day (or the Great Day)
The Fast
The Great Shofar (Shofar HaGadol)
Neilah (the closing of the gates of heaven as the festival concludes and the judgment was set for another year.)

 

UNDERSTANDING THE PRIESTLY SERVICE FOR YOM KIPPURLev. 16, specifies the 10th of Tishrei as the date on which the high priest (Cohen HaGadol) shall conduct a special ceremony to purge defilement from the sanctuary and from the people. The heart of it is that the high priest (Cohen HaGadol) shall bring a bull and two goats as a special offering. First, the bull is sacrificed to purge the sanctuary from any defilements caused by misdeeds of the priest himself and of his household (Lev. 16:6). Secondly, one of the goats is chosen by lot to be sacrificed, to purge the sanctuary of any similar defilement stimulated by misdeeds of the whole Israelite people (Lev. 16:7-8). Finally, the second goat is sent away, not sacrificed, to cleanse the people themselves. The goat is marked for Azazel and is sent away to wander in the wilderness (Lev. 16:10).Before the goat is sent out, the high priest lays both his hands upon its head and confesses over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites, whatever their misdeeds, and so putting them on the head of the goat. Thus, the Torah adds, ‘The goat shall carry on it all their iniquities to an inaccessible region…’ (Lev. 16:20- 22).

AZAZEL: THE SCAPEGOAT

The Hebrew word for scapegoat is ‘Azazel’. Azazel was seen as a type of satan (Ha satan). The sins of the people and thus the punishment of the people were laid upon Azazel the scapegoat. Azazel being sent into the wilderness is understood to be a picture of satan (Ha satan) being cast into the lake of fire (Rev.19:20).The sins of the people were laid upon the scapegoat (Lev.16:21-22).

 

ADDITIONAL ASPECTS TO THE HIGH PRIEST CEREMONY

In order to enter the Holy of Holies, the high priest (Cohen HaGadol) was first to bathe his entire body, going beyond the mere washing of hands and feet as required by other occasions. The washing symbolized his desire for purification (Num. 19). The washing was of his clothes and his flesh (Num. 8:5-7;19:7-9).

This was done in conjunction with taking the blood of an animal with the finger
and sprinkling the blood upon the altar (Num. 19:1-4; Lev. 8:13-15 and in Num. 31:21-24.)  

‘And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering.’

The priest dipping his finger in the blood and placing it on the horns of the altar represents that the sin is recorded. The mark of a finger print in blood is evidence a death had taken place to pay the price for the sin.By this action, the altar had in a sense, become defiled until on the Day of Atonement when the pure blood of the Lord’s goat was placed on the altar to purify it.

The blood is shed for the sinner’s life and to satisfy the demand of the law, on the Day of Atonement the redemption is finalized. So too, is the process in the heavenly sanctuary on the day when our sins are blotted out. 

 The spiritual understanding of this is given in Heb. 9 -10:19-22.
The sprinkling of blood upon the altar is also mentioned in Ex. 29:1-4,10-12, 16,20-21; and Lev. 1:3-5,11; 3:1-2,8; 4:1-6; 5:4-6,9. The spiritual understanding is found in Heb. 9:11-14,23-25, and 1Pet. 1:2.

FACE TO FACE

The high priest (Cohen HaGadol) could only go into the Holy of Holies once a year (Lev.16:2; Heb. 9:6-7).(God issued a warning that no man could see His face and live (Ex.33:20). But because on the Day of Atonement the priest could be in God’s presence (Lev.16:2), another term for the Day of Atonement is ‘face to face.’  At that point, the high priest was ‘face to face with the mercy seat of God.’

Face in Hebrew: panim or paneh פָּנִים (paw-neem’)When the high priest (Cohen HaGadol) entered the Holy of Holies, he saw the Lord’s presence as a brilliant cloud hovering above the mercy seat (Lev.16:2).The word for mercy seat in Hebrew is kapporet. It comes from the root word kaphar, which is the same word used for atonement. The mercy seat can also be translated as the seat of atonement. The mercy seat is described in detail in Ex. 25:17-22 and 37:6-9. This is the place where Moses (Moshe) met and spoke with God face to face (Ex. 25:22; 30:6; Num. 7:89).The themes are:

Yom Kippur is a day of fasting and affliction of the soul.

The incense of the golden censer represents the prayers of Bible believers.Repentance Repent (Teshuvah) return to the Lord.

Hear (Shema) the calling (Shofar) for our lives.

Yielding ourselves to God so we may live every day (face to face – al paneh – פָּנִים) in His Presence. Furniture of the Tabernacle

Atonement

 At the moment the atonement was made on the Day of Atonement, those being atoned for were sinless and blameless before God.

The congregation of believers (kehilat) in the Messiah is being presented before God without spot or blemish (Eph. 5:27) because of the blood of Jesus/Yeshua (1 Pet. 1:19).Messianic Fulfillment; Jesus/Yeshua is the sacrifice of God for us who believe on Him (Heb. 9:26-28; 10:1-10). 

Forgiveness

Messianic Fulfillment: Aaron the high priest typifies the ministry of mediator and intercessor. Jesus/Yeshua is our High Priest (Heb. 3:1) and Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 12:24). He lives to make intercession for us (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:22-27).Spiritual Application (Halacha): By the death of Jesus/Yeshua, we are free to enter into the veil every day not just once a year. (Matt. 27:50-51; 2 Cor. 3:14; Heb. 4:16; 6:13-19; 10:19-22).

 More about the Goats 

Lev. 16:7–10. the high priest would stand before the people in Jerusalem with two identical goats.He would then put his hand into an urn where there were two lots, each one with a different Hebrew word carved into it. The High priest would then remove them both, one in each hand. He then placed the lot in his right hand on the head of the goat to his right the other to the goat on the left.One of the lots decreed that one of the goats would live and be set free, the other that it would die as the sacrifice for the sins of the people on Yom Kippur.  This is where two goats (or lambs) were chosen annually to represent the sins of Israel, one was sacrificed as the usual sin offering and the other released into the wild, bearing the sins of the people on it.The fate of each goat was determined by the drawing of the lots. The black lot signifying the scapegoat and the white lot, the goat for sacrifice. When the lots were drawn, if the black stone was found in the priest’s left hand when the stones were revealed it was an indication that the offering was unacceptable to the Lord. White meant yes, black meant no.

The Mystery of the Semikhah

Within this ceremony is also the mystery of the Semikhah. This is the sacred act that had to take place before a sacrifice could be offered up for the sins of the one offering it, or before the scapegoat could take away the sins of the nation on Yom Kippur.

It is the mystery of physical contact.

The person offering the sacrifice had to make physical contact with the sacrifice itself.

The priest had to touch it and very specifically had to place the palms of both his hands on the sacrifice.Lev. 16:21, Only after the Semikhah was performed could the scapegoat take away the sins of the nation or the sacrifice be offered up as an atonement.

The mystery is the Messiah. He is the sacrifice. 

As the Semikhah must be performed and it was the priests who offered Him up and then delivered Him to His death. In accordance with Scripture, the priest had to make physical contact with the sacrifice by placing his hands on it. Mk. 14:65 records that after condemning Him to death the priests struck Him repeatedly with their hands. The description shows that they specifically struck his face and head the palms of their hands and afterwards Messiah was led away to be killed.What we need to comprehend is that what took place on earth at that moment, was symbolic of what happened in heavenly realms. That is where the reality and sovereignty of God’s intervention took place concerning the fate of mankind. In truth, it was God who performed the Semikhah when He placed our sins on Jesus, ensuring that sins are gone, Semikhah was completed and those sins can never return!

 

MESSIANIC UNDERSTANDING

God gave this ceremony of the casting of lots during Yom Kippur to teach us how He will judge the nations of the world prior to the Messianic age known as the Millennium. The nations of the world will be judged according to how they treated the Jewish people. Those nations who mistreated the Jews will be goat nations and they will go into the left hand. Those nations that stood beside the Jewish people will be sheep nations and will enter into the Messianic kingdom or the Millennium. Matt. 25:31-46.
Jesus/Yeshua during His first coming was a type of the goat marked La Adonai. He was a sin offering to us as God laid upon Him the sins of the whole world (Is. 53:1-6; 1 Cor. 15:3; Gal. 1:3-4; Heb. 2:17; 1 Jn. 2:2; 4:10).

In the ceremony of the two goats, the two goats were considered as one offering. A crimson sash was tied around the horns of the goat marked Azazel.At the appropriate time, the goat was led to a steep cliff in the wilderness and pushed off the cliff.  Before there could be any sacrifice, there had to be a public presentation of the two goats before the people and the decision of which destiny would be for each goat. In the life of Messiah before his sacrificial death at Passover He too was presented before the people by pilate. For them to choose which man would live and which would die. With the goats only one could become the sacrifice, so Messiah had to be one of two lives presented to the people in order to be chosen as the sacrifice. According to the Yom Kippur decree and the requirements of the ceremony, the other life had to be let go and his name was Barabbas. Matt. 27:15–24

They had to be identical but how could that have been true? Barabbas was a sinner, bandit and murderer Jesus was sinless.

It’s all in the name.

Jesus our Messiah was also the Son of God, the Son of the Father and Barabbas name in Aramaic comes from two words. Bar which means Son and Abba which means father so therefore Barabbas means son of the father. The two men each bearing the same name son of the father. So the one who was the sacrifice and the one set free were identical in this way. Similarly, as we believe Jesus was the son of God, He was also equal to God; then it would follow that God in the flesh had to die in our place and have an equality in some way with us. (John14:9, If you have seen me you have seen the father.) He did become flesh in the form of a man, in the ‘likeness’ of sinful flesh and as such was ‘identical’ to fulfill the law.Bar Abba (Barabbas) was a symbol of the disobedient nation of Yisra’el, and he was released from prison even though he was guilty. But our Messiah, Jesus was killed in his place, because He became the scapegoat for Yisra’el!The definition for the word ‘scapegoat’ is ‘the innocent party who takes the blame for the guilty party.’ The nation of Israel/Yisra’el, (the firstborn son) was the guilty party, but the Father put on human flesh and became the Son (representing Israel/Yisra’el) by trading places with him! 

(This is where we get our idiom for a scapegoat, for the one who takes the blame.)

Messiah fulfilled the pattern of the twin goats on Yom Kippur and then he also fulfilled the role of the Kohen Gadowl (High Priest) that year when He read Is.61:1-2 in the synagogue (Lk. 4:19) declaring the acceptable year of The Lord.”
We are not under the law of sin and death any more we are under the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Rom.8:2

Because of the sovereign purposes of the Lord, Israel has undergone a partial hardening until all of those whom God has called from among nations have been grafted in to the Olive tree of God. During this age of grace, those who were called not my people, are intended to provoke Israel to jealousy by means of the message. (Hos. 2:23) After the age of grace is complete all Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:26) and the original covenant will be fully restored and redeemed. Yom Kippur will be a fulfilled festival on that great day. Then the words of the prophets will be proven true and God will be vindicated. Israel will be adorned with honor and blessing above all the nations of the earth and they will finally be home from their long exile.

The aspect of ‘hidden, covered, veiled.’ We see ‘Yom Kippur’ typology here with the concept of being ‘covered’ or ‘veiled.’ To this day, the Jewish people have nick-named this day of ‘Yom Kippur’ as ‘face-to-face’ because it was this one time per year when the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies ‘behind the veil’ and come ‘face-to-face’ with The Lord!As the High Priest had to intercede on behalf of Israel/Yisra’el for her sins, if he had any sin for which he had not repented, he would die in the Holy of Holies! At the future Day of Atonement, the bride who sufficiently sanctifies herself or ‘afflicts’ and prepares herself will be able to come ‘face-to-face’ with the bridegroom. Likewise on that day when Jesus returns, the veil will be removed from her face and her heart (Israel) and she will ‘see’ her Messiah (2 Cor. 3:14-16). The scales will fall away from her eyes also as she will ‘look upon’ the one whom she pierced (Zech. 12:10).

In the future, during the ‘Ten Days of Awe’ between The Feast of Trumpets & the Day of Atonement, there will also be a ‘7-day’ wedding for the bride of Messiah.

Through Yeshua  the atonement has been made, not just for a year but forever; not just for Israel but for all who will believe.  We have been and will always be forgiven by God’s grace through faith. Jesus is not still on the cross however 
because of Jesus who is the heart and prophetic fulfillment of every one of God’s holy days. These are His feasts, the feasts of the Lord. Because God chose Israel to be His witness to the rest of the world, the celebrations commemorate events in Israel’s history.  Through them God revealed His character and His plan of redemption through Jesus.

So the Feasts are continual reminders of God’s faithfulness and goodness.  They connect us together as a community and are anchors of our souls.

The ultimate fulfillment of the year of Jubilee will take place at the second coming of Messiah.The earth will be redeemed and come into full and complete rest from the curse brought upon it by Adam’s sin. Complete restoration of man’s lost inheritance will take place. God’s people will be totally set free — set at liberty, from all sin, sickness and disease, death, and the curse. Satan (Ha satan), the source of all these things, will be bound and true rest, true shalom will be realized. The tabernacle of God will be with men and He will dwell with them (Rev.21:1-4). So, the day of Atonement speaks of the fullness of the redemptive plan of God for man.We do well to remember, liberty and freedom are NEVER really free.

Somewhere – sometime – someone...

has ALWAYS paid the price for that freedom. It would behoove us to count the cost now, today – for there will be no avoiding the inevitable day of reckoning.