Leviticus 14:4–32, Read this scripture passage and see how many clues you can find that point to Yeshua. We’ll give you hints along the way by providing you with the scripture verses to look up that will give you the answers. The purpose of this exercise is to show you that all the ceremonies and rituals that were part of the sacrificial system all prophetically pointed to Yeshua the Messiah, who fulfilled them all. This means that if we place our trusting faith in him, we no longer have to do the laborious and involved rituals that our ancient forefathers had to do in order to atone for their sins—we simply have to repent and believe in, love, follow and obey Yeshua and his word.
Now let’s look at the ritual for cleansing a metzora (one with a skin disease—a picture of our sinfulness) who had tzaraas (an infectious skin disease caused by sin).
Verses 4–7, two birds: One bird (likely a dove or pigeon) was killed in a clay pot over running water. The other bird along with the cedar wood, scarlet cloth and hyssop were dipped into the clay pot containing the blood from the killed bird and the running water. The water-blood mixture was then sprinkled on the diseased person (metzora) who was being purified, and the living bird was let loose and allowed to fly away. There is a lot going on here, but it all prophetically pointed to Yeshua’s death, burial and resurrection. Before deciphering this ritual out, perhaps it would help to understand the spiritual meaning of the wood, scarlet and hyssop, which we will explain next.
Verse 4, cedar wood: What was Yeshua crucified on? (Read John 19:17–18; Acts 5:30.)
Verse 4, scarlet: Scarlet is the color of blood and in the Bible pictures blood. What did Yeshua’s blood do for our sins? (Read Isa 1:18; Rev 7:14.)
Verse 4, hyssop: Hyssop (in reality, probably thyme or oregano) represented an essential oil that was known for its healing, cleansing and disease-killing properties. How would this point to Yeshua’s death on the cross? (Read Exod 12:22; Ps 51:7; John 19:29.)
Verses 7–8, The metzora was sprinkled with the water and blood mixture, he then bathed himself and washed his clothes. What is this a picture of in the redeemed believer’s life? (Read Acts 2:38; Rom 6:3–6.)
Verses 10–32, Three yearling lambs were offered for a trespass, sin and burnt offering. How does this point to Yeshua? (Read John 1:29, 36; Rev 13:8; 1 Pet 1:19.)
Now let’s take another look at verses 4–7 and the two birds to see how they pointed to Yeshua. The one bird being sacrificed and his blood being sprinkled as part of the cleansing process for the sinner is an obvious picture of what? But what about the bird that was let loose? What does this picture? Imagine letting a live bird loose out of your hands. What would he immediately do? Fly up and away, right? If the birds represent Yeshua, and the killed bird represents his death on the cross, then what does the live bird flying away represent? (Read Acts 3:15; 4:10; 1 Pet 1:3.)
What does the blood of the bird in verse 6 represent? How does it point to Yeshua? (Read Lev 17:11; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; 1 Pet 1:18–19; 1 John 1:7; Rev 7:14).
What does the clay pot in verse 5 represent? How does this point to Yeshua? (Read Gen 2:7; 2 Cor 4:7; 5:1.)
What does the running or living water in verse 5 represent? (Read Eph 5:26.) Who is the Word of Elohim? (Read John 1:1–14.) Who is the source of that living water? (Read John 4:10–14; 7:37–39.)
So now let’s connect the dots to form the complete picture. We have before us a picture of a clay pot filled with living water, into which is poured blood from a sacrificed bird. Into all that is dipped hyssop, a piece of wood and some scarlet cloth. This is a perfect picture of Yeshua’s death on the cross and how that death atoned for our sins. But though Yeshua died on the cross, he did not stay dead, but resurrected out of the grave three days later and returned to his Father in heaven. This is pictured by the bird that was let loose to fly away.
Although this was such a simple ceremony, described in a few short verses in Leviticus 14, yet when you look carefully at it, do you notice how rich in meaning it is? Thankfully, we have the Scriptures in the Testimony of Yeshua to help us to understand the meaning of this otherwise mysterious cleansing ritual!
Just 2 chapters later we have 2 goats.
Atonement means reconciliation. Some say that the Azazel goat, (or scapegoat) represents Satan taking on the sins of the world—in essence atoning for our sins, so as to reconcile us to Father. Were that the case, then Satan would be our Savior! Is that Satan’s role? If that isnt blasphemous, then what is?
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 2 expresses a common opinion about the primary meaning of the Day of Atonements—that is that the day has something to do with “an evil spirit”.
“The general meaning of the ceremony is sufficiently shown in the text [of Leviticus 16]. But the details present some difficulty. The Vulgate caper emissarius, “emissary goat”, represents the obscure Hebrew word Azazel, which occurs nowhere else in the Bible. Various attempts have been made to interpret its meaning. Some have taken it for the name of a place where the man who took the goat away used to throw it over a precipice, since its return was thought to forebode evil. Others, with better reason, take it for the name of an evil spirit; and in fact a spirit of this name is mentioned in the Apocryphal Book of Henoch, and later in Jewish literature. On this interpretation—which, though by no means new, finds favour with modern critics—the idea of the ceremony would seem to be that the sins were sent back to the evil spirit to whose influence they owed their origin. It has been noted that somewhat similar rites of expiation have prevailed among heathen nations. And modern critics, who refer the above passages to the Priestly Code, and to a post-Exilic date, are disposed to regard the sending of the goat to Azazel as an adaptation of a pre-existing ceremon[y].”
Repeatedly, the Atonement Scriptures concern these four pivotal commonalities: sin and death, offering (sacrifice) and life.
The symbolic and prophetic significance of the Day of Atonements can be determined from the information contained in Leviticus, provided we have the simple understanding that the Messiah was made an offering for our sins. Offerings were always “without blemish”. If Satan, who was blemished top to bottom, could have done the job, then certainly our eternal lives would have been secured that way!
Yeshua was immersed (baptized) on the Day of Atonements!
Great events happen on Biblical Feast and Festival Days (mo’ed & chag). There are three big clues that allow for this Atonement/immersion connection. First, Yeshua was designated as a Lamb (either of the goats or sheep), second, He was sent out into the wilderness immediately after being designated as the Lamb and being immersed. Thirdly, a Levitical priest participated in the event. Here are the relevant Scriptures:
The first goat represents Yeshua’s blood being shed as His life is given as sin offering. That the goat “for Yehovah (the “Lord”)” was Yeshua became apparent when John the Immerser declared that Yeshua was “the lamb of Aloha (Father)” (John 1:29 and 36).
It is the second goat, or the “live goat”, that people do not seem to pick up on. Had Yeshua remained dead we would have no eternity! While the slain goat truly represents Yeshua Messiah as “a sin offering”, it should be just as apparent that the second goat represents the same Life Giver—only this time as the living Life Giver of the world. Just like the 2 doves.
Yeshua also fulfilled the role of the Azazel goat. One of the goats was slain. This should easily be perceived to be a representation of the Messiah’s death on the cross “that is for the people” (v.15), for the sins of all of humanity ultimately. Notice that before the Azazel goat was sent “away into the wilderness” bearing “all the iniquities of the children of Israel”, it had to have all the sins of Israel symbolically put on its head by Aaron, the high priest. In later years, descendants of Jacob carried out this annual depiction using Yeshua!
In the typical service the high priest, having made the atonement for Israel, came forth and blessed the congregation. So Christ, at the close of His work as mediator, will appear, “without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28), to bless His waiting people with eternal life. As the priest, in removing the sins from the sanctuary, confessed them upon the head of the scapegoat, so Christ will place all these sins upon Satan, the originator and instigator of sin. The scapegoat, bearing the sins of Israel, was sent away “unto a land not inhabited” (Leviticus 16:22); so Satan, bearing the guilt of all the sins which he has caused God’s people to commit, will be for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3) confined to the earth, which will then be desolate, without inhabitant, and he will at last suffer the full penalty of sin in the fires that shall destroy all the wicked. Thus the great plan of redemption will reach its accomplishment in the final eradication of sin and the deliverance of all who have been willing to renounce evil.
Hi Rene,
Backing up in Hebrews 9 we see that Yeshua became our mediator when He died on the cross for us. I believe it is a mistake for people to teach that He has to get up every morning, so to speak, and begin mediating for us.
Hebrews 9:15 This is the reason He became the Mediator of the New Covenant—so that by means of death He could become the ransom payment for those who had sinned under the first [old] covenant, so that those who are called to the eternal inheritance can receive the promise.
Yeshua did all of the mediating necessary nearly 2000 years ago. Many centuries ago, according to the Catholic encyclopedia, they adopted the idea that the Azazel was a demon/elohim from pagan sources (where they got so many other ‘brilliant’ ideas). Satan is a useful idiot. Yehovah could extinguish him at any time, but he is facilitating our being tested. He is the reason we can be so well tested in our so few years on earth. Because of Satan’s suggestions (testing), so many people will die for their own sins!
A couple of years after I made those comments on Nathan’s blog I attended a Days of Unleavened Bread Festival (all 7 days) in southern Oregon with some break away Adventists who woke up to the idea. It was a good Feast but I was horrified with the dark as a cinder desolate earth Millennial teaching they were promoting. Good Adventists want to look down on a desolate Millennial Kingdom? No Satan will be cast to earth on Judgment Day and sentenced to Sheol:
Isaiah 14:9 “Sheol [the grave; “hell”: KJV] below is excited about meeting you at your coming. It wakes up the spirits of the dead for you, all the lead goats of the earth; it raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones. 10 They will all say to you, ‘You’ve become as weak as we are! You’re just like one of us! 11 Your pomp is brought down to sheol along with the sound of your stringed instruments. Maggots are spread out like a bed beneath you and worms are your covers.’ 12 “How you’ve fallen from heaven, Morning Star [not Lucifer!], son of the dawn! You’ve been cut down to the ground, you who brought down the nations! 13 You said to yourself, ‘I’ll ascend to heaven! I’ll raise my throne above the stars of Elohim! I’ll sit on the mount of assembly in the remotest parts of the north! 14 I’ll ascend above the highest clouds! I’ll make myself comparable to the Supreme!’ 15 Yet you’ll be brought down to sheol, to the depths of the pit. 16 Those who see you will gaze at you and ponder, ‘Is this the man who caused the earth to quake and made the kingdoms tremble, 17 who made the world like a wilderness and overthrew its towns, who wouldn’t allow his captives to go home?’
Note 1: To accomplish the death of a Spirit Being he/she must first be converted to flesh. http://www.everlastingkingdom.info/article/23/ That is what happened to Yeshua.
Note 2: The Morning Star is the only being in the Bible who wanted to go to heaven (v.13)!
Excellent comments and insights Lon. Thank you.
You and I see eye to eye on our understanding about the azazel goat as I spell out in my published teaching on the subject that can be found at http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/goat.pdf.
Very interesting insights about Yeshua’s baptism being on Yom Kippur. I have never heard that before.
FYI, we have a place on this blog for comments that are off the topic of the posts. You’ll find a place to leave the off-topic comments at the very top of this blog under “Blog Scripture Readings” at the bottom of that section where it says “leave a reply.” Since my post was on the two clean birds of Lev 14, and your great comments were on the azazel goat of Lev 16, this would have been the proper place to post this comment.
Again, thanks for the wonderful insights!
For anyone who has just read Lon’s discussion likening Yeshua’s baptism and being led into the wilderness to the azazel goat of Lev 16, which was also led into the wilderness, please see his follow-up comments under “Blog Scripture Readings for 4/15–4/21/12 Midrash.” There he explains himself further. It’s well worth reading.